Lin Jianxue raised her face, her beautiful eyebrows and eyes softened a little in the sunset glow.
She waved gently at him, her voice soft: "Fu Zhewei, you're back."
Fu Zhewei looked at her, the corners of his lips raised up almost imperceptibly, and the cold lines on his face that day seemed to soften a little.
He put down the hoe on his shoulder, and the hoe handle leaned against the earth wall, making a slight "dong" sound.
Then, he stretched out his long legs and walked a few steps to Lin Jianxue's side.
His eyes fell on the vegetable basket at her feet, which contained freshly picked bean sprouts and peeled potatoes.
He said nothing, bent down, picked up the basket, turned around and went to the kitchen.
The movements were natural and smooth, as if they had been done thousands of times.
Lin Jianxue stood up, patted the dust off her pants, and followed him into the dimly lit kitchen.
The bean sprouts and potatoes were neatly placed next to the chopping board.
She looked at his tall and straight back and said softly, "Fu Zhewei, I will be a music teacher at Zhenhai High School in Dong Town next Monday."
Fu Zhewei paused.
He turned his head, and a hint of surprise was clearly reflected in his deep eyes.
"Really?" There was a barely perceptible ripple in his voice.
Lin Jianxue smiled and nodded: "Yes, really."
She explained, "The other day at noon, the team leader came and asked who could play the piano. I happened to be able to, so I went to the school with him to try out, and the dean accepted me on the spot."
After listening to this, Fu Zhewei was silent for a few seconds, then he slowly raised his thumb towards her.
"sharp."
Lin Jianxue felt a little embarrassed by his praise. Her cheeks turned slightly red and her eyelashes drooped slightly.
She paused, then raised her eyes to look at him and said softly, "The dean told me whether I should live on campus or not, but I haven't decided yet."
Fu Zhewei's eyebrows twitched slightly as he looked at her, his voice still steady: "Wouldn't it be more convenient to live on campus? Why haven't you thought about it?"
Lin Jianxue lowered her head and unconsciously kicked a small stone on the ground with her slender toes.
"I don't want to live on campus." Her voice was very soft.
A hint of doubt flashed across Fu Zhawei's eyes. He asked softly, "What's wrong? Are you worried that you won't be able to adapt to school?"
Lin Jianxue shook her head.
She raised her eyes, glanced quickly at Fu Zhewei, and then let out a long, soft sigh.
“Not really.”
"I'm just teaching, and I have no intention of becoming friends with the teachers at school."
She paused, a barely audible melancholy in her voice: "I'm afraid of living on campus, where I can only come back once a week. Sigh..."
The sound of "Ah" was light, but it scratched the listener's heart like a feather.
Fu Zhewei was even more puzzled.
He looked at her slightly distressed expression, thought seriously for a moment, and then asked, "What's wrong? Are you worried that the things you left at my house will get broken? Then I'll help you send them to the school dormitory?"
When Lin Jianxue heard this, her brows frowned slightly.
She raised her eyes and looked carefully at Fu Zhewei in front of her.
His skin was of a cool-toned fair color, and even after working day after day in the countryside, he never got tanned. Instead, it made his features look even more delicate and profound, his eyebrows and eyes were like ink paintings, his nose was high, and his lips were very beautiful.
He looks like a smart person, so why can't he understand what she is thinking?
Lin Jianxue sighed inwardly, but didn't show it on her face. She just said in a slightly serious tone, "I'm afraid that once I'm gone, some people will forget about me."
"The foundation I worked so hard to lay has been wasted."
Fu Zhawei was stunned when he heard this.
He looked at Lin Jianxue, his deep eyes filled with pure confusion, and asked curiously, "Who?"
"Qingqing? She wouldn't forget you after not seeing you for a week."
Lin Jianxue: “…………”
Lin Jianxue saw that he really didn't understand. Her eyes, which were always clear and bright, were now filled with pure confusion. The enthusiasm that had just risen in her heart was like being poured over by a bucket of well water, cooling it down.
She didn't dare to tease him any further for the time being. If this block of wood still didn't come to her senses, she would be really embarrassed.
Lin Jianxue coughed lightly and waved her hand to cover up.
"Never mind. It's nothing."
She quickly changed the subject, her voice returning to its usual gentleness: "By the way, Fu Zhewei, I want to arrange for Qingqing to study at Zhenhai High School. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Zhawei frowned slightly.
He lowered his eyelids, his thick lashes casting a small shadow under his eyes, and his voice lowered a few inches: "Given our family's status... the school leaders probably wouldn't be willing to take us in, right?"
There was a lingering heaviness and inferiority in his tone.
This is a huge rock weighing on the hearts of everyone in the Fu family.
Lin Jianxue's tone was relaxed, with a certain sense of matter-of-factness in it: "I just wanted to try it."
"I wanted Qingqing to continue studying, but there was no chance at that time."
"Now I'm a teacher at Zhenhai High School after all. I can always have a say. I should have some 'private rights', right?"
She winked playfully and added, "Of course, if the school leaders really don't agree, then forget it. We can find another way."
Lin Jianxue was thinking in her mind.
Fu Qingqing was ten years old and had only finished junior high school. He had been working in the countryside for the past two years, and his studies had been completely abandoned.
She clearly remembered that the next year, that is, in 1977, the college entrance examination would be resumed nationwide.
It was around that time that the Fu family’s grievances would be cleared, and they would be able to return to Kyoto with dignity.
If Fu Qingqing could pick up her books again now, even if it was just to enroll in a high school and study for a year, when the college entrance examination was resumed next year, she would be able to fight for a bright future together with thousands of other students.
It's not just Fu Qingqing.
There is also Fu Zhewei.
He was eighteen years old, a good age for studying. How could he waste his best years of youth on this barren land?
With the reform and opening up in the future, the role of diplomas will become increasingly important. This is a dividend of the times and an opportunity that can truly change your destiny. It is hard to come by.
She would definitely not let Fu Qingqing and Fu Zhawei miss it.
Fu Zhewei was unaware of the turbulent thoughts in her mind.
He just listened to her words, with his eyes lowered, his long eyelashes trembling slightly.
After a while, he sighed softly, his voice so low that it was almost inaudible: "If... if Qingqing could continue to go to school, it would be great..."
There was suppressed desire and a barely perceptible bitterness in that voice.
Lin Jianxue also understood it in her heart.
How could Fu Zhawei not want his sister to continue studying?
Qingqing is still young and cannot do much heavy farm work. Every day, he either helps with odd jobs at Dong Yulan's farm or wanders aimlessly in the village.
Sometimes if there was any trouble, Dong Yulan and Fu Zhewei would know about it in time.
Girls of this age are the most active in mind and are most likely to learn good or bad things.
If children can be sent to school, with teachers to supervise them and books to accompany them, then people will feel truly at ease.
*
As he was speaking, footsteps and voices were heard outside the courtyard gate.
After a while, Fu Qingqing took Dong Yulan's arm, and the two came back from outside talking and laughing.
Dong Yulan still looked neat and tidy. Even though she was wearing patched old clothes, there was a scholarly air between her brows, without any trace of the vulgarity of a country woman.
Fu Qingqing was jumping around, her cheeks flushed with a healthy blush.
Immediately afterwards, Su Muyun and Yi Yao entered the yard one after another.
Su Muyun still looked cold and aloof, while Yi Yao followed him timidly. When she saw Lin Jianxue, she whispered, "Sister Xiaoxue."
The sky gradually darkened.
As usual, Su Muyun took Fu Qingqing and Yi Yao to practice boxing in the yard for a while.
Lin Jianxue and Fu Zhawei watched from the side while Dong Yulan went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Soon, the aroma of food wafted out from the kitchen.
The moonlight at night was very beautiful. The bright moonlight sprinkled in the courtyard, giving everything a gentle silver glow.
Everyone sat around the old wooden table in the yard and ate dinner in the moonlight.
At the dinner table, Lin Jianxue casually mentioned that she would be teaching at Zhenhai High School next Monday.
"Wow--"
Fu Qingqing was the first to exclaim in surprise, her eyes widening as she looked at Lin Jianxue with admiration: "Sister Xiaoxue! You're amazing! Are you really going to be a teacher?"
Dong Yulan also put down her chopsticks, a smile on her face: "Xiaoxue, this is really great! You are so talented, you should teach and educate people!"
After Fu Qingqing calmed down, she suddenly thought of something. Her face fell slightly as she looked at Lin Jianxue and asked with some reluctance, "Sister Xiaoxue, are you going to live in school from now on? You won't be coming back to our house?"
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