Chapter 129
Gu Shian swallowed the words in his mouth and whispered, "Okay."
After his wife spoke, Deputy Director Gu took the duck eggs packed by his old mother and went to Guihua Hutong.
When they returned later, the sun had already set in the west.
Now that the two children are older, Lin Yao and his wife are much less worried.
Gu Doudou, who studies in the county middle school, rode his bicycle to pick up Yuanyuan after class.
Yuanyuan sat in the back seat of the car, looking at the red young generals all over the street, carrying a schoolbag, and sighed to her brother, "Brother, our primary school principal has been defeated."
Recently, the GM young generals have started to stir up trouble again, starting with the business community and the education community.
Several respected old teachers at the primary school for children of the rolling mill were accused of "crimes" without any basis, and were shaved into yin-yang hairstyles. They stood in front of the vast revolutionary masses, with a big sign around their necks, accepting criticism from the revolutionary masses.
Little girl Yuanyuan grew up in the love of her family, and she couldn't help but burst into tears every time she saw such a scene.
"I have no hope living like this all day long."
Gu Doudou pedaled his bicycle, his slender and upright figure seemed like a young boy who had not grown up, and his words were quite mature.
"The storm will eventually pass, Yuanyuan, you have to have hope for the future."
Yuanyuan also said "hmm", and when she heard her brother say that he would teach her to play the harmonica in the evening, she immediately smiled.
Her brother's harmonica is so beautiful!
By the way, Gu Doudou not only knows how to play the harmonica, but also learns Chinese painting and calligraphy from the old teacher of the Cultural Palace.
During the famine, the old teacher of the Cultural Palace received the kindness of Gu Shian and his wife. The couple helped others without leaving their names. The old teacher ran into Gu Shian on his way home one day when he was delivering food to his family.
The old teacher sincerely thanked the Gu family, and when he saw the smart and cute Doudou Yuanyuan, he proposed to teach the brother and sister to play the harmonica and learn Chinese painting in private.
Of course, these are unknown to outsiders, otherwise the old teacher would be in trouble.
In the 1970s, many young GMs also learned to play the harmonica and the erhu, in order to form a team and play revolutionary red songs.
Gu Shian and Lin Yao discussed it and agreed as it was not out of line.
Gu Doudou was a naughty boy when he was young, but he became more and more like an old man when he entered puberty. He could concentrate on learning things, but Yuanyuan could not do that.
Yuanyuan followed Lin Yao, and both mother and daughter would go fishing for three days and dry the nets for two days. The
brother and sister returned home, holding harmonicas, one teaching and the other learning.
Gu Mancang cleaned the house, Zhang Cuilan and Xu's mother went to the street to watch new movies. These days, the county cinema shows "Railway Guerrillas" and "Wharf Worker Wang Erxi" every day, and sometimes some old movies. The two old ladies bought two movie tickets a day and were very satisfied with the movies.
Lin Yao had promised the brother and sister to make red bean cakes for them, and the family had already prepared red beans and various ingredients.
Lin Yao cooked the red beans and asked Deputy Director Gu, who had just delivered the duck eggs, to watch the pot.
"Don't cook the red beans too soft. Your daughter doesn't like sticky fillings."
Gu Shian was always concerned about his daughter.
After listening to his wife, he watched the red beans cooking in the pot while crushing the peeled walnuts and peanuts and added them to the red bean cake later.
Yuanyuan heard her mother's instructions to her father in the room. With the blessing of the red bean cake, the little girl played the harmonica more vigorously.
Lin Yao steamed the red bean cake skillfully and put it on a tray to cool. The couple started to prepare dinner again.
Gu Mancang happily listened to the radio at home.
Dinner was simple these days, a plate of stir-fried Chinese cabbage, a plate of shredded potatoes, a pot of tomato and egg soup, sour and sweet, plus fried steamed bread slices, Yuanyuan burped while eating.
*
The summer of 1974 was extremely hot, and today was another sunny day. At eight o'clock in the morning, the ground began to steam, the leaves outside were motionless, and the yard was filled with the hysterical cries of cicadas.
Seeing that the school was on summer vacation, Yuanyuan began to slack off and would not be woken up until she was called every morning.
Gu Shian had no temper with his daughter, so Lin Yao had to turn into an irritable old mother, roaring like a lion every day, first at Yuanyuan and then at Deputy Director Gu.
In comparison, Gu Doudou really made his mother worry less.
Lin Yao felt that her son had no flaws except that he was taciturn.
But it was understandable, as the old saying goes, like father, like son.
After throwing the two children out early in the morning, Lin Yao had time to cook a bowl of egg custard for breakfast.
Lin Yao was off duty today, and after breakfast, he went back to sleep. It
was not until half past eleven that Lin Yao slowly sat up from the bed, went to the yard to get a basin of cold water to wash her face, and she immediately felt refreshed.
The food on the dining table in the living room was still warm, and there was a note left by Zhang Cuilan on the coffee table. She then remembered that the old couple had gone back to the countryside to visit Grandma Zhang today.
Grandma Zhang is almost ninety years old this year. Except for her hearing loss and sometimes not being able to remember things clearly, she is very healthy. She eats half a bowl of vegetables for a meal and a bun. Doudou Yuanyuan has always worn the small cotton shoes made by her great-grandmother since she was a child.
Everyone in the family sincerely hopes that the old lady can live a long life and be happy and worry-free in her later years.
The Public Security Bureau has been busy with work these days, so Gu Shian will not go home at noon.
Lin Yao solved the lunch, habitually tidied the living room in order, and leaned on the sofa to read.
In the afternoon, Zhou Xiaoxue came to visit the old man.
Zhou Xiaoxue is about to get married, and the target is a cadre of the county government. He has a gentle temper and is a good person. He is a good match for the Zhou family.
Zhou Xiaoxue will definitely not be bullied if she marries her with such a temper, and the bride price given by the man is also very generous.
In the 1970s, marriages were all about three things: a bicycle, a watch, a radio, and a sewing machine. The man prepared everything.
The cotton textile factory was so big, but the sewing workshop in the workshop only had about a hundred sewing machines. The female workers who were responsible for operating the sewing machines held their heads high and looked very proud.
In a factory with thousands of people, only they were qualified to touch the sewing machines! It would be strange if they were not proud.
The stitches of the sewing machines were smooth and solid, and a shoe insole could be sewn in the blink of an eye. The girls and wives in the county dreamed of having a sewing machine.
Zhou Xiaoxue was in a blessed situation but was troubled all the time and complained with a bitter face.
"That sewing machine knows me, but I don't know it. My mother asked me to learn how to make clothes, but the sleeves were either too long or the pants were too short. Why is it so difficult to make clothes?"
Lin Yao said.
"Practice makes perfect."
Zhou Xiaoxue simply threw it away.
"Forget it, forget it, my mother scolded me, and my clumsy hands can't be made even if they are steamed in a pot."
Lin Yao: "..."
Okay.
At the end of June, Zhou Xiaoxue, a leftover woman of an older age, got married in a grand ceremony. The grand wedding made a group of old ladies envious.
Zhou Xiaoxue's life after marriage was not so smooth. When the couple just got married, her mother-in-law and her own mother urged her to have a baby so much that her ears were about to get tangled. Zhou's mother even thought that her daughter was too old to get married at almost 30, and she was worried that there was something wrong with her body and she couldn't have children. She had nightmares every night.
Fortunately, Zhou Xiaoxue's belly was strong and there was good news in the second month.
Zhou's mother was relieved. Zhou's father looked like he didn't care much on the surface, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he knew that his daughter was pregnant.
The sun in August was scorching hot. Lin Yao fanned herself in the office during the day, and when she returned home at night, she was like a dehydrated salted fish, lying on the cool mat with her daughter and breathing out air.
Yunshui County was fully electrified as early as 1970. Even though it was electrified, the old ladies who lived a frugal life still used kerosene lamps at home. The
old Gu family didn't use kerosene lamps.
It was still very hot in the summer without electric fans.
When Gu Shi'an came home from work, he saw his wife and daughter-in-law were too hot to move and frowned slightly.
Gu Doudou tied a watermelon with a rope and put it in the well water to soak, waiting for it to cool down and give it to the family.
The next day, Gu Shian left the office early and went to the department store. That evening, Gu's family had a new "Watson" brand electric fan. The outer shell was made of iron wire, and inside were four heavy iron blades. The wind was extremely cool.
When Lin Yao got home and saw the electric fan swaying in the living room, colorful fireworks were set off in her heart. She hugged Deputy Director Gu and kissed him, and happily went to the living room to eat watermelon and blow the fan.
The family happily gathered around the electric fan to eat watermelon.
The happiest person to have an electric fan at home was Yuanyuan. As soon as she got home, Yuanyuan would look at the electric fan all day.
This girl tells everyone that her father loves her mother and bought an electric fan when he knew her mother was hot, and that her father and mother have a good relationship.
Well, Lin Yao, who didn't know why, received a lot of teasing looks as soon as she went out.
The old lady next door even came over and said,
"Hey, Xiao Lin, you two have been married for more than ten years, how come your relationship is still so good? You will have a baby next year, right?"
Lin Yao was confused. When she met Gu Chunmei, she realized that it was the big mouth of the young lady that caused it.
Deputy Director Gu often encountered sour looks at himself at the Public Security Bureau.
As soon as her parents came home, Yuanyuan was punished to stand all night. In this summer vacation before entering junior high school, the little girl deeply understood a truth - you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want.
The saying that "the mouth brings disaster" is not a joke.
September 1974, the golden autumn season.
The county middle school was about to start its annual school term.
The whole family of Mr. Gu mobilized to send Yuanyuan to school.
Junior high school students were expensive these days. Many girls in the countryside stopped studying after elementary school. Girls would get married sooner or later and belong to other families. What's the point of studying so much?
No one in the countryside cared, but it was better in the city.
As soon as the school started, many parents came to the campus with their daughters and sons carrying blankets. These were the ones who lived away from home and needed to live in the school.
Mr. Gu's family was close to the county middle school, so Yuanyuan didn't have to live in the school and could go home after evening self-study.
Yuanyuan, with two black pigtails and bright eyes, walked in front with her hands behind her back, and her family followed her. The cute girl looked like a treasure at first glance. Yuanyuan
did well in the entrance examination this time and ranked second in the class. She was assigned to the second row in the classroom.
Yuanyuan's deskmate was also a chattering girl who spoke fluent local dialect.
Gu Doudou arranged everything for his sister and walked out of the classroom with a tall figure.
The girl looked at Yuanyuan with bright eyes.
"That's your brother."
"Yes."
"Oh, your brother is so good to you. He helps you wipe the table and the stool. Unlike my brother, he only pulls my pigtails." The
girl's tone was depressed, and she didn't even lift the pigtail on her head, revealing a hint of sadness.
Yuanyuan blinked her eyes, "My brother also pulled my braid."
He only did it once, but my father caught him and beat him up, so he never did it again.
Yuanyuan said silently in her heart.
"Really, we are in the same boat!"
The little girl exclaimed, and instantly treated Yuanyuan as one of her own.
A girl with short hair at the next table had a twinkle in her eyes and took the initiative to come over to say hello.
"Hello, my name is Wen Jing, my father is an official in the county cultural bureau, what is your family background?"
The little girl said, "My parents are both workers."
"What about you?"
Wen Jing looked at Yuanyuan with an inquiring look.
Yuanyuan also smiled and said, "My parents are also workers."
Wen Jing said "Oh" with disdain. Although she said that the working class is glorious, her words still carried obvious arrogance.
How can the working class compare to the officials of the Cultural Bureau?
Yuanyuan didn't have time to pay attention to her. She took out milk candy and apples from the small schoolbag prepared by her mother and invited the little girl at the same table to eat.
These are common in the old customer's family.
The little girl who sat at the same table with Yuanyuan was called Chen Xin. She was a cute and honest little girl.
When she saw the rare milk candy and apples, her head shook like a rattle.
"This is too expensive, I can't eat it."
"It's okay, let's have one each."
Yuanyuan distributed them to the little sisters in a friendly manner.
Chen Xin took out some maltose from her pocket, and was too embarrassed to give it to Yuanyuan.
Yuanyuan didn't mind at all. The two little girls ate the milk candy and drank orange soda, which made Wen Jing in the back seat envious.
Wen Jing stared at the apples on the table. Although her family was well-off, she had three younger brothers and as the eldest, the resources she could get were pitifully few. She
could eat such fresh apples less than twice in the whole summer.
But she didn't dare to ask Yuanyuan for them. She could see that Gu Yuanyuan's family conditions were definitely better than she said, and much better.
The pair of Huili shoes on Gu Yuanyuan's feet cost eight or nine yuan in a department store. Her brother also had a pair. The two pairs cost almost twenty yuan!
Which worker would be willing to buy such nice shoes for his or her children!
She is still wearing the old shoes discarded by her eldest brother!
Wen Jing felt sour in her heart. While Yuanyuan was outside, she came over and sneered at Chen Xin.
Chen Xin was not stupid. She understood that Wen Jing was making indirect accusations and looked down on children from the working class.
Chen Xin immediately put away her good temper and retorted to Wen Jing in the same sharp tone as Little Lajiao. Wen Jing
was so angry that she glared.
During the Spring Festival of 1975, the old Gu family took a train to Xinjiang.
Lin Yi finally ended his single life and married a war correspondent in the army. A few years ago, his sister-in-law gave birth to a little niece. Lin Yao was excited and naturally wanted to go and see his brother who had not seen him for many years.
The green train whistled, and it passed through the rugged mountains and finally arrived in Wushi in the early morning of the fourth day.
It was a little after six in the morning at the Wushi Railway Station, and the hot air exhaled by the passengers turned into a ball of white mist as soon as they got off the train.
Lin Yao's family, wearing sweaters over coats, walked out of the train like penguins for the winter.
The only one who was not afraid of the cold was Gu Shian. He held the fat lady who came up with him in one hand, and he could carry two big bags in his right hand. He walked vigorously, not afraid of the cold at all.
Lin Yao was wrapped in a wool scarf, revealing only a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes, and the tip of her cute nose was frozen red as soon as she got off the train.
Zhang Cuilan and her husband were uncomfortable on the train, and they immediately became energetic after getting off the train.
"Yaoyao, slow down. Your dad and I are going to check on that naughty boy Doudou. There are a lot of people outside. Don't let him run away!"
The crowd was crowded. Lin Yao nodded, "Mom, slow down, don't rush."
"No rush. Doudou has short legs and can't walk far!"
The old lady reassured her daughter-in-law and complained about her grandson's short legs. Doudou
was a short guy when he was ten years old. Now he has grown to a big man of more than 1.7 meters, but in his grandmother's eyes, he still has short legs.
Gu Mancang caught his grandson who was jumping in the crowd and threw a big luggage bag to him, "There are all your clothes in it. Carry it yourself and don't be lazy."
Comrade Gu Doudou could only rely on himself. He dragged a big luggage bag and walked in front with a hum.
After leaving the train station, it was still dark in Wushi, but the lights in the waiting room were still on.
Lin Yi had been waiting outside in his jeep. Lin
Yi was transferred to Wushi a few years ago to serve as the chief of staff of the military, and his family of three bought a house in Wushi.
After settling down, they were looking forward to the arrival of his sister and her family.
Without his sister around, Chief of Staff Lin didn't know who to talk to when he wanted to.
"Yaoyao, come this way!"
Lin Yi parked the car on the side of the road. When he saw his sister's excitement, he immediately stuck his head out of the half-open window, fearing that Lin Yao couldn't see him, and waved his arms vigorously.
As a result, because he was too excited, his big head got stuck on the window.
In the end, Gu Shian hurried over and rescued him.
"..............."
Lin Yao complained in her heart, her own brother is really a comedy master.
The comedy master was calm and composed all the way, the military green jeep drove smoothly on the road, and as an uncle, he could tell jokes to Yuanyuan from time to time.
Lin Man was thoughtful, it seemed that what her sister-in-law said on the phone was not wrong at all.
Her brother has become much calmer since he came to the provincial capital.
In the 1970s, there were few vehicles on the road in Wushi. In the morning light, most of the people going out were ordinary people riding bicycles to work.
The jeep drove on the road for more than half an hour and stopped in front of the courtyard.
Lin Yao's sister-in-law had been waiting at the door, and now she saw her sister's family and two lovely siblings.
The sister-in-law was so happy holding the young lady that she hurried out to entertain the whole family.
That night, Lin Yao showed off her skills and made shrimp wontons for the two families.
Yuanyuan and Doudou praised their uncle.
"Mom's wontons are super delicious."
"Delicious and fresh!"
"Every bite is full of meat."
When the wontons came out of the pot, Lin Yi wanted to be reserved for a while, but Gu Shian exposed him without hesitation, "The saliva at the corner of your mouth is about to flow down."
Lin Yi quickly reached out to wipe it.
The result was naturally that he wiped it in vain, which made Doudou and Yuanyuan laugh.
Lin Yi also laughed, and his eyes became red as he laughed.
Lin Yi's wife took Lin Yi away to prevent Yaoyao from crying when she saw him.
Lin Yi's wife is from Wushi. Her parents are in the countryside. Both of them are in good health. Since the government relaxed the policy, the old couple has raised more than ten chickens and five or six ducks at home. This time, when they heard that their son-in-law's sister and her family were coming to Wushi, the old lady slaughtered all the chickens and ducks except for the two geese, Dabai and Xiaobai, which they had raised for many years. They pickled the chickens and ducks and sent them to their son-in-law's home.
Lin Yao gave her niece a small exquisite silver lock and 66 yuan as a full-month gift.
Lin Yi's sister-in-law was all smiles. She was not a stingy person.
Her sister-in-law was well-educated and treated her with sincerity.
Most people don't have refrigerators these days. In Xinjiang, people in cities and the countryside kill a few chickens and ducks to dry during the New Year and winter. When eating, they just steam them in a pot, tear them into pieces, and serve them on the table with a few drinks.
Lin Yi especially likes the dried chicken made by her mother-in-law. Lin Yao has the same taste as her brother, so Lin Yi's sister-in-law specially left two for her sister-in-law.
Wushi's winter is icy and snowy, especially during the New Year, when it is very cold, with occasional snowflakes. Most people in the city stay at home and burn charcoal to keep warm.
Yunshui County cannot compare to Wushi in this respect. Lin Yi's family can burn a heated kang, so they are not afraid of how cold it is outside.
Coal is so expensive these days that ordinary families cannot afford it.
Those who live in tube buildings outside do not have radiators for heating, so they light coal briquettes in their homes to keep warm during the coldest days of winter.
Lin Yi and his wife are not short of money, and they are even more generous to his sister's family.
There are heated kangs in the living room and the room at home, and the bedding on the bed in the bedroom is thick, and there is also a soup pot in each bedroom to ensure that the children will not be frozen.
Breakfast is more suitable for richness, with braised noodles with meat, steamed shrimp dumplings and wontons.
Lin Yao was tired on the way, so he ate a small bowl of braised noodles with meat, washed his hands and face, and went to bed to sleep.
Doudou and Yuanyuan also yawned one after another. Lin Yi felt so distressed that he made the beds for the two children and watched them fall asleep.
However, the old couple Zhang Cuilan slept on the train for a whole day and were not sleepy at all. Seeing the gloomy and windy sky outside, they were packing luggage in the living room with Lin Yi's wife. Gu Mancang was still interested in playing chess with Lin Yi.
Doudou woke up and imitated his uncle, wearing a fur hat and gloves, and went outside to play snowball fights and build snowmen.
Unfortunately, Lin Yi fell on his butt, and what was even more tragic was that he did not beat Doudou in the snowball fight.
".........."
The old Gu family settled down in Lin Yi's house.
After the New Year, the primary and secondary schools in the provincial capital started to open. Lin Yi and his wife sent Lin Yao's family to the train station, and kept reminding them along the way to come and stay at home when they have time. Yuanyuan and Doudou were very well behaved. They listened carefully to what their uncle said and were not naughty at all.
This made the uncle and aunt feel relieved.
After the family returned from Wushi, two years passed in a flash.
1976 was a year of both sorrow and joy for the people of the whole country.
First, a major earthquake swept across the country, and then the great prime ministers passed away one after another. The people of the whole country mourned their beloved leaders in the heavy rain.
It was late autumn again, and on October 6, the ten-year turbulent years finally came to an end.
The Party Central Committee put order in the chaos and issued important documents. The people of the whole country were jubilant and celebrated the beginning of a new life.
Gao Wenbin's family was freed from their caps, and the Gao Mansion returned to the family. Gao's father, who was undergoing reform thousands of miles away, also received news that he would be able to return to Yunshui County soon.
People who were hurt in the decade-long movement have new hope!
Several families who received help from the Gu family sent good news one after another.
In the same year, Xu Xiangqian, as a pioneer of the county public security bureau, was the first to move an eight-inch black-and-white TV home.
This caused a sensation in the county public security bureau. A TV costs hundreds of yuan. The Chen family has three people, all of whom work for the government, and they spend a hundred yuan a month. They can still buy an eight-inch black-and-white small TV if they grit their teeth.
The neighbors all ran to see the novelty, and old lady Zhao also went to see it. The eight-inch TV was really small, and the little people were jumping on the screen.
Doudou was very happy, and the couple discussed buying a TV. Zhang Cuilan thought that the eight-inch TV screen was too small and not good for the eyes of the two grandchildren, so they decided to buy a 12-inch TV.
It happened that a good friend of Deputy Director Gu worked at the County Radio Bureau, and a batch of TVs came to the bureau, all imported from Haishi, or the fashionable Feiyue brand 12-inch TVs, which cost about 400 yuan each. If the Gu family wanted it, he would use his connections to get it at a lower price.
Of course Gu Shian wanted it. Such a rare and good TV must be bought quickly, otherwise it would be bad if it was out of stock.
Gu Shian went home to discuss with his family, and finally Gu Mancang made the final decision!
The Gu family got this TV!
Lin Yao was also looking forward to buying a TV, but she didn't expect the TV to come so soon.
On the first day of November, Lin Yao was talking to Zhang Cuilan after work when there was a sudden commotion outside.
"Hey, what is this?"
"It's a TV!"
"What is a TV?"
"It's a TV with little people performing in it. My aunt's house in the provincial capital has one!"
"How big is it?"
"Twelve inches!"
"Hey, the Gu family is really generous."
"That's right."
When the villagers on the street heard that the Jiang family bought a TV, they spread the word and ran out to see the new TV.
Everyone was talking and surrounded Gu Shian and Big Head Brother who were pushing the TV back on their bicycles.
Gu Shian was at the front pushing the bicycle, and Xu Xiangqian was at the back holding the box containing the TV. The two brothers walked home carefully.
The old Gu family didn't know what had happened.
The old lady took Lin Yao out to watch. Big Head Brother grinned at his mother-in-law, "Mom, we bought a TV! Come and have a look!"
Comrade Cui Lan: ???
Wow, the TV was bought so quickly?
The 12-inch black and white TV in Old Gu's house is much larger than the 8-inch TV in Big Head Brother's house. A big bamboo pole is erected in the yard, and the TV antenna is placed on the face to watch.
The careful Deputy Director Gu also ordered a TV cabinet from the old carpenter in the county town, which is specially used to place the TV. It is not only dustproof but also clean and safe.
That night, the neighbors on the street brought small stools and crowded the yard of Old Gu's house.
Everyone was waiting to watch TV.
When the TV was first turned on, the screen was full of white snowflakes.
Everyone was so anxious, asking what was going on and why there was no one there.
Gu Shian smiled and called Gu Doudou to go to the yard and shake the big bamboo pole connected to the antenna.
Gu Doudou obeyed the order and ran over, shaking the big bamboo pole, shaking it left and right, and suddenly there was a cry of surprise from the house.
"People can be seen!"
"There's someone in the TV!"
"It really is, there's a pretty daughter-in-law with a pigtail in it!"
"Oh, what a pretty young wife."
"Why is this young wife still holding books after getting married?"
"Look at you, you are so old-fashioned. That is not a young wife, but a foreign student on TV!" "
Oh, that's it."
Everyone was talking happily when they saw the youthful female student holding books and braiding her hair on TV.
The old men and women on the streets of Yunshui County, who usually go to the cinema to watch a few movies, have never watched dozens of episodes of TV series, were immediately attracted by the wonderful plots, and sat in the old customers' houses and yards with their eyes wide open, watching TV attentively.
Zhang Cuilan smiled and prepared snacks with Lin Yao, served tea and water, and greeted the neighbors with candies.
Now, the villagers drank tea, ate candies, and watched TV, feeling a little embarrassed. They were really taking advantage of the old man's patronage. They had to eat his candies, drink tea, and watch the TV he bought. It was really...
But everyone really loved this TV, so they thought they would watch TV first, and then go home to pick some fruits, vegetables, etc. and send them to Cuilan's family as a token of their thoughtfulness.
The old lady on the street was watching the TV, and she was full of emotion with the old lady, "We really never thought about such a good life. When we were young, we just thought about when the whole family could have a home to eat. Now it's good. We can not only have home to eat, but also white flour steamed bread, drink sugar water and watch TV. I really didn't dare to think about it before."
The old lady next to her nodded. Yes, she has lived for so many years. At first, she married to a poor and backward country, and she just thought that the family could have enough food and warm clothes. At that time, the yard in the countryside of her hometown was still a small gray yard. The family was like a pile of sand, living in a daze all day long.
Now seeing that the children are living a decent life, I feel very relieved.
As a person gets older, he loses his ambitions and doesn't expect anything. He
just wants his family to be safe and healthy. Besides, things will get better and better in the future.
Old Gu got the first TV in the alley. From then on, his home became very lively at night. After
the Jiefang neighbors finished their dinner, they rushed to Old Gu's house with small stools, of course, they would have eggs and red dates in their hands.
At Old Gu's house, Doudou and Yuanyuan also moved the TV to the yard early, put it on the small table, and turned on the TV for everyone to watch.
Uncle Zhang and Uncle Zhang also came to my sister's house to watch.
It was the busy wheat harvest.
The wheat harvest was busy. The rural members went to the fields before dawn in the morning and went home in the dark, tired like their grandsons. They snored as soon as they lay down after eating.
How could they have time to watch TV?
Summer passed and autumn came. It was October 1977. After the autumn harvest in the brigade, the two uncles began to work on their own private plots.
The Zhang family planted sweet potatoes and potatoes in their private plots as usual this year. Other crops were cotton and soybeans, which were nothing special. Uncle Zhang and Uncle Zhang drove a donkey cart to the fields to pull sweet potatoes and came to the county town to deliver the sweet potatoes they planted to the old Gu family.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, Gu Doudou and Yuanyuan were playing with the radio at home, hoping to listen to some stories. Unexpectedly, they heard great news from the radio: the country has reinstated the college entrance examination!
Yuanyuan is now in junior high school, so she naturally understands how important the reinstating of the college entrance examination is to the majority of college students. She immediately jumped into the yard excitedly and told her family the good news.
Comrade Cuilan was feeding the chickens with a small winnowing basket, and when she heard this, she almost dropped the small winnowing basket on the ground.
Gu Shidong, who was on vacation and went home, rushed over and quickly supported his old mother.
"Mom, what's wrong with you?"
"Are you tired?"
"Hurry up, sister-in-law, I'll carry you back to the house!"
Gu Shidong was so anxious that the old lady slapped him aside and pulled his granddaughter to ask him to repeat it.
The round and crisp voice of the girl told the story again.
The old lady really heard it clearly this time. That's right, it's really right!
The country has really restored the college entrance examination!
The old men and women on the street only responded after listening to the loudspeaker outside. The college entrance examination is not a big deal for them, the elderly, but it is very important for children and daughters-in-law! There is
a daughter-in-law in the street who used to be a high school student. Now that the college entrance examination has been restored, she can take it. The children will have a brighter future. As long as they study hard and get into college, they will really be a golden phoenix.
Lin Yao naturally knew when the college entrance examination would be resumed, and even Deputy Director Gu who knew the inside story knew it.
The couple looked at each other without saying a word, both with smiles in their eyes.
Gu Shidong was really excited. He retired from the army and returned home to work as an armed officer in the county. He had been waiting for several years, so wasn't he thinking about taking the college entrance examination?
But about this?
The whole family looked at Zhang Cuilan, trying to get a rough idea of what she meant.
The old lady smiled and clapped her hands, "Great, that's great news," and asked Yuanyuan when the college entrance examination was in the broadcast.
Yuanyuan didn't remember, and Gu Doudou thought for a while, "It seems to be November 21st."
As soon as these words fell, the whole family was shocked.
Isn't this just one month later?
How can you prepare for the college entrance examination in such a short time?
Everyone was quite hesitant, even Gu Shidong felt a little unconfident. After all, he hadn't touched a textbook for several years. It was hard to say what he could learn in such a short month.
Lin Yao was quite confident. She said, "One month is enough. It takes you one month, and it takes others one month. If others can do it, our Dongzi will definitely do it! Don't you agree, mother?"
Zhang Cuilan nodded, "Yes, Yaoyao is right. Dongzi can study with peace of mind in the future, and the children at home should be quiet. Your second uncle should study with peace of mind. If anyone dares to make trouble, I, an old woman, will not allow the chicken feather duster in my hand to stop!"
The children nodded in agreement.
In the evening, Gu Shian asked Lin Yao if he wanted to take the college entrance examination.
Lin Yao smiled and shook her head. She was almost 40 years old. She graduated from college in her previous life and passed the college entrance examination. Now she was the director of a textile factory and was devoted to her career. After the reform and opening up, even a pig standing on the wind could take off.
She just wanted to be a wealthy woman with a lot of money and didn't want to think about anything else.
Gu Shian nodded, and the couple borrowed review materials for Gu Shidong through their connections.
Gu Shidong was deeply moved to see that the family cared so much about him. For the sake of the college entrance examination and this caring family, Gu Shidong got up at five in the morning every morning and did not dare to go to bed until the clock struck midnight. In the few hours of review, he did not dare to relax at all.
What made the family happy was that Teacher Xiao Gao, who moved his family to the provincial capital, did not forget about them. Knowing that Gu Shidong was taking the college entrance examination, he specially sent a set of review materials with real questions.
This was review materials sent from the provincial capital, which was much more valuable.
Zhang Cuilan looked at the thick stack of review materials, and sent a thank-you letter and a package of country snacks back to her child.
Soon, a month passed. On November 21, Gu Shidong took the college entrance examination with full confidence under the expectation of his family.
The college entrance examination was suspended for eleven years. It was the first year that it was resumed. There were huge crowds
of students taking the college entrance examination. There were many educated youth who went to the countryside, and some young mothers who came to take the college entrance examination with their children on their backs. The old lady was worried that her daughter-in-law was nervous. Zhao Man smiled, confident and relaxed, so the old lady was relieved.
The two days of the college entrance examination passed in a flash.
When Gu Shidong and the other candidates came out of the examination room, he saw his family waiting for him in the sun with bright smiles.
The other candidates were not so relaxed. Some started crying as soon as they came out of the examination room, and some hugged the big trees on the roadside and refused to let go before finishing the test paper.
Most of them looked exhausted.
The old Gu family received Dongzi, who had successfully completed the college entrance examination. Together with the old Xu family, they cooked a table full of delicious dishes and the two families had a good reunion dinner.
After taking the college entrance examination, they just waited for the results to come out.
In the first year when the college entrance examination was resumed, the authorities stipulated that the preliminary admission score for the college entrance examination would be released one month after the college entrance examination, and then there would be physical examinations and political review. Zhao Man had no problem with all this.
As long as he passed the score line, he could be admitted to the university.
This year's college entrance examination, Gu Shidong was the only young man on the street who took the college entrance examination. Everyone acted as if nothing had happened and tried not to talk about it in front of the old Gu family.
There were also those old women with bad intentions.
The two old women were so mean that they deliberately hugged their sleeves at the entrance of the alley and chattered.
What are you talking about? It's nothing more than a lousy soldier who wants to take the college entrance examination. What a fool's dream. How can you go to that university? Can a little hen turn into a phoenix?
Forget it. Bah, it's like a toad wanting to eat swan meat! If you can get into university, we will voluntarily go to the public toilet to pick up shit!
The neighbors didn't bother to pay attention.
The two old ladies thought they were right and became even more complacent.
The two old ladies were chatting happily in the alley that day when they saw a postman riding a bicycle from the county. Just when they wanted to ask what he wanted, they heard the postman took out a courier and asked a group of old men and women, "Grandpa, where does Gu Shidong live? Who is Gu Shidong? He was admitted to the provincial Post and Telecommunications University."
The two old ladies were dumbfounded: ......"
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