Zhou Xuemei returned to the county town the next afternoon. Her two children were about to take the high school entrance exam, and she brought them back this time because she saw that they were too nervous and wanted to relax.
The two children said goodbye to Xiao Min reluctantly and promised Xiao Min that they would return to their hometown to live for a while after they got their report cards.
Sun Daqin stayed in the provincial capital for two days before returning to Wangjia Village.
As soon as I got home, I started looking for Qian Shulan all over the village. After asking around, I found out that my mother-in-law took Xiao Min to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy paper, stationery and pens.
By September, Xiao Min will go to junior high school.
Qian Shulan planned to buy her a new schoolbag.
The previous schoolbag had been used for five years, the base was worn out, and it was a bit small. I had a lot of junior high school textbooks, so it definitely couldn't hold them all.
When Qian Shulan and Xiao Min returned with a full load, they saw Sun Daqin sitting under a tree at the entrance of the village from a distance. When she saw them come back, she immediately came to greet them.
She seemed to be feeling very uncomfortable. Without waiting for Qian Shulan to speak, she hurriedly said, "Mom, I want to tell you something."
There was something very strange about her expression. Qian Shulan frowned slightly and said to Xiaomin, "You ride your bike back first. Grandma needs to go to the chicken farm."
Xiao Min took the bicycle from her grandmother and said okay.
Qian Shulan walked towards the chicken farm, and Sun Daqin quickly followed her. She came close to Qian Shulan and whispered, "Mom, I heard something big in the provincial capital."
Upon hearing this, Qian Shulan thought that some new policy had been issued from above. "What's the big deal? And it's so mysterious."
Sun Daqin glanced around, leaned over to Qian Shulan's ear and whispered, "Mom, Liu Fangming is gone."
Qian Shulan paused. No more? "Is that what I thought it meant?"
"Yes!" Sun Daqin nodded seriously with a serious expression, obviously not joking.
"How did you know?" The machinery factory and the cotton mill are so far apart. Sun Daqin shouldn't be so bored that she would specially run to the provincial capital's cotton mill to see her divorced daughter-in-law, right
"The whole city knows about it." Sun Daqin sighed. Although she was not satisfied with Liu Fangming, she didn't want him to die. She was still so young. "I don't know if Zhengkang would be sad if he knew about it."
During these three years, Qian Shulan and Sun Daqin had been forcing Zhengkang not to get married, so he did not look for another wife. He just worked hard and brought in a good harvest.
When Fengchan was young, he was not easy to take care of, but as we got along for a long time, he became more and more skilled in taking care of him. The relationship between father and son also improved a lot.
Qian Shulan was confused. "What's going on?"
It was a coincidence that when Sun Daqin just arrived in the provincial capital, she ran into a parade. Everyone had a white cloth on their arms and was holding a wreath. The photo in the middle was Liu Fangming. She was stunned at the time.
After asking the onlookers nearby, we found out that a major fire had occurred in the cotton mill.
Liu Fangming, who had been working overtime for several nights, was so sleepy that she fell asleep in the workshop. When the fire broke out, everyone else fled, but she was too tired to wake up in time, and was crushed by the falling beam and could not be rescued.
Qian Shulan felt her scalp tingling, "This is too tragic."
"Because of this, she was named a provincial model worker. I heard she might even become a national model worker. Many people attended her funeral." Sun Daqin stamped her feet. "But what's the use? She's gone."
The person is dead, and Qian Shulan doesn't want to dwell on the past, she just feels that this happened too suddenly.
Sun Daqin's eyes turned red. "Fengchan is so pitiful. His mother is gone just like that."
Qian Shulan is now extremely grateful because Fengchan is too young and her relationship with Liu Fangming is not deep enough, otherwise she would have suffered a huge blow if she had known such news.
She shook her head helplessly, "Find a chance to talk to Zhengkang about this. Comfort him."
As her former lover, Zhengkang would probably be sad to hear such news.
Unexpectedly, the next day Zhengkang came back with a good harvest.
Qian Shulan was still a little dazed, "It's not even the weekend yet, why are you back?"
She glanced at Zhengkang. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked very depressed. She was startled and guessed, "You know?"
Zhengkang was stunned for a moment, "Grandma, you know this too?"
"Your mother went to see Zhengguo a few days ago and ran into him." Qian Shulan looked at him worriedly, "Are you okay?"
Even though the two have divorced, they still have a common bloodline, which cannot be severed so easily.
Zhengkang wiped his face, and his eyes instantly turned red. Until now, he still felt like he was dreaming, "This happened too suddenly. I received a telegram from the provincial capital last night, and I still couldn't believe it."
Having said this, he squatted on the ground, holding his head and crying, his shoulders shaking.
Fengchan was confused by his father's action. He stayed beside his father, holding his arm and shaking it, "Dad, what's wrong with you?"
Zhengkang hugged Fengchan's body and cried breathlessly. Qian Shulan didn't say anything except to persuade him to try to be more cheerful.
After crying for a long time, Zhengkang rubbed his face and stood up, "Grandma, please take Fengchan with you first. I need to go to the provincial capital to help bury her body."
Liu Fangming's relatives certainly had no hope, and he could only help with the funeral arrangements.
Qian Shulan nodded, "Okay, you handle this well." Then she patted his shoulder and said, "Bring her ashes back, and I'll help you apply to the team to cut down trees and make a coffin for her."
"Thank you, grandma."
Zhengkang didn't even eat and rode his bike back to the county town.
Fengchan seemed to realize that his father had something important to do, so he stayed by her side obediently, not crying or making a fuss. Qian Shulan was very worried.
In the evening, Sun Daqin came back and heard about Zhengkang's return. She also agreed, "After all, they are husband and wife. It is only natural for him to help Xiaofang with her funeral."
Xiao Min, who had already finished her exams, accompanied Fengchan around the village.
A few days later, Zhengkang returned with Liu Fangming's ashes.
The coffin that Qian Shulan asked someone to help make has been painted with varnish. After it dries, she will choose a day suitable for the funeral and bury her.
They didn't hold a funeral this time because Liu Fangming was no longer a member of the Wang family. It would be against the rules for their family to hold a funeral.
After the coffin was buried, Qian Shulan thought the matter was over.
But who would have thought that this matter would extend to such a large extent.
The provincial newspaper actually came all the way to interview them.
The protagonists of the interview are of course Zhengkang and Sun Daqin, one is the husband of a provincial model worker, and the other is the mother-in-law of a provincial model worker.
According to the reporter, he wanted to write about the man and family behind the model worker.
Sun Daqin was a little hesitant. Don’t these people know that her son and Liu Fangming are divorced
The female reporter was only in her twenties, with her hair combed like a female cadre, and her feminine features were almost negligible. She said righteously, "This is a great honor, and many people can't even ask for it. I wrote this report to encourage everyone to learn from you and support the work of the model workers behind the scenes. If Comrade Liu Fangming can be elected as a national model worker, your family will definitely be recognized as an advanced family."
Sun Daqin and Zhengkang looked at each other. They must be advanced? Then they will become celebrities.
The female reporter complimented him again, "I heard that you support the model worker comrade to work in the provincial capital's cotton mill. This man is even raising a child on his own. It's really amazing!"
The female reporter didn't seem to notice anything unusual about the two people. She took out a pen and paper and began to ask questions, "Excuse me, when did you and Comrade Lao Mo get married?"
Zhengkang answered subconsciously, "1962"
The female reporter nodded and wrote a few notes in the notebook, "When was your child born? Who usually takes care of him?"
Zhengkang didn't hesitate this time and answered smoothly, "In 1965, my mother took care of him before he was four years old, and then I took care of him."
The female reporter looked at him with appreciation, "Not bad! You did a great job! Female comrades should not just stay at home to take care of children, they should get more exposure to the outside world. President M also said that women hold up half the sky."
Zhengkang quickly agreed.
They were interviewing here, and Qian Shulan was reminded and walked in from the chicken farm.
However, there were two armed militiamen standing on both sides of their main room, and they stopped her outside.
Others stood outside and watched, listening to the conversation between the three people inside.
After the interview, the female reporter commented, "Thank you for the information you provided. Everything you have done for the model worker is worth learning from. It will also add points to her. There is a high probability that she will be named a national model worker. We will definitely report your deeds vigorously after we return."
Sun Daqin straightened her chest and said, "We are all volunteers."
Zheng Kang immediately agreed, "Yes! I am also proud to have such a wife."
Qian Shulan was very upset. What was wrong with these two people? Zhengkang had obviously divorced Liu Fangming, so why did they still claim to be the family members of a model worker
After the three came out, Qian Shulan shook hands with the female reporter and said, "I also heard your interview just now, but they forgot to mention one thing. My grandson divorced Comrade Liu Fangming three years ago. Please don't forget to write this in your report."
The female reporter's face changed. She obviously didn't expect the other party to be so ignorant of practical matters. When she came here, she had inquired about the family and naturally knew that the couple had divorced.
But she thought that no one could resist such a great temptation. You know, if a national model worker emerges from a family, the whole family will benefit from it. Only fools would refuse such a good thing that others can't even ask for.
Things turned out just as she expected. The man and the mother-in-law were tempted by the big cake she painted and did not tell the truth, but the old lady actually jumped out. Could this old guy be a fool
Sun Daqin and Zhengkang were so anxious that they were sweating profusely and kept winking at Qian Shulan.
Qian Shulan seemed to have no feelings. "Xiaofang worked hard and our whole family was proud of her. But they quarreled countless times over the children's education, so they divorced. Xiaofang went to work in the provincial cotton mill to contribute to the motherland. No one in our family blamed her. This is the main reason why my grandson was willing to take care of her funeral even though he divorced her."
The female reporter looked unhappy. "Just because she doesn't take care of the child, you're forcing her to divorce?"
Qian Shulan would not fall for her trick. "We didn't force her. This was agreed upon by both of us. My grandson hasn't remarried yet."
The female reporter snorted, "If that's the case, then there's nothing good to report about your family. Goodbye!"