Sold into a ghost marriage? Four-year-old and his thuggish father go on a killing spree.

"Old Zhao, you're not kidding me, are you?"

In the principal's office of the commune primary school, Principal Wang, with his gray hair, put down his enamel mug and looked at Zhao Wenhai, the literacy class teacher in front of him, with disbelief.

"You're recommending a five-and-a-half-year-old to skip directly to second grade?"

"This is against the rules! She's not even six years old yet, which is the legal school age!"

Zhao Wenhai adjusted his reading glasses, his face full of certainty: "Principal Wang, I guarantee with my decades of teaching experience that the child named Gu Niannian is absolutely a genius!"

"She finished the literacy class in just one week. I gave her extra tutoring, explaining the first-grade textbook to her, and she could understand it after just one listen and had a photographic memory! Now, first-grade math problems are as easy for her as one plus one equals two!"

Principal Wang was skeptical.

He had seen intelligent children, but never one so "divine".

"Call the child here, I want to test her myself."

Half an hour later, Gu Niannian, carrying the small schoolbag her father had sewn for her from old cloth, was led by Zhao Wenhai into the principal's office, timid yet curious.

Looking at the thin, small girl with delicate features and unusually bright and calm eyes, Principal Wang's doubts deepened.

No matter how you look at it, it's still just a baby.

Without saying much, he simply pulled out a mimeographed scroll from the drawer, still smelling of ink.

"This is the final exam paper for the first semester of second grade. Try to do it."

When Zhao Wenhai saw this, his heart skipped a beat.

A test paper for second graders? Isn't that just making things difficult for them?

He was about to say a few words for Niannian when Gu Niannian tugged at his sleeve.

The little girl shook her head at him, then walked to the table, picked up a pencil, and sat down quietly.

In the office, only the scratching of pencils on paper and the ticking of the old clock on the wall could be heard.

Principal Wang and Zhao Wenhai both held their breath.

Gu Niannian spoke almost without pausing from beginning to end.

She glanced at the Chinese language questions, focusing on words and phrases that were unfamiliar to other children.

For math problems, especially word problems that require several twists and turns, she didn't even bother with scratch paper; she simply wrote out clear equations directly on the test paper.

The exam, which was originally scheduled for one hour, was completed in less than half an hour before Gu Niannian put down her pencil.

"Principal, I'm done."

Principal Wang took the test paper, put on his reading glasses, and carefully looked at each question one by one.

His expression changed dramatically at a speed visible to the naked eye.

From initial scrutiny, to surprise, to disbelief, and finally, utter shock!

In the Chinese section, except for two extremely rare characters with incorrect strokes, everything else was correct!

In the math section, from calculations to word problems, I got full marks!

What impressed him even more was the additional picture-based writing exercise at the end of the test paper.

Gu Niannian wrote down a passage in slightly crooked but incredibly clear handwriting:

"Her name is Gu Niannian. Her father is the best farm machinery repairman in the county. Her biggest wish is to read many, many books and become a useful person to the country, just like her father."

The handwriting is childish, but the emotions are sincere and the logic is clear!

Principal Wang held the exam paper and remained silent for a long, long time.

When he raised his head and looked at Gu Niannian again, his eyes had completely changed.

It was the surprise and excitement of discovering an unparalleled gem!

He slammed his hand on the table and shouted towards the door, "Dean of Students! Bring the Dean of Students here!"

When the head of the teaching department rushed in, panting, Principal Wang slammed the test paper in his hand in front of him and announced a decision that left everyone present speechless in an unquestionable tone:

"Pass the word! This child has been admitted to our school exceptionally!"

"Go straight to second grade! In the same class as Zhao Xiaohu and the others!"

At five and a half years old, he skipped a grade and went on to second grade!

This news was like a bombshell, instantly causing an uproar throughout the entire commune primary school!

The teachers spread the word, all eager to see what this "prodigy" from Chengjiawan looked like.

The news quickly reached Chengjiawan.

Those old women who used to gossip under the old locust tree, saying that Gu Niannian was a "jinx" and "had a hard life that would bring misfortune to her relatives,"

They were all stunned, and then they all changed their tune, praising her as "a literary star descended from heaven."

When Sun Xiufen heard the news at home, she was so angry that she smashed the bowl in her hand, repeatedly muttering, "It's fake! It must be fake! How could that bastard be so smart!"

When Gu Yanqiu received the admission notice from Zhao Wenhai, which was stamped with a bright red seal and read "Gu Niannian is hereby admitted to Class 1, Grade 2 of our school," the man in his thirties was so excited that his hands trembled.

He held that thin piece of paper, examining it again and again as if it were a precious treasure.

Then, in his own little yard, he walked around like a fool, round and round and round.

He knew that from this moment on, Niannian's life would truly be different.

What he didn't know was that enrolling in school was just the beginning.

Will the new environment and challenges at school lead the usually successful Nian Nian to encounter more complex interpersonal relationships? And who exactly is "Zhao Xiaohu," her classmate?