Shi Yue watched He Lixuan's retreating figure, her feelings a mix of emotions.
She waited until the figure was no longer visible before turning back into the house.
As soon as I entered, I heard Uncle Shen saying to Sister Ningning, "I think Xiao He is right. Books are most valuable when they are fully utilized. So I'm going to organize them and collect the ones with copies and the ones that students can study, and donate them to the school library."
Shiyue paused, realizing that these were the very words she was about to use to persuade Uncle Shen.
He Lixuan actually spoke for her beforehand.
How did he find out what she was thinking?
Shiyue felt even more conflicted.
She went inside.
Upon seeing her, Shen Yuanbai did not stop the conversation.
As he began taking books out of the box, he said, "Let's give these books, which we collected from various sources to establish the agricultural college, to the college as well. They'll have more value in them than I do."
Shen Ningning, who had always talked about having too many books, couldn't help but feel sorry for him when she heard this.
She put down the rag in her hand, walked over, picked up a book, flipped through it, and then said, "These books were all bought by our family through connections."
I remember back then, to fill the agricultural college's textbook library, you used every connection you could, asked everyone you could for help, and went to great lengths."
She picked up a handwritten notebook from the side and continued, "You even sold my gold bracelet just to translate this German version of the 'Agricultural Handbook'."
"We have to donate all of these? Dad, didn't the agricultural college keep copies of these? Didn't they even have someone copy them?"
Shen Yuanbai gave a wry smile and said, "Let's not talk about the past. Besides, when the Agricultural College was being built, it wasn't just me who contributed. Everyone put in their effort. It was built through everyone's collective wisdom and hard work, so let's not complain about these things."
He then gestured with his hand across the crowded living room: "Where should I put these? I have to keep the most important ones first."
Shen Ningning fell silent.
She knew that the most important thing her father was talking about was a batch of ancient books left behind by his teacher before he left the country.
Those items were accumulated by the teacher's family over generations, and many of them were treasures.
These books must be carefully preserved.
But now, they don't even have a place to put it, let alone anything else.
Thinking of this, Shen Ningning's anger flared up again!
But there is nothing I can do.
Shiyue glanced at the father and daughter who had suddenly fallen silent, and couldn't help but tentatively ask, "Uncle, Ningning, could you give me some of those agricultural books? Also, if you don't have a place to put these books, would you consider putting them at my house?"
Both father and daughter were stunned.
Seeing that things were looking promising, Shiyue quickly shared her thoughts.
"Uncle Shen, you haven't been to my house. My house has a big yard. It's located near the back mountain, far away from other houses in the village."
I can dedicate a room specifically to these books, and I'll take good care of them. You can always retrieve them whenever you need them; I promise I'll look after them perfectly.
It has to be said that Shi Yue's suggestion appealed to Shen Yuanbai.
But after thinking about it, he shook his head: "It's too far away, it's really inconvenient."
“Even if it’s inconvenient, it’s still better than having nowhere to put it.” Shen Ningning disagreed with her father’s statement.
She thought for a moment and said, "I'll take a bus to my brother tomorrow and ask him to borrow a car from the camp. Then my brother and I will take Shiyue home together."
This way, we can deliver the book and also give Shiyue a boost in status! Let those people know that even though my Uncle Shi has passed away, Shiyue is not left unattended.
With you, with my Uncle Lü, Uncle Cao, and the others, no one can bully Shiyue!
Shen Yuanbai, who had initially thought it was too extravagant, immediately nodded in agreement upon hearing his daughter's words.
He said, "Okay! Go first thing tomorrow morning. Before you leave, give Shiyue all the cloth coupons and industrial coupons so she can go out and buy things herself."
Originally, it was supposed to be you and your mother accompanying Shiyue, but this is a special case, so let Shiyue go by herself.
Buy yourself some nice clothes and dress yourself up nicely, so those people know we have family here!
"Hmm, I'll go buy another pair of cotton shoes. I remember the department store recently got a new type of corduroy cotton shoe; it's both nice and thick."
The father and daughter became more and more excited as they talked, and for a moment neither of them thought to ask Shiyue's opinion.
Shiyue had her objections on the tip of her tongue, but she never had the chance to say them.
Ningning mentioned Uncle Cao and Uncle Lü, and Shiyue knew about them, but she had never had the chance to meet them before.
Like Uncle Shen, they all shared a life-and-death bond with their father.
Dad had told Shiyue about their friendship more than once before.
Simply put, these three uncles were all underground workers before the liberation.
During a meeting, they were betrayed by a traitor and fled to hide in the restaurant where their father worked.
At that time, the city was in turmoil, and the restaurant owner had already fled, handing the restaurant over to Shi Yue's father before leaving.
Shiyue's parents were already preparing to close the restaurant and flee the city, but unexpectedly, they discovered the three people hiding in the restaurant the day before they left.
What happened next was quite simple: Shiyue's parents gave up their chance to escape for the sake of Uncle Shen and the others, and reluctantly stayed at the restaurant.
In order to avoid arousing suspicion, they had to reopen the restaurant.
At that time, the city was in chaos, many businesses had closed down, and there weren't many restaurants open either, but their shop was always packed with customers.
This is actually not a good thing.
At that time, almost all the shop assistants had left, and there wasn't much stock left.
The prices of grains, vegetables, and meat change daily, and the money earned isn't even enough to cover the expenses for the next day.
However, Shen Yuanbai and the other two were injured, and there were wanted posters for them outside.
For their sake, Shi's parents managed to keep the restaurant open for an extra half month, until the people who were supposed to pick them up came looking for them.
By then, the couple was exhausted, and they had used up all their savings to support the shop.
Money is a minor issue; the real problem is the daily dangers and pressures that are beyond the capacity of ordinary people to bear!
Therefore, it is not an exaggeration for Shen Yuanbai to say that Shi's father saved their lives!
Fortunately, none of the three men were heartless. After liberation, they quickly found the Shijia couple who were hiding in the countryside.
By then, all three of them had official positions and were no longer the underground workers they once were.
Uncle Shen joined the Ministry of Education, Uncle Lü Wensheng served as a division commander in the army, and Uncle Cao Lezhi became the director of the largest steel plant in the region.
They all became powerful officials.
They helped the Shi family of three acquire household items and, at the request of the Shi couple, helped them choose Qianjin Brigade as their place of residence.
This is one of the reasons why the brigade cadres always treated Shifu well when he was alive.
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