In spring, they sow and plant rice seedlings; in summer, they weed and pick vegetables; in autumn, they harvest crops in the fields, dig potatoes, and cut millet and sorghum; in winter, they repair water conservancy trunk lines and river embankments.

This happens day after day, year after year.

The five educated youth had grown accustomed to this kind of life, and compared to the other educated youth in the team, they were already quite content. But at this moment, they had no idea that a surprise might come one day...

In the production team's yard office, the old team leader, deputy team leader Zhang Dabo, and accountant Xiao Shitou were distributing the fate of the prey in accordance with the regulations of previous years.

After changing, Zhang Guoqing returned to the room and said goodbye to them before returning to the team.

The old captain waved his hand and said, "Sit down for a moment. I have something to ask you."

"Captain, I'll be leaving first." Xiao Shitou quickly stood up upon seeing this. "Xiao Wu, eat before you go. Your portion has been calculated, remember to take it with you."

The old captain smiled and pulled Xiao Shitou in. "Why are you leaving? I didn't tell this kid anything confidential. His share must be the old rule, all given to his parents, right?"

Zhang Guoqing gave a thumbs up and said with a smile: "The one who knows me best is Third Grandpa."

The smiling old captain glanced at him sideways, "Stop playing dumb. Tell us what's going on out there lately? I heard those educated youth say classes are suspended out there."

Zhang Guoqing pondered for a moment, avoided this question, and asked something else, "Third Uncle, how are the educated youth in our village?"

"They're all good! They're a little bit squeamish when they first arrive, but they'll find ways to learn. After all, they're educated people, so they learn quickly and get along well with the villagers."

Zhang Guoqing smiled. This was the first batch, so he could understand.

"In addition to them, there will be more educated youth coming here in the future. You should be mentally prepared for this." What Zhang Guoqing didn't say was that in addition to batches of educated youth, there would also be labor camp inmates sent down.

But the time has not come yet, so he can't say it out loud.

The old captain frowned. With more people, the rations would be less evenly distributed. To be honest, he really didn't want any more outsiders coming, but with the policy in place, there was nothing he could do.

Putting aside this unknown matter, he asked again, "Is class really suspended outside?"

Zhang Guoqing shook his head. "It's hard to say for sure, but we ordinary people still need to learn some knowledge. Regardless of whether we can get into technical secondary school or university, when the city recruits workers, educated people always have an advantage."

The old captain glared at him angrily. This kid was half-revealing and half-hiding, really learning bad habits.

"Third Uncle, I work in the army, so I don't know much about local affairs. But my Ping'an only has half a day of school now, so we should be able to do it soon."

Upon hearing this, the old captain looked at him, then looked at Uncle Zhang who looked confused and Xiao Shitou who seemed to be thinking about something, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

"Xiaowu..."

The moment the old captain uttered the word "ah," Zhang Guoqing's scalp went numb. Whenever he heard that tone, it was always bad news.

"...Did you see your nephews and grandnephews just now?"

Zhang Guoqing nodded embarrassedly. It seemed that he was really an elder in the clan.

"Nowadays, if schools only have half-day classes, at least a large number of families in our village will not send their children to school. If these children don't go to school, their lives will be ruined..."

"We're far from the village school, and I've always been the one keeping it that way. Finally, the children in the village don't have to be blind. If there's a job opening in the city in the future, it'll give them a chance..."

"Ever since I heard from those educated youth that classes were suspended outside, I haven't gotten a good night's sleep these past few nights. I finally managed to get everyone fed, but what are these little boys going to do next?"

The old captain looked increasingly disheartened as he spoke. His promise to the previous village chief was to lead his people to a better life and help their children achieve success.

But now, it’s difficult...

Zhang Guoqing was stunned when he heard this and glanced at him with complicated eyes.

"Didn't you just ask those five educated youth? They're all high school students." The old captain looked hesitantly at the other two people in the room, "I think we should run a school in our team."

Uncle Zhang was so frightened by his grand ambition that he dropped his pipe without even noticing. Is it really that easy to run a school? This isn't just a family business.

Xiao Shitou immediately looked at Zhang Guoqing. He had a good idea of ​​what the old captain was thinking. With a school, not only would the children be able to attend school right next to their home, but they would also have more time to help with household chores during their commute.

"Actually, I don't ask for much. Elementary school is enough. If they are really good seedlings, they can pass the junior high school entrance exam on their own. Then when they grow up, they won't have to worry about the long commute."

Zhang Guoqing pointed out, "What do the villagers say?"

"Apart from promising to send a principal, the commune hasn't allocated any funds. I'm not worried about the money, the team still has some. The villagers can always get tables and chairs by chopping trees in the mountains. As for the space, we can occupy the ancestral hall first, and then the children from the neighboring teams can send them over. When there are more people, we can make plans..."

Zhang Guoqing knew that he was about to talk about the key point. But everything was ready, so what else did he need?

"...I had originally planned to go to the township to apply after the busy farming season, but now...can you take a look and see if it's inappropriate?"

After all this preparation, it all came down to this question. Zhang Guoqing felt torn. Given the current situation, it seemed appropriate to postpone the birth for a few years. But for those families tightening their belts to raise their children, the sooner the better. After all, with family members around to support the village, there wouldn't be much trouble.

"What? It's hard to say."

Zhang Guoqing smiled and said, "The autumn harvest isn't here yet, so let's wait and see. This matter can't be rushed anytime soon. Third Uncle, if you really can't make up your mind, why not have everyone hold a meeting to give their opinions? This concerns the next generation, and they all know that nothing can be done carelessly."

The old captain understood what was said and nodded silently.

Zhang Guoqing said goodbye to his parents and drove directly to the provincial capital without passing through the county town.

Things in his hometown have been arranged properly, even the fruit trees in his backyard have been arranged in place. He should have been free of worries, but now he feels very heavy in his heart.

For the old captain, for the unknown future...

There were not many four-wheeled vehicles on the road, and the road was smooth. Unlike driving in winter, the speed this time was not very fast, but we arrived at the provincial capital in less than two hours.

Seeing that he had plenty of time to return to the team, Zhang Guoqing was no longer in a hurry to go to the military district to chat and gossip. He turned the steering wheel and headed for the provincial capital - where he had an older nephew.

Perhaps it was because he had been away from campus for too long, or perhaps it was because the learning atmosphere was different in different places, but groups of students on campus were holding newspapers and commenting on the topic.

It seems the louder the voice, the more truth it carries. The tone is fierce, the words are harsh, and the sweltering summer heat has fueled the rage of many young people here.

This gave Zhang Guoqing a headache.

Now that the fuse has been lit, it remains to be seen how serious the danger will be after the explosion.

Fortunately, when he found Xizi (Zhang Mingyuan), this guy knew to stay in the dormitory and read, otherwise he would have to pack up the child and drag him back.