206: Chapter 205 The Second Lucky Thing 206: Chapter 205 The Second Lucky Thing Niuwa has money, Lin Nianhe knows, she guessed as much.
Uncle Niu has always taken every consideration for Niuwa, how could he possibly not leave so money for him?
She never pointed it out explicitly because she understood too well how important it is for a child with no sense of security to have money that they can control.
She never imagined that Niuwa would take out his own little treasury under these circumstances.
Principal Wu was also surprised, she looked at Niuwa, her hand shaking as she reached out and ruffled his hair.
Niuwa lifted the corners of his mouth, his black and white eyes filled with seriousness: “Sister Lin, don’t worry, I will take good care of Principal Mother.”
Listening to the child’s soft voice, the weight in Principal Wu’s heart finally eased a bit.
Lin Nianhe stroked Niuwa’s nose and said with a light laugh: “Alright, I’ll leave the Principal in your care.”
“Mhm!”
Niuwa nodded vigorously.
This was the first ti he was entrusted with an important task.
“Teacher Lin?
Are you looking for ?”
Outside ca Wu Genmao’s voice.
Lin Nianhe pinched Principal Wu’s hand and said to her: “Rest well, I’ll bring back these two kids today.
Dare they not be serious about school and learning?
They’re in for it.”
“Alright.”
Tears glistened in Principal Wu’s eyes.
She held Lin Nianhe’s fingers and whispered: “Nianhe, thank you.”
eting Lin Nianhe was the second luckiest thing in her life.
The luckiest was eting her husband that year.
“Don’t just say thank you, show it with action—how about returning that shovel to Aunt Wang first?”
“Oh, so no need for thanks then, get going and sort things out, or I will slap you.”
“Alright, I’m on it.”
Lin Nianhe, with Wen Lan in tow, left the cabin and pulled the door nearly closed.
By the door, Wu Genmao held two fish in his left hand and a bucket of small river shrimp in his right; if he had a chubby child on his back, it would have the feel of returning to his mother’s ho.
He didn’t know what had happened, but reported to Lin Nianhe with joy: “Teacher Lin, Brother Sie is amazing, hitting those fish right on the mark—we’ll have a feast!”
Lin Nianhe waved her hand, signaling him to put the things down.
Wu Genmao set down the fish and shrimp, the sll of fish lingering on him as he followed Lin Nianhe out.
Once outside the school gates, Lin Nianhe stopped and said to Wu Genmao: “Go to the black market in town and find a kid nad Zhang Dahu, about eight or nine years old, a boy.”
Wu Genmao nodded repeatedly: “And then?”
“Then bring him back, and don’t hit him,” Lin Nianhe said, sowhat worried.
“Can you manage that?”
“Of course!
Certainly can!” Wu Genmao patted his chest in assurance, “I may be an amateur at fishing, but when it cos to finding people and dealing with the black market, I’m an expert!”
Lin Nianhe handed him the five yuan she had given to Niuwa earlier: “How you handle it is up to you, just one thing—bring him back by dinner.”
“No problem!”
Wu Genmao ran off confidently.
Lin Nianhe had no doubts about his long-distance rushing abilities.
After all, this was soone who could compete with cars on foot; worrying about him would be superfluous.
Indeed, Lin Nianhe’s confidence was not misplaced.
Just as she and Wen Lan were about to leave, Wang Shui, whom they were waiting for Wu Genmao to call, rushed back.
Wang Shui ca up to them and asked: “What on earth happened?”
Although Wen Lan had been busy following her around, she did not know the cause of events and also looked at Lin Nianhe with a puzzled gaze.
Lin Nianhe succinctly explained the situation and said to Wang Shui: “Sister Shui, please stay at the school.
We don’t know how things are with the Principal now, you keep an eye on it.”
“Okay, you two be careful, or shall we ask Aunt Wang to go with you?” Wang Shui suggested.
Sister Lan rolled up her sleeves: “No need, I’ve got this!”
Wang Shui looked at Lin Nianhe, signaling with her eyes: Keep an eye on them, make sure not to beat anyone to death.
Lin Nianhe silently nodded, pushed out the bicycle, and consciously sat on the back seat.
Wen Lan rode the bike fiercely, and within just over ten minutes, they arrived at Nine-miles Team.
Wen Lan stopped at the entrance of the village and looked back to ask Lin Nianhe: “Hezi, which family is it?”
Lin Nianhe directed straight away: “Let’s go to Uncle He’s first.”
“Alright.”
He Aimin had been anxious all day because his right eye kept twitching, he had a feeling sothing was going to happen.
“Is Uncle He ho?”
The mont He Aimin heard Lin Nianhe’s voice outside, the enal mug in his hand fell to the ground.
He shuffled down from the kang bed with a limp from a broken leg, walking unsteadily.
“Teacher Lin and Teacher Wen are here, please co in,” Aunt He called out to the two of them, “Co in, your uncle is inside.”
They had been to Nine-miles Team frequently with Principal Wu, always stopping by the He family for a chat, so Aunt He was quite familiar with them.
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Lin Nianhe and Wen Lan entered the He family’s ho, and before they could even sit down, He Aimin asked: “What’s the matter?
What happened?”
“There is a bit of an accident,” Lin Nianhe got straight to the point, “Uncle He, what’s the situation with Shen Cailan?”
Upon hearing the na Shen Cailan, He Aimin’s brow imdiately furrowed.
He sighed deeply, saying: “That child, it’s too late now.”
Those seven brief words hid indescribable sorrow.
Lin Nianhe nodded: “I heard from Brother Jianjun that she is going to get married, right?
But Uncle He, this child is only fourteen, how can she get married?
We won’t even talk about the moral aspect for now, first and foremost, it’s illegal!”
It was the year ’75, and the legal marriage age was set at 20 years for n and 18 years for won.
However, in rural areas, many people didn’t register their marriages, considering a banquet as being married, and neighbors and fellow villagers rarely reported it.
He Aimin tugged the corner of his mouth, looked down and away from Lin Nianhe, saying only: “Teacher Lin, this is how it is in the countryside, no one manages, and it can’t be managed.”
He was the head of the team, in charge of production and mobilization, but he couldn’t interfere with the voluntary weddings.
Teacher Lin confidently took a sip of water and said: “Uncle He, I don’t care how many such cases there are or how others handle them, but since I’ve encountered this, Shen Cailan is a student at our school, so I have to take care of it.”
He Aimin, frustrated by her stubbornness, wiped his face and couldn’t help raising his voice: “Shen Cailan has two younger brothers, and her father died as soon as the youngest was born.
Her mother recently fell and cracked her head but had no money for treatnt at the clinic.
She is still lying on the kang.
If Cailan doesn’t find a way to live, how will her mother and brothers survive?”
Hearing He Aimin’s words, Wen Lan’s eyes imdiately reddened.
She thought of her elder brother and sister.
Her family had many children too; her elder brother dropped out after elentary school to work in a factory, and her elder sister stopped after the third grade to take care of her younger siblings, and then she got married early as well.
Wen Lan’s heart ached terribly; she reckoned that in the past few days, burning the midnight oil, she had made six woolen coats, and at fifty a piece, she could earn 300 yuan.
She tugged at Lin Nianhe’s sleeve and said: “Nianhe, I have…”
Lin Nianhe understood what she ant, shook her head at her: “We’ll talk about it later.
Let’s first visit Shen Cailan’s house.”
He Aimin, seeing that they still wanted to go, felt sowhat helpless: “Teacher Lin, Teacher Wen, if you go now, aren’t you stabbing the child in the heart?”
“We are going to help her solve the problem,” Lin Nianhe said soothingly, “Uncle He, I’m sure you know that Cailan’s marriage would only solve a temporary difficulty, what if sothing happens again later?
Can she marry a second ti?”
He Aimin opened his mouth but didn’t speak.
Of course, he knew this wasn’t a good way out, but that was the only solution they could think of.
Lin Nianhe slightly curved her lips and said to him: “Your leg is still injured, you don’t need to co with us.
Just give us directions, and we’ll go see for ourselves.”
He Aimin had an excellent impression of Lin Nianhe, her words resonated with determination, and he couldn’t help but harbor so hope.
He pointed out the Shen Family’s location from the window, then watched them leave.
Once outside the He family’s gate, Wen Lan couldn’t wait to ask Lin Nianhe: “Hezi, I still have fourteen yuan and sixty cents, do you think that’d be enough for Cailan’s mother’s dical treatnt?”
Lin Nianhe looked at her and clicked her tongue slightly: “That’s not easy, Sister Lan, you hardly spend money on yourself, yet you want to save a stranger?”
Tailor Wen asserted confidently: “I’ve made six woolen coats!”
Lin Nianhe: “What if they don’t sell?
Then you wouldn’t have a single penny left.”
Wen Lan: “…!”
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