As soon as the school season started, seeing Ping'an excitedly going to the nursery every day, Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao started packing their luggage and going to school.
Over the winter break, my classmates and alumni have changed a lot. After a semester, they have seen a lot of things in life, and many of them have experienced the world after returning to their hometowns and schools.
Except for a small number of people, everyone gathered together, and behind the laughter were hidden more joys, sorrows, anger and happiness.
Going home to visit relatives, spending the New Year with them, and enjoying the family ties is supposed to be a happy thing, but things are often not that simple.
Deep waters are silent, and a steady man is silent. Gentlemen should beware of speaking too much to a stranger.
This is the fundamental principle of many smart people. Even those who are able to get into prestigious universities, even if they are inexperienced, know to be careful with their words after seeing several people being expelled from nearby universities.
Everyone knows that being expelled is too late in life and will also implicate family members. While in school, one can still tighten their belts and have some extra money to support their family. Graduating early can also help support the family.
No one wants to talk about their family's sad stories, but after receiving the food coupons, many smiling faces often have red and swollen eyes.
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Class 59 (1) was run like an iron barrel by Zhang Guoqing and Yi Jiefang from the Student Union. With the help of several transferred students, it can be said that some disturbances outside could not affect the class.
This time, a group of students gathered together in the cafeteria. No one talked about how their winter vacation went. They all focused on eating. The few who were occasionally active talked about experimental problems.
The tree wanted to be still but the wind did not stop, and soon bursts of complaining sounds began to be heard all around.
A girl on the right sighed, "Your big city is so good. You can even get flour and refined rice. Even if it's less, it's still white flour and rice. Where we are, ah... don't say it anymore. It's just tears."
"Your place is close to the sea, so it's still good. My hometown is in the mountains, and life was really hard back then. My parents, siblings, and I never had any white flour. When I got off the bus, I used my food coupons to buy five steamed buns. But when I got back, no one in my family was willing to wear them. My brother even saved half for me to eat on the way when I got here."
For a moment, the rustling sound of chopsticks stopped for a moment.
"Let's cherish every moment. It's not easy to get a bite to eat these days. After spring comes, with the wild vegetables, everything will be fine."
A girl laughed self-deprecatingly, "Okay? Haha..."
Her companion comforted her, saying, "Back then, the older generation had to eat their belts to cross the grasslands. They could get through anything. Life will only get better. How can it get worse?"
The other person whispered, "When I came here, the village had already eaten the chaff. My youngest nephew was so hungry that only a big head was left, and he kept complaining about feeling dizzy. Even the chaff might not last until spring, so I have to ask for your help this month."
"Okay, I'll squeeze in, and you can send it back this afternoon."
A boy nearby heard this and frowned as he told his friend, "I hate eating husks the most. Not only are they hard to swallow, but every time I finish eating them, my gums are covered with tiny burrs. When I pull them out one by one, it hurts like hell when I touch them."
"I didn't go back home this winter break, so I don't know how things are going at home."
"Don't worry, your uncle knows what's going on. He told me to persuade you to eat more, and that we have the elderly at home, so we can make arrangements. He also told me to keep an eye on you when I come back, and to make sure you study hard and graduate early."
Zhang Guoqing glanced at the students and winked at Yi Jiefang—it wasn't a good idea to stay here for long; it would be best to finish eating and leave. He didn't know what those words would do to anyone with ulterior motives, but they would definitely affect the students' moods. He was worried that someone would lose control and burst into tears, which would be a serious problem.
Yi Jiefang winked at him. He didn't want to leave just yet; he hadn't heard enough gossip. Staying in the inner city all day, he'd forgotten what the outside world was like.
Zhou Jiao saw them talking in code and looked at Zhang Guoqing's depressed expression, feeling both amused and sad. He really has a mother hen personality, why is he so nosy?
Could she say that she also wanted to know what the outside world was like?
"...Since your father said so, don't worry. The older generation has rich life experience. They can survive the spring and summer harvest without worrying about hard times at home."
"If you don't mention it, I don't even want to mention my grandma. I dream about her every day. My family depends on her. My dad is an honest man, and my mom just works hard. My grandma arranges all the food and necessities for the family. If she were still alive, I wouldn't have to worry about my family all day long."
After saying this, the man rubbed his face, drank his soup, and looked into the distance. He said with a melancholy tone, "There are the most poplar trees in our village. Every spring, the first ones to grow are definitely poplars. In the early morning, poplars are scattered all over the ground. My grandmother would ask me to quickly sweep up the poplars on the ground.
Then soak it in a large basin for a day and a night, remove the hard shell, and wash the remaining flowers, chop them with a knife, and use elm bark flour to make balls. Steam them and eat them. Although they have a bitter taste, they are swallowable and fill your stomach.
"My grandmother is also very capable. When I went back this time, I found out that she was still digging up impatiens roots last year. If it weren't for this sack of impatiens roots, it would have been difficult to survive on the plain porridge in the village.
Afraid of being discovered, the old lady secretly cut the imperata roots into sections and dried them at home. When I went back for Chinese New Year, she rolled them into noodles, steamed them, and told me to eat them as much as I could. Before I left this time, she held my hand and told me to go to school and not send anything back.
The girl next door turned around curiously and asked, "Classmates, where are you from? In my hometown, not only are there no impatiens roots, but even the bark has been stripped clean by the team."
"We are from the south. Our hometown is close to the mountains. Crops grow here all year round. If grain is not enough, we still have some fruits and vegetables. In addition, the surrounding teams forbid the town residents from digging in the mountains. After the Waking of Insects is over, all kinds of wild vegetables will come out. It's better than your hometown!" After saying that, the other party smiled proudly, then restrained his expression and lowered his head.
After the class finished eating, everyone returned to the classroom to wait for counselor Xiao Wu to start a meeting.
During this time, a female classmate handed Zhou Jiao a note. To her surprise, it was asking her to give her ten minutes. After a moment's contemplation, Zhou Jiao nodded.
After class, Zhou Jiao followed her out of the classroom and into the wilderness. Seeing that she seemed hesitant to speak, she smiled encouragingly at her - if it wasn't something important, who would look for her?
"Zhou Jiao, I want to ask you about something. Please keep it a secret for me."
What was Zhou Jiao most afraid of? It was secrets. But since everyone had spoken out loud, she could only nod and smile, "Don't tell me if it involves something serious. I'm afraid I won't be able to keep it secret."
"I believe in you, and I believe in your and Zhang Guoqing's character."
Zhou Jiao looked at her helplessly. She believed that she would have to take Zhang Guoqing with her. What could be so serious? Could she just leave now?
The other woman laughed. After a moment, she looked around and whispered, "I want to know what Northeast China is like. I heard that many people who fled there are doing well."
This actually involves human lives—Zhou Jiao asked seriously, "Has the person you care about gone to the Northeast? You have to know that the situation in each of the three provinces in the Northeast is different."
"I won't hide it from you. My parents want to take our family to Northeast China. Our family's situation is even more serious than those people in the cafeteria say. We have to leave."
Zhou Jiao didn't ask her whether her family's departure would affect her future. They weren't close friends, and she had no interest in other people's privacy.
She recalled what she saw and heard when she returned home years ago, and said softly, "There are inspections at the railway station in our provincial capital, and even people guarding the intersections in the county town. Along the way, there are people with families heading north, usually to the grasslands and the northernmost regions. I heard that the management is much more relaxed there. If you have direct family there, you can apply to stay with them."
"Have you seen people from other provinces in your area? How are they doing?"
Zhou Jiao shook her head. "I've only been in my hometown for a few days. The weather is too cold, and I don't see many people walking around on the streets. I haven't seen any outsiders in the county town either."
After hearing this, the other party thanked Zhou Jiao with a heavy heart and followed her back to the classroom.
Zhou Jiao didn't say anything more. The other party had come to her today, perhaps with the intention of asking her for help. She didn't dwell on the other party's purpose. Anyway, no one could make her take action.
The human heart is unpredictable. Who knows what the other person's background is? What can you trust? Zhou Jiao can't even trust herself.
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