Chapter 25
Tang Qingqing carried firewood back home. Winter was almost here, so they needed to prepare a lot of firewood, otherwise they wouldn't be able to survive.
She now has to go to school every day and cannot earn work points, so she no longer takes care of housework, causing chaos at home.
She would no longer help wash everyone's clothes, but she still had to carry the firewood back because she needed it herself.
And if she doesn't do these jobs, it will fall to her aunt.
Tang Qingqing came home early today. Only her aunt and Tang Qiaoqiao were at home. The others had gone to work and had not returned yet.
The aunt took Tang Qiaoqiao to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Although Tang Qiaoqiao was young, she could already help a lot.
"Aunt, Qiaoqiao, I'm back."
When Tang Qiaoqiao saw Tang Qingqing, she jumped to her side with an envious look on her face.
"Sister, did you have fun at school today?"
Aunt: "Qiaoqiao, going to school is not for fun."
Tang Qingqing: "It's fun. I learned a lot of new words today, and I also learned multiplication formulas in math."
Tang Qiaoqiao didn't know what the multiplication formula was, but that didn't stop her from thinking she was good at studying.
"Sister, it's great to go to school."
"Qiaoqiao, do you want to go to school?"
Tang Qiaoqiao was about to open her mouth but closed it again and glanced secretly at her mother.
She shook her head: "I don't want to go to school. I like to stay at home and work."
My aunt's eyes turned slightly red and she turned her face away.
She could see the expectation in her daughter's eyes, but she couldn't guarantee anything.
In their current situation, it is hard for them to have enough food to eat, so how can they have extra money to send their children to school?
It would have been fine if Tang Qiaoqiao was a boy, but it was a girl, so she couldn't say anything.
"So you don't like going to school? I found you a good teacher who teaches you for free, but you don't like it. What should I do? I wanted us sisters to go to cram school together."
When Tang Qiaoqiao heard this, her drooping head immediately straightened up.
"Sister, are there any free teachers?"
The elder aunt also looked over, not understanding what Tang Qingqing was saying.
"Yes, do you know the new educated youth Zhai? He promised to take some time out every day to teach us for free. As long as we go there and learn, we don't need to bring anything else."
Tang Qiaoqiao's face turned red with excitement, and she looked at her mother expectantly.
The eldest aunt suppressed her excitement and said, "Qingqing, are you telling the truth?"
"It couldn't be more true, auntie. Qiaoqiao is not young anymore, and it's time for her to go to school. She can study with Zhai Zhiqing and me, and then she can dig some pig grass when she comes back, so she doesn't feel she has nothing to do."
It is not possible for a country child to not work. If you want Tang Qiaoqiao to have some free time, you have to assign her some tasks and then squeeze out time to study.
Tang Qiaoqiao used to help out at home, but now she has to take some time out to go out in order to study.
Tang Qiaoqiao didn't dare say anything, but just looked at her mother expectantly.
"Will it delay Zhai Zhiqing's affairs?"
"No, he was originally going to teach Wang Heizi. Teaching one is the same as teaching three. He can also supervise Wang Heizi."
Tang Qingqing deliberately kept herself hidden, otherwise her aunt would always want to do something to repay the favor.
The aunt kept rubbing her apron on her chest to hide her inner excitement:
"Qingqing, please take Qiaoqiao with you. I really don't know how to thank you. As for Zhai Zhiqing, we will find a chance to thank him later."
"Aunt, why are you being so polite to me? You don't have to worry about Zhai Zhiqing. He doesn't like to do this. Just don't spread this matter to others."
My aunt quickly assured me, "I will definitely not tell anyone!"
Tang Qiaoqiao had a big smile on her face, and she couldn't suppress it.
"Mom, sister, can I go to school now?"
Tang Qingqing pinched her cheek and said, "Yes, you must study hard. Zhai Zhiqing only teaches those who study hard."
Tang Qiaoqiao's head was like a chicken pecking at rice, "I will definitely study hard!"
When Zhao Dahua came back from work, she found that she had not washed the large basin of clothes, and she was immediately furious.
"Tang Qingqing, you are asking for trouble. You came back so early and didn't even wash your clothes!"
Tang Qingqing: "I've already finished washing."
Zhao Dahua brought out a large basin filled with clothes.
"Why are you washing? There's still a pile of them here!"
"Aren't those your clothes? What does it have to do with me?"
Zhao Dahua suddenly became angry, put the basin on the ground, and looked around for a stick.
"You little bitch, you are so lawless. What do you mean by 'your' clothes? What's the matter? You are not a member of our family, so why don't you eat our food? You don't do anything. What do you want to do? Be a princess or a lady? Don't you think you have the fate to do it?"
Tang Qingqing pulled a small stool and sat down next to him: "Go ahead and beat him, it's better to beat him harder. When the police come, we can talk it out. Even if the parents don't love their children, they can't beat them to death. It's a good opportunity to check whether the child was taken away by mistake. I heard there is a blood test to identify relatives. We can check it out for sure."
When Zhao Dahua heard this, he did not dare to put down the stick he had raised.
"How dare you threaten me, you damn girl!"
"Anyway, if I can't survive, I won't be alone. I have to bring a few people with me."
As Tang Qingqing spoke, her eyes turned to Tang Xingqiang.
Zhao Dahua shuddered and quickly ran in front of Tang Xingqiang to block Tang Qingqing's sight.
"What do you want to do!"
Tang Qingqing retracted her gaze. "It's nothing. I think my brothers have grown up. It's not good for them to hang around outside all day. If they become idlers in the future, that would be terrible. Do you know the Liushu Brigade? A few days ago, an idler was arrested. I heard that he will be imprisoned for many years."
The news of the sheep thief being caught has now spread throughout the Rongshan Brigade.
Because this incident later involved an underground casino. Even though the whole den was busted, there were still some that slipped through the net.
In order to protect Tang Qingqing, they did not publicize the fact that this case was related to her.
However, this incident was still reported so that everyone can learn from it.
"You are such a mean girl, you actually cursed your own brother."
Zhao Dahua was furious and hit him with a stick.
Tang Qingqing said that you can hit me as you like, but in fact, she had been on guard for a long time.
As soon as he saw that she was about to attack, he immediately slipped towards her, then sneaked behind Tang Xingqiang and hugged him with both hands.
Six-year-old Tang Xingqiang was squatting on the ground playing with insects. When he was suddenly hugged like this, he thought Tang Qingqing was playing a joke on him and laughed happily.
"Big sister, spin around!"
Even if Zhao Dahua was angry at this time, he didn't dare to hit the stick, for fear of hitting his little son on the head.
"You little bitch, didn't you say you could beat me up? Why are you running away?"
"I ran away because I felt sorry for my younger brother. In a few days, the police came and saw that I had been beaten. If you are put in jail, you are locked up. At worst, my dad can marry a young and beautiful woman. He has already had this idea. But I feel sorry for my younger brother. He will have a stepmother and a stepfather in the future."
Zhao Dahua was originally furious and wanted to beat Tang Qingqing, but when he heard this, he forgot everything else.
"What did you say? What is your father thinking?"
Tang Qingqing quickly covered her mouth with a frustrated expression as if to say 'Oops, I said the wrong thing'.
"It's nothing, Mom. Don't think too much. You have us anyway."
These words made Zhao Dahua feel that something was wrong. She quickly threw away the stick and walked towards Tang Qingqing.
"Qingqing, tell me quickly, did your dad offend someone outside?"
"Mom, what are you talking about? It's not true. Our family is so poor, who would be so stupid to look for my dad?"
The more Tang Qingqing said no, the more suspicious Zhao Dahua became.
Tang Jianjun likes to show off outside, claiming that he is the factory director's younger brother and feels that he is different from ordinary farmers.
Country old men would wear their most tattered clothes when working during the day. When it got hot, they would tear their clothes open or roll them up like pickled vegetables.
Tang Jianjun is different. He always dresses neatly, saying that he cannot lose his dignity.
He also likes to put on a leadership attitude and order people around, even more impressive than a captain.
When she is not working, she would comb her hair neatly and dress neatly, and she is particularly vain.
He was almost reported before, and people said he was a bourgeois, out of touch with reality, too focused on appearance, and a hedonist.
Tang Jianjun said: No matter farmers or worker cadres, personal hygiene comes first. Do farmers represent dirty and chaotic things?
Besides, what did he enjoy? He was wearing old clothes that Tang Jianguo had discarded, but he washed them more frequently. Those who said bad things about him were those who didn't have women to help wash clothes at home, so they were just jealous.
Zhao Dahua didn't think there was anything wrong at first. Who doesn't like a clean man?
If a man is not clean, it is easy for him to make a woman feel uncomfortable.
Zhao Dahua initially fell in love with Tang Jianjun because of his good looks.
Apart from anything else, the Tang family all look pretty good.
Tang Jianjun was also a handsome man when he was young, and Zhao Dahua was attracted to him at first sight. Even though everyone said that he was not a good person, that he was too lazy, that he could not do anything, and that he was always showing off to be the best, Zhao Dahua did not care.
But if they really get married, this advantage of Zhao Dahua may not be a good thing.
Her husband is so good, so many women are eyeing him.
Zhao Dahua's reputation spread throughout the entire brigade, and one of the important reasons was that she felt someone was seducing her man.
At the slightest sign of trouble, they would run to someone's door and scold them.
The older she gets, the more uneasy Zhao Dahua feels.
Her man hasn't changed much, but she is getting older and older. She is obviously younger, but when standing together with him, she looks like her man's sister.
Now that Tang Qingqing said this, the string in my heart tightened again.
Zhao Dahua tried hard to calm her expression, and even her voice changed:
"Qing'er, have you realized something? Tell mom that I will treat you well from now on and will never hit you again."
Tang Qingqing was in a state of panic, and Tang Xingqiang in her arms didn't give her any face at all.
"Hahahaha, mom, are you horny? Your voice has been stretched like noodles, it sounds so ugly."
Tang Qingqing almost choked to death by her own saliva. Tang Xingqiang played outside all day and no one knew where he learned these nonsense words.
Zhao Dahua's face turned green, and he reached out to pull Tang Xingqiang:
"Tang Xingqiang, I think you are tired of living!"
Tang Xingqiang hugged Tang Qingqing's arm tightly, "Sister, you can't let go, I'm going to be eaten by the old witch!"
Tang Qingqing quickly hugged Tang Xingqiang away, "Mom, what are you doing? You scared me to death."
"Bah, I'm so mad at him and he's still alive and well."
Tang Xingqiang was heartless and even made a face for fun.
"Mom, don't think too much. If you're worried, don't be so diligent in washing Dad's clothes. A handsome old man or an old man, who do you think is more popular?"
In the whole family, Tang Jianjun has the most clothes.
Any cloth coupons in the house were given to him first, and Tang Jianguo often sent him old clothes.
Although they are old clothes, they are considered very decent in the countryside, and are the kind of clothes only worn by cadres.
He was also the one who changed his clothes most frequently, and he required that they be washed cleanly and ironed using a kettle of hot water.
Otherwise he would lose his temper, which was much more terrifying than Zhao Dahua who often lost his temper and beat people.
Tang Xingwang and Tang Xingqiang dared to act arrogantly in front of Zhao Dahua, but they were very honest in front of Tang Jianjun.
It is not without reason that he was previously accused of being a capitalist hedonist.
Zhao Dahua narrowed his eyes and said, "You are probably talking nonsense because you don't want to wash clothes, right?"
Tang Qingqing rolled her eyes: "If you think so, then so be it. Anyway, you guys are not nice to me. If I have a new mother, maybe my life will be better."
"You silly girl, what are you thinking about all day? Are you happy when the family breaks up?"
"I don't care anyway. I have my master and the police taking care of me now. Whatever happens at home won't affect me. Maybe they will feel sorry for me and take better care of me."
Zhao Dahua was furious when she heard this, and couldn't understand why Tang Qingqing had changed so much.
I would never talk back like this before. The most annoying thing was that I would run away, but I would come back in the end because I couldn't bear to leave this home.
But now, she is so shameless that not only is she not sad about the breakup of her family, she even claps and cheers.
Having someone supporting me from behind gives me a different kind of confidence.
I knew that if the child is not my own, I just couldn't raise him well. Look at him now, he is already shaking like a jerk.
But there was nothing she could do. At least at this critical juncture, she didn't dare to do anything rash.
And at this time Zhao Dahua was still thinking about another thing. Everyone said that this dead girl was a little evil.
Most people don’t know what a fingerprint is, and even if they hear an explanation, they still find it mysterious.
However, nowadays people are fighting against feudal superstition, so they are reluctant to say anything. But in their hearts, they all think that Tang Qingqing was able to find the arsonist, and it must be God's eyes that opened up, so they caught him.
As to whether it will be opened just this once or kept open, we will have to wait and see what happens in the future.
Everyone values Tang Qingqing now, not only because they caught the arsonist, but also because there is such a capable person in the team. If anyone loses something in the future, it will be easy to find it back.
Zhao Dahua couldn't help but wonder, if Tang Qingqing really opened her eyes, did she see what Tang Jianjun did, so she said those words.
Zhao Dahua’s guess was actually not wrong, as Tang Qingqing really saw it.
Just not now, but in the future.
Tang Qingqing's talk in this regard is not random, but based on facts.
Some of the insults she used were also adapted from "books", and she even tried hard to embellish them, so that the original words were even more offensive.
After the opening up, Tang Jianjun ran to the city to find Tang Jianguo, and relying on Tang Jianguo's connections, he rented a storefront in the factory and started his business.
His business was doing pretty well, especially since the rent for the storefront had been rising, but he had been doing the same thing, so his costs were very low and it was difficult for him not to make money.
Although he looks like a small boss, he has a lot of money in his pocket.
Tang Jianjun then became nervous and started to hook up with some questionable people. At first, he was a prostitute, but later he wanted to kick out his original wife and marry a new and tender one.
After Zhao Dahua found out, he took people to tear the mistress apart. In short, there was a lot of commotion, and the news even reached Tang Qingqing's ears.
Although Tang Qingqing dislikes Zhao Dahua and Tang Jianjun because they are not good to her.
But if we only talk about this matter, Tang Qingqing stands on Zhao Dahua's side.
No matter how Zhao Dahua treated herself, she was very good to Tang Jianjun.
That storefront was also maintained by Zhao Dahua. After Tang Jianjun entered the city, he was like a rat in a rice jar, doing nothing all day long.
Zhao Dahua was the only one who supported the business. As a country woman, she was unfamiliar with the city and illiterate, so she suffered a lot in the process.
As a result, the business of the store finally got on track, and not only did Tang Jianjun's ability win the credit, but the man who enjoyed the fruits of his labor also cheated on Zhao Dahua, wanted to kick her out, and didn't want to give her a penny.
Zhao Dahua took care of the children and managed the store by herself, and also did the laundry and cooking for Tang Jianjun, but she ended up like this. Tang Qingqing was very sad.
Of course, she brought up this matter now not to remind Zhao Dahua to be on guard.
From the book, Zhao Dahua had long realized that something was wrong with her man, but she thought it was those women who seduced her husband and didn't think it was Tang Jianjun's fault at all.
Although the store was run by Zhao Dahua, she sincerely believed that it was all Tang Jianjun's credit. Without Tang Jianjun, she would have nothing.
Like many traditional women, she thinks that women are not good enough and she has to have a man no matter how bad he is. She refuses to leave no matter how he treats her and always thinks that sooner or later her man will return to his rightful place.
When they find out their husbands are cheating, their first reaction is to blame the mistress.
Teaching a man a lesson is also to make him remember not to make the same mistake again and there is no intention to separate.
Especially in the city, where you are not in a familiar environment and have no relatives or friends around you, the dependence is even stronger.
But things are different now. Zhao Dahua's parents' home is not far from Rongshan Brigade, and the current atmosphere is different from the future. Anyone who dares to mess around will be drowned in spit.
Therefore, Zhao Dahua is more confident and dares to fight with Tang Jianjun.
Tang Qingqing brought this up deliberately so that Zhao Dahahua would focus less on herself and more on her man.
Once she is divided internally, she will have no time to cause trouble for her.
Tang Qingqing looked as if she didn't care whether she believed it or not, which made Zhao Dahua feel nervous.
Zhao Dahua pulled Tang Qingqing aside, and Tang Xingqiang also came over, but was slapped by Zhao Dahua.
"Go ahead and have fun. You guys are too embarrassed to listen to a woman's words."
Tang Xingqiang curled his lips, "Why can't I listen to what women say? I am the boss and I can listen to whatever the masters want to hear."
Zhao Dahua raised his hand and Tang Xingqiang ran away quickly.
"Mom, what are you doing? It's almost time for dinner, and you haven't found my dad yet."
"Don't mention your dad. I want to talk to you about serious matters."
"What's the matter? Didn't I tell you not to think too much about it?"
"That's not the case, Qing'er. Mom was a little too strict with you in the past, but I am your biological mother after all. How could I harm you? But a stepmother is different. Who knows where she might marry you to?"
"Mom, I'm short, but I'm almost fourteen now. You should tell Tang Xingqiang about this."
Tang Xingqiang popped his round head out from the wall: "I won't believe it even if you tell me. I'm still young, but you can't treat me as a fool. If you break up, I will have two parents, and four people will love me together. How wonderful it will be."
Zhao Dahua was almost mad at the people in this family. Both of them were troublesome.
"Tang Xingqiang, get down from here! I'll kill you if I don't fall!"
Tang Xingqiang's head shrank back again, and after a while he heard a "gulp" sound.
Tang Xingqiang's crying sound came from behind the wall. Zhao Dahua was angry and anxious, and ran over quickly.
After a while, Zhao Dahua's voice was heard. She was concerned whether Tang Xingqiang was hurt anywhere, and then she cursed him for what he deserved and asked who let him climb so high.
After a while, Tang Xingqiang was beaten again and screamed.
At dinner time in the evening, Tang Xingqiang finally calmed down and looked listless.
Tang Xingwang and Tang Xingqiang, who were usually noisy at the dinner table, suddenly became quiet, and everyone was a little uncomfortable.
Old Mrs. Wu was suspicious: "My two good grandchildren, what happened to you?"
Tang Xingqiang wanted to speak, but Zhao Dahahua glared at him. He immediately stopped talking and stuffed the steamed bun into his mouth.
Tang Xingwang drooped his face and said, "Grandma, I don't want to go herding sheep anymore."
He originally thought that herding sheep was easy. He just needed to drive the sheep up the hillside and then go play by himself.
It turns out that this is not the case at all. There are always sheep falling behind along the way, or trying to sneak away to other places.
He chased this one, and that one ran away, which made him very tired.
And because of his delay, the nearby hilltops were occupied by the other two groups, so he had to hurry to a farther place.
This back and forth almost paralyzed him from exhaustion.
Nowadays, some people still bring their own sheep with them. If they were to herd sheep alone in the future, they would be exhausted to death.
Zhao Dahua threw down his chopsticks and said, "If you don't herd sheep, what else can you do?"
"Anyway, I don't want to herd sheep anymore. My elder sister doesn't want to herd sheep anymore, so why should I take over? What does it have to do with me?"
Tang Xingwang is almost 12 years old now. In the countryside, he is already a grown-up boy and can be considered a half-laborer.
But he had never done any work before and just played outside all day. Suddenly he was exhausted after taking on such an important job.
Tang Xingwang sat next to Old Lady Wu. She pulled Old Lady Wu's arm and acted coquettishly:
"Grandma, can you bear to see me suffer?"
Tang Xingwang was the oldest boy in the family, so he was the most favored since he was young. Even though he had two younger brothers, his status was not threatened and he was still the most favored eldest grandson.
The bowl in Mrs. Wu’s hand was almost shaken and she couldn’t hold it steady. “Okay, okay, I won’t put it down.”
Tang Xingwang was so happy that he almost jumped up, "Grandma, you are so kind."
"I didn't want you to herd sheep in the first place, but your parents insisted that you go. Listen to grandma, you should continue to study, that's the right way."
The smile on Tang Xingwang's face froze. "Grandma, why should I continue studying after I dropped out of school?"
"Just go back and continue. You haven't been away for a few days anyway. I knew you couldn't do it anymore and I told the principal a long time ago."
Tang Xingwang couldn't believe it, going to school was more painful than herding sheep!
At least when shepherding sheep you can walk around, but when you go to school you are trapped in a small classroom, you can’t talk or move, and you have to listen to monks chanting.
Every time he got his exam results, he would be beaten by a mixed group of boys and girls. Even his grandmother, who doted on him the most, disliked him and complained to him.
Zhao Dahua still didn't understand what kind of person his son was, and snorted coldly:
"Since you don't want to herd sheep, then go to school. Anyway, your third brother is eight years old and can also herd sheep."
When Tang Xingsheng was called, he slowly raised his head, then lowered it without saying a word and slowly ate his steamed bun.
Tang Xingwang suddenly wilted, and finally said nothing.
Everyone knew that he would rather herd sheep than continue to go to school.
Tang Jianjun didn't care about what happened at the dinner table. He quickly finished his meal, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and left.
"Dad, where are you going?" Zhao Dahahua stopped him.
Tang Jianjun was puzzled. "Just wandering around the team, where else can you go?"
He always follows this routine after dinner, and he doesn't understand why Zhao Dahua suddenly called him over today.
After he finished speaking, he left without caring about Zhao Dahua's reaction.
Zhao Dahua called out to him twice from behind, but he was too lazy to respond.
Old Lady Wu noticed that something was wrong with Zhao Dahua today. "Why are you so fussy? You have to take care of everything. Having three sons isn't enough for you, but you still have to take care of your own man like a child."
Zhao Dahua had no evidence now, so she ignored it and just pouted without saying anything.
In the main room, no one said a word and everyone was eating in silence.
No matter what happens in the third room, they will not interfere.
Tang Qingqing rarely had some peace and quiet. Zhao Dahua was especially nice to her, smiling all the time. He rarely scolded her, let alone hit her.
This change was not only awkward for Tang Qingqing, but also for the entire Tang family.
Tang Qingqing understood that Zhao Dahahua wanted her to keep an eye on Tang Jianjun, but she didn't expose it and didn't do anything about it.
She is busy every day, so she has no time to do these things.
"Mom, don't be so suspicious. If you're worried, just keep an eye on it yourself. If you come to me and I tell you there's nothing, can you believe it?"
Zhao Dahua's smile froze. This was indeed a problem.
This girl is heartless. Who knows if she will turn against her father?
So he stopped pestering Tang Qingqing and took action on his own.
There is a reason why Tang Jianjun is easily suspected.
He likes to go out every day and comes back late at night. He doesn't like to do that at night like before. The more Zhao Dahua thinks about it, the more he feels something is wrong.
So she took more time to keep a close eye on Tang Jianjun, and had no time to find fault with Tang Qingqing.
Every afternoon after school, Tang Qiaoqiao would come to find Tang Qingqing, and the two would go to Old Liu's house to attend classes together.
They looked for many places before, but finally felt that Lao Liu's place was the most convenient.
Not many people come here, so it's very quiet.
There is also hot water to drink and stools to sit on.
Wang Heizi was originally very resistant and wanted to find an excuse to sneak away on the first day.
But ever since he knew that Old Liu had a complete set of "Journey to the West" comic books, he couldn't get away no matter how hard he tried.
He comes to class diligently every day and immerses himself in stories after class.
Zhai Hongyi did not give up this great learning opportunity and picked out some words from it for teaching every day.
Tang Qiaoqiao was a little nervous at first. She was the youngest and the slowest learner, and she was worried that she would be scolded.
Zhai Hongyi doesn't look like a good-tempered person, but after studying for a few days, I found that although Zhai Hongyi looks fierce, he is actually a good person.
Although he was ruthless when he beat Wang Heizi.
That was because Wang Heizi was being naughty, otherwise Zhai Hongyi would not have taken action.
A few children gathered together, chattering non-stop, and they would not stop even during class.
Old Liu complained all day long: "My ears are going deaf from all the noise you guys make."
But Tang Qingqing clearly noticed that Old Liu was much happier than before. When they were playing in class, he would quietly weave rattan baskets beside them, with his body leaning towards them.
Since he learned that rattan baskets were not only more valuable but also easy to sell, Old Liu worked even harder in making rattan baskets.
Tang Qingqing thought that Zhai Hongyi's class was much better. Even Wang Heizi, whose butt seemed to have thorns, could sit down and listen to the class.
He did not teach entirely according to the textbook; he had his own pace and entry point.
Chinese classes are combined with picture books, and the content is occasionally expanded to mention the outside world.
For children from the countryside, the outside world is very tempting.
Especially for Wang Heizi, he didn't like farming since he was a child, but in the village there was no other way out except farming.
Therefore, he yearns for the city and prefers its hustle and bustle.
Mathematics classes like to use real-life examples to help students better understand why and become more interested.
Needless to say, Tang Qiaoqiao and Tang Qingqing cherished this opportunity very much. They listened carefully even if the lecture was boring, and even wrote down every word of it if it was so interesting.
On the way back, Tang Qiaoqiao repeated today's lesson content with Tang Qingqing to deepen her impression.
Wang Heizi also managed to get into the state of study. Although he had difficulty concentrating, he still learned something.
With Zhai Hongyi's after-school tutoring, Tang Qingqing can quickly understand the course content even if she goes to school and listens to the teacher reading from the textbook.
Tang Qingqing would also attend classes of other grades and take notes on anything she didn't understand.
At first, because I didn’t know many words, I couldn’t write it down and could only memorize it in my mind.
Once you have learned pinyin, you can use pinyin to replace the characters you don’t know.
Tang Qingqing absorbed knowledge faster than the other two, and Zhai Hongyi would give her extra lectures.
Tang Qingqing: "Brother Yi, based on my progress, do you think I can go directly to the second grade next semester?"
Zhai Hongyi: "If you want to skip, just skip to the fourth grade."
Tang Qingqing stared: "Can I do it?"
"With me here, there's nothing you can't do. But don't go to class in the afternoon. I'll give you two more lessons alone."
The content for lower grades is very simple now. After all, Tang Qingqing is older and has a better comprehension ability. She is also a smart and focused person, so she learns faster and more solidly than ordinary people.
Grades 1, 2 and 3 are all taught in the same classroom, so there is little point in skipping a grade; it is better to get there in one go.
"Will it be too much trouble for you? Can you stay away from work all the time?"
"The work points I earned from the work I did this morning are enough to cover my daily expenses in the village."
Zhai Hongyi would always look for dirty and tiring work, so that he could earn more work points.
It is precisely because of this that he was not criticized for only working half a day.
The educated youth who went to the countryside with him this time were obviously more arrogant than the previous educated youth. Most of them did not have the spirit of dedication to the construction of the motherland and were only thinking about leaving this place.
As a result, people become less motivated at work and tend to procrastinate as much as possible.
Zhai Hongyi is different. Although he only comes for half a day, he either does nothing or does the most difficult work.
He was not good at the work in the fields which required skills, so he played to his strengths and avoided his weaknesses by making use of his advantages of being tall and strong.
Tang Qingqing was not polite either, "Then I'll trouble you in the future."
"It's not like I didn't benefit from it."
Tang Qingqing was embarrassed: "That's nothing."
Zhai Hongyi specially made time to teach them, and Tang Qingqing and Tang Qiaoqiao didn't want to take advantage of it for nothing, so they usually helped him with some sewing work.
Tang Qingqing originally wanted him to give her the dirty clothes. She also had to help her master wash clothes, so it didn't matter if she had one more set.
Zhai Hongyi was unwilling, so Tang Qingqing had no choice but to give up.
Compared with Zhai Hongyi's efforts, her work was not good enough.
"Then keep it and return it later."
Tang Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "Brother Yi, do you really plan to stay in the countryside for the rest of your life?"
The more I interacted with Zhai Hongyi, the more I felt that he was not the kind of person who could stay contentedly in a backward countryside.
Zhai Hongyi looked up at her: "Any questions?"
"If you had the chance to jump out, would you do it?"
According to the book, the college entrance examination will be resumed in two years. Zhai Hongyi is a high school graduate and can take the college entrance examination then.
"That depends on the opportunity."
"To go to college."
Zhai Hongyi sneered: "Fighting openly and secretly with a group of people for a spot? That's boring."
As soon as Tang Qingqing heard it, she knew he had misunderstood. Recently, there had indeed been rumors that the higher authorities would delegate the quotas for the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, and one of the quotas might be given to the educated youth.
According to past practice, the educated youth sites will certainly be very excited about the quota issue this time.
But Tang Qingqing couldn't say what would happen in the future, so she could only say euphemistically:
"You are such a good student, you will definitely have the opportunity to go to college in the future."
Zhai Hongyi smiled: "How do you know that I am a good student?"
"If you don't study well, you won't think I can skip from the first grade to the fourth grade."
"Can't it be that you are smart?"
"You are so bold because you think this is normal."
Zhai Hongyi did not continue speaking.
Tang Qingqing understood from his expression that, just as she had guessed, he didn't really want to stay in this place.
I guess I have this thought because of something that happened to me.
Although Zhai Hongyi confessed that his mother was a daughter of a capitalist family, he did not say more about his family, so it was impossible to know what happened to him.
The first snow of winter fell without saying hello to anyone.
When Tang Qingqing got up in the morning and opened the door, she saw that the whole yard was covered with snow and her aunt was sweeping the snow in the yard with a broom.
"Qingqing, you're awake. The steamed buns are ready and in the pot. Eat them while they're hot."
Tang Qingqing was not in a hurry. She also took a broom and started sweeping the snow.
Aunt: "You go eat first, I'll be here for you."
Tang Qingqing: "Hurry up, the two of you, otherwise everyone will step on it and it will be slippery and dirty."
The two of them swept the snow, Tang Qingqing finished her meal, and there was still no movement in the other rooms.
Tang Qingqing went to knock on the door of Tang Xingwang's house. She had raised those sheep for a long time and had some feelings for them, but she couldn't bear to see them hungry.
"Tang Xingwang, hurry up! It's already late. If you don't go herd the sheep, they'll starve to death! It's almost the end of the year, and we'll have to sell the sheep by the end of the year. If they lose weight, I'll see how you'll explain it to us!"
There was still no movement in Tang Xingwang's room.
Tang Qingqing snorted coldly: "Go to sleep, go to sleep. If you oversleep, you won't have to herd sheep anymore and can go to school happily."
There was finally some movement in the house, but when Tang Xingwang opened the door and saw the snow on the ground, he became furious.
"Tang Qingqing, why are you asking me to herd sheep when it's snowing? Do you want to freeze me to death?"
"The snow has stopped a long time ago, why can't I go herding sheep? I used to herd sheep on snowy days, did I die? Now a ghost is standing in front of you."
Tang Xingwang was furious, "Anyway, I don't want to go herding sheep, you can go if you want."
Having said that, he closed the door.
Tang Qingqing rolled her eyes, didn't bother calling him again, and just left.
If anything happened, it had nothing to do with her. At worst, she would just lose her job as a shepherd. Anyway, she wasn't the one who was worried.
It was snowing and the weather was getting colder. Tang Qingqing wrapped herself tightly in her jacket and went to school against the wind.
Maybe it's because she often drinks maltose, brown sugar and eats eggs, but Tang Qingqing feels that she is more cold-resistant this year than in previous years.
Since she decided to take care of her body, she has eaten an egg at least every other day.
Malted milk was hard to buy and expensive, so she asked Zhai Hongyi and Wang Heizi to help her buy brown sugar.
The two have now established a stable business selling eggs. They go to the county town at least once a month to sell eggs and buy some daily necessities to sell to villagers who are unable to go out.
When selling things to villagers, I basically don't add money to them. Most of the time, I just help them by carrying some things.
Therefore, no one thinks that they are speculating, they are just helping to carry things.
Especially Zhai Hongyi's family, who sent him things from time to time, knew that he had good financial strength, so they did not think he was doing it for money.
He just helped to bring it along when he went to the city to pick up a package.
With Wang Heizi's half-grown child showing up, people felt that the two men were just well-intentioned.
Tang Qingqing didn't ask them how much money they made. Just by looking at Wang Heizi's smile that seemed to be engraved on his face, she knew it must be quite a lot.
Although such behavior is against the rules, it does make things convenient for everyone.
Tang Qingqing felt that in the past two months, she had eaten and drunk well, had grown a lot taller, had less dizziness when moving, and had gained weight on her face.
Not only her, Tang Qiaoqiao also looked much better.
Tang Qiaoqiao also followed her to cut rattan and weave baskets, and helped Old Liu to tidy up the house and sweep the rooms.
She ate whatever Tang Qingqing ate, and the two sisters became stronger.
Seeing this, the aunt treated Tang Qingqing better.
When her previous clothes were too small, she would take them apart and make new ones for Tang Qingqing.
The cotton in her padded blouse was clumping, so she took it out and fluffed it up again.
Her uncle made a table and bench for her and placed them in their room so that they could write.
My uncle has always been a quiet person. He usually stays in his room and doesn't like to go out. He has little sense of presence in this family.
Sometimes he would take his meals into the house to eat, and you would rarely see him at other times.
But Tang Qingqing knew that he cared about her, and many of her aunt's actions were instructed by him.
When she was little, she had toys like other children, such as spinning tops and slingshots, which were all made for her by her great uncle.
As usual, Tang Qingqing returned from her master's house holding Tang Qiaoqiao's hand. Before they got home, they saw Zhao Dahua rushing over.
"Where have you been? Why are you back so late?"
Zhao Dahua looked anxious and worried, and she almost cried while pulling Tang Qingqing's arm.
Tang Qingqing knew something was wrong at first sight. She didn't think that Zhao Dahua's attitude towards her had changed because she suddenly became full of maternal love.
"What happened?"
Zhao Dahua was so anxious that she almost cried out: "Xingwang, Xingwang is gone!"
"Ah? Why is Xingwang missing? Isn't he staying at home? He didn't even go out to herd the sheep this morning."
"After you left, I grabbed him."
When Zhao Dahua said this, he regretted it deeply.
"He went out to herd sheep and lost himself!"
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