Rebirth after the college entrance examination

Chapter 230 Correction fee

As the night deepened, I casually brushed aside the lights of Hewan Village.

Upon hearing the news, villagers rushed up the mountain to help the widowed old woman with her funeral arrangements.

Xia An knew that Lin Jiajia didn't want to talk, so he did everything he could for her, even helping to set up the mourning tent.

Last night, Xia Kangning and Wei Xiaofang witnessed everything. Seeing their eldest son bustling around like he was handling their own family affairs, and seeing Lin Jiajia's increasingly outstanding appearance, they roughly understood the situation.

On the surface, Xia's parents didn't say anything, but they offered their condolences and assistance as needed. Finally, in the middle of the night, they found an opportunity to be alone with Xia An.

The couple pulled Xia An to a secluded spot in the backyard and asked, "Just how far have things progressed between you and Lin Jiajia?"

Xia An thought for a moment, took out her phone, and showed her parents a photo: a suit and a wedding dress, with the old lady smiling kindly.

Wei Xiaofang almost lost her balance and fell backward. Pointing at Xia An, she hurled insults at her, "You, you, you, she, she, she," which made her furious.

Xia Kangning looked at his son intently, sighed, and asked, "What about Xiaoyouzi?"

Xia An smiled and said, "We haven't registered our marriage yet."

Wei Xiaofang glared at him fiercely, "I had a feeling something was off during the summer vacation, and you really think so highly of her?"

Xia An said, "Mom and Dad, you should go down the mountain tomorrow."

Clearly, he had no intention of letting his parents get too involved in the relationships between the girls.

Xia Kangning pulled Wei Xiaofang aside, signaling her not to worry about it.

Xia An returned to the front yard, found Lin Jiajia who was keeping vigil, and whispered, "I told my parents."

Lin Jiajia, who had been in a daze, was suddenly startled and stared blankly at the smiling Xia An.

Xia An said, "You're not a shameful daughter-in-law. I promised Grandma I'd raise you like my own child."

Lin Jiajia paused for three seconds, then burst into tears and threw herself into Xia An's arms, crying uncontrollably.

At midnight, Wei Xiaofang arrived at the prepared mourning hall and saw Xia An kneeling there burning incense as his grandson-in-law. She asked Lin Jiajia if she could come out and say a few words.

Xia An whispered to Lin Jiajia, "Go ahead."

Lin Jiajia and Wei Xiaofang went outside and chatted for a long time at the stone table and chairs in the backyard. When they returned at two o'clock in the morning, their eyes were red.

Xia An teased, "What did you talk about?"

Lin Jiajia shook her head and remained silent.

He pulled a thick white envelope from his pocket, along with a card.

Xia An asked curiously, "The white envelope is for you, but what's the card? Is it a 'change of address fee'?"

Lin Jiajia put the bank card back in her pocket and nodded in surprise to Xia An.

Xia An's eyes widened in surprise, unable to contain her excitement: "You called her Mom?"

Lin Jiajia pursed her lips and said after a few seconds:
"I promised her I wouldn't get a marriage certificate with you."

Xia An fell silent.

Lin Jiajia smiled and took his hand.

"This is good enough, this is sufficient."

The ashes of paper floated and swirled above the copper basin, a deathly stillness, while Grandma Lin's black-and-white photograph showed a radiant smile.

Lin Jiajia knelt on the mat, her head resting on Xia An's shoulder.

The night passed just like that.

……

Early in the morning, the news spread rapidly throughout the entire provincial capital, centered around Liu Fei.

The Xie family was the first to arrive. Huang Li was decisively, swiftly, and smoothly overthrown by Xia An. The old man told Xie Wanqing that she must win back Xia An as a resource.

Just three months ago, Xia An was merely a nobody relying on Xie Wanqing to obtain screening qualifications; now, the balance of power has shifted dramatically.

Zhou Yang accompanied Xie Wanqing.

This person is a bit strange. At least Xia An didn't see his main role in Liu Fei's circle of friends. His family is in finance. With Xia An's knowledge, next year, after 2008, leverage will be magnified many times over. Zhou Yang should be a preparation that Liu Fei made in advance.

Following behind them in their car were Qi Jiaojiao, who had returned from Australia to celebrate the Spring Festival, and some other people from the entertainment industry.

Then came a small number of political figures.

Looking down the mountain from the front yard, a line of sports cars and luxury cars were heading up the mountain road. The villagers finally realized that the Lin family's granddaughter had become successful, and it seemed that her friends were even more powerful than Old Zhou from before.

The sight of several Audi 100s and A6s with smaller license plates in the middle section definitively proves that things are not so simple.

Xia Kangning and Wei Xiaofang looked at each other from a distance, their expressions clear: their son had only been up to something for half a year, and he had already fallen to this state?
Lin Jiajia stood beside Xia An, knowing that the scene would soon become chaotic. She frowned deeply, not wanting to deal with those people.

Xia An noticed this and smiled, "Just return the greeting, no need to pay any attention."

Lin Jiajia smiled gratefully at him. This boy could always easily catch her subtle emotions. It was so nice.

Xie Wanqing, who was at the front of the line, didn't drive a Porsche; instead, she drove a black minivan, and she was also dressed in black when she got out.

Xia An turned to look at Lin Jiajia: "Shi Tiesheng said that death is an inevitable festival. There's some truth to that. Today is really lively."

Lin Jiajia said, "After Grandma's funeral, you should go for a medical check-up. You promised me."

Xia An patted the cool little hands on her arm.

"How about I take you to Chengdu for fun, and we can get a medical check-up there?"

Lin Jiajia nodded and returned to the mourning tent to kneel.

Xia An lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then burned the rest between his fingers, the smoke drifting in the fine, hair-like spring rain.

Tender buds sprout from every branch of the peach orchard, filling the air with the fragrance of grass and earth. In this vibrant early spring, we mourn the passing of our loved ones; death is like water falling into water.

Xia An glanced at her parents standing under the eaves.

Lin Jiajia's situation is even more difficult. She has no offspring to entrust her life to. She experiences life, meets people, and falls in love, but in the end, she will face a death that she doesn't need to rush.

Xia An walked up to his parents and said, "In Islamic countries, it is permissible to have four wives."

Wei Xiaofang looked at him as if he were a lunatic.

Xia Kangning's eyes lit up. "Oh? There's such a saying?"

Xia An lifted her leg and walked away.

Behind him came Wei Xiaofang's low, angry voice: "Xia Kangning, what do you mean?"

Xia Kangning: "I just find it interesting..."

……

Xie Wanqing and Zhou Yang started chatting with Xia An first, but this was not the place for casual conversation. After a few words, Xia An led them into the mourning hall.

They bowed in greeting, and the family members returned the bow.

Walking back into the drizzle, Xie Wanqing looked at Xia An and said, "I called Brother Liu for a long time a few days ago. My dad's idea is that the family is willing to put more screens in shopping malls."

Seeing that Xia An wasn't responding, he added, "I heard from Brother Liu that you're also planning to open a shopping mall?"

Zhou Yang chimed in, "If you need financing, you can tell me."

Xia An curled the corners of his mouth and said, "It's not that I plan to do it, it's that the Sugar Persimmon Group wants to enter the non-residential commercial real estate market."

Zhou Yang shrugged, understanding Xia An's deeper meaning.

Are listed groups able to raise funds faster than your financial companies? And at a lower cost.

Xie Wanqing asked, "Tang Wan? Are you planning to cooperate more deeply in this area?"

Xia An smiled, "My cooperation with her is very in-depth in all aspects."

Xie Wanqing pursed her lips and glanced in the direction of the mourning hall.

Good heavens, in my nearly thirty years of life, this is the first time I've ever seen such a shameless person.

Although she had conflicts with Huang Li and Huang Hao, Xia An was unwilling to offend the people around Liu Fei to the point of no return, so she left a message saying, "So, we can talk about the things on screen when Tang Wan comes back."

Xie Wanqing nodded and said, "Then let's set a time."

Xia An said, "No need, she'll be there soon." He sensed that the commotion in the next few days would be significant, and to avoid excessive speculation about his relationship with Lin Jiajia, and because he didn't want Lin Jiajia to be defined by outsiders as his aunt, he didn't want her to appear in public at this time. Her title would be the head of the charity foundation a year from now.

Therefore, Xia An still intends to have Tang Wan take the lead this time.

Xie Wanqing said, "Brother Liu's plane lands this afternoon, we'll help you make arrangements for a while."

Xia An patted Zhou Yang on the shoulder and said to them, "Then we are very grateful."

Qi Jiaojiao also got out of the car, dressed in all black, but with the addition of sunglasses compared to Xie Wanqing.

It all started at that magical little club, with a niche CD bringing them together, and continued through the Jing Yun incident in Australia. Xia An had long been acquainted with this woman through their shared spiritual connection.

The two exchanged glances, nodded in greeting, and shook hands. Xia An smiled and said, "Miss Qi, you have excellent taste."

Qi Jiaojiao said indifferently, "I like Liu Fei. She looks like a pig's head, is that considered good taste?"

Xia An: "..."

I'm talking about the music and that shop!

It's amazing that he couldn't find out the woman's background.

Within the province, their only business is that chain of clubs, which they keep low-key and unassuming. Therefore, their family background is definitely official, but they just don't work in Donghai Province.

Being able to befriend Liu Fei and openly pursue Fatty Liu shows that they are a good match.

So, counting on my fingers, there are no high-ranking officials in China with the surname Qi...

Xia An truly dared not offend Qi Jiaojiao, who had a military background, so he carefully weighed the pros and cons when he decided to help Jing Yun.

"From a musical perspective, your taste has always been quite niche."

Beside them, Zhou Yang and Xie Wanqing suppressed their laughter.

Qi Jiaojiao tilted her head and stared at him intently through her sunglasses, a beautiful smile playing on her lips. She nodded and said, "With Jing Yun in your hands, do you think she has any chance of becoming famous?"

Xia An raised an eyebrow and smiled, "If she signs with an ordinary agency, it will be difficult for her to rise again at this age, but I want to promote her, and I'm sure I can."

Qi Jiaojiao asked, "Are you trying to set her up with Liu Fei?"

Xia An laughed: "Why not ask her if she likes... no, I should say if she knows Liu Fei?"

Qi Jiaojiao said, "Maybe we didn't know each other before, but we definitely do now."

Xia An said, "I never liked it before, and I'm even less likely to like it now."

Liu Fei never intended to force a girl into marriage. In other words, if Liu Fei really wanted to force someone into marriage, could Qi Jiaojiao stop her?
The rise and fall of a nation is inevitable, so why should the people of Wu blame Xi Shi? Although Jing Yun cannot be considered Xi Shi, in Liu Fei's tragic youthful love affair, she shares the same traits as Xi Shi, and was the one who was innocently hurt.

Qi Jiaojiao said, "This is the first time I've seen Liu Fei care so much about someone."

Xia An laughed and said, "It's not that bad. Time has passed, and it's just a vague idea now. Whether Jing Yun becomes famous or not, or whether she returns to China or not, it won't change the outcome of this relationship."

Qi Jiaojiao pointed at him: "I'm talking about you."

"..."

Seeing Xia An's stunned expression, Qi Jiaojiao took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of charming phoenix eyes, and smiled, "I think he should think carefully before he speaks. Otherwise, why don't you help us get together? I'll owe you a favor."

Then, looking at Xie Wanqing and Zhou Yang, he said, "If you don't believe me, ask them. My connections are very useful."

Xia An smiled knowingly and pretended to practice the Six Ren divination with his fingers.

"I've done the math, and I'm sure it's going to work out. The lovers will eventually become family."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw people from the Provincial Party Committee Office and the Development and Reform Commission arrive, and their cars drove directly into the courtyard. Xia An was about to jog a few steps to greet them, but considering that Miss Qi was there, it didn't matter whether she was presumptuous or not, so she didn't move.

The sensible Zhang Tiancheng immediately took the initiative to greet the boss, leading several executives in business jackets over.

Qi Jiaojiao addressed the group as "uncle" before Xia An did, and Xia An shook hands with them afterward.

"Thank you for your trouble."

"I am sorry for your loss."

Xia An added, "Chairman Tang should be arriving soon too."

The two leaders exchanged a glance. "Then let's have some hot tea."

Xia An and Lin Jiajia personally returned the greetings to these people in the mourning hall, and then led the leaders into the house.

Xia Kangning and Wei Xiaofang had been discussing it privately for a while.

"Isn't that so-and-so from the province?"

"Does he look like he's after the son?"

"Otherwise, how could you possibly win over Jiajia?"

"Who are those two girls? They're both quite pretty. Do you think it's possible that our son's wealth came so quickly because of his good looks?"

"It's possible, I have good genes."

"Fuck you."

Upon seeing Xia An leading the high-ranking official into the house, the couple panicked and hurriedly tidied their appearance.

Xia An introduced the two as her biological parents, and then introduced each other as their respective parents.

His shrewdness in officialdom made Xia's parents feel like they were bathed in a warm breeze.

"You have raised an excellent son."

"They never caused us any trouble, but once they entered the workforce, they always caused problems for their superiors."

Xia Kangning and his wife got used to it, but the villagers were completely dumbfounded.

To them, one of these two was the ancestor of the local official, someone they often saw in the news. It was the first time they had seen him up close, and none of them dared to approach. They only asked the old doctor Luo if there were any chores in the yard that needed help with. If not, they had to hurry down the mountain and dared not stay any longer.

Especially Lin Jiajia's few elementary school classmates who were vagrants, who had originally planned to come up under some pretext to show off and ask for some work, now dared not show their faces.

Tang Wan and Liu Xiao arrived at the same time, having both departed from Binhai.

Xia An didn't act too intimately with Tang Wan in public. Today, she was Lin Jiajia's best friend, but Liu Xiao was different.

Xia An led the two of them into the house first, and greeted the leaders, especially Liu Xiao. One of them was his provincial superior. Usually, at large meetings, one of them would be on the stage and the other in the audience. Today, they took the opportunity, through Xia An and Tang Wan's relationship, to formally get closer.

Xia An's parents were stunned. This was the second time Wei Xiaofang had seen Tang Wan up close.

It looks so good, even better than the last time I caught a glimpse of it at the supermarket.

She's like a fairy, like she stepped out of a magazine; her impact is countless times greater than anything seen on television.

Seeing her mother's stunned expression, Xia An said with a smile, "Mom, Miss Tang is talking to you."

Tang Wan was much more embarrassed than Wei Xiaofang. She said, "Auntie looks so young."

Wei Xiaofang recovered her senses, patted her chest and laughed, "I've never seen such an outstanding girl."

The leader was very considerate and let the two of them go to the mourning hall to pay their respects first.

Tang Wan didn't come out again; she accompanied Lin Jiajia in returning the greetings, while Xia An and Liu Xiao went back inside to have tea with their superiors.

After Xia An left, Tang Wan whispered to Lin Jiajia:

"We're the same now."

They were both orphans, and she empathized with them.

Lin Jiajia nodded sadly.

Tang Wan asked, "Xia An's parents are inside, you two..."

Lin Jiajia glanced at her and took the bank card out of her pocket again.

"What is this?" Tang Wan asked, her eyes wide.

"The auntie gave me the money for changing my address to her."

Tang Wan pursed her lips, looking aggrieved and on the verge of tears.

Things are different now.

(End of this chapter)