Chapter 51: Repairing the House

That evening, when Zhou Xuan returned home, he shared with his parents in detail about his current situation and future plans.

“Mom, Dad, don’t worry. I won’t slack off on my studies. I’ve already started learning high school material ahead of time. My plan is to take the college entrance exam two years early and enter university,” Zhou Xuan concluded, explaining his academic intentions.

Having taken the domain development serum, Zhou Xuan’s domain development level had reached an exceptionally high degree. This greatly enhanced both his learning efficiency and capacity, making high school subjects entirely effortless for him.

At this rate, Zhou Xuan could complete all high school coursework within a year, and he was confident he could achieve high scores on the entrance exam. Even prestigious universities like Yan University or Shuimu University were well within reach.

Therefore, he was reluctant to continue wasting time attending regular school classes. Taking the exam early and entering university sooner would free up much more of his time.

Hearing this, Zhou’s parents exchanged a glance. Finally, his mother expressed some hesitation, asking, “Zhou Xuan, are you sure you can take the college entrance exam early? You know it covers three years’ worth of material. Can you really finish it two years ahead?”

Zhou Xuan smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Mom. The school leaders aren’t fools; they wouldn’t just let any student apply to take the exam early. If I want to, I still have to go through mock exams and get approval after several evaluations. As for my ability to learn—do you really doubt that?”

Hearing this, Zhou’s mother thought of the astonishing improvement in his recent grades and finally felt at ease.

Still, she cautioned, “Since you say so, your father and I won’t object. But you must never rank lower than the top three in any exam. And even if you do take the exam early, you have to get into one of the top five universities in the country. Otherwise, I’ll make you repeat a year.”

“How could that happen? I can’t promise that yet, but I plan to attend Rongcheng University of Science and Technology. That way, managing the company will be more convenient since the headquarters will be there,” Zhou Xuan explained. His company’s future headquarters would be in Rongcheng; there was no chance he’d attend university elsewhere.

“Your grades are so good. I think Yan University or Shuimu University would be great choices. Why don’t you just take the entrance exam at the regular time? You can easily get into one of those,” his mother said, hoping he would attend one of those prestigious schools and bring honor to the family.

Zhou Xuan laughed gently. “Mom, it’s not that I can’t get into Yan University or Shuimu University. It’s just that my goal is Rongcheng University of Science and Technology. It’s ranked third nationally for computer science, software engineering, microelectronics, and similar majors. If you want a provincial top scorer, I can get that for you. I just don’t want to study in the capital because my career’s headquarters will be in Rongcheng.”

His mother smiled. “If you have that ability, then go for it. If you become provincial top scorer, I won’t mind which university you attend.”

If Zhou Xuan didn’t take the exam early, his mother had full confidence in him. But the idea of him taking it two years ahead made her skeptical.

It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in him personally; in her mind, it was simply impossible.

Seeing his mother’s disbelief, Zhou Xuan didn’t argue further. Instead, he said firmly, “Alright, Mom. Just wait and see. I’ll definitely surprise you and make you look at me in a new light.”

With Zhou Xuan’s resolute attitude, his mother gave in and smiled. “Okay, since you’ve made up your mind, we’ll support you. You’ve grown up now, and the money you earn will support us for life. We have nothing to worry about.”

Zhou Xuan smiled warmly. “Mom, Dad, I just hope you won’t work too hard in the future and enjoy a peaceful life. Oh, and since we have the money now, we should fix up the house back home.”

At this, his parents immediately took interest.

“The house back home was supposed to be repaired last year, but when you said you wanted to open a shop, we put it off. Now that we’ve seen how much you’ve earned in just over a month, your mother and I have been thinking about renovating it,” his father said.

“Yeah, the old house is falling apart. It’s definitely time for a proper renovation,” his mother added.

“Then let’s tear it down and rebuild. Two floors, a better design and decoration. No more raising cattle or pigs at home—let your grandparents just relax and chat every day,” Zhou Xuan suggested, wanting the house to be as nice as a villa—beautiful, elegant, and convenient.

The house had last been built in 1998, costing just over 30,000 yuan. It was a two-story building with four rooms on the first floor, a pigsty, kitchen, and three side rooms. Upstairs had three bedrooms, a living room, a balcony, and a bathroom.

Later, because the bathroom couldn’t accommodate a shower, they built another bathroom on the balcony, making it inconvenient to use. This time, Zhou Xuan intended to design a beautiful countryside villa with top-notch amenities.

He looked at his parents, smiling. “I’ve thought it through. I’ll hire a designer from the provincial city to create a villa that’s comfortable for Grandpa and Grandma. Whether we visit them or retire and settle down here, it’ll be perfect. There will be quality flooring, ceilings, suspended ceilings, air conditioning, heating, curtains—everything. Even if it costs two or three hundred thousand yuan, it’s worth it.”

Hearing this, Zhou’s parents were stunned, not expecting him to spend so much on the house.

“That’s a lot of money. Ten thousand yuan would already be a lot,” his mother was the first to express concern.

“Yeah, two or three hundred thousand yuan—that’s a fortune! Isn’t that wasteful?” his father said, incredulous.

“Mom, Dad, since we have the money, why not spend a bit more for a nicer house? That way, we won’t regret having to renovate it again later—it would be such a hassle,” Zhou Xuan smiled.

His father thought of the two million yuan in royalties Zhou Xuan had recently earned and chuckled. “Alright then, if we’re doing it, let’s do it well. It’ll be nice to enjoy it ourselves and visit your grandparents properly on weekends.”

Seeing her husband agree, Zhou’s mother relented. “Okay, since you both agree, I have nothing more to say.”

Zhou Xuan clapped his hands with a grin. “Great, it’s settled then. I’ll call my friends in the provincial city to find a designer right away. We’ll make sure the villa is beautiful. Don’t worry about the money—I’ve got it all covered.”

His parents smiled in unison, feeling proud and truly comforted by Zhou Xuan’s promise and success.