"Great! I knew Xiao Liang would pass the exam."
Song Qing pulled Guan Jie to sit on the kang and chatted. Seeing the smile on Guan Jie's face, she smiled along with her. An An was happily eating the snacks that Aunt Guan had given her. She didn't react when she heard that Xiao Liang was going to school, until she heard that he would be living at school.
"Boarding at school? Boarding at school is not bad. We live so far from the school, we can't let him travel back and forth every day, that would be too tiring. We can just prepare food stamps and food for him every month. I wonder what the food is like at school?"
Upon hearing that Xiao Liang was going to live at school, Song Qing thought for a moment, then rummaged through the cupboard and pulled out a few cans of meat, which she then tried to stuff into Sister Guan's hands without saying a word.
"I told you not to be so polite with me. Xiao Liang is going to live at school. If the food at school isn't good, he can bring a few cans of food to improve his meals."
After the two of them declined for a while, Guan Lian finally accepted the canned food. Only then did she notice An An, who was frowning and looking bitter and resentful.
"...What's wrong with An'an?"
An'an spent this holiday with the two of them and almost forgot that she would be going to school when school started, her uncle would also be going to school, and now her brother Xiao Liang would be staying at school.
"Mom, I don't want to go to school."
Song Qing coughed, not wanting to go to school yet. The past few months she had stayed at home had exhausted the whole family, and now they were just waiting for the preschool class to start so they could have a break.
"Everyone needs to go to school. Your uncle needs it, your brother Xiaoliang needs it, and so do you."
She was still pouting and upset. Song Qing waved her hand, signaling Guan Lian to ignore her. Didn't she see that although her face was full of sorrow, her mouth and hands were still moving?
So, due to An'an's extreme dissatisfaction, Chen Junliang went to live at the school, and Liu Jiandong also had to go back to school. However, her dissatisfaction did not last long, and after the start of the Yuhong Class, she wanted to go back to school to reign supreme.
In March and early April, the snow began to melt, the river opened up to catch fish, and wild vegetables appeared in abundance. After months of eating nothing, everyone was finally able to enjoy something different.
The village also started farming, and this busy period lasted for almost a month, leaving almost everyone exhausted.
Fortunately, good news started to emerge from the village: the brewery established last year is gradually getting back on track after a winter.
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"Why are you cooking for me? It's so late, why aren't you at school yet?"
"Hey, hurry up and put your things down and go back inside to get your schoolbag. Xiao Hu was dawdling and he's already gone, and you're still lagging behind."
It was almost time for work, and the neighbor, with a steamed bun in her mouth, was getting dressed and walking out when she bumped into Chen Junsheng carrying a pot and about to sit on the stove. She looked puzzled.
What are you cooking at this hour? Even the slowest kid in the building, Little Tiger, has left.
"Grandma said I don't have to go to school today, I can go play after I help her cook!"
Chen Junsheng was very happy. His grandma had just given him some candy, and his dad had given him 50 cents a few days ago. After he finished making breakfast, he was going to go to a nearby village to buy glass beads.
"...Not going to school?"
The neighbor stopped abruptly, watching the child laughing as he stuffed firewood into the stove. His wife ran out of the house with a water glass in her hand.
"Aren't you going to be late? What are you doing standing here?"
As she spoke, she raised her foot to kick him, but her man acted as if he hadn't seen her and kept staring in that direction. She stopped and looked over as well.
"...Why haven't I left yet?"
Chen Junsheng, in a good mood today, answered the exact same question again.
"I don't need to go to school."
He lost several marbles last time and hasn't won them back yet; he's determined to win them back today.
Why aren't you in school?
"Why do we have to go to school? Even the guys I hang out with don't have to.
After hearing this, the couple exchanged a silent glance, unsure of what expression to make. They watched as he even hummed a song while stuffing firewood into the stove. After laughing a couple of times, they glanced at their watches and quickly ran downstairs.
"What's wrong with Chen Wei? He's such a big kid. What if he goes astray if he doesn't go to school? I've already told you he doesn't care about the child at all. He's just trying to take him away from Sister Guan Lian."
As for Yang Chunhua, no one bothered to say a word about her. Didn't they see that she actually made the young man get up early to make her breakfast while she stayed in her room to sleep?
"You men are all the same. You don't care about anything most of the time, but when it's time to see the results, you suddenly show up and interfere, saying you've worked so hard. Bullshit!"
Chen Wei doesn't really think that his two children are so well-behaved because of him, does he? It's all thanks to Sister Guan Lian's careful upbringing.
Look at this boy who used to be so well-behaved and obedient, now he doesn't want to go to school, and not a single one of them stopped him; instead, they encouraged him!
Nonsense!
After being scolded, the man dared not speak. He touched his nose and also felt that Chen Wei's behavior was outrageous. "It was one thing for you not to care for your child before, but now that there's only you and your mother at home, you still don't care. Who hasn't been a child? If you just let them grow up without any care, how can they grow into a tree?"
I don't even know how crooked it is anymore.
Children who can grow up to be successful without any parental care are extremely rare. Most children require careful guidance and discipline. However, if left unattended for even six months or a few months, a child who was growing up well may suddenly develop many bad habits, which then require a lot of time to correct.
Even if parents are so angry they have a headache, they still have to guide their children properly. Nobody is like Chen Wei!
After Yang Chunhua got up, she walked around the house and then went outside. She saw breakfast warming in the stove: several boiled sweet potatoes and an egg.
She took out the bowl and stood in front of the stove to eat, thinking to herself that raising children has its advantages; she never realized before that her child could do so much work.
Although she still needs to eat at home, having someone to serve her is an extra privilege. She only needs to agree to let him skip school today and get up to make her breakfast.
When he comes back in the evening, I'll have him clean the house again, and I'll also have him learn to cook; he can't just boil sweet potatoes and eggs all day.
After finishing breakfast, she closed the door and went out to play cards again. Her son wasn't coming home for lunch today, so she gave him a few cents and told him to figure out how to make it himself so he wouldn't have to go back to cook.
Life really is something you have to live to make it work. I used to think it was pointless to stay at home and take care of my husband and son, but now I think life is alright.
Yang Chunhua waited until her son was almost off work in the afternoon before leaving. There were only some wilted vegetables left at the market, but she bought some to take home without hesitation.
No one was home. "This child is such a worry, why isn't he back yet at this hour?"
When I got back, I helped her light a fire and cook a meal. It seems I'll have to have a serious talk with him next time.
The neighbor lady peeked over and glanced at the vegetables in her basket, frowning in disgust. She said that no one would even pick up these vegetables if they were left on the ground, and this was all the vegetable market had at this time.
What old lady is as lazy and doesn't know how to manage money, spending money to buy this kind of thing?
The aunt tried her best to hide her disdain. "Chunhua, I saw Xiaosheng downstairs at noon. He was with some mud-covered children. Why didn't he go to school?"
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