"I... I am Wang Gang's mother!" Mrs. Wang said.
Mayor Deng looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Wang Gang's mother?
What does this have to do with me?
Mayor Deng thought for a moment but couldn't recall having any relatives named Wang Gang. It seemed like she had mistaken him for someone else.
Seeing his confusion, Mrs. Wang quickly tried to clarify.
"I... my son is Wang Gang... I am his mother?"
Mayor Deng still couldn't remember who Wang Gang was. Since he had a mission to complete, he politely nodded and continued walking with his team.
Mrs. Wang was left dumbfounded, feeling perplexed at the mayor's lack of recognition. Here she was, standing in front of the mayor, and he hadn't even realized who she was. She had assumed he would come personally to deliver the medal.
As she was about to rush home, she noticed that Mayor Deng was heading towards Building 3. In a panic, she hurried after him, shouting.
"You're going the wrong way! You're going the wrong way! Wang Gang's house is in Building 6!"
Her voice immediately caught the attention of those around her.
Mrs. Wang, who was short and somewhat plump, darted forward with surprising speed, resembling a small cannonball as she ran toward the mayor, her heavy breathing punctuated by her round belly heaving with each breath.
"Mayor... Mayor, Wang Gang's house is in Building 6, you need to go further ahead to the next building!"
Mayor Deng turned his gaze back toward Mrs. Wang, feeling more and more irritated.
Why did she keep mentioning Wang Gang? He was looking for Jiang Fan, not Wang Gang!
Could it be that Jiang Fan's nickname was Wang Gang?
But who would be so foolish to adopt a nickname like that?
"Madam, I'm looking for Jiang Fan's house, I think you're mistaken," he said.
"Jiang Fan's house?" Mrs. Wang was momentarily stunned. A bad feeling began to creep into her mind. Could it be that Li Guiqin's son, Jiang Fan, had received a second-class merit?
But that couldn't be possible.
Her own son was just a student. How could a student ever be honored for serving the country?
"You... you mean Jiang Fan has received a second-class merit?" Mrs. Wang asked, disbelief in her voice.
"Yes," Mayor Deng confirmed. "I'm here on behalf of the city government to present him with an honorary medal and prize money!"
Stunned by the mayor's confirmation, Mrs. Wang stood frozen in place.
Noticing her silence, the mayor nodded and led his team toward Building 3.
At that moment, Mrs. Wang's face changed color multiple times—red, pale, and blue—as if she were a chameleon, her expression fluctuating between embarrassment, guilt, and confusion.
The people who had been chatting with her at the pavilion earlier rushed over to her.
"Mrs. Wang, what's going on? Why is the mayor heading to Building 3?"
Mrs. Wang's face immediately turned bright red with embarrassment. The shame surged from the depths of her being, and she felt as if she could sink into the ground. She had boasted earlier that the mayor was coming to present her son with a second-class merit, only to stop him twice and delay the process.
Now, she felt like a fool, growing more and more uncomfortable with every passing moment, desperately wishing she could disappear.
Seeing the curious eyes of everyone around her, Mrs. Wang stammered, "I... I just remembered... something at home... I need to go back!"
She quickly waddled toward Building 6, her large face flushed with embarrassment, her steps hurried and awkward.
The others were left stunned by her sudden departure.
"Wait a minute! Something's not right," one of them said. "If Mrs. Wang was so sure the mayor was coming to give her son a second-class merit, why did she suddenly run off?"
"Yeah, you're right. The mayor definitely wasn't coming for our son—could he have been coming for someone else?"
"Could it be Jiang Fan's family?"
"Let's follow and see! We'll find out soon enough."
And so, a few curious onlookers began to follow the procession toward Building 3.
Meanwhile, at Jiang Fan's home, Jiang Jingguo was smiling broadly as he held a stack of admission letters in his hands.
"Xiao Fan, look at this! This is the acceptance letter from JingDou University, here's one from Huqing University, from Dragon Country's Peking University, from Dragon University of Science and Technology...," he said, laying all the letters on the coffee table, each one from a top university in the country.
Jiang Jingguo was overjoyed. He never imagined his son would be courted by so many prestigious schools.
Li Guiqin, walking out of the kitchen, saw her husband proudly displaying the admission letters and, in mock exasperation, said, "Jingguo, haven't you looked through these enough yet?"
"Well, our son was busy recently and didn't have time to choose a school. Now, as the end of August approaches, schools are about to start. We need to help him make a decision. Let's discuss his options!" Jiang Jingguo replied, eager to weigh the merits of each choice.
"Xiao Fan, JingDou University offers the best conditions, but it doesn't have as much prestige as Peking University or Huqing University. What do you think of Peking University?" he suggested.
Before Jiang Fan could respond, Li Xiu'e came over and spoke.
"Son, I think Huqing University is great, it's one of the top universities in Dragon Country. I hear the campus environment is excellent!"
The reason Li Xiu'e recommended Huqing University was mainly because Chu Ruoxi had also been admitted there, and she had noticed the affection between her son and the girl. If they both attended the same school, they'd surely become a couple. The idea of having a daughter-in-law like Chu Ruoxi made her dream with joy.
"Huqing University is great, but it's more focused on the humanities, and our son is destined to be a scientist, so he needs to focus on the sciences..." Jiang Guiqin responded, pulling her husband aside to whisper something in his ear.
When Jiang Jingguo realized what his wife meant, he slapped his forehead. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"
"Son, I think your mom's right. Huqing University is the better choice," he finally agreed.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Li Guiqin called out.
"I'm Old Li!" came the voice from next door.
Recognizing the voice, Li Guiqin quickly opened the door. "Old Li, come in and sit!"
Old Li entered, looking flustered and worried.
"You two sure know how to stay calm!" he said, shaking his head.
Li Guiqin and Jiang Jingguo exchanged confused glances. "What do you mean, Old Li?"
"Didn't you hear the drumbeats downstairs?" Old Li asked.
"Yes, we heard them! I was wondering who was celebrating," Li Guiqin replied. "Old Li, is it your family?"
"Of course not, it's your family!" Old Li said.
Li Guiqin and Jiang Jingguo were completely stunned. If there was something to celebrate in their family, they would know about it.
"What do you mean, Old Li? Xiao Fan isn't getting married for a few more years!"
"Oh, stop playing games! The mayor is here, holding a red book..."
At this, Li Guiqin and Jiang Jingguo grew more confused.
Jiang Fan stood up, clearing up the misunderstanding.
"Mom, Dad, the mayor is here to present me with a second-class merit!"