Lu Dewen had a dejected look on his face.
His eyes darted away guiltily.
This made Xue Huahua frown. Her anger rose again. "What did you do this time? Can you let me have two days of peace and quiet? "
"No, no."
Lu Dewen shook his head vigorously. He was afraid that he would not have dinner. He really did not cause any trouble.
"No, why are you feeling guilty? Tell me …"
"I'm afraid that I won't be able to eat my fill for dinner …" Lu Dewen scratched his head. He was a little embarrassed and scared.
He lowered his head.
He did not even dare to look at Xue Huahua.
"Can you be any more promising?" Xue Huahua wished she could swat him to death. Was she someone who would not give him food for no reason? An idiot who did not use his brain.
Lu Dewen secretly raised his head and glanced at his mother. Seeing that her expression was not good again, he hurriedly bent down to pick up the pigweed.
He did not dare to mention anything about dinner again. Just as his hand was holding the pigweed, he heard his mother's tone suddenly change.
She pinched her throat and spoke to him gently. "Did Liang Lanfen cause trouble for you?"
The three brothers did not receive this kind of treatment when they were outside.
He knew his place.
He looked up and saw that it was Luo Mengying.
He could not help but applaud his cleverness …
Luo Mengying came to talk to Xue Huahua about Lu Mingwen.
The educated youths did not agree with Liang Lanfen's method of criticizing Lu Mingwen. Therefore, when the meeting was held, none of the educated youths attended. They had privately discussed that Liang Lanfen would happily leave after criticizing Lu Mingwen. Wouldn't it be awkward for them to see Lu Mingwen every day? Moreover, they were not fools. They knew why Liang Lanfen would not let go of Lu Mingwen. Liang Lanfen was afraid that the county officials would find out that Lu Mingwen was helping her and deprive her of her place as a university student. She wanted to intimidate Lu Mingwen and push all the responsibility to him. Even if they came down to investigate, she would be clean.
Who would have thought that he had lifted a rock and smashed it on his own feet? He met the stubborn Xue Huahua, so he deserved it.
Hearing that Liang Lanfen had been scolded and beaten by Xue Huahua, the educated youths came out to ask for details. Lu Jianguo valiantly told them about the confession letter. The educated youths were restless and pushed her to explain to Xue Huahua. Criticizing Lu Mingwen was Liang Lanfen's personal behavior and had nothing to do with the educated youths. Moreover, they were not on the same side as Liang Lanfen and had never asked other members for help.
Luo Mengying had no choice but to make this trip.
"She was afraid that I would expose what she had done, so she hid from me every day. She didn't dare to make trouble for me. I came to talk to aunt about another thing..."
Hearing Luo Mengying's words, Xue Huahua laughed, "What Liang Lanfen did has nothing to do with the educated youths. That's a different thing. Why should I hate the educated youths?"
She didn't know that Lu Jianguo had wanted to establish his power for a long time. He couldn't find a chance. Today, she taught Liang Lanfen a lesson and gave Lu Jianguo a boost in morale. Lu Jianguo left the storage room and went to the educated youths' room. He told her words to them righteously and threatened that he would bring them to Xue Huahua if they disobeyed him. The educated youths were all scared pale. Especially when they saw Liang Lanfen's swollen cheeks, they were even more worried.
"I told them the same thing. They couldn't be at ease until you said it yourself." Thinking of the anxious atmosphere in the educated youths' room, Luo Mengying wanted to laugh. After the captain left, all of them looked blank and almost fainted. Xue Huahua was not as horrible as they thought. Xue Huahua was clear about kindness and hatred. She wouldn't beat people for no reason. Otherwise, she would have done it when Liang Lanfen asked Lu Mingwen for help. She wouldn't have endured it until now. She blamed Liang Lanfen for criticizing Lu Mingwen for provoking Xue Huahua.
Dark clouds were rolling, and it would rain at any time. People in the storage room were calling their children, and the smell of dust was in the air. Xue Huahua asked Luo Mengying to go back quickly and they could talk about it later. She turned around and urged Lu Mingwen to hurry up. She put away the buckets in the yard, carried the basket and left.
The wind rustled the leaves, and the sound of children calling for their children could be heard everywhere. The smell of dust was getting thicker. Lu Jianxun went home first to put down the eggs, and then he went to the storage room. Everyone had left. He was annoyed that he missed the wonderful show. Why did he miss the scene of cursing people? Seeing Xue Huahua coming out of the pig farm, he hurried to greet her, "Mom, mom, why is the meeting over?"
"Of course it's over. Go home, it's going to rain." As soon as she finished speaking, she felt fine raindrops falling on her face. She asked Lu Jianxun to keep up and ran in the direction of her home.
The raindrops were getting heavier, and in a few seconds, they fell like pearls from a broken string. The sound of rain was everywhere in the fields, the ground, and the mountains. The sky suddenly became dark, and even people's voices gradually became vague. When the four of them got home, they felt like they were soaked in the rain. Xue Huahua hurried to the room to change her clothes, and she cursed Liang Lanfen in her heart. Why did she pick today? If she caught a cold, she would ask her to pay for the medical expenses.
Xue Huahua was not the only one who thought this way. All the members who were drenched in the rain blamed Liang Lanfen, especially the educated youth from the educated youth section. They looked at Liang Lanfen as if she had killed their fathers. They had done their jobs and worked themselves to the bone, but Liang Lanfen had done everything she could to make them look bad. In the entire production team, other than Liang Lanfen, who had the cheek to order someone else's son around? In the end, they were all the scapegoats.
She even wrote a confession letter. Since young, the educated youth had never heard of anyone writing a confession letter. Liang Lanfen might be the first Chinese person to write a confession letter!
Could she be any more shameful?
At this time, Liang Lanfen, who had lost all her face, fell on the bed and cried her heart out. She recalled the scene when Xue Huahua pointed at her nose and scolded her. She wished she could just die. It was too shameful to live. She was a future university student, a pillar of society, and an advanced intellectual in the commune. But she was forced by an ignorant woman to the point that she could not say anything. Thinking of this, she was so angry that she stomped on the bed and screamed. She really did not want to live anymore.
"What are you doing? Haven't you lost enough face? I beg you, please let us go. You have lost all the face of the educated youth."
"Lu Mingwen has done so much work for you. Even if he didn't get any credit, he still worked hard. Why don't you think about him? Also, who the fuck is he? He dared to hit Sun Guixian's people with a hoe. Why did you provoke her? If she really killed you today, the captain will have to apply for a personal commendation from the commune tomorrow. "
"She has never studied, but she can recite the leaders' sayings backwards. She said you can't win, and she can't beat you. Is your brain rusty? If you really provoke her, she will sue the commune. Can you still keep your place as a university student? "
"Since she said she won't hold a grudge, you should just stay quietly and reflect on yourself. Give the confession letter to the captain as soon as possible."
Outside the room, the two female educated youths chattered incessantly, making Liang Lanfen mad. She fiercely stomped on the bed frame and burst into tears. She had lost all her face. In the future, when she went out to meet people, how would the villagers laugh at her? Thinking of the sarcastic faces of the villagers, she screamed again and again. She did not want to live anymore. She really did not want to live anymore.
The female educated youth saw that she did not repent and continued to lose her temper. Her face turned cold. "Continue to howl. You will know how powerful you are when the captain and Xue Huahua come."
Instantly, the room became silent.
Liang Lanfen hated Xue Huahua to the core. She hated and was afraid. When she wrote the confession letter of 300 words in the room and handed it to Lu Jianguo, Lu Jianguo only glanced at it perfunctorily and said, "Wait, I will read it to Comrade Xue Huahua and then decide if I pass." She was so angry that she almost went crazy. She kicked the mud under her feet and gritted her teeth.
Lu Jianguo did not care what she thought. Whether the writing was good or not, Xue Huahua had her own judgment. Since it was a warning to others, of course, he would not be soft-hearted. He stopped Liang Lanfen who was about to turn around and leave. "You come with me to find Comrade Xue Huahua. Let her tell you in person what needs to be changed."
After that, Lu Jianguo lifted his feet and walked towards the corn field. The sky was covered with dark clouds. Xue Huahua was cutting pigweed in the corn field. Lu Jianguo saw her in the morning. After the heavy rain, water droplets fell from the trees. Lu Jianguo put away the letter and shouted as he walked, "Where is Huahua? Where is Huahua? Comrade Liang Lanfen's confession letter is finished …"
He shouted all the way to the corn field. The people working around him surrounded him. Lu Jianguo squeezed through them and walked to Xue Huahua. He took out a square letter and said, "Huahua, let me read it to you?"
There were not many people in the village who could read, and even fewer who could write. Lu Jianguo was able to become the team leader because his father had the foresight to pay for him to finish primary school. He could be considered the best person in the production team because he could read and write.
Many of the members who received the news came to see what was going on. Even the people from the educated youth's room were confused. What did Liang Lanfen write when he was cooped up in his room without eating or drinking for three days? Not long after, a group of people gathered around. Lu Jianguo was afraid that they would hurt the crops in the field, so he shouted for them to go to the storage room and read it. There was strength in numbers, so he asked everyone to express their opinions.
In order to gather everyone as soon as possible, Lu Jianguo stepped on the muddy village road, crossed the ridge of the field, and ran to Liu Yunfang's house.
It was still the same plum tree. Half of its body was still exposed outside, and it was still the same earth-shattering cry. "Gather, gather! Hey, the team leader wants everyone to gather in the storage room. He's going to read the confession letter written by a university student for everyone to listen …"
The earth-shattering voice scared the dark clouds above their heads away.
With Liu Yunfang's help, the members gathered quickly, including those who didn't show up last time. Old and young, they gathered in front of the hill like little pigs waiting to be fed. Lu Jianguo solemnly walked up the hill, unfolded the letter, cleared his throat, and used his rough, thick voice to read out loud. "Hard work is like a burden placed in front of us. The burden can be light, and some are heavy. Some people pick the light and fear the heavy, and push the heavy burden to others. This is not a good attitude. As an intellectual from the countryside, I should be ahead of everyone else when it comes to suffering. Carrying the heavy burden, doing the heavy work is the only way to repay the country. In the past, I only thought about how to better repay the party that nurtured me, and the country that nurtured me, so I lost my direction and increased the burden on some comrades. Later, I suddenly realized that the road to the great pass is as hard as iron, and I have to keep my feet on the ground, one step at a time …"
Lu Jianguo thought that he was full of emotions, impassioned, and full of charisma. It was comparable to the commune cadres who taught them how to think about Jian She. Logically speaking, there should be a loud round of applause at the end, but when he finished the last word, the members were expressionless and confused. They were not in the mood at all. This level of cooperation … made him tired.
He lowered his head to look at Xue Huahua in the first row. She was picking up the pigweed from her backpack to wipe the sickle in her hand. Lu Jianguo shuddered and hurriedly returned the letter to Liang Lanfen. "No, no, it's too stiff. It's hard to read. Take it back and rewrite it." It was mostly quotes from leaders, and he could not tell that it was not sincere.
Shoving the paper back into her hand, Liang Lanfen's expression was stiff. She followed Lu Jianguo's line of sight and looked down. Xue Huahua had her arms crossed in front of her chest, and the sickle was placed vertically between her arms. It looked as if it had been washed, and it was exceptionally clean. She shrunk her neck and forced out the words through gritted teeth. "Captain, this is the best I can write."
"What?" Lu Jianguo was shocked, and then asked in disbelief, "You're a university student, and this is the best you can write? Look at the club members. Do they understand what you're saying? "
The club members cooperated and shook their heads. A few of them nodded, and when they saw the people around them shaking their heads, they followed suit. Wasn't it just carrying a load? What did it have to do with her, Liang Lanfen? The job of carrying a load was assigned by the Captain, and the educated youth would not be able to do it, alright? Liang Lanfen wanted to carry a load? Dream on!
Liang Lanfen's eyes turned red, and she stomped her feet in anger. "Then how do you want me to write?"
Lu Jianguo spread out his hands innocently. "How would I know? Ask Comrade Xue Huahua. She knows."
Under everyone's gazes, Xue Huahua raised her head and expressed her disdain vividly. "You're still talking about correcting? I think you're stubborn. You don't even have a name in the entire article. Who are you going to repent for? Who are you going to repent for? You have to know that you're repenting to the country. The country has millions of children, and if you don't tell them your name, who will know who you are?
"There's also the content of the article. Of course, you have to write clearly what you did wrong and make up your mind to change. You can't even do such a simple thing, and you still want to repay the country? It's enough if you don't embarrass the country. While everyone is here, go back and write a new article, so that we don't have to waste time next time. "
When Xue Huahua finished speaking, Lu Dewen immediately clapped his hands, firmly supporting his mother's views and decisions. "Mom, you're right."
Lu Mingwen was a little slow. Fortunately, he came to his senses in time and quickly filled in the article for Xue Huahua. Lu Jianxun followed closely behind. The three brothers clapped their hands and praised loudly. "Yes, Mom is right."
Xue Huahua initially asked Liang Lanfen to write a repentance letter because she wanted her to stay put and not create trouble. At the same time, she wanted to warn other women that whoever dared to ask Lu Mingwen for help in the future would end up like Liang Lanfen. Liang Lanfen, on the other hand, wrote a repentance letter that avoided the important and focused on the trivial. She lost her way because she was thinking about how to repay the country. Her skin was thicker than the skin of a pig.
If Liang Lanfen wanted to play word games with her, she couldn't blame her for being merciless.
The people in the educated youth's room wanted to do Xue Huahua a favor. Hearing that Liang Lanfen was asked to go back to her room to write again, two educated youth rushed back to the room on the slippery muddy path. Soon, they came back with a stool, pen and paper, and shouted to Liang Lanfen, who was blushing on the hillside. "Comrade Liang Lanfen, Comrade Liang Lanfen, we brought you the pen and paper."
They sent it to the hillside very considerately, so that Liang Lanfen could save her strength and actively deal with the repentance letter.
Xue Huahua gave a thumbs up. "Comrade Liang Lanfen, look at the consciousness of the comrades around you. You really should learn from them."
Liang Lanfen couldn't help but cry. On the hillside shrouded in dark clouds, on the uneven stool, she wrote the words that made her feel so humiliated that she wanted to destroy them.
"I, Liang Lanfen, responded to the call of the motherland and came to the countryside to be self-reliant and work hard. However, because of my lack of ideological consciousness and desire for pleasure, I often asked the comrades in the production team to help me with my work, which delayed my comrades from earning work points. My behavior is shameful to the country and the Party. After being reminded by the enthusiastic comrades in the production team, I decided to change my self-confidence and re-join the socialist Jian She. I swear that I will firmly support the leadership of the Party and stick to the socialist road of China …"
This repentance letter was almost written by Liang Lanfen in tears. She sobbed and read it to everyone. The wind messed up her hair, and her tears blurred her face. She cried even more miserably than when a family member had died. The members were moved. They hadn't seen such a touching scene for many years. The ideological consciousness of college students was different from them. They had done something wrong, but they never reflected on it. They were so inhumane.
Xue Huahua took the lead to applaud. "Sincere and sincere. Comrade Liang Lanfen, as the saying goes, a prodigal who repents is more valuable than gold. You should correct it well. I believe that the Party and the country will be willing to give you another chance."
"Yes, don't cry. In the future, dig more fields and plant more food. The Party and the country will see your sincerity."
"In the future, don't be lazy, don't make mistakes, go to the fields at dawn, and finish work at night. If you are afraid that you can't do it, we can supervise you."
"Actions are better than words. Let's go. Carry the basket and go to the corn field to weed …"
Everyone expressed their determination to help correct and supervise her. Liang Lanfen felt stars appear in front of her eyes. She closed her eyes and felt nothing.
The members were talking enthusiastically. Suddenly, they saw Liang Lanfen fall to the ground with a thud. They were too stunned to react. The educated youth reacted quickly. When Liang Lanfen rolled down, he went to help carry her away. Lu Jianguo asked if they should send her to the commune hospital. The educated youth shook his head. "She hasn't eaten for three days. I think she fainted from hunger. She will wake up after drinking some sugar water."
The educated youth hated Liang Lanfen now. They were too lazy to wake her up after cooking. If she wanted to eat, she could come out. If she didn't want to eat, then forget it. They didn't care about her at all. Liang Lanfen was stubborn. She didn't leave her room for three days. She even showed her face when she went to the toilet. It wasn't good to tell outsiders about this. They had to carry Liang Lanfen back first.
They had to maintain the image that the educated youth were united and friendly in the eyes of outsiders.
After Liang Lanfen left, the members didn't have any reason to stay. They took their tools and continued to work in the fields.
Speaking of Liang Lanfen's confession, many people used it to teach their children and grandchildren that Liang Lanfen's fate was to let the country and the party down. No, the fate was even worse. At least Liang Lanfen knew how to write, but they didn't even know how to write. When they reached the hillside, they wouldn't be able to write anything for five days and five nights.
Many people were so scared that they dreamed that they were squatting alone on the hillside, holding a pen like chopsticks. They were so anxious that they were sweating profusely. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't write anything …
The frightened members worked even harder. They were determined not to walk the same path as Liang Lanfen.
In the next few days, the enthusiasm of the production team reached an unprecedented level. Lu Jianguo felt that killing a chicken to warn the monkey was powerful. Just when he was happy to see it, a member who went to the commune next door asked him to go to the commune for a meeting. He also said that the commune's cadres were talking about a person named Liang Zhiqing. Lu Jianguo panicked. Liang Lanfen was an advanced intellectual selected by the commune, but he was secretly undermining the commune's reputation. He was so anxious that he didn't know what to do. After thinking for a while, he went to Xue Huahua to make a decision. "Huahua, if the commune's cadres ask me, how should I answer?"
Liang Lanfen had been well-behaved for the past two days. If the commune's cadres asked Liang Lanfen about his performance, should he say good or bad?
Xue Huahua had just fed the pigs and was about to go out to cut the pigweed. The path was muddy and slippery, so Liu Yunfang replaced Li Xuemei to cut the pigweed. Hearing Lu Jianguo's words, Liu Yunfang scolded him for being useless. "Just answer whatever the commune's cadres ask. You still have Liang Lanfen's confession letter. What are you afraid of? Let's go. It's going to rain again. Don't delay me and Huahua from cutting the pigweed. "
Lu Jianguo was confused. Liang Lanfen's confession letter was hidden by him and Qian Sai. They buried it underground with a layer of cloth. Was he supposed to dig it out now? What he meant was that the educated youths would dig it out next year and read it to the new educated youths. If he gave it to the commune's cadres, how was he going to scare the new educated youths next year?
Liu Yunfang rolled her eyes and asked Xue Huahua to tell him that she was too lazy to waste her time. Li Xuemei was also an educated youth. She had told him about the university procedures. It was not enough to just have the recommendation from the commune's cadres. The county will also send people to check. Last year, there was an incident where the commune's cadres accepted money to recommend the candidates. This year, the county's cadres are required to go to the countryside to check the candidates. No matter what the purpose of the commune's cadres is, Lu Jianguo must bring the confession letter.
Of course, Liu Yunfang was not that smart. It was Xue Huahua who told her to bring the confession letter. Anything that involved Liang Lanfen, bringing along a confession letter would definitely be helpful.
"If the commune's cadres ask, you should tell them the truth from the moment she entered the village. In this way, the cadres can get useful information. As for you, as the team leader, you should be responsible for supervising the educated youths' work. You did nothing wrong." Xue Huahua felt that Liang Lanfen's marriage would be ruined when she went to university. It was useful to use connections to control the educated youths, provided that no one made a fuss. Once the fuss was made, the cadres would definitely protect themselves. Xue Huahua suggested to Lu Jianguo, "The cadres must have seen Liang Lanfen's work score book. If they ask, just say that Liang Lanfen is indeed an excellent advanced person from the book. If she didn't bite back, they wouldn't have made a fuss …"
The commune cadres also cared about their reputation. If Lu Jianguo told them honestly, it would be tantamount to admitting that the commune cadres were incompetent. In this way, Lu Jianguo would get into trouble.
Lu Jianguo had been the team leader for many years, so he had a deep understanding of this aspect. He understood it as soon as Xue Huahua reminded him. The commune cadres were not in the wrong. He was not in the wrong. The one who was in the wrong was Liang Lanfen who didn't know what was good for her. She was the one who was in the wrong.
With a countermeasure, Lu Jianguo was no longer anxious. He went to the storage room to get a hoe and carried it home. He leisurely entered his room, moved the cabinet by the wall, and dug out the buried cloth with two swings of the hoe. He patted the mud on it and walked out of the house confidently. Thinking of some families that said they would send their children to the Commune Primary, he decided to do it at the same time.
As soon as the Commune Primary was established, he encouraged the members to send their children to school. However, the weather was not good, and the harvest was poor. The public grain could barely last until the autumn harvest. No one was willing to spend money to send their children to school. Now, after the stimulation of Liang Lanfen, there were people who were willing to spend money.
The captains of the two advanced production teams in Fenggu Village were there. In addition to the commune cadres, there were two unfamiliar faces. They had fair and clean faces and wore neat gray-blue jackets. They knew that he was the captain of the Yan 'an Village Production Team. Lu Jianguo pulled him aside to talk. He had a good idea and repeated the draft he had prepared. Of course, he added a lot of good words in the middle. For example, the conditions of the families that worked for Liang Lanfen were not good. Because of their high ideological awareness, they frequently helped out because they couldn't bear to refuse their comrades' help … He also praised the commune cadres in various ways. The cadres were honest and clean, and they always followed the rules. The advanced members were all educated youth who had made outstanding contributions. He also mentioned the educated youth who had left their production team, and the wheelbarrow he left behind saved them a lot of energy …
When the two interrupted him, Lu Jianguo reluctantly closed his mouth.
He walked back and saw the commune cadres standing in the corner looking at him with a smile. Lu Jianguo understood what they meant too well. They were praising him for being smart.
After that, he estimated that there was nothing else for him to do. He greeted the commune cadres and went to the Commune Primary. He first signed up a few children. As for the school fees, he would pay them when they entered school in September. The teacher who helped with the registration noticed that he looked unfamiliar. He asked which production team he was from and why he hadn't seen him before. When the children of the production team went to school, the captain had to report to the school first. In the past, no one in the village went to school. Naturally, Lu Jianguo had never been here. It was natural that the teacher didn't know him. He introduced himself. "I'm from the Yan 'an Village Production Team. This year, the weather is good and the harvest is good. The members want to send their children here."
Although there were only five children, it was enough to make Lu Jianguo happy. When he returned, he would call for a meeting to discuss the issue of studying. By then, there would be more children coming.
When he passed by the post office, the people inside told him that there was something for Luo Mengying. Luo Mengying's family was well-off. Every month, people would send something to her. Sometimes it was food, sometimes it was clothes, and sometimes it was books. Lu Jianguo had formed a habit. Every month when he came to the commune, he would go to the post office to collect something for Luo Mengying.
He counted the days. It had been less than half a month since Luo Mengying received the letter. Why would there be something in the mail? Moreover, it was packed in a gunny bag. It was very strenuous to carry it. He told them to wait for a while and went to borrow a basket from the commune to carry it back to the village. As he returned to the village, there was an uproar in the production team. Liang Lanfen's place in the university had been taken away. It was given to a male educated youth from the production team next door. The news was brought by the leader of the advanced production team. He said that it was the result of the commune's decision. When Liang Lanfen heard the news, she fainted on the ground.
The commune members who received the news rushed to the pig farm to ask Xue Huahua. They remembered clearly that Xue Huahua said that Liang Lanfen's political consciousness was low. The commune's cadres only gave her a place in the University of Workers, Peasants and Soldiers because they wanted her to leave. Why did it suddenly change? Did it mean that Liang Lanfen would still have to stay in the production team?
Xue Huahua answered matter-of-factly, "I was purposely trying to anger Liang Lanfen. University students carry the burden of our socialism, Jian She. The mission is very important. Of course, the commune's cadres should choose people who are hardworking and positive."
"Moreover, after graduating from university, the state will assign jobs, the unit will allocate housing, and the people who live in the city will be provided with food. How can the commune's cadres just give it to anyone? The news of Liang Lanfen going to university must have been deliberately released by the commune's cadres to test the mentality of the educated youth. Being humble, cautious, not arrogant, and not rash is the style that comrades should have. Whoever can do it will be the final winner. Look, did Liang Lanfen do it? "
"Looking at her arrogant style and her attitude of scolding anyone who has a chance to breathe, what will happen if she goes to university? Everyone needs to understand that the reward should be given to those who contribute. For example, we plant crops. The same seeds, the same soil, the hardworking people's crops will be good, while the lazy people's crops will be bad … "
The commune members were enlightened. They had said that no one would send a person back to the city to live a comfortable life if they hated him. The commune's cadres were really wise.
As they chatted, the topic shifted to the city people riding bicycles to eat the food provided by the government. How glorious it was to eat the food provided by the government. Their ancestors had been digging in the fields for generations and eating from the sky. When would it end? Everyone was talking about it. Liu Yunfang sneered at the side. She was not envious of the city people. She had sent her grandchildren to primary school, and in a few years, her family would be the most powerful in the production team.
Didn't Lu Jianguo become the team leader because of his education?
Liu Yunfang imagined the scene in ten years. Many people were excited. Yes, they had to send their children to school. If they were lucky enough to go to university, their whole family would have to live in the city and eat the food provided by the government.
Lu Jianguo was talking to Luo Mengying in the educated youth room. He was wondering why the food was so heavy. It was half a sack of food and half a sack of books. He handed the food to Luo Mengying and prepared to go back. He was thinking about how to persuade the members to send their children to primary school. Before he left the educated youth room, the members came to him and asked to send their children to school. They wanted to send their children to school for as long as they could. Lu Jianguo felt proud and led them to the storage room to find the accountant to register. The next time he went to the commune, he would settle the matter.
Suddenly, there was a trend of reading in the production team. Of course, most of them only sent their grandchildren to school. As for their granddaughters, they would be married when they grew up. It did not matter if they went to school or not. Moreover, their granddaughters had to work for the family. If they all went to school, who would do the housework? Who would take care of the children?
In the past, when the members met each other, they would ask each other if they had eaten. Now, they asked if their grandchildren were going to primary school. Even Xue Huahua had someone ask her. Only after asking did she realize that her grandson was still young and she still had a few years to wait.
After a few days of heavy rain, the weather finally cleared up. It was getting hotter and hotter. The sweet potato vines were almost ready to be cut and transplanted. Before Lu Jianguo assigned tasks, Xue Huahua went home and made two delicious dishes. Steamed eggs, deep-fried pancakes, and a pot of white rice. There were no wild vegetables or sweet potatoes added to the rice. Everyone had a bowl of white rice.
Holding the bowl, it was different from how they usually gobbled down their food. Except for Lu Hongying, the three brothers were all anxious and showed a look of fear.
White rice, they could not eat it even during the New Year. Xue Huahua scooped a bowl of white rice. The brothers had a very bad feeling. They did not even know where to put their hands. They rubbed the table anxiously. Fear, panic, and worry flashed across their faces. When Xue Huahua came out with a basket of fragrant pancakes, the three brothers pushed the stool away in panic. They almost knelt down in front of Xue Huahua.
"Are you sitting down to eat? Don't you like it? Why are you so slow today? "Xue Huahua put the basket on the table. There was a bowl under it to prevent the oil from getting on the table and wiping it.
"Mom …" Lu Dewen's face was pale. He stuttered, "Mom, if there's anything, just say it. You can hit me, but please don't do this." A few big bowls of white rice was enough to cook vegetable porridge for half a month. Xue Huahua must be very angry to not be able to live with the food. He racked his brain to recall what stupid things he did these few days. There was one day when he had diarrhea and squatted in the toilet for a long time. Other than that, there was nothing else.
At the same time, Lu Mingwen was also thinking about what he did to make Xue Huahua angry. When he was weeding the corn field, a female comrade secretly gave him food to thank him for helping her in the past. He felt that it was not worth mentioning to do a favor, so he did not accept the female comrade's kindness. Could it be that Xue Huahua was angry that he was stupid and did not want the food that was given to him? Then should he ask the female comrade for the food now?
On the other hand, Lu Jianxun's brain quickly went through the bad things he did these few days. In all honesty, he did not do anything. He really did not know what he did to make Xue Huahua angry.
Xue Huahua saw that the three of them were frowning and their legs were trembling. Xue Huahua was puzzled, "What's wrong? Are you shaking your legs because it's not hot enough to resist the cold?"
The three of them shook their heads at the same time and said in unison, "Mom …"
"What mom? Hurry up and sit down. I have something to say." Xue Huahua pushed the stool away, took a piece of cake from the basket and passed it to Xixi, letting him eat it himself. Seeing that the three of them did not dare to come over, she frowned and slammed the table, "What's wrong? Are you happy that I let you have a good meal? Fine, fine, fine. Third Sister, keep their bowls and pour the rice back into the pot. We'll eat it tomorrow."
Before she could finish her sentence, the three of them sat down as fast as they could and placed their hands on the table. They looked at Xue Huahua nervously and obediently, "Mom, speak."
It was not that they could not eat.
However, Xue Huahua thought differently from them, "Eat. Eat first."
The three brothers' faces turned even paler. They even thought that Xue Huahua was preparing to chop them up and sell them at the price of pork. The three brothers ate.
They ate the rice in their bowls without knowing the taste. They did not even dare to touch the steamed egg in the middle of the table and the cake in the basket.
Xue Huahua asked, "Is it delicious?"
The three brothers answered with a trembling voice, "Delicious." How could white rice not be delicious?
"Do you still want to eat it in the future?"
The three brothers trembled. What exactly made their mom so angry that she started talking nonsense? They did not dare to lie and followed their hearts. They nodded heavily, "Yes, very much." If they could eat it every day, they would be willing to do as much work as they wanted.
Xue Huahua put down her chopsticks and looked at them thoughtfully, "Eldest, Second, Fourth …"
The three of them trembled and their bodies tensed up.
"Everyone in the production team is talking about sending their children to school. Mom thinks that when you were young, your families were poor and there was a famine. Eldest probably did not even know how to write his name, right?"
Lu Dewen's lips were dry and he nodded while trembling. He had long forgotten about it, but he could still recognize it from the accountant's work score book.
"This can't go on. Mom's life is over. You are still young and there are many possibilities in the future. Mom is thinking of providing for you to go to school …"
The three of them widened their eyes in shock. Go to school? Go to primary school in the commune with the children from the village? Wouldn't that be a waste of money? The teachers in the Commune Primary were probably younger than them, especially Lu Dewen. He already had two sons. He would be laughed at if he went to primary school. He shook his head firmly, "Mom, I don't want to go to school. I want to earn my work score."
Xue Huahua knew what Lu Dewen was thinking about. She had been thinking about it for a long time. The college entrance examination would be reinstated in 1977, and there would be no age limit, so they would all have a chance. But in the 1980s, the policy would be different. At that time, even if they wanted to go to school, they would not be able to do so. Xue Huahua said, "I'm not asking you to go to the commune for primary school, but to learn at home. Lu Ming's wife is an intellectual, so mom asked her to teach me.
After Xixi finished the pancake in his hand, he stepped on the stool and reached for the basket. Lu Dewen swallowed his saliva, "Mom, what does this have to do with eating rice, eggs, and pancakes?"
"Let's ask Lu Ming's wife to come up with a test every month. The two who do the best will eat rice and eggs. What do you think?" Xue Huahua had calculated the food at home. Together with the wheat harvested from the private plot, it would not be a problem for them to eat until the autumn harvest. Liu Huaxian owed them a debt.
Two months of rations and work points, together with the production team's share, it would not be a problem for them to eat until the autumn harvest.
During this period, as long as they did not slack off and did their own things, their days would get better.
Lu Dewen had gone to school before, so he had the advantage of learning from scratch. For the sake of rice and eggs, he nodded without hesitation. "Mom, I think it's a good idea."
Xue Huahua looked at Chao Caizhi again. Chao Caizhi was stunned, "Mom, can I not come?"
"You are a member of our family. You should join us." As long as they could get into the university, she would be happy no matter who it was.
Chao Caizhi had always listened to Xue Huahua, so she did not refuse. Lu Jianxun and Lu Hongying were in high spirits and expressed their willingness to learn and make progress together. Except for Lu Mingwen, he was upset. He knew that the reason why Xue Huahua did this was purely for him. He was cuckolded by Sun Baoqin and became a joke in the production team. Today, when other production team leaders talked about the quota for the University of Workers, Peasants and Soldiers, someone asked if Sun Baoqin's husband was qualified.
Only then did he know that Sun Baoqin was pregnant, and her husband could not go anywhere.
The club members laughed at him for being a good-for-nothing. He married his wife at a banquet, but she was pregnant with someone else's child. Some people even said that people go to higher places while water flows to lower places. It was normal for Sun Baoqin to like an educated man. People's hearts were made of flesh. No matter how he pretended to be calm and elegant on the surface, he could not hide the sadness in his heart.
His mother should have seen through his mood, so she deliberately encouraged him to study, encouraged him to work hard, and beat the educated man.
Thinking of Xue Huahua's good intentions, his nose became sore. "Mom, I am not sad. Everyone has their own life. I have thought it through …"
Xue Huahua threw her chopsticks at him, "Life? What life? Do you know horoscopes or palmistry? "
Xue Huahua did not know about Sun Baoqin's pregnancy at all. She also did not know that the club members laughed at Lu Mingwen's temper. Only people who were tired of living would provoke her. She looked down on Lu Mingwen's attitude of giving up on himself. He was not even 20 years old, but he was as lifeless as an old man. There was no life in him at all. Just looking at him made her angry. She threw her chopsticks to vent her anger and picked up the bowl to throw at him. Lu Mingwen was terrified. He covered his face with his hands. "Mom, mom, I promise, I promise. I will learn. I will learn whatever you tell me to learn." Wasn't it just learning words? Was it more painful than being beaten?
Xue Huahua snorted. Everyone was like a walnut. She would not be happy if she did not beat him.
After the matter was settled, Xue Huahua pulled the basket over and put a pancake in each of their bowls. "Eat. Go back to your room and sleep after eating. I will talk to Lu Ming's wife tomorrow."
The three brothers did not dare to disobey and ate the pancake obediently. As they ate, Lu Dewen realized that something was wrong. He thought that this meal was cooked by Xue Huahua in a fit of anger and sent them on their way after eating. It did not seem to be the case. "Mom, can I eat the steamed eggs in the bowl?"
There were eggs in the chicken coop every day. Together with the bird eggs that Lu Jianxun picked up, there was a full bowl of steamed eggs. The three brothers had never eaten steamed eggs in their lives until now.
"The steamed eggs are not for you but for the pigs?"
The three brothers were shocked again. The eggs were actually steamed for them. They had been holding the chopsticks and had not tasted it until now. They all thought that Xue Huahua was provoked and wanted to teach them a lesson. They ate the rice in their bowls with great fear. However, it was a false alarm. Lu Dewen wanted to dig his throat to spit out the rice and eat it again.
Before that, getting the eggs into the bowls was the most important thing. The three brothers almost pushed the bowls to the side of the bowl at the same time and reached out to grab the ladle. You grab the head, I grab the tail, and no one wants to let go. It was more intense than the pigs fighting for food. Xue Huahua slammed the table. "Are you the reincarnation of a hungry ghost? Big brother, grab the ladle first. Come one by one. Now you know to grab. What were you doing before?"
Lu Mingwen quickly retracted his hand and queued up obediently.
Lu Dewen could not understand Xue Huahua and did not dare to use too much force to fill the ladle. He scooped a small ladle and poured it into the bowl. He saw Chao Caizhi do this just now. It was definitely the right choice to learn from Chao Caizhi.
When it was Lu Mingwen's turn, he shook his hand with the ladle. The portion was less than Lu Dewen's.
The last one was Lu Jianxun. His portion was about the same as Lu Mingwen's and less than Lu Dewen's.
Xue Huahua was satisfied. She took the ladle and scooped a big ladle for Chao Caizhi. "You need to breastfeed. Eat more."
She then turned to the three brothers who were staring at the bowl and softened her tone. "A family should know how to be modest when eating. Look, you didn't eat it, but didn't we save it for you? We are a family. We should think of each other in everything we do. It is selfish to only care about our own mouths. Eat up. Finish the steamed eggs. I will steam more for you next month. "
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