Chapter 133133
Grandpa Jiang actually didn’t understand much about this. He also didn’t understand why his granddaughter was admitted in advance when she was only a sophomore in high school.
He could only recognize a few words when his father was still alive. After his father passed away and he had to support his family, he had already returned to his teachers everything he had learned as a child. It was not until after liberation that the emergence of literacy classes allowed him to pick up literacy again.
So he didn't understand anything about competitions, nor did he understand various things in school. He only knew from his two grandsons and two nephews that to get into college, one had to go through high school step by step, and pass the college entrance examination to fly out of their small mountain village and their small county town, just like the educated youth in their brigade.
But this did not prevent him from understanding the fact that Jiang Ning had been admitted to the university in advance after reading the words on the banner word by word.
He walked back slowly, with a happy atmosphere all around him.
The owners and wives of the surrounding shops came to congratulate Grandpa Jiang, and Grandpa Jiang nodded with a smile. He didn't know how to say thank you. The pronunciation of "thank you" in the Shuibu Town dialect is different from that in Wucheng and Mandarin. He was an old man who was shy even to say the word "thank you".
He measured out some small bags of rice candy, twisted dough sticks, small packages of scallion slices and white cut cake from his neighbor who was selling biscuits, rice candy, twisted dough sticks and white cut cake. The white cut cake, in the local sense, means rising step by step. Such white cut cake is always indispensable whether it is for weddings, childbirth or New Year gifts.
He went to a small stall selling roasted peanuts and melon seeds and bought several kilograms of melon seeds and peanuts, as well as some peanut candy. Whenever someone came to congratulate him, he would smile and bring out a fruit plate, allowing the visitor to grab a handful and take away to share in the good fortune.
Everyone loves to get something of this kind of joy, especially those who have children at home. At this time, they are not interested in rice candy, twisted dough sticks, and biscuits that can fill their stomachs. What they love most are the white-cut cakes and peanut candies with light gray sesame fillings in the middle. They usually grab a handful of candy and white-cut cakes, put them in their pockets, and take them home for their children to eat, hoping that after eating the candies and cakes from their Wucheng Wenquxing, their children can also get some of Wenquxing's literary aura, and will be able to make progress in their studies in the future. Even if they can't be admitted to Tsinghua University or Peking University like Wenquxing, at least it's good to be able to study in various universities.
Some people were more greedy. Seeing that Grandpa Jiang was just sitting in the rocking chair, watching them grab the candies and cakes with a smile, they filled both their hands and both their shirt pockets, and then took another big handful back. It looked like there were at least two kilograms of candies.
Most people are too embarrassed to do this, so they just grab a handful symbolically, and at most grab some more melon seeds and peanuts.
Every wrinkle between Grandpa Jiang's eyebrows and eyes showed a happy smile. Whenever someone came to congratulate him, he would keep saying, "Eat wedding candy, eat wedding candy."
He had imagined the scene of his eldest granddaughter holding a wedding and eating wedding candy in the future. He would probably watch happily like he is now, watching the granddaughter he raised get married and get married. However, he had never expected such a scene. His eldest granddaughter's wedding candy was distributed to everyone in this way.
The wedding candies were placed in a cardboard box at the door. Anyone who came could grab a handful. Passersby were curious and asked, then took a handful to take away. Grandpa Jiang didn't say anything and just smiled.
The students from Wuzhong were too embarrassed to grab the wedding candies and cakes to eat, but some poor students from No. 1 Middle School would grab a handful when passing by.
At Wuzhong, although Director Wang and his colleagues could not celebrate the early admission of Song Peifeng from their school by setting off firecrackers like No. 1 Middle School did, they had to know who Song Peifeng's father was.
They immediately called Song Peifeng's father, Secretary Song, and reported the good news to him.
Those who were well-informed immediately congratulated Secretary Song.
Two years was enough time for Secretary Song to sort out Wu Cheng's network of relationships and, through this crackdown, completely seize Wu Cheng's power into his own hands. Naturally, there were a large number of people who chose to stand by him and follow him. Even Wu Cheng's second-in-command, who was in charge of the economy, cooperated with Secretary Song without much struggle.
First of all, Secretary Song obviously offended someone and was demoted here, but he has connections and he will probably not stay here for long. What he wants is political achievements.
Once Secretary Song is transferred away, if he is on good terms with Secretary Song, he may be the next one. Why should he compete with Secretary Song? The two people happened to be one civil and one military. One was responsible for cracking down on pornography and crime, and the other was responsible for economic development. They cooperated with each other.
Therefore, after receiving the news, many people came to congratulate Secretary Song.
Although No. 1 Middle School has a very good reputation among the people, and everyone knows that No. 1 Middle School has a strong academic atmosphere and good grades, but in the hearts of the real bigwigs in Wucheng, Wu Middle School is the one that sits firmly in the first place. Although No. 1 Middle School also had a student who was admitted to Peking University this year, didn't Wu Middle School also have one? Not lost at all.
The happiest person was Secretary Song himself. The flourishing literary style in the local area was also a good political achievement for him. In particular, before he came to Wucheng, Wucheng had not produced any students from Tsinghua University or Peking University for many years. But just two years after he came here, two students suddenly emerged, and both appeared in the second year after he arrived in Wucheng.
It was also after he came here that the public security in Wucheng this year can be said to have undergone a qualitative change compared with previous years. With better public security, it will naturally drive economic development.
Apart from other things, because there were too many laid-off workers before, there were more and more idle people. Now that these people can't do anything because of the crackdown, don't they have to find ways to do other things? So Wucheng opened another Internet cafe, and various billiard halls and screening rooms sprang up like mushrooms on every street in Wucheng, especially near some schools. Except for No. 1 Middle School and Wuzhong Street, there were one or two billiard halls in front of almost every school.
In addition, there are more small vendors doing business on the roadside, and more milk tea shops, ice porridge stalls, snack bars, and spicy hot pot shops have opened. There is a long line of snack stalls next to the cinema. These laid-off workers are looking for a way to make a living in another way after the security in Wucheng has improved.
He Xiaofang, who had already been assigned to a different class, widened her eyes in surprise when she heard the news: "What? Ningning was admitted to Peking University in advance?"
She actually didn't know much about early admission, but she was still very happy when she heard the news. She felt like her good friend was a big shot, and she kept showing off in the class: "Jiang Ning was admitted to Peking University in advance! Peking University, wow!"
Some people couldn't stand her showing off and couldn't help but say sourly: "It's not you who got admitted to Beijing University, why are you so happy?"
In the past, if He Xiaofang was criticized by someone, she would immediately become timid and dare not say anything. She would shrink her neck and lower her head in grievance.
But at this moment, she didn't seem depressed at all. Instead, she proudly straightened her chest and raised her chin: "I'm happy! Ningning is in our dormitory!" After thinking for a while, she added: "She is my good friend!"
Those who disliked her immediately booed her: "Huh? Jiang Ning can be your good friend? You are kidding, only ghosts would be friends with you! Look at your dark appearance, even if the lights are turned off at night, you can't be seen!"
He Xiaofang was almost heartbroken after being scolded. She was not good at arguing with others, and she wanted to cry when being scolded.
But she still held back, and said with her neck stiff: "No matter what you say, Jiang Ning is my good friend!" She shook her big thick braids, sat down angrily, and didn't want to talk to that person anymore.
Wang Xia, the head of the 610 dormitory who also chose the liberal arts major, said, "I can testify that Jiang Ning is really a good friend of He Xiaofang. She and Xu Xiuli from Class 3 are inseparable every day. You must have seen it, right?"
This scene was indeed common before, but since Jiang Ning went to the training team, they haven't been together for a long time. Xu Xiuli was okay, she was able to adjust her mood quickly and focus her main energy on studying, but He Xiaofang was lost for a long time.
When Jiang Ning was away, the dormitory head Wang Xia and the other two girls in the dormitory were together all day, Lu Xuehua and Liu Ping were together, leaving her and Xu Xiuli. Although on the surface, the two of them also walked together, they both knew in their hearts that Jiang Ning was the glue between the two of them. Without Jiang Ning, even if she and Xu Xiuli walked and ate together, they actually ate separately.
Xu Xiuli and Liu Ping from Class 3 also heard the good news. Liu Ping's first reaction was, "Will Jiang Ning skip his senior year of high school and go to college early?"
None of them had ever seen a student being admitted early in his second year of high school, so they didn't know whether Jiang Ning would continue studying at No. 1 Middle School or go directly to university.
If Jiang Ning leaves, what will happen to renting books? Jiang Ning wouldn't take all these books away, would he?
Over such a long time, Jiang Ning has accumulated a large number of magazines, not to mention the published books "The Great Song" and "White Snake".
In their current book rental business, the most popular books are "White Snake" and "The Song Dynasty". Every time, they are booked before others return them, especially the first volume of the newly published "Legend of the White Snake". Many readers have read "The Legend of the New White Snake". In addition, this article has a foreshadowing in the first volume that the heroine was injured by a natural enemy before her cultivation and was rescued by a herbalist. Therefore, female students have a preconceived idea that this is a work about the love story between the White Snake and Xu Xian.
Which girl of seventeen or eighteen hasn't had the stirrings of love? What type of literature do you like to read most during the period of adolescence? It is undoubtedly a love drama.
Especially the "Princess Crescent Moon" which became a huge hit just after it was aired two years ago. The emotions in it are so touching! That kind of pure and selfless love made many girls put themselves into Xinyue's love after watching this TV series. They felt that Yan Ji, who prevented Nu Dahai and Xinyue from being together, was really annoying and vicious. Fortunately, in the end, the kind-hearted Xinyue moved Yan Ji and fulfilled her love with Nu Dahai.
The relationship between Little White Snake and Xu Xian must end up being the same as that between White Snake and Xu Xian in "The Legend of the New White Snake", with an everlasting love that lasts until death, and from then on they will only envy the mandarin ducks instead of the immortals, right?
Therefore, the story of "White Snake's Cultivation of Immortality" is more popular among girls than "The Great Song Dynasty". After all, "The Great Song Dynasty" is more about cases, and it is interspersed with court struggles and fighting in the rivers and lakes, which they are not very interested in. How can it be as interesting as the sweet love story?
It’s just that the time of cultivating immortals is too long. When will it be the turn of the little white snake and Xu Xian to meet again?
But they still like to watch "White Snake's Journey to Immortality". Although there is no sweet love plot in the beginning, they put themselves in the shoes of the little white snake and feel the little white snake's golden finger - more than a thousand years of pure moonlight power more than that of other monsters, and the plot of ascending to heaven and traveling across the world of immortals. For some reason, it feels inexplicably cool.
The book says that because the little white snake had initially refined the essence of the moonlight brought by the Emperor's Liquid, it was different from the demon power brought by the demon cultivators themselves absorbing the essence of the sun and the moon.
Because the monsters need to strengthen themselves through qi and blood, each monster that nourishes itself by devouring other monsters has a strong and rich demonic aura. However, the little white snake only refined pure moon energy. It has never devoured the qi and blood of any monster, nor has it killed any intelligent monster. Therefore, the aura around its body is pure and ethereal.
Isn’t this exactly the same as White Snake? Although she is a little more fierce than White Snake in character, they believe that this is only because the little white snake currently has more snake nature than divinity. When the little white snake successfully transforms and becomes White Snake, she will definitely become a fairy as ethereal as White Snake~!
It's like there is a carrot hanging in front, and the previous plot is very exciting, which makes the sales of the physical book of "White Snake's Cultivation of Immortality" not much less than that of "The Song Dynasty" after it was launched on the market, and it has been reprinted twice.
Major publishers soon discovered another bestseller from Lemontree.
It can be said that Ning Meng secured her position as a best-selling author in the 1990s with just two books.
Some people are already considering signing Ningmeng's third book in advance.
In particular, with the arrival of winter vacation, the third part of the TV series "Justice Bao" adapted from "The Great Song Dynasty" was also released. The release of "Bao San" not only boosted the sales of "The Great Song Dynasty" again, but also boosted the sales of Ning Meng's new book "White Snake Cultivation". Many students who had nothing to do at home during the winter vacation either bought "Martial Arts" magazines to read, or went to bookstores to buy published books of "White Snake".
After a year of busy work outside, Jiang's father and mother returned to their hometown. The first thing they did when they got home was not to eat hot meals, but to face the messy and dilapidated house, not knowing where to start cleaning.
It's really dilapidated.
Dad Jiang opened the door of the old house. He had never felt that the gatehouse of an old house was so low.
The electrical wires in the house were also damaged by rats and had to be repaired. Fortunately, this kind of thing was not difficult for Jiang's father, and he quickly fixed the circuit.
The floor, tables, and benches were all covered with a thick layer of dust, and they had no place to step.
They found a rusty sickle that had not been used for a year and sharpened it with a whetstone, and cut all the wormwood on the waterproof platform at the entrance. The cut wormwood could be dried and used as firewood.
In previous years, when they went out to work, Grandpa Jiang would come down the mountain from time to time to look after the house. Jiang Ning also came back to live every day. When they came back from working outside, there was always a pile of firewood prepared by Grandpa Jiang on the high platform at the door, filled with firewood and pine needles that Grandpa Jiang usually picked up from the mountain.
They never had to worry about not having firewood to burn when they got home.
After that, we have to clean and repair the roof.
Their place is close to the mountains and the water, and it rains the most in winter. The tiles on the roof leak, and the beds in the room are wet and moldy.
Seeing this, Jiang Ma really broke down. Her face was as gloomy as the winter weather where water could drip at any time, and dark clouds were visible to the naked eye.
There was no water in the water tank. It had not been used for a year and was dirty. The first thing Jiang's father did after putting down his things was to fetch water to wash the water tank and then fill it up with water.
Jiang Bai has done this in previous years.
They did not bring back the quilts they brought to Shenzhen. The quilts at home had not been dried in the sun for a year and had a damp and musty smell. They suddenly remembered that in previous years, when they came back from work, the quilts were always fragrant, with a soft and sweet smell of the sun.
The freshly cut wormwood, although dry in winter, could not be burned immediately because of the rain. However, there was not a single piece of firewood on the platform at the door.
In desperation, Jiang Ma went to borrow firewood and coal briquettes from Jiang Da's aunt.
Compared with Jiang Ma when she just came back, Jiang Ma's face at this time was as gloomy as the winter weather.
Aunt Jiang advised her when she saw this: "You just came back, it's normal to have nothing!"
Jiang's mother was angry and said, "Other people's elderly people take care of the house well after their young people go out to work. They don't have to worry about anything. They always have hot meals when they come back. I don't even ask for hot meals. There is no firewood. You grow the vegetables. The house is a mess. You really didn't see my quilt. It's moldy! It's so wet that water can drip out. How can I sleep?"
"We haven't been home for just one year, and our home has been ruined like this and no one cares!"
"And the little one, even if you are busy with school and don't have time to come back, you should at least come back during the summer vacation to take out the quilts and clothes from home to dry them in the sun, right? You should also chop the wormwood on the high platform, right? When I came back, the copper wormwood tree had grown as high as the eaves!"
She blamed Grandpa Jiang and Jiang Ning, and then thought of Jiang Bai: "And Jiang Bai, he's already 19 years old during the Chinese New Year, and he's selling clothes on the street. He doesn't even know to go home to cut the grass at the door or fix the tiles on the roof. What's the point of raising them? The three of them stayed in their hometown, and his father and I had to come back from thousands of miles away to cut grass."
Mother Jiang felt as if her heart was blocked. The more she spoke, the more uncomfortable she felt, and the sadder she became. As she spoke, she began to cry and choked with sobs.
There was no food at home, so Uncle Jiang gave Jiang Dad the grain harvest from the land he planted this year, at the rate of 300 kilograms of rice per acre. The rice was dried in the sun and could be poured directly into the granary.
There was no firewood at home, so Jiang's father went to the mountain to chop firewood, and then went to the charcoal mountain to pull coal back. He used a coal briquette machine to make coal briquettes one by one and dried them in the sun.
The girls and boys from the village who had been working outside came back one by one, and the village seemed to have come alive and was very lively.
Mother Jiang was filled with anger, and was just waiting for Grandpa Jiang, Jiang Ning, and Jiang Bai to come back and vent their anger on Chuangfei and the others. Even though they couldn't have an argument during the New Year, she would feel better after just a few sarcastic remarks.
But a day passed and Jiang Ning and Jiang Bai didn't come back.
Two days passed, the village became more and more lively, but Jiang Ning and Jiang Bai did not come back.
Three days passed. The village was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns, people were putting up couplets, dusting houses, and watching open-air movies, but Jiang Ning and Jiang Bai still hadn't returned.
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