Zhongnan didn't want to talk to Yan Xiaonan anymore; it was too disheartening. He lay down on his back and pretended to be dead.
Yan Xiaonan glanced at Zhong Nan sideways: "You can find a few more. Even if they're not good-looking, they'll definitely have good figures. And you have to find smart ones, so your future children will be smart too."
Zhongnan jumped up, yelled "Agreed!", and then ran off in a flash.
"Where is Bei Nan?" Yan Xiaonan realized that Bei Nan was not there.
Southwest smiled. He was doing his homework in the house. His grandma and parents had said that if he didn't pass the junior high school entrance exam this year, they would make him eat Kangcai dumplings.
It's 1966 now. Yan Xiaonan thought about it and realized that if Bei Nan went to middle school, she might end up joining some kind of team or soldier, so it would be better if she didn't go.
But not studying is one problem, and failing the exam is another, so let's not talk about it now. Southwest University does want to remind you of this.
"Second brother, are you going to take the college entrance exam this year after you graduate?"
"Yes, if you pass the exam, you can study there; if you don't, you can find a job in town." Southwest nodded.
"Is it easy to find a job now?" Yan Xiaonan really didn't know.
“It’s hard to find someone. Everyone in the factory is a replacement. My son will take over when I retire.” Southwest’s voice was somewhat dejected.
So my second brother wants to find a job. I read novels like that in my past life, where jobs could be bought with money.
"Second brother, do you know any way to buy a job?"
"Yes, my master has connections. There's a furniture factory in town. If you know carpentry, he'll give you 300 yuan for a permanent job, 200 yuan for a temporary job, and 100 yuan for a general laborer."
Yan Xiaonan glanced at her grandmother, who nodded slightly, and Yan Xiaonan smiled.
"Brother, let's go up the mountain to hunt roe deer and wild boar in a couple of days. Three hundred yuan is just the price of one wild boar."
Southwest Teng stood up. "Nannan, really, you're willing to go hunting wild boar with me?"
Southwest knows Nan Nan's little secret; what's a wild boar?
Suddenly, Southwest pulled Nannan out of the kitchen: "Nannan, could we hunt a couple of wild boars? My junior sister wants to work there too."
Tang Jianjun's daughter, Tang Xiaoling? Yan Xiaonan searched her mind for information about Tang Xiaoling, but found nothing.
"Brother, tell me honestly, do you like that Tang Xiaoling?" Yan Xiaonan looked at Xinan seriously.
Southwest knew that if he didn't answer this question, his younger sister would absolutely not take him hunting wild boars.
"Nan Nan, I like Xiao Ling a bit. She's a hardworking and kind girl." Xin Nan's voice grew softer and softer, and her face began to blush.
Sigh, I guess all young men and women experiencing their first stirrings of love are like this, Yan Xiaonan thought, unable to bear it any longer.
"Second Brother, did you tell Tang Xiaoling about what happened on the mountain?" This was the question Nan Nan really wanted to ask.
"No, I won't tell anyone without your permission. In my heart, you come first, and Tang Xiaoling second." Southwest also became serious.
"What about Grandma and Mom and Dad?" Nan Nan caught Southwest's grammatical error.
"What grandma and mom and dad?" Southwest didn't understand.
"In your heart, I'm number one, Tang Xiaoling is number two, so where do Grandma and Mom and Dad rank? Don't tell me you don't care about them!" Yan Xiaonan's tone turned fierce.
Southwest shuddered. Oh dear, how could I have forgotten my milk and parents? Am I an ungrateful wretch?
"Nan Nan, that's not what Second Brother meant. Nan Nan, Second Brother isn't an ingrate, is he?"
Hearing that Southwest's voice had changed, Yan Xiaonan knew that Southwest was truly worried.
"Brother, what does 'ungrateful wretch' mean?"
“Like my second uncle, and my maternal grandfather’s eldest, second, and youngest uncles.” Southwest answered without hesitation.
"Will you end up like them in the future?" Yan Xiaonan felt exhausted. She was such a grown-up, and she, a little kid, still had to remind her.
"How could that be? I would never do such a thing, even if you killed me." Southwest puffed out his small chest.
Yan Xiaonan glanced at it and thought, "Hmm, my second brother has grown up. He already has muscles on his chest. He probably developed them from working hard as a carpenter."
"Let's go into the mountains tomorrow," Yan Xiaonan said, and was about to go inside; it was freezing cold outside.
Southwest pulled her along, "Nannan, you still haven't answered me?"
"Answer what?" Yan Xiaonan asked, puzzled.
"Hunting two wild boars?" Southwest was somewhat hurt.
"Oh, okay, but we have to fight them one by one, otherwise Uncle Tang will get suspicious." So you were still thinking about that.
“No way, Southeast once killed two wild boars at once!” Southwest was delighted.
“Then we need to ask Dad and Uncle Tang to go up the mountain together,” Yan Xiaonan said after thinking for a moment.
"Wouldn't that expose our secret?" Southwest was getting anxious. How could Nan Nan not know what's important? It would be troublesome if someone discovered her secret.
Yan Xiaonan confidently patted Southwest's shoulder, ouch, she patted his arm instead, "Don't worry, I'll handle your sister."
Cuihua and Yan Xiaoqiang returned home before dark. After Yan Xiaoqiang fed the ox grass and gave it water, the clever Southwest took a pound of cotton to return the ox.
When Third Uncle saw the cotton in Southwest's hand, he almost burst into tears. He had been wearing his cotton-padded coat for over ten years, and the cotton had all leaked out.
"Third Uncle, my mother saw this in the town near my maternal grandfather's place and managed to snag three jin. I'll give you one jin."
"Oh, oh, good child, thank you, Mom and Dad. This is what I want most, but I have nowhere to get it."
Southwest laughed. "Third Uncle, go find Uncle Village Chief tomorrow and ask him to help you find someone who can refurbish cotton-padded jackets. You can give him a dime or two to save trouble."
Third Uncle nodded, saying that was true, and quickly led the old ox inside. The old ox still smelled of fresh grass.
In the dead of winter, where did the Yan family find green grass? Third Uncle found it strange, guessing it must be from his maternal relatives' town, where they even had cotton.
During dinner, Southwest shared his thoughts with Cuihua, Yan Xiaoqiang, and his grandmother.
Grandma believed Yan Xiaonan's words wholeheartedly. She listened to the news broadcasts and felt that working in a factory was still the best option for Southwest China.
Yan Xiaoqiang secretly glanced at Yan Xiaonan, and seeing her nod, he grew bolder.
"Then let's get ready. We'll go after breakfast tomorrow. Cuihua, dress warmly tomorrow and go to town. Ask Master Pang to come to the foot of the mountain to collect wild boar meat."
Cuihua readily agreed, saying she would go first thing tomorrow morning and have Master Pang come over before lunch. With Nannan there, hunting two wild boars would be relatively quick.
After dinner, Yan Xiaonan lay on the warm kang (heated brick bed), drinking malted milk powder and reading a comic book. Life was so comfortable!
It's a pity there's no TV, otherwise watching Journey to the West or Investiture of the Gods would be quite nice.
No, in this era, even if you have a TV, it's all black and white, so what's the point of watching it?
As Yan Xiaonan's mind wandered, she gradually became sleepy. She put down her cup and comic book, snuggled into her warm bed, and closed her eyes.
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