, I firmly refused, "I want to study, I want to go to high school, I want to attend university!" Grandma widened her eyes, "What's there to study? You're going to get married anyway.

　　And you won't be able to get into a top high school with your grades!" My mom also said, "Finishing junior high school is good enough." I didn't want to cry in front of them.

　　But my eyes couldn't help but turn red.

　　"Why? Both my younger brother and I are your children.

　　Why can he stay by your side while I get abandoned in the countryside? You spend so much money on his education, but you're unwilling to pay my modest fees for a semester.

　　Is your heart really that biased?" ...

　　I shouted so loudly that the neighbors were alarmed.

　　There were people in the courtyard asking what happened.

　　My dad, who always cared about his reputation, felt uncomfortable.

　　He said with a stern face, "Fine.

　　You can study for one more year.

　　If you get into a top high school, you can continue studying.

　　If not, you'll work to support your brother's education!" My tense spirit relaxed.

　　In that moment, I even felt grateful for my dad's compromise.

　　But that night, when I went to the bathroom, I heard him talking to my mom, "If Xiaoyan gets into a top high school, will we really let her continue studying?" My dad sneered, "She's not capable of getting in." ...

　　In the third year of junior high school, besides eating and sleeping, I spent all my time studying.

　　I often dreamt of myself in the examination hall, unable to solve the questions.

　　Then I would wake up drenched in sweat.

　　Some of my classmates have already returned pregnant.

　　The world outside is too vast, with too many temptations.

　　They were never deeply loved by their parents, so when they stepped into society, they easily fell for boys' sweet words.

　　They end up getting married in a daze and live in confusion for the rest of their lives.

　　I am genuinely afraid of becoming like that.

　　Soon, it was time for the high school entrance exams.

　　Unfortunately, the flu was rampant, and I caught it.

　　I was writing the exam with a runny nose and a cough, feeling dizzy.

　　On the day the results were announced, it also happened to be my brother's tenth birthday.

　　My parents had time off from work for equipment maintenance, so our whole family was together.

　　Mom ordered a double-layer birthday cake for my brother in the county.

　　Many relatives came over.

　　My brother sat in the center, receiving everyone's blessings like a star among stars.

　　"Guicai is getting more handsome as he grows up." "He's only ten and already 1.5 meters tall.

　　He'll definitely be over 1.8 meters tall in the future." "I heard his grades are good too, he's in the top ten in his class.

　　He's a potential candidate for a top university!" ...

　　I remembered my own tenth birthday, when I wanted to buy a 2 yuan egg cake to eat.

　　But the old lady didn't give me any.

　　That day was a weekend, and I waited from 8 in the morning until 9 at night.

　　I didn't receive a call from my mom.

　　She forgot my birthday again.

　　It turns out that the birthday cake wasn't as delicious as I imagined, it was too sweet and bitter.

　　I put down my fork and my uncle-grandfather asked, "Xiaoyan, are you going to Zhejiang with your parents to work this time?" "No, I want to go to high school." Uncle-grandfather shook his head repeatedly, "I heard from your grandma that you only know how to study dead books, I don't think you're cut out for it..." The relatives echoed, "Studying is dependent on heaven's blessings, you can't force it." "Your parents have raised you for so many years, it hasn't been easy, now that you're grown up, you should also lighten their burden." "It's not easy to get into Yizhong." ...

　　Amidst the chatter, my dad's Baodi phone rang.

　　After he put it on speakerphone, the urgent voice of my homeroom teacher came through, "Is Zhou Xiaoyan at home? The high school entrance exam results are out!"