149 The whole family studies!
Guan Yuehe had barely sat down when she heard from her neighbors about Zhang Desheng's job assignment after graduation.
"I heard it from someone else. Zhang Desheng was assigned to work in the Education Bureau."
"I told you long ago, Zhang Desheng definitely didn't want to be transferred back to the factory, didn't you see?"
"Who would want to go back to their original unit if they could be assigned to a better one?"
“Isn’t our factory good enough? If he comes back, he might be assigned to oversee the factory’s education. What’s the difference between that and working at the education bureau? They’re both about education.”
"I can't explain it to you, these are not the same thing at all!"
"He's been assigned to the Education Bureau. His workplace will provide housing, right? Will his family still live here?"
“I told you to stop thinking about it. Zhang Desheng and his wife moved away with their child, but Zhang Quanbin is still here. This young man should be dating and getting married in a couple of years. He has a room to himself and a father who works at the Education Bureau. Just wait, his doorstep will be worn down sooner or later.”
Guan Yuehe listened intently, then casually picked up a handful of peanuts from the table and began peeling them.
Sure enough, there was no news that the elderly folks in Ginkgo Hutong couldn't find out, unless they didn't want to find out.
Zhang Desheng's assignment to the Education Bureau seemed to be expected.
When Si Tian got married, Ding Xuewen also mentioned Zhang Desheng.
Ding Xuewen graduated a semester early and secured a job at the television station early on. In April, Zhang Desheng, who hadn't yet settled on a job, asked Ding Xuewen about the situation at the television station and also inquired whether any of Ding Xuewen's classmates had been assigned to the Education Bureau.
I guess Zhang Desheng had been thinking about going to the Education Bureau for a long time.
Because he was able to keep Ding Xuewen in the dark for three years, Guan Yuehe thought he was a good person, and she hoped that he could be assigned to the unit she wanted to work in.
"Excuse me, the food is being served!"
As soon as all the dishes were served, the chatter stopped. The first thing everyone did was grab some meat and put it in their bowls.
Guan Yuehe had many years of experience attending banquets. Before anyone else could put down their chopsticks, she quickly picked up every dish for herself before starting to eat.
Conditions are much better now than before, and people are much more civilized; there's no longer any rush to grab food as soon as it's served.
Two days later, the news that Zhang Desheng had been assigned to the Education Bureau was finally confirmed by Zhang Ersao.
It seems this matter is completely settled, otherwise Zhang Ersao wouldn't be sitting at the alley entrance, telling everyone she meets, regardless of whether the neighbors are talking or not: "Oh yes! Our Lao Zhang has been assigned to the Municipal Education Bureau! Yes, yes, he'll be a deputy section chief there!"
Some people were envious of Zhang Desheng's sudden turnaround from being a nobody to a successful businessman.
Many people still remember that Zhang Desheng used to flatter the factory leaders a lot, hoping to get a position in the school leadership, but he didn't succeed.
Just a few years ago, he was just an ordinary teacher at a factory-affiliated primary school. He seized the opportunity to get a master's degree, and somehow ended up being assigned to the Education Bureau!
He deliberately said, "They're both graduate students, so why is Zhang Desheng's level so low?"
This is a comparison with Guan Yuehe.
Xie Zhenhua is now a senior researcher in materials science at the factory; he's taken a technical route, so it's hard to compare. But Guan Yuehe was promoted to department head right after graduation.
Zhang Ersao was furious, but she didn't forget Zhang Desheng's instructions. Suppressing her anger, she replied with a smile, "We are a bit worse off than others, but we are content. Who would have thought we would be like this?"
"You guys should think about it too, see if you can also get a master's degree, it's only three years. Those with jobs can still get their salaries, and those without jobs can get subsidies, oh my, this is such a good deal!"
The envious person: "..."
Who doesn't know that getting a master's degree is a good thing these days? Even if you're not reassigned to a new job, you'll still be valued when you come back to the factory.
However, unlike the first cohort, the application requirements for postgraduate studies are not as lenient now. Those who met the application requirements back then no longer do.
No matter what sarcastic remarks came her way, Zhang Ersao could always retort with a sharp retort, while also showing off Zhang Desheng's good job.
When Guan Yuehe came home from get off work, she happened to run into Zhang Ersao, who was happily carrying a rib home.
Upon seeing her, Zhang Ersao showed off again and congratulated her.
When she reached the entrance of the alley, she was greeted by several neighbors who congratulated her.
Needless to say, the news of her pregnancy and childbirth had already spread throughout Ginkgo Hutong.
Others leaned over and whispered, "Yuehe, did you ask Sitian to pull some strings when you went for your checkup? We're all neighbors, can you recommend a reliable doctor to me?"
After saying that, the neighbor winked at her, casually twirled his fingers, and continued to ask in a low voice, "How much did you spend?"
Guan Yuehe understood; these people thought she had also used connections to find out the child's gender.
“We don’t do that in our family. It’s the same whether it’s a boy or a girl.” Guan Yuehe didn’t want to say more. She rang the bicycle bell to signal them not to block the way and pushed the bicycle home.
Not getting the answer they wanted, the neighbors outside exchanged glances and couldn't help but purse their lips: "They talk a good game, but even if they tried to find out, nobody else would know."
But most of her neighbors believed her.
Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku are even more "righteous" than Chang Zhengyi; they don't seem like the type to favor sons over daughters.
Chang Zhengyi sneezed when he got home from get off work.
—
Lin Yiku has been getting off work at least half an hour earlier than usual lately. Before she even enters the yard, she can hear the washing machine banging and spinning.
His family and the family across the street were using their washing machines at the same time, making so much noise that it sounded like a tractor was running in the front yard of No. 1 Courtyard.
Everyone has figured out the power supply pattern. At this time, the possibility of a power outage is small, so those who need to use washing machines should choose this time.
"Leaving get off work so early today too?"
"I've been hitching a ride in the boss's car these past few days; it's faster than riding a bicycle. Are you feeling unwell today?"
"No, eat and drink well." Guan Yuehe gently patted her stomach and said, "Mom said this child is well-behaved, just like me when I was little. She told us not to keep calling him 'little rascal,' as it would be unfair to the child."
Lin Yiku raised an eyebrow. "Someone like you shouldn't be called 'Little Rascal,' but 'Stubborn Donkey.'"
Guan Yuehe suddenly remembered her father saying that she was a little donkey pulling a millstone, and that a carrot had to be dangled in front of her. She was overjoyed.
Lin Yi noticed several books and cassette tapes on the sofa, stepped forward to take a look, and asked, "Are you going to learn Japanese?"
"Just learn it casually." Guan Yuehe encouraged him to learn together, "My colleagues said it's easy to learn, and having more skills means having more options."
With a quick glance, another plausible reason came to mind: "Raise your hand if you agree that Comrade Lin Yiku should learn Japanese together in a family vote."
He raised his hands and said with a smile, "Baby and I both agree. The minority shall obey the majority. Alright, Comrade Lin Yiku, starting tonight, you will learn Japanese with us!"
Comrade Lin Yiku, who lost his right to vote, said: "Just because I didn't say I disagreed, doesn't mean I can't raise my hand?"
"Alright! You raise your hand too, that's three votes now! Unanimous approval!"
The impromptu vote had an unexpected result, which made Guan Yuehe very happy. After all, studying alone is quite different from studying with multiple companions.
For example, when she tried to read the pronunciation as indicated in the Chinese notes, she always felt it sounded a bit strange, and she would frown as she read.
But there was another equally strange one next to her, and as she read on, she came to accept its oddity.
Fortunately, she has several colleagues at work who are fluent in Japanese, so she can ask them for help when she doesn't understand something.
Gu Mannian brought Gu Yu over for dinner. Hearing that she was learning Japanese, he asked her a few questions and began to waver.
"Should I switch to a different language? English is just... sigh!"
He enrolled in the factory's English training class, and to prevent Gu Yu from going to Mo Zhinan's house to watch color TV, he specially took Gu Yu with him to school.
Gu Yu learned faster than him.
Gu Mannian said with a worried look, "It's better to train my daughter than to train me at the factory."
Guan Yuehe criticized him sternly, "You have to set a good example for your children, how can you give up halfway?"
Gu Mannian sighed.
The two sisters seemed to have made a pact; they said the same things.
—
As July arrived, Guan Yuehe looked down at her belly, which seemed to remain unchanged, except that her pants seemed a little tighter.
Guan Yuehua finally got her summer vacation.
This semester, she went directly from being an undergraduate to a graduate student. Her schedule was packed, and she hardly ever left the school. Every Sunday, Gu Mannian would bring Gu Yu to the school to see her.
I finally got a holiday. I got home in the morning and came to Ginkgo Hutong in the afternoon.
There have been quite a few changes at home in the past few months.
My parents opened a shop and now they have something to do again.
Guan Yuehe is also about to become a mother.
It's amazing, Guan Yuehe, that big dummy, is actually going to be a mother?
Even though Guan Yuehe has been married for several years, Guan Yuehua still feels that she is an unreliable person who only wants to do housework, and she can't quite imagine what she would be like as a mother.
Are you going to cook with a little stick?
Thinking of my daughter, Guyu, I realized it was quite possible. After all, Guyu always complained that she could eat lots of delicious food with her aunt.
"Tsk! Can't you walk slower?" Guan Yuehua saw Guan Yuehe walking briskly from afar, which made her brow twitch.
She was as energetic and energetic as ever, as if she had forgotten that she was pregnant.
"How can it be slow? You hurry up and go to the supply and marketing cooperative to line up. They have watermelons for sale. I'll go back and get the money."
Guan Yuehe took two steps towards home, then turned back and saw that she hadn't moved, so she urged her again, "Hurry up, the melons that were just delivered look sweet! If you're late, you won't be able to get any!"
Guan Yuehua took a deep breath, thinking to herself that she really needed two idiots.
When she got home in the morning, Gu Yu was so anxious that she jumped up and down, saying that the factory had bought a truckload of watermelons to share, and if she didn't leave early, she would only be able to choose the ones that others had left over, and there would definitely be no sweet ones left.
I came here in the afternoon, and Guan Yuehe urged me to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to queue up for watermelons...
Guan Yuehua said irritably, "I brought money," and stormed off to the supply and marketing cooperative.
Behind him came Guan Yuehe's worried voice: "Choose carefully, and knock on them a couple of times to listen!"
Frustrating.
Guan Yuehua quickened her pace as she walked out.
A note from the author: I want to let everyone know in advance that I've been getting a bit stuck in the later stages of writing lately, and I need to go back and reorganize my thoughts frequently, so updates will be a bit less frequent.
It's not over yet. I'll give you a heads-up when it's almost over. [doge emoji with rose in hand]
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