Seeing Su Xiaoxiao approaching, his expression eased considerably. It suddenly rained halfway, and he was worried that Comrade Su wouldn’t come. Unexpectedly, she was punctual, which greatly improved Li Zhenhua’s impression of her. "Comrade Su, what did the other party say about the formula?" As soon as she got close, Li Zhenhua couldn’t wait to speak. Su Xiaoxiao nodded: "He said the formula could be sold to you, but for a thousand yuan." This thousand yuan was, of course, a price set by Su Xiaoxiao. Currently, there are very few shampoo products on the market; people commonly use soap, shampoo bars, or even laundry powder. In the countryside, many places don’t use even those, instead collecting wood ash to wash hair. These things not only don’t clean hair thoroughly but also can damage hair quality. In comparison, her shampoo not only cleans hair better but also repairs damaged hair and treats hair loss. She believes that once this shampoo is mass-produced, it will be immensely popular. Upon hearing that it would cost a thousand yuan, Li Zhenhua’s expression instantly turned hesitant; it was not a small amount. Although he was the factory director, the amount was too large for him to decide alone. "Comrade Su, can’t the price be a bit lower?" Li Zhenhua couldn’t help but speak. "Director Li, you should know that compared to other shampoos on the market, mine not only cleans well but also nourishes hair. Once it’s launched, it will receive rave reviews, and the profits for your factory will far exceed that thousand yuan." "A thousand yuan, that price is really quite steep..." Li Zhenhua tried to persuade Su Xiaoxiao. "The price is just that, Director Li. You can go back and discuss it, and if it’s possible, we can continue the detailed discussion in three days." Su Xiaoxiao said and turned to leave without any hesitation. Li Zhenhua weakly reached out with an Erkang gesture, only to watch her leave helplessly. As soon as Su Xiaoxiao reached the village entrance, she ran into several people pointing and talking about her. "Did you hear? The Su family’s daughter was caught cheating at the department store exam." "Oh, I heard that too. They said she was kicked out during the interview. Tsk tsk, how embarrassing." "My daughter said even the school wants her to drop out because her grades are too poor." "What? Is that really the case?" Su Xiaoxiao was speechless; how did these rumors get so exaggerated? These people acted as if they had seen it with their own eyes, spreading such vivid tales. If she weren’t the person involved, she might almost have believed it herself. She cleared her throat twice, and a few aunts whispering among themselves stopped immediately upon seeing her. Su Xiaoxiao passed by them, but hadn’t moved far before she heard the discussions behind her starting again. Who the hell spread such ridiculous rumors? Even if she explained now, no one would believe her; they would just think she was making excuses. She could only wait for the graduation exam and department store situation to sort themselves out before clearing her name. She returned home, only to run into the hurriedly returning Liu Cuilan at the doorstep. When Liu Cuilan saw her from afar, she rushed over, grabbing her and surveying her up and down before finally heaving a sigh of relief: "Old Three, are you alright?" Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled; what could happen to her? Seeing her baffled expression, Liu Cuilan cursed under her breath: "Whoever spread the rumor said you were thrown out by the department store and were so upset you tried to drown yourself..." What on earth are these rumors? What’s next, saying she’s come back from the dead? At this point, Liu Cuilan seemed to recall something and hastily held back further words: "Old Three, don’t overthink it. If you didn’t pass, so be it; there’s no need to make a big deal out of it." Seeing her mother’s demeanor, Su Xiaoxiao realized her mother had been swayed by these people, promptly saying, "Mom, don’t listen to their nonsense. It’s not true. Come inside, and I’ll explain." "What? You say you scored first in the written test but someone replaced your interview result?" Liu Cuilan almost jumped off her chair. "Who the hell would bully you like that? I’ll fight them." She was about to grab a kitchen knife when Su Xiaoxiao quickly stopped her: "Mom, stay calm. The HR manager at the department store promised to investigate, and we’ll have the results in three days." Listening to her daughter, Liu Cuilan gave up the idea of wielding the knife. "We should seek out your second aunt; she might..." Liu Cuilan couldn’t help but speak; despite not getting along with her sister-in-law, she’d do anything for her daughter. Su Xiaoxiao interrupted her quickly, "Mom, there’s no need. I’ve already found help; you don’t need to worry about this. I’ll definitely be able to work at the department store." Seeing her daughter’s serious expression, Liu Cuilan nodded, then couldn’t resist asking, "What about the matter of your high school graduation exams? Why are people saying you’ll be expelled?" Su Xiaoxiao had to explain everything again, repeatedly assuring Liu Cuilan, "Mom, don’t worry, I’ll definitely get my diploma." The day for the school to release exam results arrived quickly. Early in the morning, Liu Cuilan was so nervous she couldn’t eat: "Old Three, are you sure you can manage on your own? Do you want Mom to go with you?" Su Xiaoxiao saw her mother more anxious than herself, hugged her, and assured, "Mom, don’t worry. I feel like I did well. There should be no problem." After breakfast, she headed straight for school. As she approached the school gates, she spotted a familiar tall figure in the distance. That person was lazily carrying a shoulder bag, hands in pockets, striding with a leisurely air, looking more like a tourist than a student. Su Xiaoxiao went over to greet him, "Morning, Song Weidong." Upon seeing her, Song Weidong collected the casualness from his face and replied faintly, "Morning." She promptly handed him a paper bag containing clothes: "Song Weidong, these are the clothes I borrowed from you earlier, I’ve washed them." Official source ıs 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝘯𝘦𝘵 Song Weidong looked at the paper bag in her hand but didn’t take it: "No need, keep them." Was he disgusted by her? Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but grumble internally. Since he no longer wanted them, she couldn’t shove them on him and instead decided she’d somehow repay him later. The two walked together to the school notice board, where the entire senior graduating class ranking was posted according to scores. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the mass of people in front of her, feeling a headache; it was too crowded to squeeze in. At that moment, a mocking female voice suddenly came from beside her: "Su Xiaoxiao, I heard you cheated during the department store exam and got kicked out on the spot?" That annoying voice, she knew immediately whose it was. Su Xiaoxiao frowned and looked over, spotting Zhang Dongmei, who was walking over with Zhao Yanyan’s arm in hers. Zhang Dongmei was a year above her and graduated last year; what’s she doing at school now? Could she have come just to watch the drama? Just as she thought of this, a loud exclamation came from the crowd.