https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-167-A-Taste-of-the-Green-Dragon-Lingering-Flavor-at-Midnight/12849298/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-169-The-Whole-Village-Is-Buzzing/12849300/
Chapter 168: The Village's First College Student is Born!
Chapter 168: The Village’s First College Student is Born!
The next day.
Deng Shirong and his son boarded the bus back home. In addition to the large bunch of Bo Bai water spinach they carried openly, they had over 300 pounds stored in the system space. They could easily claim it was sent back via the bus whenever they wanted to eat it.
Upon arriving home, his sister-in-law and siblings immediately surrounded them, eager to hear about Deng Yunheng’s college entrance exam results.
Deng Yunheng grinned and didn’t keep them in suspense. He said straightforwardly, “Peking University, it’s a sure thing!”
“Fantastic!”
“Yunheng, you did an amazing job.”
“Brother, you’re incredible!”
“...”
Seeing the excitement on his children and daughter-in-law’s faces, Deng Shirong smiled and said, “While Yunheng’s score almost guarantees his admission to Peking University, it’s best not to announce it publicly until we receive the acceptance letter. Once the school sends it, we’ll have a proper celebration.”
Deng Yunzhen, knowing her father’s cautious nature, nodded. “Got it, Dad!”
Zhang Xiuping also agreed and then looked at the large bunch of Bo Bai water spinach Deng Shirong was holding. “This water spinach looks so strange. It’s so long but has so few leaves.”
Deng Shirong chuckled. “This is Bo Bai water spinach, the most famous agricultural product from Bo Bai. It’s much tastier than the water spinach we have here. I’ll cook it for you tonight.”
Hearing about the delicious meal, everyone’s attention turned to the unusual water spinach, and they couldn’t help but ask more questions.
Deng Shirong then gave his children and daughter-in-law a lesson, sharing everything he knew about Bo Bai water spinach. They were amazed, realizing just how special it was.
Thinking about how even high-ranking officials enjoyed this vegetable, everyone felt a surge of anticipation.
...
In the afternoon, after their eldest son returned, Deng Shirong started cooking the Bo Bai water spinach.
Most vegetables, including Bo Bai water spinach, are best cooked over high heat. The key is to cook it in one go. If the heat is too low and it turns into a simmer, the flavor will be lost.
Deng Shirong used a cast-iron pot over a wood stove, which provided plenty of heat.
He heated the oil, then quickly stir-fried the water spinach. Just before it was fully cooked, he added crushed garlic, followed by a pinch of salt and soy sauce. He stirred everything together and then served it.
When the dish was on the table, the vibrant green, glossy water spinach looked incredibly appetizing.
Deng Shirong picked up his chopsticks and said, “Don’t just stare at it. Try some!”
Everyone eagerly tasted the dish.
As expected, the quality of a vegetable that could be air-freighted to Beijing was top-notch. They all praised it enthusiastically.
...
In this era, the eight most enviable professions were the ticket seller, driver, mailman, childcare worker, barber, server, salesperson, and cook—collectively known as the "Eight Great Professions."
Deng Changzhong from Longjing Village was one of these, a mailman.
Working for a public institution, mailmen enjoyed good benefits and a high social status, making it a highly respected profession.
His daily job involved riding a bicycle to deliver newspapers and letters to both groups and individuals.
On this day, Deng Changzhong was methodically sorting the newspapers and letters as usual. He organized the letters by address and then delivered them one by one, starting with the closest destinations and moving outward.
After sorting through most of the mail, a particular letter caught his attention.
With years of experience, Deng Changzhong knew at first glance that this was a university acceptance letter. After all, he had delivered dozens of such letters over the years.
In this era, every student who got accepted into a university was truly a pride of the nation, with a bright and limitless future. Naturally, such news was worth his attention.
When Deng Changzhong saw the name of the university on the envelope, he jumped up as if stung by a needle.
Three minutes later, he was pedaling his bicycle like the wind, sprinting toward Naye Village at breakneck speed.
In less than ten minutes, Deng Changzhong arrived at the village entrance, and he immediately started shouting at the top of his lungs, "Grandpa Jiu, Uncle Yunheng got accepted into BJ University! Uncle Yunheng got accepted into BJ University!"
The effect of his shout was immediate. The villagers who heard it were all taken aback, and then they erupted in excitement.
"My goodness, Uncle Yunheng got accepted into BJ University?"
"Did I hear that right? Yunheng got accepted into BJ University?"
"Uncle Yunheng got accepted into BJ University? Is it true?"
"..."
If it had been any other university, the villagers might not have known how impressive it was. But the reputation of Tsinghua and Peking Universities was so great that even ordinary villagers knew these were the best universities in the country. Getting accepted into either one meant a bright future ahead.
While the villagers were still in shock, they quickly ran toward Deng Shirong's house.
Under the longan tree in front of Deng Shirong's house, Deng Changzhong stopped his bicycle, his face flushed with excitement as he waved the envelope in his hand, "Grandpa Jiu, great news! Uncle Yunheng got accepted into BJ University!"
If it had been a regular university, Deng Changzhong wouldn't have been so excited. But this was Peking University, the top institution in the country. As a public servant, he understood the value of this university better than most. Getting accepted meant that Uncle Yunheng was likely to become a prominent figure after graduation.
The Deng family having such a promising individual was a source of immense joy for Deng Changzhong.
In this era, the mindset was different from later times. In the future, if someone from the village got accepted into Tsinghua or Peking University, the other villagers might feel envious but wouldn't necessarily feel a sense of pride.
But now, if the village could produce a university student, everyone would be elated and even help gather travel expenses.
The reason was simple: they hoped that the village could produce a prominent figure who could assist them when needed.
...
"Let me see!"
Deng Shirong reached out and took the envelope from Deng Changzhong. Seeing the four characters of "BJ University" written in bold strokes, the stone in his heart finally fell away.
By then, the villagers who had run ahead had arrived, and more were still coming.
In no time, Deng Shirong was surrounded by layers of people.
Under the watchful eyes of his relatives and the villagers, Deng Shirong carefully opened the light envelope and pulled out the acceptance letter, which looked much simpler compared to those in the future.
At that moment, everyone present witnessed history. Naye Village's first university student had been born!
(End of Chapter)
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