However, there are differences between home-cooked dishes. What Zhan Chunyun made was just cooked through and barely edible.
However delicious the stir-fried cabbage is, it's still just cabbage. Zhan Chunyun can only make it a few more times, and no one will complain.
That day, it was Zhan Chunlan's turn to cook, and Zhan Chunyun went out early in the morning.
After dinner, Zhan Chunyun returned with several newspapers.
Since she learned that she had to go to the countryside, she started working from dawn till dusk every day. Although she didn't know what she was busy with, she would bring back a few newspapers every day or two.
Zhan Chunlan flipped through the newspapers and found that they all had one thing in common: they all reported on the contributions made by educated youth in the countryside. Some used their knowledge to improve farm tools and were recommended to attend worker-peasant-soldier universities; some increased crop yields through experiments and were received by high-ranking leaders; some used local resources to cooperate with communes to establish factories and help improve the local economy...
Was she planning to go to the countryside? Did she want to learn from other educated youth and make a name for herself in rural areas?
Putting everything else aside, all the women in the Zhan family are truly exceptional, including myself! Zhan Chunlan muttered to herself.
The next day, Zhan Chunyun took the newspapers she had recently collected and went out.
When she arrived at the park, Yang Yonghua was already waiting there.
"Comrade Yang, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I missed the first bus. I'm so sorry." As soon as Zhan Chunyun got off the bus, she ran towards the park, apologizing repeatedly.
Yang Yonghua showed no impatience at the long wait. Seeing that her face was flushed and her hair was disheveled from running, he comforted her repeatedly, "It's alright, Comrade Zhan, I just arrived too."
"I'm really sorry, I don't know why there were so many people out today, and I missed the first bus." Seeing that he wasn't angry, Zhan Chunyun relaxed and led Yang Yonghua to a bench nearby. "There's a chair over there, let's sit down and talk slowly."
After sitting down, she took out a neatly arranged newspaper and handed it to Yang Yonghua: "This is some information I recently compiled. I thought of the situation you mentioned and wanted to show it to you. I hope it will be helpful to you."
As Yang Yonghua read the newspaper reports about educated youth, he became more and more excited, his breathing becoming slightly rapid: "Is all of this true?"
"Probably. These newspapers are all provincial, municipal, and workers' daily newspapers, so the accuracy of their reports is guaranteed." Zhan Chunyun knew him well, which was why she wanted to collect these newspapers.
Yang Yonghua is an only child, and his parents keep a very close eye on him. Zhan Chunyun was his classmate, but unfortunately, their fates are very different. She has been running around for the past two years, but still hasn't found a job.
His father was the deputy director of Jiangcheng Machinery Factory, and his mother was the women's director of Jian'an Textile Factory. After graduation, his parents arranged for him to work at Jiangcheng Machinery Factory as a staff member in the propaganda department. Everyone in the department knew his position and rarely assigned him any work; even when he did, it was always very simple tasks.
He often felt frustrated and had nowhere to express his feelings. Fortunately, he met Zhan Chunyun this year. They were both in the same boat, feeling depressed and unsuccessful. They became familiar with each other and often wrote letters to exchange their thoughts. He felt that he had found a kindred spirit.
Especially today, looking at the thick stack of newspapers in his hand, he felt even more strongly that only Zhan Chunyun in the whole world understood him.
“Comrade Zhan, I think I’ve found the path I need to take.” Yang Yonghua held the newspaper in his hand and looked at Zhan Chunhua with determination.
“I know that when I saw these things in the newspaper, the first person I thought of was you.” Zhan Chunyun did not avoid his gaze and returned his encouragement.
“I…” Yang Yonghua looked at her encouraging gaze and was momentarily lost in thought. He hesitated. This path not only allowed him to escape his parents’ control but also enabled him to build a career on his own. But what about her? What would she choose? Did he want her to go to the countryside with him? Many of the older brothers and sisters in the compound had gone to the countryside, and when they came back for the New Year, they were all thin and dark-skinned. He didn’t want her to suffer that hardship.
"What's wrong?" Zhan Chunyun asked, still looking at him gently.
"I'll sign up for the rural assignment tomorrow. Go back and prepare your graduation certificate and household registration book. I'll transfer my job to you." Yang Yonghua knew she had been worried about finding a job. Now that he had decided to go to the countryside, he could transfer his job to her. He hoped that she would be happy and joyful for the rest of her life.
"What?" Zhan Chunyun was stunned for a moment when she heard his words. She almost agreed, but she couldn't. Her father was the deputy factory director. When he found out that he had transferred the job to her, he would definitely investigate carefully. Then her role in it would be impossible to hide. Not only would she lose her job, but she didn't know what would happen to her.
She wanted him to go to the countryside with her. On the one hand, he was already the best option she could find, and going to the countryside together would prevent them from being separated. On the other hand, his parents felt sorry for him and would definitely give him a lot of subsidies, so she could also live a better life in the countryside.
"You should go back and discuss it properly with your aunt and uncle. Don't act impulsively. This is no small matter; it could affect your entire life." Zhan Chunyun didn't answer but instead advised him not to act rashly.
“There’s no room for discussion. If we discuss it, I won’t be able to leave. We’ll have to act first and ask for permission later.” Yang Yonghua knows his parents well. They would never agree, but he doesn’t want to live under their watchful eyes for the rest of his life.
"Won't they be angry if you do this?" Zhan Chunyun asked with a worried expression.
"It's okay to be angry. I'll be going to the countryside by then, and they won't be able to do anything to me." Yang Yonghua didn't care. Perhaps this is the confidence of an only child.
“My hometown is in the countryside. I’ll go back and ask my parents about things in the countryside. I’ll tell you then, and you can decide whether you want to go to the countryside. Don’t be impulsive.” Zhan Chunyun looked like she was thinking of him and sincerely advised him against it.
"Okay, I'll wait for your news." Yang Yonghua couldn't bear to make her feel bad, so he comforted her verbally, but in his heart, he knew that he wouldn't change his mind. This was the first time in so many years that he could make a decision on his own, and it was a decision that concerned his future. He didn't have any fear of going to the countryside, only the excitement of taking control of his own life.
"Now that you're like this, I'm starting to regret giving you these newspapers." Zhan Chunyun looked at the determination in his eyes and knew that she had made the right move, but she couldn't say it out loud.
"No, you understand me. You're helping me. No matter what the outcome is, I won't regret it."
Zhan Chunyun was also not at peace. Although she could not choose a happy family, she could hold on to the partner she had chosen, at least for now.
She firmly believes that she will be able to walk her own path in life well, even if it is full of thorns!
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