Chapter 32: Knowing Teenagers 1
Gu Weidong returned to Pingxi Production Brigade near the end of the year. When he came back, the Gu family had just finished dinner and were cleaning up the dishes when Gu Weidong walked into the house.
As soon as he came back, all the children in the family rushed over excitedly and surrounded him asking questions.
When Miao Xiuju saw this, she quickly asked Liu Guizhi to go into the kitchen to make him a mung bean pancake and heat up the remaining sweet potato porridge.
Gu Weidong sat at the head of the kang, holding a mung bean pancake and eating it in big and small bites while talking about his experiences in the city.
Gu Yuejin opened his father's bag and saw whole sets of extracurricular books inside, such as "One Hundred Thousand Whys" and "We Love Science." He immediately exclaimed, "Books, so many books! Comic books! Wow, they're so good!"
Several literate children rushed over in surprise, picked up this book and looked at it, then picked up that book and looked at it, and finally each took out a book and read it greedily, not wanting to look up.
Children in the countryside have no other reading materials except textbooks. When they see the Spring Festival couplets, they can't help but read them from beginning to end, not to mention the extracurricular reading materials that students love to read. They all like them very much.
Chen Hongying and Liu Zhaodi looked at the books that exuded the scent of ink, and thought of their previous pettiness, and their faces turned redder than each other.
They have never thought about what their children's future will be, nor dared to think about it. They just take things one step at a time. They have been digging for food in the countryside for generations. Can their children have the potential to move to the city in the future?
This is unimaginable.
So they never thought about spending money on it, nor did they have that awareness. But after being taught a lesson by Miao Xiujiu that day, they started to think about it.
It doesn't matter if parents are poor and tired, but they can't make their children suffer. It's definitely not bad for children to know more words, but they can't be blind like them.
Miao Xiuju was very satisfied with the children's excitement. She felt that she had made the wisest decision of her life, so she began to make a rule: "These books are in my room. Anyone who wants to read them can come and take them. But you must remember, you can't read them without washing your hands. Anyone who touches the books with dirty paws will be beaten!"
When Miao Xiujiu heard this, Gu Yuejin was so scared that he quickly looked at his hands.
After Gu Weidong had eaten his fill, he took out a small black cloth bag from his bag and opened it. Inside was a red plastic notebook with a line of small words on it: "Serve the People Wholeheartedly". There was also a Hero brand pen and an enamel pot with a red "Year After Year of Fish" New Year picture printed on it.
Everyone took it and looked at it curiously. Gu Weidong explained, "This is a prize. There's also a certificate."
After Gu Weidong took out the certificate, he took out some candies and said, "These were given to us by others. I couldn't bear to eat them, so I brought them back for my child. The city officials were very kind. When they heard that I was going to take them back for my child, they gave me their own share."
Those candies are White Rabbit milk candies with blue bunnies printed on them.
The eyes of several younger children lit up when they saw this.
Fubao had seen it at Chen Youfu's place before, but had never eaten it. She knew that this kind of milk candy had a strong milky flavor and was sweet and delicious.
Miao Xiuju was very happy when she saw the candies: "I didn't even buy candies for the children during the Chinese New Year. I'll save these candies and share them with the children during the Chinese New Year."
This is good candy, better than the pear paste candy sold in the rural market. Miao Xiujiu plans to distribute it to the children during the Chinese New Year.
Several children watched Miao Xiujiu put it away with their eyes wide open, but there was nothing they could do but wait. Xiuni was counting on her fingers, wondering when the Chinese New Year would be.
Gu Weidong took out the certificate and handed it to Miao Xiuju. Miao Xiuju looked at it again and again and asked him to frame it and hang it up.
In the evening, the neighbors in the production team heard that Gu Weidong had returned, and they all came to watch the fun. So the small house of the Gu family was full of people, both on the kang and under the kang. Everyone surrounded Gu Weidong and asked about things in the city and about receiving the award.
Miao Xiujiu went into the house and grabbed a handful of popcorn to share with everyone. Everyone ate the delicious popcorn and looked at Gu Weidong with envy and longing.
Miao Xiujiu looked at the longing expressions on everyone's faces and naturally felt proud and satisfied.
Thinking about the little money she had saved and the old man Yuan who could be sold for at least 30 yuan, Miao Xiujiu deeply felt that good days for the Gu family were really coming.
Ever since Fubao came into the Gu family, the Gu family has been very lucky and prosperous for the past six months.
Chen Hongying and Liu Zhaodi, who were standing next to him, watched Gu Weidong talking endlessly about things in the city. Seeing that the neighbors and fellow villagers were looking at Gu Weidong with admiration, they felt more and more that their man had missed a great opportunity.
There are so many good things and so much knowledge. It’s so different to be in the city than in the countryside!
They were itching to go, and they also hoped that their men could go. They also hoped that their men would buy them something when they went, but no, their men couldn't go.
Who can I blame for not being able to go?
The two people thought of the mud ball from that day again.
Oh, it’s all my fault!
It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it, it makes me feel suffocated just thinking about it, and I can’t bear to listen to or watch it just thinking about it.
But when she looked back at her man, he was actually listening to Gu Weidong intently with his face tilted up and his mouth open. When he heard the crucial moment, he couldn't help but laugh with everyone else.
I really wanted to pound the ground. Why don't you have any ambition? Your brother is gone, but it's not you. Why are you so happy?
………………
By the time the neighbors had gone home, it was already very late. Liu Guizhi prepared hot water and simply helped Gu Weidong wash up. Then the couple lay down on the kang and fell asleep.
At this time, the boys and Fubao were also asleep on the other side of the kang.
Gu Weidong held Liu Guizhi in his arms. Just thinking about having a wife and children and a warm bed made him feel comfortable. He had been away for nearly ten days, so naturally he held her tightly in his arms when he came back.
Liu Guizhi understood what he meant, and with a blushing face, she snuggled into his arms and let him do what he wanted.
Gu Weidong became interested and tossed and turned in bed for a long time.
After the situation finally calmed down, Gu Weidong still held Liu Guizhi tightly and spoke privately in a hoarse voice.
"This trip to the city really broadened my horizons. You have no idea how easy it is to make money in the city. I saw people selling cotton wool, going from street to street, and people in the city were scrambling to buy it. There were also people selling steamed buns, and people lined up to buy them."
"I don't know how to make fire, but we have cotton wool in the countryside. Every household has some stored. I thought we could grow cotton in our own plots and collect some from other households. I'd invest the money and then fluff the cotton into wool and sell it in the city. There would definitely be people buying it and we could make money."
"Life in the city is so good. Take the waiter I know at the guesthouse. He makes 28 yuan a month, and he has food coupons, cloth coupons, and even industrial coupons. He lives a very comfortable life!"
"This is how our lives are. We have to support our children's education so that they can go to the city and enjoy the life of the city dwellers and eat commercial grain."
…
That night, Gu Weidong told Liu Guizhi many of his plans.
Liu Guizhi may have understood, or may not have understood, but she lay softly in her man's arms, close to him, listening to him describe everything he had seen, listening to him talk about his future plans, and listening to him talk about the life they could live in the future.
It was like a beautiful dream. Liu Guizhi fell asleep on Gu Weidong's shoulder with a sweet smile on her lips.
……………………
As the New Year approaches, every household is busy preparing for the New Year. Whether you are rich or poor, you have to celebrate the New Year, and since you are celebrating the New Year, you have to celebrate it with great enthusiasm.
The production team slaughtered two pigs, and each family was given some pork according to the number of people. Miao Xiujiu looked at the pork, thought about it, hardened her heart, and took out two dollars and asked Gu Dayong to go over and buy another ten pounds of meat.
This year everything is going well and good things are happening everywhere, so let's go all out and have a great year.
When the children saw the meat, they drooled and looked forward to eating dumplings and meat every day.
Miao Xiujiu fried the fat and made the oil to use in daily cooking. The fat residue was used as filling for dumplings. The dumplings made in this way were very fragrant.
The refined meat residue was taken out and shared with the children to taste. Fubao also tasted a piece. It was crispy and fragrant, and his mouth was full of oil.
On the 28th day of the lunar year, Chen Youfu came back from the commune and shouted through a loudspeaker in a hurry for everyone to go to a meeting.
Everyone was immediately puzzled, wondering why hold a meeting during the New Year?
Seeing that everyone had not eaten yet, Miao Xiujiu boiled four eggs and gave one each to Xiuni, Dongni, Fubao and Gu Shengtian who did not go to school, and a cornmeal steamed bun to the remaining older children.
After feeding the children, Miao Xiujiu took her son and daughter-in-law to a meeting.
When they arrived at the threshing ground next to the production brigade, Chen Youfu started talking about something, but he mentioned the issue of educated youth going to the countryside.
"Our production brigade is also going to have a group of educated youth coming down, probably about eleven or twelve. I just got the news, and they'll be coming after the New Year."
Everyone was confused: "Sent-down Youth? What is that?"
Miao Xiuju: "What does it have to do with us? It's okay, let's go back and cook and eat."
Who wants to listen to the educated youth talk on an empty stomach?
Chen Youfu was helpless: "The educated youth are educated city dwellers. They come to our countryside to study and help us with work, but we have to provide them with a place to live and food."
Do you want food too?
Everyone suddenly felt unhappy.
The production team only has so much stuff. If I give it to them, won’t I be left with less?
Chen Youfu had no choice but to say, "This is an order from the higher-ups. We can only follow it. Get ready. After the third day of the Lunar New Year, each family must send one able-bodied man to the production brigade. I'll take you with me to build houses for the educated youth."
When the people in the production team heard this, they naturally thought it was a really troublesome matter. They said all kinds of things and talked about it.
After listening for a while, Gu Shengtian felt it was boring, so he pulled Fubao out to play nearby.
This threshing ground is next to the mountain, and there are dead trees and dry grass just a few steps away. They usually go there to play hide-and-seek.
Gu Shengtian touched his pocket and asked Fubao, "Fubao, are the eggs delicious?"
Fubao licked his lips and said, "Of course it's delicious."
Gu Shengtian looked at Fubao's greedy look, like a kitten: "Do you want to eat more?"
Fubao frowned and sighed, "It's good enough to have one egg. How can I have more whenever I want?"
Gu Shengtian chuckled: "Look what this is!"
After saying that, he actually took out an egg from his pocket.
Fubao was overjoyed: "Brother Shengtian, where are you from?"
Gu Shengtian: "I'm not hungry, so I didn't eat. I'll give it to you."
Fubao was embarrassed: "No, Brother Shengtian, I have already eaten an egg, you eat it."
Gu Shengtian: "Okay, why bother arguing with me about this? You are my sister and I am your brother. You have to listen to me. Here you go!"
Fubao just doesn't want it.
Eggs are very precious and are not available at ordinary times. How could she possibly eat two eggs in one go?
Who knew that when the brother and sister were pushing each other, they heard a "cooing" sound coming from the grass next to them.
Wild pigeon?
Gu Shengtian and Fubao looked at each other and tiptoed over.
The pigeon was frightened, flapped its wings and flew away.
Gu Shengtian and Fubao rushed over to take a look.
I was pleasantly surprised at first sight!
There are more than a dozen pigeon eggs in the grass nest!
Now both of them can eat pigeon eggs to their heart's content!
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