First Encounter
Yanzi also did well in the exam, so at least both of them can go to school in the county.
Both of them wanted to go home quickly and tell their families the good news.
When we were almost home, we realized that it was probably not lunch time yet, so we went to the fields together again.
From a distance, Tietou and his friends were playing in the fields, while Xu's mother was doing some light work while looking after the children.
At this time, those who were slacking off in the fields saw several students coming over here. Those whose families had children attending school knew that the results of the senior elementary school students had come out, and they all joked about how they did in the exams, especially Xu Nian. Everyone in the village knew that she was the most spoiled daughter of Xu Qinghua's family.
Xu Nian did not show any shyness. He waved the teacup in his hand happily and ran to find Xu's father and mother.
Aunt Xu Nian, who was also watching nearby, was a little unhappy. This girl didn't care about anyone and didn't even know to say hello when she saw them.
Xu Nian didn't mean it, he really didn't know him.
After finding her parents, she put the test paper in Father Xu's hands. Father Xu was not in a hurry to take it. He wiped his hands clean and wiped them on his pants before picking up the test paper. Although he knew that his daughter had done well from his expression, he didn't expect her to do so well.
The usually taciturn old father had a smile on his face, and Xu's mother was so happy looking at the new teacup, which was new and beautiful, that she couldn't stop smiling. The villagers around were all chatting and laughing, some of them were having fun with the villagers, and some were just taking a break.
When Uncle Xu Nian came over to supervise, he saw that everyone was gathered together and shouted twice: "No one is ready to work, and they don't want to eat."
Everyone dispersed with laughter, but Father Xu said with a smile: "Brother, our Nian Nian may have to go to junior high school."
Xu Nian has heard about his great uncle several times recently. After taking a closer look today, he found that maybe because he was younger than Xu's father, he was a little whiter, but the two looked very similar.
"Haha, that's great. Nian Nian will probably be in the same school as her brother Kai Kai by then, so they can both be helpful."
Xu Nian pretended to be shy and nodded.
It’s not good to delay too much while working, so Uncle Xu chatted for a few more minutes. Only when he was leaving did he tell Xu Nian: “I haven’t come to see your grandparents recently. Remember to tell them the good news.”
Xu Nian heard this and quickly replied, "I understand, uncle."
Because of Xu Nian's good grades, the atmosphere at home was better than ever even in the hot weather, and the eldest and second sisters-in-law were particularly friendly to her as their younger sister-in-law.
In order to make a final push, Xu Nian studied intensively for a few more days. The main reason was that Xu Nian felt that this exam might be the best one in her student career, and it still took advantage of more than ten years of study.
——
Time always flies when you have something to do. This time, Xu's father took leave to take Xu Nian to the county, and they had to ride in a donkey cart.
She went in to take the exam. Xu's father was waiting outside the school, and Xu Nian waved to him as she walked. This reminded her of Zhu Ziqing's "Back Figure." There was no platform, no oranges to buy, and no back figure to face. But even so, Xu Nian felt her eyes sore and tears welled up.
Perhaps this moment was the time when Xu Nian felt closest to family affection. She thought she would never forget that she had a father who was not pedantic and favored boys over girls, and who had a daughter waiting for the college entrance examination in the hot summer. The sunlight reflected on her back was a father's earnest expectations and deep love for his child.
There are two junior high schools in the county where Xu Nian lives, County No. 1 Middle School and County No. 3 Middle School.
No. 1 Middle School also includes a high school department, while No. 3 Middle School only has a junior high school department. No. 1 Middle School is definitely better than No. 3 Middle School, but most students choose No. 3 Middle School because they can directly enter technical secondary school after graduating from there.
Nowadays, technical secondary school is better than high school. The first point is to be admitted to a technical secondary school. You will be directly assigned to a unit upon graduation. Having a job means having a salary and you can also learn a skill. It is the first choice for most parents and their children.
But the Xu family has a long history of learning. They have an aunt who was admitted to university. They have hope in their hearts and have role models, so the family can let their children go to high school. I heard that the aunt Xu always said that it is impossible to prevent them from taking the college entrance examination forever. Even if they don't take the college entrance examination, they will be more competitive than others if they go to high school.
Xu Nian certainly didn't want to go to a technical secondary school. For her, graduation meant starting work early. She didn't want to work, she just wanted to relax and lie back. Sometimes, when she compared the vigor of the people of this era, she would feel ashamed.
So after finishing the test paper, she checked it over and over again. As for the composition, she wrote an outline before writing. Fortunately, she only took the test in Chinese and math. She found that the math score was beyond the syllabus, but it was not too outrageous.
After checking the names, I waited for the campus bell to ring and handed in the paper.
At this time, all the students had finished their exams. Xu Nian followed the crowd out of the school gate. She saw Xu's father at a glance and ran over. Fortunately, her father was standing in the shade of a tree and was not exposed to the sun, but she still felt warm and distressed.
Xu Nian originally wanted to buy a towel and toothbrush in the county town, but now he suddenly decided to treat his father to something to eat.
She now had the fifty cents she found in the original owner's closet and the one dollar reward from the school, which was considered a "large sum" of money.
"Dad, I did well in the exam last time and the teacher not only gave me a teacup, but also a dollar. Look," he said, raising his hand.
"Hey, put it away quickly, aren't you stupid? We all say that wealth should not be revealed to others."
Xu Nian didn't care. "Dad, I'll treat you to a bowl of noodles. We'll go back after we finish eating."
"No need, I'm happy that you've done well. What kind of noodles do you want to eat? I'll take you to the state-owned restaurant," said Father Xu with a smile.
"Okay, let's go first." Xu Nian thought about coaxing his father over first.
The state-owned hotel is neither far nor close to the school, but there is a wood furniture factory not far from the hotel. The people inside come out one after another after work, and when they see people watching them, they all look proud.
Even Xu's father sighed when he saw this, "The working class is good, but I don't know how Feng Cheng is doing in finding a job. He's never home."
Xu Nian thought that his third brother was also an "oddball" because he was determined to find a good job. He didn't care even if the villagers said he was not doing his job properly.
As the father and daughter were talking, they saw a boy, probably in his teens, blocking a middle-aged man who was leaving work at the factory gate. They couldn't hear what they were saying, but the man looked ferocious, perhaps because he was talking too fiercely. A crowd gradually gathered around them.
Seeing more and more people coming and no one to see him anymore, Xu Nian lost interest and simply pulled his father's arm into the state-owned restaurant.
State-owned restaurants are a product of the 1970s and 1980s. Xu Nian was quite curious. After entering, he found that it was probably more than 70 square meters, with several square tables. The furnishings were also very characteristic of that era and were quite nice.
At this time, the waiter who saw them come in called them unhappily and said, "What do you want to order? Pay first."
Xu Nian saw the sign that said shredded pork noodles, and ordered two bowls at 50 cents each.
"Just eat it yourself. Dad will go home to eat." Father Xu smiled and waved to the waiter, indicating that one portion would be enough.
The waiter was even more unhappy and felt it was shabby, but he had seen it so many times that he just thought about it.
"Sister, listen to me and order two bowls. I did well on the test, and the teacher gave me a dollar as a reward. Usually, my dad spends money on me, so today I want to treat him to a meal."
The waiter saw that the girl in front of him was pretty, lively, sweet-mouthed and filial, and he felt a little embarrassed about his previous attitude.
"You are quite filial. As a father, you should be happy when your daughter treats you to a meal. Have a bowl too." He took Xu Nian's money and went to the kitchen.
"Girl, I can just go home and eat. You don't need to spend this money. You can keep it for yourself to buy some girl-related things. You don't need to pay for your father now." Father Xu was a little helpless.
"Dad, I just wanted to treat you. Besides, I wanted to buy a toothbrush and a towel but I had no money. You bought them for me, so it's the same. This is what we call love between father and daughter."
Listening to his daughter's soft and coquettish words, he was actually very happy in his heart.
Not long after, the noodles arrived, and it was obvious that there was extra noodles and meat whistles. Father Xu could see it clearly. Although he seldom came out to eat, as an old farmer he could still estimate the amount.
Xu Nian quickly thanked her sweetly: "Thank you, thank you sister!"
The noodles were chewy and smooth, and most importantly, the portion was large and affordable. Xu Nian was very satisfied with the meal. It could be said to be the best meal he had recently. He hadn't eaten meat since he came here. It wasn't that he was not allowed to eat it, but there was no place to buy it even if he wanted to. So both father and daughter were very satisfied with the meal.
I was eating happily when several men in clothes from the woodworking furniture factory came in. They didn't care about anything else and just talked while ordering food.
"Liu Jun is going a bit too far. I heard that the kid from the Xu family has been struggling to attend elementary school for several years since his parents died in the line of duty. He could have started working after two years of junior high school, but he insisted on forcing the kid to take a break."
Another man said, "That kid is 15 now. I heard he's a good student and he barely managed to graduate this year."
"That's useless. It's impossible for Liu Jun to give him his job, or for Liu Jun's wife to give him her job."
"That's really a piece of shit. That's their parents' job. I was too young to take over then, but now that I'm older, at least give me one."
"Hey, you probably don't know there's something even worse. He and his wife live in the county with a boy and three other children, and they're still being looked after by the kid from the Xu family. And they're not satisfied with that. My relative is in the Third Brigade, and I heard that the child was still young but they were forced to work in the fields, and the living quarters weren't good either."
Several people were talking as they ate: "That couple is so cruel. Liu Jun's wife is the child's aunt after all. The child without parents is like a weed."
Some customers were curious and listened attentively.
Xu Nian had read so much of this kind of online news in the modern era that he simply dismissed it as gossip. But when he noticed his father's expression, he realized something was amiss. He had assumed his father was kind and wouldn't tolerate this.
He saw that Mr. Xu had finished his noodles, and his portion was too big to finish. After asking Mr. Xu, he gave half to him.
In the afternoon, he needed to take a donkey cart to go home and couldn't keep others waiting. After dinner, Xu's father took his daughter to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a toothbrush and a defective towel.
There was no choice. Towels also required tickets. If they were defective, you could buy them as long as you had money, but that wasn't easy to come by. But anyway, everything was bought. Adding the teacup at home, Xu Nian had all the essentials she needed.
Xu Nian walked around, and her father followed her. On the street, she saw a vendor selling sesame seed cakes, which were only one cent each. Even though she was full, she still found them delicious.
Afraid that Xu's father would accuse her of spending money recklessly, she secretly bought two when Xu's father wasn't paying attention and brought them back for her mother to try. The cakes didn't taste good, so her mother took a day off to stay at home and take care of the children. If she saw the cakes she brought, she would definitely be happy.
The donkey cart slowly moved along the dirt road in the countryside. If a girl was fond of poetry and painting, she would have imagined the beautiful countryside scenery. But for Xu Nian, the dust raised by the donkey cart only made her think "Pooh", "Pooh", "Pooh".
The man driving the cart was an old man from the same village. Seeing her funny look, he whipped his donkey and laughed.
So when the donkey cart stopped at the entrance of the village, Xu Nian just wanted to run away quickly. Xu's father looked at him, smiled and shook his head, and followed behind with his things.
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