Over the next few days, they didn't see any movement nearby, nor did they see anyone approaching the cowshed. They didn't come any closer, and even if they did, they acted as if they didn't know each other or had never met before.
Cheng Rui was still muttering to himself.
"How do you think my uncle is planning to investigate? He's right here, why doesn't he come and confront me face to face?"
When it gets cold, they can still go out for a run, but Jian Dan doesn't like to move around much.
Right after finishing his meal, the boy couldn't sit still and ran out again.
Jian Dan couldn't find anything to do, so he simply lit the stove in the house, took out two potatoes and a handful of chestnuts, and found some fun for himself on a small stool.
When the door was pushed open, the potato slices on the stove lid had just been sprinkled with seasoning and were emitting an enticing aroma.
"Oh, it seems I've arrived just in time. What a treat!"
"Come in quickly, why did you two come together?"
Jian Dan quickly got up and led Mingzhu and Tan Yajun to the edge of the kang (heated brick bed).
"The fire wall is warm, quickly sit down and warm up,"
The two didn't stand on ceremony; Mingzhu smiled and moved closer to the stove.
"Your cooking skills are really good; even your fried potato slices smell better than others'."
A quick and easy way to flip the food.
"You've come at just the right time. They'll be ready soon. I'll go get two more."
"Go quickly, I'm too embarrassed to take this."
Once it warmed up, everyone gathered around the stove, eating and chatting at the same time.
"Why did you two come together today? Sister Zhuzhu, is Zhouzhou asleep?"
"No, his dad is at home watching over him. If I don't come out for some fresh air, I'll get moldy at home."
Oh dear, now I know how difficult it is to raise a child.
"He's all I see when I open my eyes and when I close them. If he doesn't sleep, I don't have a single moment to myself."
Tanya Jun didn't hesitate to criticize.
"You're still getting moldy? Look at any other family, whose child is raised with such meticulous care?"
Aside from breastfeeding, the children were mostly left to their own devices, playing on the kang (heated brick bed). Even children as young as Zhouzhou, who can only roll over now, still need to be watched from time to time.
When they got bigger and could sit or crawl, we tied them to the window with a rope.
Once they can walk properly, we can simply let them roam freely, with the older ones taking care of the younger ones, so that the parents can get back to work without any problems.
"That's really true."
Having spent several years working in the countryside, I have a fairly good understanding of rural life.
“Some people simply carry their children to the edge of the field and let them crawl and play on the ground. Sometimes they breastfeed without hiding from people, turning around and hugging their clothes to feed them. Don’t you remember? Didn’t we see that last year?”
Recalling that scene, Mingzhu's smile vanished instantly. It really was true.
"Back then, I was shy. Even though they didn't do anything, I was so embarrassed that I ran far away and didn't dare to look."
"Haha," they both laughed.
"This is all done. You two try it, I'll cut some more."
"You say they're all the same stuff, but when I make them, they're either burnt or undercooked. It's just a matter of missing some seasoning, isn't it?"
Mingzhu also enjoyed the meal.
"Don't underestimate this seasoning, it's quite luxurious!"
If any family could afford to make potato chips for their kids every day as a snack, the kids would be happy for half a day. Lin Dongfang has made them for me at home before, sometimes with a little salt, and they taste pretty good.
"That's true, I'll try it when I get back."
A few days ago, a few of us went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy soy sauce, but the price of salt there had gone up. I don't know if it's because it's almost the end of the year.
After giving birth, Mingzhu hadn't left the house, but Lin Dongfang was still very well-informed.
"There should be a connection. Besides, salt is already in short supply, and this year there has been heavy snow here, with some roads already closed, making transportation a problem."
"Too.
"Hey? Do you think educated youth can get leave to visit their families during the Spring Festival?"
Of the three, only one had simply asked for leave.
"I don't know. I didn't invite them myself back in the summer, so I really don't know what to say."
"What, you want to go back?"
"I don't know either. I've been working in the countryside for four or five years. To say that I don't miss home at all would be an exaggeration, especially during holidays like Chinese New Year. I do think about going back to visit."
"But," Tan Yajun hesitated, "when I think about what happened when I was sent to the countryside, I get so angry, I still feel itchy to bite my teeth."
Isn't that contradictory?
Going to the countryside is an honor, and everyone is full of enthusiasm at the beginning. But as time goes on, this enthusiasm is consumed and worn away, and it becomes a topic that many young men and women avoid. At this time, going to the countryside is almost always accompanied by various hardships, and their own subjective will becomes more negative and resistant.
"I overheard them talking about it just a few days ago, saying they wanted to go home for the Chinese New Year."
"If you want to go back, go ask the village chief. What if there's leave available for visiting relatives?"
Tan Yajun, on the other hand, became uncertain.
"I'm thinking about going home, but if you ask me what I'm thinking about or who I'm thinking about, I can't say."
Actually, I know myself that my family has gotten used to me not being there, and going back would only be a way for me to give up.
Mingzhu's family was sent to the countryside by accident; Jian Dan was sent there as an orphan. Tan Yajun quickly wiped her eyes.
"I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just feeling a little uncomfortable."
A child occupied a lot of Mingzhu's attention. She was able to remain relatively calm when talking about family members and matters, but sadness was unavoidable.
“Every family has its own problems. I can’t manage too much right now. My heart can only hold the few of us. This is my family.”
Simple, I shrug.
"As you know, I was originally an orphan. I only have an older sister and an uncle in Beijing who I keep in touch with, so there's no need for me to take leave to go back."
"Sigh, you guys are so much less troublesome,"
Jian Dan and Mingzhu exchanged a glance.
"You're a handful? You're all single now, so you should be the most carefree one, right?"
"What's wrong? Who told you to be so noisy?"
Tan Yajun hesitated for a few seconds, then gently shook her head, still saying nothing.
Jian Dan and Mingzhu exchanged a glance, but Jian Dan didn't press the matter further and simply changed the subject.
"That's all for now. Don't eat until you're full. There are still chestnuts in the oven. Do you still have room for more?"
The topic of asking for leave to go home was over and done with, and Jian Dan didn't go to the educated youth compound. No one knew what was going on. Two days later, when she went to Mingzhu's to borrow something, she found out...
"Ya Jun went to the village chief to ask for leave and left yesterday."
Jian Dan wasn't too surprised, after all, they had all seen her struggle and hesitation that day. They were all adults, and she understood the pros and cons herself.
"Did the village chief give you leave?"
"Yes, they say the educated youth office has a policy that educated youth who have been in the countryside for more than three years are given a 20-day family visit leave every year."
Twenty days have passed; it's already mid-December.
"Even if we use all twenty days, we can only spend the New Year at home, and we have to rush back home a few days after the New Year."
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