Chapter 39: Going to the Countryside as Educated Youth in the 1970s 2
[This is a parallel fictional world. Please do not take any similarities between place names and people as they appear.]
Having not slept last night, Zhang Xiaojia fell asleep directly after packing up in the afternoon.
I woke up because I was woken up.
When he came downstairs and saw someone coming to investigate, Zhang Xiaojia hurried over.
He stood in front of his father and asked, "What are you doing here?"
The leader of the group asked, "Are you Zhang Xiaojia? Is it true that you stole your sister's job so you wouldn't be an educated youth?"
Zhang Xiaojia immediately took out the notice to go to the countryside and said, "Who said I don't want to be an educated youth? This is my notice. In three days, I will go to the Snow City in the north."
The leader took Zhang Xiaojia's notification letter for educated youth and read it again and again.
Zhang Xiaojia snatched the notice of being sent to the countryside and said sternly, "Have you finished reading it? Give it back to me. What does Zhang Xiaoli think of me? I didn't force her. Zhang Xiaoli is not allowed to have high ideological awareness and want to help the countryside. Why is she not allowed to go back after she has worked?"
"Zhang Xiaoli, tell me, was it Zhang Guocheng who forced you to give the job to Zhang Xiaojia? He forced you to do that."
Zhang Xiaoli's face was pale and she looked terrified, trembling all over. When Zhang Guocheng and Zhang Xiaojia looked over, she was so scared that she almost fainted.
Zhang Xiaojia rolled her eyes. Zhang Guocheng patted his daughter on the head and said sternly, "My biological daughters are all educated youth. Why should I need my stepdaughter to work? I don't need a job. It's your job that's problematic. You came here without understanding the truth of the matter. Your attitude is too careless. How can I be wrong?"
"Then why not sign up early?"
Just as Zhang Xiaojia was about to speak, his father pulled him behind him. Zhang Guocheng glanced at the next door, then at Zhang Xiaoli, and answered irrelevantly, "Until the last moment, you don't know whether they are human or beast. You see, I let my daughter sign up on the last day, and then we knew which ones were human and which ones were beasts."
"Hmph, let's go."
Zhang Xiaojia watched them leave and saw his father saying to the guy next door who was also at the same grade as him, "Old Liu, what did your son just say? What do you mean I'm protecting my daughter? Am I a bad stepfather? How was Zhang Xiaoli when she came to the compound? I educated her and sent her to college. I fed her and gave her food. When did I ever abuse her? My daughter lives with her grandfather during the day and comes back at night. How could she have a conflict with Xiaoli? Or do you think I would bully a little girl? Old Liu, your son is old enough to go to the countryside, right? Don't worry, I will definitely help you sign up."
Liu Jianming shouted unconvincedly, "I haven't bullied them yet. Zhang Xiaojia gets one egg a day, but Zhang Xiaoli doesn't get any."
Zhang Guocheng snorted coldly, "I don't have any eggs to eat either. My daughter is weak, and I can't afford it. I can only buy one egg. Can't I give my daughter an egg to nourish her body?"
Zhang Guocheng glanced at the people watching the excitement and said with a smile, "My only daughter is an educated youth. What are you thinking?"
After saying that, he took his daughter and wife back to the house.
The hearts of the onlookers suddenly turned cold. What a beast! A threat, a naked threat. What he meant was that his only daughter was an educated youth. Why don't your daughters and sons try not to become educated youth?
Zhu Zhaodi was not a fool nor a dumbass. She seized the only chance to escape from the Mao family. She knew that Zhang Guocheng did not love her, but he just couldn't bear it and took her and her daughter in. His only request was that Niu Niu should not be wronged.
Niu Niu is not a willful child and is easy to get along with. Could it be that Xiao Li is also a beast like the Mao family? Zhu Zhaodi couldn't believe it.
Zhang Guocheng sat on the sofa and looked at Zhang Xiaoli. He had watched this kid grow up and treated her only slightly worse than his own daughter. It could be said that except for the food being slightly worse than Niu Niu's, she was better than him and Zhu Zhaodi, not to mention other things. She wore the same clothes and used the same things as Niu Niu, and even received the same pocket money.
Zhang Guocheng asked with a painful look on his face, "Xiao Li, why did you team up with others to frame me?"
After hearing what Zhang Guocheng said, Zhu Zhaodi lost all hope and looked at her daughter without blinking.
Zhang Xiaoli cried and said, "Dad, no, I don't have it."
Zhang Guocheng said softly, "You are dating Liu Jianbang from next door. Did the Liu family ask you to do this? First, say you will help Niuniu go to the countryside and give her a job. I will definitely compensate you. Once you get the money, it will be evidence, so you can sue me. Abuse power for personal gain and use influence to pressure others."
"Dad, I really didn't do it. It's not me. I am wronged." Zhang Xiaoli actually knelt down and said crying.
Zhang Guocheng sighed and left.
Zhang Xiaojia added, "Are you stupid? Is it better to have a mayor father than a mayor father-in-law? Are you crazy?"
After Zhang Xiaojia finished speaking, he went to sit at the stairs.
Zhu Zhaodi walked over to her daughter and saw her trying to get up. She held her down, asking her to remain kneeling. She looked into her eyes and said, "Stay kneeling. Mother is asking you, is it you?"
Zhang Xiaoli's eyes dodged, and she said dissatisfiedly, "No, you are my mother, and you don't even speak up for me."
Zhu Zhaodi still had something she didn't understand, so she slapped him hard and asked again, not giving up, "Mom, let me ask you again, is it you?"
Zhang Xiaoli shouted "No"
Zhu Zhaodi slapped her twice more, "Mom will ask you one last time, is it you?"
Zhang Xiaoli also knew that it was a broken jar and said, "I already said it's not me. If you think it's me, then it's me!"
Looking at her, she still showed no remorse and said dejectedly, "Get out of this house."
Zhang Xiaoli didn't expect her mother to not help her but to kick her out. She said, "Just leave. I'll pack up and leave."
Zhu Zhaodi said coldly, "Nothing here belongs to you. Leave your watch and the jade pendant around your neck and get out."
Zhang Xiaoli was so angry that she took off her watch and jade pendant and handed them to Zhu Zhaodi. Zhu Zhaodi then picked up the jade pendant and threw it to the ground, shouting, "Get out of here!"
Watching Zhang Xiaoli run out, Zhu Zhaodi slowly walked to the sofa, covered her face with her hands, and burst into tears.
Zhang Guocheng stood at the window and watched Zhang Xiaoli run out. When he asked questions just now, he deliberately made an exaggerated sad expression, just to show it to Zhu Zhaodi. He knew his position in that woman's heart and she thought highly of him.
Zhang Xiaojia didn't know what to do. She hurried to find her father and asked him to comfort Aunt Zhu. She had no way to help a sad and crying woman!
"Dad, if Aunt Zhu keeps crying, go and comfort her."
"Okay, Dad will go down. Remember what Dad said. I probably won't be able to come back from tomorrow. Go by yourself in three days. If you are fine, I will be fine too. Do you understand?" Zhang Guocheng emphasized again.
"Well, don't worry, Dad."
Zhang Xiaojia returned to her room and lay on the bed. In her previous life, after the Zerg Queen was destroyed, He Fei retired from the army and returned to Shaxing with her. She didn't know what He Fei did every day. She went to work and He Fei stayed in the laboratory. After the child was born, he abducted the fifth father to Shaxing and gave the child to the fifth father to raise. The Chu family followed suit and also gave their children to the fifth father to raise.
The male protagonist Chu Xun and Chu Muyao were actually poisoned by the Zerg's lust fluid during an expedition, and accidentally got pregnant.
Chu Xun has only one goal in this life, which is to be a member of the Chu family. Chu Muyao doesn't want Chu Xun to take responsibility, but Chu Xun shamelessly pursues Chu Muyao. In the end, Chu Xun becomes the head of the Chu family because the child born to his second father later also refuses to take over the Chu family.
When she and He Fei were 150 years old, He Fei traveled around the entire galaxy and fought against the Zerg Queen. Her life span had actually been damaged. When she was 175 years old, she passed away. With the points from her previous life, she bought a wish for everything to come true and gave it to Brother He, hoping that his experiment would be successful. She hoped that Brother He would not forget her and that he would not be sad. He had high energy and a longer life span than her. According to the medical cabin, He Fei could live at least another 80 years.
Zhang Xiaojia was woken up by Zhu Zhaodi.
"Niuniu, I'll be back tomorrow. My colleague and I have switched shifts. I'll pack your luggage tomorrow, so don't worry. I've put money and tickets on the table, and I've prepared the food, so you can steam it and eat it."
"Okay, Aunt Zhu, go slower."
Zhang Xiaojia looked at the money on the table,
2000 yuan!!!
It’s too much. She can’t take this money. Aunt Zhu and Dad will suffer if she takes it.
When I came to the first floor, there were two square pieces of luggage, one meter high, one meter long and one meter wide.
There was a knock on the door. Zhang Xiaojia went to open it. It was Liu Jianming from next door. He tried to rush in, but Zhang Xiaojia kicked him out.
Liu Jianming lay on the ground, saying "You you you..."
"What do you mean by 'you'? Look carefully, this is my house. Who gave you permission to barge in?"
Liu Jianming yelled, "I'm here to get Sister Xiaoli's luggage."
Zhang Xiaojia sneered, "What luggage does she have?"
Seeing the elderly people peeking around, Zhang Xiaojia shouted, "Grandma Li, Grandpa Wang, you two are the most respected elders in the compound, and you also have the longest seniority. Do you remember the time when Zhang Xiaoli came to this compound?"
A group of elderly people immediately came forward and surrounded them. Grandma Li said, "How could I not remember? It was so shabby. It was also this season. She was wearing only thin clothes and straw sandals, shivering in the cold. A 10-year-old girl, so thin that she looked only 6 years old."
Grandpa Wang is a man of positive values. He said, "That year, Xiao Zhang came to my house to exchange clothes. At that time, no family had extra cloth, and clothes were shared by hundreds of families. Xiao Jia, you must be filial to your Aunt Leng and Grandpa Feng. Without them, your health would have been very difficult during those three years."
Zhang Xiaojia probably knew what Zhang Xiaoli was talking about, so she said with a smile, "Liu Jianming, is it Zhang Xiaoli who said that she doesn't have new clothes and has less pocket money than me? Of course! I'm the only granddaughter of my Grandpa Feng, and Aunt Leng doesn't have any children either. They treat me like their own daughter. Every month, they both give me cloth coupons, sugar coupons, and money. I definitely have more than Zhang Xiaoli. You don't want Grandpa Feng and Aunt Leng to give money and coupons to Zhang Xiaoli too, do you? How can you be so shameless?"
Liu Jianming said in a harsh voice, "Yesterday, you kicked Sister Xiaoli out and didn't even take her luggage."
Zhang Xiaojia rudely retorted, "You came to pick up the luggage when Aunt Zhu was not at home. You barged in here alone, what do you want? Aunt Zhu has to work overtime today and will be back tomorrow. You can come back to pick up the luggage tomorrow. Grandpa Wang, Grandma Li, don't you agree? I dare not be alone with him. I'm scared."
"Xiao Ming, this is your fault. How could you, a grown man, run in there? Go home quickly. Wait until the adults come back before you come in."
"How can you help Zhang Xiaoli with her luggage? Let's go."
"What luggage does Zhang Xiaoli have? She's only been working here for three months, and she's still taking Lao Zhang's."
"You've hurt Lao Zhang, and you still want something. How can you be so idealistic?"
Zhang Xiaojia took Grandma Li's arm and said, "Grandma Li, my parents are not at home today. I don't dare to be home alone. I'm scared if Liu Jianming breaks in. Grandpa Wang, please don't leave yet. Help me stop Liu Jianming. I'll go get a backpack and stay at my grandfather's house for one night."
Grandpa Wang said cheerfully, "Xiao Jia, go get it. I'll watch him."
Zhang Xiaojia returned to the house and threw his luggage into the space compartment. He went to the second floor and threw all his luggage into the space compartment as well.
He put on his schoolbag, took out a new lock, and went out immediately.
Zhang Xiaojia locked the gate in front of them and said, "Early in the morning, Aunt Zhu took out a new lock and asked me to use it."
Liu Jianming was so angry that he glared at him.
Zhang Xiaojia came to Grandpa Feng's house, but there was no one there. He took out the key, opened the door, went straight in, and waited for Aunt Leng.
After a while, Aunt Leng came, holding an oversized military backpack that was bulging with stuff. She picked up the supply list on the table and handed her a bag of tickets. Zhang Xiaojia saw that they were all food tickets. She said, "Here are 1,000 kilograms of food tickets, coarse grain tickets. When you get there, write to me and I'll send them to you. You have too much supplies now, so there's no need to take more. Listen to me, no dating, don't show off your wealth, buy a house in the countryside, and you can date after you return to Zhongcheng, okay? I'll find a way when we get back to Zhongcheng."
Zhang Xiaojia leaned on her shoulder and said, "Auntie, you have to be well too. That bastard's family is not worth your suffering. Auntie can divorce him as soon as possible."
Aunt Leng touched Zhang Xiaojia's head and said, "Niuniu, do you think Jiaojiao is still alive?"
Zhang Xiaojia said with certainty, "She must be alive. Sister Jiaojiao definitely doesn't want to see you still in that house. If Sister Jiaojiao comes back, do you still dare to let her stay in that house?"
Aunt Leng nodded and said, "I understand. I will definitely get a divorce this year."
Old Master Feng got her a set of silver needles and a cupping set, and also made toothpaste, soap, and food coupons for her.
Zhang Xiaojia was going to the countryside tomorrow. He went to his father's bedroom, took out Aunt Zhu's thick cotton-padded coat, turned it inside out, arranged the tickets and money one by one inside, and then took some cloth to sew it up.
I heard crying behind me, turned around and saw Aunt Zhu crying at the bedroom door.
"Niuniu, keep this money. We don't need it."
"It would be strange if there is no shortage, Aunt Zhu, don't move, I worked hard to fix it, don't mess it up."
Aunt Zhu hugged Zhang Xiaojia tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Niuniu, you're so good! My daughter is such an ungrateful person! How could she be like those people in the Mao family? They are so heartless! It's all because of me that Old Zhang was wrongly accused and you had to go to the countryside to suffer..."
Zhang Xiaojia was also very sad, but she still tried to comfort her: "Mom, this is not your fault, don't blame yourself too much."
Zhang Xiaojia could only call Aunt Zhu "Mom" to comfort her. In her previous life, her kindness was worthy of Zhang Xiaojia calling her "Mom".
At this time, there was a sound of footsteps. Zhang Xiaojia looked up and saw that it was her father. Her father walked over to them, hugged the mother and daughter in his arms, and said softly, "Okay, don't cry, it's all over."
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