After the new courtyard was built, the educated youth moved into the new courtyard, but Jinniu still lived in the old courtyard. The two courtyards were connected, and the educated youth would come here to relax, teach Jinniu to read, and read books on weekdays. After Meng Tao bought books and picture albums for Jinniu, Meng Zhehan also brought a bunch of books and study materials every time he came. The educated youth read these books first, which was considered to be a benefit from Jinniu.

Meng Tao came back from Mengzhou today and bought some meat and vegetables. We had dinner in Meng Tao's yard.

After dinner, everyone sat in the main room drinking tea and chatting. Zhao Ming was still a responsible teacher and did not forget to ask Meng Tao about her homework. Meng Tao smiled and assured the teachers that she had not fallen behind in her studies and had been studying consciously.

Zhao Ming said, "That's good. I'll give you a set of test questions in two days. If you can complete them easily, you will have reached the level of a junior high school student and have caught up with the progress of students in school. You can go directly to high school in the fall."

Meng Tao nodded: "I think so too. Maybe I can get into college in the future. I heard people in Mengzhou City talking about resuming the college entrance examination."

The educated youths all looked at Meng Tao, their eyes full of excitement and joy. Jiang Xiaodong gestured to her: "Taohua, keep your voice down. There are some things you can't say!"

Qian Xiaoyun grabbed Meng Tao tightly: "Is this true? Is this true?"

Meng Tao: "I don't know if it's true or not, I just heard other people talking about it, and many people in the city are rushing to buy high school review materials."

He Huijuan even forgot to drink the tea bowl she was holding, while Jiang Limei clasped her hands together, with a look of mixed sadness and joy.

Xu Guoliang punched Sun Yutang and Qian Liang respectively and said, "What did I say? We are not ordinary people. We will eventually rise again!"

Qian Liang pushed him and said, "Get lost! I said that! I was a good student back then, and I knew four foreign languages ​​by heart. How can I let my talent be buried in the fields, carrying dung shovels every day? See, God has eyes!"

Sun Yutang also raised his hands excitedly: "I was born with talent, and it will be useful!"

Zhao Ming's eyes flickered, he seemed to want to say something but stopped himself, he just looked at Meng Tao with a smile: This silly girl, she really treated the educated youth as her own people, that's why she was so defenseless and revealed this shocking news.

In fact, when Zhao Ming went home for the holidays, he heard his family and friends talking about it. A little bit of the intention of the upper level was leaked from some channel, but he would not say anything before it was actually announced. He was worried that he would give too much hope. In the end, what if it was not implemented? So he planned to wait and see and say it later. Unexpectedly, Meng Tao spoke out quickly.

Zhao Ming felt that this kind of news could not have been heard from hearsay, and it must have been Meng Tao’s fiancé and brother-in-law who told her that they were definitely not ordinary people.

Zhao Ming said to the educated youths, "Taohua heard some news outside and came back to tell everyone with good intentions. We heard it, so we just keep it to ourselves and don't spread it to others. If we let it slip, don't mention Taohua!"

He Huijuan said: "We women will never talk nonsense. We are just afraid that Xu Guoliang and his friends will drink some horse urine and pour out everything."

Xu Guoliang protested: "Who drinks horse urine? We just drink a little at home, we don't drink outside."

Qian Liang: "From now on, we brothers will have our own goals to strive for, and we will not drink anymore!"

Sun Yutang added: "Taohua is so kind to us, we are not heartless people!"

Everyone nodded in unison and vowed not to spread the news outside.

Jinniu was holding Xiao Wangcai and watching with a confused face. He didn't understand what the resumption of the college entrance examination meant, but this news was so important. It seemed that if others knew it, it would be a big deal. He couldn't help but worry. He would never say anything nonsense. In the future, he must remember to remind the educated youth: Don't spread rumors when you go out, don't cause trouble for his sister!

The room was full of people in a moment. Meng Tao brewed another pot of tea and poured it for everyone. It was a scented tea that would not affect sleep, so it was okay to drink it at night.

After a lively chat, Captain Bao took Bao Dongmei back home. He didn't want to continue chatting and didn't let everyone go back to wash up and rest because they had to get up early to go to work the next day.

Aunt Yang went back by herself, and Zhou Cuiling wanted to stay and sleep with Meng Tao.

Everyone had left and the house was in a mess. Meng Tao and Zhou Cuiling cleaned up the house and went to the kitchen to move the red-hot charcoal in the furnace into the brazier. They then built a rack with chairs and put the quilt on the bed on it to dry it for a while. They hadn't slept for more than ten days and it was spring, so they were afraid of moisture.

Zhou Cuiling looked after the quilt, turning it over from time to time, and urged Meng Tao to take a shower quickly. She still had a lot to say, so she didn't want to chat until midnight. Otherwise, she would not be able to get up tomorrow morning and would be late for work.

The next morning, everyone was too late to have breakfast. Some went to work, some went to work. Meng Tao cooked some noodles and ate with Jinniu and Xiao Wangcai. Then she went to the team headquarters. She had told Team Leader Bao last night that she needed a certificate and would take Jinniu to the county hospital for a physical examination in two days.

Captain Bao was alone in the simple office filled with smoke. He was an old smoker who smoked tobacco leaves that he grew himself, cut into shreds by hand, and tore them into squares using homework books written on by elementary school students. He then rolled them into pipes on the spot and lit them up to smoke.

Meng Tao took out two packs of "Da Qianmen" and handed them over. Captain Bao did not refuse, but he was reluctant to smoke them either. He put them in the drawer, saying that he was saving them for the reception.

Captain Bao wrote the certificate, leaving the date and time for Meng Tao to fill in, and said, "The Qingming Festival is in a few days, so you should celebrate it first before going to the county town."

Meng Taowei paused for a moment and said, "Uncle Bao is right. We should finish Qingming before going out."

I felt secretly ashamed: she actually forgot about Qingming Festival!

Then I heard Captain Bao ask, "Shen Yu bought a house in Mengzhou City. Does that mean that after you get married, he will let you live in Mengzhou and you won't go to the provincial capital with him?"

"No, it was my idea to buy a house in Mengzhou City. Sometimes when I go out I don't want to stay in a hotel, so it's better to live in my own house."

Captain Bao nodded and said, "Remember, you have to live together after you get married. Wherever your man goes, you have to follow him. Even if he doesn't take you with him, you have to follow him. Don't be silly like before. Your man is in one place and you are in another, and you don't know what will happen in the end!"

Meng Taohan: Captain Bao turned into a gossipy aunt again and started to lecture her.

"Don't worry, Uncle Bao. I understand."

"Well, you will marry into the city sooner or later, and your household registration will be transferred with you, and you will eat commercial grain. Don't worry about the work points from the production team. I won't arrange any work for you. You can stay at home with Jinniu and do some housework. Your father-in-law is a good person. He has told us that the family can support you and won't ask you to do rough or strenuous work."

"You really don't want to assign me any work? Then I'll go live in the city more often, and if it's appropriate, I'll enroll in a school."

"It's up to you. Before, your grandfather asked you to go to school but you refused to go no matter how hard you tried. Now you know that literacy is useful? You just didn't listen to the old man's advice. Now you regret it after suffering a loss!"

(End of this chapter)