Ji Yang looked at Qiu Ling, who sighed before picking up her tea for a sip and then said, "You heard what Cheng Guosong said today, and actually, he's not wrong."
Ji Yang didn't say anything but just looked at her.
Qiu Ling continued, "Our family comes from the countryside. However, my cousin is very competitive and studied really hard. She was the first person from our village to get into a university."
Ji Yang poured himself some tea.
Qiu Ling went on, "At that time, the newspapers even interviewed my cousin, saying that a golden phoenix had flown out of the village. After she started working, though, she soon realized that becoming a civil servant wasn't as simple as it appeared. Without any connections, the chances of advancing were too low. The people around her, though not necessarily better than her, were quickly climbing up the ranks."