Xiao ng had previously visited London; although she had played around in a few places, she really wasn’t familiar with London.
By October, it was already the last quarter of the year, nearing the end, and work piled up, urging Yin Shixiu into busyness.
He couldn’t find ti to take Su Xiaong around to familiarize her with London for the ti being.
Instead, he let Xiao Song, who had accompanied Xiao ng before, continue to accompany her.
However, this ti they added two little kids, Shuangshuang and Huang Huang, making it less carefree than the last ti.
All the way until school started, Xiao ng was "familiarizing" herself with the environnt.
Of course, this was the polite way of putting it; in reality, she was just playing around.
Every day was like taking part in a movie, needing to take a photo wherever they went, and Xiao ng discovered her daughter’s vanity nature.
She would use her little finger to poke dimples into her cheeks, pull her hands to the sides of her face to pretend to be a cat, hugging her brother tightly, however cute it could get.
The stark contrast was Prince Huang, who, even though having the sa face as Shuangshuang, had expressions that were pitifully few, like he couldn’t muster any enthusiasm.
So in the photos, Prince Huang’s eyes always wandered to so unknown distance, dazed, which just strongly contrasted with Shuangshuang’s mischievousness, highlighting even more the lively aura emanating from Shuangshuang.
Having a mom to accompany them in their playti, the two little kids were overjoyed, so much that the night before the start of school, while Xiao ng was packing, the two little ones directly sat in Su Xiaong’s suitcase.
It was only after Yin Shixiu patiently coaxed them, repeatedly promising that mom would leave in the morning and be back by night, that they reluctantly climbed out.
Playing is a joy for everyone, especially at Xiao ng’s age, married or not, kids or not! They’re bound to love having fun!
So here’s the problem.
After Xiao ng reported to Bath, she was told to wait in another classroom to take an orientation test.
For just that instant, Xiao ng realized with full clarity, she wasn’t a housewife but a student!
Orientation test? What orientation test?
How co she didn’t know?
She waited for about twenty minutes, with about twenty other students in the classroom.
Everyone else had a stack of materials they were reviewing.
Su Xiaong had only a pen in hand, making her stand out as different; after all, everyone was new and didn’t know each other...
Yet Xiao ng felt like others were watching her...
Those eyes seed to say: This person’s quite confident, huh? Only brought a pen?
Truly felt like she was sitting on pins and needles!
Until Qin Hui appeared, rescuing the unique Su Xiaong.
"Orientation test? Why didn’t I know about this?"
Qin Hui exclaid to herself as she entered the classroom, where it was nearly all Chinese students. Hearing Qin Hui mutter, they all gave her a stunned look!
Only Su Xiaong fervently agreed in her heart:
Yeah, yeah, what orientation test? How co I didn’t know?
A chubby girl sitting in the front row kindly replied,
"It was sent to the contact email, didn’t you see it?"
Contact email...
Su Xiaong was taken aback; she rembered the contact email she filled in... no, it was filled with Yin Shixiu’s personal email!!
She also rembered the login password, quickly logging in with her phone, after rifling through the inbox a few tis without success, she had to peek into the junk mail...
To her surprise, the email marked BATH was lying there.
Opening it, not only did it announce the orientation test, but also provided the scope of the exam, though the scope was so broad it might as well have been aningless.
Crucially, the international class in interpreting majors was divided into four classes according to ABCD levels.
Xiao ng wondered why the class list hadn’t been released yet; it turns out it was based on the results of the orientation test!
Looking at the email tistamp again...
Mid-August.
Su Xiaong let out a long sigh, covering her face and feeling like crying.
At that ti, who could focus on Bath’s orientation test anyway?
While she lanted over it, Qin Hui had already spotted Su Xiaong and hurriedly ran over. Given her straightforward nature, when she saw others holding thick review materials to study while Xiao ng only had a pen, her face was filled with admiration,
"You really are sothing, having so much confidence! Not worrying even without any preparations! Eh... unlike , who didn’t even know there was an orientation test for enrollnt!"
Hey, hey! Who’s confident!? Who’s unworried!? Who’s not like you!?
Su Xiaong looked astonished, just about to clarify when she caught two unfriendly investigative glances in her peripheral vision...
It’s over...
Sure enough, soone behind spoke directly,
"Could you be quiet? Even confident ones should consider those who aren’t."
Su Xiaong blushed, quickly said,
"Oh, sorry!"
After she said that, she seed to realize her words implied... admitting she was confident!!
Qin Hui, knowing that she was the one who spoke loudly, hurriedly pulled a chair closer to sit beside Xiao ng. She whispered to Xiao ng,
"Let take a look at your paper later..."
This solidified Qin Hui’s belief that Xiao ng was well-prepared and confident.
Xiao ng looked up, with a despairing tone, asked,
"If I show you, who will show ?"
"Shh, keep it down, don’t let others find out we’re discussing cheating..."
Su Xiaong’s eyes widened again, looking incredulously at the ever-so-frank Qin Hui,
"What cheating discussion?"
Everyone else was quietly preparing; even their small voice seed loud!
People are always sensitive to sensitive terms, ntioning cheating in an exam room...
Imdiately drew several skeptical and unfriendly stares!
Su Xiaong hastily grabbed Qin Hui’s hand,
"I’m begging you, stop talking, we’re about to start."
"... Oh."
Qin Hui nodded, joking about cheating only in jest.
But she was genuinely happy to see Su Xiaong again.
Soon the proctor arrived to lead everyone into the exam room; the seating had already been arranged.
Su Xiaong was uneasy; language is such a thing, just three to five days without touching it and it goes rusty.
Especially for soone like her, whose foundation wasn’t exceptionally strong and required constant practice.
When the test papers were distributed, Xiao ng took a cursory look, moved beyond unease straight into despair!
Why are they so, so difficult...
Since others knew about the orientation test while she didn’t, and since they had studied and she hadn’t...
It left her at a psychological disadvantage.
It seed like others could answer fluently, while she herself stumbled on the questions.
The October autumn in the Bath hills was genuinely chilly, but right now, sweat was rolling down Xiao ng’s forehead!
Couldn’t understand, couldn’t understand, really couldn’t understand...
Actually, Xiao ng’s confusion over these questions was normal because these reading materials were first-hand materials sent from ACCI (International Conference Interpreters’ Association).
They covered various fields including politics, economy, culture, biological science, etc.
The problem was, the exam content still had a given range in many schools.
Other students, knowing of the exam, wouldn’t slack off just before it, so in terms of exam preparation, Xiao ng was already at a disadvantage.
Near submission, Xiao ng was still writing furiously, the multiple choices and comprehension questions were comparatively challenging, relying on the translation part to scrape so points.
The bell rang, papers were collected.
The students dispersed, she heard others heave a sigh of relief, heard them curse the paper’s difficulty level yet not sounding too concerned...
Xiao ng sat in her seat, as if still facing the paper she couldn’t comprehend thirty percent of.
Suddenly, her eyes brimd with moisture; for the first ti... experiencing the overwhelming urge to cry after an exam.
"The questions were so crazy hard! Killing !"
Qin Hui rubbed her neck and wrists, "Xiao ng, how did you do? Were the review materials helpful?"
Xiao ng stayed silent, unable to utter anything now...
"Given your grades, it’ll surely be fine; you’ll definitely make it to Class A!"
Not bringing up class placent was okay, but as soon as Qin Hui ntioned it, Xiao ng got up and walked directly past her.
Class A? She felt like she’d get expelled!
User Comments
0 comments from readers