Chapter 16 — Reliving Before the University Exam, I Tear Up the Conspiracy to Steal Direct Admissions

La Thanh hesitated. I spoke up:

"If you don't say anything, Hua Lan will blame everything on you. Even her daughter has started blaming her mother."

La Thanh raised his head, gritted his teeth and said:

"Hua Niem Niem used her mother's phone to transfer money. I still keep the chat history."

The hospital room was silent for a few seconds. Grandma suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Duong Duong, is that your classmate?"

I replied softly:

"It was before."

Grandma closed her eyes.

"So from now on it won't be anymore."

After the female police officer took La Thanh away, Mr. Co pushed the document confirmation receipt in front of me.

"To Duong, you decide for yourself. Just sign, we will bring the confirmation documents back to Hai Thanh today. After that, you can rest assured to take care of the university entrance exam and family matters."

I picked up the pen. Grandma looked at me and gently patted the blanket.

"Sign. Don't be afraid."

I write my name. The moment the tip of the pen touched the paper, I heard outside the hospital room door the sound of someone trying to suppress a cry. Hua Niem Niem stood outside the door, her handprint still clearly visible on her face. Hua Niem Niem did not enter. She stood outside the door, watching me finish signing through the slightly opened door. Teacher Co put the file back and put it in his document bag. At that moment, Hua Niem Niem suddenly rushed in.

"Teacher Co, can I still enroll in Hai Thanh University? My results are really good, it's just that the pressure is too great."

Teacher Co looked at her.

"Being good at studying does not mean being able to step on others to get ahead."

She turned to my grandmother again, knelt down with a "thud" sound.

"Grandma, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just afraid that To Duong won't help me."

Grandma was startled, then her face immediately darkened.

"Don't kneel in front of her. She's old and can't accept this kind of prostration."

Hua Niem Niem cried while kneeling and moving forward.

"Grandma, please advise To Duong to help me. As long as he says no more prosecution, I can still take the exam."

"It's not up to me to decide whether you can continue taking the exam or not."

"It's up to you to decide!" She suddenly raised her head. "As long as you say it's all just a misunderstanding, as long as you say I have no malicious intent, they won't investigate anymore. To Duong, you've been directly recruited, why can't you forgive me just once?"

Khuong Tuyet couldn't bear it anymore.

"Are you acting like this again? Since he was directly recruited, does he deserve to be harmed by you? Just because you have to take the exam, does the whole world have to give way to you?"

Hua Niem Niem didn't look at Khuong Tuyet, just stared at me.

"Then can I kowtow to you?"

As she spoke, she was about to bow her head and hit the floor. I leaned aside and the female police officer standing at the door immediately stopped her.

"Hua Niem Niem, stop this action."

Hua Niem Niem was helped to stand up, her voice trembling.

"Everyone is on his side. He has direct admission, has teachers to help, and even police to help. What about me? I only have the university exam left."

Grandma suddenly spoke up.

"You don't just have college exams. You also have a distorted heart."

Hua Niem Niem felt like she was stabbed by a needle.

"On what basis do you say that to me?"

Grandma looked at her.

"She stayed in the hospital for so long and met a lot of sick people. Some people didn't have money but still didn't steal other people's medicine. Some people were so sick they couldn't sleep. Don't take other people's beds. I'm afraid of losing so I hurt people. No matter how well you get into a university in the future, you still owe a lesson on how to be a human being."

Hua Niem Niem's face turned red.

"It's easy for people to just stand and talk. To Duong was easily recruited directly, but he studied hard and couldn't catch up. Every day he lectures me, but he always holds back half of it, he's afraid I'll surpass him."

I looked at her.

"The notebook I gave you I stayed up all night to compile. Every time he did not do well on an exam, I sat with him to correct each question. He said he was afraid of the discussion part, so I even gave him my notebook to copy. Now you're telling me to keep half?"

Hua Niem Niem gritted her teeth.

"So why don't you give me the direct admission?"

In the hospital room, even the nurse paused. Khuong Tuyet was so angry that she burst out laughing.

"Finally, you're willing to tell the truth."

Hua Niem Niem also realized she had just said the wrong thing, her face immediately turned gray. I looked at her.

"Hua Niem Niem, based on what?"

Her tears fell again.

"Because I need it more than you. My family is poor, my mother is struggling, I have no way out. Even though your grandmother is sick, you still have college. I just need a chance."

Grandma was so angry that she coughed. I patted her back while raising my head to look at Hua Niem Niem.

"Opportunity is not something that steals from other people's rice bowls."

Teacher Co also spoke up.

"Direct admission is not transferable. Her mother asked us three times and all three times we clearly refused. Yet the mother and daughter continue to quarrel, that is no longer a lack of understanding."

Hua Niem Niem turned to look at Mr. Co.

"But Mr. Chu said, if To Duong's quality is not up to par, the direct admission position will be vacant."

At that moment, Mr. Chu just ran to the door of the hospital room. After hearing that sentence, his whole body immediately stiffened. Teacher Co turned to look at him.

"Did you say that?"