Wang Chunxiu and her daughter were sighing in the west room, while Zhang Shuzhen and her son Sheng Xiping were sitting on benches in the outer room, also discussing the resumption of the college entrance examination.
“You used to tell the second and third kids to study hard and not neglect their studies, saying it would definitely be useful in the future. To be honest, we didn’t really believe it.”
I never expected that the college entrance exam would actually be reinstated. Thankfully, my second child never neglected his studies, always studying and reviewing in his spare time; now it's finally come in handy.
After Zhang Shuzhen finished cleaning the kitchen and sent her daughters inside to rest, she sat in front of the stove and chatted idly with her eldest son.
"National development requires talent, including highly educated and qualified individuals, not just workers and farmers."
The resumption of the college entrance examination is inevitable, which is why I've been telling my children not to neglect their studies. See, here comes the good news!
Sheng Xiping nodded with a smile. At this moment, Sheng Xiping felt that all the words he had wasted before had been worthwhile.
Of course, his efforts would only truly bear fruit if his wife and second son could both get into university.
"When we were eating, I heard you say that you wanted Qinglan and our second son to both take the college entrance exam, right?"
Zhang Shuzhen glanced at her eldest son, then cut to the chase and asked directly.
"What? Doesn't Mom want Qinglan to go to university?" Sheng Xiping retorted directly.
He had wanted to discuss it with Sheng Liancheng, but his father had drunk too much and was confused, so he couldn't understand anything.
Sheng Xiping originally planned to discuss this matter after his father sobered up that evening. Since his mother brought it up, he decided to ask her what she thought first and sound her out.
Zhang Shuzhen looked up at her son and sighed.
"Qinglan is our family's daughter-in-law. If she gets into university, wouldn't that be an honor for our family?"
Mom isn't worried about that; the main concern is Xinyu. He's still too young; he's only just finished his postpartum period.
If Qinglan gets accepted, she'll have to go to school, right? What about the child? She can't exactly take the child to school, can she?
Sheng Xiping thought his mother would say something similar to what Wang Jiachuan said, but he didn't expect this.
"Mom, they only have exams at the end of the year. It seems that even if they pass, they can't go to school right away. They have to wait until next spring."
By then, Xinyu will be five or six months old and able to eat solid food. We can then try to find some formula or buy a sheep; that way, we can raise the child to adulthood.”
The students who took the exam in 1977 started school in the spring of 1978, while the students who took the exam in 1978 started school in the fall.
"Besides, we don't even know if we'll pass the exam yet. We're just seizing the opportunity to give it a try, right?"
Sheng Xiping had confidence in his wife, but he couldn't speak too confidently in front of his mother.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuzhen nodded.
"That's true, whether she can pass the exam is still uncertain. If Qinglan really passes, our family will have a college graduate, and that will be amazing in the future."
"Then let's discuss it again when my dad wakes up. If he doesn't agree, Mom, you have to help persuade him."
Sheng Xiping was pleased that he had easily persuaded his mother, so he had to ask her for help in persuading Sheng Liancheng.
“Okay, I’ll talk to your dad about this.” Zhang Shuzhen nodded.
Although Zhang Shuzhen was uneducated and had little formal education, she had a very open-minded attitude towards many things.
The college entrance examination is such a big deal; it relates to one's entire future. If they stop Zhou Qinglan from taking the exam, wouldn't that ruin her future? In the future, Zhou Qinglan will hate the Sheng family to death.
Or, if Zhou Qinglan were to be even more ruthless and choose to divorce rather than miss the college entrance exam, what could the Sheng family possibly do to stop her?
Since we can't stop her, we might as well give her our full support. If Zhou Qinglan really gets into university, won't she remember the Sheng family's kindness?
Moreover, Zhou Qinglan and Sheng Xiping have two children and a very good relationship, so it's unlikely that she would change her mind.
Having a college graduate as a daughter-in-law is a great honor for the Sheng family, a wonderful thing indeed. Zhang Shuzhen is no fool.
She believed that Sheng Liancheng wasn't stupid; he understood the implications of this situation.
Sheng Liancheng and Zhou Mingyuan woke up after sleeping for about an hour, disturbed by the people who came to the Sheng family's house to listen to the radio.
At night, when the forest farm had electricity, these people, bored at home, would come to the Sheng family's house to listen to the radio.
No matter what's being broadcast inside, as long as there's any noise, everyone gets really hooked.
Around seven o'clock, the radio also talked about the resumption of the college entrance examination, and the broadcast was even more detailed than what Wang Jiachuan had said.
After sobering up, Sheng Liancheng remembered the college entrance examination and began to think about it.
Around 8 o'clock, after everyone who had listened to the radio had left, Sheng Liancheng kept Sheng Xiping, Zhou Qinglan, Sheng Xi'an, Sheng Xikang, and Zhou Mingyuan and his wife in the east room so that they could discuss the college entrance examination together.
"I drank too much in the afternoon, and the boss talked to me about it, but I just couldn't figure it out."
Sheng Liancheng glanced at Sheng Xiping and his wife, as well as Zhou Mingyuan and his wife.
"The resumption of the college entrance examination is a good thing. The children have studied for so many years, and it can't all be for nothing. At least they have a way out."
Sheng Liancheng started by saying something, but then paused, took out two cigarettes from the pack, handed one to Zhou Mingyuan, and kept one for himself.
Zhou Mingyuan took out a kerosene lighter, flicked the roller, rubbed the flint underneath to produce sparks, and ignited the kerosene-covered wick.
Then, Zhou Mingyuan handed the waiter forward, and Sheng Liancheng, with a cigarette in his mouth, stretched his neck over, took a puff, and lit the cigarette.
Then, Zhou Mingyuan lit his own cigarette.
Sheng Liancheng took two puffs of his cigarette before letting out a sigh.
"Logically speaking, our second son and eldest daughter-in-law both meet the registration requirements, so let's discuss the registration tonight."
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