Chapter 32, Part 32: Little cousin, you must study hard!
Song Xiaoli had a very optimistic idea. She felt that she had a great advantage. Her mother and new father both worked in the town, so she could go there to play. Her maternal grandmother's house and her new paternal grandmother's house were in two communes that were not far apart, so she could travel between the two communes.
Today, we'll add some high-yield or easy-to-grow fruit trees and grain crops to the mountain in Songshan Commune. Tomorrow, we'll go to Dahe Commune near Grandma's place and release some delicious, boneless fish into the river. As for the entire route she frequently travels, she uses the map function of her cheat code to arrange all kinds of wild animals and plants, big and small, in relatively suitable locations.
She only wanted to make some good food for her family, but her ostentatious behavior made everyone in the town subtly feel that something was off.
“I got off work a little late yesterday and took a shortcut along the mountainside. I ended up finding a silly chicken. It was really strange. Things in the mountains are usually very clever. This time I encountered a wild chicken and grabbed it without any hope. The guy didn’t even react. I felt like I was dreaming when I caught it, took it home, and ate it.”
Song Xiaoli was sitting at her father's desk, passing the time by reading the comic books her new father had bought, when she heard a teacher say something like that.
She couldn't help but prick up her ears, and lost all interest in reading.
"Now that you mention it, the chicken I caught yesterday does look a bit strange, doesn't it?" The teacher who spoke first seemed a little hesitant. "Won't this cause any problems?"
The main problem right now is that everyone is short of oil and fat; otherwise, who would dare to eat things that don't look quite right?
Song Xiaoli lowered her head guiltily, pretending to continue reading the comic book.
Alas, there's nothing we can do; the species in her personal little world are somewhat different from the native species of this world.
She has already selected the more beneficial species that are not too bizarre to move. She hasn't dared to move any dangerous plants like man-eating flowers or bomb trees, or any animals that are highly aggressive or poisonous.
In the span of a single class period, Song Xiaoli finished reading a small, positive-themed comic book. She wasn't really a child; after finishing the book, she didn't make a fuss or rummage through her father's desk. Instead, she sat quietly in her chair, waiting for her father to come home from work and take her to her mother's.
A kind teacher, envious, couldn't resist patting Song Xiaoli's head and asking in a soft voice, "Xiaoli, why are you so well-behaved?"
Song Xiaoli tilted her head, unsure how to answer, so she gave a sweet smile, making people wish they could trade their own mischievous little monkey for Song Xiaoli.
Normally, Hu Lixin only teaches the first period in the afternoon every Saturday. After that, he can finish grading students' homework and leave work early. Now that things aren't strictly enforced, Hu Lixin had already arranged to leave work early this afternoon to take Song Xiaoli to the supply and marketing cooperative.
Plans can't keep up with changes. Hu Lixin, a new father, felt overwhelmed, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and discuss it with Song Xiaoli.
Song Xiaoli didn't care about any of that. "Then Dad, you can go ahead and do your work. I can stay with Mom and read my Chinese textbook."
My mother teaches Chinese and has textbooks for several grades. These textbooks always contain some lessons, supplementary reading materials, etc., which are good for passing the time.
Hearing that Song Xiaoli was being so well-behaved, Hu Lixin breathed a sigh of relief, took out her special little handbag, packed her things, and hurriedly led her outside.
Song Xiaoli guessed that this was a temporary substitute teaching assignment, and that her father would need some time to prepare the lesson later, so she didn't insist on walking by herself. Instead, her father carried her and put her on the specially made small seat in front of the bicycle, and she was taken to the town primary school.
"Don't you have to grade homework today? Why are you leaving get off work so early?" Song Wanxia was a little surprised to see the father and daughter coming over.
Hu Lixin smiled sheepishly, "A colleague suddenly had an emergency and asked me to cover a class for him. I'm busy this afternoon, and I thought it would be better for Xiaoli to stay with you since you're only grading papers this afternoon."
Song Wanxia took her precious daughter with a somewhat speechless expression. "Xiao Li is very well-behaved. You can just let her read a book on the side. There's no need to specially send her here to me."
Even so, she still liked having her daughter with her. "You should go back to town quickly. I can't finish grading papers fast enough. Come pick me and Xiaoli up after you get off work."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "This was an unexpected situation. Next time, I'll take you to the supply and marketing cooperative. Whatever you like, Dad will buy it for you." This was said to Song Xiaoli.
Song Xiaoli nodded.
She wouldn't actually beg for anything expensive and useless. This is her way of making up for her guilt as a new dad. She can ask for some steamed sponge cake or White Rabbit milk candy later, so everyone can share it.
Grandma especially loved the sponge cake.
Song Xiaoli started thinking, why don't she just not buy anything, but ask her father and uncles to help her figure out how to get her something like an oven?
There are no kindergartens in town, and you have to look at least seven years old to start primary school. Song Xiaoli is bored all day, so she might as well try to do something.
The sponge cake that my grandma and cousins all love is definitely worth trying.
If you really can't bake a cake, steaming it will do.
However, steamed food doesn't smell as good as baked food, and because of the high moisture content, it doesn't keep as long. If Song Xiaoli could get an oven, she would still prefer to use an oven.
Her thoughts gradually shifted from what she wanted her dad to buy next time to what types of bread, besides sponge cake, could be easily made with the available ingredients.
When she came to her senses, she was already sitting on a small stool, holding the warm water cup her mother had given her.
"Mom, do you want me to help you change the multiple-choice questions?" Song Xiaoli's eyes lit up, and she stood up to offer her help.
Song Wanxia flicked her nose. "Come on, you can't even recognize all the characters, and you want to grade Chinese papers?"
These days, the Chinese language exams don't have many multiple-choice questions with answers like "A/B/C/D". Instead, there are more paragraph ordering questions like "①②③" or fill-in-the-blank questions, followed by reading comprehension and composition.
How could a little kid possibly grade these things?
Song Xiaoli stuck out her tongue, opened her water glass, took several big gulps, closed it again, and placed it on her mother's table. "Then, Mom, can I read your books? I've already finished the little books Dad bought me."
"Didn't your dad buy a whole set, more than ten books? You finished reading them so quickly?" Song Wanxia was a little puzzled, but she didn't refuse. She simply pulled out her own textbook from the table, glanced at it, saw that it was for first grade, and handed it to Song Xiaoli.
Song Xiaoli sat down to read again.
The first-grade Chinese textbook is really not very interesting. There are more pictures than words, and a large part of it is about teaching pinyin and recognizing characters. There are no story examples.
After flipping through the book for a while, Song Xiaoli found it boring and felt an itch to draw on it.
Considering that her mother might still be teaching first grade and the textbook might continue to be used, she had no choice but to refrain from using it.
"Sigh, when will I grow up?"
She was looking forward to growing up quickly, and her little cousin, who stayed at home, was also hoping to grow up quickly.
His little sister, who was so big, was taken away and could only come back every few days. He was used to his sister being with him every day, and now he felt so empty and lonely. He could only hope to grow up quickly so he could go to elementary school and see his sister every day and play with her every day.
Song Shiyi, so naively thinking this way, completely forgot that before his younger sister arrived, he had no desire to go to school at all.
To make matters worse, when he wanted to take his sister out to play, he found out that she wouldn't be coming to school as often anymore, but instead would be at her grandmother's house figuring out how to make her own sponge cakes.
"How could this happen? I came to school so I could play with you every day." Song Shiyi's eyes were brimming with tears, looking like an abandoned puppy.
Song Xiaoli scratched her head, "Once I make delicious sponge cakes, you and your older brother can eat them every day without having to rely on the supply and marketing cooperative. Isn't that great?"
Song Shiyi wanted to eat chicken cake, but he also wanted to play with his sister, so he was extremely conflicted.
His aunt came over and patted him on the back of the head. "You still want to play now that you're in school? What kind of pipe dream are you having? With a brain like yours, if you don't put in more hard work to study, how will you get into middle school and continue your studies?"
Song Shiyi rubbed his head and muttered, "If I can't pass the exam, I'll just give up studying."
“That won’t do,” Song Xiaoli blinked. “Big brother will definitely get into a good university. I want to go to university too. My second uncle’s little brother looks smart too, and he’ll have to go to university as well. If you don’t continue studying, then out of our family of university students, you’ll be the only primary school student. Won’t you feel ashamed?”
This strike was swift, ruthless, and precise.
Song Shiyi was not afraid of being scolded or beaten, but he was very afraid of losing face.
"Okay, I'll learn."
Song Xiaoli covered her mouth to suppress her laughter and winked at her mother.
Hehe, this time, she'll have to make sure the young man walks the right path.
Actually, whether he does well in school or not is not important. What is important is to let my little cousin grow up healthily in a relatively gentle environment.
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