Chapter 85

"Ah?" Jian Lu didn't expect Chief of Staff Wu to retire from the army. "Why so sudden?"

Aunt Wang was also surprised. These families had a good relationship. They were neighbors and comrades-in-arms, and they often ate together.

In addition, the children from several other families took good care of Shuangshuang, so Aunt Wang treated them just like her own children.

"Where are Chief of Staff Wu and that kid Chenchen going?"

Cheng Zheng also had complicated feelings. His comrade of many years was leaving and he was reluctant to see him go, but this was the norm in the army.

There are always new recruits joining the army, and there are always old comrades retiring and leaving.

"Go back to Old Wu's hometown, in Province A." Cheng Zheng had never been there, he only knew the approximate location, "Then I should be able to arrange a job in a state-owned factory, the pay won't be too bad."

"Hey, why are you leaving so soon?" Jian Lu had a good impression of the Wu family. Chief of Staff Wu had treated the children very well in recent years, and Wu Xiangchen was no longer the sullen child he used to be. He was smart and clever. "So Chenchen is going to transfer to another school in the first year of junior high after studying for half a year?"

"That's right. Old Wu will help him transfer to another school when the time comes."

Shuangshuang listened vaguely, and probably understood that the adults were saying that Brother Chenchen and Uncle Wu were leaving.

"Mom, where is Brother Chenchen going?"

"Go back to your uncle Wu's hometown."

Shuangshuang thought about it, but didn't quite understand it, so she just nodded, "Oh, that would definitely be fun."

She thought it would be fun to go back to her parents' hometown.

Two days later, everyone gathered at Wu's house.

The two-story building that Wu Feng originally applied for now looks simple and clean.

They are the only ones living in this house, father and son. There is no woman to take care of the household, so they live in a very simple way, with a cold and hard temperament everywhere.

At the dinner table, the men were drinking and talking about the fact that Wu Feng submitted his application for discharge and transfer before telling his brothers. Liang Haisheng was a little dissatisfied.

"Old Wu, you are so good! You told us after everything was settled."

Wu Feng admitted openly, "I was not fair in handling this matter. I will punish myself with a glass of wine!"

Wu Feng submitted his application for discharge and transfer last month. The main reason was that he had reached the end of his career path and it would be time for him to retire after one or two more years at most. In addition, the army had to go to sea from time to time, and his son was the only one at home. He would have to let him live in another family for a long time, and Wu Feng always felt that it was not good for his son.

After thinking it through, he simply submitted his discharge report in advance and took his son back to his hometown as soon as possible, so that the father and son could live a good life in the future.

"My brothers and all of you, thank you for taking care of us grandpa and grandpa over the years, especially Lao Liang and sister-in-law. Chenchen has caused you a lot of trouble. I offer a toast to you."

"What are you talking about?" Feng Xiuhui waved her hands repeatedly, praising Wu Xiangchen without hesitation, "Chenchen is very obedient and smart. With him around, Dunzi has become much more obedient."

Dunzi didn't react at all when he heard these words. He was very angry at the moment.

Chenchen had been hiding this from him the whole time and was only now saying that he was leaving. He was very angry!

"Dunzi!" Wu Xiangchen touched Dunzi's arm. Seeing that the man had a fierce look on his face, he imitated his father and secretly took the wine from the adults on the table and poured a few glasses. "Then I'll drink with you too."

"Wu Xiangchen, you are so heartless! Why did you say it now?" Dongdong's eyes were slightly red. Thinking that one of his best friends was about to leave, he felt more and more upset.

"Come on, it's my fault." Wu Xiangchen looked quite calm and always had a smile on his face. Several boys had not drunk white wine yet and were sitting at another table.

There were four boys plus Shuangshuang and Juanjuan at the table. The four boys were getting ready to try white wine for the first time, while the two little girls were just concentrating on eating.

There was a small wine glass in front of each person. Wu Xiangchen poured a few sips of white wine into each of them. The wine was clear and transparent, and exuded a strong aroma. "Let's have a drink!"

Dun Zi glared at him fiercely, gritting his teeth, "From now on, we won't recognize you anymore! If you leave, don't come back!"

Having said that, he picked up the wine glass and poured it into his mouth.

hiss.

When the white wine goes down your throat, it's like sparks igniting all the way, crackling and exploding in your mouth, giving you a burning sensation.

The expressions on the faces of the people who drank white wine for the first time were different, as if they were bidding farewell to their youthful years in the past few years, with all kinds of flavors, sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty.

"I'll write to you when I get back!" Wu Xiangchen said lightly.

"Don't write!" Dunzi refused. "Write a bullshit letter. You didn't tell us earlier. Why write a letter? We won't know you anymore after you leave!"

Dunzi was still angry and unhappy.

Hengheng sighed quietly, and put one hand on Dunzi's shoulder and the other on Chenchen's shoulder, "Why are we leaving now? Didn't we say we would go to the war again when the next semester starts?"

Dong Dong raised his eyebrows due to the spicy liquor, "From now on, there will be three of us. I'm afraid we won't be able to win the war."

There was silence for a few seconds at the dinner table, like the wind blowing without leaving a trace. Shuangshuang and Juanjuan didn't understand what the brothers were doing. She leaned over, stood in front of brother Chenchen's wine glass, and stared into it.

"Brother Chenchen, what did you drink? Water?"

Shuangshuang was curious why her face wrinkled after drinking water. It was very similar to the expression she would have when she ate something sour.

"Don't bother with your little brat." Chen Chen put down his wine glass, reached out and flicked his braids, looked at them and shivered, and felt much better. "By the way, you'll be four in a month, I'll give you the red envelope first."

Wow!

Shuangshuang's eyes widened instantly. She didn't know why Brother Chenchen gave her a red envelope in advance, but it was a happy thing.

"Okay."

Shuangshuang happily accepted the bright red paper bag and said in a baby voice, "Thank you, Brother Chenchen, hehe!"

"Little money-grubber!" Chenchen pinched Shuangshuang's chubby cheeks.

......

After dinner, everyone talked for a while and then went their separate ways. The Wu father and son packed their luggage in silence in the empty second-floor building. They would leave after Wu Feng completed the final procedures.

"Didn't you tell Dunzi and the others in advance?" Wu Feng thought that his son and Dunzi got along well, so he must have told them last month that they should cherish the last time they played together.

"no."

Wu Xiangchen lowered his head and spoke in a low voice.

He just quietly put away the things he had played with since he was a child, a handful of marbles, blue and green, which made a jingling sound when they collided together. At first, he was not very good at the game, and it took him more than half a year to become good at it.

All five picture cards were worn out. For a while, several brothers were addicted to this game. They also had two slingshots, which could shoot marbles or stones with a pull of the slingshot.

After putting everything away, Wu Xiangchen looked up at his father and said, "Dad, can we come back to visit again in the future?"

"Sure, come back and visit when you have the chance." Wu Feng patted his son, "When you go back, your cousins ​​are at home. Don't worry, there are a lot of people."

Wu Feng nodded, and his long eyelashes cast a shadow on his face.

——

Five days later, the Wu family father and son left.

The group sent the two of them to the ferry point to Dejima. After loading their luggage onto the boat, they still had a few minutes to go before departure.

Wu Feng and several of his comrades hugged and said goodbye.

Having served in the army for more than 20 years, Wu Feng was reluctant to leave. He took one more look at the island, looked around this place with blue sea, blue sky, and coconut trees, and saluted everyone again.

"I'm leaving."

Cheng Zheng pursed his lips and patted his shoulder, "Have a safe trip."

There is no more words to say.

Wu Xiangchen looked at the team that came to see him off, and the familiar figure was missing.

Dunzi, Hengheng and Dongdong didn’t come.

Feng Xiuhui explained on behalf of her son, "Dunzi... woke up late. You guys were having so much fun, but now he's feeling really bad. He slept really late last night, so he's coming right now."

Although she said so, Feng Xiuhui knew in her heart that Dunzi was upset.

Dunzi couldn't accept that his good friend was leaving like this. Early this morning, when Liang Haisheng and Feng Xiuhui were leaving, they asked him to see them off, but he flatly refused, saying that he would not see Wu Xiangchen off.

Hengheng and Dongdong tried to persuade him, but they didn't know if they could persuade him to come over.

Wu Xiangchen understood in his heart and accepted Aunt Xiuhui's statement.

"Uncle Liang, Aunt Xiuhui, I will come to your house to play in the future." Wu Xiangchen lives in the Liang family for one-third of the year and has a close relationship with the Liang family.

"Okay!" Liang Haisheng regarded Wu Xiangchen as his half-son, and couldn't bear to let him go. He grumbled on Wu Xiangchen's head, "Come back to the island when you have time. Your room in Uncle Liang's house will always be reserved for you."

"Go back and live a good life with your father, and study hard." Feng Xiuhui felt a little reluctant as she spoke this, because this was the child she had watched grow up.

Wu Xiangchen turned his head and looked at Aunt Lulu again. When he was a little kid, Aunt Lulu once spoke to him very gently in the hospital corridor. Later, his stepmother passed away, and his father was his father again.

It was after Wu Xiangchen's own mother passed away that he once again experienced motherly tenderness and warmth.

"Aunt Lulu, I really like the shrimps you cook. I want to eat them again next time."

"Come on, there are lots of shrimps and fishes at Aunt Lulu's house." Jian Lu felt very reluctant to leave. She always felt that such a scene was too uncomfortable. Fortunately, she had a little girl in her arms who was good at making jokes.

"Brother Chenchen, do you want to compete with me for shrimps?"

Shuangshuang's words instantly broke everyone's sad mood, and everyone started to smile.

"Sangsang, what's wrong? Is Brother Chenchen good to you? Do you want to share some shrimp with me?"

Shuangshuang seemed to be thinking seriously, and nodded after a while, "Okay, then I'll give you one."

Wu Xiangchen looked at Shuangshuang. This little girl has been a beautiful baby since she was born. People would smile unconsciously when they see her.

This time, he gently touched Shuangshuang's braids and didn't flick them again, "So good."

The ferry was about to depart, Wu Feng said goodbye to a few of his comrades and called his son to get on board.

Wu Xiangchen stepped onto the boat, stood at the stern and looked towards the shore. They were all the people he had known for the past few years, except for...

"Wu Xiangchen!"

In the distance, three young men sprinted towards me, waving their arms along the way.

When we reached the shore, the boat had just started and was only two or three meters away from the shore.

Dunzi put his hands to his lips and shouted, "Remember to come back and see us!"

Heng Heng waved at him, "Write to us!"

Dongdong stood on the shore panting and shouting, "Goodbye!"

Wu Xiangchen stood at the stern, waved at them, looked at everyone deeply, and said, "Okay!"

The blue waves carried the ferry away, and the figures on the boat gradually shrank into small black dots in the field of vision until they disappeared. The bitter sea breeze with a salty smell became the only memory of September 1975 in everyone's memory.

=

Two years later.

September 1977.

In the family compound of the garrison troops on the sea island, a thirteen-year-old boy was running all the way with a letter in his hand. The breeze blew up his short hair, and beads of sweat hung on the ends of his hair and dripped onto his cheeks.

"Dunzi, what are you holding?"

After dinner, Aunt Wang and her six-year-old granddaughter were walking outside to help digest the food.

Suddenly, I saw Dunzi running towards me like a gust of wind.

"Granny Wang, I received a letter from Chenchen!"

"Oh." Aunt Wang nodded. Two years ago, Wu Feng and Chen Chen passed away. After that, she wrote to Dunzi and the others from time to time. "You guys have a good relationship. How are Chen Chen and the others doing now?"

"It's fine. He said he's grown taller. He's taller than me. I'm so mad!" Dunzi said with gritted teeth, and touched Shuangshuang's little head.

Shuangshuang is now grown up and has become conscious of protecting her hairstyle. She refuses to let her brother touch her head, for fear that her little braid will become frizzy.

Aunt Wang didn't know why these kids loved to compare heights so much, even from such a distance, so she just smiled and said, "Then you should eat more and be taller than him."

"Okay!" Dunzi is tall now and is considered taller than his peers. But after hearing Wu Xiangchen mention his height in the letter last time, he has sensed a crisis.

There is no way he can be shorter than someone who is one year younger than him!

"Hengheng, Dongdong, come out quickly. We received a letter from Wu Xiangchen."

Dunzi went door to door calling people and called the two brothers out. The three of them prepared to go to the secret base to play.

Hengheng's younger brother ran far behind to join them, following behind them and catching up with his brothers.

"Grandma, who is Wu Xiangchen?" Shuangshuang listened to what brother Dunzi said and always felt that the name was familiar.

"Have you forgotten your brother Chenchen?" Aunt Wang looked at her granddaughter's confused eyes and reminded her, "It was Brother Chenchen who gave you the red envelope back then. Do you remember?"

"Oh, I remember! Brother Chenchen gave me candy." Shuangshuang remembered Brother Chenchen but not his full name.

When she got home, Aunt Wang told her son and daughter-in-law about Shuangshuang's memory as if it were a funny story.

"It's only been two years. I almost forgot about Chenchen."

Jian Lu knew that it must be Wu Xiangchen who wrote to Dunzi and the others again, "Shuangshuang, don't you remember Brother Chenchen? Brother Chenchen used to be very kind to you. You cried once and wiped your tears and snot on Brother Chenchen's clothes."

Shuangshuang frowned and looked at her mother with dissatisfaction, "Mom, I won't!"

Doesn't she have any dignity? Why am I crying and having a runny nose?

Aunt Wang sighed, "Time flies by so fast. In the blink of an eye, Chief of Staff Wu and Chenchen have been gone for two years."

Jian Lu turned around and looked at the diary on the wall. It was already 1977. After calculating the time, she knew that the second half of the year was destined to be turbulent.

In October, the country gradually began to redress injustices, and many people were finally freed after enduring many hardships.

An old comrade of Cheng Zheng, who was investigated and reformed ten years ago, has finally returned.

Jian Lu had never seen this soldier before. She only heard Cheng Zheng mention that he was a tough guy who was two years older than Cheng Zheng. But when she saw him again after many years, she found that he had aged a lot, almost ten years older than Cheng Zheng. His eyes were full of fatigue and dejection. Only his still straight back revealed his military figure.

"Mr. Lu, this is my mother, my wife, and my daughter-in-law."

Lu Jianwen returned with his family and has now resumed his position as group leader. However, he has been away for too long and everything seems unfamiliar to him.

"You're married and have a daughter? That's great!" Lu Jianwen was implicated during the Great Movement and had been locked up solitary confinement. He knew very little about what was happening in the outside world. He never expected that his comrade-in-arms, who had refused to get married at that time, already had a wife and a daughter.

The two families had their meal. Lu Jianwen didn't say much, and even his wife and daughter-in-law didn't say much either. They just focused on eating the food in front of them, and didn't reach far with their chopsticks.

When Lu Jianwen was taken away, his wife and daughter also moved out of the family compound and were sent to a remote commune, where they seldom had contact with others. When the incident first happened, Cheng Zheng secretly gave some money to people, and a comrade-in-arms who had a good relationship with him also asked someone to use his connections to get acquainted with the commune secretary, so that he could take care of people a little.

However, the mother and daughter have always been cautious in their actions, fearing that they would implicate others. Later, they took the initiative to avoid comrades who had a good relationship with Lu Jianwen in the past. Having tasted the warmth of human nature, they naturally also suffered a lot of cold eyes.

Fortunately, the family is finally reunited.

Jian Lu glanced across and saw Captain Lu's twelve-year-old daughter Lu Qing glanced at the crab several times, her little hand seemed to move but stopped, and then she spoke.

"Shuangshuang, please dig a crab for your sister."

Shuangshuang is now an expert at peeling shrimps. She has been eating seafood since she was a child. She is very skillful and quick at peeling shrimps and eating crabs, even better than her parents.

"good!"

Both of them were holding the plump steamed crabs and were turning them over with their hands. After a while, the crab shells were opened, revealing the crab meat and crab roe inside. The yellow and creamy crab roe aroused people's appetite.

"Sister Qingqing, taste it!" Shuangshuang was very outgoing and recognized those older than herself as brothers and sisters. She was even happier when she met those younger than herself, as they were all brothers and sisters.

Lu Qing was a pretty girl with gentle eyes and brows. When she looked sideways, she saw a lovely and lively sister looking at her.

Shuangshuang is now a six-year-old girl. She has lost her baby fat and is gradually becoming a beauty. Her oval face and big watery eyes are the most eye-catching. She always smiles at everyone she looks at, like a blooming sunflower. Anyone who sees her will unconsciously raise the corners of their lips.

"Thank you." Lu Qing felt a sense of familiarity and said in a low voice.

"You're welcome!" They were both very happy and had made new friends. They started to peel crabs and shrimps for everyone at the table. After a busy period, they felt that the job was done and started to eat.

"Old Cheng, your daughter is really amazing and has a good temper."

"Uncle Lu, please don't praise me. I will be proud." Shuangshuang answered vaguely while biting the shrimp.

Captain Lu laughed twice, and at this moment he finally relaxed, as if he felt the breath of freedom outside, vivid and alive.

"Qingqing, you should play with Shuangshuang more often in the future."

Cheng Zheng also agreed, especially since his comrade-in-arms and his family had just returned and were unfamiliar with many places. "Qingqing is in the fourth grade, right? Shuangshuang is in the first grade. Let them go to school together. This girl knows a lot of people in school."

Because of the changes in those years and the sudden change in his family, Lu Qing missed a few years of schooling. Later, things got better, and with the secret help of Lu Jianwen's comrade Cheng Zheng and others, the commune finally relaxed the arrangement and allowed Lu Qing to go to school smoothly.

So, she is twelve years old and is only in the fourth grade.

"Well, I'm worried that Qingqing will come back alone and not know anyone, so she's a little timid."

After eating the shrimps, they squinted their eyes at the sweet smell and looked at Sister Qingqing beside them, "Sister Qingqing, come find me tomorrow and we'll go to school together."

After thinking for a while, she explained, "It's not that I don't want to go find you, it's that I can't get up."

Shuangshuang was not lying. More than half a month ago, she became a glorious primary school student. She used to like going to school very much, but suddenly she felt bad.

There weren’t so many restrictions in the nursery class before, and we mostly played around at school. It became a little stricter when we entered elementary school.

Oh, it’s really worrying.

"Okay, I'll come find you." Lu Qing agreed.

Lu Jianwen brought his wife and daughter back to the military compound, which was later a newly built two-story building.

The family has been through a lot and is no longer the high-spirited family they were ten years ago. "Qingqing, just study hard and remember to tell us if anything happens."

Lu Jianwen remembered that his daughter was a lively and carefree person when she was two years old, but when he saw her again after such a long time, she seemed like a completely different person, obedient and sensible but too stable.

"Got it, Dad." Lu Qing raised his eyelids and answered obediently.

"Don't worry if you want to eat or buy anything. Tell us and we will buy you whatever we can at home." Lu Jianwen touched the lady's face.

"Dad, I don't want anything." Lu Qing's eyes seemed to be filled with calm lake water, flowing quietly without any waves. "It's good for our family to be together."

Lu Jianwen choked up, looked at his wife and then at his daughter-in-law, "We'll be together from now on."

=

Every morning before school is hard for Shuangshuang.

Waking up early is really annoying, so waking her up every day has become grandma's most difficult task.

Today, Shuangshuang was thinking about taking her new sister Qingqing to school. After grandma called her three times, she finally struggled to get up.

"Go brush your teeth, wash your face and have breakfast." Jian Lu has already cultivated a set of standardized operating procedures for her daughter.

Confused Shuangshuang took her toothbrush and went to the yard to brush her teeth. She spit out every mouthful of mouthwash into the vegetable patch. She wanted to water the vegetables and moisten the soil.

Cheng Zheng had finished his breakfast and was reading a newspaper. He saw his daughter suddenly speed up and wolf down her food. He laughed at her and said, "Eat slower. Don't choke."

"Hmm~ Mom, hurry up, Sister Qingqing will definitely be here soon. And Xixi too."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xixi appeared at Cheng's house carrying a military bag.

"Uncle Cheng, Aunt Lulu, Granny Wang." Xixi and Shuangshuang were classmates in the seedling class. They were in the same grade together and were still in the same class. They were also neighbors sitting at the front and back rows.

We go to school and go home together every day.

"Xixi, I'll be there soon!" Shuangshuang was so anxious that her hands and mouth were in a hurry. She hurried to eat and asked her mother to braid her hair right now.

"Okay, seeing how anxious you are, I won't be late."

Jian Lu braided two small pigtails for the young lady, which made her look smart and cute.

He wiped his mouth, put on his backpack, said goodbye to his family in a hurry, and walked out holding hands with Xixi.

At the door were Lu Qing and her mother Hu Chunmei. The mother and daughter were waiting there but did not go in.

"Aunt Hu!" Shuangshuang introduced her to Xixi and asked everyone to call her, "This is Sister Qingqing."

Jian Lu also came out and greeted Captain Lu's wife.

"Sister Jian Lu, do you really not need to send it over?"

"No, they have been walking that road for many years. Besides, several of their brothers have also been there, so we are relieved."

"Shuangshuang, you have to take sister Qingqing with you. Tell her where you are going and how to get there."

"good."

Shuangshuang happily held Xixi with his left hand, and with his right hand... Hey, Sister Qingqing's hand was pressed tightly against his pants. Shuangshuang touched it twice before he found it. He held her hand tightly and said, "Let's go! Brother Dunzi and the others are leaving too."

Lu Qing was a little uncomfortable. In the past few years, she rarely interacted with others. Most of the time, she would avoid her family members and didn't want to have anything to do with them. Therefore, she had no friends and always kept to herself.

The pairs of little hands are chubby and warm, which is a very different feeling.

Arriving at the gate of Liang's house, Shuangshuang saw the tall brother Dunzi and his gang.

"Brother Dunzi, Brother Dongdong, Brother Hengheng, Brother Yuanyuan." Shuangshuang has a sweet little mouth and will wait when someone is called.

"Would you like some orange candy?"

"want!"

Dunzi stuffed some orange candies into Shuangshuang's mouth, then looked up and saw a strange girl next to Shuangshuang.

"Who is this?"

"This is Sister Qingqing."

Not familiar.

Dunzi didn't care and called a few people to go to school.

A group of children set out in groups, making a lot of noise and excitement, like little birds out of a cage.

The children go to school, and the adults at home feel like they have a holiday, which is really relaxing.

Cui Yuhe and Feng Xiuhui went to Jian Lu's house with cloth and wool and chatted happily.

"After Hengheng and Yuanyuan left, I felt that my home was pleasing to the eye! It's better to go to school, hahahaha."

Cui Yuhe has two children at home, and there is no one to help take care of them. It is obviously more tiring than taking care of Jian Lu and Feng Xiuhui. In addition, they are two sons, so disciplining them is really tiring.

"Hengheng is so big now. I saw him taking Yuanyuan with him the other day. They have such a good relationship as brothers."

"That's true. Yuanyuan doesn't even listen to me and his dad that much. He listens to his brother the most."

Feng Xiuhui thought of the little girl she saw at the doorstep that morning and asked Jian Lu, "Who is the girl with Shuangshuang?"

"The daughter of Captain Lu who has been rehabilitated."

"Oh oh." Feng Xiuhui and Cui Yuhe had also heard about it and were somewhat moved. "It's a great thing to be able to come back."

The three of them were talking in the living room while Aunt Wang was cooking in the kitchen. She was busy preparing dumplings for the family's dinner today. Jian Lu brought back a pound of pork for this month and chopped it into minced meat, added chopped leeks, and mixed with chopped ginger, chopped garlic and green onions, and then beat an egg into the mixture. The minced meat and the sticky egg liquid mixed together looked tempting.

I also prepared corn shrimp filling, which is my granddaughter’s favorite.

The dumpling wrappers are also rolled by Aunt Wang. The wrappers are very thin and her craft of hand-rolling the dumpling wrappers is unmatched by anyone.

In one hand he held two bowls of dumpling fillings, and in the other he held an empty colander with a few dozen dumpling wrappers in it. He placed them neatly on the table and began to make dumplings.

Jian Lu also started making dumplings and said, "Make more. You can take some back later."

Feng Xiuhui and Cui Yuhe also helped with the packing, but they didn't take anything. "No, we can't take everything."

Jian Lu did not argue. She just wrapped dozens of dumplings and put them in the pot to cook. Then she took two bowls and put a few dumplings in each of his family members.

As soon as the two of them were about to decline, they heard some noise outside.

There was a clattering sound and someone was shouting outside. I couldn't hear it clearly, but it sounded very excited.

Carrying two bowls of dumplings, Jian Lu, Feng Xiuhui and Cui Yuhe went out together, and they heard comrades holding newspapers shouting all over the place.

“The college entrance examination will be resumed!”

“Recover this year!”

The college entrance examination, which had been cancelled for ten years, was actually going to be restored? This was a big deal, and even those who had never received an education in the family courtyard were dumbfounded and shocked.

Yes, Jian Lu calculated the time and found that the college entrance examination was indeed announced to be resumed during this period.

The people who were most happy about the resumption of the college entrance examination were, firstly, the educated youth who had come from the city to work in the countryside to build the economy, as they finally had the opportunity to return to the city; secondly, those who had attended high school before, even if they were old, felt that they had a chance to give it a try.

Then there are parents whose children are currently in high school.

Originally, if children didn’t find a job after graduating from high school, they would have to go to the countryside as educated youth. But now there is an additional option. As long as they can get into university, they don’t have to go to the countryside anymore, right?

The entire family compound was abuzz with discussions about this matter. Some with high school education were eager to try, while others began to dream of their children being able to get into college in the future.

But the children are different, they still love to play and have fun.

Dunzi and a group of children of different ages were walking back to the family compound after school. He looked down at Shuangshuang, who was still holding hands with people.

Chattering non-stop.

"Both."

They both turned around and asked, "Brother Dunzi, what's the matter?"

"Have you finished your candy?"

"We're done eating!" Shuangshuang shook her braids. When she heard this, she knew that Brother Dunzi was going to give her something delicious again!

"Go back and tell your Aunt Xiuhui, Aunt Yuhe and Aunt Hehua that the three of us are studying at school and will be back late. Wait for me tomorrow and I will give you something delicious."

"Okay." Shuangshuang is very experienced.

"Remember it?" Heng Heng asked Shuang Shuang anxiously, "Where did your brother Dun Zi tell you this?"

Shuangshuang was very honest, "At the gate of the courtyard."

Heng Heng held his forehead, resisting the urge to rub her hairy head. "I said that at school. Do you remember?"

"Oh~" Shuangshuang nodded, "Remember, I want to eat winter melon candy."

"Okay, I'll bring it to you tomorrow."

Dunzi and Hengheng Dongdong turned around and walked away with their schoolbags in their hands.

Lu Qinggang joined the large group of people going to and from school in the family compound. When he saw the brothers leaving, he asked Shuangshuang, "Where are they going?"

Shuangshuang and Xixi said in unison, "Fight!"

=

At nine o'clock in the evening, it was already dark. Dunzi and his two friends came back from outside, said goodbye to their two brothers and continued walking inside. However, they saw a figure in front of their small building.

"Mom." Dunzi immediately came up with a playful smile, "Mom, why are you waiting here? It's windy outside, go back to the house and have a rest."

"Stop smiling at me!" Feng Xiuhui discovered that her son was getting harder to discipline as he got older, especially after he failed the entrance exam from junior high school to high school last year!

Feng Xiuhui urged him to study for another year and strive to pass the exam this year.

"Where have you been? You've been doing nothing right all day long!"

"Mom, don't mess around, study, study, didn't Shuangshuang tell you?" Dunzi pushed his mother's back and walked inside.

"I told you, how can you let Shuangshuang lie for you? Don't bring bad things to Shuangshuang!"

"I can corrupt anyone, but I can't corrupt Shuangshuang!" Dunzi defended himself, and then he felt something was wrong. "No, I'm a bad person. How can I corrupt anyone? Mom, you can't wrongly accuse me!"

"Okay, okay, don't be mean to me." Feng Xiuhui patted her son a few times and said excitedly, "The college entrance examination has been resumed, did you know? Son, study hard. If you can get into college, you will be the first in the Liang family to be admitted. A college student! This will bring honor to the family!"

Dunzi looked at his mother as if he had seen a ghost, and pointed at himself, "Mom, going to college? Do you think I have the talent for that?"

"Why not? You're not stupid. If you put half the effort you put into studying instead of going out to play, you'll have a chance!" Feng Xiuhui always had confidence in her son.

——

When the college entrance examination was resumed, almost all the educated youth who met the requirements signed up across the country. Some of the few military families with high school education in the family homes also signed up, and the atmosphere was very lively.

The college entrance examination has become the most concerned topic among everyone after dinner. Whether or not one has the ability to take the exam will be discussed.

Jian Lu had expected this. Seeing many people excited about the college entrance examination, she couldn't help but think of the days when she also worked hard before she traveled through time.

Jian Lu understood their feelings, as if she saw her former self.

But at this moment, she had something else exciting.

She had just returned from the post office. She received the money from Cai Xiujuan, but did not take it out. Instead, she deposited the money directly into her own passbook.

In the past two years, Cai Xiujuan has run the pearl farm very well and her technology has become more and more advanced. She is either discussing technology with expert Yang Binghua or discussing breeding plans with Jian Lu. The entire commune respects Cai Xiujuan very much. After all, she led everyone from being so poor that they could not have enough food to surpassing the workers in the state-owned factories in the city. Who would not be happy for the money and to fill their stomachs?

The pearl farm of Cai Xiujuan's commune has become the largest pearl supplier in H City. Even if the nearby communes follow suit, the different water quality conditions and technical differences make Cai Xiujuan and her pearl farm have an advantage that cannot be surpassed.

Returning home with the passbook, Jian Lu admired the numbers on it. Even before the reform and opening up began, she was already a household with a balance of ten thousand yuan. This felt so good.

A household with a net worth of 10,000 yuan in this era was much more important than one with a net worth of 10,000 yuan in later generations. They were rare. She had to make good use of the money that had given her an advantage.

When Cheng Zheng came back from the army, he saw his wife holding her passbook and smiling happily.

"So happy?"

After taking off his military cap, Cheng Zheng unbuttoned two buttons of his military uniform. Cheng Zheng was always used to buttoning up his uniform tightly.

When the button was unfastened, his Adam's apple and collarbone were exposed, and the originally stern leader instantly became more handsome.

"Of course I'm happy." Jian Lu shook the passbook in her hand at him, showing off the many zeros on it.

"Comrade Cai Xiujuan is really capable. She has run the pearl farm very well."

Cheng Zheng doesn't have much demand for money, just enough for his needs and not letting his family suffer.

"Of course, Xiujuan is amazing." After all, she is the future Pearl King.

"You are amazing too." Cheng Zheng spends a large part of his time in the army every day, while his wife studies and researches pearl breeding all day long. She has read a lot of books and is really getting better and better.

Jian Lu gladly accepted the man's compliment, but then she remembered that she had something to tell him, "Oh, I have something to tell you, something important."

Cheng Zheng didn't know why, but some images flashed through his mind.

He blurted out, "You want to take the college entrance examination?"

Jian Lu was stunned. "How do you know?"