Zhong Anping saw the intimate display between the two opposite him, feeling happy for his companion but also a sense of loss. He couldn’t understand where this feeling of loss ca from. After pondering for a while, he mustered his spirits and continued to roast the sparrows, handing the cooked ones to his sister and Zhong Juying, while he carried on roasting.
Zhong Ani, being attentive, noticed her elder brother’s change but did not ask. Instead, she roasted a sparrow and gave it to him to eat. When Zhong Anping saw his sister’s concerned gaze, he bead a smile, indicating that he was fine.
Tian Sisi also took out all the snacks she had brought, including lon seeds, peanuts, arborvitae cakes, and more, a generous spread indeed. It even included a bag of potatoes and bellflowers, and even a dozen eggs. No wonder Tian Xinhua had sighed earlier.
"Anping, An Kang, what are your plans for the future?"
Tian Xinhua asked his two companions. Because of their family background, Zhong Anping and Zhong Ankang could only finish junior high before dropping out. They worked in the fields every day. Their sister, Zhong Ani, was currently in junior high but was considering whether to drop out and work for work points in the team as well.
"What plans can we have? Isn’t it just working in the fields for work points!" Zhong Ankang bit into a sparrow fiercely, seemingly venting the frustration in his heart.
"Yeah, what kind of plans can people like us have?" Zhong Ani also said disheartenedly.
For a while, everyone fell silent, too preoccupied even to eat the sparrows in their hands. Their faces showed confusion and unwillingness; they had been through similar ordeals, facing discrimination and coldness from a young age. Although they were no worse than anyone else, it seed that no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t see the end.
"Why has everyone lost spirit all of a sudden? We are still so young, and there is nothing to worry about. The road ahead is still long, how can you only see one path to the end!"
Tian Xinhua encouraged his companions with a smile. He had a vague idea about so recent political changes and understood that the current turmoil wouldn’t last long. What the future would be like, no one knew. But one thing he was sure of, opportunities would be everywhere, and with the intelligence and capability of these friends, they certainly wouldn’t fare too poorly.
Tian Xinhua spoke cryptically. Zhong Anping’s eyes lit up and he looked up at Tian Xinhua, noticing the profound aning in his friend’s eyes. It then occurred to Zhong Anping that Xinhua had been in Beijing for the past two years, and Beijing being the political center of the country, news there would definitely be more inford. Maybe Xinhua had so new information?
Could it be that they, too, might have a day when they co out on top? Almost driven to despair by the present darkness, Zhong Anping clung to this lifeline. He looked at Tian Xinhua once more, who nodded ever so slightly. Zhong Anping joyfully bit the sparrow clean, an exuberance unlike his usual self.
Zhong Ankang didn’t understand why his elder brother was so happy, but he was never one to overthink things. His previous sorrow quickly dissipated, and he was now fishing out fragrant potatoes and bellflowers from the fire to share with everyone.
"Yeah, Brother Xinhua is right. Winter has already passed; can spring be far behind?"
Tian Sisi quoted a poetic line, aptly describing the current situation. It was the year 1975, and the great man had begun to resu work at the Central governnt. However, he would face a severe blow later in November and not truly take charge until 1977. By then, China would be like a track athlete, constantly surpassing its previous achievents.
Fortunately, this chaos was going to end by October of the next year, and people like Tang Tieshan and Zhang Mingliu would soon be exonerated. Moreover, the college entrance exam would be restored in October 1977. The joyful news was that the exam would be open to everyone regardless of class, family, or social ties, whether they had completed junior or senior high school.
This was an excellent opportunity for Zhong Anping and his brother. With their intelligence and strong foundation, it shouldn’t be difficult for them to do well in the college entrance exam as long as they studied hard for these two years.
Although, in his previous life, Zhong Anping and his brother did not fare poorly, she heard they had suffered much hardship, with Zhong Anping even paying a health price. In his previous life, she heard Zhong Anping had a very poor constitution, needing herbal treatnts every winter. She hoped that in this life, the brothers could avoid so detours.
"An Ping, An Kang, I think you should pick up your textbooks again. No matter when, it’s always good to learn more. You might need it one day!"
Tian Sisi added a few more words, while Tian Xinhua discreetly glanced at her and nodded in agreent.
"What’s the use of studying? People like us can’t even apply for college! Besides, colleges these days are based on recomndations, not exams. We, the rich peasants, will never have such an opportunity."
Zhong Ankang was not very interested. He did not believe that studying would be helpful for soone of his family background; better to work more and earn more work points to improve the family’s situation.
Both Zhong Anping and Tang Qiubai’s eyes sparkled as they listened, then they fell into deep thought as if contemplating what Tian Sisi had said. She did not elaborate further as saying too much might arouse suspicion. And even if Zhong Anping and the others didn’t attend college, based on their previous life’s trajectory, their future wouldn’t be too shabby. At most, she could give him so tonic wine to help Zhong Anping with his health later.
Having finished all they brought, they buried the fire with soil and doused it with water, leaving the mountaintop reassured.
Going up the mountain might be easy, but descending is hard, especially when Yuequan Mountain had no proper paths and was quite steep. Tian Sisi held tightly onto Tian Xinhua’s hand, careful with every step and afraid of slipping and dragging others down with her.
When they reached halfway down the mountain, the girls were starting to feel tired, so they took a mont to sit and rest. Tian Sisi vigorously rubbed her sore legs; she was exhausted. With no exercise for a long ti, such a burst of physical exertion was indeed too much for her.
"Sisi, I think you just haven’t done enough physical work. If you were like and Juying going up the mountains to gather firewood every day, you definitely wouldn’t run out of steam climbing," joked Zhong Ani to Tian Sisi.
Tian Sisi huffed, not bothering to entertain her words. She indeed wanted to go to the mountains to gather firewood, but Zhang Mingliu wouldn’t let her, saying it would roughen her hands. As a lady, how could she not have delicate hands?
After resting for a while and ready to leave, a gust of cold wind suddenly blew, carrying faint moaning sounds mixed with a few utterances of speech, sounding like a man’s voice.
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