Chapter 481: Defying Heaven and Changing Fate
Lu Xiaoshuang's home consists of two simple houses made of adobe.
Zhou Yi had imagined how difficult the conditions would be, but he didn't expect the actual situation to be even worse than he imagined.
Although the environment is simple, it is very tidy and clean.
There are two rooms, the larger one is used as a classroom, with more than ten tables and chairs in it, which are obviously handmade.
Right in front of the classroom, there was an old blackboard with the paint peeling off a lot. Lu Xiaoshuang said that the blackboard was older than she was.
The small room next door is where Lu Guohua and his wife live.
There is also a simple shed on the west side, which contains a secondary earthen stove and some miscellaneous items.
This is the full picture of Lu Xiaoshuang’s real home.
And this is just a corner of the entire Yangjiatun.
Yangjiatun, a rural village in the northwest, is different from the village where Zhou Yi's grandmother lives at the foot of Yunxia Mountain.
The feeling Zhou Yi had here was just like the loess plateaus he had seen along the way. It was earthy gray everywhere, and more than half of the buildings were made of adobe, just like Lu Xiaoshuang's house.
There are relatively few green plants in the village, and the big trees are scattered here and there.
Looking into the distance, there are patches of yellowish fields near the village, and I don’t know what they are planted on.
Further away, there is a long row of tall trees.
Zhou Yi later learned that these trees were windbreaks planted to prevent desertification.
It was planted by Lu Guohua and other educated youth after they arrived.
What was planted back then was just a small sapling, but now it has grown into a towering tree.
How many people's youth and passion have been silently dedicated to this land.
After Zhao Liang helped Zhou Yi move the box into the classroom, he said goodbye to Lu Guohua and his wife and left without even drinking a bowl of water.
Lu Xiaoshuang took Zhou Yi's hand and formally introduced him to her parents.
Lu Guohua and Su Xiuying had not yet wiped away the tears from the corners of their eyes. Looking at Zhou Yi's tall and handsome appearance, they nodded repeatedly with satisfaction.
In his previous life, Zhou Yi only knew the names of Lu Xiaoshuang's parents and had never seen a photo of them.
Lu Guohua was about 1.75 meters tall, but his back was clearly not in good condition, and he had a slight hunchback. His skin was rough and wrinkled, but he wore a pair of thick glasses. One of the legs seemed to be broken, and was wrapped in several layers of thick white medical tape.
Although he was dressed in rags and looked like a weathered working man, his words and deeds revealed the extraordinary temperament of an intellectual.
Su Xiuying looks slightly younger than her husband, with fewer wrinkles on her face, but her hands are just as rough.
Lu Xiaoshuang looks like her mother. When Su Xiuying smiles, she has the gracefulness of a girl from the Jiangnan water town, and her eyes are also very gentle when she looks at people.
Lu Xiaoshuang looked at the haggard looks of her parents and couldn't help crying again.
Su Xiuying comforted her, "Silly child, why are you crying? It's such a happy thing. Mom will wipe your tears."
Feeling her mother's rough skin, Lu Xiaoshuang remembered the things in the suitcase. She quickly opened the suitcase and took out everything inside.
They told their mother that these were all prepared by Zhou Yi for them, including two sets of clothes, some local specialty packaged cakes of Hongcheng, some daily necessities, etc.
There is also a latest model of tape recorder, which can not only listen to the radio but also play English tapes. Lu Xiaoshuang said that she would send the tapes home later so that students can listen to English.
Lu Guohua looked at the radio and waved his hands repeatedly, saying that he could not accept it because it was too expensive.
Zhou Yi smiled and said, "Uncle and aunt, I carried it all the way here. Are you planning to ask me to carry it all the way back?"
"This...this must be a lot of money. As a police officer, you earn your hard-earned money by risking your life."
"Dad, this is a token of Zhou Yi's love, please accept it."
Zhou Yi quickly suggested trying out the radio, and then began to fiddle with it with Lu Guohua. Lu Guohua obviously couldn't let it go, and he would even blow on it to wipe off any dust that fell on it.
Lu Xiaoshuang took out several boxes of clam oil hand cream, opened one and applied it on Su Xiuying's hands, then wiped them gently.
"Mom, you and my dad should use this clam oil more often. Look how rough your hands have become."
Su Xiuying looked at her daughter with eyes full of pity. She reached out and gently ruffled her daughter's hair and said, "Xiao Shuang, you've been alone for the past six years. I'm sorry you've suffered."
Lu Xiaoshuang's nose suddenly felt sore, and she forced a smile and said, "I'm not suffering, I'm fine."
Then he turned to Zhou Yi and said, "Brother Yi, take my dad to see those boxes of things."
She knew that if she didn't change the subject, she would start crying again.
Lu Guohua asked in confusion, "What's in those big boxes?"
"Uncle, let me take you to see this. It's a little gift that my colleagues and I prepared."
Lu Guohua nodded, carefully put away the radio, and then he and Zhou Yi lifted the curtain at the door to block the wind and sand and walked out.
The two rooms are not connected from the inside and can only be accessed from the outside.
It's summer vacation, so there are no children.
The classroom is a bit dark. After all, the structural stability of the adobe house is average, so the lighting is not very good.
Lu Guohua pulled the light cord, and an incandescent bulb above his head lit up.
Zhou Yi used the key he carried with him to cut the tape on the boxes, and then introduced to Lu Guohua what was in each of the four boxes.
Lu Guohua looked at the four boxes of things, stunned with surprise, and kept thanking with tears in his eyes.
"This...this must cost a lot of money. I don't know what to say." Lu Guohua said helplessly.
Zhou Yi quickly explained, "It didn't cost much. We got it all through our colleagues' connections. These books were given by the library, and the stationery and uniforms were all surplus from the school's bulk purchases."
Lu Guohua asked doubtfully, "Really? Don't lie to me. If I bought this, it would have cost a lot of money. I'll have to pay you back later."
This reaction was exactly what Zhou Yi had expected. He quickly assured him again and again that he was not lying, and only then did Lu Guohua believe it.
"Zhou Yi, which unit are you from? Xiao Shuang's letter said you were a police officer, but she didn't specify which unit you were from. I must write a thank-you letter to your unit. I want to thank you on behalf of the children in Yangjiatun."
"I'm from the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Hongcheng City Public Security Bureau. But uncle, please don't be polite. We are just taking this opportunity to express our gratitude. It's just a small contribution. Compared with the perseverance and dedication you and Auntie have made over the years, it's just a drop in the bucket."
"So you're a criminal police officer," Lu Guohua said worriedly. "Then you'd better pay attention to safety in your work from now on."
Zhou Yi nodded.
"Well, to be honest, these things you brought are exactly what I need." Lu Guohua reached out and touched the things and said, "There is actually a primary school in the town, but people in the more remote villages basically don't go to school. It's not just because it's too troublesome, but mainly because people here lack knowledge and they think studying is useless."
He smiled wryly and said, "The most ironic thing is that some people questioned us, the educated youth who had been sent to the countryside, in front of us, asking what the point of studying was. In the end, didn't we, the educated people, end up having to learn how to farm from these farmers?"
"I was speechless for a moment."
"But something happened later that reaffirmed my belief in running a school. Even if there is only one student, it will be meaningful and valuable."
"When I decided to open this school, Xiaoshuang was less than three years old. I went to the town to ask for some help and support, but they thought I was asking for too much. Of course, I also knew the town was in financial difficulties, so in the end I only brought back this blackboard."
"I built this classroom bit by bit. Look at these tables, chairs and benches. I learned to make them myself."
"At the beginning, there were no students, so I went door to door, asking them to send their children to class. But they actually thought I was trying to cheat them out of their money." Lu Guohua smiled helplessly and shook his head. "Can you guess how I tricked the children into coming to class?"
Zhou Yi replied, "You promise to provide meals?"
Lu Guohua burst into laughter. "You're so smart! That's right. I promised the villagers that I would provide lunch for any child who was willing to come to class. That's how they all agreed to send their children here."
Zhou Yi was not actually surprised by this result. The more backward the economy and culture are, the more primitive people's cognition and logic are. This is normal.
Children of this age are in the period of growth and their appetites are getting bigger and bigger.
As the saying goes, little brat, you'll eat me away.
In an era of material scarcity, farmers would naturally be very happy if they could save a meal.
Perhaps Lu Guohua's move may have indirectly stimulated the birth rate in Yangjiatun. After all, it would be a waste not to take advantage of this opportunity.
But for Lu Xiaoshuang's family of three, it is probably a heavy burden, and they may have to pay a considerable price for it.
Because in a daily chat, Lu Xiaoshuang once said that she seemed to have never had enough to eat when she was a child.
When she first came to Hongcheng to study in the first grade, she was the thinnest one in the class.
However, Lu Guohua did not mention these, but directly skipped over the various dangers and obstacles encountered in the process.
"Later, the number of students increased, reaching a peak of fourteen. The village Party secretary reported my case to the town government, and the town government took great care of us. They recognized Yangjiatun Primary School and paid me a monthly salary, which is how I managed to get through this."
Zhou Yi asked, "After all these years, haven't the child's parents thought about expressing their gratitude?"
The purpose of Zhou Yi asking this question was actually very simple. He just wanted to know whether these people were simple and honest farmers or ignorant people living in poverty and remote areas.
Fortunately, Lu Guohua's answer made him feel relieved.
"Yes, in the second year, someone felt embarrassed and brought food, and there were also some after that."
The two words "also" contain two pieces of information.
First, not all parents brought food. Some were kindhearted and took it on their own initiative, while others, seeing the situation, felt bad and later took it. But some parents didn't take it, suggesting that their motivation for sending their children to school was to save that meal.
Second, Lu Guohua did not feel any resentment about this incident.
Zhou Yi is well versed in human nature and knows that what people fear most is not the lack of wealth but the inequality of distribution. When unfairness occurs in any matter, people's psychology is easily unbalanced.
I didn't care at first, but now I start to care. Why does he get more benefits than me?
Sixteen years have passed, and Lu Guohua still downplays this when he mentions it.
This shows that he has not changed his original intention and does not feel unbalanced because some people handed over food and some did not.
This alone is enough to prove that he is a noble man.
Poverty is not great. What is great is to live in poverty and still retain a childlike heart.
Zhou Yi didn't know how to praise Lu Guohua, because all the words of praise were inadequate for this matter.
"Uncle Lu, how many children have you taught in these sixteen years?" Zhou Yi asked.
Lu Guohua didn't hesitate and gave a number: "Ninety-seven, including Xiaoshuang."
"Except for Xiao Shuang, are there any of these children who go to college?"
Lu Guohua nodded. "Except for my own daughter, of the ninety-six children, seventy-eight went to junior high school in town, thirty-three went to high school in the county, and five were admitted to university."
It is really shocking that such a poor village produced five college students in just over ten years, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.
"Uncle Lu, you've changed their lives. Without you, they would either be farming here with their parents, or working in the county or city," Zhou Yi said with heartfelt emotion. "You are the benefactor of this land."
Lu Guohua and Chen Gengyun were both educated youth, and both went to the countryside to work, and both went to the most remote and poorest places.
But Lu Guohua has no sins, no compromise, and no hypocrisy.
He burned himself to light the way ahead for the children of this land in the darkness.
Although there are only five college students, 80% of the children have attended junior high school and have escaped the category of illiteracy, and 30% have been admitted to high school and have acquired certain cognitive and thinking abilities.
This is the greatest way to change their fate!
It provides them with a layer of armor in the tide of the times.
Facing Zhou Yi's praise, Lu Guohua simply waved his hand and said calmly, "As a human being, you have to do something meaningful in your life."
After Lu Guohua thanked Zhou Yi again on behalf of the children, the two walked out of the classroom.
Just then, Su Xiuying pulled Lu Xiaoshuang out. It was obvious that Su Xiuying had been crying, and her eyes were red and swollen.
Lu Guohua was stunned for a moment and asked, "What's wrong? Why are your eyes swollen from crying?"
Su Xiuying raised her hand to wipe her nose, then pulled Lu Guohua over and said, "Old Lu, kowtow to your benefactor."
As he said this, he was about to kneel down.
Fortunately, Zhou Yi was quick-witted and supported the other person.
Zhou Yi knew that Lu Xiaoshuang had told her mother about the Hongda case.
"Auntie, please don't be like this. You are my elder, and I can't bear your kneeling." Zhou Yi said quickly, and Lu Xiaoshuang also advised him.
Lu Guohua was still a little confused, but he came to his senses a little bit and asked his daughter in a trembling voice: "Xiao Shuang, did...something happen to you?"
Su Xiuying cried and said, "If it weren't for Zhou Yi, you wouldn't have a daughter."
When Lu Guohua heard this, he turned pale with fright.
When he received the letter from his daughter before, he was indeed worried about what Lu Xiaoshuang said in the letter, but he had never thought about it to this extent.
Zhou Yi didn't know what Lu Xiaoshuang said specifically, but he couldn't reveal the specific details of the Hongda case. He could only explain that they had misunderstood, that Xiaoshuang was accidentally involved in the case, and that the incident itself was not directed at her, so everything would be fine after it passed, and he told them not to worry.
It was the police who found out the truth and cleared her name, and he was just one of them.
When Lu Guohua found out what happened to his daughter in Hongcheng, his face was filled with fear.
Because this is a matter of life and death.
Lu Xiaoshuang didn't want her parents to worry too much, so she took Zhou Yi's arm and said, "Mom and Dad, Zhou Yi is here, and there are many police officers like him. You don't have to worry."
Lu Guohua and Su Xiuying nodded repeatedly with tears in their eyes.
Su Xiuying wiped the tears from her face and said with a smile, "We've been so busy chatting. It's almost noon, I'm going to go cook. Old Lu, go to Aunt Xiao Yang's house and buy a chicken, some eggs, and a bottle of wine. You and Zhou Yi are so happy, so have a couple of drinks."
Zhou Yi knew that they usually had simple meals and hardship, and didn't want them to spend money, so he said, "Uncle Lu, how about I..."
Lu Xiaoshuang immediately covered his mouth with her hand, and after watching her parents happily leave the house, she said, "It's okay, let my dad buy it. This is also their way of expressing their feelings."
Zhou Yi nodded.
…
In the evening, after dinner, Lu Xiaoshuang took Zhou Yi for a walk around the village.
After returning to the place where she grew up, Lu Xiaoshuang became obviously more cheerful and relaxed, no longer reserved.
Only then did Zhou Yi realize that she was so talkative, actively greeting the elderly, chatting with middle-aged people, and happily hugging her childhood playmates.
Moreover, she was chatting with people in the local dialect which Zhou Yi could hardly understand. However, he could feel that her dialect had a slightly raw flavor and did not seem very authentic.
Yangjiatun is not big, with only about fifty or sixty households in total, most of which have three generations living together, and the total population is only two or three hundred.
After a round of walking around, Zhou Yi discovered that there were very few educated youth like Lu Guohua in the village, probably only two or three, because they were easy to distinguish, and the one who spoke Mandarin when chatting should be him.
Of course they didn't visit every household, there must be others.
On the way back, Zhou Yi asked this question.
There were different situations for the educated youth who went to the countryside. Those with a large number of people were like the construction corps led by Chen Gengyun, which was composed of troops, educated youth and local people, and was responsible for reclaiming wasteland.
But most of them should be like Lu Guohua and others, who were sent to remote rural areas to work as sent-down youths.
This situation is not fixed, and there will definitely be hundreds of them in large villages.
There are about ten small villages.
Because the educated youth did not come all at once, but in batches.
"I heard from my dad that sixteen educated youth came to Yangjiatun, but less than half stayed. The ones you saw just now all stayed because they married villagers. Those who didn't marry either went back through policy or signed up to join the army. Only my parents stayed on their own initiative."
"So your parents have a chance to leave?" Zhou Yi asked in surprise.
Lu Xiaoshuang shook her head. "I don't know. They never told me. But there used to be an uncle in the village who was also an educated youth. Although he didn't return to his hometown, he is now working in the city. So I guess if they are willing to leave, they should at least be able to go to the city."
"Xiao Shuang, do you have any complaints about your parents choosing to stay in this barren place?"
Lu Xiaoshuang answered without hesitation: "Of course not."
She smiled and looked back and said, "It doesn't matter where your home is, what matters most is where your family is."
In the dim evening, only her eyes are so bright.
At night, Lu Xiaoshuang and her mother slept in the same room. Lu Guohua got two door panels from somewhere and made space in the classroom to set up two simple beds.
There was a quilt on Zhou Yi's bed, and a worn mat on top of it.
There was nothing on Lu Guohua's bed, just some hay.
"Zhou Yi, the conditions here are quite difficult. I'm sorry to have wronged you."
"Uncle Lu, this is already very good. People in our line of work often don't sleep all night long. Even if we do sleep, we just take a nap for a while, in the car, on a chair, it doesn't matter. Having a bed to sleep on is already very good." Zhou Yi said, pulling out the quilt from underneath him, and making the excuse that he had a hot temper and the quilt was too hot.
Only then did Lu Guohua remove the hay with some doubt and put the quilt on his bed.
After they both fell asleep, Zhou Yi felt that the bare door panel was a bit uncomfortable.
As soon as I turned over, the door creaked.
At this time, Lu Guohua on the other side suddenly spoke: "Zhou Yi, you are not asleep yet."
"No, Uncle Lu."
"Did you sleep poorly?"
"No, no."
"How about we chat for a while?"
"Okay."
Having said that, Zhou Yi didn't know what to talk about, and there was a slightly awkward silence in the darkness.
"Actually..." Lu Guohua said, "This isn't the first time Xiaoshuang has gotten into trouble."
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