In April 1978, Jin Wen gave birth to another son, named Zhang Shijie. Perhaps because of giving birth too frequently, Jin Wen's health has been poor since the birth of her son. Finally, the couple sent their son back to their hometown.

Next, Zhang Weifen's son Li Yong was born in May. She married well this time and had a very comfortable confinement period. After the full month, Zhang Weifen had gained a lot of weight.

At the end of July, Zhang Weibao also got married. At this time, there were new requirements for marriage in the village. Radios, sewing machines, watches, and wardrobes had to be arranged.

In preparation for the wedding, Zhang Weibao repainted the house, laid neat new bricks on the floor, and replaced the windows of the cave with large glass windows, so that there was plenty of light in the house during the day.

Zhang Weibao’s wedding room was the western kiln where his sisters lived before. After his sisters got married, it became vacant. Now it has been renovated and has become a new house.

Zhang Weibao spent more than a thousand yuan on his wedding this time. The family didn't have enough money, so Zhang Weiren and Zhang Weifang had to give some money privately.

Even so, the bride was not satisfied. She still wanted to buy a TV. Televisions were becoming popular now. A 14-inch black and white TV cost about 380 yuan, and you needed a ticket.

Unfortunately, tickets were hard to come by and the family couldn't find any TV tickets, so the new daughter-in-law had to give up. However, she made a new request: to buy an iron stove for winter.

Zhang Weibao didn't want to get married at one point, but thinking about how much he had already invested, he had to bite the bullet and call his brother.

But Jin Wen was not happy. They were rich, but they were not suckers. How could they be allowed to buy it?

Jin Wen was smart. She went straight to Zhang Weifang's house and threw the problem to Lu Shi:

"Brother-in-law, look at what this has caused. To maintain the marriage, we have to contribute money and effort. We are just brothers and sisters-in-law, not parents."

In the end, the iron stove was bought by Zhang Weifang and the chimney was bought by Zhang Weiren, and they were given as wedding gifts to their younger brother.

In fact, Zhang Weifang was also unhappy. She had already paid the money, and now she was asked to work hard. It seemed that they were taking advantage of her alone.

Lu Shi has always been generous. He doesn't have many brothers or sisters, so he attaches great importance to family.

In his eyes, Zhang Weibao is his brother, and marriage is a lifelong event. If he has the ability, he will help.

With a new daughter-in-law at home, Zhang Qiao Na felt relieved. She basically didn't have to do any work in the kitchen or the fields. The most she could do was help wash the dishes.

However, Zhang Qiaona and Zhang Jiuyun are busy taking care of their two grandsons, and their daily schedules are fully scheduled.

Zhang Weicun is still the same. Except for eating, he is nowhere to be seen at other times.

The new daughter-in-law had a good temper. Facing such a brother-in-law, she didn't say anything and worked diligently to manage the family every day.

The biggest changes this year were the country’s reform and opening up policy and the return of educated youth to the city.

Although we have taken the college entrance examination twice since last year, there are still many people who failed or cannot take the exam, and they all have to return to the city.

Now, the country allows educated youth to return to the city. Those who have persisted for a long time finally have hope of going home. They can't wait to get their certificates and happily get on the train.

However, those who have married and settled locally do not meet the conditions for returning to the city.

This policy also made people feel uneasy. Those former educated youth originally thought that they had no hope of returning to the city, so they got married and had children locally.

Now, when they learn that they have the opportunity to return to the city but their marriage has become a shackle, most people will choose to divorce.

After all, life in the city is not comparable to that in the countryside, and the hardships in the countryside are not something that ordinary people can endure.

In recent days, the Civil Affairs Bureau has been extremely busy. Most of the people who come here are educated youth who want to divorce. At the crossroads of life, many people will choose their future.

Those with a conscience will take the children away, while those with a lack of conscience will not even want the children. They only want a decent life in the city and an unattainable future.

Some people get divorced easily, but some are so fierce that they insist on going all out.

Just look at this: the family of the team leader of a certain village refused to allow their daughter-in-law to leave, refused to issue her a certificate, and even locked her up.

This daughter-in-law was also cruel. When everyone was eating, she secretly went to the kitchen, took a kitchen knife, and put it directly against her neck, threatening the family with death to leave.

Facing her crying husband and frightened son, she felt no wavering in her heart. She had only one goal in mind: to return to the city.

They were the first couple Zhang Weifang received this morning. The man had his head down, while the woman held her neck high, her face full of excitement:

"Comrade, please help us quickly. I'm in a hurry to get home."

Zhang Weifang saw her happy look and handed over the divorce certificate directly, then blurted out:

"Congratulations."

As soon as these two words came out of her mouth, Zhang Weifang knew that she had said the wrong thing. The woman didn't care. She smiled, said thank you and left.

The man held the divorce certificate in his hand, tears in his eyes, and a sad face. He choked and asked:

"Comrade, is divorce a happy thing? And you even said congratulations."

Zhang Weifang also knew that she had said something wrong, and she quickly apologized:

"Comrade, I'm sorry, I was wrong."

"But she is really happy. Is it so good to go back to the city?" The man started crying as he spoke.

Zhang Weifang glanced at Xiao Hu, wanting her to help persuade the man. Xiao Hu kindly stepped forward and tried to persuade him, but after she finished, the man cried even louder.

Xiao Hu said directly:

"Hey, don't cry. You're already divorced. Besides, after eating white flour and rice, who wants to eat steamed bread every day? It's normal for her to want to go back to the city."

The man was crying his heart out. Zhang Weifang and Xiao Hu looked at each other, not daring to persuade him anymore.

Fortunately, the man stopped crying after a while. He wiped the tears from his face, turned around and left this sad place.

After the man left, Xiao Hu complained:

"Luckily we have jobs, otherwise we might be the couple we are today."

Zhang Weifang thought about it and felt that what Xiao Hu said was very realistic. Most people would choose the good one, but if it were her, she would probably be reluctant to leave her child. But who knows? After all, they had never experienced that kind of life facing the earth and back to the sky.

After what she has experienced, she might run faster. With such great hope ahead, who would give up easily?