Chapter 114 Time Flies
Indeed, with so many elderly people wandering around, everyone was staying inside, unable to sleep soundly. Many reported the situation to their superiors. With so many people reporting the situation, the leadership sent someone to investigate and quickly came up with a solution. It was simple: tie parents' performance to their children's promotions, job ratings, and performance-based pay. The notice was posted in the morning, and the elderly men and women who had been wandering around in the afternoon disappeared. By seizing the crucial opportunity, the matter was quickly resolved—quite simply and efficiently.
By the time the furniture arrived, a heavy snow had fallen in the Chaoyang Oilfield, blanketing the sky and earth in white. The new house felt warm and inviting. The furniture, all in a beige hue, contrasted with the white walls and dark green tiles, instantly gave it a classy feel. Jiang Nan wanted to move in right away.
"Dad, where did you find these floor tiles? They're so beautiful!" Jiang Nan couldn't help but exclaim. Jiang Nan wasn't exaggerating; these floor tiles would never look outdated, even in the future. The sixty-by-sixty square tiles had a hollow, black, eight-petaled flower in the center. Further out, four-petaled flowers with thick, beige lines were arranged around the four edges of the tile. While it might seem flashy, the simple furniture and walls complemented the design perfectly, adding a lively and bright touch to the entire house.
"Looks good, doesn't it?" Jiang Mancheng was very pleased. "This is the headquarters' guesthouse that has been renovated. I went to find someone to help me procure the goods. Don't worry, we're just using someone else's supply channels, and we'll pay for it ourselves. It's fine."
Jiang Nan jumped for joy. Even the other visitors couldn't help but praise him. Some of them were jealous and couldn't help but mutter, "How much does this cost?"
I'm waiting for you to ask, isn't it? Jiang Mancheng explained the expenses item by item, even bringing the invoices with him. "You say our family spends money recklessly, right? Come and see, how much are the four of us paid, how much did the renovation cost, how much did the furniture cost, add it all up. Take a look, is it really beyond our family's ability to pay?"
No, since there's no such thing, then shut up. We earn our own money, it's legitimate, and we can spend it however we want. So, working-class Big Brother, you don't even have the right to control your own wages?
This made it difficult for people to speak. And so, everyone was silenced. After being idle for the better part of a month, in mid-November, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing packed up and prepared to move in. Moving meant warming up the pots, so the Jiang family from Xihe'an, along with Old Lady Cao, Uncle Zhou's family, Chen Xingwei, and others, all arrived.
This wasn't my first time visiting a house, but I was still curious to look around. Who hasn't seen a house decorated like this? It always amazes me. One person said, "When I get a house, I'll ask my uncle to buy the floor tiles." Another said, "Uncle Yin's craftsmanship is amazing. This cabinet is so sturdy and beautiful." The chatter was intense, the atmosphere was lively.
It was almost time for dinner, and Jiang Gui found an opportunity. While serving the food, she whispered to Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, "Fang Nanshan is from Courtyard One, right? I remember you guys were living on the first floor."
Seeing the two nod, he said, "Two months ago, I was transferred to the well repair team and was in the same team as Fang Nanshan. You know, right? This kid is dishonest and secretly went to Xinghua Lane!"
Jiang Nan's mouth dropped open. Xinghua Lane was a hidden gem, a place known to everyone in the oilfield. But the police couldn't catch the perpetrators because they were so alert. Fang Nanshan, so young, why would he go to such a place? Was he willing to throw his career away for something like this?
After being surprised for a long time, Jiang Nan finally found his voice and asked in a low voice: "Brother, how did you know?"
Jiang Gui rolled her eyes: "What do you think all those men in the team can talk about when they are on duty together at night? It's still the same things! Many people are going there. I just heard Fang Nanshan's name is familiar, so I told you guys a little bit. Just keep it in mind. I don't care about anything else."
As she spoke, she trotted to the living room to pick up her son. Luo Tao gave birth to a big fat boy at the beginning of the year, which helped her gain a foothold in the second branch of the Jiang family.
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing exchanged a glance, feeling the pressure was on for Courtyard No. 1 to stir again. They shook their heads, deciding to focus on the pot-warming feast first. They could deal with the mess in Courtyard No. 1 later.
With so many people, they set up two tables in the living room and served a ten-dish feast, entertaining everyone with great fanfare. From that day on, the two of them settled down in their new neighborhood.
It's not that they don't go back to Courtyard No. 1; that's how the four of them plan it. At noon and in the evening, after work, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua come to the new complex to cook. After lunch, they take a nap before going back to work. In the evening, after the family finishes their meal, the young couple strolls back to Courtyard No. 1, chatting with their parents. Around nine o'clock, they stroll back to the new complex, making it a daily trip to Courtyard No. 1. If it's windy or rainy, they skip it. Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua rest in the new complex and return the next day.
After living there for just two weeks, provincial leaders came to inspect the area. The new residential complex was renamed Xiangyang Community, completely abandoning the previous crude names like "Courtyard One" and "Courtyard Two." Another two weeks later, Fang Nanshan's incident occurred. Thanks to Cheng's father's favor, he wasn't fired, but was instead sent to clean toilets, completely bidding farewell to his respectable job as a frontline worker.
Cheng Meijuan, on the other hand, remained loyal and unwavering, always following Fang Nanshan. Everyone admired her as a good woman, but little did they know that the division of labor within the Fang family had completely flipped. Now, Cheng Meijuan was the sole head of the household, turning over all of Fang Nanshan's salary. She would support her two younger brothers-in-law, but she would not buy them jobs after Fang Nanhai and Fang Nansheng graduated from high school at sixteen. If they had the ability to get into the factory, they could go and work. If they didn't? Sorry, they should go to the countryside. As a sister-in-law, she had raised her two younger brothers-in-law until they were sixteen and graduated from high school. She had done her best.
Sun Qiaolian was even easier to talk to. If she wanted to remarry, Cheng Meijuan wouldn't stop her. If she didn't want to remarry, she had to stop flirting, or else she wouldn't blame her for not providing for her in her old age! Cheng Meijuan was a villain to the end, and she told her family directly that she had to consider Niu Niu's future and let Niu Niu hold his head high. He couldn't stand out and be criticized and made to feel inferior to others!
Sun Qiaolian wouldn't take her son's words seriously. As for her son, no matter how much a mother treats him, he still has to take care of him when he's old. But when her daughter-in-law said it so openly, Sun Qiaolian was really scared. Her son still had to live under the control of his father-in-law. What did she, Sun Qiaolian, have? She was getting older and older, and her looks were almost gone. She should just stay at home.
As a result, Sun Qiaolian became obedient. As for Yuan Jianshe, life became even harder without his mistress. Because both he and his wife were unemployed, they were targeted by the Youth League Office, which visited them daily, persuading them and half-threatening them. With no other options, the couple eventually went to the countryside, to the harshest and most tiring Northwest.
Time flew by, and in 1972, the police uniforms were redesigned, switching to the familiar white shirts and blue pants, reminiscent of the look in the TV series "Plain Clothes Police." The station's equipment also upgraded, with more sidecar motorcycles being added, making daily patrols a truly impressive sight. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing pulled out their earlier cameras, posing in their new uniforms with the sidecar motorcycles. Jiang Nan was 21 years old and three months pregnant.
That winter, Jiang Nan gave birth to a daughter, whom Jiang Mancheng named Jiang Cha, nicknamed Cha Cha. After choosing the name, he stole a glance at Zhou Zhixing's face, and seeing he showed no sign of dissatisfaction, he finally felt relieved. It wasn't that he insisted his daughter's child have the surname Jiang; it had been agreed that only one child would have the surname Zhou. He couldn't go back on his word, could he?
Jiang Nan, who had just woken up, laughed: "Dad, what's with that expression on your face? If Zhou Zhixing didn't want to, he wouldn't have told you. We've been together for so many years, and you still don't trust me?"
Chen Jinhua teased her granddaughter and said to Jiang Nan, "Don't worry about it. That's how it is between father-in-law and son-in-law. Sometimes they fight. Look at our little Cha Cha, how adorable. These little arms and legs, why are they so adorable?"
Of course, own children are the best. Being a first-time mother, Jiang Nan was thrilled with everything. She spent her confinement in the old house when good news arrived. Jiang Mancheng heard that the drilling team leader had retired and was considering dividing the family property between his two sons. He planned to split his 120-square-meter house into two apartments, one for each son, while the couple would live with the eldest son in their old age.
Jiang Mancheng immediately found someone and took them to see his house. Look at it, one is 58 square meters, the other is 62 square meters, isn't that a perfect 120 square meters?! And look at the environment, isn't it perfect?
What else can be said? Before the news spread, the two of them had already completed the formalities. When Jiang Nan was out of confinement, it was just right for them to move into their new home.
The 120 square meters nowadays is a perfectly usable area. It has three bedrooms, two living rooms, and one bathroom, plus a small storage room, less than eight square meters, perfect for storing miscellaneous items or a simple study. A house this size can easily accommodate four adults and a baby.
Because they were in a hurry to move, they simply laid out the tiled floor and painted the walls white. They didn't have time to buy matching furniture, so they just moved in two sets of furniture from the old house and started living there. It looked a bit out of place, so Jiang Mancheng tried to comfort his daughter: "Don't be fooled by how ugly it looks now, it will be fine after a while. I've already gone to see Uncle Yin, and the furniture will be replaced sooner or later. The main thing is that the opportunity to move into a new house is rare, so we have to take advantage of it first."
It was quite rare. The house was located in the leadership courtyard, on the third floor, with two households per floor, not much different from later generations. When Jiang Nan left, only his eyes were exposed. He was taking off his scarf at the time. He nodded and said, "I know, Dad. It's okay. Now that Cha Cha is born, we can live together. God is helping us."
That's exactly what they said. The family happily moved into their new home. Cha Cha was a quiet little girl, very easy to take care of. She ate well and was cheerful all day long. Maternity leave was three months long now. Jiang Nan had taken it ten days before the birth, so she could stay at home for over a month, which made her feel particularly relieved.
This Sunday, Jiang Huai and Jiang Tong brought their respective partners to visit Jiang Nan. They had both married last year: one to the daughter of a colleague who worked as a salesperson at the supply and marketing cooperative, and the other to a colleague who had joined the company together.
Both couples are working parents, so they should be eligible for housing. However, because housing applications have been slow to get approved in the past two years, everyone is waiting. Jiang Huai and his wife, Wan Xiulan, live in the Wan family's house for work convenience, contributing monthly living expenses. Jiang Tong and her husband, Lei Heping, live in the Jiang family's house. They both work near the Xihe'an Brigade, making it more convenient for them to live there.
"Sister, Cha Cha is so cute. She's so young but you can tell she's a beauty. She'll definitely marry well in the future." Wan Xiulan was a talkative person. As a salesperson, she had a sharp tongue. But although she spoke intimately, she had no intention of hugging Cha Cha.
Jiang Nan glanced at her belly. Is she pregnant? She'd better not hold her. The child's legs are not steady, and she might kick again.
Jiang Nan didn't take it seriously, but Jiang Huai frowned when he heard it. He bent down and skillfully picked up Cha Cha, coaxing her with an "oh oh" sound: "Our Cha Cha needs to learn some skills. Girls should not only be pretty, but more importantly, they should have skills, right? Be a police officer like your mother and catch bad guys, okay?" As he spoke, he shook her up and down, and the little girl giggled, so crisply.
Everyone in the room laughed along. Jiang Tong, unfazed, also reached out, grabbing the little girl. Lei Heping was a quiet man, and after sitting for a short while, he went to the bathroom to help wash diapers, without disturbing anyone. It was only when Chen Jinhua changed Cha Cha's diaper that Jiang Mancheng discovered it when he went to wash the new diaper.
Jiang Mancheng cried out, and hurriedly chased him away: "How can you let a guest wash diapers? Xiao Lei, are you embarrassing your uncle?"
Lei Heping was not happy. He scratched his head and grinned foolishly: "Uncle, I am also from the countryside. I am used to doing housework. It's nothing. Are you holding a newly changed diaper? Put it down. My hands are all stained with it. I don't need you anymore. If you feel bad, just prepare more food. The food you made is this. You can't eat it anywhere else." He gave a thumbs up.
Jiang Mancheng was incredibly satisfied, thinking that the Jiang family's women had excellent taste. His mother had married well, never once saying a word against the old man. His sister wasn't bad either; the couple still spent their days together strolling. And look at the sons-in-law these two had chosen for the next generation: one sweet-mouthed but ruthless, the other a simpleton but shrewd youngster. They'll both have great futures! Jiang Mancheng made a few polite remarks, put down his diaper, and prepared to eat.
Zhou Zhixing didn't realize he was being highly regarded by his father-in-law. He was currently in the kitchen, heating milk for Jiang Nan. Seeing Jiang Mancheng come in, he called out "Dad" and continued to carefully pour the milk.
It was December now, and snowflakes were falling outside. The wind was so cold that you could hear it through the window. But the room was heated enough that you couldn't feel it at all. Jiang Nan drank a cup of hot milk and started sweating.
My cousin's wife, Wan Xiulan, was still gossiping: "Sister, you don't know, do you? Qiu Pan'er's three sons are very popular in the No. 1 Courtyard. I heard that they are always invited to their homes by the uncles and aunts, saying that they help to raise their grandchildren. I don't know why Tian Jiaguang is so careless. All three boys have the surname Qiu. Qiu Xiangdong was so happy that he almost reported and resigned, wanting to retire early to take care of his grandchildren. It was Tao Meiyu who persuaded him, saying that he had to keep a position for his grandchildren. If he retired now, his grandchildren would not be able to go to the countryside in the future."
She talked about it in so much detail that if you didn't know her, you would think she was very familiar with the Qiu family. But in fact, they were just friends from the same courtyard and didn't talk much.
Yes, the Wan family also lived in Courtyard No. 1, but in the bungalow area. They had a small courtyard with their own entrance and courtyard, making it more spacious than the tube-shaped building. But there was no central heating, and they still used a kang (kang-fired stove), which was not much different from the countryside. I guess they heard about the conflict between Qiu Pan'er and Jiang Nan, so they specifically asked about it and came to this older house to appease Jiang Nan.
"Qiu Sheng'er also gave birth, but it was a girl, which made the old lady of the Sui family very angry. She didn't even take care of her during the confinement period. I heard that Qiu Sheng'er went to wash clothes only two days after giving birth..."
"Ye Chunping is lucky. I heard she gave birth to a son in the countryside, so she wrote a letter to Grandma Wang, hoping that she would go over to take care of the child. Grandma Wang is not stupid. She has had enough of life in the countryside. She has stayed at Yuan Dali's house and refused to move. How could she bear to leave..."
I don't know if Wan Xiulan came here specifically to gather some gossip, but the room was filled with her voice. After chatting and laughing for a while, Wan Xiulan casually mentioned, "Sister, I heard that the family compound will be renovated next year? Is that true?"
Jiang Nan was stunned. She had just given birth and had never heard of building a house. She looked at Chen Jinhua, who grumbled and shook her head, saying, "That's ridiculous. The regulations are strict these days. Don't even think about building a house for the next three years! The projects your uncle and his team have been assigned are all renovations, not new construction."
I don't know whether Wan Xiulan believed it or not, but she just spoke less and less. After dinner, when they returned, Chen Jinhua closed the door and sighed: "Before we got married, she seemed like a pretty good girl. How come she became like this after marriage? Is this a message for me?"
Her face was not in a good mood. "But I don't even take care of my own daughter, why should I care about your business? The old man is about to retire, how can he have such great power to cross the province to take care of these trivial matters."
Jiang Mancheng comforted her while washing the dishes: "Don't be sad, that child is just a little bit more active, he's not a bad person, we should just ignore him, why are you still taking it to heart?"
Chen Jinhua glared at him, "I just feel sorry for Xiao Huai. He finally passed the exam to become a worker and got married, but now he's living with his father-in-law. Looking at Xiulan like this, who knows what that family is like. It's no wonder Xiao Huai is being bullied by that family!"
Jiang Mancheng pondered for a moment and whispered, "I'll go ask around and see if there's a vacant house there and let Xiao Huai and Xiu Lan move out. If the young couple lives on their own, there will be fewer conflicts, and their relationship will naturally improve over time. If they don't have contact with that family, maybe Xiu Lan will gradually change."
As they were chatting, I don't know what Qiu Pan'er was thinking. She actually brought her three sons to show off! She gave birth to three sons, but what about Jiang Nan? She gave birth to a girl! In Qiu Pan'er's eyes, this was a complete loss. If she didn't come to show off, it would be a shame for her persistent jealousy over the years.
So, here they were, accompanied by their eldest son, who was just over three years old, their second son, who was just over one year old but less than two, and their youngest son, who was just six months old. Before they even entered the building, they heard Qiu Pan'er asking the neighbors downstairs, "Is Jiang Nan living in this unit? Well, I'm Jiang Nan's high school classmate, and we live in the same building. I heard she had a daughter, and I'm worried she wouldn't be welcomed by her in-laws, so I brought my three sons here to help her introduce the child."
"Oh, my goodness, these three are all your sons?" The old lady's voice was very high-pitched, and she grabbed Qiu Paner's arm, "That's really amazing. So, girl... no, little wife, you go home with grandma first. Grandma's family is in need of grandchildren. Can you introduce grandchildren to my family first? Grandma will give you some baby candy. Come, follow grandma."
Qiu Paner pretended to refuse: "How can this be so embarrassing? I came to see Jiang Nan, this..."
"What's there to be embarrassed about? It doesn't matter who you're leading! Come, follow grandma!"
Old Mrs. Qiu laughed so hard: "Old sister, you found the right person to find these three kids in my family! My family lives in the No. 1 courtyard. These three kids have helped attract so many boys. You really made a profit..."
Qiu Paner went to two or three houses before finally knocking on the Jiang family's door. Jiang Nan lay in bed, rolling her eyes. How could she be so confused? Those who knew said she was here to see her, while those who didn't thought she was here to expand her business. She had no idea what she was doing, and yet she had to come and get scolded! Just wait and see, with Qiu Paner's fighting ability, she won't even be able to get through the door today!
Indeed, Chen Jinhua was just angry about her nephew's wife's flattery, and when she heard Qiu Pan'er's voice, she was even angrier! The result of her anger was that when there was a knock on the door, Chen Jinhua stepped on the stirrups and went to open it, her steps heavy and powerful, ready for a fight. Jiang Mancheng quickly shook the water off his hands and followed behind, looking like a eunuch escorting him.
As soon as the door opened, Qiu Paner's voice came in: "Aunt Chen, is Jiang Nan at home? I heard that she gave birth to a daughter, so I came to see her. Look, I brought all three sons with me. I'm sure Xiao Nan will give birth to a big fat boy next year..."
Chen Jinhua pinched her waist, glared, and then spoke: "What's the matter? My family prefers girls, what's it to you? We in the Jiang family have never been sons over daughters! What's wrong with boys? What's wrong with girls? As long as they are well educated, they will all become successful in the future! Put away your face, our Cha Cha is precious, no one can say a word!"
Jiang Mancheng glared at her from behind, but Qiu Paner didn't take it seriously. In terms of her son, she was a complete winner in life! What's the same with boys and girls? That's what people who gave birth to daughters say to comfort themselves! She chuckled twice, lifted her hair and said with a smile: "Aunt Chen, look at you, why are you still angry? I mean well too. Although boys and girls are the same, you already have a granddaughter, so don't you want to have a grandson? This makes up a good word, right? Aren't you tempted? My Doudou, Damai and Mimi are all boys. Is it wrong for me to introduce a boy to you? Look, how many uncles and aunts are pulling me to go." As she spoke, she pouted and looked at the people around her.
"That's right, Jinhua. This young wife is kind-hearted. She just came to my house to pick up the baby and didn't even ask for extra candy. She's quite nice. Just let her in. She's right. You already have a granddaughter, so you just need a grandson. There's no such thing as favoring a son over a daughter. We just want to have a good family, a son and a daughter."
"Of course not. We wouldn't dare say we favor sons over daughters. That's all feudal superstition, an old idea that needs to be overthrown. We just want to have both sons and daughters. In our hearts, we love our grandchildren equally."
A group of people gathered outside, trying to persuade her, but Chen Jinhua simply blocked the door, refusing to let Qiu Paner in. She said, "What good or bad handwriting? My family never asks for that. We will raise whatever is born, even if all the children are granddaughters, I won't be angry. Qiu Paner, please go. We appreciate your kindness, but my Xiaonan is tired. A group of people came to see her this morning, and she must be asleep by now. I won't keep her any longer. Goodbye."
As he was about to slam the door shut, Cheng Gaigai, carrying her son, came over. She was surprised to see so many people gathered at the Jiang family's door. But when she saw Qiu Pan'er, she looked her up and down suspiciously: "Pan'er? Are you here to see Xiaonan too?" Why was she so unconvinced?
Qiu Pan'er squinted her eyes, looking down on Cheng Gaigai. "Hey, Gaigai. Why hasn't the Jing family's contractor returned your job yet? Are you here to ask Aunt Chen for help?"
Thinking of the stupid thing she had done in the past, actually giving the job to Tian Jiaguang, Qiu Paner's heart was filled with hatred, and her words became more and more impolite: "I advise you not to ask for help from others randomly. If you can't handle your own affairs, others will not be able to help you even if they want to! He is just a scoundrel, then you are even more scoundrel than him. What are you afraid of? Can the Jing family find a better daughter-in-law than you? Dream on! Cheng Gaigai, don't let me look down on you! Go ahead and make a fuss, what are you afraid of! Will the Cheng family watch you suffer?"
Chen Jinhua paused as she closed the door and glanced at Qiu Pan'er. Perhaps it was because human nature was complex. Besides being so stubborn about Jiang Nan, Tian Jiaguang had exploited this to rise to power. But in other matters, Qiu Pan'er was unequivocal. Regarding Cheng Gaigai's matter, she had to be tough and willing to lose face. Jing Aihua's patriarchal style meant she couldn't back down! If she did, he would step on her and profit from her every move for the Jing family!
Cheng Gaigai's face turned red and blue, and her hands trembled as she held her son. Even after giving birth to a son, Jing Aihua's patriarchal style remained unchanged. Nengneng was already one year old, and she still hadn't gotten her job back! She shouldn't have been so soft-hearted when she gave birth to the child and let her cousin do the work for her! Now, she still couldn't get her job back, and even Qiu Pan'er looked down on her!
"Pan'er, look at what you said, what's the use of being a scoundrel or not? My Nengneng is young, and when he can run and jump, the Jing family..." Cheng Gaigai took a deep breath and exhaled for a long time before finding his voice and apologizing with a smile.
"Bah! Cheng Gaigai, haven't you noticed? You're becoming more and more like Jing Aihua! What's the matter? Are you thinking that family disgrace shouldn't be made public? You think it's all family affairs and there's no way everyone can know about it? Bah, you've been brainwashed, Cheng Gaigai!" Qiu Paner shouted, "If you don't make a fuss, will those people in the Jing family give you your job back? If you don't make a fuss, how can the Cheng family support you? Grandma Liu has told you so many times to stick to your job, stick to your job, and don't let the Jing family fool you. Did you listen? You're like a hopeless case!"
Qiu Pan'er was still chattering, and Jiang Nan had already packed up and came out. Qiu Pan'er was still talking non-stop. When she finished, Jiang Nan quickly interrupted and said, "Change it. Pan'er is right about this matter. You can't indulge Jing Aihua anymore. The job is yours, and you have to insist on this matter. If Jing Aihua's cousin doesn't return it, then make a fuss. What are you afraid of? Even Grandma Liu is not afraid of your fuss, so what are you afraid of?"
Cheng Gaigai looked at Jiang Nan, hesitating for a moment. After a long pause, she asked, "Xiao Nan, do you also... think I've changed?"
Jiang Nan thought for a moment, then slowly nodded and said, "Gai Gai, you have to stick to your own ideas and don't let Jing Aihua brainwash you. Your job is yours, and you can pass it on to your son in the future. Think about it, are you only going to have this one child? If you have two children, you'll lose your job, and who will Jing Aihua get it from in the future? Gai Gai, you can be generous, but you have to have it yourself first. You can't promise others something before you have it yourself."
Cheng Gaigai lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.
After going back and forth, everyone understood what was going on. Those who felt that Qiu Pan'er and Jiang Nan were in the wrong curled their lips: "She's already married, and she belongs to her husband's family, not to mention having a job! Just give the child to her husband's family, but what about the child's uncle? When the child grows up, can the uncle watch the child suffer? You young people are so cruel. How old is the child? He's just a little kid and can't even speak. As a mother, don't you have to take care of him wholeheartedly? And work? Even if you have a job, you have to quit! Isn't it just right to give it away! You are mothers, don't be so cruel..."
Those with daughters were curious: "Daughter, is this job for you before or after marriage?"
When he heard that she had gotten in through a pre-marriage recruitment exam, the man slapped his thigh and said regretfully, "Girl, listen to my advice. Make a fuss! Make a fuss as much as you can. Why should we give this job we worked so hard to get to someone else?"
"Hey, Sister Luo, you just asked this young wife to lead the grandson, why did you change your mind now?"
The old lady, known as Sister Luo, yelled, "What do you mean by changing your tune? I, Old Luo, may love my grandson, but I also have a daughter. If my daughter's husband dares to covet her own job, I'll tear them apart!"
Cheng Gaigai looked at the noisy crowd, then at Qiu Pan'er and Jiang Nan. The two, who had never gotten along, now looked as if they were expecting her to cause a scene. Suddenly, Cheng Gaigai laughed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she laughed. How had she ended up like this? What was there to be afraid of? Everyone had a temper. Cheng Gaigai wasn't afraid of a scene!
Having made up her mind, Cheng Gaigai's face suddenly brightened. She wiped away her tears and didn't insist on going in. She handed over the bag of brown sugar in her hand and said, "Aunt Chen, I won't go in. This is the brown sugar I bought at the supply and marketing cooperative for Xiaonan to nourish her body. Xiaonan, Pan'er, don't worry, I've thought it through, and I will definitely get my job back!"
After Chen Jinhua took the brown sugar, Cheng Gaigai held her son in one hand and put her other arm around Qiu Paner's shoulders: "Paner, come on, give me some ideas on how to deal with this commotion. When it's done, I'll thank you..."
Qiu Paner snorted and rolled her eyes at Jiang Nan and Cheng Gaigai: "Alright, I'm not going to the Jiang family. Let me go, I'll go with you..."
After the two left, the crowd gathered at the Jiang family's door gradually dispersed, and the corridor became quiet again. Chen Jinhua closed the door and trotted to the bedroom to check on Cha Cha: "What are you doing out here? Cha Cha is so young, how can she do it alone? Really..."
Jiang Nan raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and said with a smile: "Mom, I went out after Cha Cha fell asleep, don't worry."
After the incident, Lan Suo, Zou Li, Wen Qiang and others from the police station came to visit one after another. Mrs. Cao even stayed at the Jiang family's house and carefully served them for a month.
A month later, Jiang Nan's maternity leave ended and she returned to work at the police station. Now that her work had stabilized, there were almost no more sexual incidents. Most of them were trivial matters, which Jiang Nan handled with ease.
In the spring of 1975, when Cha Cha was three, Jiang Nan gave birth to twin boys, naming them Jiang Zhi and Zhou Ye. Zhou Zhixing underwent a vasectomy that same day, and Jiang Mancheng personally cared for him. He was discharged from the hospital on the third day. When they were alone at home, Zhou Zhixing said, "Three children is enough. The Gaokao is next year, and we need to focus on studying."
Yes, Jiang Nan had already explained to Zhou Zhixing the general trajectory of the next thirty years. Everything else was fine, but Zhou Zhixing was deeply drawn to top universities. During the Wei Dynasty, he was a bastard, barred from the Imperial College. Now, with the ability to enter a national institution through examination, what was there to hesitate about? Even if he was twenty-eight, so what? Life is full of learning, and he wouldn't be embarrassed by his age.
Jiang Nan also meant this. Being a first-generation college student who took the Gaokao, their qualifications were truly impressive. Putting aside other considerations, from a purely utilitarian perspective, this university was a must-attend!
Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua naturally knew about this. After that day, they were not allowed to do any housework and were told to just focus on studying. What? You mean they both have to work and there's no one to take care of the kids? That's easy to do. Just hire a nanny.
Of course this cannot be done openly, but it is very easy to do it secretly. Just say that the relative is an old relative on the west bank of the river, who has no children all his life. He is old and has no one to take care of him, so they take him in to be taken care of.
It's just a small matter, how can anyone prove they're lying? No way, if you can't, just shut up. Everyone knows it's not true, but they did it flawlessly, flawlessly. After all, they found the person on Xihe Bank. Can you just accuse them of exploitation? That's just offensive.
The nanny's surname is Wen. She is less than 50 years old, a thin and petite old lady. She is very efficient. She cleaned the house very clean on the first day she came to the house. Everyone is very satisfied.
Old Lady Wen was recommended by Du Hehua. She was said to have fled from the Central Plains, her parents and relatives having died on the road. Although she had settled down on the banks of the Xihe River and had been married before, her food on the road had damaged her health and she never had children. Her husband abandoned her and remarried, leaving her alone in the village. She stuck together with the other refugees and avoided being bullied. She was an honest and dutiful person, so after a two-day trial, she decided to stay. She earned 15 yuan a month, with food and lodging provided.
The addition of a new member to the family was a bit of a struggle at first, but we all managed to accept it. Children are very sensitive, and within two days, Cha Cha was chasing after the old lady, calling her "Grandma Wen" and "Grandma Wen," full of affection. Unfortunately, the little one was three years old, and no matter how much she preferred staying home, she had to be sent to kindergarten. These days, kindergartens in the oil fields are open 24/7, without the winter and summer holidays of later generations. They were originally established to accommodate the oil field workers, so of course they follow their vacations. This means that we can send our child to kindergarten any time of the year.
She cried so hard on the first day she went there that you could hear her from across the classroom. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing were heartbroken and thought they wouldn't send her off and told her to go home. But when they came out and saw the teacher was going to take other people to play on the slide, she refused and let go of her parents' hands, insisting on staying to play. With tears in her eyes, she waved to her parents, "Dad, Mom, you guys go back. I'm a big kid now and I need to play on the slide."
Well, if they want to stay, then stay. We're not the kind of parents who force their children. They watched from the door for half an hour, and when they saw they were having fun, they felt relieved and went back to work. The kindergarten was right on their way home from work, so they could pick them up on the way home after work in the evening. It was very convenient.
After dinner, the couple wanted to review their books, and Cha Cha came in again: "Dad, Mom, I want to study too." As she spoke, she took out the literacy cards that were distributed today and began to read them seriously.
Does this count as learning and progress with my daughter? For the past two years, I've been taking my daughter to work, picking her up after work, and studying with her in the evenings. On weekends, I'd take the whole family to the park. Now that the twins are older, it's time to take them out and see the world. We've experienced picnics and boating, everything. It's only been two years, seven or seven years.
The past two years have been eventful, not exactly joyful, but at least things have been going smoothly until October. It was Friday, Double Ninth Festival, and the family was having lunch. Grandma Wen had specially made mapo tofu, a fragrant and spicy dish that even the two-year-old was clamoring for it, sniffing and fanning himself with his tiny hands. The adults couldn't bear it and tried to take the bowl away, but the little one leaned forward, protecting it with his body and hands, and grumbled, "Eat, eat!" He looked so greedy.
"The East is Red" was playing on the radio. The passionate and uplifting music suddenly turned into a crackling sound. Jiang Mancheng frowned and muttered, "It's only been bought for less than two years. It's still new, and it's broken already?" After saying that, he wiped his mouth and turned around to tinker with the radio.
A commanding female voice boomed over the radio: "Enrollment in colleges and universities is about to begin... Voluntary registration, unified examination, in cities and prefectures... All eligible workers, farmers, and educated youth who went to the countryside or returned home... voluntarily apply... Choose a few schools and subject categories, and let the nation choose..."
Jiang Mancheng's hands were shaking as he gripped the radio. He looked up at Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, "Is this... the resumption of the college entrance examination?"
Indeed, without a word, without even wiping his mouth, Zhou Zhixing stood up and walked to the door in three or two steps. Without even putting on his clothes properly, he pushed open the door and went to buy the newspaper for the day. Chen Jinhua was a worried person and hurriedly called out, "Xiaoxing, it's cold outside, put on your clothes..."
"I know, Mom." I don't know if she really knew or pretended to know, but the door closed. Then, three or four footsteps were heard in the corridor. It must be that other people also reacted.
Jiang Nan, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua hurriedly leaned on the window to look down, and saw a huge crowd of people walking out of the corridor. At first they were walking quickly, but then they all ran, running faster and faster, and running more and more anxiously, wishing to make up for the ten years that had been wasted.
After finally reaching the newsstand, a long line had already formed outside. Everyone's face was filled with confusion, excitement, and uncontrollable excitement. Faintly, I could hear crying from someone's home, and a woman's hoarse voice, "Write a letter, write a letter quickly, and ask the child to come back..."
It's different now. Zhou Zhixing, standing in line, clearly feels it. The world ahead will be worlds apart from the past decade. Chinese people tend to go to extremes. The more they despised something before, the more they'll probably celebrate it later.
The college entrance exam marks a watershed, a fork in the road of life. Even if everyone lives in the leadership compound now, four years later, they will embark on completely different lives.
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