Since the beginning of winter, Cheng Youfu has never let the water tank in his house go empty, and these days he comes every day.

Song Yan's family had a large stack of wood piled up in their backyard.

Cheng Youfu carried wood into the yard every day. It was very convenient for Song Yan and Jiang Xiaoxiao. They no longer needed to go around to the backyard to get wood.

Song Yan was surprised by Cheng Youfu's diligence. "Mother, why is Youfu so diligent?"

"So he wasn't diligent before?" Aunt Wei asked.

"Being diligent is different from how it is now." Song Yan couldn't quite put his finger on how it was different.

"You still don't eat enough salt. Never mind it, it's none of your business," the mother-in-law said cryptically before leaving.

Because Youfu comes every day, Song Yan knew about Chang Xiaohu's arrival on his very first day. Chang Xiaohu's job wasn't settled yet; he hadn't decided where to work. Song Yan told him to stay and think it over carefully.

Since the whole family consisted of women, it was inconvenient for Chang Xiaohu to live there, so Cheng Youfu took him away.

Chang Xiaohu is the second brother's younger brother, and will be his lucky younger brother in the future. Chang Xiaohu is one year younger than him.

The commune arranged two jobs for Chang Xiaohu, giving him a choice: a job at the post office or a job at a primary school.

If Chang Xiaohu had to choose, he'd definitely go to the post office. He can't even read, so what could he do at a primary school?

Song Yan asked him, "You can deliver mail even though you can't read?" When you get a job as a postman at the post office, young people will definitely be sent to deliver mail to various brigades.

"What should we do?" Chang Xiaohu was so anxious that he kept scratching his head.

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t read, it just depends on whether you have the perseverance to learn,” Song Yan asked Chang Xiaohu very seriously.

"If I have the chance, I will definitely learn." When he was little, Chang Xiaohu was extremely envious of people who could carry their schoolbags to school.

"Then go work at a primary school," Song Yan suggested.

"I can't read, how am I supposed to work at the school?" Chang Xiaohu was troubled.

“Not everyone who works at a school is a teacher! Schools need staff too. There are security guards at the gate, support staff, and even more if there's a cafeteria. Where don't people need to work?” Song Yan said.

"Hehehe, I didn't expect that. I thought everyone in the school was a cultured teacher." Chang Xiaohu said embarrassedly.

Song Yan: "The first advantage of being in school is that after you finish your own work, you can sit in on classes outside the classroom. You can learn whatever the students are learning. After a few years, you can earn a primary school diploma."

The second advantage is that schools have winter and summer vacations, so you can always rest. Postmen have to deliver mail to various brigades regardless of the sweltering heat or freezing cold. Your physique might not be able to handle it.” Teachers are most vulnerable to being affected now, but Chang Xiaohu isn’t a teacher; he’s just a support worker, so he has nothing to worry about.

Chang Xiaohu's two most trusted people are his second brother and his second sister-in-law. Now that his second sister-in-law has explained things so clearly, he will naturally listen to her. Even if he doesn't understand everything, he is willing to accept his second sister-in-law's advice.

Song Yan also felt sorry for Chang Xiaohu. A little kindness from him was enough to gain his complete trust.

Chang Xiaohu is new to the workforce, and this time Song Yan helped her make the decision. It's her life, and she should be able to make her own decisions about the future.

The next day, Chang Xiaohu left early, wearing the new clothes his sister-in-law had prepared for him. He had decided to work at the elementary school. The sooner he started working, the sooner he would start earning a salary.

Chang Xiaohu's work was arranged very quickly; the commune secretary sent him to the primary school principal that same day.

School's on holiday now, there's nothing for him to do. The principal should let him go home!

His work connections would naturally be taken care of. Chang Xiaohu's job was arranged by his superiors, so he could get things done very smoothly wherever he went.

The principal told him to come in at the end of the month to receive his salary, and that all faculty and staff would return to work on February 20th, so he could come to school then.

They also arranged a staff dormitory for him, where he shared a room with a teacher surnamed Tian. The commune's primary school didn't have a canteen, so everyone had to find their own food.

His grain ration book and household registration book will take another month to be processed.

Song Yan had instructed him about this beforehand. It doesn't matter if the food rations are delayed, as long as there's some; the first priority is finding a good place to stay.

We'll eat what we have at home until we run out of food.

When Chang Xiaohu heard this, his eyes reddened. What's most precious right now? Food!

His second sister-in-law is so good to him!

Song Yan didn't really need to worry too much about Chang Xiaohu's affairs; he was more concerned about how to deal with Widow Wang.

Widow Wang was charged with attempted murder and promiscuity. Comrade Fan said that the sentence for this kind of thing could be long or short, three to five years, or even ten to eight years. Wei An almost lost his life, so Song Yan naturally didn't want to let Widow Wang off the hook.

Song Yan went to the police station several times, but the officers there were still no results regarding the handling of Cheng Yi and Widow Wang.

Song Yan felt something was amiss. It was Comrade Fan who quietly passed on the information: the commune leaders intended to wait until after the Lunar New Year to determine the nature of Cheng Yi and Widow Wang's affair.

This is yet another instance of someone interfering.

Song Yan couldn't sleep soundly until those two people were brought to justice.

Secretary Cheng was promoted by Duan Decai, who was subsequently given a severe warning.

Duan Decai was also deeply disgraced by this incident. His biggest wish now was for the weaving group of Qingshan Brigade to quickly return to normal. But the educated youth simply refused to go back. Without their return, the weaving group couldn't function.