Chapter 667 – Roommate’s Wedding
Aunt Jiang later somehow found out about her cousin-in-law eating and drinking for free at her restaurant, and she came over to apologize and return the money.
Of course, Lu Xia didn’t accept it, and she even had people send some of the restaurant’s food to her cousin-in-law every now and then.
After receiving the food, her cousin-in-law became much closer to her.
Lu Xia found it a bit strange. It was clear that she had made her cousin-in-law cut ties with those people, so did she not mind?
So, later on, she asked Jiang Junmo, “How did you talk to your cousin about it? Did you mention the restaurant?”
Jiang Junmo shook his head, “No, I only told them she was making friends, and they found out the rest on their own.”
Lu Xia didn’t say anything after hearing this, she just secretly gave him a thumbs-up.
Indeed, you had to be crafty sometimes!
After her cousin-in-law became honest, Aunt Jiang and the others were relieved.
And at this time, Yu Wan was finally getting married.
As her good friend, Lu Xia couldn’t miss it.
Not only that, because the groom was also her business partner, both sides gave generous gifts…
Watching Yu Wan get married smoothly, Lu Xia felt a bittersweet sense of a daughter getting married.
This time, the other two roommates also came.
Ye Nan was still the same, busy with work, and not much had changed about her.
It was Tan Yunfang who had changed quite a bit since they last met.
She, like Lu Xia, was a teacher, and she didn’t have an overly busy work schedule.
Although not young anymore, Tan Yunfang seemed to have lost the previous tension. She appeared to be in good spirits now.
Moreover, after this meeting, she shared a big piece of news with them.
“I’m planning to get married too!”
“Huh? With whom?”
Lu Xia and Ye Nan were both surprised and even more incredulous after they processed the news.
After all, they knew how much Tan Yunfang had been against marriage in the past.
Seeing their reactions, Tan Yunfang smiled and said, “It’s with Aunt Li’s son, Li Guoqiang.”
“Him?” Lu Xia understood, “But you didn’t agree before, right? Why have you changed your mind now?”
Tan Yunfang thought for a moment before responding to her question, “Maybe it’s fate. Last year, he was transferred to the military district in Beijing and could come home frequently. We got to know each other through this. I realized he’s a good person, but I didn’t think much of it at first. It was only later when Xiao Ya fell ill in the middle of the night. I couldn’t find a car, I was very helpless. It was he who helped us and sent her to the hospital.
At that moment, I suddenly realized that our family needed a man. And he had the same thought. So we decided to give it a try.
Most importantly, he’s really good to Xiao Ya and can be a father figure for her. His son is also very caring toward Xiao Ya. That’s why I thought about forming a family with him.”
Listening to her explanation, Lu Xia and Ye Nan were genuinely happy for her.
“It seems like, Sister Yunfang, you’ve really come to terms with it!”
“Yes,” Tan Yunfang nodded. “After all these years, I’ve come to see things differently. Just like what Lu Xia used to say, I can’t let other people’s mistakes punish me. I had been too hard on myself before. Maybe it’s time for me to step out and try a new life!”
Hearing her say this, both Lu Xia and Ye Nan were delighted. Ye Nan added, “It’s about time. You’re such a wonderful person; you should have a happy life…”
Lu Xia also smiled and asked, “When is the wedding?”
Tan Yunfang shook her head, “We don’t plan to have one. We’re not that young, and we’re not the type to focus on formalities. Just getting the marriage certificate will do.”
Lu Xia understood her perspective and didn’t press the issue further.
However, even though she wasn’t having a wedding, as friends and classmates, they still wanted to give her a gift.
So, they made arrangements to buy a wedding gift for Tan Yunfang with the other two roommates.
At this point, all four roommates had gotten married, and they were about to step into the next phase of their lives…
*
Chapter 668: Preparing for Postgraduate Entrance Exams
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After returning to school, Lu Xia began to contemplate her own situation.
She was currently a lecturer, but advancing to the next level would require a considerable amount of time. She also recalled that in the future, the path to becoming a professor would come with many strict requirements, not only regarding teaching performance but also education qualifications.
While her current university degree was quite impressive for this era, she remembered that just one year after the college entrance exam was reinstated, universities had started admitting graduate students. Their own school now also accepted a substantial number of postgraduates each year.
The English department had its own postgraduate program, but those professors and she didn’t share the same classroom.
Lu Xia figured that since her job was relatively easy right now, she might as well take advantage of her youth and still-sharp memory to enhance her education. It would be better to raise her qualifications early and avoid future challenges.
The only problem was that she already had a job, and quitting to prepare for postgraduate exams wasn’t a viable option. So, she thought about pursuing a part-time postgraduate program, although she wasn’t sure if such programs existed in this era.
With these thoughts in mind, she decided to inquire at the department head’s office during her free time.
The department head was surprised by her inquiry. He didn’t expect Teacher Lu to be so enthusiastic about learning. After all, most people would be content with a job at a prestigious university like Peking University and wouldn’t be inclined to further their education.
Impressed by her dedication, he explained, “Teacher Lu, we do have part-time postgraduate programs here. However, they are currently aimed at older generations of state officials.”
“Teacher Lu, if you want to take the exam, I’ll let you know the registration deadlines and other relevant information. If you want to apply for our department’s postgraduate program, I can also introduce you to the professors,” the department head offered.
Lu Xia immediately replied with a smile, “Thank you so much, Director. You’re really helping me out.”
The director smiled and said, “Not at all. Nowadays, it’s rare to find teachers as dedicated to learning as you. However, don’t forget your teaching responsibilities while you’re studying. If I see a drop in your teaching quality, I won’t approve.”
“Don’t worry, Director. I won’t.”
After returning from the department head’s office, Lu Xia examined the materials she had received. She realized that it was fortunate she had inquired in advance because the registration deadline was the next month, and the exam was scheduled for March of the following year. Considering this, she didn’t have much time for preparation. Fortunately, she had continued her studies diligently after starting her job, which gave her some peace of mind.
Teacher Jiang, who was nearby, saw her busy and curiously asked, “Teacher Lu, what are you so busy with? Did the Director assign you new teaching tasks?”
Lu Xia shook her head, “No, it’s related to preparing for the postgraduate entrance exams.”
“Postgraduate exams? Teacher Lu, are you planning to pursue postgraduate studies? Aren’t you content with being a teacher?”
The other teachers in the office also turned their attention to the conversation.
Lu Xia explained, “No, I plan to enroll in a part-time postgraduate program, where I can work while pursuing my studies.”
Teacher Li nodded, “That’s a good idea, and you’re planning to apply to our university, right?”
Lu Xia smiled and nodded, “Not just our university, but also our department.”
The other teachers chuckled at her enthusiasm, “Teacher Lu, that’s a great idea! You won’t be neglecting your work and, in the process, you’ll be improving your qualifications. If I weren’t getting older, I’d consider doing the same. I heard they have education requirements for those aiming to become professors in the future!”
This was indeed true. In the past, when there were fewer undergraduate students, many old professors had only a bachelor’s degree. However, as the number of students with higher education increased, academic promotions started having requirements. The professors who had already attained the rank of associate professor were relatively safe, but moving up to the next level was more challenging.
Other teachers had probably heard about this as well, and they found Lu Xia’s initiative quite appealing. Still, most of them had graduated several years ago and didn’t have the motivation to focus on further studies. It was something they needed to think about.
However, Xie Guifang seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this. She requested a copy of the exam materials from Lu Xia and planned to review them in her spare time. She intended to give it a shot when she felt ready to take on teaching responsibilities in a few years.
