I bought myself a few notebooks, some pencils, an eraser, two fountain pens, a bottle of black ink, and a bottle of blue ink. It cost me one dollar and thirty cents.
They bought everything before leaving the supply and marketing cooperative and heading to the township government compound.
They went straight to the Women's Federation office and knocked before entering.
Inside, Li Juying and a woman in her early thirties were talking. When Zhang Hongmei came in, Li Juying took her hand and said, "Sit down quickly, take off your coat, and I'll get you a bowl of hot water."
"Thank you, Aunt Li. I was thirsty and wanted to drink some water."
Holding a bowl of hot water, Zhang Hongmei smiled and said to Li Juying, "Aunt Li, I passed the school exam. I'm now a sixth-grade student in elementary school."
"Really? That's wonderful! What a smart child, almost graduating from elementary school already. This is my colleague, Wang Guihong. You can just call her Aunt Wang."
Zhang Hongmei stood up, put the bowl on the table, and said to Wang Guihong with a smile, "Hello, Aunt Wang, I am Zhang Hongmei from Liujiatun."
“I just heard about your situation from Sister Li. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, please come to us. You must trust the Party and the organization; they will definitely treat the hero’s family well.”
"Thank you, I understand. I'll be troubling you two a lot in the future."
"Aunt Li, it's getting late, I should go back now." After saying that, Zhang Hongmei secretly tugged at Li Juying's hand. Seeing Li Juying looking at her, Zhang Hongmei winked.
"Go back now, walk slowly on the way, so you don't fall. I'll see you off." Li Juying thought Zhang Hongmei had something else to say to her, so she followed her out and saw her to the gate.
Zhang Hongmei took out a bag of steamed rice cakes from the large cloth bag she was carrying and stuffed it into Li Juying's arms. "Aunt Li, this is a little something from me. Please accept it. It's hard work for you to run around for me."
“Take it back, it’s my duty, it’s my job.”
"I'm only doing this because I genuinely consider you my aunt. It's not a bribe or flattery. I remember you lending me so many books; if I didn't accept them, you'd really be treating me like an outsider."
"No need for that. That would cost a lot of money. How could I accept something from a poor child who has no parents? Besides, didn't you repay the favor of lending me the book yesterday? Those dumplings were really delicious. I can't accept too much as a thank you gift, can I?"
“Aunt Li, let’s not keep passing the buck. It’s not good if others see us. You absolutely have to accept this.” Zhang Hongmei’s attitude was firm, as if she was ready to make a scene if the other person didn’t accept it.
Seeing that Zhang Hongmei genuinely wanted to give the gift, and considering that pushing and shoving in public wouldn't look good, Li Juying decided to give her a bigger return gift later. So, Li Juying accepted the gift without further hesitation.
"Aunt Li, I'm leaving now. By the way, do you know where I can find junior high school textbooks?"
"I really don't know about that. I think there should be some in the county, since there are many junior high school students there. If you have the chance, you can go to the county's recycling station and take a look. I'll also try to find out for you."
"Thank you, Aunt Li. I've finished reading all my elementary school textbooks and received new ones today. I'll bring them to your home whenever I come over."
"Yes. There's always someone at home; my mother-in-law stays there most of the time."
Zhang Hongmei waved goodbye to Li Juying and headed home. She was in a good mood and felt the journey home went exceptionally fast, as if she were back in the village in no time. Instead of going straight home, she went to Liu Maocai's house. "Is Auntie home?" she asked.
Hearing Zhang Hongmei's call, Li Cuihua wiped her hands and came out. "How's Hongmei?"
"Auntie, I've been accepted into the school. I'm a sixth-grade student now."
"That's wonderful! My Hongmei will definitely be successful in the future."
"Thank you for your kind words, Auntie. I bought some steamed rice cakes from the supply and marketing cooperative and brought them to you so that you can share in my joy."
"Take it back and eat it yourself, this stuff is really expensive."
“This is a gift for my third aunt, you can’t refuse it. I haven’t eaten yet, I’m off to my house.” Zhang Hongmei said and ran off without waiting for Li Cuihua’s reply. People these days are so simple and honest, it’s so hard to even give a gift.
I got home, locked the door, went inside to wash up and eat. I made a lot yesterday, so it's convenient to save time today. Delicious food can make people happy.
After eating, I lay in bed living the life of some kind of animal. I realized that happiness is so simple.
Hearing a knock on the door in my sleep, I quickly got dressed and left the space. It was Li Cuihua. "Third Aunt, please come in and sit down. What's up?"
"It's nothing. I'll come over and teach you how to sew shoe soles after I finish washing the clothes. You'll be starting school soon, so you need a new pair of shoes. By the way, there are a few kids from our village who go to school in the township. You can walk with them. They bring their own lunch, which can be heated at school."
“I don’t usually go to school. I work at home and only go when I have exams. I need to get to know the other students in our village so they can come back and tell me if the school sends out any notices.”
“Okay. Come on, I’ll take you to my second brother’s house. My nephew is in school there. If anything comes up, he can come back and tell you, so as not to delay things.”
"Third Aunt, let's go now." Zhang Hongmei put on her hat and followed Li Cuihua to her second brother's house.
"Zhu Zi, are you home?"
"Auntie, why don't you come inside? My grandma was talking about you all day."
"I need to talk to you. After you're done, go in and see your grandma. Zhu Zi, this is Zhang Hongmei. She's starting school this year and is in the same grade as you, but she doesn't come often. I was just thinking if anything happens at school, you should come back and let Hongmei know."
"Hongmei, the girl from Uncle Aiguo's family? I've forgotten how old she is. Is she old enough for sixth grade? I remember she never went to school."
"Brother Zhu, I went to school to register today. I passed the exam and can go to sixth grade."
"How come you're so smart? You could graduate right away. Let me tell you about our class. There's only one class in sixth grade at our school, with fifteen people in total: twelve boys and three girls. With you, there are four girls. The class monitor is Zhang Chunlai from Zhanggezhuang, a really upright person. Are you really not going to class?"
"Yes. There's so much work to do at home, I have to support myself."
"Okay, don't worry. I'll tell you about the homework when I get back, and I'll also tell you about anything that happens at school. You can ask me anything you don't understand. If I don't know the answer, I'll ask the teacher and then come back to explain it to you."
"Thank you, Brother Zhu. The principal just told me that the exam is on the last Monday of every month. Please let me know if there are any other changes."
"No problem, that's not a big deal."
"Since you two have agreed, Hongmei, you can go back now. I'll go in and check on my grandmother first."
Zhang Hongmei went home by herself. It was so great to have classmates in the village; it made things so much easier for her. She could now keep up with everything that was happening at school. She would definitely thank Brother Zhuzi in the future.
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