35
Lin Cuicui ignored Tang Shengkai and kept staring at her daughter. She wanted to ask her daughter where she got such great ability to actually get her father a spot in the army.
She had overheard her husband saying on the donkey cart that while they were on the job, the recruiters, though polite, had very strict requirements; if you weren't qualified, you really weren't. How did she manage to get a spot for her father?
Isn't Li Mingxuan a doctor? And his medical skills aren't even that great; he couldn't even cure his master's illness. How could he possibly have such great abilities?
"Yueyue, when do you think we should leave?"
Tang Yue looked up at her mother, her lips tightly pursed. "When are we leaving? Actually, a few days earlier or later doesn't really matter. It's so far?"
Wait! Tang Yue's big eyes lit up. A smile spread across her lips. "Mommy, will the train arrive soon?"
Lin Cuicui had never ridden a train, but she had heard others say that it was incredibly fast, even faster than a horse-drawn carriage.
"Pretty fast, huh? You silly girl, Mom's asking when you're leaving?"
"Hey everyone, come out and see! Tang Shengkai, who went to join the army and wanted to become a high-ranking officer, is back! How about it, Tang Laosan? You went to join the army, so our little Qiligou is no longer worth your attention?"
The donkey cart entered the village, and they hadn't gone far when Li Yuanzi was already eagerly waiting under the big elm tree. Seeing Lin Cuicui and the others return, she quickly came over and made a few sarcastic remarks.
Today, she went to the city with the villagers to buy New Year's goods, and she saw Tang Shengkai queuing in the conscription line. Li Yuanzi was unhappy when she saw this, and a sour feeling rose in her heart.
What makes Tang Shengkai so special? We all came from the same mother, yet he's different and wants to join the army. What? Is he addicted to being a hero?
She had heard that those who had distinguished themselves in battle were given formal jobs upon their return. Wouldn't that make Tang Laosan's family different from theirs?
That won't do.
Li Yuanzi lost all interest in buying New Year's goods. She secretly waited in the corner and overheard that Tang Shengkai hadn't been hired. She was overjoyed.
Serves him right! He thinks he's so capable, and he even wants to join the army. Dream on!
She went to find two women who had come with her from the village, bought some things hastily, and hurriedly returned.
As soon as she got off the donkey cart, she went straight to the brigade leader's house.
"Captain? Captain, are you home? Oh no, oh no!"
The brigade leader's family was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) husking corn when they heard Li Yuanzi's loud voice. The brigade leader's wife, Qian Wenli, curled her lip and said, "Every day, her family is always causing trouble."
The captain was also puzzled. He had heard that Li Yuanzi and the others had gone to town to buy things today. Why were they back at this time? It shouldn't be like this!
The brigade leader threw down the corncobs he was holding, put on his clothes, and went to the field.
Li Yuanzi had already pushed open the door to the outer room. When she saw the brigade leader lift the curtain, she hurriedly let out a shout.
"Captain, something bad has happened! Tang Laosan is trying to run away. I saw him go to apply for military service today."
"What? Go apply for a job?"
"Hmm, I went to the city to buy things today and saw him queuing up there. What do you think Tang Shengkai is thinking?"
He didn't want to stay in the production team, but insisted on becoming a soldier.
With his skinny appearance and bad legs, what army would want him?
Fortunately, the people in the army thought the same way as me. In the end, they thought he was too thin and too old, so they didn't want him.
But Captain, we can't start this.
If this person doesn't work properly in the production team, who will farm our land in the future?
Who's going to pay the state's grain tax? Tang Shengkai just wants to escape. Captain, you can't give him a letter of introduction.
We can't let him take advantage of this."
The captain was a little confused by Li Yuanzi's barrage of words, but he understood the gist of what was going on.
Tang Shengkai is going to enlist in the army, how come he hadn't heard anything about it? The battalion commander's face also turned a little grim.
The number of people in each production team is fixed, and no one can leave whenever they want.
Now that the country is focused on production, everyone has gone out to work. Who will stay in the production team to do the work?
But considering Tang Shengkai's family situation, their departure might be a good thing. After all, those spies could come at any time.
"Captain, what are you thinking? Say something! Tang Shengkai is definitely not going to get away this time. What if he comes up with some other bad idea next time?"
The captain ignored her and turned to go inside. Li Yuanzi followed him directly.
"Hey, Captain, what do you mean by this? You're not trying to protect Tang Laosan, are you? If that's the case, I'm going to go to the village and make a scene."
After saying that, he turned and walked out. The captain wanted to call out to him from behind, but Qian Wenli tugged at his sleeve.
"Why are you calling her? Don't you know who she is?"
Even if you stop her now, she'll still shout it out to the whole village when she leaves our house.
"Everyone knows that anyway, so what's the point of you stopping me?"
"Hey, what are you babbling about when you didn't even get the job?"
I have no idea what Tang Laosan did to offend Li Guiqin's family. It seems their biological children are worse off than the ones they picked up from the street.
"Hmph, that's for sure. You know, Tang Shengkai might not have actually come from Li Guiqin's belly."
Otherwise, why would they act like enemies, going on and on like this every day, even after severing ties?
"Stop talking nonsense. What time is it? If you keep saying those useless things, someone might sue you."
Qian Wenli rolled her eyes at the brigade leader but didn't say anything.
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