When Zhao Jianbin got home, he immediately went into the storeroom and searched through it for a while. His mother, Wang Qiufen, saw this and asked, "What are you looking for?"
"Mom, where are my junior high school books?"
“It’s been so many years, it’s long since gone moldy and thrown away. Why are you looking for those books?” Wang Qiufen felt like the sun had risen in the west. In the past six or seven years, she hadn’t seen him open a single book.
"I want to see."
Looking at her eldest son, who was pacing around like an ant on a hot pan, Wang Qiufen asked, "Did Yang, the educated youth, say something?"
“She only has a high school education, and I want to catch up with her.”
"You're already twenty years old, and you still want to go to high school?" Wang Qiufen exclaimed, earnestly advising, "Son, you have an enviable good job now, just marry a local girl and live a good life, why do you have to make things difficult for yourself?"
"I only like Yang Zhiqing!"
“But she doesn’t like you!” Wang Qiufen retorted, and that was exactly what she hated about her.
If Yang, the educated youth, seduces her son and orders him around for favors, she can go to his door to confront him.
But this was entirely her son's enthusiasm, leaving her with nowhere to vent her anger, so she could only try her best to wake her eldest son up.
Zhao Jianbin had heard these words many times before, and they would usually be a little stimulating to him, but now that he had hope, how could he let it go?
Zhao Jianbin strode out of the courtyard, saying, "I'm going to borrow a book from my older cousin!"
"Wait, dinner's almost ready, let's eat first before we go!"
"be right back!"
Zhao Jianbin walked to his uncle's house next door and went straight into the yard. "Brother, are you home?"
"Yes!" Zhao Honghui replied, put down his chopsticks, got up, and went out.
Zhao Laoda and Yang Chunhua, who were eating, warmly invited Zhao Jianbin to join them at the table.
Zhao Jianbin said no need, his family had already prepared a meal, and they would eat as soon as he got back.
"Brother, do you still have any junior high school textbooks?"
Zhao Honghui was taken aback; he genuinely didn't know if it existed. "I'll look for it later."
"Okay, I'll head back now."
"Wait, what do you need junior high school textbooks for?" Zhao Honghui called out to him, wondering what had gotten into him.
Zhao Jianbin chuckled and said, "I've forgotten all the knowledge I learned in junior high school, so I wanted to find some books to read."
Hearing this, Zhao Honghui looked thoughtful as he watched him walk out of the courtyard gate.
After dinner, Zhao Honghui asked his mother if the books were still there, only to find that they had been lost long ago.
Yang Chunhua asked, puzzled, "Why are you suddenly looking for books from ten years ago?"
"It's Jianbin who wants to use it."
"Him, oh!"
Yang Chunhua sighed, and when she saw her eldest son looking over, she explained, "He likes that Yang Zhiqing, but your second aunt doesn't agree, and Yang Zhiqing hasn't agreed either. He's only interested in this one-sided thing, and he hasn't read a book in years. How can he possibly study?"
Zhao Honghui didn't say anything, but sat down on the stone stool at the entrance of the courtyard and took out a cigarette to smoke.
On the other side, Zhao Jianbin finished his meal, walked out of the courtyard, sat down next to Zhao Honghui, took his cigarette, and started smoking.
When Zhao Jianbin learned that Zhao Honghui's books were also gone, he was not surprised at all. In rural areas, not many families keep the textbooks issued by the school for a long time; they are usually sold as scrap after graduation.
However, there was no school in Qingshantun. Many people hadn't even attended primary school, let alone junior high school. The number of people who graduated from junior high school in the entire production brigade could be counted on one hand.
"Then I'll go to the bookstore tomorrow and see if they have it."
Zhao Jianbin wasn't entirely sure when he said this, since these kinds of textbooks are now being treated as waste, and bookstores might not even have them.
"You could also check out the scrap metal recycling station," Zhao Honghui suggested.
"Okay. So much time has passed, I don't know if I can still pick it up." After about an hour, Zhao Jianbin had calmed down and had to face the reality of the problem.
Why did you suddenly think of this?
Zhao Jianbin frankly admitted, "You know I like Yang Zhiqing, but she likes intellectuals, so I have to work hard in that area."
"She graduated from high school, and you're going to quit your job and go to high school?"
“If I don’t quit, I’ll just work for half a day and then come back in the afternoon to study. I’m thinking of finding someone from the cowshed area to be my teacher, what do you think?”
"Let's talk to the brigade leader first, just in case something goes wrong." Zhao Honghui often secretly helped a few people who had been sent down to Qingshan Village. He knew their character and was happy to teach them as long as Zhao Jianbin was eager to learn.
"Okay, let me find the book first."
Zhao Jianbin exhaled a puff of smoke, feeling relieved.
"Wait a minute! How do you know Yang Zhiqing graduated from high school?"
Faced with Zhao Jianbin's question, Zhao Honghui remained silent.
After he became suspicious of Xie Yuyao, he learned about the family background and personal circumstances of each educated youth from the brigade leader, and naturally knew that Yang Shumei had a high school education.
Moreover, by combining Yang Shumei's information with the information he had gathered, he had already determined the range of Yang's educated youth's backgrounds.
Zhao Jianbin and Yang Zhiqing came from vastly different social classes, so even if he improved his education, it would be difficult for them to achieve a happy ending.
However, a love of learning is always a good thing. If he can truly concentrate on his studies, he will have more opportunities in the future.
Seeing his older cousin remain silent, Zhao Jianbin thought of a possibility and widened his eyes, "You don't happen to like Yang Zhiqing too, do you!"
"Do you think everyone is like you?" Zhao Honghui glanced at him and said disdainfully.
Zhao Jianbin muttered, "Isn't there a rumor that you want to marry a female educated youth? In my heart, Yang Zhiqing is the best woman. You can't take her from me."
Zhao Honghui did not reply, his attention was drawn to a beam of flashlight light in the distance, and several people were walking in this direction.
*
After Xie Yuyao and Yang Shumei returned to the educated youth compound, they planned to cook vegetable porridge.
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