The admissions brochure was ready, and she was ready to go back to prepare for her graduation defense. Her thesis had already been approved, and only the last cricket pupae remained.
On the way back, I went to pick up my daughter who was taken to my mother-in-law's house by my fourth uncle, and I also went to see my fourth aunt.
When Qiu Yuling arrived, her aunt was making preparations to go back.
"Yuling is here? I was thinking I might not be able to see you. Look at how much your fourth aunt has prepared for me.
She came in with a wave of her hand, and left with bags galore. If anyone didn't know, they'd think I was moving her family away." Zhou Hongfang spoke in a loud and clear voice. When she saw Qiu Yuling, she didn't wait for any more pleasantries before praising her sister-in-law for her achievements.
Grandma also came out from the upper room, "Lingling, you're back. How are your parents doing? When are you leaving? Ask your fourth uncle to take you there."
Qiu Yuling answered a series of questions one by one, not neglecting either her aunt or grandmother.
"Look at me, I was so busy talking that I didn't even ask the kid to come in for a drink of water. Mom, you, Pigeon, and Yuling go inside first. I'll go wash the grapes that the fourth child brought over."
Zhou Hongfang left behind her half-filled bag and rushed into the kitchen.
Qiu Yuling followed the two into the upper room. The grandmother hadn't seen her granddaughter for a long time, so she asked her all the questions about herself again.
"That's fine, grandma. I'm rushing back home to defend my graduation thesis. Everything is fine back home. Nannan's dad has been transferred to the research institute over there, so I still have to run back and forth. But it's okay, the train is very convenient..."
"What about Dashu and the others?" The child had grown up, but in the eyes of the old lady, she was still the same as before, and she patted her granddaughter's hands from time to time.
"Third brother has found a job, so he will probably live there from now on. Third sister-in-law was taken in by the school for children of his employer, so the two of them are not a cause for worry.
But grandma, my parents have settled down there too. It's been hot lately, so when it gets cooler next month, I'll come back to pick you up so you can experience the warmth of the capital."
Qiu Yuling didn't say much about her parents. She just briefly explained that the couple couldn't sit still and would go around selling eggs, dried vegetables, and whatever they could get from the village.
Grandma didn't think much of it, thinking that her daughter was still doing the hard work over there. "Your mother is also capable. She can't stay idle wherever she goes. I won't go over there to cause trouble.
When your fourth aunt is well, I will go back to the old house with your eldest aunt. When people get old, they miss their roots very much..."
There is an old saying that it is rare for a person to live to be seventy. Grandma gave birth to her mother when she was eighteen years old, and Li Qingmei gave birth to her at the age of thirty-three. She is twenty-nine years old this year, which means the old lady is eighty years old.
Although she felt that her grandmother still had a long time to live, the old lady herself missed home more and more every day.
Qiu Yuling simply told her to go back to her hometown with her aunt first and wander around. "It's winter now, so you can go to my place. Ask your aunt to accompany you. There's heating in the building, so fewer people will suffer more."
My uncle's brothers and sisters have also been settled and have found a place to stay. My cousin Li Yingjun and cousin Li Yingfen have both been allocated new houses in Wu City. Even if they don't live with her, my aunt still has a place to stay.
His younger cousin is even more promising. He is not married and has no ties. He plans to graduate next year and directly join the Beijing Agricultural Bureau. According to the contract, he will have to return the four-year subsidy from the factory and a small amount of liquidated damages.
Because of this matter, my uncle and aunt came to explain it to her, and both of them looked as if they felt sorry for her.
It took Qiu Yuling much persuasion to dispel their guilt. As she said before, the return to factory agreement is only a guarantee, not a constraint. No matter who it is, it is a good thing to have a better way out.
It doesn't make sense that she doesn't care about the few educated youth who come back from the factory, but instead refuses to let go of her own relatives as if they have signed a contract to sell themselves?
A few people chatted about family matters for a while, and Qiu Yuling left two hundred yuan for her grandma, which happened to be when her two aunts were busy in the kitchen.
Grandma pushed it away and said, "What's the point of this? I don't have any place to spend money. My child is young and running around. There are many ways to spend money. Be obedient and put it back."
"Grandma, just keep it. If you keep it, I won't worry about it. You can eat whatever you want and wear whatever you want. Don't feel bad. I'll still be there for you when you spend it."
"What do you have to worry about?" Li Qingtong came in after lifting the door curtain. "Oh, Director Qiu is so rich? He's also quite generous. What's wrong? Do you look down on your uncle? When did your uncle's mother ask you to support her? Mom, give her back. We have a son, we don't need to rely on our granddaughter!"
Grandma glanced at her unruly son with a bad temper, "You are not a child anymore, and Yuling is grown up too, yet you still talk so nonsense."
"Mom, why can't you hear me? I feel sorry for her because of you. Wouldn't it be wrong to ask her to take it back and spend it herself?" She said this, but her head still leaned forward obediently, causing me to slap her.
Qiu Yuling smirked at him, "Serves you right. You're not a grown-up at all!"
"Fourth uncle, you have to take what I told you last time to heart. The other fourth aunt has suffered so much this time, it's time to take good care of her."
"I know, I know. By the way, do you think I should send the little ones to study at your Zaohua Attached Primary School?"
"No need, this place is fine. You should pay more attention to the children's studies on weekdays. It will be more useful than choosing a place."
"Well, aren't you praised as an educator on TV? I think under your supervision, there's no need to worry about them not becoming successful."
"I'm not in the factory every day, running back and forth. How can I look after you? You just need to be obedient, follow the policies, and teach and raise the few people you have well. That's better than anything else!" She was so worried.
In her letters to her fourth uncle and eldest brother, the topic she talked about most was the children's education.
To be honest, only this group of children can catch up with the educational dividend of the times. As long as they are willing to study hard, they will have a good future.
It’s unlike later generations, when college students have become more common. Not only will the whole family fall back into poverty if you support one, but the child cannot even be guaranteed a future.
From the perspective of both supply and demand, she felt that it was right to focus on education. She didn't have to worry about other people's families, but as for her own family, she could just nag them from time to time to save them from suffering in the future.
"That's fine. You're their eldest sister, so you can say whatever you want. Go and say a few words to them on behalf of your uncle. They'll all love to listen to you."
But forget it. Qiu Yuling cut off her fourth uncle's outsourcing of his father's love and refused without a second thought. "Whoever gave birth to the child should take care of it. Fourth uncle, let me reiterate to you that it is about paying attention to the child psychologically, not just paying attention to the child with words.
Also, if you can learn it, then learn it. If you can’t, there’s no need to force yourself…”
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