<b>Power and Wealth</b>


    <b>Chapter 4 – I must pass the test</b>


    Next day.


    Morning.


    The scorching summer sun was covered by dark clouds. It wasa gloomy day, and it felt cooler than the previous few days.


    Dong Xuebing woke up and remembered that his underwear andsocks were still at Aunt Xuan’s house. He felt ufortable and hurriedly wentto unit 302 to press on the doorbell. Aunt Xuan was the woman he secretlyadmired, and he wanted to show her the best side of him. He did not want her tosee his underwear and smelly socks. If he had known about this, he would fight with his life to stop Aunt Xuan fromtaking away all the dirtyundry. He was hoping that Aunt Xuan still had notwashed those clothes.


    Clicked. The door opened. “Oh, it’s Xiao Bing. I am justabout to go to work. Come in.”


    Qu Yunxuan was staying alone, and her house has a pleasant smell. It was the smell of a singlewoman’s room. The living room was neat and clean. There was not even a spark ofdirt on the windows. Dong Xuebing entered the house and embarrassedly rubbedhis nose. He was blushing: “Ermmm, my clothes......”


    Qu Yunxuan was bending over to wear her socks and heels. Shelooked up andughed. She pointed towards the washroom with her chin: “Yourclothes are hanging in the washroom. I had washed them yesterday, and it might still be wet. What’s wrong? Areyou in a hurry to wear those clothes? You need me to help you dry the clotheswith a hairdryer?” She was squatting down on one leg, and the other was rise higher, showing a gap between her legs inthe office skirt.


    Dong Xuebing faced turned redder: “Ah... No need. I will bringmy clothes back to dry them. Thank you.”


    Qu Yunxuan rolled her eyes: “Do you need to be so formalwith me? If we want to talk about thanking, I should be the one who should bethanking you.”


    Qu Yunxuan was standing outside the restroom while Dong Xuebing rushed in to collect his clothes. Hist-shirt and pants were hanging on a rack, andhis underwear and socks were hanging from a hanger behind. Dong Xuebingimmediately grab all his clothes. He could imagine Qu Yunxuan’s soft handsscrubbing his underwear. He felt embarrassed.


    Dong Xuebing had lost focus, andhe only wanted to quickly return home with his clothes. Suddenly, he realizedhe was holding on to a skin-coloredcypanty. Damn! I took the wrong one. This was not my underwear. Dong Xuebingpped his forehead. He had taken Qu Yunxuan’s underwear by mistake. His handwas shaking as he held thecy underwearin his hand. He was excited and nervous. He could feel the soft and wetmaterial of the underwear. He looked at the underwear closely.


    This was Qu Yunxuan’s underwear......


    It was so beautiful......


    When Dong Xuebing was still in a daze, staring at thecyunderwear, a head appeared at the door of the washroom. “Hurry up and take yourclothes. I need to leave for my work......” Before the sentence was finished, QuYunxuan saw Dong Xuebing holding her underwear, andshe blushed.


    Dong Xuebing almost fainted. His first reaction was to throwthe underwear into the washing machine. “Aunt Xuan, it is not what you arethinking.


    Qu Yunxuan was giving him a look and did not say anything.


    That’s it. Dong Xuebing knew his good impressions he hadleft with Aunt Xuan was gone. He tried to exin: “It is really not what youare thinking. I had grabbed the wrong......” He could not give a good exnation.He suddenly remembered that he still had not usedhis time control today. He immediately shouted: “BACK!”


    ......


    Sceneries were flying.


    The next moment, Dong Xuebing saw his outstretched hand inmid-air. He was about to grab that skin colored underwear from the metalhanger.


    This was preciselywhat happened one minute ago.


    He had sessfully turn back the time again.


    He immediately stopped his hand/ He was relieved and grabbedhis clothes before walking out of the washroom. “Aunt Xuan, I am going backnow.”


    Qu Yunxuanughed: “If you have dirtyundry in thefuture, pass it to me. I will help you wash.”


    Phwee.... So close.


    When Dong Xuebing returned home, he tried to use Back a fewmore times but was unsessful.


    It seems that he could only use this power once a day.


    Alright! I am going to be rich!


    Breakfast was the leftover porridge fromst night’sdinner, an egg and a small te of preserved vegetables. Recently, the priceof eggs had increased. Dong Xuebing and his mother do not bear to eat eggs for some days. Dong Xuebing was swallowinghis saliva as he carefully peels the shells off the egg.


    “Mrs. Xu might bedropping byter.” Dong Xuebing’s mother said. “How is your revision for theCivil Servant test?”


    “So-so.” Dong Xuebing’s good mood was all gone. He sighed:“I don’t think I will do well. You also know that I have never been good withmy studies.” After graduating from the University, Dong Xuebing had not beenworking. One reason was that he needs to prepare for the Civil Servant test.Another reason was he had graduated from an average school. His results werealso average. The chances of him passing and bing a civil servant were very slim. It can be considered almostimpossible.


    “It’s fine. If you did not pass this time, there is alwaysthe next time. If you really can’t enter the government agencies, then just geta job in the meantime.” Dong Xuebing’s mother held his hand. “You will surelypass it one day.”


    Facing the expectations ofhis mother, Dong Xuebing could feel the stress. “I...... I will try my best.”


    Sighed.... Civil Servant.


    Nowadays, there was fiercepetition in the governmentservice. Can he really enter thegovernment service? No matter how Dong Xuebing thinks, he felt it wasimpossible. He knew his chances were veryslim. His university ssmates, who had better scores and smarter than him,could not even pass the test. Other than the written test, there was still aninterview. Also if one had passed both the testand interview, the department that wasbeing applied would take only one person. The chances for one to be selectedwas extremely slim.


    Knock, knock, knock. Someone was knocking on the door.


    Dong Xuebing’s mother immediately grabbed him over to thedoor. Two people were standing at thedoor. One was a woman in her 40s, and theother was a bespectacled young man in his 20s. They were Dong Xuebing’sneighbors, Mrs. Xu and her son, XiaoDong. Behind them,a middle-aged man was walking down from thefourth floor. He had a big belly and looked at some leaders.


    Dong Xuebing’s mother saw him and immediately greeted thatman: “Section Chief Xu, are you going to work?”


    Dong Xuebing also greeted them: “Mr. and Mrs. Xu.”


    Section Chief Xu had an air of arrogance. He nodded andcontinued walking down the stairs without saying a single word.


    Mrs. Xu shouted toSection Chief Xu from his back: “Your son’s test is nearing. Remember toehome early tonight. We will be eating out.”


    Section Chief Xu and Mrs.Xu were husband and wife. He had been recently promoted and was now a sectionchief at the customs. It was not sure if he was a deputy section chief or thesection chief. But he had been doing well in his job. However, Dong Xuebingdoes not like this family. Especiallythat Section Chief Xu. He seems to be used to ordering people around and veryarrogant. He had never looked at people in the eyes. His eyes seem to be on topof his head.


    When Dong Xuebing’s mother let Mrs. Xu and her son enter thehouse, Dong Xuebing heard one of his neighborgreeting Section Chief Xu downstairs.


    “Oh, Section Chief Xu, why are you so early today?”


    “Chief Xu, thank you for your help. Can I have the honor totreat you today?”


    Someone was bootlicking him.


    Dong Xuebing was thinking in his heart. Being a government official was good. If only Icould be a civil servant.


    After closing the door, Dong Xuebing returned to the livingroom. His mother had taken out their besttea leaves in the house. She poured two cupsof tea for Mrs. Xu and Xiao Dong. Butthese “best tea leaves” were only the best for him and his mother. Mrs. Xu and her son do not think so. Mrs. Xu tooka sip and frowned. She ced the tea back on the table and never touch itagain. “Xiao Ping, I heard that your son will also be taking the test on the 15^th?Is he confident of passing?”


    Dong Xuebing’s mother pulled him over and sighed: “I do nothave high hopes. How about Xiao Dong?”


    Xiao Dong pushed his spectacles. He was holding on to therevision materials and did not say a word. He was also very arrogant like hisfather.


    Mrs. Xuughedproudly: “Xiao Dong will surely pass. Last year’s national exams he did not putin his best. The essay questions were too simple, and he could not show his true capabilities. He had been studyingseriously this year. It should not be a problem for him to be among the top.”After pausing a while, Mrs. Xu loweredher voice and proudly said: “I will just tell you and no one else. His father hadmade arrangements with the Customs. As long as Xiao Dong can pass theinterview, the customs will recruit him.”


    “That’s good. Your son will have a bright future.” DongXuebing’s mother enviously said. She moved closer to Mrs. Xu and asked: “If Xiao Dong is not busy, can he help Xiao Bingwith his revision?”


    Xiao Dong did not want toe over with his mother. When heheard Dong Xuebing’s mother request, he immediately said rudely: “Mum, I do nothave the time.”


    Dong Xuebing saw him speaking so rudely to his mother, hegot furious: “You think I have the time for you?”


    Dong Xuebing’s mother became nervous and gave Dong Xuebing alight push with her elbow: “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you be nice toothers?”


    The mood in the room was awkward. Mrs. Xuughed softly and said: “Actually, there is no need forXiao Bing to enter take the civil servanttest so urgently. I know many graduates started work outside for a few yearsbefore taking the test. With the experiences they umted when working, itwill help them with the test. How can someone without experiences pass thetest? Look at how many graduates arerecruited into the Civil Service? The percentage is lesser than 0.1%.”


    Dong Xuebing’s mother smiled and did not say a word.


    Dong Xuebing was thinking in his heart. Are you looking downon me? How do you know I cannot pass the test?


    He could tell that Mrs.Xu had brought her son over to show off.


    Half an hourter, Mrs.Xu left with her son. Before leaving thehouse, Xiao Dong looked at Dong Xuebingcoldly and then left. To him, he feltthat Dong Xuebing’s family was too poorand he was just a loser. Dong Xuebing might even have problems securing a job.These were the people who were destined to be at the lowest level of society for their whole life. This person wasnot worth his time.


    Noon.


    Dong Xuebing’s mother went back to her room for a nap, whileDong Xuebing was looking through a stack of past year essay questions in theliving room. He was doing his best to prepare for the test. But after studyingfor a while, he knew that there was no way he could pass the test. He might noteven reach the minimum score. He was wasting his time revising.


    Dong Xuebing suddenly heard someone speaking softly.


    The sound came from inside the house, but Dong Xuebing couldnot make out what that person was saying.


    Dong Xuebing followed the sounds, and it wasing from the bedroom. He slowly turned the doorknoband opened a slit.


    He saw his mother holding on to his father’s ck and whitephotograph. She was crying silently. “Why her son gets to enter the governmentservice and my son can’t? Dear, you must watch over our son and help him passthe test. If our son can enter the government service, I...... I don’t mind givingup a few years of my life.”


    “Mum......” Dong Xuebing opened the door and walked in.


    Dong Xuebing’s mother saw her son had caught her cryingagain and she quickly wiped her tears: “I am fine. Don’t worry.”


    Standing in front of his mother, Dong Xuebing gritted histeeth and said: “You do not need to worry. I will surely pass the test even ifit cost my life!” Seeing how sad his mother was, Dong Xuebing was determined topass the test. Why other people’s families were all government officials andtheir children can also be government officials, and he has to be amoner? He could not even afford to give his mother abetter life?


    I also have a head on my shoulders like others. In what wayam I inferior to them?


    Dong Xuebing must pass the test and be a civil servant.


    This time, Dong Xuebing was determined to prove himself andmake his mother proud!