Chapter 101 This past month, the Cheng family…
Ever since Cheng Xiuying's family returned to the brigade last time, the Cheng family has undergone earth-shattering changes. First, they got Cheng Xiufeng a job at the Hongxing Livestock Farm, making him a proud worker! His grain and oil ration was transferred to the Hongxing Livestock Farm, where he received a monthly salary of 38 yuan, various considerable receipts, and could also collect grain from the grain station with his grain ration book.
This is like a dream.
Yu Jiajia and her friends went up the mountain and not only discovered the treasure trove, but also hunted two large wild boars. The brigade rewarded them with a piece of pork, so the Cheng family could eat meat every day until the New Year!
When the commune cadres came to the brigade to give certificates and prizes to the Cheng family, all of them who had gone up the mountain became "outstanding commune members," which was a tremendous honor. The Cheng family could now walk around the brigade with their heads held high.
A few days later, the Cheng family heard about Zhu Jingsong's situation in the city. Old Mrs. Cheng was worried about her daughter's family, so she rushed to the city early in the morning. She unexpectedly discovered the Zhu family's ancestral grave that had been struck by lightning. She then dug up the Zhu family's ancestral grave with Cheng Xiuying and unearthed a large amount of gold and silver as well as a wireless telegraph machine.
This was another great achievement, and the Cheng family was awarded the title of 'Family of Glory'.
The Cheng family was incredibly prestigious in Hongcheng Brigade.
The two eligible bachelors in the family, Cheng Yongping and Cheng Yongyi, were the focus of everyone's attention, and matchmakers practically wore out the threshold of their doorstep.
Whether it's marrying into the Cheng family or marrying a daughter of the Cheng family, it's a good thing.
However, no matter how good the other party's conditions were, Grandma Cheng rejected them all. Sanbao is so promising, he can definitely continue to rely on his family. What if he can find a job in the city in the future? Even if he can't, Yongyi can find a husband in the city. Sanbao has already said so!
It would be quite difficult for Cheng Yongping to marry a woman from the city, but it would be much easier if he had a job in the city.
We have to wait a little longer.
Following this, with Yu Songyan's help, Cheng Yongkang began to collect mushrooms in a unified manner by brigade and then sell them to food factories. They wanted both fresh and dried mushrooms, and the demand gradually increased. Mushrooms from other brigades in the Tuanjie Commune were also collected in a unified manner.
All the members of the commune started receiving dividends!
I had considered selling mushrooms before, but the price was low, and a trip to the city would take a long time and interfere with my work. Moreover, most people didn't dare to sell mushrooms at supply and marketing cooperatives or grain stations, fearing they would be labeled as speculators or accused of "cutting off the capitalist tail."
Now things are different. The brigade has a unified system for purchasing and selling mushrooms, exchanging mushrooms for work points, and then distributing profits according to the work points!
Everyone can earn money by getting up early to pick mushrooms on the mountain, without missing work. The mushrooms are growing in batches, and life is getting better and better, with more and more money coming in.
Leaders and experts from the county also came, saying they could teach everyone how to artificially cultivate mushrooms, and the county would buy the mushrooms that were grown.
Cheng Yongkang successfully became an intern cadre at the Unity Commune, specifically responsible for mushroom cultivation and procurement; it was only a matter of time before he was officially appointed.
The Cheng family has gained another cadre!
The rest of the Cheng family also worked together towards the same goal. Everyone knew that whenever there was an opportunity, the third aunt's family would help them out.
Cheng Yongqing was a bit brainless; she tried to use Cheng Xiuying's reputation as deputy factory director to find a job for her husband, but Cheng Yongping discovered and stopped her in time.
Old Mrs. Cheng led her family to Cheng Yongqing's husband's house and gave Cheng Yongqing's husband and brother a beating. She threatened that if they dared to cause trouble using Cheng Xiuying's name again, the Cheng family would no longer have Cheng Yongqing as their daughter.
Wang Shuhua was capable of making this decision. She wasn't just Cheng Yongqing's daughter; she also had a husband, three sons, a youngest daughter, and a bunch of grandchildren!
If Xiuying's reputation is ruined because of Cheng Yongqing, Xiuying will abandon the entire Cheng family!
Do you really think Sooyoung has a good temper?
After being beaten and threatened, Cheng Yongqing's in-laws became obedient. Cheng Yongqing and her husband became good daughters and sons-in-law in the Cheng family, often returning to her parents' home to help with chores, and never coming empty-handed.
Cheng Yongping did not let his guard down and continued to have people keep an eye on Cheng Yongqing's family.
When Cheng Xiuying and Yu Hongding returned last night, Old Mrs. Cheng immediately instructed Cheng Yongkang to slaughter the fattest rooster in the house and to buy another fat one from the neighbor the next day, so that Xiuying could return and another chicken would be killed. After giving the instructions, she hurried off to fetch Cheng Xiuying and Yu Hongding.
When Cheng Xiuying returns to her parents' home, her family must treat her with the highest level of hospitality!
When Grandma Cheng saw Cheng Xiuying and Yu Hongding each pushing a bicycle, her heart skipped a beat. Could it be a job opening? Sure enough, she heard Cheng Xiuying say, "The steel rolling mill is hiring. They require a junior high school education. I've signed up Yongping and Yongyi. Yongping and Yongyi, pack your things and come with us to the county. The exam is tomorrow afternoon." She then patted Cheng Yonghao on the shoulder, adding, "There will be other opportunities in the future."
Cheng Yonghao felt quite bitter. He regretted not studying harder back then. If he had studied harder and gotten into junior high school, he could have seized this opportunity. He scratched his head and said, "Thank you, Auntie."
Cheng Xiuying patted him again to comfort him.
As long as the child is sensible, she will definitely help him.
Cheng Yongping and Cheng Yongyi excitedly packed their things, including textbooks, clean clothes, and most importantly, their household registration booklet.
Grandma Cheng naturally wouldn't let Cheng Xiuying and Yu Hongding go back on empty stomachs. They had to eat the rooster. The rooster legs weren't even chopped up, and they were served separately to Cheng Xiuying and Yu Hongding.
After we finished eating, it was completely dark. The road was difficult to travel at night, so we decided to get up early and continue our journey.
Cheng Xiuying received very good treatment at her parents' home. She ate and lived well, and was called "Grandma" by a bunch of grandchildren. It made Cheng Xiuying want to be a grandmother herself.
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Su Man looked at the honor roll, searching again and again, but her name wasn't there. She clenched her fists, wondering why her name wasn't on it! She felt she had done alright on the exam; she had finished the entire paper!
After watching the high school episodes, I went to watch the junior high episodes and was surprised to see Cheng Yongping and Cheng Yongyi. Aren't they Yu Jiajia's cousins?
How can people with rural household registration take the exam?
How could two rural people possibly outperform candidates from the county? Did they know the exam questions beforehand?
Although this had nothing to do with Su Man, it still bothered her. She had recently tried to find an opportunity to contact Yu Songyan, but she had no chance at all.
Moreover, Yu Songyan, who was just a temporary worker before, is now the workshop director of the food factory.
She almost thought she had misheard! The more she wanted to get close to Yu Songyan, the more impossible it seemed for her.
It's like having a piece of braised pork right in front of you; it smells delicious, but you just can't eat it.
What incredible luck did the Yu family have?
Su Man didn't dare to step forward, but she wasn't willing to let the Yu family off the hook so easily. She exclaimed in the crowd, "Aren't Cheng Yongping and Cheng Yongyi from rural areas? How can they take the exam? Is it because their relative is Deputy Factory Director Cheng?"
These words were like a drop of water falling into a pan of oil; they exploded instantly.
Most of the people in the crowd had failed the exam, and no one could tolerate that! Especially the two candidates at the back of the line, who started making a scene. The others also felt they had another chance; if the questions were leaked, wouldn't they have to retake the exam?
"What? People with rural household registration took the exam too? And they passed?"
"Is your relative Deputy Factory Director Cheng? Is there some inside story behind this?"
"Who are Cheng Yongping and Cheng Yongyi? This isn't fair! Did they leak the exam questions?!"
Cheng Yongping and Cheng Yongyi weren't flustered. They were both genuinely talented and there was no way they had leaked the exam questions. However, they were certain their aunt had helped them qualify for the exam; otherwise, that additional condition might not have been included.
The office staff quickly addressed the issue, explaining the situation: Cheng Yongping and Cheng Yongyi were both county-level "outstanding members" and were eligible to take the exam regardless of their registered residence. Furthermore, the exam questions would not be leaked, and Deputy Factory Director Cheng would not be involved in setting, printing, or grading the questions; he was only responsible for factory safety.
Finally, the exam papers of Cheng Yongping and Cheng Yongyi were found and made available for everyone to review.
The steel rolling mill's examinations are fair and impartial, and there is absolutely no insider dealing involved.
Su Man was disappointed that things hadn't escalated. She also regretted taking the high school entrance exam. With her grades, if she had lowered her expectations and taken the junior high exam, she definitely could have gotten a job in the factory.
But it's too late to regret it now.
Yu Jiajia also heard about the disturbance and suspected that Su Man had instigated it, and that no one else knew about the relationship between her cousins and the Yu family.
But nothing serious happened; everything was done according to the rules.
She didn't go to see her cousins, but went to Cheng Xiuying's office and went home after get off work.
He also told Cheng Xiuying about the disturbance.
Cheng Xiuying: "I knew that girl wasn't a good person. What's the point of doing something that harms others without benefiting herself? If your cousins don't pass the exam, it's fine if she does, then it won't be a waste of her time. What does it have to do with her? She just can't stand seeing others do well. I told her to study hard before, and if she had focused on her studies, she wouldn't have failed so many exams."
Yu Jiajia gave a thumbs up: "Mom, you're absolutely right! Let's go buy a roasted chicken later to celebrate my cousins getting into the steel mill."
Cheng Xiuying: "Okay."
The mother and daughter went straight to the state-run restaurant. Cheng Xiuying squeezed through the window and ordered a roast chicken to take away. Yu Jiajia tried to pay the bill but she couldn't argue with her.
After the waiter handed the shredded roast chicken to Cheng Xiuying, the mother and daughter left the restaurant. Once outside, Cheng Xiuying said, "Keep your little stash safe. Don't always think about spending money. Everyone in the family has a salary."
Yu Jiajia smiled and said, "Mom, I didn't spend money on anyone else, I just wanted to spend money on you."
Cheng Xiuying also smiled.
When they arrived at their doorstep, the mother and daughter ran into Cheng Yongping and Cheng Yongyi. Both of them were beaming with joy, unable to contain their happiness.
Cheng Yongyi: "Auntie, Yongping and I passed the exam."
Cheng Yongping: "Auntie, I was second to last! Just a little bit short!"
Cheng Xiuying was also happy: "Congratulations! You'll be workers from now on. I knew before the results were posted, and I even bought roast chicken to celebrate for you. Come on, let's go home and have some roast chicken."
Cheng Yongyi stepped forward and took Cheng Xiuying's arm: "Thank you, Auntie."
As soon as they got home, Grandpa Yu and Grandma Yu asked, "How did the exam go?"
Cheng Xiuying smiled broadly: "My two children did well and both passed the exams. I bought a roast chicken, and I'll cook a couple more dishes later to celebrate."
Cheng Xiuying and Grandma Yu went into the kitchen to get busy.
Cheng Yongyi also went in to help.
Cheng Xiuying said, "You're out playing with Jiajia, there's no need for you to cook."
Cheng Yongyi didn't go out either; he helped peel garlic and onions.
Yu Jiajia was lying on a rattan chair eating sunflower seeds when Li Mingshu, the youngest daughter of the factory director next door, brought over a plate of grapes, saying they were sent by her maternal grandmother.
Yu Jiajia took the plate, poured the grapes into her own plate, and added a handful of melon seeds. "Thank you, Mingshu."
Li Mingshu: "Sister Jiajia, can you teach me how to tie a bow? The bow on your skirt is so pretty."
It was very simple. Yu Jiajia untied the bow on Li Mingshu's skirt and taught her several times. Li Mingshu learned how to do it and was very happy with the bow on her skirt. She happily carried the plate home.
[Orange Crystals *2, Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Related Blueprints *1 (17/20)];
Today's good deed check-in complete!
Yu Songqing came back relatively early today. He was also paying attention to his exam results. When he saw the list of admitted students on the honor roll, he even went to the cafeteria to buy two pig trotters.
This makes dinner at home even more plentiful.
The roast chicken and pig's trotters were a hit with the whole family. Because we had guests, everyone was quite restrained and didn't finish the dishes too quickly.
Yu Jiajia spotted the chicken wings, quickly picked them up and put them in her bowl, happily munching on them. The pig's trotters were cold, but very chewy and flavorful.
After finishing her pig's trotters, Yu Jiajia wanted to eat the roasted pig's trotters from her spatial backpack.
Everyone was enjoying their meal when someone knocked on the door.
Cheng Xiuying put down her chopsticks and went to open the door. It shouldn't be a neighbor, since neighbors wouldn't come over during mealtimes. When she opened the door, it really wasn't.
A large group of people were standing at the door, and it was Lu Chenzhou who knocked on the door.
Beside him was a well-dressed woman, but her eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying. She was holding the hand of a little girl, about ten years old, whose eyes were also red and swollen. A little further back, there was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen. Behind them followed a middle-aged woman and two young men, all of whom had been crying.
Cheng Xiuying quickly ushered people into the house: "Shenzhou, these comrades look unfamiliar. Is there something you need? Please feel free to ask. We will definitely help if we can."
Lu Chenzhou: "Auntie, these are Yang Xi's biological mother and maternal grandmother, and these two are Xiao Xi's uncle and maternal uncle."
All of Yang Xi's family members who were able to attend came.
Cheng Xiuying understood immediately, and Yu Jiajia also put down her chopsticks and came over.
With tears in her eyes, Yang Xi's mother bowed deeply to Yu Jiajia and said, "Comrade Jiajia, thank you for helping us find Xiao Xi."
Yang Xi's grandmother also shed tears: "Comrade Jiajia, thank you."
Yu Jiajia quickly helped her up, saying, "It's good that you found your child. Although it's been ten years, it's not too late. There will be plenty of time to spend with him in the future."
She glanced at Yang Xi's mother and knew why Lu Chenzhou had his suspicions: the mother and daughter looked so alike, almost like they were magnified in the same proportion.
Yang Xi's maternal grandmother was older.
Three generations of the family, all extremely beautiful.
Seeing how much the other party valued her, and how the whole family was mobilized even with just a few doubts, it's clear how much they love Xiaoxi.
That's wonderful! Xiao Xi will have lots and lots of people to love her from now on.
Wen Yan came to thank Yu Jiajia. The whole family was carrying large and small bags of things, all bought in the county. Yang Xi came by train as soon as she heard the news, without bringing anything from Beijing. These were all things she bought in the county after meeting Xiao Xi.
In fact, no gift could adequately express the gratitude of the Wen family.
If it weren't for Yu Jiajia, none of the subsequent events would have occurred. How could anyone have discovered what Hu Chunmei had done? Lu Chenzhou wouldn't have seen Yang Xi and suspected her identity.
Wen Yan will never find his daughter in his entire life.
Her delicate and sweet daughter was taken away by someone, and ten years have passed since then.
Yang Xi's parents only had one daughter, and after she went missing, their relationship cooled. Although they didn't divorce, there was always a distance between them.
Wen Yan didn't hate her mother-in-law for losing Mianmian; she couldn't blame her mother-in-law, she should blame the child traffickers. But she couldn't live with her mother-in-law anymore. If her mother-in-law had been more careful and never let Mianmian out of her sight, wouldn't Mianmian have been safe?
But the mother-in-law was also having a hard time. She felt guilty for losing the child and even wanted to kill herself. As a result, she developed a mental illness and her health was not good.
Wen Yan couldn't blame her mother-in-law any more; she blamed herself. If she had taken care of Mianmian herself, Mianmian might not have been lost.
Over the years, she has traveled to many places. Whenever she heard that human traffickers had been caught, she would go to see if her child was among them, but unfortunately, none of them were.
Mianmian's father is not in the country and is unaware of the news.
Cheng Xiuying was also at a loss for words to comfort him. The ten years since the child was lost were irreparable and had caused too much harm to everyone: "Finding the child is better than anything else. There are still many days ahead."
"Yes, there's still a long road ahead, and I will give all my love to Xiaoxi." Wen Yan smiled and nodded, looking at Yang Xi with tender eyes. Her child had returned to her side healthy and strong. She could touch her child's little hand, feel the child's warmth, and smell the child's scent.
Her most treasured possession was found again, and she was so happy she wanted to cry.
It's not too late.
Wen Yan planned to take Yang Chen and Yang Xi with her, as neither child wanted to be separated, and Wen Yan didn't want them to be either. They would wait until Yang Chen found his biological parents first.
The motherland is too vast, making it difficult for parents to find their biological children, and just as difficult for children to find their parents.
Wen Yan held Yang Xi's small hand tightly. How lucky she was to have found her child who had been missing for ten years.
Yang Chen is a good older brother and treats Yang Xi very well.
Yang Xi was practically raised by Yang Chen.
Hu Chunmei and Yang Heping were not good parents. Hu Chunmei only wanted a complete family, a husband, and two children. She was gloomy and treated her two children as mere props for maintaining appearances, almost like domesticated livestock. When she was in a good mood, she would play with them, showing her maternal tenderness; but when her mood turned sour, she would be as cold as ice, leaving the children to fend for themselves.
Yang Heping was a seemingly refined teacher, but he was definitely not a good person. Otherwise, he wouldn't have watched Hu Chunmei engage in child trafficking. He simply chose to remain silent, maintaining a facade of respectability, and even shared the money earned from child trafficking. To outsiders, he was kind to the children, even taking them out for trips—a rare and good father. But when Hu Chunmei locked Yang Chen and Yang Xi in a dark room as punishment, he never interfered, nor did he linger outside the door for even a moment.
Under such distorted upbringing, Yang Chen and Yang Xi were like little animals that had been repeatedly trained. They were trained to be very obedient, very good at reading their parents' eyes, and very attached to their parents.
Yang Xi is in a slightly better position because she has her brother to protect her.
Both children need genuine parental love to grow up and be loved again.
Yu Jiajia was very happy for Yang Chen and Yang Xi; every day from now on would surely be bright and beautiful.
Wen Yan is taking the two children back to Beijing tonight. Yang Xi's grandmother is not doing well, so she needs to take the children back as soon as possible.
Cheng Xiuying picked up the gifts that Wen Yan and Lu Chenzhou had brought again, preparing to return them to Wen Yan, saying, "Take them with you, eat them on the way."
Wen Yan refused to accept them no matter what, saying, "Elder sister, these are just snacks for the children, please accept them. We will treat you well when you arrive in the capital."
The whole family insisted that Cheng Xiuying accept the gifts, saying they were just a small token of their appreciation.
Cheng Xiuying then stopped refusing and escorted Wen Yan and the two children downstairs, watching them get into the car.
After everyone left, Cheng Xiuying sighed, "Sigh, those human traffickers who deserve to be torn to pieces. If this little girl had grown up with this family, she wouldn't be so timid."
The Wen family is clearly wealthy and powerful.
Grandma Yu also sighed, "Well, this is a blessing in disguise. At least we can eat our fill and stay warm without suffering too much. And now we can go back to our biological parents."
Then everyone went back upstairs.
Factory Director Li and his wife came over to ask what was going on and why Director Lu was here too.
Cheng Xiuying didn't hide anything and told Hu Chunmei about her child. Now that the little girl's biological mother has been found, she will return to Beijing tonight.
Director Li and his wife also knew about Hu Chunmei's situation. This was big news in Qingshan County. They never expected that the biological mother of Hu Chunmei's daughter would be found so quickly!
The two families chatted for a while longer before Director Li and his wife took their child home.
When she got home, Cheng Xiuying first looked at the bags of gifts.
The four mesh bags were filled to the brim with the children's favorite snacks. Candy alone filled one bag: White Rabbit milk candy, lard candy, and fruit candy, all mixed together—it was quite a sight.
There are also canned fruit, canned luncheon meat, orange crystals, malted milk powder, steamed rice cakes, and mini twisted dough sticks.
Cheng Xiuying grabbed a handful of candy and distributed it to everyone. "Let's all benefit from Sibao's treat and have a few pieces of candy each." The rest were taken to Yu Jiajia's room, where Yu Jiajia opened the cupboard and put them in to eat slowly.
Yu Jiajia: "Mom, there's so much, how long will it take me to finish eating it?"
Cheng Xiuying: "Then eat it slowly, it won't spoil."
Yu Jiajia took out a can of luncheon meat and a can of fruit, saying, "Let's add two more dishes."
Cheng Xiuying: "We have two main dishes today, that's enough."
Yu Jiajia: "Then add one! Mom, do you want it sweet or savory?"
Cheng Xiuying took the can of sweets from Yu Jiajia, unscrewed the glass jar, and poured the contents into a plate.
The family continued eating.
Cheng Yongping and Cheng Yongyi were unaware of this matter, but Cheng Xiuying told them about Hu Chunmei's baby swap, leaving the two of them dumbfounded.
The director of a health center could be so utterly depraved.
Cheng Yongping simply couldn't understand: "She's the director of a health center, with such a high salary and benefits, why would she be so foolish as to abduct and sell children?"
Cheng Xiuying scoffed: "She enjoys the process and the result of doing bad things. Seeing others suffer and thinking about others' suffering makes her feel very happy. Moreover, a child costs at least five hundred yuan, plus all kinds of receipts. Reselling a child is half a year to a year's salary. It's a business with no cost."
Old Mrs. Yu cursed, "She's a slut who's living too comfortably. She should be criticized and denounced every day, have her head shaved in a half-shaved style, and be paraded through the streets every day. After the criticism and denunciation are over, she should be torn to pieces and thrown into the mountains to feed the wild boars."
Everyone agreed that Grandma Yu was absolutely right!
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