Chapter 168: Chapter 0168: Completion of the New House 4_1 Chapter 168: Chapter 0168: Completion of the New House 4_1 0168 Completion of the New House 4
Before Feng Qingxue left, she secretly slipped fifty dollars to Wang Zhengguo.
“Uncle Wang, we’re really busy in our production brigade right now. I might not have ti to co over and help. When the house construction starts, please take care of it. If the money is not enough, just send a word, and I will bring more.”
Wang Zhengguo quickly replied, “It’s enough, we won’t need more.”
“You can keep the rest for yourself, Uncle, use it to buy sothing tasty for my cousin. I see her complaining about headaches all the ti. She might still not be recovered fully.” Even if there was money left over, Feng Qingxue would not take it back.
She was well-off now, showing a great deal of wealth and prestige.
Upon hearing his niece ntion his daughter, Wang Zhengguo suddenly felt a headache coming on and couldn’t help but rub his temples, “I’m the one who’s getting headaches, not your cousin! She just pretends to have headaches when she doesn’t want to work!”
She would run back to her room, clutching her head and wailing, whenever he asked her to do the dishes. This almost drove Miao Fengqin to her wits’ end.
This daughter, she really was incorrigible.
Feng Qingxue found this amusing, chatted with him for a bit longer, bid Miao Fengqin goodbye, and then visited her two uncles and her aunt. At the end of her visits, she went to the cowshed and sure enough, she found Lu’s father feeding the animals.
“Uncle Lu, here I am!”
Feng Qingxue walked up and picked up the water bucket, pouring it into the stone trough.
The animals, having finished their feed, drank the water speedily. Lu’s father wiped his sweat and asked, “Has Snow arrived? Have you seen your uncles?”
“I just ca from visiting my uncles and aunt.” Feng Qingxue laughed, looked around, and didn’t see Lu Tianzhi and Guan Cheng. “Aren’t the kids at ho?”
“They’re not at ho. Once Ayu was well, I sent him and Tianzhi off to school. What are kids doing at ho if they’re not studying? They are just starting first grade now.” Lu’s father did not want his children to be illiterate. “Acheng is a bit older. If he had gone to school from a young age like Tianjun, with his cleverness, he would definitely be able to get into junior high school. Unfortunately, he has never been to school. So, I asked your uncle to arrange for a teacher to test him. After he passed, he was admitted to fifth grade and will go to junior high next year.”
Guan Cheng did not want to go to school because he was afraid it would be a waste of money. Tuition for two children was not a small sum.
Lu’s father had said to him, “If you go to school, gain knowledge and credentials, you will definitely earn more money in the future than those who can’t read. That’s how I would be properly repaid by you boys. How much can one earn by toiling in the fields? It’s barely enough to make ends et. Look at the factories hiring workers, isn’t education a requirent?”
This led Guan Cheng to willingly attend school. When he returned ho, he would work and study all the ti, very diligently.
As Lu’s father told Feng Qingxue all this, she couldn’t help but slap her forehead, “Look at , I’ve forgotten about the kids because I’ve been so busy. Have all their registrations been settled?”
“Don’t worry, everything is sorted out.” Lu’s father lowered his voice, “Guan Cheng and Guan Yu, along with the other children, have all been registered as holess orphans at the Wanglou Brigade, listed as poor farrs, which obscures the true origins of the children. Your uncle has sent a report to the authorities. After getting their approval, plans are being made to move the children to the Wanglou Brigade. Everyone has a heart of compassion, and no one can bear to see a group of children holess. Moreover, the city officials are more than happy to distribute the population to the vast rural areas to alleviate their pressures. They want the Wanglou Brigade to set a precedent, and I think it’s a preparation for taking in the city residents in the future.”
Having heard all this, Feng Qingxue couldn’t help but admire Lu’s father’s astuteness.
Although the phenonon of educated youth working in the countryside had appeared five or six years ago, it was on a small scale. Large-scale relocations to rural areas would not happen for another five or six years. On the surface, it seed like following orders from above to make contributions in the spacious rural areas. But in reality, it was the country’s way of reducing population pressure in cities and towns and providing jobs for graduates to prevent unrest.
“Did my uncle ntion how the children will be settled?” Settling these children was a matter of more imdiate concern for Feng Qingxue than the invisible educated youth.
Lu’s father pondered, “He did ntion it. For now, the children are told to live in the air raid shelters. After the busy autumn season, the production brigade will organize the villagers to build so thatched huts for them, so they won’t have to live in the mountains and cause worry.”
For the children, this was the best outco.
Feng Qingxue was delighted for them and gained a new understanding of her uncle’s kindness and generosity.
“Oh, by the way, Uncle Lu, my Uncle Wang told today that they are starting the construction of the house the day after tomorrow. He will take care of the arrangents and I’ve given him the money already. Please see to it.” Feng Qingxue shared this good news with Lu’s father, who smiled broadly at the news.
“Good, good! Once the house is built, we’ll just be waiting for Ajiang to return!”
Indeed, they were just waiting for Lu Jiang’s return.
But no one knew when this war would end.
Every ti Lu Jiang was ntioned, Feng Qingxue couldn’t suppress the longing in her heart. Her work back to Caohu was half-hearted, but fortunately, all she had to do was take care of two mission pigs, and Feng Teng could handle the rest of the work.
The new house was finished, but there was still no news from Lu Jiang.
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