Chapter 59: Adaptable and Resilient

Only a thin sheet of paper, and his heart was a bit tense. With Fifth Uncle Qiao helping to pull some strings, especially through a channel devoted to admissions, the likelihood of his acceptance was highest.

Su Mu took a deep breath and, under his father's watchful gaze, drew out the letter of admission. There were only three possible outcomes: rejection, admission with self-funded tuition, or a full scholarship—meaning tuition-free admission.

His eyes scanned the letter. The next moment, he clenched his fist tightly!

Excitedly, he turned to his father and said, "I've been accepted! Three years, full scholarship!"

Upon hearing this, Su Dingcai felt a rush of warmth sweep through him, relaxing every muscle in his body.

His mind was consumed by the relief of not having to spend money. The whole family had been fretting over the hefty tuition fees, worn out in both body and mind throughout the summer, and now, at last, good news had arrived.

Even if the scholarship hadn't come through, they had planned to send Su Mu to a reputable private school anyway. Saving money, of course, was best—given the family's modest financial situation, this would make things far easier.

Su Dingcai was not of a sociable temperament; among the neighbors, he was known as an honest man. If anyone needed help, a simple request was often enough for him to lend a hand.

With a smile on his face, he said to his son, "That's great. Go ahead and open the other letters as well. I'll find your mother and let her know. Tonight, I'll cook something special—when your grandfather comes home from work, we'll celebrate together."

"Yes, we saved tens of thousands. Dad, you should buy some seafood today—I want baby octopus and Alaskan king crab!"

The whole family felt a weight lifted. Su Mu was jubilant, his voice brimming with joy.

He had grown up in a humble household and learned to be mature early. Rarely did he ask for anything; for more than three years, he had carried the same backpack without once asking for a new one.

It wasn't that they couldn't afford a backpack—he simply found it unnecessary. If something could be made to do, he'd make it do. Today, he was so happy to be admitted that, for the first time ever, he wanted the rather expensive king crab. He'd never actually tasted such a giant crab, only glimpsed it at the market.

In those days, king crab was outrageously priced, costing dozens of dollars apiece. Su Mu had never dared to mention his craving to his parents, knowing that if he did, they would buy it, no matter how reluctant they were to waste the money.

His father, Su Dingcai, nodded decisively. "Alright! I'll give you some money later—go to the market and buy whatever you want!"

It was a day worthy of celebration.

Su Mu opened the other two letters sent by schools. Loyola Private High School was willing to admit him, but not to offer a full scholarship—meaning tuition would be required. He had already anticipated this, and since he had received the letter from Menlo Park High School, he didn't care, placing the Loyola letter casually on the table.

He had also applied for a scholarship at San Fernando Academy; unexpectedly, they had agreed. His outstanding SSAT scores, plus Miss Su Xi's recommendation and records of community work, had convinced San Fernando Academy to grant him a scholarship.

This, however, gave Su Dingcai a headache. Too many schools wanted to admit his son, leaving him unsure which to choose. He asked, "Which of these two schools is better? Maybe just study in Los Angeles—it's closer to home."

Su Mu found it hard to decide.

If Menlo Park High were elsewhere, he would certainly choose the more renowned San Fernando Academy.

But Menlo Park High was in Silicon Valley, right beside Stanford University, as the letter specifically noted. In the early 1980s, California’s Silicon Valley was already famous, with the state providing generous policy support to attract high-tech companies. To Su Mu, it was a region bustling with the development and manufacture of cutting-edge technology.

Because of those vanished radio broadcasts, Su Mu was fascinated by the growth of the computer tech industry and knew that this field could be immensely profitable. Steve Jobs had started with just a little money and swiftly amassed a fortune worth hundreds of millions. Su Mu believed that if he went there to study, he would gain more insight into the high-tech industry.

In his mind, the scales quickly tipped toward attending high school in Silicon Valley. He answered his father, "San Fernando Academy might be better, but I really want to go to Menlo Park High."

"Just stay in Los Angeles. It's safer, not too far, and you'll have someone to look after you," his father objected, shaking his head once more, deeply concerned for his cherished son, unwilling for him to be too far from home.

It would take several hours by bus to get to San Francisco, with only weekends free for visits home. Though San Fernando Academy was also far, it was still better than going to San Francisco.

He couldn't simply tell his father he wanted to go to Silicon Valley to see if there were opportunities to strike it rich. Back in the day, San Francisco's gold rush had drawn countless people, but few actually profited from the mines; the city, however, had boomed thanks to the influx of newcomers.

Now, that region, in Su Mu’s eyes, was witnessing a second gold rush. He had already secured his first pot of gold, but the second was still out of reach. If he didn’t go and see for himself, he knew he’d regret it for the rest of his life.

He understood his father, Su Dingcai, was a “smooth donkey”—someone who needed to be coaxed gently. Without directly stating his intentions, Su Mu tried to sound him out. "Will you talk to the old man about it?"

"Hmm? Talk to him about what?"

"Grandpa asked Fifth Uncle Qiao for help. Now that he’s put in a lot of effort and got things sorted, you don’t want me to go..."

Su Mu stopped there.

He quickly noticed that his father was pondering something, his expression darkening, as if startled.

Su Dingcai knew well his own father’s temperament. He’d been beaten plenty as a child, and the shadow still lingered. Only with age had the old man mellowed somewhat.

With his father’s pride, it was strange enough for him to ask for help. If someone arranged a school for Su Mu and he didn’t attend, it would be a slap in the old man’s face—a hard slap at that. Su Dingcai could already picture his father’s stormy expression, making his knees weak.

His attitude shifted swiftly as he said to Su Mu, "It’s not a bad thing to go out and see the world. The weather in San Francisco isn’t great, and we won’t be nearby. Remember to take care of yourself at school."

Su Mu almost couldn’t keep from laughing, but nodded. "Let’s keep it like this for now. I’ve got a few days to think it over. Loyola’s out—the tuition’s just too expensive."

As father and son spoke, Boss Han Yu suddenly arrived. Su Mu felt a bit flustered, worried he might let something slip in front of his father.

Luckily, his fears were unfounded. Boss Han set a basket of fruit on the table and said to Su Dingcai, "Let me borrow your son. I can’t find the invoice from last time—have him help me look for it..."