Zhang Weifang felt that Lu Shi had aged a lot this year and was a little depressed, so she planned to let him go out to work after the New Year.
Lu Shi also wanted to change his environment, but he was worried about An An:
"What about An An? Who will look after him when I'm at work?"
Zhang Weifang rolled his eyes at him:
"You're completely acting like a mother right now. The child is grown up now, and you should let go. This will be good for both you and him."
"Find him another kindergarten?"
Zhang Weifang shook his head and stated his decision:
"No, I plan to let An An go back to his hometown."
Lu Shi exploded, his eyes filled with disbelief:
"What? What are you thinking? How can An An adapt to the environment and food back home?"
Zhang Weifang found that Lu Shi always became confused whenever An An's problem came up. She thought about it for a long time before deciding to send An An back to her hometown.
Although An An is much more sensible now, he is still a naughty child at heart. No matter which kindergarten he goes to, his nature will be revealed one day, and he might get into trouble then.
It’s different in the village. He can run around with other kids and it’s okay if they fight. Parents usually don’t care.
More importantly, Zhang Weishuang’s dog Xiao is the same age as him. He is a very smart and sensible child. He can be taken out to play with him. If An An follows him, maybe he can change!
Lu Shi was quickly persuaded by Zhang Weifang. He thought it would be a good idea to let An An go back and adapt. Maybe he would grow up after leaving home.
During the Chinese New Year of 1973, everyone except Zhang Weiren gathered together. Zhang Weibao and Zhang Weicun had grown up and became the new labor force in the family.
Zhang Weifang is also in his thirties, Zhang Weishuang is twenty-six, Zhang Weiren is twenty-four, Zhang Weifen is nineteen, Zhang Weibao is seventeen, and the youngest, Zhang Weicun, is fourteen.
The two younger ones no longer go to school and go to work every day. Zhang Weibao is diligent and hardworking, and he is the main person responsible for all the work at home and outside.
Zhang Weifen has made a lot of progress in the past few years. Although she is still relatively lazy, she can basically do the housework. She just can't earn many work points, so her reputation is not much better.
Zhang Weicun was the youngest and the laziest. He didn't like going to school or working. He ran around with a group of teenagers every day. The team leader saw that they were really not doing their job well, so he sent them to join the reclamation team to open up new land.
Zhang Qiaona and Zhang Jiuyun treat all the children equally. As long as they don't make big mistakes, they let them grow up freely.
Zhang Weishuang likes his eldest sister the most, followed by Zhang Weibao, whom he thinks is as hardworking as himself:
"Weibao, you better work hard and don't learn from those two lazy guys."
"I understand, second sister." Zhang Weibao has always been unknown in this family, like an old ox, who doesn't know how to argue or resist.
However, Zhang Weifang could see that they were just trying to cook dumplings in a teapot - they knew what was going on.
While everyone was chatting, Zhang Qiaona complained a few words:
"Hey, Weiren is already so old and still not married. The neighbors are laughing at our family!"
Zhang Weifang offered some words of advice:
"Mom, Weiren has a bright future, don't worry."
"Well, you quit your job and suddenly join the army. Your dad and I can't control you."
Zhang Weiren did not tell his family about his military service, and because his family did not know the reason, they were always worried about him.
"Mom, being a soldier is pretty good. You'll be assigned a job after you're released."
"I hope so. The child is grown up and I can't control him anymore." Zhang Qiao Na rolled the dough one after another in her hands.
An An stayed in his hometown for a few days, accompanied by his uncle and dog brother. When Zhang Weifang and others left, he did not feel reluctant at all.
After returning home and Zhang Weifang went to work, Lu Shi also officially started looking for a job. There were no good positions for him, so he could only focus on ordinary positions.
Moreover, now is a critical time for young people to go to the countryside. Not to mention formal workers, there is no shortage of temporary workers. If there is any movement, they will be intercepted in advance.
In fact, the black market has been the most profitable industry in recent years and is also the industry that Lu Shi is most familiar with. However, the security is too low and he does not want to take risks unless it is absolutely necessary.
Finally, after visiting many places, Lu Shi finally found out that the scrap collection station in the west was recruiting, but only for a temporary worker, and it had to be a man.
Lu Shi went to the scrap collection station and saw that there was only a man in his fifties there. When he saw Lu Shi coming to ask about work, he told him about the situation.
"Temporary workers only get 18 yuan a month, no receipts, and their main job is to help unload and move goods. Think about it."
Generally, people who have established a family need to support their family, so few people are willing to spend money to hire temporary workers, unless they are young, do not have too much pressure, or are avoiding going to the countryside.
Moreover, the environment at the scrap collection station was rather dirty and the work was not easy, so the old man asked Lu Shi to think about it carefully.
Lu Shi asked directly:
"Does this place need a night shift?"
"Temporary workers only work the day shift, and there are people on night duty at night."
Lu Shi thought about it and asked again:
“How much does this job cost?”
The old man held up four fingers, and Lu Shi understood. It wanted four hundred yuan, which was a high price. However, Lu Shi felt that this job was very suitable for him. First of all, it gave him freedom, and secondly, he could go home every day.
When Lu Shi is looking for a job now, the first thing he considers is whether he can go home. If he has to work the night shift, he will not come.
He was really worried about leaving Zhang Weifang and the children alone at home. It was okay in the summer, but it would be troublesome in the winter. He had to take care of all the trivial matters such as lighting the stove and moving coal.
If he wasn't at home, how could he feel at ease? After all, these things were too difficult and dangerous for them, and he didn't trust them to be handed over to others.
Lu Shi took out some money from his pocket and gave it to the old man. The old man wrote him a note and asked him to come to work at eight o'clock the next morning.
After getting the job, Lu Shi felt much more at ease. In the evening, for the first time ever, he did not cook, and took his family to a state-owned restaurant for a meal to celebrate his new job.
Zhang Weifang and Hu Zi's faces were filled with joy, and they were sincerely happy for Lu Shi.
Over the years, Lu Shi has been silently devoting himself to taking care of the family wholeheartedly. He has taken on various responsibilities in life and has devoted his time and energy without complaint.
The once rebellious and individualistic Lu Shi seems to be gradually fading away, but it is precisely because of his persistence and hard work that this family has become more warm and harmonious.
Now that Lu Shi has finally had his own happy moment, Zhang Wei and Hu Zi are filled with emotion and relief.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
