Chapter 19: Chapter 19: The Lost Acceptance Letter

[Holy crap, don’t disconnect! I was just getting into the drama! What happens next? Will she find Granny’s son? I’m so excited!]

[You can’t leave the drama half-finished! It’s killing me! Don’t keep me in suspense!]

[I’m so excited for the follow-up. Is there more to this? Will Granny Xunzi connect with the streamer again once she gets to Southern City?]

[By the way, is Granny Xunzi’s son really dead? I really, really hope he’s okay!]

[+1, Granny Xunzi has toiled her whole life. Her son just has to be okay!]

Seeing everyone eagerly awaiting the follow-up, Shen Zhiyao added, “Granny Xunzi won’t be able to resolve this matter on her own. She will come back to me in a day. For those who want to know what happens next, you can tune in again tomorrow night at ten. Alright, on to the final divination for tonight.”

Soon, the last netizen to connect appeared before the audience.

The netizen’s ID was “Da Jiang, Da hai.” He was a man in his forties, dressed simply, with somewhat messy hair.

He probably hadn’t expected to be the lucky one, and for a moment, he didn’t react.

Only when he saw himself on screen did he straighten his hair and greet the streamer with a smile.

Shen Zhiyao asked as usual, “Da Jiang, Da hai, what would you like me to divine?”

Da Jiang, Da hai said, “I want to fulfill a wish for my mother. My mom is 69 this year. She was originally born into a city family, but after her parents divorced, she followed her father to the countryside and ended up putting down roots in the village. The biggest regret of her life is not being able to go to college.”

Da Jiang, Da hai sighed heavily. “When my mom was young, she loved to study and was very hardworking. After finishing her farm work during the day, she would study secretly at night by the light of a kerosene lamp…”

As Da Jiang, Da hai spoke, an image formed in everyone’s minds: a bright, innocent young girl studying hard in a humble room, under the dim light of a kerosene lamp.

That era affected so, so many people.

So many left their hometowns, never to return.

Da Jiang, Da hai’s mother was the only girl in her family. After being sent to the countryside, she longed day and night to return to the city to see her own mother.

Fortunately, the college entrance exams were reinstated not long after, giving every student a chance.

To seize this opportunity, Da Jiang, Da hai’s mother worked in the fields during the day and studied at night, sleeping only six hours a day.

In the end, her hard work paid off, and she was accepted into Qing University with a score of 698.

But just as she was about to register for the new semester, her acceptance letter disappeared…

These days, losing a university acceptance letter is a hassle, but there are ways to fix it. You can call the admissions office to get a replacement. But decades ago, communication was difficult, and even cell phones weren’t common.

Losing an acceptance letter, especially right before the start of school, meant that the opportunity to attend university had slipped through her fingers.

Because of this, Da Jiang, Da hai’s mother missed her chance to enroll, missed her chance to return to the city. It was a mistake that cost her a lifetime…

Da Jiang, Da hai said with immense regret, “After that, my mother married my father and stayed in the village, living her whole life as a farmer’s wife. I often wonder, if my mother had gone to college and returned to the city, what would her future have been like?”

“She might have been a businesswoman, or a respected lawyer. After retiring, she could have been like the other old ladies in the city, drawing a high pension, traveling the country, or going out for a bit of square dancing now and then.”

“In any case, it wouldn’t be like this—poor her whole life, not daring to go to a city hospital for serious illnesses, only able to wait to die in the village clinic.”

“For decades, my mother never spoke a word about what happened. It was only a year ago, when her health started to fail, that she told me all this.”

“That’s when I learned that my seemingly ordinary mother had been accepted into one of the country’s top universities decades ago.”

“Although she always says it was fate now, I can see her regret. Anyone whose destiny was changed like that would feel regret.”

“Streamer, can something that’s been lost for decades be found?”

Shen Zhiyao replied, “It can. I need to see the person’s face, either in person or in a photograph.”

Da Jiang, Da hai pulled a photograph out of a drawer.

The young woman in the photo had two braided pigtails and delicate features. She was exceptionally beautiful. Next to her was a man with ordinary looks but a simple, honest smile.

“This is my parents’ wedding photo. Isn’t my mom beautiful? She was the village belle back in the day!”

Through the woman’s facial features in the photo, Shen Zhiyao glimpsed the difficult twists and turns of her life.

“Da Jiang, Da hai, seeing your devotion to your mother, I will waive the fee for this divination. As for whether you tell your mother the final truth, that’s for you to decide.”

Da Jiang, Da hai’s family wasn’t well-off, so he was delighted that the divination fee could be waived. “Thank you, streamer! Thank you so much. Once I know the truth, I will definitely tell my mom.”

Shen Zhiyao said, “Go dig under the parasol tree in the yard of your old family home. You’ll find the answer you’re looking for there.”

Da Jiang, Da hai froze for a moment after hearing this. Heedless of the late hour, he grabbed a shovel and headed into the yard.

Da Jiang, Da hai found the parasol tree in the yard and soon dug up a tattered red plastic bag.

Inside the bag was a yellowed and weathered Qing University acceptance letter.

Although it was ancient, the name of the accepted student written on it was indeed his mother’s.

It even had the red official seal, the country’s recognition of her acceptance into its highest institution of learning.

Unfortunately, it had been invalid for decades.

Staring at the acceptance letter, Da Jiang, Da hai was stunned. “Why would it be buried under the parasol tree in the yard? Why hide the acceptance letter? Why would someone ruin my mom’s entire life!”

Shen Zhiyao looked at him seriously. “You already know the answer, don’t you? The only person who would bury the acceptance letter under the tree is your father. That was the only way he could keep your mother in this village, the only way he could marry her.”

[Holy crap! I’m completely floored. How can someone so vicious exist in this world! To ruin a girl’s future for his own selfish desires!]

[He knew he wasn’t good enough for her, so he dragged her down into the mud to be mediocre with him. That’s just too despicable!]

[Da Jiang, Da hai’s mom is so pitiful. That’s Qing University we’re talking about! It’s a top-tier school even now, let alone forty or fifty years ago! If she had gone to Qing University, she would have been making a fortune!]

[How can a person be that malicious? My heart aches for her. To be dragged down into the mud just like that.]

Da Jiang, Da hai stared at the acceptance letter, speechless for a long time.

He truly didn’t know what to say.

His mother’s life, which should have been brilliant… was ruined by his own family. By the father he had respected, who was now deceased. As her son, what could he possibly say?

Shen Zhiyao said, “I’ve given you your answer. As for whether you tell your mother, that’s for you to decide.”

Da Jiang, Da hai snapped out of his daze and expressed his sincere gratitude. “Thank you, streamer, for being willing to waive the divination fee, but I can’t take advantage of your kindness. I should still pay what’s owed.”

With that, he opened the gift menu and, without hesitation, sent a “Douyin Number One” before disconnecting the call.

[This is such a dilemma. If it were me, I wouldn’t know whether to tell my mom either.]

[If he doesn’t tell her, she’ll die with regrets. But if he does… what if the old lady is too fragile to handle the shock? What if she can’t take it…]

[Streamer, do you think Da Jiang, Da hai will tell her?]

[Sigh, whether he tells her or not, it won’t change anything now. A whole lifetime… it’s just so infuriating!]

[Have you guys noticed how calm the streamer is? No matter what she divines, she’s always so composed. It’s just us, the audience, getting all worked up—angry one moment, sad the next.]

It was true. These events might, at most, draw a sigh from Shen Zhiyao, but they couldn’t cause any major fluctuations in her emotions.

’It wasn’t that she was cold-blooded or heartless. It was simply that she had lived for too long and seen too much of human suffering. Her state of mind had long since matured to the point where such things could no longer disturb her.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep