The train traveled overnight and arrived in my hometown county town the next morning.
After getting out of the car, Cheng Baidong immediately activated the communication talisman to let his wife know he was safe.
Then we helped Xiaojing carry her luggage and walked along the platform toward the exit.
Yesterday, Fang Qiaoti went to his hometown to make a phone call, so before dawn today, Xiaoqiang and his wife Wang Qiuju got up early and drove the donkey cart they borrowed from the village to pick him up.
As soon as Cheng Baidong and Xiao Jing exited the train station, they saw Xiao Qiang carrying a child and Wang Qiuju standing to the side.
The child was born at the beginning of last year. According to the prenuptial agreement, he took Wang Qiuju's surname and was named Wang Chengle.
Now she's a year and a half old, bundled up in thick clothes, being held in Xiaoqiang's arms, looking chubby and quite big.
Grandma is still alive. Cheng Baidong takes time to go home every year. Sometimes the whole family comes, and sometimes he goes to his hometown on a business trip to the southwest.
So when they met, there was no awkwardness between them.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xiaoqiang handed the child to Wang Qiuju and led the two of them toward where the donkey cart was parked.
Men take long strides and walk fast.
Xiao Jing and Wang Qiuju were a few steps behind them.
Xiaojing: "It's so cold this morning, why did you bring the child along? Don't let the child get sick from the cold."
“Yesterday, my sister-in-law called home, and this child went to the brigade leader’s house with his father to answer the phone. When he heard that his aunt was coming back, he was overjoyed and didn’t fall asleep until almost midnight. This morning, he woke up again. He insisted on coming with me to pick you up, and when I didn’t let him, he threw a tantrum and cried. Seeing that we were running out of time, I couldn’t stand his tears, so I simply brought him along.”
As Wang Qiuju spoke, she poked Wang Chengle's little face with her finger and teased him, "Hey, Wang Chengle, which little rascal said yesterday that he wanted to hug his aunt? Why isn't he saying anything today?"
Little Wang Lele blushed after his mother said that, and buried his face in his mother's arms in embarrassment.
Wang Qiuju laughed: "Oh my, you shameless guy, you finally know how to be ashamed?"
Little Wang Lele was unhappy and huffed and puffed as she wiggled her bottom, trying to snuggle into Wang Qiuju's arms.
The chubby little boy, who was only one and a half years old and already weighed 24 pounds, was even heavier when Wang Qiuju held him, as he twisted and turned. She almost couldn't hold him.
"Don't snuggle in Mommy's arms, or I'll spank you."
When Wang Qiuju put on a stern face, Wang Lele became obedient.
Xiao Jing found it amusing and said, "He becomes obedient when you get angry, and he's quite well-behaved."
“What do you mean ‘well-behaved’? You’re quite the rascal.” Wang Qiuju said helplessly, “You’re certainly good at putting on an act, and you’ve annoyed people quite a bit at home.”
As they were talking, the group arrived at the place where the donkey cart was parked.
Cheng Baidong turned to Xiaojing and said, "Let's go find a school for temporary students first, get things settled, and then go home to avoid having to make a second trip."
"Okay." Xiaojing had no objections.
After getting on the donkey cart, Xiaoqiang drove it towards the county high school.
Xiao Jing and Wang Qiuju sat in the back of the truck chatting.
"Sister, when the college entrance examination is reinstated, can anyone take it? I heard from the educated youth in the village that only high school graduates can take the exam?"
As soon as she said it, Wang Qiuju suddenly realized that Xiaojing was not a high school student, but had only graduated from elementary school.
She regretted speaking without thinking and quickly tried to cover it up: "Sis, I didn't mean to question you, I was just curious."
"I know."
Wang Qiuju is straightforward, and Xiaojing believes she didn't mean it that way.
Wang Qiuju: "Sister, you don't know, ever since the college entrance examination was reinstated, all the educated youth in our village have been eager to take the exam, and they are all full of fighting spirit."
Most of them are quite well-behaved, but there's a small group of rotten apples, utterly disgusting. They're not necessarily good at studying, but they've certainly become incredibly arrogant. They haven't even gotten into university yet, and they're already looking down on everyone. Do you remember Cheng Lin from your aunt's family?
Xiao Jing nodded: "I remember."
The old lady's house was right across from Cheng Baidong's old house.
When she went to the capital with her brother and sister-in-law, Cheng Lin was already in junior high school. He was a very good student, and several times he won the meat awarded by the school in the final exams. The meat was a real reward, so it caused quite a stir in the village at the time.
Wang Qiuju said, "After graduating from junior high school two years ago, Cheng Lin worked as a scorekeeper in the village. He loved learning and had never put down his books in the past few years. He even taught himself high school material. When he learned that the college entrance examination had been reinstated, he wanted to borrow some high school review materials from the educated youth. However, when he arrived at the educated youth settlement, a female educated youth named Liu Qing pointed her finger at him and mocked him, saying that it was a pipe dream for him to think he could go to university after graduating from junior high school. Her words were so harsh that Cheng Lin, a grown man, was so angry that he squatted on the ground and cried."
Xiao Jing frowned upon hearing this: "Did those educated youths say that only high school students can take the college entrance examination?"
“Yes, that’s what those educated youth said,” Wang Qiuju replied. “Among those educated youth, only those who graduated from high school signed up. Some who only attended high school for one year, and a few who graduated from junior high school, did not sign up.”
Seeing Xiaojing's unpleasant expression, Wang Qiuju realized something was wrong: "Sister, are they wrong?"
Xiao Jing nodded: "Yes, they're wrong. They may have misinterpreted what was in the newspaper. The official documents issued by the government do not stipulate that only high school students can take the exam."
"The document states that the principle of voluntary application and selection based on merit will be followed. All workers, farmers, educated youth who went to the countryside or returned to the city, demobilized soldiers, and recent high school graduates who meet the requirements can apply. It is not limited to high school graduates."
Anyone who believes they have a high school education can take the exam; there are no strict restrictions on education level or age. Don't even mention junior high school students; as long as you have some education and do well in school, even elementary school students can take the university entrance exam.
Xiao Jing repeated to Wang Qiuju what Fang Qiao had told her.
Wang Qiuju immediately got angry: "What misinterpretation! I think they did it on purpose!"
"Those scoundrels! They dream of leaving the countryside and going back to the city! I think they're just afraid that if too many people register for the college entrance exam, they won't be able to pass, so they're causing trouble and trying to prevent other people from our village from taking the exam!"
Xiaojing has read more books in recent years and has come to understand the complexity of human nature, and that malice can often be generated in an instant.
Therefore, Wang Qiuju's guess is not entirely impossible.
"But it doesn't matter. We'll go back and talk to the villagers. As long as the villagers can sign up, the lies of those educated youth will fall apart on their own."
Wang Qiuju cheered: "Oh! I'll go back and spread the word in the village. There are quite a few studious young people in our village. Besides Cheng Lin, there are two other girls who are also very hardworking, but unfortunately their families are not well-off and can't afford to support them. They only attended high school for half a year after they were admitted. If junior high school students could also take the college entrance examination, they would definitely achieve good results."
"And what about you?" Xiao Jing asked Wang Qiuju, "Knowing that there are no educational restrictions for this year's college entrance examination, have you ever thought about going to university?"
"I?"
Wang Qiuju stared wide-eyed in surprise: "I can't."
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