2

The next day at the exam hall, the moment the bell rang, I began to write down one correct answer after another without hesitation.

These questions have been rehearsed in my mind countless times.

No need for the cheat sheets my grandma secretly tucked into my clothes; these questions are not challenging at all.

It wasn't until the bell rang again, as I handed in the paper and left, that I felt a slight sense of reality.

But before I could envision the future, my phone rang.

It was Aunt Wang from the village.

"Sisi, your provincial exam must be over, right? Your grandma asked me to check, when will you come back for the arranged marriage?"

I was stunned, had she spread the news about my provincial exam again? I had emphatically told her not to mention it to strangers!

Ignoring Aunt Wang, I hung up the phone directly and rushed home.

"Grandma, why did you tell outsiders about my provincial exam?"

As soon as I got home, I headed straight to grandma's room and questioned loudly.

Grandma looked innocent: "Aunt Wang isn't an outsider! She's from our village, technically a distant relative, how can she be considered an outsider?"

Ha, those people from the village, not a single one is normal. Back then, Uncle Zhang made some money from construction, and they united the whole village to force him to pay for road repairs, driving him away from the village.

Now they've heard I'm taking the provincial exam, they're already plotting to climb up. What if they find out I've passed?

"How can you talk to your grandma like that?"

Zhang Jianguo's voice suddenly came from behind; I turned to see Zhang Jianguo, my mom, and my sister all drawn by our argument.

Zhang Jianguo rushed in front of me, "Grandma is concerned for you; you can't treat her like this!"

I looked at this repulsive stepfather,

"Is caring for me having Aunt Wang arrange a marriage for me?"

"Do you know what kind of people are in grandma's village? Knowing about my provincial exam is minor, but if they find out you're earning money driving for a big boss in the city, won't they trample your doorstep?"

He hesitated, not expecting me to talk like this, but soon pointed at me, berating loudly,

"Even so, you can't talk to your grandma like that! She means well; why can't you just be grateful?"

"Exactly," Zhang Huan chimed in sarcastically, "Who can become a civil servant? Even if you pass the exam, you still need connections to get in. You might as well listen to your grandma and marry early."

I clenched my fists, suppressing my anger: "I won't go on blind dates, at least not until my exam results are out; absolutely no chance!"

"What's with that attitude!"

Zhang Jianguo seemed about to hit me when my mom quickly went up to hold his hand,

"Oh, what Sisi said makes sense. What if you pass? Shouldn't we carefully choose a son-in-law then?"

Zhang Jianguo's eyes shifted, then he nodded slightly,

"But even if that's the case, you cannot have this attitude towards grandma. She has your best interests at heart; apologize to her right now!"

Looking at Zhang Jianguo's angry face, I couldn't help but think of past events.

Grandma isn't targeting just me; she's a constant trouble to everyone in the family.

Zhang Huan is allergic to mangoes; mangoes never come into the house. Once, I didn't stop her, she secretly gave mangoes to Zhang Huan.

That time almost killed Zhang Huan, and when discovered, she feigned innocence, saying she felt bad for Zhang Huan and wanted her to taste it, not knowing it was so serious.

She even made it seem like my mom neglected her duties, causing Zhang Huan's near-fatal allergic reaction, making Zhang Jianguo more distant from my mom and me.

I raised my head to see my mother's worried and troubled expression.

In the end, I suppressed my anger and slowly bowed my head.

"Grandma, I'm sorry." I looked at grandma, loudly calling out.

Grandma immediately smiled wide, "Sisi, it's okay. Grandma doesn't blame you; grandma was meddling too much. If you pass this exam, grandma will cook a feast for your celebration!"

"Thank you, grandma! I'll go rest now!"

After speaking, I turned around and went back to my room, trying my best to calm down.

There's no need to confront them now; as long as I don't stop her, grandma will inevitably harm them equally!