After the college entrance examination, life began to follow one's heart

Chapter 181 Returning Home, Ning Yuhan's Old Home
In the evening, Xu Lin and Ning Yuhan took showers and returned to their room one after the other.

On a whim, Xu Lin started looking at Ning Yuhan's old things.

Opening the drawer revealed some small items, as well as her junior high and high school graduation photos.

"Where's your elementary school graduation photo?" Xu Lin didn't see it.

"It's in my hometown, but it's been a long time, and it's probably covered in dust."

Ning Yuhan washed her hair tonight and is sitting there drying it. Her hair is thick and long, so drying it is quite a hassle.

"How old were you when you were in the third year of junior high?"

Xu Lin picked up Ning Yuhan's junior high school graduation photo and saw Ning Yuhan standing tall and young in the picture. Her beauty was already beginning to show. Compared to other girls in the photo, she looked like a fairy.

In the photo, the students are clearly from rural areas, and Xu Lin thought that this must be a rural middle school.

"Fifteen years old!"

"My senior was already stunningly beautiful at fifteen."

"Humph!"

Ning Yuhan also deserves praise; upon hearing Xu Lin praise her, she couldn't help but let out a soft hum.

"Did you attend a junior high school in a rural town, senior?"

"Yup!"

Ning Yuhan said, "I went to primary school in the countryside, junior high school in a township, and high school in this county town."

"That's not easy."

The college entrance rate in rural towns is actually not high, and even those who can get into high school rarely go to good high schools; most end up in very ordinary high schools.

Because the quality of students and teachers is so-so, and the surrounding learning environment and atmosphere are also very poor. For example, in some classes, there may be 60 students in the first year of junior high school, but only 40 students may remain in the third year. Some people on the Internet curse and talk about "those who missed the cut-off score in junior high school", and sometimes it is not an exaggeration, because the person on the other side may not have finished junior high school properly. Even now in 2026, there are still many people like this. Rural children are ignorant, and sometimes their parents are also short-sighted, thinking that studying is useless.

But in reality, if we don't consider utilitarian goals like employment, the greatest significance of reading is to broaden one's thinking and perspective.

Closer to home.

It's truly remarkable that Ning Yuhan was able to achieve good grades while studying in a rural town, and then go on to attend a prestigious university in Jiangdu—a 985 university within a 211 university. After all, coming from a rural area inevitably puts one at a disadvantage, which is a natural consequence of economic development, as educational resources will inevitably concentrate in economically developed regions.

Are your junior high school classmates in college now?

"There are...besides me, there seem to be only eight other people in college."

"so little?"

Xu Lin was surprised to see that there were more than forty people in the graduation photo.

"I'm not quite sure, there might be something wrong," Ning Yuhan said, unable to remember.

"What about high school?"

"There were many more in high school. I was in the honors class, and all my classmates were going to university!"

"But the senior student got the best score."

"I worked really hard in high school!" Ning Yuhan said happily. She said that in high school, she was oblivious to everything else and focused solely on studying.

What about when you were in junior high school?

Ning Yuhan countered with a question.

"I've been playing this since junior high."

Did you have any good friends in junior high school?

"I haven't kept in touch with my junior high school classmates much. I only run into them occasionally in the city."

Xu Lin attended elementary, middle, and high school all in the city. If you really want to know, some of his elementary school classmates are still in the same high school, but it's true that he doesn't know them or isn't familiar with them anymore.

Like classmates, friendships are mostly temporary. You only get to know someone for a short period of time, and once that period is over, the feelings gradually fade. Later on, even if you meet, you might not even greet them.

"Where are your high school classmates?"

“There is one, my deskmate for three years.” Xu Lin thought of Lei Haolong. This kid had been thinking about how to find a girlfriend recently, but a semester has passed and he still hasn’t found one.

Ning Yuhan wanted to ask Xu Lin about his childhood sweetheart, whom he had grown up with since they were little, but after thinking about it, she decided not to ask.

"What about you, senior? Who are your close friends?"

"I don't think so. I used to focus mainly on my studies and wasn't very close to my classmates. After I went to university, we had even less contact."

Xu Lin thought about it and could understand; once you go to university, you'll be in a new social circle.

Xu Lin put down the graduation photo and started flipping through other things.

However, there weren't many things in the drawer, and before long, Xu Lin lost interest.

Then Xu Lin opened the wardrobe and accidentally discovered Ning Yuhan's school uniform.

"Senior, is this your school uniform?"

"Yes! High school uniform!"

Xu Lin had a sudden, bad idea.

"Senior, why don't you let me see you wearing it?"

"what?"

"I just want to see what my senior looks like in her school uniform."

"I won't wear it. Those are my high school clothes, and they feel weird."

"That's not up to you!"

Xu Lin grinned wickedly, and Ning Yuhan knew she couldn't escape.

However, Xu Lin didn't immediately have his senior put on her high school uniform. Instead, for safety reasons, he went to the door and locked it from the inside.

"Do I really have to wear it?"

"Of course, this is a little trick we use to add some fun to our relationship."

You're full of bad intentions!

Ning Yuhan scolded the other party.

Before her hair was even dry, Xu Lin carried her to the bed.

My hair isn't dry yet.

"It's okay, we'll blow on it later. Hurry up and change your clothes!"

Xu Lin was very much looking forward to it, while Ning Yuhan could only blush and put on her high school uniform.

This is a summer outfit: a white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of black sweatpants.

It's just ordinary clothing. As everyone knows, school uniforms are never good-looking. The short-sleeved shirt is okay, but the pants are outrageous. The thigh part of the pants is too big, like they're for fat people. They would look terrible on an average person.

However, people with different core equipment will give different feelings when wearing school uniforms. For example, a great beauty like Ning Yuhan, when she wears a school uniform, it seems like the school uniform becomes an SSS-level set.

Xu Lin felt that something was still missing.

"Senior, try tying your hair in a high ponytail!"

Ning Yuhan did as instructed, and soon her high ponytail was done.

Seeing Ning Yuhan standing in front of him with her high ponytail and school uniform, Xu Lin finally saw Ning Yuhan from the two graduation photos. However, compared to the naive Ning Yuhan in junior high and high school, the current Ning Yuhan has become more mature.

In another six months, Ning Yuhan will be twenty years old.

"Does it look good?"

Ning Yuhan playfully spun around in front of Xu Lin.

As she turned to Xu Lin, he reached out and grabbed her left hand, pulling her into his arms with a slight pull.

As the soft fragrance enveloped him, Xu Lin whispered in her ear, "Do you think it looks good?"

Soon, Ning Yuhan felt something in her buttocks.

Ning Yuhan couldn't help but blush.

Are you coming tonight too?

Ning Yuhan asked.

"What? Get ready for bed. Your parents are right next to you. I'm so embarrassed. What if I make a sound?"

Xu Lin hugged Ning Yuhan and said, "Let's go to sleep."

"Then I'll blow-dry my hair for a while longer, it's still a little damp."

"Row."

Silent all night.

Tonight, Xu Lin slept soundly with Ning Yuhan, who was wearing her school uniform, in his arms.

Soon the next day came.

Ning Haifeng went out to work in the morning, and Wu Xiulin went out with him. Wu Xiulin is a primary school teacher and is currently on holiday. Usually, she is the only adult at home and has to take care of the children. Since Ning Yuhan and Xu Lin are here, she went with her husband to help out.

So today, Xu Lin and Ning Yuhan are taking care of the children.

Yesterday, Xu Lin bought a lot of toys. For example, in the morning, he played with Sui Sui and An An building Gundams and playing with remote control cars.

In the afternoon, Xu Lin watched cartoons with them, and around 3 p.m., he took them out to play again.

This time, Xu Lin also drove out, but instead of driving around the county town, he went to Duanzhou, where the city is larger and more prosperous.

A day passed just like that.

Today was a fulfilling, simple, and enjoyable day for Xu Lin.

Then came the third day.

Because Xu Lin won't be staying here for too long, he's going to Ning Yuhan's rural hometown today.

Ning Haifeng also took a few days off and planned to go back to his hometown.

"Sui Sui, An An, we're going home. Aren't you happy?"

Sui Sui and An An were sitting on Xu Lin's shoulders, one on each side.

"happy!"

"My brother-in-law is going back too, I'm so happy!"

They each said something, and both were very happy.

"Just be happy."

When they arrived at the car, Xu Lin let them both out.

He instructed, "The journey is a bit long. If you feel uncomfortable in the car, just say so, okay?"

"Yes!" The two nodded obediently in unison.

"Uncle and Aunt, please get in the car!"

Xu Lin said to Ning Haifeng and the other person.

Ning Haifeng and Wu Xiulin don't know much about cars, but just by looking at the Panamera GTS, you can tell it's not cheap. Not to mention the interior, which is a typical luxury interior. You can tell it's a luxury car at a glance. I wonder how many of these cars there are.

The couple also felt quite pressured, afraid of getting the car dirty.

Xu Lin saw through their thoughts and said with a smile, "Get in the car, Uncle, why don't you sit in the passenger seat?"

Xu Lin and Ning Yuhan made an agreement last night.

Ning Yuhan also said, "Dad, you sit in the passenger seat, Mom and I will sit in the back."

"Row."

Ning Haifeng nodded and carefully got into the car. Before stepping in, he checked his shoes to see if they were dirty or if there was anything stuck to them.

Seeing this, Xu Lin said again, "Uncle, it's just a car, don't overthink it."

"Xiao Lin, how much does this car cost?"

"It's not expensive. My family isn't exactly wealthy."

Xu Lin smiled and said, "A car is just a means of transportation, Uncle, don't underestimate yourself."

"I'm afraid of getting it dirty." "It's okay, uncle. Sit tight and fasten your seatbelt."

"it is good."

Ning Haifeng was quite touched. He had heard from his daughter that Xu Lin's family was well-off, and he had thought that his family would be looked down upon. However, Xu Lin had a very good personality and was not arrogant at all. After about two days, Xu Lin gave people the impression of being a very good young man.

"Auntie, Hanhan, sit down now."

"Uh-huh."

"Brother-in-law, I'm all seated!"

"Brother-in-law, I'm all seated now!"

Sui Sui and An An sat between Ning Yuhan and Wu Xiulin.

"Brother-in-law saw it!"

Xu Lin turned around and reached out to touch their little faces.

Xu Lin reminded him again, "Brother-in-law is about to drive. If you feel unwell later, remember to tell me, okay?"

"Uh-huh!"

The two nodded again.

Soon, the car drove off from the underground parking garage of the residential complex.

It's about an hour's drive from here to Ning Yuhan's hometown.

In addition, some sections of the roads from county towns to rural areas are not easy to drive on.

It's a sunny day today, and quite hot too.

Xu Lin always wore short sleeves.

The group chatted in the car along the way.

Ning Haifeng was quite active, pointing out to Xu Lin what each place was along the way.

Sometimes when Xu Lin sees an unfamiliar plant or a bird, he will ask it what it is called.

Ning Haifeng knew them all, and he seemed quite happy talking about it, so he went from being reserved when he first got on the bus to completely relaxing later on.

Around 11 a.m.

Xu Lin finally drove the car to the vicinity of Ning Yuhan's village. As far as the eye could see, there were lush green mountains. This kind of scenery could not be seen in the city. It was a unique sight.

Ning Haifeng said, "We belong to a group within this large village, and it's still quite a drive to get there."

"Oh, I get it."

Xu Lin suddenly realized that many villages in rural areas are large villages with several groups or smaller villages under them.

Although it is a small village, it has several hundred people.

Xu Lin drove for a while longer.

From a distance, Xu Lin could see some flat-roofed houses in the countryside.

"Brother-in-law, that's our village!"

An'an pointed to the houses in front of her and said.

"Is An'an comfortable in the car?"

"I don't feel uncomfortable!"

"Where's Suisui?"

"May you never feel uncomfortable, no matter the year!"

"That's good."

A few more minutes passed.

Xu Lin's car finally entered the village.

As he looked around, all he saw were flat-roofed buildings; he could no longer see any tiled houses. The roads still had streetlights, and the overall infrastructure seemed quite good.

"There are several cars over there, and they're parked over there, right?"

Xu Lin saw a large playground, right behind the village store, where eight cars were parked.

Ning Haifeng: "Yes, people in our village basically park their cars here."

"Okay, I'll drive over first."

Ning Haifeng gave Xu Lin directions.

A few minutes later, Xu Lin also parked his car.

"We're home!"

The two children were very happy and jumped out of the car the moment the door opened, breathing in the fresh air.

"Take it easy!"

Seeing the two of them jumping around, Ning Yuhan quickly reminded them.

Xu Lin also got out of the car, opened the trunk, and let everyone take their things.

He didn't have much.

Xu Lin then curiously looked around the village.

The village was surrounded by mountains and was very quiet. Opposite the village were large fields of farmland, which were empty at this time of year because spring planting had not yet begun.

"Brother-in-law, let's go home!"

At this moment, An'an came over and tugged at Xu Lin's trouser leg.

"Okay, let's go home!"

Xu Lin picked her up, and Sui Sui came over too, so Xu Lin picked her up as well, one in each arm.

Where is our home?

"There!"

An'an and Sui Sui both pointed to a three-and-a-half-story house.

Ning Haifeng laughed and said, "Xiao Lin, that house is our home."

Are Grandpa and Grandma home?

Xu Lin asked.

"at home!"

Then Xu Lin followed Ning Haifeng and the others to the house.

You have to pass by a convenience store on your way.

There were many people at the convenience store, all curious about Xu Lin, this unfamiliar face.

"Ah Feng, what's up?"

A woman spoke in plain language.

However, in this rural area, everyone is definitely speaking the local dialect.

Xu Lin knew that speaking Mandarin here would make him look like a "lao lou" (a derogatory term for a poor person), and that he would not be able to integrate into the local village.

So Xu Lin took the initiative to strike up a conversation in Cantonese, telling Ning Haifeng and the others to go back first.

Xu Lin's Cantonese is more like Cantonese, while the Cantonese spoken here is more like a local dialect. There are quite a few differences in Cantonese here, and even in different areas of the same city, but as long as it is Cantonese, it is fine, at least middle-aged and elderly people can understand it.

There are more than twenty people at this small shop; the so-called rural intelligence station is all here.

In less than a day, news of Xu Lin's arrival would spread throughout the village, and everyone would know that Ning Haifeng's son-in-law had come to visit.

"Young man, who are you from?"

Almost everyone asked Xu Lin a question, and Xu Lin answered a few questions.

Two men offered him cigarettes, which Xu Lin accepted.

Xu Lin knew that to integrate into the local rural community, he needed to know some of the rules.

For example, if someone is offering cigarettes, you can take some.

Whether or not one smokes is another matter, and in rural areas, being taciturn is not a good thing.

Xu Lin knew about backward compatibility, so he stayed at the convenience store for about ten minutes to get acquainted with the people from the intelligence agency. They learned that he was Ning Yuhan's boyfriend, from an eastern province, studying in the big city of Jiangdu, and attending the same university as Ning Yuhan.

According to conversations with the intelligence officers, Ning Yuhan was the top student in the village, along with two others who got into first-tier universities, six who got into second-tier universities, and several others who got into junior colleges.

After spending more than ten minutes at the convenience store, Xu Lin had already established himself as a clever and quick-witted person, thus completing the initial stage of his infiltration of the rural area.

Actually, Xu Lin felt that the people here were all quite nice.

He held Sui Sui and An An in his arms, and the people in the store would tease them. The shopkeeper also gave them snacks, and it was quite comfortable chatting with them.

Everyone was simply curious about the appearance of Xu Lin, this new face.

"Can't you two speak Cantonese?"

Xu Lin said goodbye to everyone at the convenience store and left with the two children in his arms.

"Brother-in-law, I'll listen!"

"I'll listen too!"

"Then how about speaking in plain language?"

Then they both shook their heads, indicating that they wouldn't speak Cantonese.

"Forget it, let's go home!"

Xu Lin came out of the convenience store and walked up a straight cement road. After walking about fifty or sixty meters, he reached Ning Yuhan's house, which was actually quite close.

Ning Yuhan was waiting for them at the door.

Ning Yuhan stood there, graceful and elegant, yet also exuding a gentle and tender feeling.

She seemed completely out of place in this rural area.

Girls from rural areas rarely have very fair skin, but Ning Yuhan has very fair skin, is exceptionally beautiful, and has a great temperament.

She certainly doesn't look like a girl from the countryside.

That's what Xu Lin thought.

Actually, he didn't know that Ning Yuhan thought about him in a similar way.

Ning Yuhan's beautiful eyes sparkled as she looked at Xu Lin walking over.

For a moment, Ning Yuhan was somewhat dazed.

"You should only see the painting, for I alone know the essence of it." - Su Shi

Xu Lin's appearance and demeanor were completely out of place in the rural area; he gave off the impression of a wealthy young master from a prominent family.

However, Xu Lin always managed to make Ning Yuhan laugh.

Xu Lin walked over, initially quite serious, but then suddenly blurted out, "Damn! I stepped in chicken poop!"

Ning Yuhan couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

"Actually, I was lying to you; I didn't step on it."

Xu Lin smiled.

"I knew!"

"What were you thinking about just now?" Xu Lin asked curiously.

I miss you!

"That's too cheesy, let's have something normal."

"Humph!"

Ning Yuhan reached out her arms, "Sui Sui, An An, let your big sister hug you!"

(End of this chapter)