CHAPTER 257: CHAPTER 257 ORIGINAL SIN 66

It must be said, the words of the villagers who had lived here for generations were very soothing. The tourists, who feared being trapped in the scenic area if the rain continued, calmed down again.

But this sense of calm didn’t last long before it was shattered. As the rain continued unabated and the river rose, nearly flooding Red Dust, the tourists panicked again. They could no longer heed the villagers’ experiences and began leaving the scenic area in droves. Soon, Yun Shuangshuang’s Red Dust was deserted.

Although the villagers repeatedly assured her that there was no problem, Yun Shuangshuang felt anxious as she watched the gloomy, incessant rain. She had a foreboding that something was about to happen, but no matter how she searched her past life’s memories, she couldn’t think of what it might be.

In truth, Yun Shuangshuang couldn’t be blamed. In her previous life, at eighteen, she was trying to sell snacks at a street stall without success and was busy learning cooking skills in a five-star hotel.

At that time, her daily focus was on how to cook, how to carve garnishes, what heat to use for stir-frying, what seasoning to add for different tastes, and when a dish was ready to be served.

Beyond that, she ignored national affairs, local gossip, celebrity scandals—not because she wasn’t interested, but because under the pressure to survive, Yun Shuangshuang simply couldn’t spare any attention from earning money and finding a livelihood.

Therefore, regarding events from this time period, Yun Shuangshuang was completely in the dark, knowing absolutely nothing!

However, this chaotic feeling made Yun Shuangshuang feel she should know something, which is why she had this premonition. But no matter how she recalled her memories during this period, she found nothing useful.

Due to having something on her mind, Yun Shuangshuang didn’t even pay attention to the follow-up of her college entrance exam results. Her daily activities involved recalling and desperately trying to remember her memories from this period. Although it was all in vain, the urgency in her heart couldn’t let her stop or dismiss the past.

The villagers outside were still laughing and joking without a care, not at all worried about the rain, while they shared stories of past heavy rains.

"To speak of it, this rain, albeit heavy, is a far cry from when I was young. One time it rained torrentially for seven days straight, the waters nearly submerged half the houses! Several villages’ people climbed onto rooftops waiting for government rescue, but not a single person died. My father told me that a village about a dozen miles from here had houses washed away, and several people died!"

A villager sipped tea, imitating a cultured person he hosted a few days ago, sitting properly in the houseboat, sharing childhood stories with other chatty villagers.

"I remember that, but that was because our village’s houses were built well. At that time, there were lots of stones around here. Everyone built with big stones to save money, and they ended up being especially sturdy, unyielding to floods!"

Another villager, uncaring about his posture, continued cracking sunflower seeds, speaking with pride for his village in his tone.

"Speaking of which, I am older than you all and have experienced floods twice. Back in my childhood, nationwide poverty was rampant; ten-thousand-yuan households were unheard of, even thousand-yuan ones were scarce. When the floods came, everyone huddled on rooftops, and we waited three days for government rescue! But there was no help due to unpaved roads and lack of good boats in the village; two soldiers were washed away by floods on their rescue mission, I heard. But the second major flood wasn’t like that; roads were paved, electric boats were abundant, and rescue was much easier, with no casualties reported."

An elderly man reminisced with a nostalgic look, expressing his emotions.

"That’s why with our sturdy houses and strong rescue teams these days, it’s hardly a catastrophe without massive deaths! These city folk are too timid, rushing home after just two days of rain!"

A nearby villager said unconcernedly, expressing scorn for the city folks’ timidity.

As the villagers chatted leisurely, and Yun Shuangshuang was restless and distracted, Principal Hao Jianxing and Teacher Chu called one after another with the same purpose: to tell Yun Shuangshuang she had become the nation’s top scorer in the college entrance exam! Moreover, she had topped both the arts and sciences—a double valedictorian!

On the phone, Hao Jianxing and Teacher Chu were exceptionally thrilled. They expected Yun Shuangshuang to do well, but not this well!

Before the exam, Hao Jianxing was content if Yun Shuangshuang could claim the provincial top score, but Teacher Chu, who tutored her privately, boldly imagined that Yun Shuangshuang might claim the national top score! Unexpectedly, the result exceeded her expectations—Yun Shuangshuang obtained the national double valedictorian in both arts and sciences!

With Yun Shuangshuang’s results, City No.1 Middle School immediately became hot news! In just two days, many parents of excellent students began inquiring about the admission standards of City No.1 Middle School. A school capable of nurturing a national double valedictorian is definitely the place to send their kids!

Hao Jianxing and Teacher Chu informed Yun Shuangshuang to visit the school. With her stellar performance, she brought immense pride to City No.1 Middle School, naturally requiring her to attend a celebration organized in her honor, where she’d share her learning insights on stage.

Reporters from City TV and Provincial TV would attend to watch Yun Shuangshuang’s learning insights speech and interview her. Not only did City No.1 Middle School feel honored by producing a national double valedictorian; all of F City felt the glory!

Although Yun Shuangshuang felt chaotic and didn’t really want to go, this was the event she had orchestrated for years. Now that the glory was finally upon her, she had to make an appearance, creating the best possible impression. Therefore, Yun Shuangshuang could only suppress her anxiety, compose herself, and head to school in the best state to face her imminent glory.

On the day she went to City No.1 Middle School, it was still Feng Jinyan who drove Yun Shuangshuang there. He was extremely proud of his daughter’s achievement, but Yun Shuangshuang remained quite composed, understanding that there wasn’t much to brag about in letting adults bully kids.

Little did anyone know, Yun Shuangshuang’s nonchalant demeanor impressed Hao Jianxing and Teacher Chu, who were at the entrance to greet her. Especially Teacher Chu, who had guided Yun Shuangshuang for several months, was delighted with her composed nature, feeling honored herself.

Everywhere inside City No.1 Middle School were large red banners, announcing congratulations for Yun Shuangshuang, a student of the school, achieving the national double valedictorian in arts and sciences!