The next day, Yang Yonghua went directly to the educated youth office to register for going to the countryside.
On his way home, he passed by a park, went in and sat on the same bench as yesterday, but he didn't seem that happy.
The reason he signed up today is that he might not be sure if he would still make the decision to go to the countryside after careful consideration, once he knew how tough life would be there.
The future is always unknown, and the unknown is so frustrating.
We always want to choose a so-called correct path and hope that we can go further and higher on this path, but life is not like that.
Just like now, as he sits on the bench, is he contemplating the future, or is he regretting that he and Zhan Chunyun might not have a future?
Such a melancholy yet vibrant girl, gentle, beautiful, and proud, but what he remembers most is her determination, her indomitable courage in the face of the future. It is because of her that he was able to confront his own heart, stop living day to day, and strive to achieve something of his own without relying on his parents.
But now he felt a little reluctant. Such a bright and cheerful girl might never belong to him again, and he seemed somewhat unwilling to accept it.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
A clear, crisp voice brushed past his ear like a spring breeze, and Yang Yonghua subconsciously turned his head to the side.
In the sunlight, Zhan Chunyun leaned slightly forward, looking at him. Two jet-black braids hung down from her shoulders, the ends swaying gently with her movements. She tilted her head, her eyes filled with dappled sunlight. In those bright eyes, Yang Yonghua saw the boy laughing like a fool.
Zhan Chunyun looked at the boy on the bench, bathed in sunlight. The moment he turned his head and saw her, his eyes lit up, and his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes blossomed with undisguised joy. The sunlight fell perfectly on the corners of his upturned mouth, even his eyelashes were tinged with a golden halo.
A gentle breeze swept by at that moment, softly ruffling the boy's hair and fluttering the girl's dress. In the instant they smiled at each other, even time itself seemed to soften.
Zhan Chunyun thought that she would remember this moment for the rest of her life.
"Why are you here?" Yang Yonghua was the first to come to his senses, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible surprise.
They hadn't actually arranged to meet yesterday, but it's precisely this kind of unexpected encounter that makes people's hearts flutter the most.
"I... just came out for a walk." Zhan Chunyun looked away and looked up at a tree in front of her, which was still green even in the dead of winter.
“I went back yesterday and asked my parents. They said life in the countryside is very hard. There is no running water, so they have to fetch water every morning. They have to get up before dawn to work, and their hands were covered in blisters for the first few days because they had never done farm work before. The toilets are dry toilets, which are even worse than public toilets in the city. There are no electric lights, so they can only use kerosene lamps…”
"Besides, what I've described are the simple ones. The difficult ones are the daily, repetitive labor, which is far less challenging than your current job. You..."
“I’ve already signed up!” Yang Yonghua looked at her tenderly. He knew she was worried about him, and that was enough.
"What? Didn't I tell you yesterday not to be impulsive?!" Zhan Chunyun's face was full of anxiety, but only she knew that she was calm and reassured.
"Comrade Zhan, did you get the documents I asked you to pick up yesterday? Let's go complete the formalities together later, and I'll transfer the work to you." Yang Yonghua changed the subject without explaining.
"I didn't take it. I never wanted your job. I just wanted you to come to the countryside with me!"
"Then what will you do in the future? Given your family's situation, someone will definitely have to go to the countryside, but you don't have a job, so you will definitely be forced to go to the countryside."
“I…I didn’t know what to do at first, but now I know. I want to go to the countryside with you!” Zhan Chunyun looked at Yang Yonghua with determination in her eyes.
"Don't be silly, it's too hard for girls to go to the countryside, I don't want you to suffer with me." Yang Yonghua was happy to hear her words, but he also felt a little heartache.
“I’ve lived in the countryside for a while, and if I go with you, we can look after each other.” The time allotted by the educated youth office is running out; if she doesn’t go soon, she will be forced to go to the countryside.
“I still hope you can think it over carefully. I’m leaving in a few more days. Before that, you can come to me to ask for a job transfer.” Yang Yonghai hoped that she could calmly consider her future and not make an impulsive decision that she would regret.
“I know, I won’t regret it. You should go back and talk to your aunt and uncle properly. They will definitely understand you. This way, you can be better prepared for your trip to the countryside. If your aunt and uncle only find out on the last day, they might be angry and ignore you.”
"I know, you should go back and think about your own things, instead of just thinking about me."
Zhan Chunyun: You are my guarantee for the future, so I can't fall out with my parents.
Yang Yonghua walked back. Along the way, he kept thinking that Comrade Zhan was indeed his confidant, as he even knew that he was planning not to tell his parents and to go directly to the countryside.
However, what she said makes sense. Going to the countryside is meant to make a name for oneself. If one still has to worry about making a living, wouldn't that be a loss? I'll go back tonight and explain things to my parents properly. Anyway, the name has already been submitted, and no one can change the outcome, not even if his father is the factory manager.
At the Yang family's dinner table.
The three of them ate quietly, without making a sound.
Seeing that his parents had finished eating, Yang Yonghua put down his chopsticks and said, "Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you."
Seeing her son's serious expression, Ji Wenjun felt uneasy and glanced at Yang Shaohui.
Yang Shaohui remained calm and simply nodded: "Speak!"
Yang Yonghua felt a bit of pressure, but he still firmly said, word by word, "I've signed up to go to the countryside!"
"What?" Ji Wenjun was shocked by his words and stood up abruptly. "Say that again?"
"I went this morning." He didn't repeat himself, but he carefully explained the situation; he wasn't lying.
"Do you know what you're doing?" Yang Shaohui appeared calm, but his clenched fists betrayed his true feelings.
"I know this is the result of my careful consideration."
"Deep consideration? You call this deep consideration?" Ji Wenjun lost her composure. She slammed her hand on the dining table and poked his forehead hard with her index finger, trying to pour the water out of his head.
"I can't achieve anything in my current position. Every day at work I just drink tea and read newspapers. I really can't stand it anymore." Yang Yonghua calmly revealed his feelings.
"You can't stand it? Do you know how many people would kill for your position!" Ji Wenjun was exasperated. Wasn't it better for him to just drink tea and read the newspaper every day?
"How can others achieve anything? You've been in this department since graduation, for two years now, why are you the only one with nothing to do every day?" Yang Shaohui didn't understand what Yang Yonghua was thinking. After so long, he still hadn't integrated into the department, and he still wanted to make a name for himself in the countryside?
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