Chapter 442: Chapter 442: I Am Excellent
Vera Xavier smiled, pursing her lips. The two little rascals Grandma Dixon mentioned were her two grandsons, one twelve and the other ten. They were at that mischievous age, and while their grades were average, they were good-hearted kids.
Grandma pulled Vera over and said, "We can talk about that later. Vera is back now, so let us have some time to catch up. Youâre not allowed to steal my Vera from me right now."
Since they were neighbors and Grandma and Grandma Dixon shared similar interests, the two of them had grown quite close recently and had a good relationship.
Vera Xavier was very relieved to see how well her grandma and Grandma Dixon got along. âIt means her grandma is finally settling into life in the compound.â
Grandma Dixon laughed heartily. "Alright, alright, I wonât fight you for her. You two havenât seen each other in a while. I wonât be the bad guy and get in the way."
Grandma smiled as she led Vera home. Once inside, her expression turned to one of heartache as she looked Vera over. "Youâve gotten thinner and tanner," she said. "Child, you must have suffered out there, havenât you?"
A warmth spread through Veraâs heart. She reached out, hugged her grandma tightly, and said, "No, Iâm doing great."
In her previous life, she hadnât enjoyed much affection from her family, but in this life, because she had changed the way she handled things, she was surrounded by several relatives who genuinely cared for her.
She had read in a book once that when children return home from a long trip, no matter if theyâve gotten fatter or thinner, their parents will always say theyâve lost weight. Now, she was truly experiencing that feeling for herself. âThis feels really good.â
Grandma patted her back in relief and said, "As long as youâre back safe and sound, thatâs all that matters. When your dad found out you went out to work all by yourself, he nearly nagged me to death. If you hadnât come back soon, he probably would have disowned me."
Vera let out a laugh, taking her grandmaâs hand. "Iâll go see Dad first," she said.
"Donât be in such a hurry," Grandma said, stopping her with a smile. "Your grandpa just took him out for a stroll. Theyâll probably be back in a little while. Heâll be so happy to see youâre back safe and sound!"
"Oh," Vera said. Grandma looked at her with a beaming smile and said, "Vera, you were the top scorer in the province this time. Arenât you happy?"
"My grades are so good, and Iâm so outstanding. If I werenât the top scorer in the province, it would be an absolute travesty!" Vera said with a mischievous grin.
Grandma laughed and poked her on the nose. "You silly girl," she said. "Look at you, getting so cocky!"
With that, they both burst into laughter.
Grandma took her hand and said, "Your grandpa, your dad, and I have discussed it. Your grades are so good, so we absolutely canât let you drop out of school because of your dadâs illness. We still have several paintings and calligraphy scrolls, and in a few days, weâll sell another one to cover your tuition and living expenses."
Veraâs eyes grew moist when she heard this. âGrandma, Grandpa, and Zachary Preston truly doted on her. The paintings and calligraphy scrolls were family heirlooms, remnants of the Preston Familyâs once boundless glory. In this day and age, this kind of behavior would be considered the act of a prodigal. She knew better than anyone what these artworks meant to the Preston Family, yet they were willing to sell them to pay for her education.â
She hugged her grandma again and said, "When Dad and Grandpa get back, I have some great news to announce."
"News even bigger than you becoming the provincial top scorer?" Grandma asked with a smile.
Vera grinned. "Not necessarily, but itâs definitely good news."
Just then, Grandpa returned, pushing Zachary Preston. Vera immediately greeted her grandpa, then skipped over to Zachary Prestonâs side. "Dad, Iâm back!" she exclaimed. "I missed you so much!"
With that, she gave Zachary Preston a hug.