Chapter 31 Spring is coming
"How can I be a great writer? Please don't embarrass me," Qi Yunlan blushed and tore open the thick envelope with tears in her eyes, pulling out a neatly folded newspaper from it. Before she could open it, Chen Sike snatched it away and ran to Hang Xianglei to open it.
A group of people looked at the big title and festive layout, and read in amazement:
"Is this the Xiahua Youth Daily's Spring Festival special edition? I heard that this newspaper is particularly difficult to approve manuscripts..."
"'Listen, Who is Singing' by Qi Yun," Yang Jiong recited in a clear and melodious voice.
Everyone listened with rich expressions. Their devotion and love for literature and their passion to devote themselves to the country's development are worthy of respect.
"It's really well written," Shan Teng praised, "It vividly reflects the beauty of rural construction without exaggeration. The simple words and sentences are more contagious. I believe that more educated young people who read this article will respond to the national call like us without hesitation, devote themselves to rural construction, and contribute to the country's development!"
An Zhixia...
She is indeed not suitable for gatherings of educated youth. Her sweetness is a bit cloying.
"Qi Zhiqing, how did the newspaper reply? Can you please read it to us?" Chen Sini saw that there was no envy or jealousy on An Zhixia's face, so he continued to make trouble, "There must be a fee for the manuscript to be passed, right? Did they say how much it is?"
The other educated youths were also full of curiosity and expectation. Qi Yunlan shook her head helplessly and smiled as she read the reply letter. The editor-in-chief gave a fair and high-level evaluation, and everyone nodded with excitement in their eyes. When they heard the editor ask them to contribute to the next issue of "Stories of Educated Youths", Qi Yunlan's image suddenly became taller in their hearts.
Writer: Is that an ordinary person?
Just like the stars on the TV screen, it is a high-end profession that is somewhat distant from them, requires luck and talent, and is rarely included in people’s future career plans.
"It's not much, just five dollars." She took out the five-dollar draft from the envelope.
Everyone couldn't help but pass it on again, and it clearly stated that the remitter was Xiahua Youth Newspaper!
"Five yuan is a lot. City workers only make thirty to fifty yuan a month. And the editor-in-chief also said that your salary will be raised in the future." Chen Sike spared no effort to praise him.
Others also congratulated him, and the atmosphere was lively for a while. They decided to celebrate together at noon, which would also be the fifteenth day of the lunar month.
An Zhiqiu came close to his sister and whispered, "My sister doesn't want to develop in that direction, otherwise letters of invitation to write articles will come to her like snowflakes."
An Zhixia glanced at him strangely and said with a smile: "Brother, I don't have any ideas at all, you don't need to comfort me."
Just think about what a big boss who once had more than one billion fans around the world would think?
"Oh, sister, it's not good for you to be like this. Your brother has no place to use his abilities," An Zhiqiu sighed.
"Tomorrow you will officially start working in the fields, brother. Our family's annual food and clothing depends entirely on you," she patted his shoulder encouragingly.
"Don't worry, I'll get ten work points every day. You can do as you please, just don't overwork yourself." After holding back for a whole winter, An Zhiqing was full of passion to serve the motherland and was ready to pour it out on the loess earth.
The brother and sister were talking nonsense when a clear voice rang out in the yard: "Is the educated youth Xiao An here?"
An Zhixia put down the work in her hands and walked out the door with her brother. They saw a pretty little girl in a white dress with red floral patterns, black straight pants, and two pigtails, holding a basket and smiling at them. Her shallow dimples were like peach petals falling on the water, rising and falling, easily touching people's hearts.
She subconsciously looked at her brother, who was still smiling foolishly, his white teeth gleaming in the winter sun, making the girl's face flush.
"Xiao An, the chicks you asked my mother to help you hatch have already hatched. We've kept them at home for a few days." As she spoke, she lifted the cloth on the basket, revealing a group of chirping, fluffy and lively chicks. "My three hens are all sitting on eggs. My mother didn't want to waste them, so she put a few duck and goose eggs in. They all hatched yesterday. Xiao An, look at them, how energetic they are.
There is no shortage of water in our village. We can drive the ducks and geese out for a day and let them find food on their own, which does not waste food. Geese are very smart and can help look after the ducks and the house. Some families even let geese look after their children.
Do you want it? If not, I will take it back."
Twenty chickens, ten ducks, and six geese.
"Yes, we want them all," An Zhiqiu responded quickly. He stepped forward to take the basket, lowered his head and teased it curiously for a while, then smiled and thanked and put the basket next to the kitchen stove.
An Zhixia smiled and pulled Fang Hongye into the house, "Come in and warm up for a while. It will take a while for my brother to get the basket out."
"No, today is the fifteenth day of the lunar year, and my family is busy making delicious food. I have to go back to help," Fang Hongye smiled shyly and was about to break free and run back. "You can return the basket later."
When An Zhiqiu came out with half a basket of things, he looked around in confusion: "Where are the people?"
When he heard his sister say that the person had left, he muttered again: "Can't you wait for such a short time?"
An Zhixia looked at her silly brother, shook her head and left without answering.
Her brother has low emotional intelligence, a strong sense of responsibility, and doesn't like to take advantage of others. Except for being tough once before leaving home and taking a "huge sum of money", she really didn't see any signs of him being a scumbag.
The An brothers and sisters were in serious condition, and in order to prepare for the heavy spring farming, An Zhixia cooked various soups and porridges every day, including bone soup, chicken soup, pigeon soup, sparrow soup, grain porridge, shrimp porridge, etc., so the fire in the kitchen was always burning.
An Zhixia directed her brother to make a circle with firewood close to the stove, spread dry straw on it, compact it, and put in chicks, ducks, and geese. She soaked the millet in hot water and secretly added some artificially prepared nutritious chicken feed.
The little guys flapped their wings and pecked at the food in the food box made of bamboo joints. They were all very excited.
The brother and sister looked at each other for a while, and it was almost noon. The kitchen next door was very busy. You contributed a pound of meat, he contributed a chicken, this family contributed a pound of flour, that family contributed half a pound of sesame flour...
Fei Zheng stood at the door and asked quietly, "Will you guys eat together at noon?"
The brother and sister looked at each other and shook their heads. If they went to eat, they would be accused by the gossipers of fawning and seeking reconciliation. If they didn't eat, they were afraid they would be accused of being jealous and intolerant. Why would they move forward when they were being criticized from all sides?
Isn’t it nice to eat delicious food at home?
She sighed softly, and felt a little envious: "Okay, I'll go help Qi Zhiqing." She was alone, and in order to make life easier, she had to keep a low profile and be neutral. If there was a man who could support her, she would also want to live a more comfortable life.
Glancing at the handsome man who was whispering to his sister with a clean smile, she pursed her lips, and turned around with a glow on her cheeks.
(End of this chapter)
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