For a moment, Wang Qiushuang only knew to express her gratitude, then she pulled out a pink-shelled egg from her pocket and said, "Here, for you to eat. I’m heading off now."

Wang Qiushuang pushed the egg into Yi Roujing’s hand and quickly ran downstairs.

When Wang Qiushuang returned to the workers’ quarters, she immediately sensed that the atmosphere was different from usual. Hupozi had a gloomy face, Ding Jianshe looked a bit lost, and her daughter was sitting on the bed, her face streaked with tears, with a bump on her head.

"What happened to Niuniu, did she fall?" Wang Qiushuang felt a bit distressed. After all, she was her flesh and blood.

"What’s the point of pampering a girl so much? She cried just because of a fall. I even specially took her to the Department Store for a stroll," Hupozi murmured, "Hu Ailing has already given birth to a big chubby boy."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qiushuang quickly turned her head to look, only to see Hupozi’s face full of envy, mixed with a hint of regret, "I almost didn’t recognize her. She’s wearing a woolen coat, her skin so fair that she looks younger than she actually is, just like she just became an adult. The chubby boy in her arms is so adorable."

"If her first child hadn’t been lost, maybe she would have extended the Ding Family line for us," Hupozi snorted.

Wang Qiushuang was shaken, closed her eyes in anger, and turned to look at Ding Jianshe, who seemed about to speak but didn’t dare to refute Hupozi. A hint of amazement seemed to linger in his eyes, yet he didn’t utter a word in her defense.

Feeling chilled, Wang Qiushuang nonetheless came to terms with the situation, further solidifying her determination to take the college entrance exam.

"Don’t regret it. Back then, Hu Ailing was the one you didn’t want, and it was your own actions that caused the child to be gone. Now that she’s pretty and had a son, you’re comparing again—it’s pointless," Wang Qiushuang said with a cold smile, repressing her anger.

"Hu Ailing’s changes have nothing to do with you. They came from the Lou Family. When she divorced Ding Jianshe, you all better not say you don’t remember what she was like."

"In your family, a daughter-in-law can only be like that. Do you think you deserve better?"

After saying this, Wang Qiushuang picked up her daughter, went into the room, and forcefully slammed the door shut.

"You, you, what attitude is that," Hupozi panted heavily with anger, and Ding Jianshe quickly went over to help calm her down.

"Mom, Qiushuang isn’t wrong. The divorce is done, why dwell on it?" Ding Jianshe sighed, "Our Niuniu can practically buy soy sauce now. The whole family is living in the county. Life’s good, and Qiushuang and I are still young. In a few years, you’ll have grandchildren..."

Outside, Ding Jianshe’s voice was loud enough for Wang Qiushuang to hear inside. The coldness at the corner of her mouth grew even more pronounced. He was hopeless, but at least he still listened to her. Now, most of his monthly salary ended up in her hands.

After putting some toothpaste on Niuniu, Wang Qiushuang left for work, with Ding Jianshe quickly following along.

How Wang Qiushuang’s days were, Yi Roujing didn’t care. They weren’t her concern. After coming out of the operating room, she exhaled deeply, breaking into a sweat, but the day’s work was nearly over. Surgeries had their schedules unless something urgent came up.

During her break, Yi Roujing picked up a book.

"Going to take the college entrance exam," Guo Xiangxiang brought over a book too, winking at Yi Roujing, "Let’s read together."

"What major do you plan to choose?" Yi Roujing asked with a smile.

"Nursing," Guo Xiangxiang said firmly, "I want to go far away to study, hopefully staying there after graduation. Then I can bring my grandmother over. How about you?"

"Medicine," Yi Roujing replied.

"You definitely should go into medicine," Guo Xiangxiang gave Yi Roujing a thumbs up and leaned in close, "You seem more like a doctor than many in our hospital."

"Thank you for the compliment," Yi Roujing raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Sincerely, from the heart," Guo Xiangxiang immediately added, "If you go to study, what about your husband and child? Are they going too? Are you planning to study in Jing City?"

Yi Roujing nodded, then curiously asked, "Aren’t you worried I might not pass?"

"If you can’t pass, then who can?" Guo Xiangxiang clicked her tongue, "Come on, I don’t get this question. Teach me."

Yi Roujing, amused, began helping Guo Xiangxiang with her question.

Yi Roujing and the others’ college entrance exam registration was arranged by Xu Ancheng. The exam in Jiang Province was scheduled for December 6th to 7th. The test centers were at County First Middle School, middle schools, and elementary schools, all located in the county town.

Yi Roujing’s daily routine involved work, holding Baozi, and studying. Xu Ancheng had set some questions for the group, and Yi Roujing consistently scored the best.

Knowing his wife’s good performance, Xu Ancheng had no worries and often dragged her to bed, joking that since Li Hongying was now the main babysitter for Baozi, they should enjoy themselves while there were no little distractions around.

However, for the sake of his wife’s big exam plans, Xu Ancheng begrudgingly used protection. This wasn’t a good time to conceive, and having been through Yi Roujing’s labor before, he privately didn’t want her to endure it again. Since Yi Roujing gave birth, their fastest-consuming items were probably protection supplies.

In early November, Xu Ancheng went to Jing City, not only to see Xu Zongyin but also to plan the setup there. As long as Yi Roujing performed as usual, admission to Jing University should be assured. Ding Anguo and Ding Anmin also had outstanding grades, so Xu Ancheng had confidence in their admission to Jing City.

If they all went to study in Jing City, there was no way Xu Ancheng would leave Ding Weihuo and Li Hongying in Huaixi County. Getting them a place in Jing City was a must. Knowing their personalities, living long-term with the Xu Family wouldn’t be proper; a good location would be needed.

Of course, buying a house was just one part of it. There had been some changes recently, and Xu Ancheng planned to work with Zhou Zeyuan and Gu Shizhao for the future, and this trip was primarily for discussions.

By the end of November, Xu Ancheng returned to Huaixi County, went to County First Middle School to complete the transfer paperwork. With Jing University’s recruitment letter, even if the school wanted to keep him, they couldn’t afford to bury such talent. Luckily, Xu Ancheng had already trained a young math teacher to take over the competition responsibilities.

Now that the college entrance exams had resumed, competitions were no longer the only path for students, so Xu Ancheng wasn’t worried about that.

After returning the County First Middle School house, he invited Yi Roujing to take the school leaders and teachers to a state-owned restaurant for a meal, effectively finalizing the transfer.

"Mr. Xu, you’re really something. Wherever you want to teach, schools want you," Yi Roujing said admiringly, snuggling up in bed that night.

"I’ll just keep teaching for now. Policies will open up eventually, by next year at the latest. I’m planning to venture into electronics, architecture, and develop housing complexes, similar to Baiqian Village, but targeting government and state-run factories," Xu Ancheng said, holding his wife in his arms.