Chapter 4 – I must pa.s.s the tes
Next day.
Morning.
The scorching summer sun was covered by dark clouds. It was a gloomy day, and it felt cooler than the previous few days.
Dong Xuebing woke up and remembered that his underwear and socks were still at Aunt Xuan’s house. He felt uncomfortable and hurriedly went to unit 302 to press on the doorbell. Aunt Xuan was the woman he secretly admired, and he wanted to show her the best side of him. He did not want her to see his underwear and smelly socks. If he had known about this, he would fight with his life to stop Aunt Xuan from taking away all the dirty laundry. He was hoping that Aunt Xuan still had not washed those clothes.
Clicked. The door opened. “Oh, it’s Xiao Bing. I am just about to go to work. Come in.”
Qu Yunxuan was staying alone, and her house has a pleasant smell. It was the smell of a single woman’s room. The living room was neat and clean. There was not even a spark of dirt on the windows. Dong Xuebing entered the house and embarra.s.sedly rubbed his nose. He was blus.h.i.+ng: “Ermmm, my clothes……”
Qu Yunxuan was bending over to wear her socks and heels. She looked up and laughed. She pointed towards the washroom with her chin: “Your clothes are hanging in the washroom. I had washed them yesterday, and it might still be wet. What’s wrong? Are you in a hurry to wear those clothes? You need me to help you dry the clothes with a hairdryer?” She was squatting down on one leg, and the other was rise higher, showing a gap between her legs in the office skirt.
Dong Xuebing faced turned redder: “Ah… No need. I will bring my clothes back to dry them. Thank you.”
Qu Yunxuan rolled her eyes: “Do you need to be so formal with me? If we want to talk about thanking, I should be the one who should be thanking you.”
Qu Yunxuan was standing outside the restroom while Dong Xuebing rushed in to collect his clothes. His t-s.h.i.+rt and pants were hanging on a rack, and his underwear and socks were hanging from a hanger behind. Dong Xuebing immediately grab all his clothes. He could imagine Qu Yunxuan’s soft hands scrubbing his underwear. He felt embarra.s.sed.
Dong Xuebing had lost focus, and he only wanted to quickly return home with his clothes. Suddenly, he realized he was holding on to a skin-colored lacy panty. d.a.m.n! I took the wrong one. This was not my underwear. Dong Xuebing slapped his forehead. He had taken Qu Yunxuan’s underwear by mistake. His hand was shaking as he held the lacy underwear in his hand. He was excited and nervous. He could feel the soft and wet material of the underwear. He looked at the underwear closely.
This was Qu Yunxuan’s underwear……
It was so beautiful……
When Dong Xuebing was still in a daze, staring at the lacy underwear, a head appeared at the door of the washroom. “Hurry up and take your clothes. I need to leave for my work…...” Before the sentence was finished, Qu Yunxuan saw Dong Xuebing holding her underwear, and she blushed.
Dong Xuebing almost fainted. His first reaction was to throw the underwear into the was.h.i.+ng machine. “Aunt Xuan, it is not what you are thinking.
Qu Yunxuan was giving him a look and did not say anything.
That’s it. Dong Xuebing knew his good impressions he had left with Aunt Xuan was gone. He tried to explain: “It is really not what you are thinking. I had grabbed the wrong……” He could not give a good explanation. He suddenly remembered that he still had not used his time control today. He immediately shouted: “BACK!”
……
Sceneries were flying.
The next moment, Dong Xuebing saw his outstretched hand in mid-air. He was about to grab that skin colored underwear from the metal hanger.
This was precisely what happened one minute ago.
He had successfully turn back the time again.
He immediately stopped his hand/ He was relieved and grabbed his clothes before walking out of the washroom. “Aunt Xuan, I am going back now.”
Qu Yunxuan laughed: “If you have dirty laundry in the future, pa.s.s it to me. I will help you wash.”
Phwee…. So close.
When Dong Xuebing returned home, he tried to use Back a few more times but was unsuccessful.
It seems that he could only use this power once a day.
Alright! I am going to be rich!
Breakfast was the leftover porridge from last night’s dinner, an egg and a small plate of preserved vegetables. Recently, the price of eggs had increased. Dong Xuebing and his mother do not bear to eat eggs for some days. Dong Xuebing was swallowing his saliva as he carefully peels the sh.e.l.ls off the egg.
“Mrs. Xu might be dropping by later.” Dong Xuebing’s mother said. “How is your revision for the Civil Servant test?”
“So-so.” Dong Xuebing’s good mood was all gone. He sighed: “I don’t think I will do well. You also know that I have never been good with my studies.” After graduating from the University, Dong Xuebing had not been working. One reason was that he needs to prepare for the Civil Servant test. Another reason was he had graduated from an average school. His results were also average. The chances of him pa.s.sing and becoming a civil servant were very slim. It can be considered almost impossible.
“It’s fine. If you did not pa.s.s this time, there is always the next time. If you really can’t enter the government agencies, then just get a job in the meantime.” Dong Xuebing’s mother held his hand. “You will surely pa.s.s it one day.”
Facing the expectations of his mother, Dong Xuebing could feel the stress. “I…… I will try my best.”
Sighed…. Civil Servant.
Nowadays, there was fierce compet.i.tion in the government service. Can he really enter the government service? No matter how Dong Xuebing thinks, he felt it was impossible. He knew his chances were very slim. His university cla.s.smates, who had better scores and smarter than him, could not even pa.s.s the test. Other than the written test, there was still an interview. Also if one had pa.s.sed both the test and interview, the department that was being applied would take only one person. The chances for one to be selected was extremely slim.
Knock, knock, knock. Someone was knocking on the door.
Dong Xuebing’s mother immediately grabbed him over to the door. Two people were standing at the door. One was a woman in her 40s, and the other was a bespectacled young man in his 20s. They were Dong Xuebing’s neighbors, Mrs. Xu and her son, Xiao Dong. Behind them, a middle-aged man was walking down from the fourth floor. He had a big belly and looked at some leaders.
Dong Xuebing’s mother saw him and immediately greeted that man: “Section Chief Xu, are you going to work?”
Dong Xuebing also greeted them: “Mr. and Mrs. Xu.”
Section Chief Xu had an air of arrogance. He nodded and continued walking down the stairs without saying a single word.
Mrs. Xu shouted to Section Chief Xu from his back: “Your son’s test is nearing. Remember to come home early tonight. We will be eating out.”
Section Chief Xu and Mrs. Xu were husband and wife. He had been recently promoted and was now a section chief at the customs. It was not sure if he was a deputy section chief or the section chief. But he had been doing well in his job. However, Dong Xuebing does not like this family. Especially that Section Chief Xu. He seems to be used to ordering people around and very arrogant. He had never looked at people in the eyes. His eyes seem to be on top of his head.
When Dong Xuebing’s mother let Mrs. Xu and her son enter the house, Dong Xuebing heard one of his neighbor greeting Section Chief Xu downstairs.
“Oh, Section Chief Xu, why are you so early today?”
“Chief Xu, thank you for your help. Can I have the honor to treat you today?”
Someone was bootlicking him.
Dong Xuebing was thinking in his heart. Being a government official was good. If only I could be a civil servant.
After closing the door, Dong Xuebing returned to the living room. His mother had taken out their best tea leaves in the house. She poured two cups of tea for Mrs. Xu and Xiao Dong. But these “best tea leaves” were only the best for him and his mother. Mrs. Xu and her son do not think so. Mrs. Xu took a sip and frowned. She placed the tea back on the table and never touch it again. “Xiao Ping, I heard that your son will also be taking the test on the 15th? Is he confident of pa.s.sing?”
Dong Xuebing’s mother pulled him over and sighed: “I do not have high hopes. How about Xiao Dong?”
Xiao Dong pushed his spectacles. He was holding on to the revision materials and did not say a word. He was also very arrogant like his father.
Mrs. Xu laughed proudly: “Xiao Dong will surely pa.s.s. Last year’s national exams he did not put in his best. The essay questions were too simple, and he could not show his true capabilities. He had been studying seriously this year. It should not be a problem for him to be among the top.” After pausing a while, Mrs. Xu lowered her voice and proudly said: “I will just tell you and no one else. His father had made arrangements with the Customs. As long as Xiao Dong can pa.s.s the interview, the customs will recruit him.”
“That’s good. Your son will have a bright future.” Dong Xuebing’s mother enviously said. She moved closer to Mrs. Xu and asked: “If Xiao Dong is not busy, can he help Xiao Bing with his revision?”
Xiao Dong did not want to come over with his mother. When he heard Dong Xuebing’s mother request, he immediately said rudely: “Mum, I do not have the time.”
Dong Xuebing saw him speaking so rudely to his mother, he got furious: “You think I have the time for you?”
Dong Xuebing’s mother became nervous and gave Dong Xuebing a light push with her elbow: “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you be nice to others?”
The mood in the room was awkward. Mrs. Xu laughed softly and said: “Actually, there is no need for Xiao Bing to enter take the civil servant test so urgently. I know many graduates started work outside for a few years before taking the test. With the experiences they acc.u.mulated when working, it will help them with the test. How can someone without experiences pa.s.s the test? Look at how many graduates are recruited into the Civil Service? The percentage is lesser than 0.1%.”
Dong Xuebing’s mother smiled and did not say a word.
Dong Xuebing was thinking in his heart. Are you looking down on me? How do you know I cannot pa.s.s the test?
He could tell that Mrs. Xu had brought her son over to show off.
Half an hour later, Mrs. Xu left with her son. Before leaving the house, Xiao Dong looked at Dong Xuebing coldly and then left. To him, he felt that Dong Xuebing’s family was too poor and he was just a loser. Dong Xuebing might even have problems securing a job. These were the people who were destined to be at the lowest level of society for their whole life. This person was not worth his time.
Noon.
Dong Xuebing’s mother went back to her room for a nap, while Dong Xuebing was looking through a stack of past year essay questions in the living room. He was doing his best to prepare for the test. But after studying for a while, he knew that there was no way he could pa.s.s the test. He might not even reach the minimum score. He was wasting his time revising.
Dong Xuebing suddenly heard someone speaking softly.
The sound came from inside the house, but Dong Xuebing could not make out what that person was saying.
Dong Xuebing followed the sounds, and it was coming from the bedroom. He slowly turned the doork.n.o.b and opened a slit.
He saw his mother holding on to his father’s black and white photograph. She was crying silently. “Why her son gets to enter the government service and my son can’t? Dear, you must watch over our son and help him pa.s.s the test. If our son can enter the government service, I…… I don’t mind giving up a few years of my life.”
“Mum……” Dong Xuebing opened the door and walked in.
Dong Xuebing’s mother saw her son had caught her crying again and she quickly wiped her tears: “I am fine. Don’t worry.”
Standing in front of his mother, Dong Xuebing gritted his teeth and said: “You do not need to worry. I will surely pa.s.s the test even if it cost my life!” Seeing how sad his mother was, Dong Xuebing was determined to pa.s.s the test. Why other people’s families were all government officials and their children can also be government officials, and he has to be a commoner? He could not even afford to give his mother a better life?
I also have a head on my shoulders like others. In what way am I inferior to them?
Dong Xuebing must pa.s.s the test and become a civil servant.
This time, Dong Xuebing was determined to prove himself and make his mother proud!