It was not until the second half of the year that the situation finally got better.

Except that Zhao Hanyu became a formal employee and his monthly salary increased to two thousand US dollars, the financial pressure on the two of them improved slightly.

The main reason is that Mi Xiaoran became the best student in the language school.

Her English proficiency has made amazing progress through hard study.

This is not surprising. The teaching method in the United States is open education, which is very different from the domestic exam-oriented education method.

In the language school, there are less than twenty students in a class. We all come from different Chinese-speaking areas in Southeast Asia, and there is a big age gap.

Every day in class is not like in China, where you sit down and look at the blackboard and listen to the teacher lecture on the podium.

Instead, everyone sits in a circle on chairs, and the teacher uses picture cards to teach English words.

The school textbooks are also illustrated with pictures, and each lesson is like a story.

The teacher is also very enthusiastic when answering students' questions, anytime and anywhere without any impatience.

The advantage of this education model is that it has no sense of oppression and is especially beneficial to those who are sincerely thirsty for knowledge.

But for most people who lack self-discipline, it will have the consequences of letting things go their own way.

Therefore, it is precisely the difference between the two types of education that gives Mi Xiaoran an advantage in learning.

People like Mi Xiaoran who have already developed self-discipline in China and have no way out.

Just like the difference between urban and rural children in China, in fact, the thing they are least afraid of is studying.

This kind of flexible learning mode that can be used at will is actually a kind of enjoyment for her.

What's more, she doesn't need to support her family and has plenty of time to study.

Although housework is not easy, there is no one to supervise it.

She can memorize words while doing half of the work, or even get familiar with the language by watching TV, listening to the radio, etc.

The only difficulty she had to overcome was her timidity and shyness when speaking English in public and expressing herself.

This is almost a common problem among mainland students studying abroad.

So after she got used to the American classroom model, she became a little bird that let herself fly. She felt that this kind of learning was so comfortable, SO EASY.

Her English proficiency improved rapidly at a speed unimaginable to others.

It even successfully broke the record of students graduating in the shortest time since the school was founded.

The teachers and classmates at the school were really surprised by her "language talent".

Needless to say, once the language barrier is overcome, all aspects of life will become much easier.

The first is that life has become more convenient.

Mi Xiaoran can basically handle the basic necessities of life in the city on her own.

And you can also enjoy some spiritual entertainment.

At least I can understand the lyrics of some English songs, understand Disney cartoons such as "Snow White" and "Bambi", and children's programs such as "Sesame Street".

She became good friends with a Singaporean girl she met at the language school who also came to study abroad.

There are also a few small shop owners she frequents who can also chat with her.

This way, when she has nothing to do, she can have someone to chat with her about study and life matters.

This greatly alleviated her loneliness in a foreign land when Zhao Hanyu was away.

Secondly, now that she has a certain foundation in English, she dares to drive out alone.

In the past, she was afraid of running into trouble that she could not solve, and she was especially afraid of being inspected on a whim by the American police.

So even if I got my driver's license and my parents-in-law bought a second-hand car, I wouldn't dare to drive it.

Now she has the confidence to communicate normally with others, which greatly increases her range of activities.

From then on, she truly realized her car dream, which she had never dared to dream of in China, and enjoyed the joy of driving.

Finally, and more importantly, Mi Xiaoran is one step closer to her dream.

After she left the language school, she signed up for a cram school and prepared to take the "Academic Assessment Test."

This test is referred to as "SAT". You can take it seven times a year. You can choose your best score and submit it.

But it is an important reference for most universities in the United States to admit students.

Similarly, in this link, domestic teaching advantages are revealed again.

Because Mi Xiaoran has a solid foundation in mathematics, the mathematics curriculum of domestic middle and high schools is also advanced than that of American high schools.

Based on the test at the time of admission, the school gave Mi Xiaoran the opinion that she only needed to strengthen her abilities in "critical reading" and "English writing" and that she did not need to take any extra math classes.

So even though life in the United States is tiring, stressful, and uncomfortable in various ways, I often feel homesick, lonely, and tired.

But Mi Xiaoran, who grew up under the red flag, gradually survived by relying on the tenacity he had developed since childhood and not being afraid of hardships and obstacles.

She watched as her plan was realized step by step, getting closer and closer to her dream.

I began to feel a sweet feeling in my heart that my efforts would finally be rewarded.

Just like the joy of farmers who have been working hard for a long time and see the hope of a good harvest.

But fate likes to play tricks on people. When Christmas and New Year's Day came in 1983, Zhao Hanyu's mother once again urged them to have a child.

He also took the initiative to provide Mi Xiaoran with a job, hoping that she could come to help in the family restaurant.

This caused another change in Mi Xiaoran's academic journey.

From the bottom of her heart, she was very unwilling to obey her mother-in-law's arrangement.

Not only did she feel flustered and at a loss as to what to do, she also felt a kind of anger and frustration similar to that of having something of her own taken away.

But the key problem is that if she wants to go to college, she can't afford the tuition fees, and she will definitely need Zhao Hanyu's family to support her.

Even her basic life depends on the Zhao family, so how can she refuse her mother-in-law's request? What confidence does she have to refuse?

If she makes the Zhao family angry because of this matter, it will definitely be difficult for Zhao Hanyu to be in the middle.

If things go wrong in the end, even the relationship between husband and wife will be affected, how can she realize her ideal?

After much deliberation, she felt that the only way to realize her ideal was to save the country.

At present, we can only swallow our anger and submit to the arrangements for the time being, which is obviously wiser.

At least she agreed to work in the restaurant so that she could get some remuneration. With a financial foundation, she could truly control her own destiny.

Fortunately, there is no age limit for admission to American universities.

When she can afford the tuition herself, she will definitely be able to return to school.

But she really can't have a child, even if Zhao Hanyu hopes to be a father as soon as possible.

For no other reason than children are invisible shackles. Raising children takes up too much energy and time.

If this matter goes according to her husband's wishes, she is absolutely sure that it will be 100% impossible for her to realize her dream of going to college.

So this is her bottom line.

On New Year's Eve, at five o'clock in the morning, Mi Xiaoran woke up early.

She was half asleep and half awake that night, and she didn't sleep well at all.

I am thinking about the time I will have to call my parents today to wish them a happy New Year.

I am also worried about the reunion dinner I will have at the Zhao family villa in Changdao tonight, which will probably be the time for the final showdown.

She felt unsure whether she could successfully reach an agreement with the Zhao family.

After all, having children is much more important than helping the family work.

However, she didn't expect that Zhao Hanyu, who had long looked into his eyes, would quietly prepare a surprise for her.

At 7:30 in the morning, as usual, Mi Xiaoran put breakfast on the table and called Zhao Hanyu who was snoozing on the bed.

"My dear, it's time to wake up. I've already prepared breakfast. Don't stay in bed. Otherwise, you'll be nervous again during work hours."

Normally, Zhao Hanyu would have been complaining in frustration while resolutely fighting against sleepiness.

But within five minutes, I would probably be able to crawl out of bed and walk into the bathroom to take a shower.

But something unexpected happened today. Zhao Hanyu didn't react at all and continued to sleep.

And he was very resistant. He actually covered his head with a pillow, as if he didn't want to listen to Mi Xiaoran's nagging.

Mi Xiaoran is both angry and funny.

Since they moved out of Zhao's house together, she has rarely seen Zhao Hanyu behave in such a childish manner. Zhao Hanyu has always been a responsible husband.

So I had to go to the bedside and push him.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Hanyu actually made a voice from under the pillow, "Leave me alone, please, I don't want to go to the company today."

"Ah? Why?" Mi Xiaoran couldn't help being surprised, and then thought of a possibility.

He quickly reached under the pillow and looked for her husband's forehead.
To be continued...