Chapter 139

Father Jiang got off the car and stood at the gate of No. 1 Middle School. He seemed to be in a trance and walked towards the gate of No. 1 Middle School with some disbelief.

He looked up again and saw three banners above: [Congratulations to our school student Jiang Ning for winning the provincial first prize in the physics competition] [Congratulations to our school student Jiang Ning for winning the provincial first prize in the chemistry competition] [Congratulations to our school student Jiang Ning for winning the provincial first prize in the mathematics competition].

The gate of No. 1 Middle School was not open yet, so his eyes fell on the school wall and saw that there was also a banner on the school wall.

He walked along the school wall, starting from the left, and walked around the wall.

The entire No. 1 Middle School was surrounded by banners.

For a moment, Father Jiang couldn't tell what he was feeling. He felt proud, but also a little sad, as if all his persistence over the years had paid off.

No wonder his daughter didn't come back for the New Year, it turned out she went to winter camp.

His daughter is so promising, so of course her studies are important. What does it matter if she doesn't come back?

A big smile appeared on his face unconsciously. After walking around a circle and approaching Jiang Ning's shop, he saw Grandpa Jiang lying on a recliner with a thick blanket covering his legs, swaying slowly.

"Dad!" Jiang's father shouted in disbelief, startling Grandpa Jiang, who was basking in the sun with his eyes closed and listening to the radio. He opened his eyes and picked his ears: "Why are you talking so loudly? You're deafening my ears!"

He continued to rock in the rocking chair. Jiang's father strode over. When he saw Jiang Ning typing attentively on the computer in the store, he was stunned for a moment, then shouted happily: "Ningning, is it you on the banner at the gate of No. 1 Middle School?"

Jiang's father's voice was really loud, and Jiang Ning's thoughts were disrupted. She turned to look at Jiang's father, smiled, and nodded: "Yeah."

Father Jiang was overjoyed, "Is it really you? I said it shouldn't be someone with the same name. I thought of you when I saw it!" Father Jiang said with emotion, "You have been smart since you were young. I said you were smart. When you were young, I taught you math and you learned it right away!"

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been sent to primary school by her father Jiang at such a young age to start the first grade.

When Jiang Ning went to school, there was no preschool class, and the school was not in their village, but in the neighboring Xujia Village. To walk from the embankment of Jiangjia Village to Xujia Village, one had to cross a very deep and wide ditch with only a crooked wooden bridge over the ditch. It was okay in spring, summer and autumn because the children were brave and could just hold the wooden bridge and climb across.

Jiang Ning was young, and when she was crossing the single-plank bridge, it was too cold in winter with ice and snow, and she couldn't hold on. She didn't know how many times she fell down. There was water in the ditch, and she would be covered in icy water if she fell down. She walked back alone, changed her clothes, and continued to go to school.

She still remembered one time when she was delirious with fever, and Grandpa Jiang carried her on his back to Xujia Village for an injection. On the way, they met an acquaintance who greeted them and asked Grandpa Jiang, "Where are you carrying Ningning?" Jiang Ning, who was lying on Grandpa Jiang's back, replied vaguely, "For an injection."

Jiang Ning himself doesn't remember this incident very clearly, but Grandpa Jiang often talks about it, using it to prove that Jiang Ning was very well behaved. He didn't even cry or make a fuss when getting an injection. He was very well behaved.

Later, Jiang Bai also came back to school. Every time he would pull her, hold her hand, and move her over little by little. As a result, the two of them were often late.

Teachers at that time were not like teachers today. They were not allowed to use corporal punishment. If they did, the lighter punishment would be making students stand in the corner or at the door. The heavier punishment would be making students kneel at the back of the classroom or being hit on the palms with a bamboo stick.

Jiang Ning's grades were very poor at that time, and a teacher from Xujia Village teased Jiang's father: "Didn't you say your daughter is very smart? You are just exaggerating, right?"

He made fun of Jiang's father in front of Jiang Ning. She could no longer remember the teacher's face, but she still remembered it very clearly and felt ashamed.

Since then, she has never been called smart again. From childhood to adulthood, all she has heard are "as stupid as a pig", "as stupid as a big goose", "as stupid as a donkey", and "I wouldn't say anything if you were half as smart as your older brother".

After the parents scolded him like this many times, the eldest brother would also say: "How can you be as stupid as a donkey!"

The children in the village followed suit and said, "Jiang Ning, you are as dumb as a pig, I don't want to play with you!"

She was several years younger than her classmates, and her father Jiang liked to force her to learn. When she was a child, her family had many elementary school Olympiad competition questions, collections of classical Chinese texts, etc. Jiang Ning was asked to recite a classical Chinese text every day. When Jiang Ning was in the third grade, her father taught her fifth grade Olympiad math questions. She studied until midnight every night, and she was so sleepy that she kept nodding her head, and had no idea what her father was talking about.

Anyone who has helped a child with homework knows how frustrating it is for a parent to teach their child how to do homework. When Jiang's father saw that her daughter just couldn't do it no matter how hard he tried, he got so angry that he broke his pencil.

Dad Jiang is a man with relatively stable emotions and no violent tendencies. Among so many parents in the countryside, Dad Jiang is the tallest among the short ones. He is really a good father. At least, he is willing to send his children to school and never beats them.

But Jiang Ning had been beaten before. When she couldn't learn no matter how hard she tried, her father got so angry that he smashed a math book on her head. The angry smash made the young Jiang Ning's head buzz.

Later, Jiang's father completely gave up the idea that his daughter was a genius. In addition, he worked away from home all year round, so it was impossible for him to tutor her. Instead, he stopped tutoring Jiang Ning. When he and Jiang's mother were not at home, she finally didn't need to study ahead of others, and her academic performance improved day by day.

But at this time, Jiang's father proudly said that she had been smart since she was young.

He seemed to have forgotten what he said about her being as stupid as a goose and as dumb as a donkey.

Jiang Ning just looked at Jiang's father and smiled.

Father Jiang was still excited: "I saw on the banner that you were admitted to Beijing University in advance. Is that true?"

After Jiang Ning nodded with a smile, Jiang's father was so happy that he didn't know what to do. He said with regret: "Why didn't you tell me about such a big thing? You should have called me and told me!"

Jiang Ning saved the document on the computer, then turned off the computer. He turned around and looked at Jiang's father and said, "This happened in the winter camp. I just came back from the winter camp. Besides, this matter will take another year. I won't be able to go to college with this class of freshmen until next year."

Although Jiang's father had taught her elementary school Olympic math problems, he himself had never participated in a competition. There was no such competition in his era, and he didn't know about winter camps. He just nodded and said, "Yes, yes, you just came back." Jiang's father happily walked around the store, looked up and saw this store, and asked her, "Is this store opened by your grandfather?"

He had wanted to rent a shop and open a store for a long time, but he didn't know that while his own shop hadn't even opened yet and he was still setting up a small stall every day, his father had already opened a store.

Although the rent in a small county town cannot be compared with that in big cities like Shenzhen, it is still a store.

He didn't expect that his father was more courageous than him. He said he came out to pick up rags and beg for food, but he didn't expect that he would open a store directly.

The people in Jiangjia Village didn't think much of begging, as it was quite common in their area, especially during the Chinese New Year period. Children would often lead the elderly and go from house to house begging by saying auspicious words. Those with skills would bring an erhu and play it from house to house. Some people would give them money without waiting for them to start playing, and then go to the next house. Some people would not give them money, so they would play the erhu at the door until others gave them money, and then they would go to the next house.

Those who don't have erhu but have good voices can sing in their local dialect, singing all kinds of auspicious words. Some people's doors are bustling, and people want to hear some festive words, so they are specially invited to the door to sing. If they can't sing, they can talk. They hold a clapperboard in their hands and say auspicious words while beating the clapperboard. After listening to a round of auspicious words, the host will usually be very happy and smile. Some will give a small amount of 10 or 20 cents, and some will give 50 or 80 cents. They are all locals and know each other. Sometimes they will be invited to sit down and chat.

Although they are begging, they are not like the beggars kneeling on the ground outside wearing tattered and dirty clothes. Their clothes are clean. Apart from begging, they are no different from ordinary people. Some even have children.

Father Jiang asked Grandpa Jiang: "Dad, are you okay?"

Grandpa Jiang said: "I'm fine!"

"Ailian and I thought something happened to you and that's why you didn't come back for the New Year. We were so worried. You're fine, why didn't you come back for the New Year? Ailian and I waited for you until the table was cold and we didn't see you. There was no call either."

Grandpa Jiang said, "Why didn't you call? Didn't Baizi call back?"

In the entire Jiangjia Village, only the brigade headquarters had a telephone. Jiang's father thought that the call was answered by the people guarding the brigade headquarters, and said, "Old Yang is getting more and more confused. I went to the brigade headquarters to call before, but he didn't even tell me that you called back, which made Ailian and I very anxious!"

At this time, he didn't know that Jiang Hehua was in prison. He just thought that the old man was confused and had forgotten about it.

Grandpa Jiang knew that Jiang Ning probably had a conflict with Jiang Hehua, otherwise the brigade secretary would not have sent him so many fruits and cakes, and wanted to find Jiang Ning through him, but Jiang Ning did not tell Grandpa Jiang what it was about, and Grandpa Jiang did not ask. He was not a talkative person, even silent, and no one came to Grandpa Jiang to gossip about him, and Grandpa Jiang really did not know that Jiang Hehua was in jail.

Jiang Bai didn't know anything about it in Shanghai. When he was in Wucheng, except for Tong Jingang, he basically kept to himself and didn't gossip with anyone. Even if others wentssip, they couldn't find him. After he and Tong Jingang returned to Wucheng, their minds were full of making money. They came to the store early in the morning every day, picked up the clothes and rushed to the towns below. They didn't return to Wucheng until the evening. They went directly to Tong Jingang's house at night, so he didn't know anything about it.

"Where's Baizi? Why didn't Baizi go home for the New Year?" Jiang's father asked again: "Dad, why didn't you go home for the New Year?"

Grandpa Jiang said angrily, "Don't you know why I don't go back? You and your wife have disappeared since you left. You don't pay for the children's tuition or living expenses. This street is usually deserted. If I don't make a little extra money during this year-end period, Ningning and I will be left with nothing!"

Grandpa Jiang is not a fool. If he were a fool, he would not be the only person in the entire Linhe Brigade who receives a salary, except for the cadres of the brigade headquarters.

Even if he goes back to brag, he will be selective and will not tell everyone.

Grandpa Jiang didn't dare to mention a single word about Jiang Ning buying a house to anyone, let alone let Jiang's father and mother know.

If her mother knew that she had to repay a huge loan of more than 7,000 yuan a month, and owed hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan in loans outside, she would probably want to beat her to death and cut off all ties with her immediately.

For this reason, Grandpa Jiang didn't dare to say a word.

Grandpa Jiang's words made Jiang's father a little embarrassed. He looked at Jiang Ning and said, "Didn't I give you the tuition for last semester?"

Before Jiang Ning could say anything, Grandpa Jiang retorted: "We've paid the tuition, but what about the living expenses? Don't you have to pay for books and notebooks? What about this semester's tuition? Are you going to pay it or not? What if you don't give it to us?"

Grandpa Jiang no longer had his usual leisurely look. He sat up straight and said to Jiang's father, "Ningning was admitted to university in advance. It's not clear whether she will go to university next semester or stay in Wucheng. If she goes to university, the annual tuition will be quite high. How can I count on you?" As he spoke, he leaned back in the recliner, closed his eyes, and stopped talking to Jiang's father.

These words made Jiang's father feel embarrassed. He took out the three thousand yuan he had hidden away, stuffed it into Jiang Ning's hand and said, "Use this money to pay the tuition first. If it's not enough, tell me when the time comes."

He didn't come back for the New Year because he was afraid that something might happen to the old man. When he came out, he took out all the private money he had saved that year. Although he estimated that if something really happened to the old man, a few hundred or a thousand yuan should be enough to deal with it, but what if? And seeing Jiang Bai, I could give him this year's tuition first. Unexpectedly, as soon as I arrived in Wucheng, I saw the good news that Jiang Ning was admitted to Peking University.

Knowing that Jiang Ning was fine, Jiang's father felt relieved and asked Jiang Ning curiously, "What is this? A TV? Why are there two TVs here?"

The shape of a computer screen, in this era, is really not that different from that of a TV, except that there is probably no button on the right side to change channels.

Dad Jiang had never seen a computer and thought it was a TV.

Jiang Ning did not explain, and said: "The TV belongs to my second brother's friend, Brother Tong Jingang. His family bought a new large color TV and they couldn't use the old TV, so they moved it to the store."

Jiang's father doesn't know Jiang Bai's friends. Like Jiang Ning, Jiang Bai doesn't like to bring friends home.

He just said "Oh" and asked, "Where's Baizi? Why can't I see him?"

Jiang Ning said, "Brother went to the town below to sell clothes, right?"

"Where can I buy clothes? I came from Shuibu Town and didn't see him."

"He doesn't just sell in Shuibu Town. He goes to whichever town has a large population and good business."

Father Jiang suddenly realized: "No wonder you didn't go home for the New Year." Jiang Song was not at home during the New Year last year, and he thought that was already the coldest year. Unexpectedly, it was even colder this year, with only him and Mother Jiang. Thinking of the two of them facing an empty and cold home, and their feelings at the time, Father Jiang couldn't help but complain: "No matter what, you have to go home for the New Year."

Thinking that the two children probably still thought that the family was in the same financial difficulty as in previous years, and that was why they didn't go home during the Spring Festival just to earn more money to pay for their tuition, Jiang's father couldn't help but laugh and said, "When you meet your second brother, tell him not to sell clothes outside during the Spring Festival to make money. Your dad has made a lot this year!"

His heart was filled with pride, and he said to his daughter with a big smile, "By the way, Ningning, our family is planning to build a big building. You and Baizi can bring any classmates or friends home to play. The new building will have many rooms, so everyone can live there!"