Chapter 26: [26] Everyone wants to curry favor with your daughter now2

“I don’t care, Yingying is going to be a doctor, and I’ll gather her tuition,” Sun Rongfang really got angry, stamped her foot, and left.

In 1996, there were no student loans. It was not easy for an average family to send a child to university, but as long as her daughter could get admitted, Sun Rongfang felt it was not a big issue. The family had spent countless money on education for the two children over the years, and they had managed just fine. There was no reason they couldn’t support their daughter studying medicine. She knew exactly what her husband’s calculations were, and that he would definitely not agree.

Seeing his wife unyielding, Xie Changrong went to his daughter’s room door and said himself, “If you really want to study, go to Normal University, got it? Your grandpa has already inquired for you, and Normal University is the best.”

“Dad, why don’t you go and ask the elders for their opinion again?” Xie Wanying turned her head and said to her father with meaningful intent.

“Does your grandpa need to be asked? He was consulted last time,” Xie Changrong dragged his slippers back to get the phone and call the elder, muttering, “I’ll let your grandpa talk to you.”

“You could also ask Grandpa Sun for his opinion, Dad,” Xie Wanying said.

Ask his father-in-law? Xie Changrong thought about it and felt it was a good idea, to get a whole bunch of people to come and say their piece, so his wife and daughter would give in and go to Normal University.

Doot doot doot, first he called Grandpa Xie’s house. Xie Wanying’s grandfather was named Xie Yousheng.

“Dad. Let me tell you, it’s like this, Yingying’s high school graduation exam scores are out, and she’s said to have taken first place,” Xie Changrong told his father.

“First place?” Grandpa Xie was surprised to hear his son say his granddaughter was first, “First in the class?”

“Probably, she’s said to be the science top scorer.” Xie Changrong actually didn’t have much of a concept of what being the science top scorer meant.

Grandpa Xie said, “Wait for me, I’ll inquire and find out the situation for you.”

Listening from the room, Xie Wanying had known it would be like this and was very calm. The Old Xie Family had never had a college student before, and she was the first child in the Old Xie Family to take the high school graduation exams. Her grandparents didn’t understand any of this. But it didn’t matter, someone would speak up for her, just like they did in her previous life. That’s why after arguing with her father that day, she didn’t bother with him anymore and just focused on her own exams.

Doot doot doot, the phone suddenly rang. Thinking it was his father calling back, Xie Changrong hurriedly picked up the receiver and called out, “Dad!”

“Do you know why I’m calling?”

The voice of his father-in-law on the other end made Xie Changrong choke up, “Dad, you—”

“Yingying’s scores are out, and she’s said to be the science top scorer, which is so thrilling. You and Rongfang should be ecstatic,” Grandpa Sun laughed heartily.

Xie Changrong stood in place awkwardly; what to say? His wife was ecstatic, but his feelings were just so-so. It wasn’t his son who did well, but his daughter, and he couldn’t bring himself to be thrilled.

“Let me tell you, I and your wife – my daughter – have discussed, Yingying is going to medical school, and you have to support her fully.”

The words from Grandpa Sun snapped Xie Changrong back to reality. He discussed with his father-in-law, “Wouldn’t it be better for Yingying to go to Normal School?”

“Have you lost your mind!” Grandpa Sun was livid at his son-in-law, scolding him furiously, “Yingying got first place, and she’s not going to study in the nation’s premier class, you’re making her attend what school? What are you thinking!”

Fumbling for a response to his father-in-law’s accusation about what he was thinking, Xie Changrong said haltingly, “It’s that our family can’t afford to send her to medical school, Dad. Normal schools have subsidies, we wouldn’t have to pay. I’ve asked around with my father.”

“I’ll scrape together Yingying’s tuition myself, you’re not allowed to make her go to any other schools!” Grandpa Sun was furious and hung up the phone on his son-in-law.