Chapter 356 – Preparing for the Graduation Exam
She remembered that her brother was named Xu Aiguo and her sister was named Xu Aian. Combining her and her sister’s names formed the characters for “An Ning” (peace and tranquility). This was the hope their parents had for them at that time: to be at peace and nothing else.
She knew that her parents had sent her and her sister away with heavy hearts.
They did it to give her and her sister a chance at survival.
So, Ning Di didn’t blame her parents or her brother who had stayed behind.
She only wished to find them and reunite the whole family.
She just didn’t know how long it would take to fulfill this wish.
Ning Di looked out the window, watching the clouds drifting away with the wind. If these clouds could carry her longing, she wished for them to carry it across the ocean to her family.
Tell them that on the other side of the ocean, there was a daughter, a sister, thinking of them.
*
That night, Xu Aiguo was awakened from his sleep.
Sitting at the foot of the bed, he smoked a cigarette he hadn’t touched in a long time.
When Zhang Ailian woke up, she saw him smoking, leaning against the headboard with a troubled expression.
“What’s wrong? Why are you up in the middle of the night smoking? Is something bothering you?” Zhang Ailian asked gently, her eyes full of concern for her husband.
“I dreamed of Xiao Ning,” Xu Aiguo said.
“You dreamed of Ningning?”
“No, not Ningning. My little sister, Xiao Ning.”
At this moment, Zhang Ailian realized that her husband was talking about his long-lost younger sister, Xu Aining.
“I dreamed of Xiao Ning. She said she missed our parents and me, her brother.”
“It’s been many years since I last dreamed of Xiao Ning. I didn’t expect to dream of her now, but this time, she wasn’t the little girl she used to be; she was older, even with some gray in her hair,” Xu Aiguo said, reflecting on it.
“That’s a good sign. It means your sister is still alive.”
“And the fact that you dreamed of her after so long, and saw her as she is now, might mean that you two are going to meet soon,” Zhang Ailian suggested.
Her words suddenly filled Xu Aiguo’s heart with hope.
“Do you really think that I’m going to see Xiao Ning soon?”
“I believe so. Dreams are mysterious. You and Xiao Ning are siblings, so it’s likely that you have a sense of each other, even in dreams.”
“Yes, it must be that way.”
“I don’t ask for anything else. If I can find Xiao Ning in my lifetime, I will be satisfied. This way, I’ll have fulfilled my promise to our parents.”
When their parents passed away, their greatest concern was the two younger sisters.
They had instructed him to make sure to find the two sisters.
Now, Xu Aian had been found long ago, but there was still no news of Xu Aining.
Zhang Ailian took her husband’s hand and said, “I’ve always felt that since Ningning came back to our family, our luck seems to have improved.”
“So this time, I believe we will definitely find your younger sister.”
“Mm.” Mentioning Xu Jinning brought a smile to Xu Aiguo’s face.
He had grown increasingly fond of this daughter.
“Ningning is doing well at the moment, but I wonder how Fanghua’s morning sickness is going?”
“Last time I spoke with in-law on the phone, she said Fanghua’s morning sickness was quite severe. Fortunately, the pickles I had you send helped her gain some appetite. Otherwise, she would have lost more weight by now.”
“I’ll make sure to prepare more pickles. When summer vacation comes, let’s see if they’ll return or if we can send some pickles to the capital.”
*
In the capital, Xu Fanghua, who was already over two months pregnant, was indeed struggling with morning sickness.
Xu Jinning sometimes watched her sister endure morning sickness and truly felt the hardship.
Sometimes, while brushing her teeth, Fanghua would suddenly throw up.
Other times, as soon as a dish was served and she had taken a bite, she would vomit.
Xu Jinning saw her sister’s condition so severe that she would bend over with the vomiting, and even tears would flow.
Creating life was truly an amazing and monumental task.
Xu Jinning couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like for her when she became pregnant and had children in the future.
However, she couldn’t quite imagine it.
And for her sister, not only did she have to endure the discomfort of morning sickness, but she also had to study and cope with missing her husband.
Her sister truly had a tough time.
Fanghua’s inability to eat due to morning sickness worried and distressed not only Xu Jinning but also her mother-in-law, Mother Song.
She tried various dishes to help Fanghua eat, but seeing her still unable to keep food down and losing weight, she felt heartbroken.
Fortunately, the pickles sent by the family were helping Fanghua’s appetite somewhat. Otherwise, she would have been at a loss.
Morning sickness was indeed very difficult, but Fanghua, as a mother, had never regretted carrying this little life inside her.
Because it was the fruit of the love between her and Song Yi.
*
During this time, Xu Jinning’s life had also undergone some changes.
She was preparing for her graduation exam.
That’s right, even though she was still in her second semester of her first year, she was already preparing for the graduation exam.
Once she passed it, she would be able to graduate early and start working sooner.
The reason she could do this was due to her experience with the president’s office and the test from Professor Liang.
Her abilities had amazed both the president and Professor Liang.
Afterwards, Professor Liang mentioned Xu Jinning to her husband, who worked in the National Translation Department.
So, Professor Liang’s husband made a phone call directly to President Jiang, hoping that Xu Jinning could intern in their department.
President Jiang had been contemplating Xu Jinning’s situation during this time.
Given Xu Jinning’s capabilities, continuing her studies seemed like a waste of time; it would be better for her to start working early.
However, he wasn’t willing to let such a talent be handed over directly to the Translation Department.
He also hoped that Xu Jinning could teach at the Foreign Language School.
The school needed talents like her.
So, Jiang Wenxu came up with a solution.
He decided to have Xu Jinning prepare for the graduation exam, specifically arranging a separate graduation exam just for her.
If she passed the exam, she would be awarded her diploma.
Afterwards, Xu Jinning would become a teacher at the Foreign Language School, and she could also intern at the translation department during her spare time.
Soon, Xu Jinning received a notification to prepare for her graduation exam, which was scheduled for a month later.
Naturally, Xu Jinning agreed.
To be honest, she felt that she was no longer gaining new knowledge in her foreign language major.
She had already reached a top level of proficiency in this field during her past life in the modern world.
So, graduating early was beneficial for her; she wasn’t opposed to starting work sooner.
During this time, Xu Jinning was preparing for her graduation exam.
Although she was confident even without additional preparation, since her teachers had provided her with some practice materials, she felt she shouldn’t let their goodwill go to waste and decided to review them.
