Chapter 134: Huang Juan’s Dream

"Do you know that Macau is not my true name? I have left you for too long, Mother! But what they snatched away was my flesh and blood; you still hold the soul within me..." With less than three months until the handover of Macau, the moving melody of the "Song of the Seven Sons" echoed across the vast land of China.

The campus broadcast at First High School played this song during every break, aiming to foster patriotic fervor among the students. Whenever these stirring anthems filled the air, the students would engage in wide-ranging discussions—sometimes expressing outrage over the anti-Chinese riots in Indonesia, sometimes longing for a war in the Taiwan Strait. Huang Juan and her friends, however, preferred to dream of their own small aspirations.

"Xiao Tian, what do you want to be when you grow up?" During a break in evening study hall, seeking a bit of relief from the pressures of senior year, Huang Juan turned to ask Yang Tian, who was busy reading the *Reference News*.

"I haven't thought about it yet. Have you?" Yang Tian smiled cheerfully. His focus now was on cherishing the people around him and the minutiae of daily life. As for the future, he felt that the beautiful future of her and his own family was his future.

"Well, I want to be a doctor, so I think I’ll apply for a nursing program!" Huang Juan said, her face full of longing.

"Then you should apply to China Medical University; their nursing program is quite strong," An Qi leaned in and suggested softly.

"That's true. With your grades, you can definitely get into China Medical University!" Chen Ming joined the conversation as well.

"But I don't want to be too far from home," Huang Juan pouted.

"Then how about Binhai University? Its medical programs are among the best in the country!" Yang Tian suggested with confidence. In reality, he knew perfectly well that Binhai University was Huang Juan’s goal. He remembered that in his previous life, she had shed much sweat trying to get into Binhai University but ultimately failed. Now, facing the same challenge, he was confident he could help her succeed.

"But Binhai University is hard to get into. The number of applicants every year is huge!" Huang Juan gave a bitter smile. This was the truth. Binhai University’s ranking in East China was quite high, attracting numerous candidates from both within and outside the province every year.

"With your grades, you should be fine!" An Qi tried to comfort her, though her voice lacked conviction. Huang Juan was currently fifth in their class, but outside the top thirty in the school's science track. Getting into Binhai University with such a record was indeed no small feat.

"As long as you have confidence, anything is possible. Isn't there still nine months of revision time left? It's not too late!" Yang Tian encouraged her loudly.

"Exactly! Didn't you see in the paper that our national expedition team completed their Arctic survey last month and is preparing to build a research station there? If they can even go to the Arctic, what’s so hard about getting into Binhai University? How about this: let the four of us all apply to Binhai University and struggle together. How about it?" Chen Ming held up the newspaper, speaking with great spirit.

"That sounds great! What do you think, Yang Tian?" Huang Juan quickly agreed, then turned to ask Yang Tian with a smile. Everyone knew she had been hoping all along that Yang Tian would apply to Binhai University.

"I’m in!" Yang Tian smiled genuinely, immediately drawing hisses from the classmates eavesdropping nearby.

"Damn, Yang Tian, wouldn't it be a waste of your grades to apply to Binhai University? Everyone is counting on you to get into Tsinghua or Peking University and bring glory to Class Eight! I bet even our head teacher and all the subject teachers think the same!" the class monitor, Wu Gang, shouted.

"Yeah, I bet even the school leadership thinks so! Whether our school gets anyone into Tsinghua or Peking this year all depends on you! At the very least, for the science stream, it’s all on you!" other classmates chimed in one after another.

"That’s their opinion. What does it have to do with me?" Seeing Yang Tian’s expression turn complex, he stated his position to his classmates with indifference. "I am definitely applying to Binhai University."

The class erupted in hisses, feeling that Yang Tian was wasting his opportunity and ruining his future. Yet, a look of satisfaction bloomed on Huang Juan’s face. If Yang Tian had really applied to Tsinghua or Peking, they would likely have been separated. She couldn't make it into those top schools, but Binhai University was a goal she could strive for.

Despite being a simple classroom conversation, it had a significant impact on everyone. Huang Juan and Chen Ming became much more diligent. Every night after returning home, Huang Juan no longer had time to hide under the covers and whisper with Yang Xueling; instead, she would bury herself in her desk, working on exercises until the moon hung high in the sky.

Chen Ming and An Qi started showing up to class with dark circles under their eyes every day. Whenever they met, they would share a knowing smile and then begin to tease each other.

Seeing this, Yang Tian felt an indescribable sense of gratification. A life of struggle is the most classic life. They had reached a critical juncture, one that would leave behind many stories to be remembered for a lifetime.

Late at night, while Huang Juan was still studying, Yang Tian sat by the window with a chemistry workbook. The pages were blank; he never used a pen for calculations, relying solely on mental math. Only before an exam would he pick up a pen to do a few practice papers to find his rhythm.

Looking at the hazy moonlight, reflecting on his life before and after his rebirth, he suddenly felt a sense of intoxication. His heart was warm and content; he felt that what he was doing now was not a waste of the second chance life had granted him.

He pulled a pack of 555 cigarettes from his pocket, flicked his lighter, and lit one. The fragrant smoke curled around him, making the intoxicating night feel even more poetic.

When he had first been reborn, he was too young to smoke, fearing he would upset the Yang Bao couple. Now that he was a senior and had moved out, he occasionally smoked a few in secret to relax.

Moments later, he suddenly noticed Huang Juan staring at him through the haze of smoke. He quickly tossed the cigarette butt away, offering an apologetic smile.

He knew Huang Juan disliked the smell of smoke, and he felt embarrassed and inconsiderate for having smoked right behind her.

"It's fine, go ahead!" Huang Juan said with a smile, leaving Yang Tian stunned. In his previous life, whenever they met, she would run away if she saw him smoking, so he had assumed she couldn't stand the smell. He hadn't expected her to be so understanding now.

Yang Tian felt a surge of emotion. "No, I won't smoke anymore. I'm quitting for good."

"It's normal for boys to smoke, just don't smoke too much; it's bad for your health!" Huang Juan said with a skilled, mature smile.

"Don't worry, you're going to study nursing anyway. If I get sick, I'll have someone to take care of me, haha!" Yang Tian was momentarily taken aback, touched by her gentleness, and then teased her.

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm studying nursing to be a doctor, not specifically to look after you!" Huang Juan pouted in protest. But deep down, she knew that the reason she chose nursing was to become a good wife and daughter-in-law in the future, to take care of Yang Tian’s daily life, and to massage his parents and her own so that the whole family could be healthy and happy.

But quiet life always has its ripples. Yang Tian thought he could keep Huang Juan focused on her studies until the college entrance exams, but unexpected trouble struck.

Huang Juan’s father, Huang Biao, had spent three years selling dates and earned quite a bit of money. However, he had grown tired of that life. Seeing restaurants and dining halls thriving everywhere, he decided to open one himself.

Huang Biao was an impatient man. He poured out all the family's savings and borrowed more from Zhong Bangcai and Zhong Qian, launching his restaurant with great fanfare.

His "friends" told him that winter was coming, so he should focus on hot pot, so Huang Biao did just that. Then someone else told him that Binhai City already had too many hot pot restaurants, and he needed a unique hook. They suggested that Sichuan, Chongqing, and Northeast-style hot pots were outdated, and recommended he go for Indian-style or Thai-style hot pot.

Eager to open his shop and lacking market knowledge, Huang Biao opened an "Indian-style" hot pot restaurant. It opened with a bang, but after a month, business was so dismal he felt like killing someone.

Because the initial investment had been so high, he soon couldn't pay his chefs and servers. Eventually, he couldn't even afford to buy vegetables for the few customers who did show up. The restaurant was in turmoil; the staff knew the business was failing, and they only stayed because they were owed wages.

Things couldn't continue like this, and the employees began to make trouble. Fortunately, Huang Biao was a decent man, and they didn't push him too hard, but eventually, a conflict broke out. One employee, in a fit of rage, set the restaurant on fire.

Huang Biao lost everything, and to make matters worse, he was so angry he was hospitalized.

With such a crisis at home, how could Huang Juan have any heart for studying? She went to the hospital every day to visit her father. She would walk in with a bright smile to cheer him up, but would secretly wipe away tears on her way out. Although his misfortune was a result of his own carelessness, she knew he had been trying to earn money for their family. She was about to head to university, so it was natural for him to push himself. Thinking of this, her heart ached.

Seeing her wiping away tears, Yang Tian felt miserable himself. Huang Biao had been silent and sulking for a week, and his depression had made both Zhong Hehua and Huang Juan unhappy.

After much thought, Yang Tian finally hit upon a solution.

One day, Yang Tian accompanied Huang Juan to Huang Biao’s bedside. Huang Biao was no longer in the hospital and was recovering at home. His condition wasn't critical, but he was so depressed that he stayed in bed all day.

"Dad, how are you feeling today?" Huang Juan asked softly, her face filled with concerned smiles.

"I'm fine, Xiao Juan. Go back to school and study hard. I’m alright, you don't need to worry about me so much," Huang Biao said. Despite his business failure, he was still very kind to his daughter.

"Uncle Huang, how is your health? Should I join you in the living room for some practice?" Huang Juan was about to continue comforting him, but Yang Tian stepped in. He had seen that her daily efforts weren't working, so he decided to take the lead.

"No practice. I'm never practicing martial arts again!" Huang Biao said sullenly.

"Oh, well, that's a shame. I actually wanted to tell you about a big money-making project while we practiced. But since you don't want to practice, I guess that's it. I'll just let my dad handle the project alone," Yang Tian said loudly, pretending to sigh.

"A big money-making project? What project? ... Come, come, let’s go to the living room and spar. Let me tell you, my hands have been itching for a while!" Hearing about a chance to make money, Huang Biao immediately jumped out of bed and dragged Yang Tian toward the living room.

Seeing Huang Biao suddenly full of life, Huang Juan and Zhong Hehua were shocked, then looked at Yang Tian with grateful smiles.