Rock Sugar And Pear Stew Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – On to university (Translated by Xing and edited by Souhi) 

Tang Xue got into Rain City United University, more commonly known as RCU. Before Rain City United University was established, it was seven different universities located within the Rain City University campus. Each university was small but well known for a certain specialized field. However, the overall individual strength of each university was not very outstanding when ranked against the country’s other universities. Five years ago, the seven universities merged to become Rain City University. Their combined strength immediately propelled the ranking of Rain City University into the country’s top five universities. The cut off point for entering this school naturally rose as well.

Tang Xue managed to enter Rain City United University with the bare minimum score. However, her score was too low for the major she applied for and she ended up in veterinary science.

It was only then that she found out one could actually major in veterinary science in university.

Principle Tang was a little worried. “Doesn’t veterinary science[1] involve stimulating lactation in sows or something? Will it be that you’ll end up in a pig farm stimulating lactation in sows in the future? Ahhh, no way this is happening. Just visualizing this image alone makes my head hurts…… Study well and strive for the academic route. Next time you can enter a university to teach others how to improve milk production in sows instead.”

Tang Xue did not feel that the academic route was any better.

However, Tang Xue was happy-go-lucky by nature. She fretted for a short moment before reverting back to her usual

carefree att.i.tude of living, whittling away the remainder of her summer break before hauling her luggage and happily heading to school.

So what if she was majoring in veterinary science. With a degree from a prestigious university like RCU, it was still something that she could wave about pretentiously[2].

Princ.i.p.al Tang was worried and went with her onto the high speed rail.

Along with them was Tang Xue’s secondary school cla.s.smate, Liao Zhenyu.

Liao Zhenyu and Tang Xue were cla.s.smates for three years. He was basically Tang Xue’s lackey and usually addressed her as “Boss”. However, he did not dare to behave so recklessly in front of Princ.i.p.al Tang. He was afraid that his boss would be lectured by his boss’s father.

Therefore, he could only call her by her name. Unaccustomed to this, the two words “Tang Xue” seemed to twist his mouth uncomfortably every time he said it.

Princ.i.p.al Tang felt that there was something wrong with Liao Zhenyu. This lad had been fidgeting non-stop. Hoho, perhaps it was yet another of those fellows with intentions of chasing his precious daughter.[3]

Tang Xue’s old man then began to casually share the adventures of his youth: how he used to practice Chinese boxing, and how he once encountered a hooligan and with one punch had him crying for the police. Another time, he also visited his wife’s family and didn’t need a knife to help them slaughter the chicken. The chicken’s neck broke with just one twist from his fingers……

Liao Zhenyu who listening at the side was extremely alarmed. He began to stutter whenever he spoke.

Princ.i.p.al Tang was greatly satisfied.

Tang Xue was

was sitting by the window with one hand propped under her chin. The high speed rail was going too fast. Looking at the scenery speeding by, she felt a little dizzy. She stretched her neck and said, “”How boring. Liao Zhenyu, why not you change your major?”

Liao Zhenyu was stunned for a moment. “Change, change what?”

“Transfer into veterinary science. It’s going to be so boring by myself.”

At her words, even Princ.i.p.al Tang who was sitting between them had the impulse to knock Tang Xue’s head. “Lad managed to get into medical school and you want him to transfer into veterinary science? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What’s wrong with being a vet? Both doctors and vets look after those who are sick. No matter it’s a human or a pig, both professions are still saving lives. What’s more, look at how the news is always reporting that some doctor got beaten up while carrying out his or her duty. Have you ever heard of a vet being beaten up by a pig while treating it?”

Princ.i.p.al Tang was astonished at how much sense Tang Xue’s twisted logic made. He momentarily could not think of a good reb.u.t.tal and simply shook his finger at her. “You, you…… you scoundrel!”

Tang Xue felt a little vexed and forlorn. Sprawled across the small folding table in front of her, she pursed her lips and softly said, “I’m just afraid that I’ll lose someone again……”

Princ.i.p.al Tang was startled.

Liao Zhenyu said, “Bos……sss…… Tang Xue.”

Princ.i.p.al Tang glanced at him with discontent. “Did you just said “bossy Tang Xue”? Why are you calling my daughter names?” [4] Head over to teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com

to teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com if translator’s notes are missing or if you simply want to read without ads.

“Ah? No no no, what I meant was…… Tang Xue, I’ve seen the map. The agricultural science building is not that far from the medical science building. We can still go for meals and study together.”

“Mm, alright.” Still sprawled on the folding table, Tang Xue nodded.

From Lake City to Rain City was a three hour journey by high speed rail. Princ.i.p.al Tang accompanied the two children to matriculate and settle into their dorms. They then had dinner together in the RCU canteen before Princ.i.p.al Tang prepared to head back on the evening train.

Tang Xue wanted to send him off at the train station but Princ.i.p.al Tang insistently refused.

When parting at the school gates, Princ.i.p.al Tang once again reminded, “Remember to study well so that you can qualify for postgraduate studies. It’ll be best if you can move on to obtain a doctorate. It’s fine even if you need to go overseas. Don’t worry, our family can afford it. Nowadays, the minimum requirement to teach at a university is a PhD, tsk tsk……” He was still focused on her taking the academic route.

“Dad, I feel like you’re nagging more and more.”

Princ.i.p.al Tang turned and silently sighed in his heart.

That’s because your father’s old now.

Protective Papa Tang

Translator’s Notes:

[1] Veterinary science doesn’t sound so glamorous in Chinese. 兽医 (shòu yī) literally translates to animal medicine or animal doctor, which may explain why Tang Xue’s father has Xue’s father has this weird and limited notion of what vets do.

[2] Phrase used is 装逼 (zhuāng bī), which was first introduced in chapter 6. It refers to acting in a manner that makes one seem more amazing than he or she actually is. The reason why I didn’t translate this as “showing off/bragging” is because 装逼 can also go the other way and refer to someone who is acting in a more una.s.suming manner than who they really are. This phrase can either be used with derision to criticize another’s behaviour or jokingly among friends.

As mentioned previously. I wasn’t very happy with using “posing/ poser” to translate this phrase. Let’s go with “pretentious” and see how it works for now.

[3] Original phrase used is 想拱自家小白菜的猪 (xiǎng gǒng zì jiā xiǎo bái cài de zhū). I love this phrase. Instead of straightforwardly describing a potential suitor as a guy interested in his daughter, a dad will use this phrase to directly refer to him as a pig intending to dig up his house’s cabbage, with the cabbage referring to his daughter.

Protect the cabbage!

[4] “Boss” in Chinese is 老大 (lǎo dà), with the first word 老 by itself meaning “old”. So when LZY slipped up in the original text, he only said the first word. Princ.i.p.al Tang actually called him out for calling TX “Old Tang Xue” and asked him if his daughter was very old for him to call her that. This was obviously not going to translate over so I took certain creative liberties with the translation. I hope that didn’t read too awkwardly.