I can't put it in my space, I have to pack it up. I need to pack it up in advance so that Uncle Shen can deliver it to the post office.
Over the next few days, Uncle Shen accompanied me to bury my parents in the martyrs' cemetery. When Uncle Shen was driving me home, he asked, "Mianmian, why don't you move in with Uncle Shen?"
"Uncle Shen, no need."
"But Mianmian, the military will take this courtyard back soon, and Uncle Shen and your Aunt Zhou won't feel comfortable leaving you alone in the city then."
"Uncle Shen, what do you think of me going to the countryside as an educated youth?"
"Girl, what do you mean?"
"Does Uncle Shen think he's too young to go to the countryside and become an educated youth?"
"No, that's not it. Despite your age, you've handled some things better than we adults over the years. Uncle Shen just doesn't understand why you'd choose to go to the countryside when you're about to take the college entrance exam."
"Uncle Shen, the situation has changed."
Shen Bowen was shocked that this little girl would say such a thing, and he paced back and forth, asking, "Mianmian, how...how did you know?"
"Uncle Shen, do you know how difficult this is?"
"Mianmian, you?"
"Uncle Shen, we are at the very center of politics. Don't be fooled by the fact that no one talks about these things. Sometimes, it is precisely because no one talks about them that things become excessively abnormal."
Take school for example. These days, teachers don't really care about the troublemakers, and most of them come from families with connections. They know more than I do.
Uncle Shen asked with a serious expression, "What did you say?"
"Actually, she didn't say much, just that we can do whatever we want from now on. She said she gets annoyed by those teachers and that they'll be cleaning the toilets soon enough. Doesn't she love making students clean toilets? They'll all be hers in the future. Uncle Shen, do you think a student should say something like that?"
"What else... what else is there?"
"Another classmate said that their neighbor's house was ransacked. They said something was found in their house, or that their family had a connection with the house across the street. I didn't hear the rest clearly, but those troublemakers were talking about all sorts of things together."
“Mianmian, to be honest, I had to bring up the matter of going to the countryside even if you hadn’t mentioned it.”
"Uncle Shen?"
"Your father talked to me before he went on his mission, discussing what would happen to you if they were both gone. At the same time, he also talked about some of the problems that had arisen and realized that going to the countryside was the best arrangement for you."
Hearing this, I knew they were truly involved in the revolution; they could spot problems even in the smallest details. So I asked, "What else did Dad say?"
"You don't need to worry about that. The moment they received news of your parents' sacrifice, they sent a letter to their comrades who fought in the Korean War with them. In fact, your father was their savior. He's now the village head, his surname is Gu, and his name is Gu Zhengrong. Their village is relatively better off than other villages in the surrounding area. The only downside is that it's in Northeast China, Heilongjiang Province, where the winters are extremely cold, enough to freeze someone to death."
"I understand, Uncle Shen. There are advantages to being cold, aren't there? At least you don't have to work in the fields in winter."
"Okay, since you've agreed, it's fine to handle this for you after your parents' pension comes through."
Okay, I understand.
"Okay, you should rest first. We'll have dinner at my place tonight."
"Sigh, I know."
While we were eating breakfast, Aunt Zhou heard that I was going to the countryside and asked in surprise, "Why? Old Shen, didn't we agree to bring Mianmian home in a few days?"
Seeing Aunt Zhou like this, I quickly said, "Aunt Zhou, it wasn't Uncle Shen who arranged for me to go to the countryside; I wanted to go myself."
"Mianmian, how can you go to the countryside? You're still so young. Besides, do you know how hard life is in the countryside? No way, I don't agree."
"Aunt Zhou, it's not that I won't go just because you disagree; it's that I absolutely have to go."
Why?
"Aunt Zhou, you work at the hospital every day, haven't you noticed that everyone's been on edge lately?"
"This? This? Mianmian, how did you know?"
"Teachers at school are like that too. Teachers who used to be cheerful and talkative now have a serious face every day. And lately, people are walking faster on the street than before. Even people who used to know each other don't greet each other as if they don't know each other."
"Well, you don't need to go to the countryside either."
"Aunt Zhou, my parents' pension will be issued in a few days. You know how many people will be eyeing it then?"
"Isn't this just me and Uncle Shen?"
“Even with you and Uncle Shen here, there are times when we can’t take care of everything, and given the current situation, going to the countryside is the only option.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Tao reflected on the past six months and realized that Mianmian was right; going to the countryside was indeed better. He then said:
"Alright, since you're going to the countryside, Aunt Zhou won't stop you anymore. I'll go prepare some things you'll need. Oh, and Old Shen, could you see if you can arrange a better place for Mianmian?"
"Don't worry about that. We discussed this issue when her father was alive, and we've already arranged where she'll go. Once the pension comes through, I'll go to the educated youth office to finalize the arrangements."
"That's good. By the way, Mianmian hasn't graduated from high school yet. Could you see if you can get her a diploma or something?"
"That shouldn't be a problem. I'll take care of it later. Besides, Mianmian doesn't usually live at school, and there's not much there anyway."
Hearing Aunt Zhou and Uncle Shen's conversation, he didn't stop them from preparing it for him. If he refused even this, they would definitely be even more worried. It was better to let them prepare it and repay them more in the future when he had the chance.
During the days I waited for the compensation, I didn't wander around the family area. Instead, I spent my free time online checking what else I needed to prepare.
Everything else is fine, there's plenty. The only problem is the food. It's amazing! It's either white flour steamed buns or big meat buns, and there's so much food to choose from. Looks like I'll have to make some mixed grain dishes, like steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and water, or cornbread. Let's get started!
Using the large pot in the space, they steamed grains for several days in a row. Not only steamed buns and cornbread, but also many other kinds. They even rendered all the fat from the big pigs they had raised in the first two years into lard, and even made the cracklings into large mixed grain buns. They also braised pig heads, pig feet, pork hocks, and offal.
Anyway, I haven't been idle these past few days. I've been either cooking or cooking, which has actually eased my mind about my parents' sacrifice.
A few days later, Uncle Shen brought two comrades to his home.
"Mianmian, these two are the comrades who brought you the compensation money for your parents."
Hello, Uncle.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com