Chapter 89 "Pan Pan, this is for you...
"Panpan is fine. Hurry up and pack your things. Grandpa will take you to get the admission letter in person." The whole person seemed to have suddenly become ten years younger. The 59-year-old Chen Aiguo raised his hand to wipe his eyes, and then immediately went to help Chen Pan.
"Yes, why are you crying on such a happy day?" Xu Chunhua opened her eyes wide and tried hard to hide the bitterness in them, and then she walked up quickly.
"Sister Panpan, congratulations!" Chen Zhenzhen, who had come over to help during the summer vacation, immediately came over to congratulate her. Seeing the excited Chen Pan, her heart was rekindled with the determination to get into university next year.
"Yes, Panpan, don't cry. It's not appropriate to cry like this on such a happy day." Wu Cuicui, who had worked in customer service and finance for the Chen family for four years and had been out of school for several years, realized what was going on. She immediately suppressed her jealousy and quickly stepped forward to persuade them.
"I'm fine, I just couldn't help it. My score was only four points higher than the admission score, and I thought I would be admitted to my second and third choices." He felt quite puzzled, and after being pulled up by everyone, Chen Pan immediately wiped his eyes and explained casually.
"We understand, we understand!"
Chen Aiguo, the one who understood her best, also helped Chen Pan wipe away her tears. It was actually his generation that the entire Chen family began to truly value learning. It was because of his unexpected participation in a literacy class organized by the educated youth team when he was young that he learned a few more words than everyone around him and could even do arithmetic on his own.
It was because he had interacted with intellectuals, witnessed the respect the villagers showed them, and the strong confidence and composure they displayed. When his children grew up, he insisted that they study.
For some reason, the three brothers have had the habit of comparing themselves with each other since they were young.
It was because he attended the village literacy class that his son was able to go to school. His two older brothers then began to pay attention to their own children's education. When the village organized literacy and reading classes, they also sent their own children to school.
It’s just a pity that most people around me at that time didn’t read.
At that time, children did not have the conditions to study all day long. They would go to school after finishing their collective labor. Some were even allowed to go to school only when there was no work in the village.
Furthermore, the situation at that time was unique. Scholars in the city and other large cities, whether they were in middle school or high school, ultimately were not assigned jobs and were instead forced to work in the fields in areas like theirs. Furthermore, the country had not yet reinstated the college entrance examination, or when it was available, the admission rate was extremely low.
Because of various reasons, his nephews didn't go to school in the end. They only went to school for a few days, a few months, or a year or two, just to gain some experience and then returned. When it came to his grandchildren, the situation improved, and then everyone sent all the grandchildren to school.
Eventually, the Chen family developed a policy of supporting those with a talent for learning, those who were good students, and those who were willing to study. However, if a student wasn't a good student and didn't want to study, they would simply let him or her go, ensuring they completed the nine years of compulsory education. Some refused to complete even the nine years of compulsory education, clamoring for early withdrawal. After persuading and even beating and scolding them, seeing they refused to change their ways, they finally gave in, due to their limited family circumstances.
In short, in this era, studying really depends on talent. It takes a lot of hard work to get into university, and you must work hard.
There are many students who don’t want to study, run away from school after two days, and never go back to school.
In today's schools, teachers are really responsible and strict.
As long as you go to school, you will be beaten if you don't listen, beaten if you are naughty, beaten if you don't finish your homework, scolded if your grades drop, and hit on the palm of your hand if you can't recite the text.
It is precisely because the school has a group of particularly strict teachers that some children who are unruly or really can't concentrate on learning will suddenly stop studying after just a few years of schooling if something suddenly happens to them.
In the entire Qingshui Village, there are only seven or eight college graduates so far, and those are all junior college graduates.
Now that it has come to the Chen family, their village finally has real first-class and second-class students.
Chen Pan's grades were now the highest in the history of their entire village. The university she had been admitted to was also the best university ever admitted by any university student in Qingshui Village.
Thinking about how my granddaughter spends almost all her time studying, apart from setting up a stall to make money and helping with customer service at home.
I thought of the light bulb in my granddaughter's room that was on until eleven o'clock every night, and how she had the habit of taking a small piece of paper to recite no matter what she did. Sometimes she would even write words on the palm of her hand and occasionally glance at them while walking, riding in the car, or even working.
At this moment, Chen Aiguo felt that it was natural for his granddaughter to be admitted and that it was what she deserved.
Everyone was talking and congratulating them. Soon, Chen Aiguo, who had changed his clothes, took Chen Pan, who had also changed his clothes, and the two of them rushed to the post office in the middle of the village.
"Yes, Panpan's admission letter has arrived. The post office just called me. I'm taking Panpan to get it now."
"Yes, I heard it's Beijing Normal University!"
"Ha ha!!!"
From outside came the voices of Chen Aiguo talking to Chen Laoshi and Chen Erbao, as well as his particularly obvious and hearty laughter.
"You two go ahead and do your work. I'll go find some firecrackers in the house." After talking to Wu Cuicui and Chen Zhenzhen in the office, Xu Chunhua turned around and walked towards her bedroom with great excitement.
After entering the large suite where she and Grandpa Chen lived, Xu Chunhua immediately found two strings of firecrackers that she had bought long ago from under the TV cabinet outside.
That was her and her husband. After hearing Panpan say that she did well in the exam, they went out and bought it in advance.
After finding and putting away all the firecrackers and lighters that will be used later.
Xu Chunhua hesitated for a moment and returned to the inner bedroom where she and Chen Aiguo slept.
She opened the large wardrobe in their bedroom, rummaged around underneath and pulled out a black wooden box.
He gently opened the wooden box and looked at the blue and white striped shirt and green educated youth uniform his son had worn, the medal for bravery he had finally received, and his most treasured junior high school and high school diplomas.
With tears streaming down her face, Xu Chunhua took out the photo of her son, taken alone on his eighteenth-year-old high school graduation day, and couldn't help but gently press it against her cheek. "Dongdong's good son, Panpan got into college and was even accepted into that Beijing Normal University. Did you see it? Did you hear it? Son, your father and I are living a very good life now. We now have a factory, a real small house, and a real small shop in the city.
Your mother has also taken care of your uncle and grandfather's family. My family and your eldest and second uncle's families haven't quarreled for a long time, and we are living very well now. If you are still worried about your mother, you can rest assured now. If you haven't left yet, when you are free at night, you must come to your mother's dream and talk to her again--"
He touched the things inside and talked to himself for a while.
Finally, seeing that the time was almost up, Xu Chunhua tidied up everything on the bed, then picked out her best clothes from the closet and put them on carefully.
Facing the mirror on the cabinet, she carefully arranged her clothes. Picking up the comb next to her, she carefully combed her gray hair in front of the mirror. Then she changed into the new leather shoes on the shoe rack next to her. After carefully wiping the dust off her shoes, Xu Chunhua formally left her room.
Then she picked up the two strings of firecrackers and the red lighter on the coffee table, and strode out triumphantly with her head held high.
"Third Grandma, is this for Panpan to put when he comes back later?"
"Third Grandma, please give me a string of firecrackers too. I'll set one off later!"
The goods were loaded outside. Chen Laoshi and Chen Erbao, who were about to deliver the goods, saw her come out and immediately surrounded her with smiles on their faces.
"Auntie, I've also prepared firecrackers and red early. I'll go get them now."
Wu Cuicui's father, who had originally come to help but ended up being the warehouse manager and driver, also immediately ran out of the warehouse and ran to his dormitory.
Everyone prepared together, and a few minutes later, when they saw Chen Aiguo and Chen Pan coming over with joy after receiving their admission letters, everyone immediately lit the firecrackers in their hands without hesitation.
Amid the crackling sound of firecrackers, Chen Pan received his admission letter.
When the firecrackers crackled again, Chen Pan, wearing even more red, stood in the large courtyard of his home, toasting his teachers, his homeroom teacher, and his principal. He even toasted Qin's mother and her new husband, who had come over today. Seeing Qin Yang and Cai Xiaojing sitting with his classmates, Chen Pan smiled broadly and urged them to eat and drink well and not to be polite.
After the first graduation banquet was held in Liuping Town, Chen Pan was taken back to the village by his grandfather to report the second graduation banquet.
"Come, drink!"
"Uncle Chen, congratulations!"
"Sister Panpan, you are so awesome!"
"This child is obviously very capable. You three brothers and sisters-in-law will be blessed in the future!"
"Panpan, you did better than your brothers Sanbao and Sibao in the exam this year. You must tell your brothers and sisters about this later. You must pass on your test experience to them and strive to have more college graduates in our Chen family in the future."
"Okay, big brother, stop talking. Instead of saying all this, you might as well prepare a few big red envelopes for Panpan. As long as you give enough red envelopes, how could Panpan ignore your grandchildren?"
"You little brat, I've already prepared a red envelope. Come on, Panpan, I'll give you a hundred yuan. I hope everything goes well for you in college, and that you can become a truly good teacher soon."
"Thank you, Grandpa!"
"This is what your second grandmother and I prepared. Come and take it, Panpan!"
The previous celebration banquet in Liuping Town was primarily a teacher appreciation banquet. Chen Pan invited all of her teachers and homeroom teachers, as well as the principal and vice principal of her No. 6 Middle School. Besides these teachers, most of Chen Pan's close friends and classmates, as well as the new neighbors and friends she'd made in Liuping, also attended.
And this time at the celebration banquet in Qingshui Village, they invited all the villagers and all her relatives.
Grandpa Chen's two brothers and their sisters-in-law, all their sons and daughters, his uncle's family, whom Grandpa Chen always visited, and Wu Cuicui and her daughter, who had worked with them for three or four years.
There is also Grandma Chen’s family and all the Xu relatives from my mother’s side.
Of course, Grandpa Chen’s two sisters, as well as all the married daughters of my great grandfather and second grandfather and their sons-in-law and children were also there.
Ever since the Chen family opened a grain and oil factory, their relationship with their neighbors, relatives and friends has become closer.
Although occasionally, everyone had private conflicts in the factory and company.
But everyone knows how difficult life is nowadays, and many people tacitly avoid bringing those conflicts to the surface.
In addition, Grandpa Chen, Grandpa Chen II, Uncle Wu, and Grandpa Xu are all still alive. They can still control the younger generations in the family and are all elderly people who understand the importance of things.
Therefore, the people who came to Chen Pan's factory and pancake shop were almost all the most sensible and capable young people in their respective families. Those who were troublemakers or had bad tempers were tacitly not allowed to work in the factory from the beginning.
Furthermore, everyone had been poor before. Men, women, and children alike remembered toiling year-round for little. Meat was only a few times a year during Chinese New Year, and every time their children's tuition came due, they felt strained and would try every possible means to borrow money for them. Eventually, the children grew up, and those whose academic performance wasn't as good as their siblings eventually decided not to continue. So, at that time, everyone truly cherished their current lives and job opportunities. They feared that if they acted recklessly, their lives would suddenly be thrown back to square one, and that job opportunity would go to someone else in the family.
Anyway, even though the Chen family's grain and oil factory has now become a small family workshop, the situation is surprisingly okay because of the checks and balances and concerns of everyone.
Anyway, everyone was happy at Chen Pan's graduation banquet.
All the Chen family members looked at each other with joy.
Chen Pan's cousins were also polite to him.
In such occasions, Chen Pan's hands were held by many elderly aunts and grandmothers.
Almost everyone said that she looked smart and would definitely have a bright future.
"Yes, this child has always been very good."
After Chen Pan was touched and praised by many elders, at their neighbor's table, Chen Pan was held by the hand by Grandma Zhou who lived diagonally across from him.
The man touched Chen Pan's hand earnestly, saying that she had grown up and become more beautiful. Then he raised his hand and took out ten yuan from his pocket.
“Thank you, grandma!”
Last year, the other party's son and daughter-in-law, who had been working away from home for a long time, finally returned. After privately contacting Grandpa Chen, they were arranged by Grandpa Chen Pan to work in the factory's oil mill. Although their current work is arguably the dirtiest and most tiring at the factory, they earn the same salary as their previous migrant workers. Most importantly, working here allows them to truly care for their elderly mother and their slow-witted son.
Knowing that her grandson, though slow to react, had already enrolled in the village primary school and was slowly beginning to speak, and knowing that their family's situation had improved over the past two years, Chen Pan smiled and didn't refuse the ten yuan for the first time when the other party handed it over.
"Panpan, this is from Auntie." Just as Chen Pan put away the money and whispered to Grandma Zhou and the others beside her, Wang Xiaohua, who was sitting on the other side of the table, stood up and switched seats with Chen Xiufen, who was sitting next to Chen Pan. Then she sat on Chen Pan's other side and took out a red envelope that looked very bulgy and handed it to Chen Pan.
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