◎Third update◎

Liang Baozhen, who got the photo, took Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya to the Children's Palace to register. The weather was getting warmer, so swimming was not uncomfortable.

In fact, she and Xu Shengjie can both teach swimming. Just take them to the river and let them paddle a few times and they will almost learn how to swim. She, as well as the Liang brothers and sisters, all learned this way, especially Liang Baoling, who could do the doggy paddle after drinking some water from the Qingshui River.

Nowadays, not many people can enroll in the Children's Palace to study. Most of them are children of leading cadres. They are rich and far-sighted. For ordinary families, enrolling in classes is a waste of money. It is better to use the money to eat meat and buy cloth. It is even more reassuring to hold it in your hand and not waste it.

Liang Baozhen has lived in the countryside for many years. If she hadn’t known the plot of the book, she would have been dumbfounded by the investment in education in later generations.

The Children's Palace is not far from the cinema. Just one kilometer across the street, there is a gray-white five-story building. This is a building with a history of more than 20 years. The lobby on the first floor is the registration office, and there is a hobby class further up.

"Hello, comrade. We want to sign up for a swimming class." Liang Baozhen had inquired last time and learned that swimming classes can be signed up on their own, as long as the child is over five years old and in good health.

Xu Shengya has always had some heart palpitations. Liang Baozhen told the teacher at the Children's Palace about the situation last time. Her symptoms are mild and do not have much impact.

The Children's Palace still provides elite education, selecting primary and secondary school students who are outstanding in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor aspects from primary and junior high schools for training and education. Many people do not have the opportunity to set foot there, but the swimming class is currently an exception and can be registered by the public.

"Let our teacher take a look at the child's physical condition." The staff at the Children's Palace were much more polite than those at the supply and marketing cooperative and the department store. They took the three people in and waited for the swimming teacher to see that the children had no physical defects before letting them fill out the registration form.

The tuition for the swimming class is three yuan per semester, which means six yuan for two people. For many families, it is indeed a sky-high price. Liang Baozhen paid the money readily and let the two of them fill out the registration form themselves.

"Sister-in-law, can we learn swimming in the future?" Xu Shengya looked at this well-decorated small building, full of expectations, especially learning with the same class of children, which was interesting just thinking about it.

"Yes, I've checked the schedule. It's still dark early now. I'll come on Sundays for the next two months. When summer comes, I'll come three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays."

"Wow! This must be fun!" Xu Shengwei filled out the registration form in a hurry. The handwriting was so fancy that one had to look carefully to recognize it. He moved quickly and when he saw his sister was still writing, he wandered around.

There are many children walking through the Children's Palace from time to time. Some are wearing colorful dance costumes, some are wearing red sportswear and sports pants, holding table tennis rackets in their hands. Walking further inside, you can hear music coming from a classroom, accompanied by the crisp sounds of musical instruments.

Xu Shengwei didn't know what it was, he just thought it sounded nice. It was not until he entered the Children's Palace to learn swimming that he understood that the big thing was called a piano, and that pressing the black and white keys would produce sounds.

"Sister-in-law, there are so many children over there! They are all wearing different clothes." Xu Shengwei was dazzled by the excitement. Those children walked with their heads held high and their chests puffed out, which looked particularly magical.

Liang Baozhen looked over and found that they were children from the music class, table tennis class and dance class. These were the brightest talents selected by the Children's Palace from various primary and junior high schools in the city, and they had not yet registered with the public.

"Wow." Xu Shengya raised her head after writing the last word, looking at the groups of children with envy, "They seem to be very good."

Xu Shengya's handwriting is very beautiful, neat and generous, much better than Xu Shengwei's. Liang Baozhen looked at the two registration forms and suddenly wanted to sign up Xiaowei for a calligraphy class!

After registering, the three of them took the bus back to Yueya Hutong. However, they were not going home today. They were going to eat at the state-owned hotel!

Today is Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya’s birthday. They will both be fourteen years old this year, and their only wish is to have a meal at a state-owned hotel.

The state-owned hotel has a very important status in the hearts of children and even adults. Most people are reluctant to eat there, but it is good to have a snack occasionally. Xu Shengjie calculated the time and set off with his grandmother and waited at the state-owned hotel.

"Grandma, big brother!"

"We have signed up and can start swimming lessons next Sunday."

"There are so many kids in there, and it looks like there will be a lot of things."

It was rare for Xu Shengjie to hear the two people talk about a place with such excitement. He had never been to the Children's Palace, and even when he passed by it on his way to do work, he had never paid much attention to this place. He only had a vague impression of the three large red-painted characters, but he was not sure what they were specifically about.

"Are you so interested? Then you should sign up for more classes." The tuition for each class is a few yuan per semester, which he can afford.

"You wish." Liang Baozhen tilted her head and smiled at Xu Shengjie. She took the chopsticks that her grandmother had boiled in hot water and gave him a pair. "They all go to the school to select students. The swimming class is open to the public, and it's quite crowded. When we went there today, there were only a few spots left. You don't know how many children of cadres have signed up to learn several different things."

Zhou Yun had never heard of these classes. At that time, she was lucky to have a thatched hut as a classroom and learn a few words. Today, when she heard that the two little ones had to spend six yuan to enroll in a swimming class, she felt distressed. It was not that she was reluctant to spend money on her grandchildren, but she just felt physically painful for the amount of money.

After all, that's six yuan, and many people only earn more than twenty yuan a month.

"Xiaowei and Xiaoya, you must study hard and listen to your teacher." Since the money has been spent, you must learn every penny back.

"I know, grandma, don't worry, I will definitely swim like a duck!"

The ordered food arrived, one dish was stir-fried pork with scallions, which was made by stir-frying pork slices with scallions cut into sections. The dish was sizzling and fragrant, with the rich aroma of scallions mixed with the aroma of meat, which could be washed down with a bowl of rice. There was also another dish of three stir-fried items, pork belly, pork kidney, and pork liver. The chefs at the state-owned hotel were very skilled, and even Xu Shengya, who didn't like dirty food, could pick them up with one chopstick at a time. The dishes were accompanied by fried dried tofu and vegetable and tofu soup. All four dishes were quite filling, and the whole family was very satisfied.

However, this meal cost three kilograms of grain coupons. Zhou Yun smiled and joked with his grandchildren, "After this meal, we will have to tighten our belts when we go back."

After eating the meat, Xu Shengwei was very satisfied and didn't care at all, "It's okay, grandma, I can go without meat for a month!"

He can remember the taste, and whenever he thinks of it he eats sweet potatoes and wowotou, which is also delicious!

After the meal, the family returned to the big courtyard. Zhou Yun led Xiao Wei and Xiao Ya in front, while Xu Shengjie and Liang Baozhen followed behind. Liang Baozhen was still quite surprised when she thought of what she had seen at the Children's Palace today.

She never had the chance to learn those things from childhood, including a wide variety of classes, including music, dance, art, table tennis, calligraphy... everything. Seeing it with her own eyes today, she finally understood what the saying "winning at the starting line" meant.

"If there is a chance, let Xiaowei and Xiaoya also learn something they are interested in. I saw that they were almost unable to move when they saw the children from other classes today."

"Xiao Ya is okay, but Xiao Wei's personality of being hot-headed for only three minutes is not good enough for me." Having said this, Xu Shengjie was already thinking in his heart, "Has the Children's Palace ever been to the National Cotton Mill Affiliated Middle School for selection?"

Speaking of this, Liang Baozhen felt a little regretful, "They all recruited from key schools, and the factory-attached middle school was not within their scope of recruitment."

The Children's Palace is very small, with only 20 to 30 students in a class. There are not enough places left for key schools to select good students, let alone other schools. Besides, the Affiliated Middle School of the National Cotton Mill is a makeshift school like other middle schools run by state-owned factories. Its main purpose is to help thousands of employees solve their children's schooling problems. As for the teaching quality, it is naturally not as good as that of key schools.

"Let me think of a way." Xu Shengjie looked at his younger brothers and sisters who were still chattering about the Children's Palace to their grandmother, and an idea came to his mind, "See if I can transfer to another school."

Liang Baozhen was also thinking that even Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya who studied in the city had little exposure to many things among their peers in key schools. Her own sister who lived in the countryside had no access to anything except studying in the county. She only knew how to swim, which she learned by going to the river. As for other skills such as singing, dancing and playing musical instruments, she had never heard of them before.

Thinking of this, Liang Baozhen felt even more pity for her younger sister. How could her younger sister have access to these things? Other children could buy so many books and learn so much knowledge first, but poor Baoling had nothing!

Whatever other sisters have, my sister must have too!

Thinking of this, Liang Baozhen decided to give her sister a gift and give it to her when she returns home next week.

Liang Baoling attended primary school in the village and enjoyed a leisurely life every day. The education in the village primary school was naturally not as good as that in the city, and the goal of most people was to recognize more words.

She didn't like going to class very much. The Chinese teacher currently teaching the class was an old man in his forties. His Mandarin was not very standard, but he always insisted on reading the text in plastic Mandarin, which made Liang Baoling yawn during the class.

The Chinese class was coming to an end. Liang Baoling packed her books and was the first one to rush out of the classroom and run home as soon as the bell rang.

Today is the last day of classes this week and tomorrow is a day off. She has made an appointment with Shui Xing, a girl of the same age in the village, to go fishing. But the next day, when she was about to go out after lunch, she saw her third sister coming back!

"Third sister, why are you back?" Liang Baoling hadn't seen her third sister for a while, so she rushed over and hugged her tightly.

Liang Baozhen was carrying a large bag that looked heavy and bulging. Liang Baoling wanted to help her sister carry the bag, but after she took it, she was surprised by the weight. "Sister, what are you carrying?"

"A gift for you." Liang Baozhen went into the house with her sister and saw that no one was in the house. She asked casually, "Where are my parents? My eldest sister's husband is not here either?"

"They're all gone." Liang Baoling was now concerned about the big bag of gifts. There were so many and so heavy. The little girl had become fairer over the winter and looked brighter. She reached out and touched the bag, and it felt a little rough. "Sister, what gifts are these?"

"Liang Baoling, come and fish!" Several children from the village came to call for help, but Liang Baoling smiled and directly rejected them.

"I'm not going today, you guys go ahead." She wanted to see the gifts! They must be delicious and fun things in the city!

Liang Baozhen untied the rope that sealed the box and took out the gifts one by one. "Chinese and math teaching materials, three calligraphy practice stickers, two literary picture books, and the physics and chemistry teaching materials for the first grade of junior high school. You can take a look at them in advance..."

The smile on Liang Baoling's lips gradually faded. As she looked at the books being taken out one after another, her lips finally turned down. Was it too late for her to go out and slack off now?

The author has something to say:

Liang Baozhen: Baoling, please accept my sister’s love!

Liang Baoling: Sister, there’s no need for that!

The author is selling: peanuts and melon seeds for five years of college entrance examinations, and beer drinks for three years of simulation, do you want it?

Liang Baoling: No, no, I just want the nutritional fluids that are about to expire at the end of the month, to replenish my nutrition and brain^O^