Chapter Summaries

Su Can persuaded his parents to consider using Zeng Ke’s severance pay to open a stationery shop, giving her a chance to leave her troubled state-owned company and start a business. His parents agreed to discuss the plan with Su Licheng’s elder brother’s family, but the first objections soon came from Su Can’s aunt and older cousin.

• Su Can warned Su Licheng and Zeng Ke that staying at the state-owned company would leave the family’s future dependent on its internal turmoil.
• Su Can proposed that Zeng Ke open a stationery shop, claiming that a classmate’s relative had made a large profit from one.
• Su Licheng and Zeng Ke agreed that she would take the severance pay and speak to Sister Yin about starting the shop.
• Su Can explained that “Do what you have never done” meant trying something new.
• Su Can’s parents contacted his eldest uncle’s family, but his aunt and older cousin objected to Zeng Ke’s plan.
• One week remained before the high school entrance examination results were due on July 1.

Su Can persuaded his relatives to lend his parents money for a stationery shop while assuring them he would get into high school. He learned that Mei Lan and Jia Zheng were also pursuing the promising storefront, leaving him worried they would copy his family’s plans and outcompete them.

• Zeng Ke asked her relatives for a loan to start a business, and Zeng Zhaoding and others questioned whether Su Can would get into high school.
• Su Can promised he would pass the entrance exams, and Zeng Ke said she believed he could get into No. 3 High School.
• Su Can’s aunt agreed to lend the family twenty thousand, giving them sixty thousand in startup funds.
• Zeng Ke recommended a storefront near schools and government offices, but his aunt revealed that Mei Lan and Jia Zheng had already asked about renting there.
• Su Can worried Mei Lan and Jia Zheng would learn his mother’s business plan and take the better storefront, but his aunt agreed to keep the plan private.
• Zeng Yuan led Su Can into his eldest uncle’s study to play a computer game, but their uncle was using the computer to check stock charts.

Su Can realized that the 1998 floods could devastate his eldest uncle Zeng Qu anming’s stock investments and leave him timid in later struggles at work. He smashed Zeng Qu anming’s cherished ashtray to make him reconsider his profits, but the act enraged the family and left his parents demanding an explanation.

• Zeng Qu anming weighed whether to keep investing after his stock holdings tripled, while Su Can remembered the future market crash caused by the 1998 floods.
• Su Can decided to protect his uncle from the coming losses and approached the desk, where he pointed out that the ashtray was full.
• Su Can picked up Zeng Qu anming’s crystal ashtray and smashed it on the marble floor in front of the family.
• Zeng Na and the others reacted angrily, and Su Can’s family was driven out of Zeng Qu anming’s home.
• Su Licheng reprimanded Su Can on the way home, but Su Can calmly said he had his reasons, leaving his parents to discuss apologizing and the fallout.

Su Can persuaded his parents to take the larger storefront, which Mei Lan and Jia Zheng had to give up after failing to raise enough money. On July 1, the family called the entrance exam hotline and learned that Su Can had scored 645 points.

• Yin Shuying managed the storefront rental and tried to balance Zeng Ke's interests with Mei Lan and Jia Zheng's.
• Zeng Ke worried that her eldest brother was heartbroken over his broken ashtray, while Su Can believed the gesture had made his uncle consider his warning.
• Su Can persuaded Zeng Ke and Su Licheng to insist on the larger storefront, and Mei Lan and Jia Zheng settled for the smaller one when they could not afford the rent.
• Zeng Ke contacted suppliers, and Su Licheng began arranging renovations for the shop.
• On July 1, Zeng Ke called the entrance exam results hotline and heard that Su Can had scored 645 points.

Su Can learned that he had scored 645 on the entrance exams, enough to reach his goal of attending City First Middle School. His parents celebrated his achievement, and he left for his final day of junior high after hearing that his eldest uncle had invited the family to dinner at the Kailai Hotel.

• Su Can calculated his exam results and found he had scored 645 out of 720.
• Zeng Ke cried with joy and Su Licheng struggled to contain his excitement when they realized how well Su Can had done.
• Su Can's parents stayed up celebrating and spent the morning looking through his childhood photographs.
• Su Can's mother reminded him to treasure his last day at junior high and said his eldest uncle was treating the family to dinner at the Kailai Hotel.

Su Can’s excellent exam results surprised his classmates and relatives as he finished middle school and declined Tang Wu’s invitation to the graduation meal. At Kailai Hotel, his family celebrated his score of 645, which was high enough for No. 1 High School.

• Mr. Zhou praised Su Can for scoring 645 and placing fifth in the class, then positioned him in the center of the graduation photograph.
• Tang Wu invited Su Can to the class graduation meal, but he politely declined, leaving her disappointed.
• Su Can and his parents joined their relatives at Kailai Hotel after finishing preparations for the family shop.
• Zeng Zhaoding asked about the gathering, and Su Can’s eldest uncle announced that Su Can had scored 645, more than twenty points above Zeng Na’s result.

At a family dinner, Su Can’s 645 entrance-exam score impressed his relatives, and his eldest uncle revealed that the broken ashtray had prompted him to sell stocks before a major fall, avoiding a loss of nearly two hundred thousand. Zeng Qu anming also toasted Deputy Mayor Lei Li and praised his citywide reform proposal, leaving Lei Li newly appreciative of his abilities.

• Su Can’s aunt announced that he had scored 645, surprising the family and changing Zeng Yuan’s and Zeng Zhaoding’s impressions of him.
• Zeng Qu anming invited Su Can to drink, and Su Can drained a glass of Wuliangye with him.
• Zeng Qu anming revealed that breaking the ashtray had made him reconsider his stocks and sell before prices fell, saving nearly two hundred thousand.
• Zeng Qu anming said he would take some profits to support Zeng Ke’s stationery business and limit any future stock investments.
• After socializing with guests, Zeng Qu anming toasted Deputy Mayor Lei Li and praised his citywide reform proposal, prompting Lei Li to take renewed notice of him.

Su Can rode around Xiahai Lake with Liu Rui and Xue Yiyang on his new Giant bicycle, reflecting on the past and planning for the future. At the Royal Residence barbecue plaza, they ran into Xue Yiyang’s old rival Li Ai and his group, setting up a confrontation.

• Su Can, Liu Rui, and Xue Yiyang set out to cycle around Xiahai Lake, and Xue Yiyang and Liu Rui admired Su Can’s rare Giant bicycle.
• Su Can concealed his true exam score from his friends and thought about his plans for exercise and business opportunities.
• The three reached Moon Bay Point and headed to the Royal Residence for the local barbecue.
• Xue Yiyang froze when Li Ai, his longtime rival from No. 1 High School, recognized him and approached with a group of students.

Su Can, Xue Yiyang, and Liu Rui ran into Li Ai and other students from No. 1 High School at a barbecue gathering, where Su Can thwarted Li Ai’s attempt to embarrass them and won a large sum playing Fight the Landlord. The chapter ended with Xue Yiyang telling Chen Lingshan that Su Can had once had a crush on her, making Su Can choke on his cola.

• Su Can and Liu Rui joined Xue Yiyang at a gathering with No. 1 High School students, where they met Chen Lingshan, Su Can’s former childhood crush.
• Li Ai tried to insult Xue Yiyang by suggesting they pay less, but Su Can displayed his money and insisted on contributing by the usual rules.
• Li Ai’s friends, Sun Ziyi and Wang Xing, invited the three boys to play Fight the Landlord, expecting to win from them.
• Su Can raised the stakes to five yuan per card and beat Sun Ziyi, Wang Xing, Li Ai, and Zhang Xi, winning 165 yuan.
• Xue Yiyang introduced Su Can to Chen Lingshan as the friend who had once had a crush on her, and Su Can choked on his cola.

At a seaside barbecue, Su Can’s charm and Chen Lingshan’s mistaken belief that their fathers had done business together made the group assume he came from an influential family. The illusion collapsed when Su Can revealed he attended No. 3 Middle School, leaving the gathering awkward and Li Ai and Zhang Xi amused.

• Chen Lingshan mistakenly remembered Su Can as the son of a man who had discussed business with her father, and Su Can let the misunderstanding stand.
• Su Can impressed the group with his conversation, while Chen Lingshan wondered whether he might be her Prince Charming.
• Wang Xuebing asked Su Can where he went to school, and Xue Yiyang challenged the assumption that he was from Rongcheng.
• Su Can said he attended City No. 3 Middle School, silencing the group as Li Ai and Zhang Xi reacted with strange smiles.

Su Can’s background was exposed at a barbecue gathering, causing Chen Lingshan and the others to reconsider him. Just as the group looked down on him, Wang Weiwei arrived and greeted Su Can like an old acquaintance.

• Wang Xuebing and Li Ai reacted to learning Su Can attended Third Middle School, and Chen Lingshan grew distant from him.
• A girl recognized Su Can as the son of an employee at Chen Lingshan’s father’s company and recalled that his family had lived in the company quarters.
• Chen Lingshan connected Su Can to the shabby boy from her childhood and turned away from him, while Li Ai and the others mocked his background.
• Wang Weiwei arrived at the barbecue plaza, offered to cover everyone’s bill, and impressed Zhang Xi and his companions.
• Wang Weiwei recognized Su Can, approached him, and reminded him that he was the Wang Weiwei Su Can had once told off.

Wang Weiwei reunited with Su Can and openly praised him for having berated him, prompting their companions to reassess Su Can. Wang Weiwei invited Su Can to visit his resort, but Su Can declined and left with his friends, while Chen Lingshan watched with regret.

• Wang Weiwei spotted Su Can at the gathering and stayed to chat with him, treating him with clear respect.
• Wang Weiwei told Zhang Xi and the others that Su Can had called him trash, leaving the table astonished.
• Chen Lingshan noticed Su Can’s ease with Wang Weiwei and regretted how coldly she had treated him earlier.
• Wang Weiwei invited Su Can to join him and Lin Luoran at a nearby resort, but Su Can politely declined and received Wang Weiwei’s phone number.
• Wang Weiwei paid the group’s bill, and Su Can cycled away with Xue Yiyang and Liu Rui as Chen Lingshan watched regretfully.

Su Can helped Su Licheng carry display shelves to the family’s shop, where Xiao Yazhong mocked Su Licheng until he saw the Zhonghua cigarettes Su Licheng offered him. Su Licheng advised Su Can to focus on becoming strong rather than competing over pride, leaving Su Can newly resolved to build a life independent of others’ protection.

• Su Licheng called Su Can to help carry the shop’s display shelves, and Wang Xiaocui and Xiao Yazhong stopped to comment on the business.
• Xiao Yazhong offered Su Licheng a Premium Jiaozhi cigarette, but Su Licheng brought out a Zhonghua cigarette and offered it to him instead.
• Xiao Yazhong reacted sarcastically to the rare cigarettes and walked away, while Wang Xiaocui questioned his own habit of giving gifts without receiving any.
• Su Can praised his father’s effortless response, and Su Licheng told him not to be petty and to gain confidence through his own strength.
• Su Can reflected on his father’s quiet understanding and resolved not to disappoint him or rely on other people’s status and protection.

Su Can reflected on his family’s new shop and resolved to help his parents improve their prospects by proving himself through practical results. When Xiahai City’s school cutoffs were announced, his 645 score was high enough for First Middle School, but his pre-exam preference meant he was headed to No. 3 High School.

• Su Can’s parents opened their shop, and he urged them to hire help so they would not overwork themselves.
• His mother worried that the shop’s location and expenses would make it difficult to break even, while Su Can recognized that he needed to earn his parents’ confidence through results.
• July passed, and Xiahai City announced its school admission cutoffs in August.
• Liu Rui learned that his score of 543 was enough to meet Second Middle School’s 535 cutoff.
• First Middle School set a 610-point cutoff, and Su Can realized that his 645 score could qualify him, but his earlier choice of City No. 3 Middle School had already set his destination.

Su Can’s family went to No. 1 High School to discuss his admission, but Dean Tian Feng’s arrogance and resentment toward Zeng Qu anming turned the meeting into a bitter argument. They left without resolving the matter, and Tian Feng vowed to keep Su Can out of the school.

• Su Can, Zeng Ke, and Zeng Qu anming arrived at No. 1 High School, where several officials were seeking admission favors for their children and relatives.
• Xiao Fei warned Tian Feng against helping Zeng Qu anming, and Tian Feng decided to make the family’s request difficult despite Su Can’s strong score of 645.
• Tian Feng pretended Su Can’s application was problematic because he had not listed No. 1 High School as his choice, then delayed responding by making tea.
• Zeng Qu anming confronted Tian Feng over admitting lower-scoring applicants while refusing Su Can, and their exchange escalated into a shouting match.
• Zeng Ke persuaded Zeng Qu anming to leave, and the family departed without settling Su Can’s admission.
• Tian Feng continued shouting after they left and vowed that Su Can would never attend No. 1 High School.

Su Can’s family’s dinner was overshadowed by Xiao Fei’s celebration of Xiao Yunyun’s admission to No. 1 High School, where he used the gathering of city officials to boast and needle Zeng Qu anming. The chapter ended with Deputy Mayor Yu Qiushou asking Su Can about his exam results and school, giving Xiao Fei a chance to embarrass the family.

• Zeng Qu anming complained that the dean of studies at City First Middle School had acted arrogantly, while the family worried about Su Can’s admission.
• The family overheard Xiao Fei hosting Deputy Mayor Yu Qiushou, reporter Zhang Chaoyang, and other officials at the neighboring table.
• Xiao Fei spotted Su Can’s family, removed the screen between the tables, and drew them into his gathering.
• Xiao Fei announced that Xiao Yunyun had entered No. 1 High School, while Xiao Yunyun presented herself as a high-scoring, popular student to impress Su Can.
• Xiao Yunyun claimed she had scored 612, though she had actually scored 600 and secured admission through Xiao Fei’s connections.
• Yu Qiushou asked Zeng Qu anming how Su Can had done on the entrance exam and which school he had entered, as Xiao Fei anticipated the answer would humiliate them.

At a banquet, Su Can’s family revealed his outstanding entrance exam score, prompting Deputy Mayor Yu Qiushou to support his transfer to No. 1 High School. Reporter Zhang Chaoyang then recognized Su Can as the young author whose essay about the 1998 floods had attracted national attention, and he left the banquet eager to interview him.

• Yin Shuying told Yu Qiushou that Su Can had scored 645 on the high school entrance exam, surprising Xiao Fei and Xiao Yunyun.
• After hearing that Su Can wanted to attend No. 1 High School but faced paperwork difficulties, Yu Qiushou told the family to cite his directive to Principal Ding Juntao.
• Zhang Chaoyang asked Su Can whether he had written a literary reportage piece in the entrance exam and excitedly identified him as its author.
• Zhang Chaoyang told the banquet guests that Su Can’s essay had been selected for a Beijing-published collection that would soon be sold nationwide.
• The narration revealed that a senior State Council leader had praised Su Can’s essay for examining human causes of flooding, and Zhang Chaoyang had come to Xiahai City to interview him.

Su Can’s entrance-exam essay brought his family attention and helped his eldest uncle, Zeng Quanming, gain provincial recognition and positive publicity. As the family celebrated at his uncle’s home, an unexpected visitor arrived at the door.

• Su Can’s family gathered at Zeng Quanming’s home for a celebratory meal after his essay was selected for publication.
• Zeng Na offered Su Can snacks, and she watched with surprise and guilt when he went to help in the kitchen.
• At a previous dinner, Su Can credited Zeng Quanming with the essay’s insights, prompting Zhang Chaoyang to interview the uncle and Deputy Mayor Yu Qiushou to praise him.
• Zhang Chaoyang’s reporting helped Zeng Quanming receive provincial commendation and a feature in Party Style, while Xiao Fei grew jealous of his rise.
• As the family ate together, Yin Shuying answered the doorbell at Zeng Quanming’s home.

Tian Feng apologized to Zeng Qu anming and announced that No. 1 High School had admitted Su Can. Zeng Qu anming became acting director of the City Construction Bureau, while Su Can and his friends resumed their ordinary lives and Su Can reflected on the limits of what he could change.

• Tian Feng visited Zeng Qu anming's home, apologized for his earlier offense, and announced that No. 1 High School had admitted Su Can.
• Su Can's family finished dinner with more warmth than in his memories of his previous life, and Zeng Ke quietly cried with happiness on the walk home.
• No. 1 High School posted Su Can's name on its admissions list, and Zeng Qu anming was appointed acting director of the City Construction Bureau after the flood-control dam breach investigation.
• Liu Rui, Xue Yiyang, and Su Can grilled sausages and played games at new internet cafés, while Wang Weiwei did not contact Su Can again.
• Su Can recognized that his influence could not prevent wider disasters, though his life and those around him were now bound together on a path toward the New World.

Xiahai City First High School principal Ding Juntao responded to a rival school's top exam scorers by announcing a new advanced-class program. Su Can savored his second life as he prepared to register for high school, while Xue Yiyang hurried off ahead of him.

• Ding Juntao learned that Waihai Middle School had claimed the city's top college entrance exam scorer and the top three high school entrance exam scorers.
• Ding Juntao announced a plan to divide first-year students into advanced and regular classes after a year, with four advanced classes and special funding.
• On August 31, Su Can left home with his new schoolbag and ate beef rice noodles before registering.
• Su Can reflected on how familiar places and simple moments made him cherish his second life.
• Xue Yiyang met Su Can, declined his offer of breakfast, and rode the Route 8 Bus to school.