Ye Qingshui's hands were shaking a little.
She touched the box, and it seemed as if she really felt that there were books inside. What could this box, which was neither too big nor too small, hold?
Grandma Xie is not the kind of dexterous elder who would make thousand-layer soles, sew quilts, and brew honey for her like her grandmother did from time to time. The most likely thing Grandma Xie would do is probably to send some money to her grandson when the weather gets cold so that he doesn't have to suffer in the countryside.
Ye Qingshui slowly opened the box.
A few rays of mercury-like sunlight fell on the brand new cover, on which was clearly written "Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry Series". The newly printed book exuded a faint smell of ink.
At this moment, Ye Qingshui couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips.
My heart finally fell to the ground.
"I didn't expect grandma's side to be so fast!"
She said with surprise.
Xie Tingyu had already guessed what was in the box, because in addition to receiving a package, he also received a remittance slip, and the payee was Zhou Cunren.
This is the royalties remitted from Capital Publishing House.
Ye Qingshui also opened a letter written by Grandma Xie, in which she said:
"Zhan Xinjia: Tingyu, Qingshui, the manuscripts you sent us have finally been printed after half a year, and the publishing house has also remitted the royalties. Please notify Teacher Zhou to pick them up. These books are of great significance, and we have come at a good time.
In August, the capital held a symposium on science and education, at which a proposal was made to restore the college entrance examination system. My grandmother attended the meeting and was deeply moved. This is a precious opportunity for young people, and you should seize it well.
When Ye Qingshui saw the news, his eyes lit up.
She was really sleepy and the pillow was handed to her at the right time. She was worried that Xie Tingyu would delay his studies because of his research on biogas. With Grandma Xie's reminder, Xie Tingyu would have to be careful in reviewing.
She didn't expect that Grandma Xie would know the news two months in advance. The news of resuming the college entrance examination was not officially announced until October.
Although Ye Qingshui knew that the college entrance examination had been resumed, he had no formal way to inform people around him to hurry up and review. Getting this news more than a month in advance means winning at the starting line!
Ye Qingshui held the thin paper in his hand and said excitedly, "Brother Yu, grandma said that the college entrance examination will be resumed!"
Xie Tingyu was also stunned after reading the letter.
The country...has resumed the college entrance examination?
I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited. I had studied for so many years just to be able to enter university without recommendation. Xie Tingyu also had the opportunity to be recommended to go to university, but it was a pity that Xie Jun ruined the opportunity.
He quickly smiled and said, "Well, study hard, and we'll go to college together!"
"Let's go to the hospital and tell Teacher Zhou the news!"
Municipal People’s Hospital.
Zhou Ke had just come back with a kettle of water. He tiredly took out a pile of banknotes from his arms, put them in the cabinet and locked it.
A penny worth one cent fell into the cabinet, making a tinkling sound.
But this is not enough to cover Zhou Cunren's medical expenses for one day.
Although Ye Qingshui had saved 200 yuan for medicine before he left, and they still had 100 yuan on hand, plans did not change quickly. The doctor recommended that Grandpa undergo surgery to remove the tumor in his stomach. Surgery, chemotherapy, and medication...
Having this disease is like a bottomless pit. Money is needed everywhere. Three hundred yuan is only enough for two or three years.
Zhou Ke no longer wanted to ask Ye Qingshui for money. Sister Ye was kind enough to help them, but they couldn't always take advantage of others. Although they gave away the antiques in their home, Zhou Ke knew that they were still taking advantage of others.
How could I get so much money by giving these things to others?
But Zhou Ke didn't want to see his grandfather not wanting to receive treatment because of lack of money.
He put down the kettle and left the room. When he passed by a ward, he heard his grandfather's voice:
"Comrade, I have eggs here, do you need them? I also have milk powder..."
Grandpa's voice was a little low, and his attitude was more humble and tolerant than ever before.
Eggs, milk powder... these are what Sister Ye gave to Grandpa to nourish his body. Zhou Ke saw Grandpa's hunched back through the crack in the door, and his eyes felt a little sore.
It would be great if mom and dad were still alive.
Zhou Cunren sold his eggs and milk powder and walked out of the ward.
He saw his grandson and said embarrassedly: "Grandpa... Grandpa can't finish it. There's no need to eat such good food..."
"I know." Zhou Ke said, "Grandpa, please stop talking. I heard that drinking soy milk is also very nutritious. I will buy a few pounds of beans and grind them tomorrow. You still have to take good care of your body."
What else could Zhou Cunren say? He could only touch the back of his grandson’s head and slowly return to the ward.
He also wanted to live a few more years, but they had no money for medical treatment, so every penny saved was a penny earned. Seeing such a young grandson working so hard every day, Zhou Cunren couldn't swallow this.
When Ye Qingshui and his wife arrived at the hospital, this is what they saw:
The grandfather and grandson looked at each other, and the old man wiped his grandson's tears.
Ye Qingshui was startled, "Ah, what happened, did Ke'er drop the golden beans?"
Zhou Ke turned his head away embarrassedly and wiped away his tears.
Ye Qingshui pinched his cheek and said with a smile: "Don't cry, there is nothing to cry about, you are going to become rich!"
She joked.
She handed the remittance slip sent by Grandma Xie to Zhou Ke. Zhou Ke took a closer look and was stunned.
Zhou Cunren took a glance and was also frozen as if he had been cast under a spell.
What is the concept of publishing a book? At the beginning of the founding of China, there was a good story in the literary world that a novel could buy five or six courtyard houses in the capital. At that time, the remuneration was calculated based on 4, 8, 10, etc. per thousand words, and the wages of workers at that time were only 20 or 30 yuan. Because it was so profitable, it was envied by others. It was not until the late 1950s that the country re-regulated the calculation method of remuneration.
The payment is 8% of the royalties for every thousand copies of published books. Although the salary is reduced, it is still enough to support the family.
This time Zhou Cunren's book was published in time for the resumption of the college entrance examination. The original plan was to print 30,000 copies, but the print run was expanded to 100,000 copies. Zhou Cunren has written more than ten books in these years.
When Ye Qingshui saw the remittance slip, his eyes were almost glued to it and he couldn't move them away.
What did it mean to be rich in the 1970s?
That is Zhou Cunren’s current concept!
When Zhou Cunren saw the words “Thousand Words” in capital letters on the manuscript fee slip, he felt dizzy and almost had a myocardial infarction.
A total of four thousand three hundred yuan.
Zhou Cunren, who has been dealing with numbers for so many years, almost didn't recognize the unit "thousand".
"This... is so much?"
More than four thousand yuan, is that a lot?
There were indeed a lot, so many that even Ye Qingshui was surprised.
But these books have millions of words in total. Zhou Cunren spent nearly ten years writing them. He wrote sixteen books with millions of words. If you spread it out to each book and each month, it's not much.
If Zhou Cunren was still the teacher who ate commercial grain, a monthly salary of forty or fifty yuan would not be a problem.
Zhou Ke's face was numb and his mouth was wide open.
In his eyes, ten dollars is already a huge sum of money, and hundreds of dollars are astronomical figures. Having lived in the hospital for so long, he has a clear understanding of the concept of money.
This amount of money will definitely be enough to treat Grandpa. If Grandpa can live another 50 years, this amount of money will be enough for his treatment!
At this time, Xie Tingyu handed the small box up to Zhou Cunren.
The newly printed books seemed to be warm and so hot that Zhou Cunren couldn't touch them.
Zhou Cunren's name was written on each brand new cover. When he opened the book, the neatly arranged characters and symbols could bring back endless memories. Zhou Cunren revised every sentence on every page countless times, and he memorized it deeply and was as familiar with it as every organ, blood, and muscle in his body.
When he first started writing it, he was still a middle-aged man full of vigor and vitality. Zhou Ke was not born yet.
I lost my job in the middle of my career, had to clean toilets, was too poor to afford food, and had no money to buy manuscript paper... I put down my pen countless times, and picked it up again.
He wrote the last sentence a week after being admitted to the hospital, and he never thought it would be published.
But... half a year later it was printed out completely, lying in his hands with the scent of ink. It was no longer a simple yellowed kraft paper, nor a damp and blurry manuscript.
Zhou Cunren hugged the book he had been writing for sixteen years and cried bitterly.
Zhou Ke was still immersed in the great joy of "Grandpa has money to treat his illness" and couldn't extricate himself.
Ye Qingshui turned his head away reluctantly.
Only Xie Tingyu patted Zhou Cunren on the back comfortingly and said, "Don't forget to take the remittance slip and ID card to the bank to withdraw money."
He looked at the old one who was sick and the young one who was too young, and felt that it was not safe for them to carry such a huge sum of money.
Xie Tingyu made the final decision: "I'll go get it today."
Zhou Cunren nodded.
At noon, the couple accompanied Zhou Cunren to collect the money on the remittance slip and deposited it in the bank.
Holding the thick passbook in his arms, Zhou Cunren's heart felt warm, and his whole demeanor changed. He became energetic and his face was radiant.
Zhou Ke took his grandfather's hand and said, "Let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy two kilograms of eggs. Grandpa will eat one every day."
Zhou Cunren also added: "Ke'er eats one too."
Ye Qingshui looked at the cheerful and smiling faces of the grandparents and grandchildren, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
…
Ye Qingshui and Xie Tingyu returned to the countryside and met Zhou Tingting by the way. Ye Qingshui greeted her:
"Tingting, Tingyu's grandma wrote to say there's news from the capital that the country might resume the college entrance examination. You should get ready!"
Zhou Tingting was driving the cows to finish work when the rope in her hand suddenly loosened and the cows ran to the river bank to eat grass.
She pulled hard and came to her senses.
What did Ye Qingshui say?
Resume the college entrance examination!
Ye Qingshui didn't say it very firmly, but said tactfully: "It's just a possibility. The news hasn't been confirmed yet, but according to rumors, it will happen in the next two months. Go back and prepare!"
The college entrance examination may have to be resumed!
Even if this news was just a "possibility", it was enough to shock Zhou Tingting.
A surge of joy welled up in her heart; she had the chance to go to college!
Zhou Tingting knew Xie Tingyu’s family background. Xie Tingyu’s grandmother worked in the Ministry of Education. How could his grandmother speak nonsense?
Xie Tingyu also said implicitly: "Go back and prepare well."
This was huge news. After Zhou Tingting carefully asked Xie Tingyu what her grandmother said, she ran to the educated youth point like a whirlwind.
He even ignored the cows grazing by the river.
Ye Qingshui shook her head helplessly. She understood how important this news was to scholars. She pulled up the rope stuck in the ground and returned the cow with the man.
Zhou Tingting ran all the way, shouting loudly:
"Comrades, the college entrance examination has been resumed! The country has resumed the college entrance examination! We can go to college now!"
The clear sound echoed again and again among the mountains, as cheerful as a bright spring.
"Restore—restore—the college entrance examination!"
"Go to—college!"
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