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The old woman said happily, "Xiang'er, Mom can do all these things. Mom just hopes you can go back to school and finish high school, which will put my mind at ease."

"High school?" Lin Xiang was confused.

The old man continued happily, "Xiang'er, this morning Ying'er from next door ran over early and said that Ying'er's mother will submit your enrollment application to the school today, and we'll hear back in the next couple of days."

"Mom, Xiang'er doesn't want to study. Besides, our family can't afford the tuition."

The old man stroked Lin Xiang's hand and said earnestly, "Xiang'er, your father and I are not well-educated. We only hope that you can go to high school so that our family can have an educated person. Don't worry about the tuition fees. Mom will earn them. Just study hard, Xiang'er." As he spoke, tears welled up in the old man's eyes.

Lin Xiang felt a pang of sadness upon seeing this and couldn't bear to refuse, saying, "Mom, I'll listen to you and go to school. But I have one request: I want to earn my tuition with my own hands."

The old man happily exclaimed, "Good! Good! Good! Xiang'er has grown up. As long as Xiang'er goes to school and fulfills his parents' wishes, we will do whatever you want."

After finishing breakfast, Lin Xiang handed the remaining few red sun bills to the old man, put on an old coat, and left. The sun was shining brightly outside, but it was already the winter sun, which made many people stop and continue to sleep in their warm beds.

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, Volume One: Life's Encounters, Chapter Four: Earning Money for School

Chapter word count: 2358 Update time: 08-02-29 17:42

The City of Wind, everything feels familiar.

He couldn't go to the cleaning company, and he had to attend school during the day, so it seemed he could only work at night to earn tuition. What kind of work could he find at night? Walking down the crowded street, Lin Xiang had asked himself this question countless times. He looked at housekeeping companies and many job postings, but he shook his head each time.

Earning over 100,000 yuan a month is definitely not a myth, as long as you have a strong body.

Lin Xiang was attracted by the job posting. What kind of job could offer such a high income? He thought about how he used to work for a cleaning company, working from dawn till dusk, and only earning five or six red suns a month. The job advertised in the ad was a monthly income equal to his income over several years without eating or drinking. Wow, it was unbelievable.

He found a phone booth, dialed the number listed, and soon a guy wearing sunglasses and a suit who looked like a big boss got out of his car. When he saw Lin Xiang by the phone booth, he was surprised, adjusted his sunglasses, and asked, "Hey! Kid, was that you who made that call?"

Lin Xiang sensed the unfriendly tone of the newcomer and thought to himself, "Rich people are all the same." He quickly nodded. The newcomer scrutinized Lin Xiang closely: a thin body, 1.7 meters tall, average looks, a gaunt face, and sunken eyes, appearing malnourished, and still only a high school student. The newcomer shook his head. If he were stronger, this kid might be a promising talent. He sighed, "Kid, come back to me when you weigh 140 pounds." With that, he got into his car.

Lin Xiang was puzzled and caught up with him, asking, "Why does it have to be 140 jin? Is that important?"

The man leaned out of the car, smiled mysteriously, and said, "Because 140 pounds on top of someone creates a sense of pressure and makes them feel easily satisfied. Kid, you're still young now, but you'll understand when you grow up, haha..." After saying that, he drove away, leaving Lin Xiang alone and bewildered. He racked his brains but couldn't figure out what the man was thinking.

After searching through several streets and looking at all the shops, all of them offered jobs for women. Feeling helpless, Lin Xiang went to the outskirts of the city to try his luck. Maybe he could find a job there. The outskirts were really desolate, with hardly any people or shops. There were only highways everywhere, with vehicles whizzing by, bringing gusts of cold wind that made people's teeth chatter.

Lin Xiang wrapped his coat tighter around himself and wandered aimlessly. "Wind City West Suburb Gas Station!" The words were prominently displayed in front of him. Cars were parked there, waiting to refuel. He saw people running around, and heard shouts and curses from customers. Lin Xiang smiled slightly. It seemed that he had a good chance of finding a job today.

Lin Xiang went up to the gas station manager, who was short-staffed. The manager looked at the young man, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Young man, how old are you?"

Lin Xiang took out his ID card and said, "I'm over eighteen this year."

The supervisor took the ID card, looked at it, and then asked, "We're short-staffed for the night shift, what do you think..." The supervisor knew that the gas station job paid little, and the people assigned by the company had all left after only a few days. Moreover, this damn gas station was located in a windy spot, with no people or shops around. It was indeed frightening to guard this place without enough courage. Besides, the winters in Wind City were cold, let alone here.

Lin Xiang smiled and said, "It's okay! I believe I can do it well." Working at night is exactly what Lin Xiang needs. Besides, he finally found a job, so how could he give it up so easily?

When the supervisor brought up the issue of compensation, he pondered for a moment before saying, "Regarding monthly income, considering you're new, how about 800 yuan a month? We'll give you a raise after the three-month probation period." The supervisor was genuinely worried that Lin Xiang wouldn't agree, his eyes seemingly never leaving Lin Xiang's. He planned to bring up the compensation again if Lin Xiang refused, because considering the average income in Wind City was around 3,000 yuan, 800 yuan seemed a bit unreasonable.

Lin Xiang nodded without much consideration. For him, eight hundred yuan was already a lot. Perhaps those who are used to high salaries do not understand the mentality of the poor. For Lin Xiang now, as long as he can earn money to pay his tuition and stay by his mother's side, he is already very satisfied. His childhood dream is too unrealistic. At least for now, he does not have the ability to realize his childhood aspirations for the future. The experiences of the past years have worn away his youthful fighting spirit.

The supervisor said happily, "Great! You can start work tomorrow night." Then he gestured and called out, "Master Chen... Master Chen... come here for a moment."

An elderly man in work clothes came running up, panting, and asked what was wrong.

The supervisor introduced the two to each other, then instructed Master Chen to tell Lin Xiang about the rules and work precautions before leaving for a meeting.

Master Chen was a nice guy. Even though he had carefully explained all the procedures and operations to Lin Xiang, it was already afternoon. A very pretty girl rode by on a bicycle, but Lin Xiang hadn't noticed her yet. Master Chen said politely, "Have you eaten yet, kid? How about I treat you to dinner?"

Lin Xiang smiled and declined, saying, "No need to trouble Master Chen, my mother is already waiting for me at home for dinner..."

Before Lin Xiang could finish speaking, Master Chen urged, "Then hurry up and go back to eat, don't keep the old folks waiting at home." After saying that, watching Lin Xiang's receding figure, he shouted, "Kid, don't forget your work time tomorrow night."

Lin Xiang turned around and waved his hand, "I know!" A pleasant voice blew in on the wind: "Dad, it's time to eat!" A gust of sand and dust rose up, but it was already hard to see clearly.

Back home, Lin Xiang happily told his mother the good news: he had finally found a job today. It was just refueling cars, and the work wasn't hard. The old woman was pleased, knowing that her son had grown up and become sensible. She heated up the leftover rice and dishes, and after Lin Xiang ate a little, he said he wanted to go for a walk with his mother. The old woman smiled happily.

Lin Xiang accompanied his mother home in the evening. During dinner, Yang Yingying ran over excitedly with a piece of paper in her hand and said, "Brother Xiang, the school board has approved my mother's application report. You can report to the school tomorrow."

The old woman received the school admission notice and looked at her husband's portrait with great joy, saying, "Lin Hai, can you hear that? Xiang'er is going to high school."

Lin Xiang didn't know what to say. The mother and son insisted that Yang Yingying stay for dinner. Then they told Yang Yingying to convey their gratitude to her parents and that they would definitely repay them in the future. As they talked, Yang Yingying just kept nodding and felt embarrassed. A thought flashed through Yang Yingying's mind: Why were her parents willing to help but unwilling to come and say it in person?

Lin Xiang will be going to school tomorrow, and he will start working tomorrow night. Tomorrow... tomorrow is a new day. What will tomorrow bring? Before going to sleep, he seems to be full of anticipation for tomorrow.

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, Volume One: Life's Encounters, Chapter Five: Campus Turmoil

Chapter word count: 2874 Update time: 08-02-29 17:42

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the old man had gotten up very early. He had prepared breakfast and was waiting for Lin Xiang to get up, because today was Lin Xiang's first day of school registration, and he couldn't be late. In fact, Lin Xiang kept saying that he could take care of himself and that the old man should pay more attention to rest. He said that he could do things himself, so the young man should do them. But the old man always said that he had gotten used to it over the years, and if he stopped doing anything, he would really feel a little uncomfortable.

Lin Xiang was helpless, knowing that it was caused by the mindset and social environment of that era, and it couldn't be changed overnight. All Lin Xiang could do was urge his mother to take better care of her health. The old woman smiled happily, always saying that she was looking forward to holding her grandson. Lin Xiang almost choked on his food when he heard this. How old is she now? Besides, it's not even close to happening yet. Sigh... The old woman's thinking is really far ahead.

A soft knock came at the door. It was Yang Yingying. She was wearing a school uniform, carrying a backpack, and had her hair in two braids. Lin Xiang chuckled to himself. He hadn't expected Yang Yingying to be so youthful, bright, and cute. Yang Yingying kept reminding him that he was going to be late and to hurry up. Before Lin Xiang had even finished his meal, she had dragged him out the door.

Lin Xiang went to school today without bringing anything except his admission notice. As for the tuition, he inquired and found out that Yang Yingying's mother had already paid it yesterday. Lin Xiang was deeply moved. It seemed that his family owed her family a lot of kindness. He would definitely repay her kindness in the future if he had the chance. Although the tuition had been paid, Lin Xiang had already made up his mind that once he had saved enough money working at the gas station, he would personally go to her house to repay this kindness.

The bus moved slowly along, and Yang Yingying kept telling Lin Xiang about the interesting things that happened on campus. Actually, Lin Xiang didn't have much experience with school. Someone who hadn't even finished middle school was going straight to high school, which seemed unbelievable. Geniuses, after all, skip grades. It was astonishing. It seemed Yang Yingying's mother must be very influential at school. He never expected that something like this would happen to him. He had to study hard and not hurt his mother's feelings anymore.

The school was finally there. Standing at the school gate, Lin Xiang saw the words "Wind City Rich and Powerful No. 1 Middle School" carved on the stone. Rich and Powerful? Lin Xiang was surprised. Schools with "Rich and Powerful" in their names were all private schools—in other words, private schools for the wealthy. Not only was the environment excellent, but the teaching quality was also extremely high. In short, studying here would be wonderful in every way, except perhaps for the character of the students. Lin Xiang was annoyed. No. 1 Middle School? Ranked first, this school was the best private high school. The thought of his own poverty making him feel uneasy about attending such a school filled him with a sense of unease.

Yang Yingying noticed the confusion in Xiang Ge's eyes, and more and more students gathered at the school gate, finding Lin Xiang's attire quite strange. Some people had already started to discuss it. Ignoring the surprised looks of the crowd, Yang Yingying reached out and grabbed Xiang Ge's hand, pulling him into the school gate. The security guards at the gate were taken aback.

Principal's Office.

Yang Yingying accompanied Lin Xiang to the door and then went back to the classroom for class. Yang Yingying knew that the school would arrange everything. On the way to school, Yang Yingying had already told Lin Xiang that she was in Class 2 of the first year of high school, and that if he needed any help, he should just let her know.

Lin Xiang knocked on the door, and hearing voices from inside, he knew he could go in. He pushed the door open and went in, seeing an elderly man sitting at a desk and chair. The man looked up at Lin Xiang, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, and, still holding a pen, smiled and asked, "You are...???"

Lin Xiang felt a surge of nervousness. To be honest, the office had always held a rather intimidating power over him. When he saw the old man, he was stunned and at a loss for words. Only when he saw the old man's smile did Lin Xiang realize his recklessness. He then composed himself and said, "My name is Lin Xiang, and I'm new here..." As he spoke, Lin Xiang took out his admission notice and placed it on the table.

The old woman reached out her withered hand, picked up the admission notice, looked at it, then opened her laptop and started searching through it. She then said to the computer, "Director Chen, could you please come to my office?" Lin Xiang looked at the old woman in front of him, estimating her to be about sixty years old. What surprised Lin Xiang even more was that he hadn't expected the principal to be a woman.

The old man looked up and smiled, "Lin Xiang, I am the principal. Welcome to our school." Just then, there was a knock on the door, and a middle-aged man walked in, softly calling out, "Principal."

The female principal introduced that the middle-aged man's surname was Chen, and he was the dean of studies for the first year of high school. Next, Director Chen led Lin Xiang to the first-year grade office. Lin Xiang's homeroom teacher was Zhang Haixia, a 25-year-old woman who taught English. She was a graduate of a national high school, with a beauty index of five stars, a charm index of ninety-eight, and a body that was 100% seductive. She was still single and did not have a boyfriend. Since she was such a beauty, why did she not have a boyfriend? This has always been a mystery.

Liu Qingfang, female, seventeen years old, Class 1, Grade 11, ranked first among the school's "Ten Golden Flowers," possesses personal assets of five million yuan, is a career-oriented woman, and her motto is: "Defeat all the strong men in the world." She is currently a prominent and successful example of self-made success among the Grade 11 students. Her father is a shareholder of Tonghai Petroleum Company, and her mother is the founder of the Fengzhicheng Five-Star Hotel; her family's assets rank first in the entire school.

Huang Hua, male, seventeen years old, Class 1, Grade 11, ranked first in the school for cybercrime pranks. He possesses a unique criminal psychology and superb computer skills. His motto is: "Hackers can roam the world freely." Since he started his pranks, he has never been punished. Importantly, his father is the director of the Wind City Security Bureau and the national first-level cyber security chief, and his mother is a criminal psychology researcher and the president of the Wind City Court. His family's influence ranks fifth in the entire school.

Chen Xiaoxiao, female, seventeen years old, Class 1, Grade 11, fourth of the school's seven most infatuated girls. In one semester since entering the school, she has expressed her love seventy-six times and been rejected by love seventy-six times. Her motto is: "Having tasted all the men in the world, even as a ghost, I'll still be romantic." Her father is the CEO of Tiandi Real Estate Unlimited Company, and her mother is an innovative technology consultant. Her family's assets rank third in the entire school.

Lu Xiangxiang, a seventeen-year-old girl in Class 1 of Grade 11, is ranked first among the school's top twenty antique enthusiasts and second among the school's ten most beautiful girls. She can tell the difference between genuine and fake antiques at a glance. Her motto is: "When I enter the Qin Emperor's tomb, I will have the power to cover the heavens and the past." Both her father and mother are nationally renowned archaeologists. A popular saying at school goes: "Studying history books at school is not as good as asking the Xiang family. When it comes to ancient knowledge, their family ranks first in the entire school."

Lin Xiang, male, eighteen years old this year, Class 1, Grade 11, school...

etc.

Lin Xiang learned this two weeks after entering the school. It was from the notebook compiled by Fang Yetong, the all-knowing scholar in his class. The information recorded in it was like that of an ancient all-knowing scholar. He called himself the all-knowing scholar of the martial arts world. Seeing the information in it, it seemed that he had received the true teachings of the previous generation of masters. When people asked him questions, the class would exclaim to him in a very proper manner, "Master! He really is a master!!" This would then cause a burst of laughter.

"Hey! Young man, concentrate when you're refueling," a young man in the car said.

"Oh..." Lin Xiang suddenly realized that he had been distracted and had accidentally spilled oil on the car. He quickly apologized to the people in the car, grabbed a water gun and a rag, and went over to wash the car. The young man in the car didn't blame him. He just opened the car door, got out, and tapped a cigarette in his hand. Lin Xiang finally cleaned the car, took off his hat, and went forward to apologize again.

Huh? The young man's eyes flickered, and he stared at Lin Xiang with some surprise. Lin Xiang thought to himself: I'm doomed. It seems that the young man in front of me is not going to let me go. Such an expensive sports car...

"Young man, what's your name?"

Lin Xiang was taken aback by the sudden question. Sure enough, if they asked for his name, it would definitely be about demanding compensation soon.

"My name is Lin Xiang..." He seemed to realize that his tone of voice was not firm enough.

"Lin Xiang?" "Hmm," the young man muttered to himself, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, saying, "Lin Xiang, I wonder if you're interested in things like history and artifacts?"

Lin Xiang took the business card and glanced at it: Li Tianxiang, President of Wind City Space Technology Co., Ltd. "Good heavens," Lin Xiang thought. "How could I possibly be interested in this kind of thing? What I'm interested in right now is you leaving!" Lin Xiang showed a hint of apology and replied, "I'm sorry, President Li, I personally have no interest in history or cultural relics."

Li Tianxiang patted Lin Xiang on the shoulder and said, "It's okay! If you ever become interested in history and cultural relics, come find me!" After saying that, he got into the car, leaned out the window, smiled, waved, and sped away.

Lin Xiang watched the car drive away, panting and patting his chest. "My God, it's finally gone."

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, Volume One: Life's Encounters, Chapter Six: Two Years Later

Chapter word count: 2011 Update time: 08-02-29 17:42

Lin Xiang watched the car drive away. It seemed he was lucky tonight; otherwise, his dereliction of duty would have had unimaginable consequences.

"Lin Xiang... Lin Xiang... come and help!" Master Chen shouted.

"Okay, I'll be right there." Lin Xiang put down the water gun and rag and immediately ran over to help. The busy work continued until midnight before finally stopping.

"It's snowing..." The white snowflakes shimmered under the blue lights of the night sky. Master Chen continued to call out, "Hey kid, come in and get some shelter from the cold." The two squeezed into a small room. Since it was a gas station, fire was not allowed. Master Chen was already shivering from the cold, his teeth chattering, while Lin Xiang just rubbed his hands.

Master Chen glanced at Lin Xiang's thin clothes and asked, "You brat, aren't you cold?"

Lin Xiang smiled, revealing two rows of white teeth, "It is a bit cold, but it's alright. This winter is not as cold as last year."

Master Chen rolled his eyes. "You brat, don't give me that. Don't catch a cold." After saying that, he opened the wardrobe, took out a thick cotton-padded coat, and draped it over Lin Xiang's shoulders. Then he said, "I know you're dressed lightly, young man. This was brought over by my daughter. It's a bit old, but it's still quite warm."

Lin Xiang was deeply moved. Since he started working at the gas station, he had received a lot of help from Master Chen's family, and he didn't know how to repay them.

As Master Chen pulled a quilt from the wardrobe, he said, "You little rascal, you're in luck tonight. My daughter brought this quilt. How about it? Big and thick enough for the two of us." He spread the quilt on the bed and used the old bed as a mattress.

The small room contained only a bed slightly wider than a single bed, a wardrobe, a desk, a chair, a kettle of boiling water on the desk, and just enough room for two people to stand and turn around before there was no room for anything else.

There are only two people on duty at the gas station for the night shift: Lin Xiang and Master Chen. The night shift is from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning, an eight-hour shift. In winter, the busiest time is from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. After 12 a.m., there are basically no vehicles. Usually, one person is on duty and the other is sleeping. By 2 a.m., the two of them can fall asleep.

And so, at midnight, Master Chen went to sleep first, while Lin Xiang used the two hours to review his lessons. For someone who had never attended middle school, going directly to high school was indeed a bit of a stretch. Although Lin Xiang was diligent and eager to learn, he still found it very difficult. He suffered a lot with foreign languages. Fortunately, with the help of Master Chen's daughter, Chen Yuanyuan's, review outline, he managed not to fall to the bottom of the class.

Master Chen's daughter, Chen Yuanyuan, is a high school sophomore this year, the same age as Lin Xiang. However, Lin Xiang is a month older than Chen Yuanyuan, so Chen Yuanyuan always likes to call him "Brother Xiang." Unconsciously, Lin Xiang gained another younger sister, Yuanmei. When Yang Yingying found out about this, she was depressed for a while, but finally came to her senses and made Lin Xiang promise not to misbehave again. Just like that, Yang Yingying gained another older sister.

Chen Yuanyuan attended a public high school, where she was an outstanding student in both character and academics, as well as the school's most beautiful girl. She was well-known far and wide, and everyone who knew her praised her as a talented woman who had a deep understanding and ability to create poetry and lyrics.

Lin Xiang took out the still-fragrant review outline from his schoolbag. Every page was filled with Yuan Mei's beautiful writing, making Lin Xiang feel a little dreamy. Then, Master Chen's snoring brought Lin Xiang back to reality. Lin Xiang shook his head and smiled, opened his book, and focused on reviewing.

Before we knew it, spring came and autumn went, time flew by, and two years later...

Lin Xiang is finally a senior in high school. In the past two years, with the help of Yuan Mei, Lin Xiang's grades have entered the top ten in the class, which has impressed all his classmates. Yuan Mei was admitted to a key public university last year. In the past two years, Lin Xiang has also paid off his tuition. Although Yang Yingying's mother said that he did not need to pay back the money, Lin Xiang still decided to work hard to earn money to go to school. Lin Xiang will always remember the kindness of Yang Yingying's family.

The old man was very happy. He was pleased with Xiang'er's grades and the changes he had made over the past two years. Xiang'er was no longer as willful or lonely as before, because he had made many friends at school and in his class, such as Liu Qingfang, Huang Hua, Chen Xiaoxiao, Lu Xiangxiang, and so on. Whenever they had free time on weekends, they would come to his home to chat with him and tell jokes that made him laugh from ear to ear.

Lin Xiang is still working at the gas station, and his old partner is still Master Chen. The only difference is that Lin Xiang's salary has increased to 1,500 yuan. These two years have been precious and memorable for Lin Xiang. In two years, Lin Xiang has turned 20, is strong and good-looking, and is no longer the skinny boy he was years ago.

Late at night, Lin Xiang was deep in thought as he read a book when Master Chen asked him a question. Lin Xiang turned to look at Master Chen, who was still awake, and said, "My classmate's nineteenth birthday is in two days. I don't know what birthday present to buy." For Lin Xiang, who had never celebrated a birthday before, birthdays were indeed a bit of a challenge.

"Oh, it's a girl! What does she usually like to do? You can consider that."

Lin Xiang thought for a moment and said, "If you ask what she likes, it's probably antiques or something like that."

Master Chen was startled upon hearing this, then joked, "Antiques? Your female classmate is quite unconventional; antiques aren't something just anyone can afford."

Lin Xiang said thoughtfully, "Yes! Antiques, that's something from too far back in time..."

Silence, continue to be silent.

Master Chen suddenly said, "How about you buy an antique artwork as a birthday gift?"

Lin Xiang suddenly realized, "Yeah, how come I didn't think of that? Hehe... Master Chen really knows how to do things."