Is it really so difficult to praise your son-in-law for his excellence? (Please keep reading)

“The results are decent. Transferring into Yanjing University Affiliated High School shouldn’t be a problem.”

Having finished grading all four papers, Mrs. Feng struggled to contain her immense astonishment. She stacked the test papers, handed them to Feng Jiayou beside her, and spoke with a calm air.

“Yes, yes, you’re right, Mom!” Feng Jiayou, equally suppressing her excitement, took the four test papers—each with a lowest score of ninety-two—and nodded vigorously in agreement.

Mathematics: 118. Physics: 97. Chemistry: 98. Politics: 92.

And then, the English score from earlier: 94.

This, in her mother-in-law’s words, was “decent.” Feng Jiayou nearly burst out laughing on the spot.

Losing only sixteen points across five subjects—if the last Chinese paper were just a passing grade, the total would still be over 470 points, making him a shoo-in for the top scorer in the national college entrance exam.

For context, this year’s national top scorer had only 473 points. In Yanjing, the highest was just 447.

With her son-in-law’s scores, he could stroll into Yanjing University with his eyes closed. Yet in her mother-in-law’s words, it was only “decent.”

Mom, could you be any more proud and reserved? Is it really so difficult to admit your son-in-law is truly impressive?

“Mom! I’ve finished my math paper! Please grade it for me—see if I can get 110!”

Feng Jiamei, just brought home, bounced in energetically, waving her math paper.

It was the same test as Cheng Xuemin’s. Now a senior in high school, Feng Jiamei would also take the college entrance exam next summer and hoped to transfer to Yanjing University Affiliated High School. However, as a current student, she wouldn’t need to repeat a year or take a transfer exam; she’d be admitted directly.

Still, since mock exam papers were at hand, she too would join in.

Mrs. Feng’s original intention was for her youngest daughter to do well and outshine her “country bumpkin” brother-in-law, to deflate her elder daughter’s usual arrogance.

Who could have predicted that instead, her son-in-law would outshine everyone by a mile?

How much time had even passed? Both had begun with English, then math. Her son-in-law had already finished all five subjects, yet her daughter had just handed in her second paper.

When the English scores were released, her son-in-law had scored 94, while Feng Jiamei—his sister-in-law—managed only 74.

A whole twenty points’ difference!

“Hey, big sis, did Old Cheng finish the math paper too? How’d he do, did he even pass?”

There was no way Feng Jiamei would call him “country bumpkin brother-in-law.” Who knows where she picked it up, but she always called him “Old Cheng,” with not a hint of respect.

“None of your business!” Feng Jiayou shot her heartless sister a glare in response.

She’d even given up her room for her, yet this girl still kept calling him “Old Cheng.” After two or three days home, she hadn’t called him “brother-in-law” once.

Because of this, the sisters were often at odds, each finding the other disagreeable.

Now she wanted to see her brother-in-law’s scores? Not a chance! She’d keep her guessing, never letting her compare, leaving her stewing in curiosity.

“He must’ve failed. Sis, you’re just too embarrassed to show the score, right?” Feng Jiamei pouted, as proud as a peacock, just like their mother.

“It’s not embarrassment—I just don’t want to crush you,” Feng Jiayou retorted, never one to lose a war of words, especially not with her little sister.

“Heh! Sis, aren’t you afraid you’ll bite your own tongue saying that? That country bumpkin Old Cheng… What’s the score? Hand it over!”

Seizing an opportune moment, Feng Jiamei playfully snatched the papers away.

Mrs. Feng glanced up at her, shook her head, and marked a big cross on the last major problem.

“What?! These are all Old Cheng’s?”

“Math: 118?”

“Physics: 97?”

“Chemistry: 98?”

“Politics: 92?”

Feng Jiamei had expected just a math paper, but as she flipped through the stack, she was utterly dumbfounded by the scores.

“Told you you’d be crushed, but you just had to grab them!”

“Look! Same exam time, same test papers!”

“Your brother-in-law’s finished all five subjects, and you’ve only done the math!”

This was exactly the effect she’d aimed for—the papers were deliberately left for her to take. Watching her dazed little sister, Feng Jiayou couldn’t hide her smugness. “Well, your math score’s out too—didn’t even reach a hundred? Weren’t you always boasting about being in the top three of the whole grade?”

Right on cue, their mother wrote down “98” on Feng Jiamei’s math paper, giving Feng Jiayou the perfect chance to jab at her sister.

“How could it only be 98? That’s impossible! Mom, did you grade it wrong?”

Still in shock, Feng Jiamei wanted to retort that she’d at least finished both math and English, but faced with Old Cheng’s scores, she was left speechless.

Her mother, having just marked the 98, hadn't even started to scold her when Feng Jiamei exploded, questioning whether her mother had graded it incorrectly.

“The answer’s right here—see for yourself! The auxiliary line in the last problem was wrong from the start. How could you expect to get marks?”

The last major problem was where she lost the most points—deducted a full fourteen.

“But you didn’t have to take off all fourteen points! At least give me some marks for the steps, let me hit a hundred!”

Seeing the answer, Feng Jiamei muttered in protest.

“Fine, fine! The answer’s right there—grade your own paper if you want, give yourself whatever score you like! Take it!”

Mrs. Feng’s patience was worn thin by her daughter. She’d originally wanted her to compete with her brother-in-law to humble her elder daughter. Wasn’t Feng Jiamei always boasting about being a star student, always in the top three?

So the top three at her school are only at this level? English: 74, Math: 98. After three hours, she’d only finished two papers, while her brother-in-law completed five in the same time.

The worst part! Of all times to hand in her paper, why did she have to do it just when her sister was at her most triumphant?

“And you, Feng Jiayou! If you can revise that article, do it; if not, just leave it. How many days has it been?”

Shifting her frustration, Mrs. Feng vented on her elder daughter—a tactic she had mastered. Watching her daughter stifle her laughter, she was nearly at her wit’s end.

“Soon, soon, I’ll go revise it right now!”

Feng Jiayou, still suppressing her laughter, hurried out of her mother’s room, but once outside, she finally let the laughter burst free.

“Mom, is Old Cheng really that good? He finished four subjects in such a short time?”

Feng Jiamei, still incredulous, sought confirmation from her mother.

“Five subjects! He handed in his English paper an hour before you finished yours—scored ninety-four.”

Mrs. Feng truly didn’t want to discourage her, but she insisted on knowing.

“What? How’s that possible?”

Feng Jiamei was left completely stunned, her mind in a whirlwind.

…