Lu Jianxun patted his chest and promised Xue Huahua. Xue Huahua didn't say anything.
After a while, she urged them to work quickly.
Xue Huahua kept all the kerosene at home.
They didn't light up the lights all year round. Over time, the whole family got used to eating in the dark and washing dishes. During the day, they worked.
After work, they studied.
In the evening, they went home to do housework.
After eating, they had to go to bed. They only had time to review their lessons in the morning and noon.
Xue Huahua carried the grass into the shed.
She said, "Two days ago, I heard you guys reading. You seemed to be dozing off. I think the literacy exam is a little far away.
The reward is also far away. Let's set a closer goal. "
In the past, the siblings worked very hard in their studies in order to eat rice and eggs.
After the New Year, their attitude gradually became lazy.
Other than the difficulty of the questions and their lack of confidence.
Moreover, the temptation of rice and eggs was not as good as the psychological exhaustion.
Spring fatigue and autumn fatigue.
The siblings seemed to get tired more easily.
Xue Huahua put down the grass.
She looked at the blurry figure working in the yard dam. "What do you think?"
"Whatever mom says." The three brothers had absolute trust in Xue Huahua. Xue Huahua would not harm them.
Xue Huahua raised her eyebrows. When she sat down to eat, she told them her plan. "I promise you that you want to eat stir-fried vegetables and eggs every week. But you have to understand that there is no free lunch in this world. If you want to eat, you have to work hard. If you want to eat rice, you have to do well in the exam. If you want to eat stir-fried vegetables and eggs every week, you have to put in more effort."
Lu Dewen was a first-class labor force in the production team. He didn't feel that he still had room for improvement. "Mom, do we still have potential?" They couldn't be asked to be the production team leader or an accountant, right?
"You don't have to work day and night. We just need to change the rewards and punishments. Those who don't do well will still have to eat. Let's change the punishment." Xue Huahua held the chopsticks and said with a smile.
"Okay …" Lu Jianxun was overjoyed. To be honest, he did not agree with those who did not meet the requirements to have their meals halved. Think about it, for the sake of exams, they had to wake up early and sleep late, they had to study like their lives depended on it. In the end, they couldn't even keep their basic meals when the results came out. They might as well not take the exam. If they didn't take the exam, they wouldn't have the chance to eat rice and eggs. At least they wouldn't have to take any risks.
Lu Dewen and Lu Mingwen agreed. Only Lu Hongying was a little doubtful. She asked carefully, "Mom, what do you think the punishment should be?"
"Fine. Didn't I promise you that everyone who passed the literacy exam would get 60 cents? Since Third Sister's money was spent in advance, I was thinking of giving you an extra 40 cents. That's one dollar per person."
This was like a pie falling from the sky. The siblings were so happy that they forgot themselves. One dollar could buy a lot of things. There were five of them. If Xue Huahua took out five dollars, would their family still have money?
Xue Huahua couldn't see the expressions on their faces. She paused and said, "From now on, if you don't do well in the exam every month, you'll be fined one cent. How about that?"
Of course, it didn't matter. It was better to eat less than being fined. They were wondering why Xue Huahua suddenly increased the price. Money didn't grow on trees. How could there be such a good thing?
The house was silent, but Xue Huahua cheered happily, "Okay, since there are no objections, it's decided. From this exam onwards, if you score less than 70, you'll be fined one cent. If you don't do well in all four subjects, you'll be fined four points." Amidst the cries of the siblings, Xue Huahua was in high spirits. "Don't worry, everyone. I won't spend the money you've deducted. When the time comes, I'll use the money to buy meat from the commune. I'll buy as much as I can to reward everyone for your hard work."
The siblings did not feel very good. It was true that they wanted to eat meat very much, but if they were to use their own money to buy meat, they would not be in a good mood. Lu Jianxun discussed with Xue Huahua, "Mom, why don't we forget about it?" The thought of the money being deducted made them feel uncomfortable. They would rather not ask for the extra 40 cents than have it deducted.
"Didn't you promise to study hard? You can't even reach 70 points, and you still want to eat stir-fried vegetables every week. Don't you feel guilty? If anyone has any objections, speak up. We can take notes tomorrow." Xue Huahua's tone became strong, and the siblings didn't dare to disobey. Lu Hongying was the first to express her opinion, "Mom, I agree. The questions are difficult, but 70 points is not a problem if we work hard." She had only failed three subjects in the previous two exams.
Chao Caizhi listened to Xue Huahua, "Mom, I'll work hard even without the money." Whether she had money or not, she wouldn't let Xue Huahua's kindness down. Since she started to learn to read, she became busy every day. But she was not as messy as before, and she didn't think about anything else except work. She didn't know when she started to think more clearly, and she didn't panic when she did things.
In the past, she did whatever Xue Huahua asked her to do. If Xue Huahua didn't arrange any work for her, she couldn't find anything to do. Now, it was different. Even if Xue Huahua wasn't at home, she could arrange everything clearly.
"Listen to Caizhi. She has a much higher level of awareness than you brothers. If you don't feel good …"
Before Xue Huahua finished her words, the three brothers hurriedly expressed their opinions, "Mom, sister-in-law is right. We should study hard. The people in the team are eliminating illiteracy and taking part in moral education. We can't fall behind others. If the black-haired don't learn early, the white-haired regret studying late. The words of the ancients always make sense."
"Okay, let's eat. There's a test tomorrow. Everyone, go to bed early and do your best."
Speaking of the test, the siblings were not as excited as they used to be. They were very serious and nervous. They asked Xue Huahua, "Mom, when are we going to take the test?" It was almost May. They had to dig the fields, transplant the seedlings, and harvest the wheat. They were so busy that they might not have half a day to take the test. That's right. The test would take at least half a day to finish. It rained last time during the test, so they wouldn't be so lucky tomorrow.
"We'll take the language test in the morning. After lunch, we'll take the mathematics test. In the evening, we'll take the history and geography test. We'll take the test in sections. Everyone, get ready." Xue Huahua had gotten the test paper a long time ago and made five copies for each of them. From her point of view, with the siblings' lazy attitude, the test this time would be difficult. "I'll wash the dishes. You guys go back to your rooms early and sleep."
They couldn't sleep at all. After returning to their rooms, they kept thinking about the knowledge they learned in April. They were afraid that their money would be deducted if they didn't do well. Lu Mingwen said to Lu Jianxun, "Jianxun, I'm not afraid of having my money deducted. Think about it. We only have 60 cents, and now we have 40 cents more. At most, we can deduct it from 40 cents. We won't have to deduct all of it, right?"
"Why should we deduct 40 cents? I still want to buy sweets for Xixi. You have to keep your word. Don't talk about depressing things in the future. I'll do my best."
Lu Mingwen wasn't convinced. "When did I say anything depressing? You're the one with bad intentions. You said that I asked the educated youth questions, but you advised me to ask Luo Zhiqing. Think about it. If we don't solve the problems in time, they'll just pile up. Will we be able to catch our breath?" As he said that, Lu Mingwen reached out and pushed Lu Jianxun. "You're the one who's holding us back. Move over. I'm going to sleep."
"I'm going to be pushed down by you. Do you want me to fall and get the first place? In your dreams. I won't go over." Not only did Lu Jianxun not move to the side, but he also rubbed against Lu Mingwen. "Tomorrow, you'll sleep outside and I'll sleep inside. I'm afraid you'll kick me out of bed."
"I think you have paranoia …"
The two brothers started to quarrel. They only stopped when they heard Xue Huahua scolding them outside. They closed their eyes and went to sleep.
Lu Mingwen and Lu Jianxun woke up before dawn. In the dark, they went to the kitchen to scoop up some water and washed their faces with cold water. They were so nervous that they paced back and forth. The morning air was mixed with humidity. The brothers held their notebooks in their hands and recited Chinese in a low voice. They had to seize the last chance to study before the exam.
Not long after, Lu Dewen and Chao Caizhi woke up. The two of them leaned against the wall and dozed off. Lu Dewen flipped open the notebook and recited the words on the notebook. Lu Jianxun took a glance and thought nothing of it. Lu Dewen couldn't guess the questions accurately, and he didn't want to waste his time.
She didn't know what the old people at the farm were thinking. The questions were always tricky. If one was not careful, they would make mistakes. Not to mention full marks, even 90 marks was considered excellent. Luo Mengying and Li Xuemei were curious about their standards, so they followed them to do the exam. There was one time when Li Xuemei did not do as well as them. The moment they got the test notebook, Lu Jianxun asked Xue Huahua, "Do Luo Zhiqing and the rest know how to do this set of questions?"
"No, just look at the questions carefully. Don't flip to the back when you reach page 5. There are Mathematics questions at the back. Do it at noon. To be fair, if anyone peeks at the Mathematics questions, there is no need for an oral test. Just copying the questions took Xue Huahua three and a half days. By the fourth time, she could almost memorize the questions.
The work in the farm was heavy, and if they had to copy the questions themselves, they would waste a lot of time. She had some free time at the farm, so she would copy the questions whenever she had time.
Her handwriting was not good, but fortunately, they could all recognize it. The siblings focused on the exam. Xue Huahua went to the kitchen to cook, and from time to time, she would come out to take a look. When Xixi and Dong Dong were calling for them, she would go into the house to help them get dressed. Xue Huahua reminded them that they were having an exam, and the two brothers did not disturb them. They moved a low stool and sat at the side, playing with wood chips.
Xue Huahua used a steamer basket to steam a pot of steamed buns, and underneath it was a pot of porridge. When the water in the pot was boiling, she threw in the wild vegetables and cooked them. After the vegetables were cooked, she sprinkled some salt and soy sauce, stirred them up, and put them into a bowl.
Without a watch to keep track of time, Xue Huahua could only estimate the time. After the steamed buns were steamed, she scooped the porridge into a bowl, and when it was not hot, she called Lu Hongying, who was outside, to put away her notebook. Whether she had finished the exam or not, she had to put it away and prepare for dinner. After dinner, she still had to go to work.
The siblings took turns to be the team leader. Lu Hongying closed her own notebook first, and then put away Lu Dewen and the others'. Lu Jianxun was still immersed in writing. Lu Hongying very humanely put away Lu Mingwen and Chao Caizhi's books first, and then Lu Jianxun's. Even so, Lu Jianxun's homework was still not finished. The Poetry Appreciation was a poem that they had never learned before. It not only tested the meaning of the poem, but also the mood of the poem and the feelings that the poet wanted to express. It was difficult, too difficult. It was so difficult that Lu Jianxun wanted to drop his pen.
Lu Hongying put away her notebook, tied it with a dead knot, and put it at the side. Then she went to the kitchen to help carry the bowls and chopsticks. Except for Lu Hongying and Chao Caizhi, the other three brothers sat on the high stools with their backs drooping, sighing. Xue Huahua asked deliberately, "What's wrong? Did you all do well?"
Lu Dewen looked up and glanced at Lu Mingwen, feeling a little complicated. Then he looked at the gloomy Lu Jianxun in the kitchen, and his heavy mood lightened a little.
Lu Mingwen and Lu Jianxun could be considered two extremes in the exam. If Lu Mingwen did well, he would frown like mud, and if you asked him, he would guarantee, "Not good, I couldn't estimate the answers to two questions, and I must have gotten them wrong. And the last question was too difficult, and I did it randomly." When the results came out, he would say, "Damn it, he did the best."
As for Lu Jianxun, it was all on his face. Whether he did well or not, you can tell from his face.
Lu Dewen saw his two brothers like this, and he knew that Lu Mingwen did well, and Lu Jianxun did poorly. As for him? Lu Dewen sighed. "It seems that I don't know the answers to many questions. Mum, why don't the Farm give us some questions?" They were already so old, and shouldn't they just give us random questions.
Xue Huahua placed the bowl on the table and smiled. "What's wrong? Are you touched? I had spoken to Lu Ming's wife. If there's a chance, you all should go to the Farm to visit the Old Folks. You all have never met them, but they are willing to give you all these questions."
Lu Dewen almost cried. He wished they did not give him any questions. He wants them to be grateful. Lu Dewen's expression was stiff. "I heard the Farm is very strict, and we are not related to them. They will not allow us to go in, right?"
"Don't worry. Just go with Lu Ming and introduce yourself. The Farm will not stop you." Xue Huahua had wanted to tease them, but she felt that it was not a big deal to go. Lu Ming and Li Xuemei do not have time, and even if they want to go, it will be after Lunar New Year. There is still a long time before they go.
Xue Huahua brought the notebook to the pig farm to mark the answers given by Li Xuemei. As expected, other than Lu Dewen, the rest scored less than 70 points. Lu Hongying scored 69 points, Lu Jianxun scored 63 points, Lu Mingwen scored 67 points, and Chao Caizhi only scored 50 points. Li Xuemei and Luo Mengying looked at their answers. "Auntie, Dewen's brothers are very good. I have done the questions, and my score is around 60 points. My grandfather and a few friends used to be teachers in the school, and they are very strict when it comes to exams."
Luo Mengying looked at the answers and nodded. "I also feel that these questions are more difficult than high school homework. If it was me, I will break down." The homework she brought was a test paper, and it was nothing compared to the questions set by the old man. If she had met such a teacher in the past, she might have dropped out of school.
"My grandfather said in his letter that there are more difficult questions. He was afraid that Dewen's brothers would lose their confidence, so he did not write them down." Because of the questions, Li Xuemei and the Farm received more letters. Her grandfather told her that the people in the Farm are very curious about Lu Dewen and the rest. A few old men sat together and talked about them every day. Two of their friends were scientists in the past, and they asked Lu Dewen and the rest if they are interested in learning physics and chemistry. Boys are smart, and if they are not good at history and geography, they might be talented in physics and chemistry.
Li Xuemei asked Xue Huahua if she wants to let Lu Dewen and the rest to learn. Xue Huahua said: "Not for now. Geography and chemistry are about flexibility. Without a good teacher, it will be difficult to learn them by themselves." If their family is well-off, Xue Huahua will not mind. But in the current situation, the focus is still on earning credits. History and geography are mostly memorized, and the siblings can memorize them even if they have to work. But science is more practical, and it is more difficult to learn.
"When I wrote back to my grandfather, I told him that the people in the Farm are very concerned about Dewen and the rest's studies. My grandfather said in his letter that he will let Dewen and the rest to visit the Farm if there is a chance." Most of the people in the Farm are labeled as bad people, and it is impossible for them to leave the Farm. Only outsiders can visit them. "There is a grandfather in the Farm who is not feeling well during Chinese New Year. I thought he will not survive past March. Unexpectedly, he survived. My grandfather said that he survived by giving Dewen and the rest questions."
In his letter, Grandpa Li asked her to learn more from Xue Huahua and the rest. He wants to be friends with positive and outstanding people. She will be inspired and full of vigor. On the contrary, if she lives with the lifeless people, her bright and optimistic heart will gradually become depressed, and she will not be able to see the direction of the future. Life in the Farm is like this. Every day, they walk slowly with a goal in mind, thinking that there is hope in the future. But where is the hope? No one can say, and no one can guarantee that they will get it. Xue Huahua and the rest's education had rekindled many people's confidence in life and hope for the future.
No matter how the situation changes, they must maintain the mentality of learning. Every day is a new day, and tomorrow will be better because of today's hard work.
Many people do not have this mentality now.
"Aunty, my grandfather said in his letter that he is grateful to you. Because of you, the atmosphere in the Farm is much better."
Xue Huahua was surprised. "What are you thanking me for? I have to thank them. During Chinese New Year, I will ask Dewen and the rest to go to the Farm to visit Grandpa Li." Li Xuemei had told her about the Li Family's situation. Old Master Li was a former professor. Because he sent his son overseas, he was accused of being a spy and sent to the Farm for reform. If Lu Dewen and the rest can receive his education, they will benefit a lot in the future.
"If there is a chance, I also want to visit the Farm. But I don't think I will have the chance." Luo Mengying's face was full of regret. Lu Jianguo had reminded her in private to be careful of her words and actions. Fenggu Township's university quota will be decided soon, and he will recommend her. At the latest, she will have to leave the production team at the end of August. Thinking about the past few years, she can't bear to leave.
Li Xuemei pinched her. "You sound so bad. With your situation, many people can't even get a chance. Just don't forget about us when you are in the University." Li Xuemei was not looking forward to the University. With her status, she will never get a chance to go to the University. Furthermore, she has a child, and she can't bear to leave for a long time.
"I won't forget about you. I have to come back to teach Dewen and the rest during the summer holidays. Without me, you might not be able to handle it." Luo Mengying was very confident in this aspect. When she returned home during Chinese New Year, she had specially asked the teachers in school to teach her. She was worried that she would embarrass herself in front of Lu Dewen and the rest. But the time was too short, and there were some contents that she did not manage to teach them. Based on Lu Dewen and the rest's learning speed, they should be able to finish the first semester's textbooks this year and use the next two months to consolidate their knowledge. By the next summer holidays, they will be able to finish the last few chapters of Senior Two or Senior Three.
Li Xuemei laughed. "Yes, yes, yes. You are awesome. I still need you to take care of my Xiao Ming in the future."
Seeing that the dew on the grass had dried up, they kept their books and carried a basket to cut the pigweed. Li Xuemei carried her son on her back to work. Lu Hongying asked Li Xuemei to send the child to her home. A weaned child will be fine as long as he doesn't stumble. Li Xuemei refused. She was afraid that it would trouble Lu Hongying, so she carried Xiao Ming on her back in her winter dress. If Lu Ming was working in the fields, Li Xuemei would put Xiao Ming in the fields and hand him over to Lu Ming. It almost didn't affect the work.
No one was added to the pig farm. It was not that Lu Jianguo didn't want to, but it was too noisy. Everyone wanted to work in the pig farm. If it wasn't Xue Huahua, it was his family who begged him. In the past, Lu Jianguo didn't think too much, but this year's pig farming task was very important. He couldn't be careless. No matter who he asked to work in the pig farm, he would definitely offend others. If the other party held a grudge against him and took it out on the pigs, he wouldn't be able to bear it.
After thinking about it, Xue Huahua's method was still the most effective. In the first half of the year, no one would be allowed to work in the pig farm. In the second half of the year, they would pick the most motivated person from the production team to work in the pig farm.
Therefore, there were still five people working on the pig farm. They cut seven baskets of pigweed in the morning and seven baskets in the afternoon. They did not know how the appetite of the pigs of the other production teams was, but 14 baskets of pigweed and sweet potato vine powder could only last for three days at most. Their appetite was very big. Many production team leaders secretly learned from Xue Huahua. The same pigweed and sweet potato vine powder could never reach the desired target.
Some people said it was because Xue Huahua was educated. Looking at the other production teams, no one had ever seen an educated person raising pigs. However, the women in the Yan 'an Village Production Team who raised pigs were either highly educated or illiterate. Pigs were intelligent animals and liked intellectuals. Many people agreed with this theory. If not, why would Lu Jianguo arrange the pig farm as the place for illiterate literacy last year? He wanted to instill the idea of learning in the pigs and let them grow up strong and healthy.
Therefore, the other production teams all asked the women who raised pigs to do illiterate literacy. They even specially picked two female educated youths to help in the pig farm.
The production team leader didn't know if there was any effect at the end of the year. However, the female educated youths were arrogant and looked down on other women. They quarreled in the pig farm every day. The five people in the Yan 'an Village Production Team worked together to raise pigs. They didn't care about how much work they had to do. The production team divided the work into different groups. You raised a pig, I raised a pig, and each took care of his own.
Speaking of this, the production team leader criticized them many times. In the end, he had no choice but to arrange the female educated youths to other places.
Xue Huahua and the others walked far away to cut the pigweed. They heard people from other villages complaining that the female educated youths were lazy and looked down on others. They asked Xue Huahua how to deal with the relationship with the female educated youths. Interpersonal relationships were more about congeniality. Xue Huahua could only say that she was lucky to meet two female educated youths with good characters. If it were Liang Lanfen, she would probably not get along.
"Speaking of your pig farm, everyone is jealous. Our team leader always praised you in every meeting. If he wasn't the team leader, I'm afraid he would have moved his household registration to your production team."
Sun Guixian leaned against Xue Huahua and said in shock, "That's too exaggerated. He can move here if he wants to, but he needs our team leader's approval." It's not that Sun Guixian was bragging, but there were more than two or three families who wanted to move to their production team. Several production teams around them were thinking of ways, including her older brother. He broke off his relationship with his son and had a bad relationship with his brother. He thought of his younger sister and said he wanted to move to her so that they could take care of each other. Sun Guixian didn't believe that Sun Yongchang was doing this out of kindness. In the past year, she had seen through Sun Yongchang. His son-in-law went to the farm, his wife was not in good health, and his daughter had a baby. He didn't want to be close to her, but he wanted to take advantage of her.
The two team leaders only needed to agree to move their household registration. Sun Yongchang had talked to her twice, but she ignored him.
"I'm not exaggerating. All the girls in our production team who have no partners want to marry into your production team. They are asking the people around them to matchmake them."
"There's such a thing?" Sun Guixian couldn't be blamed for not hearing about it. There were a lot of young men in the production team. All the girls in the production team wanted to date the young men in their team. Even people like Lu Hongbo had someone matchmaking them. Sun Guixian looked at Xue Huahua thoughtfully. "Why don't your Mingwen and Hongying have anyone to matchmake them?"
In the entire production team, Lu Mingwen was considered outstanding. Although he was divorced, he didn't have a baby and was still young. Logically speaking, it should be easy for him to find a partner.
Xue Huahua bent down to pick up the pigweed. She didn't even raise her head. "Mingwen has business to attend to. He's not thinking about marriage for the time being."
Sun Guixian nodded. She was pulled to the side by the woman who spoke just now. The woman asked softly, "Doesn't her Mingwen have a partner? Didn't Yang Lanju say that Lu Mingwen is dating her? He even said that they will get married next year." "Bullsh * t.
"Bullsh * t. Yang Lanju is just spouting nonsense. She doesn't even look in the mirror to see what kind of person she is. Is she worthy of Mingwen? Dating? Does she really think that Mingwen is blind?" Sun Guixian was so angry that her eyebrows were raised. Those who didn't know better would have thought that Mingwen was her son. On the other hand, Xue Huahua was calm and indifferent. The other party couldn't help but feel puzzled. "Isn't he dating Yang Lanju?"
Yang Lanju, that girl, how could she spout nonsense? Luckily, she had asked about it. Otherwise, she would have missed out on a good person. She tugged at Sun Guixian. "You're close to Xue Huahua. Can you help introduce them to each other? My youngest daughter is 17 years old. She's very hardworking. When we're working outside, she's the one doing the laundry and cooking at home …"
Sun Guixian pouted. "Didn't you hear what Huahua said? Mingwen and the rest have to focus on eliminating illiteracy. They don't have time to date."
"Haven't they been doing it for a long time? Why are they still doing it?"
Sun Guixian snorted. "What do you think? Huahua has a plan and a goal. Have you seen the high school textbooks? Huahua said that Mingwen and the rest have to finish the high school textbooks before they can be considered to have successfully eliminated illiteracy. They're only in their first year of high school. It'll probably take more than a year." Luo Mengying was the one who said it would take more than a year. Sun Guixian didn't know anything about progress. For example, apart from writing her own name seriously, she was only half-hearted in her literacy. She didn't know how far she was progressing.
The other party felt that it was a pity. "Is that so? It's alright. Help me ask. If she agrees, we can talk about marriage in two years." Just because of Xue Huahua's pig rearing skills, her daughter wouldn't have to live a poor life after marrying over. Moreover, Xue Huahua wasn't a cold-blooded and heartless person. Even if her daughter-in-law's maiden family was a burden, Xue Huahua had done all the necessary etiquettes. It was reliable to have such a caring in-law.
"Huahua won't agree. You don't know Mingwen's character. He's the kind of person who doesn't acknowledge his mother once he has a girlfriend. It wasn't easy for Huahua to turn him around. She won't let him be like how he was in the past." Lu Mingwen didn't know how to reject a female comrade. If his girlfriend were to give him pillow talk, his heart would be blown away …
"My woman isn't the type to sow discord. She's very sensible. She even massaged my shoulders when we got home in the evening. She told me not to work too hard and leave the hard work to others. If she really gets together with Mingwen, I guarantee that she'll be even more filial to his mother than Mingwen."
Sun Guixian wasn't a teenage girl. Before she got married, she was a hardworking person. However, she changed after getting married. She didn't believe the other party's words, but she was too embarrassed to say it out loud. "I'm not going to introduce you. Huahua already said that we'll talk about it after the New Year. If I were to be shameless enough to talk to her about this, wouldn't I be doing it on purpose?" Seeing that Xue Huahua was walking away with a sickle, she quickly chased after her. "Huahua, wait for me!"
She chased after Xue Huahua and told her about Yang Lanju's relationship with Lu Mingwen. Xue Huahua didn't seem to be surprised. She reminded her to cut the pigweed and didn't say anything else.
Sun Guixian felt that it was unfair. She asked everyone she met what was going on with Yang Lanju. Lu Mingwen worked in the fields every day and didn't have a girlfriend. Hence, Yang Lanju kept talking nonsense. Everyone in the fields was shocked when they heard it.
Within half a day, Yang Lanju's matter spread. When Wu Xiaohong and the others heard the news, they went to quarrel with Yang Lanju. They were wondering why Lu Mingwen would like an ugly girl like Yang Lanju. It turned out that Yang Lanju was the one who was talking nonsense. She was too shameless. How could there be such a shameless woman in the world?
Lu Mingwen, who was working in the fields, didn't know that someone was fighting because of him. He was still thinking about the language exam questions and asked Lu Jianxun how he did. Lu Jianxun said that he did badly. The two of them exchanged answers, and the difference was like heaven and earth. If it wasn't Lu Jianxun's fault, then it was him. No matter how he thought about it, he felt uneasy. "Jianxun, why don't you ask the educated youth next to you?"
If he didn't get the answer, he felt like there was a cat scratching his heart.
"If you want to go, you go. I'm not going." Lu Jianxun didn't want to look at other people's faces.
Lu Mingwen paused. "Okay, I'll go. Wait here."
He straightened his body and looked at the nearby educated youths. As if he had sensed something, the informed youths raised their heads and looked back. Then, they turned around and avoided him. It was impossible for Lu Mingwen not to notice their obvious rejection. He lifted his feet and walked towards the farthest educated youth in the corner. "Sun Zhiqing, I want to ask you a question …"
The other person was stunned for a few seconds. "Ah, what question?" As he spoke, he looked at the person not far away. "Why don't you ask Li Zhiqing? I've already returned everything I learned to Teacher."
It wasn't that he didn't want to help, but the question was difficult and he couldn't answer it.
Hearing this, Lu Mingwen followed his gaze and looked at the educated youth who was concentrating on his work. He walked over hesitantly. "Li Zhiqing, I have a question. Can I ask you? It's not difficult. It's a poem appreciation question. Chairman Lu's poem …"
"Don't ask me. I can't answer it either. Why don't you go to the pig farm and ask Comrade Li Xuemei? She knows the answer." He was really afraid of Lu Mingwen's math questions. Not only could he not get the answer in half an hour, but sometimes the answer was wrong. The frustration was too strong. He was too embarrassed to show off in front of Lu Mingwen and the others.
What if the answer was wrong? Wouldn't that be a joke?
Lu Mingwen turned around and asked the other educated youths. They all said no. Lu Mingwen had no choice but to return to his seat. He said to Lu Jianxun, "They don't care about people."
"Forget it. We'll know the answer when we get home at noon. Let's not think about it after the exam. Let's think about math." Lu Jianxun had a bitter look on his face. Mathematics was the most difficult subject out of the four. Just knowing how to do the questions after class would not do well in the exams. They had to master it thoroughly. Xue Huahua had clearly told them that there were no shortcuts in Mathematics. They had to do more questions and summarize their thoughts on how to solve them.
Finally, it was noon. The two brothers washed the mud off their legs and ran home. Because they were working in the rice paddy field, they did not wear shoes when they left. They rubbed the mud off their feet and rushed home to wait for Xue Huahua to announce the answers. When they learned that only Lu Dewen had passed, the rest frowned. They did not believe that Lu Dewen, who was at the bottom of the class, would suddenly jump up. Lu Jianxun pulled Lu Dewen's arm to see his answer. Xue Huahua knocked on the table. "It's the math test. I'll go heat up the food and feed Dong Dong. Let me know when the three of you are done. I'll estimate the time."
When it came to the math questions, they were not in the mood to care whether the Chinese was good or not. This was because the math questions were too difficult, especially the last few questions about the inverse of the absolute value and proving the area. Lu Jianxun almost cried. He whispered to Chao Caizhi, who was concentrating on solving the questions, "Sister-in-law, do you know how to do it?"
Among them, Chao Caizhi's results were the worst. Lu Jianxun was flustered when he saw that Chao Caizhi did not even lift her head. There was no reason that he could not do the questions that Chao Caizhi knew.
Chao Caizhi lifted her head and smiled. "Some of them know, some of them don't. Brother, have you finished?"
Lu Jianxun sighed. He wanted to look at Lu Mingwen and Lu Dewen's books. But they were covering their left hand with their left hand as if they were afraid someone would copy their answers. Lu Jianxun snorted and continued to look at the questions. The Chinese questions had more words, and the answers were easier. The Math questions had fewer words, and the answers were more difficult. He started with the last proof question and looked at the pictures. Xue Huahua had drawn the pictures on the test paper. The pictures on the test paper were drawn by the people from the farm. Lu Jianxun did not know what kind of tools were used, but the circles and arcs were exactly the same as the ones in the Math textbooks. That's why the pictures on the test paper were almost the same.
Lu Jianxun first made a rough draft and wanted to give it a try. But he really succeeded. He was overjoyed and secretly looked at Lu Mingwen, who was beside him. He used his left hand to cover his right hand and answered the questions excitedly.
Lu Jianxun's confidence was boosted when he managed to solve the most difficult questions. He made a rough draft of every question and copied the answers as if he was copying a textbook. When he finished all the questions, Lu Mingwen and the rest were still making rough drafts. He could not help but smile. He checked his answers and closed his book. He shouted towards the yard: "Mum, I'm done."
Lu Mingwen and Lu Dewen looked at him at the same time and stopped at his book. "You're done?"
"Yes, I'm done." After finishing his homework, it was time to pass the book to Lu Hongying. He was worried that someone would peek at his answers. He grabbed the book and walked towards Xue Huahua: "Mum, I'm done. Do you want to give me marks first?" The people in the farm were so bored that they even wrote marks at the back of the questions. In the past, the marks for every question were average, and it was okay to not do the two most difficult questions. But now, it was different. The more difficult the questions, the higher the marks. If he did not do it, he would not be able to make up for the fact that he got all the answers right.
"So fast?"
"It's alright. The questions this time were not difficult."
The people in the central room wanted to beat him up. How could he say it was not difficult? How good was Lu Jianxun's results?
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
