Jiang Lai had already visited Mingde High School once beforehand to scout the place.
Since it was currently the summer vacation enrollment period, the security guard didn’t stop anyone. A Maybach was parked right at the school gate, and a girl who looked about the same age as Jiang Lai got out of the car alone.
Jiang Lai wandered alone to the admissions office on the second floor. Inside, a female teacher was sitting, and the girl she had just seen at the school gate was helping the teacher organize materials. The female teacher smiled and said to her, “Thank you so much, Xu Linsong. It’s really kind of you to help the teacher during the holiday.” It seemed she was a current student. Indeed, most of the students at this school were from wealthy families. Thinking that she would soon be studying alongside people who arrived in Maybachs, Jiang Lai felt a sense of novelty, as if she were stepping into another world.
She walked in to inquire about the transfer enrollment process. Payment could be made via WeChat transfer, but to complete the transfer, a parent had to accompany her.
Aunt Wu wore a beige knitted cardigan, her hair neatly tied up. When she smiled, fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes, but her demeanor was elegant. Jiang Lai had briefed her on the process beforehand. Aunt Wu only asked one question: “Does your mother know?”
“No. But I won’t cause any trouble. It’s just signing a form.”
When they entered the admissions office, Teacher Lin glanced at Jiang Lai’s transcript, and her eyes lit up. “Top 10%? What was your ranking in the final exams last semester?”
Jiang Lai handed over her transcript. “Twelfth.”
Teacher Lin nodded and pushed the enrollment form toward her. “Just pay the remaining tuition before the start of the semester and report on the first day of school.”
After completing the process and stepping out of the school gate, a new text message arrived. It was from an unfamiliar number, with only one line:
“Transfer enrollment to Mingde High School General Division confirmed. Welcome to Mingde. Class assignment information will be sent to this device one week before the start of the semester.”
With the school situation settled, the next step was to convince her mother.
The next day, at exactly 3 p.m.
In the dilapidated residential building, Jiang Shan was nervously wiping the table. Just half an hour earlier, her daughter had told her that a teacher from the Mingde High School admissions office would personally visit their home for an important matter.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
The knocking came right on time. Jiang Lai went to open the door, and “Director Wu,” dressed in a high-end gray professional suit and carrying an exquisite briefcase, walked in with an imposing presence.
“Hello, are you Ms. Jiang Shan, Jiang Lai’s parent?” Director Wu adjusted her glasses, her tone perfectly balanced—carrying the reserve of an educator while exuding the pride and warmth of a prestigious school.
“Yes, that’s me. Please have a seat, Director Wu!” Jiang Shan wiped her hands nervously and hurriedly poured tea.
Director Wu smiled slightly, her every gesture radiating the demeanor of a top-tier prestigious school.
“Ms. Jiang, congratulations. Jiang Lai performed exceptionally well in the previous comprehensive assessment and has been specially admitted to our Mingde General Division as an exception. Given her outstanding performance, the school board has approved a ‘100,000 Yuan Outstanding New Student Special Scholarship,’ which can directly cover and waive all her tuition and miscellaneous fees during her time at Mingde.”
As she spoke, Director Wu placed the admission letter and scholarship notification on the table.
Jiang Shan was completely stunned. She stared at the weighty admission letter, then at the scholarship notification, rubbing her eyes as if she could hardly believe it. “Director Wu… is this… is this real? My daughter can attend Mingde, and there’s such a generous scholarship?”
“Of course it’s true. Jiang Lai is a rare talent, and Mingde has always cherished talent.” Director Wu’s acting was flawless as she gave Jiang Lai an approving glance. “To have raised such an outstanding daughter, Ms. Jiang, you deserve the highest praise.”
The highest praise.
These four words struck Jiang Shan’s heart like a heavy hammer.
For so many years, in the words of her ex-husband Jiang Wei, she was a worthless, worn-out housewife, an incompetent woman who couldn’t even raise her daughter properly. She had carried the heavy shackles of this burden, enduring everything in this broken family.
But now, the best school in Ping City had come to her home in person to tell her that not only would her daughter attend Mingde without paying a single cent, but the school would even provide a scholarship! Moreover, they told her that she, as a mother, was truly remarkable.
All the long-held grievances, endurance, and repression vanished completely at this moment. Holding the admission notice, Jiang Shan’s tears fell onto the paper with soft patters—tears of immense pride and a sense of vindication she had never felt in the first half of her life.
“Thank you, school… thank you, Director Wu… I’ll make sure Lai Lai works hard…” Jiang Shan’s voice choked with emotion.
Jiang Lai gently held her mother’s trembling hand, feeling a cold yet resolute sense of satisfaction. Mom, don’t worry. From today onward, not only will you not have to worry about tuition fees, but I’ll also make sure you live the best life possible.
Ten minutes later, Jiang Lai stood up and escorted “Director Wu” downstairs. At an empty corner of the stairwell, Jiang Lai swiftly transferred the remaining two thousand yuan via WeChat.
Aunt Wu gave a thumbs-up. “Girl, if you ever have a job like this again, just let me know. Your mom’s moved expression almost made me cry during the act.”
Jiang Lai thanked her with a smile and headed back upstairs.
However, as she reached the third-floor landing, she bumped into Granny Liu, who had come to her son’s home to visit her grandson.
Granny Liu was holding a trash bag, her shrewd, worldly triangular eyes scanning Jiang Lai before she drawled in a sour tone, “Oh, Jiang Lai. I just saw a woman dressed like a high-ranking official coming out of your place. What, has your mom found someone new already? Making quite a stir so soon after the divorce.”
Because Jiang Lai was pretty and academically excellent, she had always been the neighborhood’s model “good daughter.” Granny Liu, who had a grandson with a rebellious streak, never missed an opportunity to subtly belittle and mock her.
[Keyword detected, triggering Compensation. WeChat transfer received: 4,000 yuan.]
Jiang Lai paused, calmly pulling out the gilded Mingde admission notice she had deliberately kept out of her bag. Her tone was light and casual. “Granny Liu, you’ve misunderstood. That was the admissions director of Mingde High School, personally delivering a special scholarship of 100,000 yuan for me to attend Mingde. My mom is overjoyed and has no time for anything else. By the way, isn’t your grandson taking the high school entrance exam this year too? I heard he’s repeating the year? Well, he’ll need to work hard. After all, Mingde’s admission standards are, admittedly, just a little bit high.”
Granny Liu’s face instantly shifted from pale to red, then from red to purple, as colorful as a painter’s palette.
Mingde High School—that was Ping City’s top-tier prestigious school, where even money and influence didn’t guarantee admission. And on top of that, a 100,000 yuan scholarship! Her own disappointing grandson hadn’t even gotten into an ordinary high school and was now spending a fortune to repeat the year.