Fang Yu returned home, washed the clothes and blankets she brought back from school, and then waited for her parents to come home for the New Year, as well as for Fang Dongqiang to return.
Yu Jihong, who was at the breakfast stall, also wished she could go back immediately. "Fang Yu should already be on vacation. I really want to go back right away, but I can earn some money here every day. The more I work, the more money I earn. I also want to take more money back with me."
"Let's go back early," said Fang San Di.
"Okay, I'll work for a few more days and earn enough to buy New Year's goods when I go home." Thinking of the money, Yu Jihong gritted her teeth and persevered.
Fang Shugen's mother had been taking medicine for half a year, but her condition did not improve much. During these six months, Fang Shugen had to take his mother to get medicine frequently, and half of his factory wages were spent on medicine.
I've also heard that there's an even better mental hospital in the city, and I'm hesitating about whether to take his mother there for a checkup.
Going to the city for medical treatment takes even more time; it's impossible to make a round trip in one day. But if he goes to the county town, he only needs to ask the factory for a day off to go.
If you go to the city hospital, it's the same as going to the county hospital – you have to go once every two weeks, and you can't make a round trip in one day. Plus, there are travel and accommodation costs, so it will cost even more money.
This means even fewer working hours, which also means less pay. Now his whole family depends on him for a living.
What should he do? Should he go or not? Fang Shugen couldn't figure it out, and there was no one in his family he could discuss it with.
Look at Hua Mei, eating with her head down. After Fang Shugen's mother went mad, Hua Mei took on more work at home and in the fields, which is not bad.
Look at his mother, she still often mutters to herself, and occasionally curses at Hua Hua and Hua Mei, but they've gotten used to it and just ignore her.
Hua Hua cooks as soon as she gets home from school and does housework with Hua Mei. She is a sensible girl, but she doesn't have any pretty clothes to wear.
Fang Jingming, with his elbows propped up on the table and his cheeks puffed out, ate all the delicious food at home, but the things taught at school didn't stick in his head. He failed both Chinese and math on his final exams.
Looking at this house again, luckily I earned some money working outside a few years ago, and I did all the work I could myself, so I managed to build it up. It's two stories. The outside is still red brick, but the inside has been painted white, and the furniture is the same old furniture that we moved in.
Whether or not to go see it, we can decide after the New Year.
After dinner, Fang Huahua went to Fang Yu's house. "Fang Yu, I won't be staying at your house anymore once your mother comes back."
"It's okay, I sleep alone."
"No, I always feel a bit... a bit... when the adults are around, even though your mom is quite nice, unlike other moms who are so strict."
"Okay, then you can come to my house to play during the Chinese New Year."
"Okay, Dongqiang should be on vacation by now, right? Are you going to go see him?"
"I might go to see him; I still want to ask him something."
"What exactly do you want to ask? You should ask him when he gets back."
"Just ask about the school, about his studies. We're both in the first year of junior high, and he's a good student." Fang Yu didn't want to talk about transferring schools right now, as she wasn't sure herself.
Fang Huahua was simple-minded and believed everything Fang Yu said. Moreover, she wanted to help her as much as she could. "My vegetable garden passes by his house. I'll go check on him tomorrow to see if he's back yet."
"No need, there's no need to rush."
Do you want me to go see it?
"Okay, take a look if you happen to be passing by."
"I just want to sleep. I'll go see it when I get home tomorrow."
"Hua Hua, how can you be so kind?"
"Because you are my best friend! Next year, I will be in junior high school, the same school as you, and we can be together again."
Fang Yu lowered her head, wondering if Hua Hua would be unhappy if she found out about her transfer. She still had to tell her good friend, "Hua Hua, please don't be upset if I tell you."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Actually, I wanted to transfer schools. I didn't want to study there."
"Didn't everyone go to school here after graduating from elementary school? Some of them are from wealthy families or are very good at studying. Dongqiang has an aunt in the city, and he's also a good student. Do you want to go to school in the city too?"
"Hmm, don't you want to? The schools in the city are so good?"
"I never even thought about it. I just thought that after graduating from elementary school, I would go to junior high school, and after graduating from junior high school, I would start earning money."
Don't you want to continue your studies?
"Probably not. My dad is the only one earning money in my family now, my grandma needs to take medicine, and I'm not good at studying. I'll just finish junior high."
"Good schools are very interesting."
"I'm not good at studying, so what's the point of being in school?"
The next day, Fang Huahua returned home and had breakfast. Then, carrying a basket, she strolled to Fang Dongqiang's house. The door was tightly closed, and there was still no movement.
She wondered if Fang Dongqiang hadn't returned from the county town yet, or if he hadn't gotten up yet? Fang Dongqiang's mother was usually an early riser; was it because she was afraid of disturbing him that she hadn't even opened the door?
When Fang Huahua returned from picking vegetables, his door was still closed. She walked to the door, picked up her hand, then put it down, and listened to the sounds inside, but there was no sound at all.
People kept passing by on the street, and Fang Huahua, afraid of being seen, hurriedly left and went home.
Fang Dongqiang and the others came back today. Fang Damiao held Yuan Fangfang and sat by the window. Yuan Tingting and Fang Dongqiang were next to them, talking about school.
The bumps from the tires rolling over the road traveled up the seats, and outside the window, the wind carried the unique chill of the countryside, leaving a few gray streaks on the minibus's windows.
Fang Damiao thought about what happened with Afang a while ago. Luckily, they didn't tell their families, otherwise they wouldn't know how to face them when they got home.
The scenery outside the window is receding little by little, as if trying to slowly pull this memory away as well.
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