But he gave up, and there must be a reason for that.

It is now March 1975. Ordinary people may not have noticed, but the policies from above have indeed changed. The cultural, scientific research, and medical fields have recalled and reused talents, and some educated youth have been able to return to the city first. Meng Tao feels that Zhao Ming should belong to this category, and his parents are going to take him back to the city.

Meng Tao asked Zhou Cuiling: "Didn't your dad say that he was going to get you a place at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University this year? You're still looking for materials to review. Do you have to take this exam as well?"

Zhou Cuiling sighed: "Originally, this quota was secured, but Zhang Guoqing had a cousin who was heartbroken. She hanged herself, jumped into the river, refused to eat or drink, threatened to die, and made a lot of noise. Her parents came to the Zhang family for help. She is Zhang's mother's niece, and they couldn't just ignore her. Zhang's father and mother discussed with our family: I can get a permanent job at the grain station, so let's give the quota to that cousin. I hope that after she goes to school in the city, she will forget about the bad things and be fine in the future.

I am looking at the examination materials now. There are many temporary workers in grain stations and grain depots, and the number of regular employees is limited. They also need to take examinations and be selected. I will take the examination in May and strive to be regular employees. "

"Then you don't plan to go to college?" Meng Tao asked.

"Well," Zhou Cuiling blushed, "Zhang Guoqing said that since we can't go to college, we should get a marriage certificate and hold a wedding banquet at the end of the year!"

Meng Tao didn't know what to say. She tried hard to think about the plot about Zhou Cuiling in the book, but she felt that it was not the main plot at the time, so she just glanced over it hastily and didn't read much. She only knew that in the book Zhou Cuiling drowned in the Linshui River during a flood next year or the year after, and until the day she died, she had not held a wedding banquet or obtained a marriage certificate with Zhang Guoqing.

In other words, even though Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Cuiling love each other very much and have talked about marriage countless times in private, they may not be able to hold a wedding banquet. Perhaps the timing is not right, or perhaps there are some other reasons. In short, they will not be able to get married at least this year or next year.

This is the plot provision of the book.

Unless Meng Tao, the unexpected intruder, deliberately disrupts or changes all this.

But how to do it? What kind of change would be beneficial to them? Meng Tao didn't know.

This is someone else's fate, she can only watch from the side and give a few suggestions at most. Being too subjective would be considered as interfering in other people's private affairs, and she is not 100% sure that she can make others happy.

They still have to walk their own path in life.

Meng Tao reminded Zhou Cuiling: "It is said that water flows upwards and people go to higher places. You have become a formal worker, which is a great thing in the eyes of others, but you know in your heart that you can actually go to university.

The salary of formal workers is higher than that of temporary workers, and you can climb up step by step through your efforts in the future like climbing stairs, but you can never compare to university graduates who can get what they want in one step. Moreover, their academic qualifications and knowledge are obvious. Although not everyone gets promoted like riding a rocket, it is definitely like taking an elevator, saving time and effort. How much trouble can it avoid?

I think you'd better go to college while you're still young. Even if the quota for the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University is given away this year, there should be one next year, right? I heard people talking in Mengzhou: they said that the college entrance examination might be restored soon. By then, many young people will scramble to go to college, and there will be college students everywhere... I was very excited when I heard it. I plan to spend three or two years studying hard and strive to get into college. You are more educated than me. As long as you study hard and keep reviewing, you will definitely be able to get into college!

Look at Zhang Guoqing. His company originally sent him to the academy for seven months of training, but Brother Meng secured for him the qualification to continue his studies for two years. When he graduates, he will be a college student. Don’t you want to be like him?”

Zhou Cuiling nodded her head, looking somewhat regretful, and said, "I really want to go to college, if it weren't for... Well, I've already promised the quota to his cousin, he can't ask for it back? The quota my dad got with great difficulty this year may not be available next year. But is it true that you want to resume the college entrance examination?"

"I heard from a few people who were buying study materials in the bookstore. They said that other big cities have also heard this news. If you don't believe me, call Zhang Guoqing and ask him quietly."

After get off work, Zhou Cuiling rode a bicycle with Meng Tao on the back rack. Meng Tao carried a bag on her shoulder and held two large and small bags in her arms. It was uncomfortable to sit with so many things. The country road was bumpy, and the bicycle was bouncing around, which was a real torture. Meng Tao shouted that her butt was about to break, and asked Zhou Cuiling to get off quickly and they could change. Zhou Cuiling refused. Of course she knew it was uncomfortable to sit in the back, it was not like she had never sat there before. The two of them quarreled and pedaled very fast, and soon they returned to Linshui Village.

At the entrance of the village, Zhou Cuiling and Meng Tao met some aunties and sisters-in-law who had just returned from working in the fields. They got off their bikes and greeted them. Everyone responded. Since they hadn't seen Meng Tao for more than ten days, they all talked to her:

"Taohua, I haven't seen you for so long, where have you been?"

"Taohua left with your boyfriend, right? Does your boyfriend really live in the provincial capital? What does he do?"

"Taohua, you are so lucky. You don't have to work so hard on the farm anymore."

"When you become a city dweller, don't forget our Linshui Village."

Meng Tao: “…”

This is called a lot of chatter. She only had one mouth, and since she couldn't win the answer, she just stopped talking. Zhou Cuiling had already gotten on her bike and urged her to get on quickly. Meng Tao smiled and nodded at everyone, then sat on the back rack of the bike and left.

The village road was winding, and the women's voices could still be heard. Some were envious, while others were sarcastic. The so-called sarcastic and unpleasant words were really piercing: "Oh, look at how proud you are, just like a city person. Did you forget that you are in the village? Everyone knows that you are a second-married woman?"

"He is so lucky, he got married into a wealthy family."

"Hey, do you think Taohua has met a god? How come she suddenly became smarter and prettier? Tian Zhigao dumped her one foot, and she immediately married someone better. Isn't this luck too good?"

"What gods? I knew Wang Shuifeng had met some ghosts/monsters, and I started to tremble again: I didn't see her coming back that day wearing a brand new female cadre uniform. From a distance, I thought it was the commune women's director. I heard that her daughter Tian Yalan was going to marry a cadre in the county town, and her family would be transferred to non-agricultural household registration in the future, eating grain supplied by the city, and no longer be farmers..."

"Hey, we were talking about peach blossoms, why did you bring up Wang Shuifeng?"

"Aren't they the same? After all, they were a family and both had that kind of luck. Otherwise, why don't we have it?"

“You guys are so…hahahaha!”

"Hehehehe..."

(End of this chapter)