Qiao Nan's interview went smoothly, and those admissions teachers were very satisfied with him. The next thing is to wait for the results, Qiao Nan didn't stop for a moment, and went to Qiao Lin's tutoring class to become a substitute teacher.

After Qiao Nan came, Zhao Linlin never skipped class again, and arrived early every time. It's a pity that Qiao Nan is in charge of the mathematics of the high school entrance examination class, which has nothing to do with her, and Zhao Linlin is so depressed that she can't do it.

"Can I go through the back door, be your sister-in-law?" Zhao Linlin looked at Qiao Nan's back as she walked over, and pleaded with Qiao Lin.

Qiao Lin almost choked on the water: "What else does he have to like except for a pair of big eyes that are heirloom of the Qiao family?"

Zhao Linlin looked nymphomaniac: "Brother Qiao Nan is handsome, has a good figure, studies so hard, and his eyes are not short-sighted, where can I find such a perfect man? If I can't marry Jay Chou, I have to marry Brother Qiao Nan!"

Qiao Lin rolled her eyes when she heard this: "Cut, he is just a piece of wood, not gentle at all, he has never bought me a gift since he was a child, and he has not been good to me yet!"

The more Qiao Lin said, the deeper her resentment became, and she couldn't help complaining: "It is said that when my brother doesn't make decisions for my sister, it is better to go home and sell sweet potatoes, and my brother should go home and sell sweet potatoes!"

Zhao Linlin hurriedly covered her mouth: "The admission notice hasn't come down yet, you can't curse Brother Qiao Nan like this!"

Jolene stuck out her tongue mischievously, ready to start class.

After Qiao Lin entered the second middle school, her brain opened up a little, and it may be that the Olympiad problems she memorized were integrated in her mind, and her second pulse was opened, and she finally had a little bit of mathematical thinking. It's a small miracle that she's hovering in the middle of the class now.

But my brother is tutoring next door, which is very unappetizing. The so-called no comparison hurts, the teacher in the tutorial class no longer praised Qiao Lin for her great progress, but sighed when he saw her, hating her for not being as smart as her brother.

***

In July, the notices came down one after another, and Qiao Nan was approved in advance, and he got the admission notice a few days earlier than other students. After all, Qiao Nan was admitted to the best military school, and after getting the notice, Li Lanzhi finally showed a smile and held a thank-you banquet.

Qiao Nan didn't seem very happy after receiving the admission letter, but Qiao Lin could see that her brother often hid in the back room of the wonton restaurant, rubbing the notice and smiling stupidly.

Seeing her brother like this, Jolene also seemed to feel the joy of her dream coming true. She remembered that her sister wanted to be a chemist, so she chose the chemistry department without hesitation, and her brother wanted to be a big hero, and now he is going to be a soldier. Jolene suddenly felt a little sullen - what was her dream?

One day in late July, Jolene went to Sun's house to deliver an invitation to the teacher's appreciation banquet. Aunt Chen Yun was so happy that she couldn't close her mouth, and repeatedly said that she would prepare a big red envelope for Qiao Nan. At the end, he whispered to Qiao Lin: "When you are admitted to college, Auntie will prepare a bigger one for you!"

Jolene grinned and smiled happily. Adults don't have any requirements for her, even just "get admitted to college". Qiao Lin didn't take it to heart at all, after all, her mother had always instilled in her a thought since she was a child - this child, desperately, is just an ordinary second book.

Jolene is very resigned, as long as she can be admitted to an ordinary second book, she will be satisfied.

Sun Ruiyang's sister was just three years old, and as soon as she saw Qiao Lin in the past, she would pull her to play family games with her. But today she was just playing with the latest Barbie dolls, and she didn't even notice that Jolene was coming.

Jolene pinched her fleshy little face and said with a smile, "This doll is so beautiful, did Dad buy it?"

The baby tilted his head and said proudly, "My brother bought it!"

Jolene smiled sourly, "Your brother is so nice. ”

The baby scouted and asked Jolene to come closer, and then said, "My brother made me cry that day, so he bought me a doll and told me not to tell my mother." ”

Jolene asked her with a smile, "Brother let you gnaw your feet again?"

The baby shook his head: "I stopped biting his feet for a long time, he scribbled on my head with my mother's lipstick, and scared me to cry!"

Qiao Lin laughed and went to ask Sun Ruiyang what was going on. Sun Ruiyang has recently become obsessed with some medical-related documentaries, and he is fascinated by watching them on his desktop.

"Hey, Sun Xiucai, what did you draw on the baby's head?"

Sun Ruiyang took off his headphones and couldn't help laughing: "She said that she was the king of the Sun family, so I drew the word 'king' on her head, won't she become the king? ”

Qiao Lin rubbed her stomach with laughter, and after a while, she said thoughtfully: "You brothers all bullied your sister like this, and Qiao Nan must have bullied me like this back then." It's just that you will buy gifts for the baby, and Qiao Nan will never buy them for me. ”

"But he gave you pocket money!"

"What is pocket money? You see, although Zhao Linlin scolds her brother all day long, she wants to buy her brother a copy when she sees something good; although you bully the baby, you often buy her gifts. But Qiao Nan won't, he has been bullying me, but he never thought of buying me a gift, I bought it for him. Jolene's heart was sour, every child with brothers and sisters had this longing! Unfortunately, her brother never understood her thoughts.

Sun Ruiyang scratched his head and said, "Maybe Brother Qiao Nan is too busy? Or maybe he has no money? Brother Qiao Nan is very good, when he was a child, those Water Margin hero cards were given to me and Cheng Lin by him, and he was very generous." ”

Qiao Lin pretended to smile lightly: "I don't blame him, just wait for him to wake up one day—— right, what are you looking at, so fascinated?"

"I'm watching some medical documentaries made by the BBC, and my dad managed to find them for me, I don't understand them, but I really want to watch them. ”

"Don't you want to be a banker, why are you interested in medicine again?"

Sun Ruiyang suddenly became radiant: "After experiencing SARS this time, I really want to study the plague." In fact, plagues can rewrite human history, for example, the Black Death in the Middle Ages directly cut half of the population of Europe and changed the social pattern at that time. It's really handsome to see them wearing isolation gowns and charging into the isolation ward! The isolation gowns are simply the coolest armor! I will be such a soldier in the future, rushing to the forefront of the prevention and control of infectious diseases!"

Sun Ruiyang's eyes sparkled, Qiao Lin thought, maybe that's the ideal light! In her opinion, these adolescent boys are a little unreasonable, always thinking that they can be a big hero to save mankind, such as my brother is going to be a soldier to defend the country, Sun Ruiyang wants to be a doctor who defeats infectious diseases... Maybe the adults will only disdain this enthusiasm, but Jolene thinks they are all amazing people.

"That's good!" Jolene muttered.

"What?"

"It's good that you all have dreams. ”

Sun Ruiyang was a little shy: "I didn't have a word of eight characters, but I aimed at the Peking University Medical School." ”

Qiao Lin said: "From childhood to adulthood, the goals you set will be achieved, and if you want to go to Peking University, you will definitely go." ”

Sun Ruiyang sighed: "Although the rate of the second middle school is counted in the whole province, there are too few top-notch people, and there will be a Tsinghua University and Peking University every few years." Anyway, I'll try my best. ”

People with firm dreams are shining all over, Sun Ruiyang is like this, and Qiao Lin only has envy. On the way home, she thought about it for a long time, but still said to herself helplessly: "If I really can't find a way out, then I'll write a martial arts novel!"

***

On the day of Qiao Nan's thank-you banquet, Qiao Lu also came back from Shanghai, and her brother-in-law Song Yizhi personally went to the train station to pick her up. Seeing the dark blue BMW parked in front of the house, Jolene immediately rushed out and shouted "sister" loudly.

Qiao Lu was wearing a white knitted top, a denim skirt, and her long hair draped over her shoulders, looking intellectual and innocent. Her eyes are very similar to her father, and she has always been unfazed, but when she saw her sister, she couldn't hide her excitement anymore, opened her arms, and hugged her happily: "Linlin!"

Jolene threw herself into her sister's arms and cried happily. Qiao Lu held her in her arms and coaxed her softly. Qiao Nan stood at the door with her mother, and suddenly burst out laughing.

Li Lanzhi asked puzzledly, "What are you laughing at?"

"Mom, do you think they look like little dragon girls and her pet eagles?"

The corners of Li Lanzhi's mouth twitched, and she wanted to slap her son, but Qiao Nan tilted his head and dodged it, he jumped down the steps, lifted his sister's luggage, and the three brothers and sisters walked into the house together.

"Wow, Daddy made so much good food?"

"Dad said, it's better to make a few dishes and wait for a big dinner in the evening!" Jolene knelt in her chair and sucked hard with a conch. The conch has a peculiar charm, the meat is smooth and soft, and the spicy soup is simply addictive.

Qiao Lin was still sucking one after another, and Qiao Jianjun had already brought all the food. The braised prawns are bright in color, the small crispy meat is full of fresh fragrance, the large crab meat is fatty and delicious, and the roasted pork ribs are full of color and fragrance. There are also side dishes such as cold kelp, fried peanuts, and spicy conch, but before the meal started, the conch had already been half eaten by Jolene.

Li Lanzhi couldn't help but pat her a few times: "If you are so unruly, you should really be beaten!"

Jolene licked her fingers nonchalantly: "Why does the family still pay attention to the rules so much?"

Qiao Lu hurriedly stopped her mother: "Qiao Lin is right, if someone else is a guest, she will definitely not be like this." ”

Li Lanzhi was in a good mood and no longer bothered with Qiao Lin. The family sat down to eat, and Qiao Jianjun kept sandwiching dishes for the children: "This is Lulu's favorite prawn, Qiao Nan's favorite little crispy meat..."

Unconvinced, Jolene asked, "What about me? What is my favorite food?"

The family was stunned, looking at each other, and no one could say why. Jolene picked up the rice unhappily and said, "Sure enough, no one cares about me." ”

Qiao Nan, who has been eating with his head down, said: "You like to eat baked bean skin and potato cakes at the entrance of No. 2 Middle School, as long as you are free, you will eat them..."

"Shut up!" Jolene interrupted her brother by stepping on her brother for fear of revealing her stuff.

Li Lanzhi nagged: "They all say that those roadside stalls are not clean and can cause gastrointestinal problems, so you have to eat them! If you have a stomachache one day, don't come to me." ”

Qiao Lin glared at her brother viciously, but Qiao Nan shook her head proudly. Qiao Lu looked at the two younger brothers and sisters who didn't grow up, and suddenly laughed with two small dimples.

***

That night, not only a few teachers from No. 2 Middle School came, but also the neighbors of Jixiang Road. Qiao Nan received a lot of red envelopes, and Qiao Lin was greedy. The sister-in-law was the deputy escort that night, and led everyone to drink vigorously. Qiao Nan, who had just become an adult, was poured two cups, and immediately her cheeks turned crimson, her eyes were dull, and she could only smirk.

At the end of the thank-you banquet, the sliding door suddenly opened, and a middle-aged woman walked in. She wore Korean-style curly hair, wore a burgundy velvet cheongsam, and held a small LV handbag in her hand, and walked in in style, as elegant as if she had come to attend a charity dinner in high society.

Everyone was looking at her, Chen Yunqiang couldn't help laughing, and whispered to Zhao Yanfen beside her: "This singer went to the wrong set, right?"

The sister-in-law was still shouting "Long live the People's Liberation Army" just now, and his hand suddenly froze in mid-air. He looked embarrassed, hurriedly put down his wine glass, and whispered, "Lan Lan, didn't you say that there was a performance tonight, didn't you come?"

It turned out that the person who came was the children's aunt Li Lanlan, she stroked her hair, revealing a sparkling diamond ring and watch, and said with a smile: "Today is my eldest nephew's big day, how can I not come?"

"Poof!" Jolene finally couldn't hold back and squirted out a mouthful of juice. Sun Ruiyang tried his best to hold back a laugh and handed Qiao Lin a handkerchief.

Li Lanlan's cold joke just now did not arouse everyone's laughter, she took out a red envelope from her handbag, clamped it between her index and middle fingers, and handed it to Qiao Nan with a proud expression: "Isn't it a happy day to be admitted to college? This is a little bit of my aunt's heart, take it!"

Qiao Nan patted his hot cheeks to keep himself calm before saying, "Thank you, Auntie, my brother-in-law gave it to me just now, you don't have to give it anymore." ”

Li Lanlan insisted: "That's what he gave, this is what I gave, and my family doesn't lack this money, you can take it!"

Before Qiao Nan could react, Li Lanzhi suddenly became angry and shouted, "What do you mean, second brother", but was stopped by her husband. Li Lanlan smiled and said, "Eldest sister, don't stretch out your hand and don't hit the smiling person, I came here today, but I congratulated Qiao Nan, don't you don't know the hearts of good people!"

Li Lanzhi was so angry that her chest rose and fell, but in front of so many colleagues and neighbors, she really couldn't have a seizure, so she could only turn her face to the side coldly.

Li Lanlan sat down next to her husband, looked at a table of sumptuous dishes, and screamed exaggeratedly: "Big brother is really bleeding today! When have you been so generous?"

Qiao Jianjun said lukewarmly: "I've always been like this, you haven't moved around for a long time, I'm afraid you forgot." ”

Jolene was very dissatisfied with her father's performance, she grabbed a large handful of fries and stuffed them into her mouth, but she didn't expect to choke all at once. Without saying a word, she picked up a cup and poured it down. When she realized that the taste was wrong, it was too late, and after half a beer, Jolene felt like she had been beaten with chicken blood.

The aunt glanced at Qiao Lin with slanted eyes, and said in a weird manner: "Linlin's habit of eating has never been changed, and I don't know how you all taught it." Gobbling up and eating a lot, as if he had never eaten anything good, he still did so after so many years in the city. I'm telling you, little girls can't eat fat, it's better to die if they're fat!"

Qiao Lin was hot-headed, and said without hesitation: "I don't grow meat if I eat to death, so my aunt should manage her body!"

Li Lanlan slapped the table, and her eyebrows immediately rose. Chen Yun is a peacemaker after all, as soon as she saw that the atmosphere froze, she immediately raised her wine glass and said, "Professor Li came to congratulate Qiao Nan just after the performance, it's not easy, let's let Professor Li lead a bar!"

Li Lanlan elegantly picked up the wine glass, as if the cup was not filled with Gangcheng ancient wine, but a glass of classic red wine from a winery in France, she smiled charmingly and had a sweet voice: "Two years ago, everyone thought that Qiao Lu could be admitted to Tsinghua University, but Qiao Lu failed the college entrance examination and missed Qingbei, which is really a pity." However, if your skills are not as good as others, you have to admit that others can be admitted, why didn't you get in?

Li Lanlan raised her eyebrows and looked at Qiao Lu. Qiao Lu didn't look at her at all, but said with a light smile: "Auntie, you have said these words thousands of times, I don't feel it anymore, next time I change it, I can also find some motivation." ”

Li Lanlan bowed slightly, and turned to Qiao Nan again: "Qiao Nan is the last hope of our family, we are all looking forward to you being admitted to Tsinghua University and Peking University, following the scenery, the result... Although I didn't get in, the defense ... It's not easy to defend any university, and it's also your highest level, Auntie congratulate you. ”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop below zero all of a sudden, and Jolene hallucinated, as if there was a "click" sound of ice everywhere. She glanced around, her parents' faces were pale, her sister was clenching the drink glass, and her hand joints were white. And the elder brother was obviously drunk by the adults, his eyes were glowing red, but his brain couldn't keep up.

Chen Yun was about to play the round with a smile again, but Qiao Lin stood up coldly, stared at her aunt and said, "Auntie, please pay attention to your wording!"

Qiao Lin has always been simple, and she smiled when she was reprimanded, what happened today? Li Lanlan looked at her in surprise, but said, "You little child, how can you talk to an adult like this? Where did I say it wrong?"

Qiao Lin did not show weakness: "Did you say those words just now to congratulate my brother? You ask everyone, which of your congratulations is you? I see, you are obviously here to add to the blockage! You don't want our family to be good, or who are you going to show off?"

Li Lanlan was also angry: "Qiao Lin, didn't your mother teach you how to respect your elders?"

Qiao Lin raised her small chin and said like a cannon: "Respect for the elders, have you ever respected my parents, have you respected my grandmother? Grandma has always said, don't look at the age of adults, what you can say is not necessarily right." I think, what you said is not right, aunt!"

There are five members of the Qiao family, Qiao Jianjun and Qiao Lu are good people, no matter how they stab, they will not resist, as if their fists have hit cotton; although Li Lanzhi has a temper, she has a good face, and it is impossible for her to have a seizure in front of her colleagues and friends; Qiao Nan is a piece of wood, and she may not even feel that she has been stabbed; Qiao Lin is even more childish, and she will not go to her heart at all. After figuring out these rules, Li Lanlan sneered at the Qiao family unscrupulously, and never tasted defeat, but she didn't expect to be bitten by Qiao Lin today.

Seeing that Aunt Xiao didn't speak, Qiao Lin continued to ask: "Auntie, then let me ask you, why do you say that my brother is the last hope? Don't you still have Min Rou and Min Jia, you are so capable, can't you let them go to the best university?"

Li Lanlan smiled: "You say you don't understand anything, you are really ignorant." Min Rou plays the piano, Min Jia learns to dance, and I will send them both to the best art schools, which are higher than Tsinghua University and Peking University. ”

Qiao Lin immediately counterattacked: "Min Rou and Min Jia like art, you let them go to the best art school, my brother wants to be a soldier, so he took the best military school, known as 'Tsinghua in the army', the difficulty is not lower than Qingbei at all, why do you want to point fingers?"

This little little point in front of him actually said the truth, and Li Lanlan was speechless. And everyone in the room looked at her, which made her very shameless. She blushed, threw down the sentence "The family is not qualified, I am too lazy to bother with you", then took her handbag and hurried away.

Although the sister-in-law felt that his wife was indeed excessive, Qiao Lin didn't save her face at all, and he couldn't get off the stage. He said "unaccompanied" without losing his grace, and went out to chase his wife.

Jolene sat down and drank a large drink before she felt alive. With such a fuss today, she can be regarded as having a complete falling out with her aunt, but she doesn't regret it. She slapped her face, seeing the power of alcohol for the first time.