Xu Nannan felt that among so many people who helped her, the one she was most ashamed of was He Qiusheng. Whether it's Xu Gensheng or Song Guihua, she always pays back slowly. But He Qiusheng was different, his identity was too sensitive in this era, she couldn't even associate with He Qiusheng in an aboveboard manner. Not to mention helping He Qiusheng.
She knew that what He Qiusheng needed most was never any material help. What he wants most is to get out of here.
People like him care most about freedom, freedom from body to spirit.
But there was nothing she could do.
"Nannan is back."
He Qiusheng looked back and saw Xu Nannan, he immediately dropped the wooden barrel in his hand, walked out of the pigsty with a smile, and patted his clothes, as if he wanted to dispel the smell.
Xu Nannan held back the emotions in his heart, and said in a nasal voice, "Mr. He, why did you come to live in the mountains? It's very cold, and the mountains are cold." At this time, it was very cold for the Chinese New Year. She and Xiaoman are both wearing down jackets now. Look at the clothes He Qiusheng is wearing. Although they are also made of cotton, they are also very thin.
He Qiusheng smiled and said, "It's cold, it's clean." Looking at Xu Nannan again, "Why are you here, don't let people see you."
"It's okay if you see it. It's the New Year's Eve. I'll bring you some food." Xu Nannan showed He Qiusheng a basket, "Mr. He, I also brought some Laobaigan, drink some to keep you warm."
He Qiusheng's eyes lit up when he heard that there was wine.
Food is in short supply these days, and even liquor is scarce. He Qiusheng hasn't smelled alcohol for several years.
"Then I'd like a drink."
Seeing him happy, Xu Nannan was also happy in his heart. When she first went up the mountain, she was thinking about the New Year's Eve, she couldn't give anything else away, and Uncle He could still drink some wine. The wine can keep the cold away, so it's better to save it for Uncle He to have a sip when he's cold.
Moving the small stool to the door, Xu Nannan arranged the food.
Covered with cotton cloth, it will still be hot.
"It's too much, I can't eat it. I ate it at noon." He Qiusheng said, taking the wine bottle and opening it.
"If you can't eat enough, save it for dinner. It's convenient on the mountain, and you can live with hot food." Xu Nannan insisted.
He Qiusheng took a sip of wine and felt refreshed. Holding the wine bottle and smelling it, "This wine is not bad. It's delicious."
"Mr. He, if you like it, I'll send more back in the future." Xu Nannan laughed. As long as He Qiusheng is happy, she will definitely spare no effort.
"It's fine to drink once in a while, we can't be greedy." He Qiusheng said seriously. After drinking a small cup and eating a few mouthfuls of the meat and vegetables Xu Nannan sent, he asked about Xu Nannan's situation in the city.
Xu Nannan said happily, "After taking the accounting technical secondary school diploma, I will wait for the mine to take the exam next year."
"You got your diploma so soon?" He Qiusheng asked in surprise.
"That's right, Mr. He, didn't you say that I am a young genius. Our accounting teacher also said that I have talent. Otherwise, they would not allow me to take the graduation exam in advance." Xu Nannan boasted road. There is no way, after all, this kind of thing is really rare, she has to package herself as a very talented genius.
"Okay, okay!" He Qiusheng seemed very excited, poured a glass of wine, drank it in one gulp, and looked at Xu Nannan appreciatively, "I didn't expect that I would be able to teach such a talented student at the end of my life. This luck is not too bad. Hahaha."
Hearing his boast, Xu Nannan felt a little embarrassed again, so he could only cover it up with a smile.
He Qiusheng was overjoyed, and encouraged, "Nannan, with your talent, you must keep studying. If you can get into college, you will be a college student. People nowadays think that technical secondary school is enough , anyway, those units in the city only have these requirements, but Nannan, you have to know that no matter when, you can never have too much knowledge. Others are high school students, technical secondary school students, you have to be a college student. In this way you There is a higher starting point."
As a university teacher, He Qiusheng thinks that college students are the best. Most of his former students are now working as backbones all over the country. Even Li Chengwen, who had mediocre grades at the beginning, is now the deputy mine manager of the mine. This is the power of knowledge.
Xu Nannan knew that He Qiusheng's point of view was fine. It's just that she, who is familiar with the future direction, also knows that this view will not work in the future.
"Well, I still have to take care of Xiaoman now. I'm not in a hurry to get into college. I'm still young anyway. I heard that many of those who are going to college are almost twenty."
Xu Nannan said with a sloppy eye.
When He Qiusheng thought about Xu Nannan's current situation, he really couldn't go to university as he wanted. After all, she has a younger sister with her.
He Qiusheng felt a little lost, thinking that if he hadn't suffered from this, maybe he could have helped the child.
It's just that if he doesn't suffer from this, maybe he won't be able to meet this child either.
Fate is such an inexplicable thing.
He Qiusheng only ate a little food and didn't eat any more. He is not in good health, and he doesn't have much pursuit of food. Xu Nannan didn't force him to finish eating, and helped him carry it into the house, covered it with a lid, and prepared to keep it warm for dinner at night.
Just as he was about to go out, he suddenly found a pair of gloves on He Qiusheng's desk.
And it's a pair of leather gloves, new.
When Xu Nannan came out of the house, He Qiusheng went to work again.
"Teacher He, I'm going back first, and I'll come to see you tomorrow."
"Go back, don't come again if you have nothing to do, it's inconvenient." He Qiusheng said something, turned around and started working again.
Xu Nannan took a few steps and looked back at He Qiusheng. Sighed again and left.
Forget it, everyone has their own secrets. Anyway, all she knew was that Teacher He had really helped her a lot.
Back at Song Guihua's house, Song Guihua didn't ask her what she was doing. He just arranged a place to live for her and Xiaoman. There are only two main rooms in the house, one is where Grandma Chen lives with her two grandchildren, and the other is where Song Guihua and her husband live.
This time when Xu Nannan and Xu Xiaoman came back, they couldn't be allowed to live outside. Song Guihua asked her two sons to live with her and Xu Gui, and asked the two children to live in Grandma Chen's room.
Grandma Chen is becoming more and more cordial to sister Xu Nannan now.
Knowing that the two children were sleeping in their own room, they deliberately took out new sheets and put them on so that the two children could sleep comfortably.
At night Xu Nannan and Xu Xiaoman slept, and Grandma Chen stayed awake with the oil lamp on.
If it was in the past, Grandma Chen would not be willing to light the oil lamp at night, and went to bed early. But in order to make new clothes in time for the new year. She also gritted her teeth.
After a while, Song Guihua also came over with needle, thread and cloth.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sat together to make new clothes.
Seeing the two of them like this, Xu Nannan suddenly felt that he should just buy a ready-made dress...
The next day is thirty.
The family has already prepared almost everything, and there is no need for Xu Nannan and Xu Xiaoman to do anything. Xu Nannan sent some snacks to He Qiusheng, and bought orchid beans and fried peanuts from Taobao, and put them in the house for him to eat .
In fact, if she could, she would like to buy a radio for He Qiusheng. But I held back.
On New Year's Eve, Song Guihua started making dumplings after dinner at home.
This is a day that has not been seen for many years.
In the past, at most, they would eat a meal of meat and vegetables on the day of the Chinese New Year. How dare they think about eating dumplings at night.
This time, because of the meat and flour that Xu Nannan bought back, the family finally had a prosperous year.
"It's New Year's Eve! Let's eat the dumplings. After eating the dumplings, the coming year will be safe and prosperous." Grandma Chen walked into the main room with the dumplings and shouted in the yard. The voice is loud and full of energy.
This is also what everyone likes to do most these days, showing off that they have meat and white noodles.
Xu Nannan has long been used to it.
When she was still in Xujia Village, it was not uncommon for her to see those daughters-in-law and sisters-in-law who ate meat at home, their lips were oily, and they were reluctant to wipe their mouths, walking around the village on purpose. I can't wait to let the whole village know that their family eats meat.
Aunt Osmanthus also told her in private that some people don't actually eat meat, they just put some lard on their mouths on purpose. This village is so big, if anyone really eats meat, they will already smell the smell of meat.
Even so, everyone seemed to be enjoying it.
It was still very quiet at night, and many people could hear Grandma Chen's voice.
The old Xu's family in the back room gathered around the east room to eat with Mrs. Xu. There are very few people in this village who have two meals at night, but the old Xu's family is an exception. In the past, the family's income was good, and Xu Jiansheng was in the city, so he would always have extra meals during the Chinese New Year. This has become a habit. So even if the situation is not as good as before this year, we still have extra meals.
According to Mrs. Xu, the worse the life is, the more people should see how prosperous their family is. Don't let people think that the old Xu family is really bad, and they will look down on the old Xu family even more in the future.
Of course, the family did not make dumplings, but boiled gnocchi. This is the big white flour that Xu Jiansheng brought back from the city. It is a new year's goods issued by the mine.
Meat is reluctant to cut, and there are no green vegetables this season, and I can't even find a wild vegetable, so I can only pinch gnocchi to eat. But Mrs. Xu cut a few pieces of bacon and cooked them together, and when they came out of the pan, they were still fragrant.
Not everyone can eat it. The three brothers Xu Jiansheng had half a bowl, the old lady had another half bowl, the old man Xu had a large bowl, and the other two grandsons each had a bowl. There is no daughter-in-law, but Liu Qiao also shared the pimple soup because she helped Mrs. Xu cook.
Xu Hong and Xu Meizi were each given some soup and three meatballs. Xu Ling was holding a small bowl, filled with some soup, and sipped it beside her. Seeing that there was nothing in her bowl, Xu Jiansheng grabbed some of them for her with chopsticks. She immediately picked up the bowl and ate happily.
Zhang Cuiqin was still sitting with her son, stuffing one into her mouth from time to time.
Li Jing sat behind the old lady, lowered her head and hugged the stove, not daring to say a word. Mrs. Xu said that she made a big mistake this year and didn't share the food, so she didn't have to eat this evening.
When Mrs. Xu spoke, Xu Jiansheng didn't dare to say anything. Li Jing couldn't save face and asked for food in front of so many people.
Suddenly, Mrs. Chen yelled cheerfully from the front room, "Eat dumplings..."
Everyone paused with their chopsticks.
Old man Xu raised his head and glanced around, "What are you doing, eat, don't eat what you don't want to eat."
Hearing old man Xu's scolding, no one dared to say anything. Even if Xu Long and Xu Lei wanted to eat dumplings, they didn't dare to say anything.
Only the old lady Xu muttered, "It's two yuan, if you cut the meat, you can eat dumplings."
She looked at her eldest son and eldest daughter-in-law, and suddenly felt that there was no taste in her mouth.
On the first day of the new year, it snowed. The entire Xujia Village was a vast expanse of whiteness. Even so, it did not stop everyone's enthusiasm for celebrating the New Year.
As soon as the door opened, people from various households came and walked around to pay New Year's greetings.
The elders basically do not go out. Most of them are young men with their new wives, or young men who are not yet married. Girls bring their younger siblings to say auspicious words.
Xu Nannan and Xu Xiaoman were also arranged to go out to pay New Year's greetings. Stone and wood followed suit.
It doesn't matter if you are familiar or not, as long as you get to the door, you have to go into the house and say a few auspicious words. If you meet someone from a better family, you can get some dried fruits and the like.
Although there are not many families in the village who are well-off, after walking around, the pockets of a few children are bulging.
Mostly sunflower seeds.
Xu Nannan didn't like food, so he gave it all to wood and stone. By the way, he also grabbed some candies from his own pocket and stuffed them into the pockets of the two children. The teeth are so happy that the wood and the stone smile.
"Sister, will you come back next year for the New Year?" Shito asked with a candy in his mouth.
Xu Nannan said, "Of course I will come back for the New Year. As long as I have time, I will come back for the New Year." No matter what, Xujia Village is her root.
Having been an orphan all her life, she no longer wants to be a floating duckweed in this life. She is also rooted. Regardless of what happened to the old Xu family, this Xu family village is her root anyway.
On the way, I met the old Xu's family who came out to pay New Year's greetings, Xu Hong and Xu Meizi, with their two younger brothers and Xu Ling.
When the two sides met, Xu Hong gritted her teeth and stared at them.
Shi Shi made a grimace, stuck out his tongue and said, "What are you staring at?"
Xu Hong was about to make a fuss when she was so angry, Xu Meizi pulled her, "Forget about the New Year's Eve. The grandma will be unhappy again later."
First, when Mrs. Xu was upset, the whole family suffered. Xu Hong endured it abruptly.
"Hmph, let's go, not with this funeral star." He said and strode forward.
Xu Long and Xu Lei still had lingering fears about what happened yesterday, and they didn't dare to confront Stone and Wood, so they spat at them and followed.
Xu Meizi shook her head, "Wuya, let's go."
After everyone left, Xu Ling turned around and smiled at them. Immediately ran to follow up.
Seeing Xu Ling smiling at them, Xu Xiaoman was very happy, and pulled Xu Nannan, "Sister, Wuya said that she will start studying next year. It seems that I can still see her at school."
Xu Nannan nodded with a smile, "Yes, Xiaoman must study hard in the future, and Xiaoling will not be able to do it in the future. You, a sister, have to guide her."
Xu Xiaoman nodded with a smile, "Well, I must study hard. I have scored more than 90% in the exam this time, and the teacher said that I can skip a grade with this grade."
The stone next to him pulled the wood, "Xiaoman's grades are better than yours, you get 70 points every time you take the exam, why does mom always say you have good grades."
Mu Mu squinted at him, "It's better than thirty points every time you take the exam."
Xu Nannan couldn't help covering his mouth and laughing after hearing what the two brothers said. These two brothers look alike, but why are their temperaments so different. Shitou's temperament will be strictly controlled by his brother Mumu in the future.
When the children returned home, Grandma Chen and Song Guihua were not there either.
Seeing Xu Gui sweeping the yard, Shi Shi hurried over and asked, "Dad, where are my mother and my baby?"
"Going to visit."
Xu Gui said dejectedly. My mother and daughter-in-law went out after breakfast. For those who celebrate the Chinese New Year, he was left alone at home.
You don't need to ask, they must be showing off their new clothes.
Grandma Chen and Song Guihua wandered around the village wearing new clothes, and soon someone knew that their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had made new clothes this year.
And the fabric was bought by Xu Nannan.
This matter caused many people to discuss behind their backs.
After Mrs. Xu found out about this, she spit into the snow. When the family was warming up around the stove in the afternoon, the look in Li Jing's eyes was even worse.
Li Jing has been miserable for the past two days, and it's the first day of the Lunar New Year, and she has been implicated. I hated my two unfilial daughters in my heart.
Seeing Xu Ling eating sunflower seeds by the side, she pursed her lips and said to the old lady, "Mom, I originally wanted to buy it this year, but Xiaoling will be studying next year, and the family needs to provide for an extra child to study. I don’t have any spare money to buy clothes.”
When Xu Ling heard this, she stopped eating melon seeds and stared at her mother Li Jing with her eyes.
Li Jing was uncomfortable being stared at by her, and frowned at her.
The old lady was just in a fit of anger, and when she heard that Xu Ling wanted to study, she lost her anger all of a sudden.
Pointing at Xu Ling with a walking stick, "What a little girl, she still studies. What kind of books do you study. I haven't studied in my life, so I'm fine?"
Xu Jiansheng frowned, "Mom, it's different now than in the past. Girls have to study too. Don't Honghong and Meizi also study?" When the two nieces went to study in the city, he didn't say a word of objection. For now.
The old lady changed her face when she heard this, "What's the matter, are you regretting it? Don't even think about it, who will take care of your parents when you are not at home. You are the eldest son, and you are supposed to take care of them. But you went to the city to enjoy the blessings, and your two brothers helped you take care of them. What's wrong with letting your children study?"
In fact, Mrs. Xu didn't want to send her two granddaughters to study at the beginning. However, the eldest granddaughter Xu Hong has a big round face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and fair skin, looking like a blessing. Her second son, Xu Jianhai, said that if this girl is well-raised, it will be easy to talk about a good husband's family in the future, and she can also help the old Xu's family. The key is that the hometown does not need to take the money, so the old lady agreed. As for the third daughter, Xu Meizi, this child is sensible. She can write before she even goes to school. The ancestors of the old Xu family have never had a college student. If this child can really pass the exam, it will be a matter of glory. Moreover, Liu Qiao, the third daughter-in-law, is also likable. She can't let this daughter-in-law feel cold, so she naturally takes care of her a little bit.
In the final analysis, the old Xu's family didn't get the money, so she didn't feel pain.
But now that Xu Ling wanted to study, that was absolutely impossible. Her two elder sisters, Baiyanlang, this child will not be a good thing in the future. It has nothing to do with the old Xu's family if he is successful after studying.
Moreover, the family situation is not as good as it used to be, and she has to take out additional money, which is to steal her heart.
What the old lady said made Xu Jiansheng's face turn green and pale.
That's what the old lady said when she went to the mine. So he honestly gave the child to the old lady and brought him back to the countryside, and took over his nephew and niece.
Now that the old lady said these words again, he felt a little helpless.
Glancing at the little girl Xu Ling, Xu Ling stood aside with her mouth pouting, looking extremely aggrieved.
"Mom, let the child study, I can still afford it. I have only one girl left. Let her study some books anyway."
"What do you mean you have only one daughter left. Who is to blame? It's not because you don't know how to teach children. You have taught a bunch of white-eyed wolves. Besides, don't say you are only a daughter. Even if you don't have a daughter, you are not afraid. In the future Can the other children support you in the old age?"
"Mom, this is not about retirement..." Xu Jiansheng panicked. He never counted on anyone to provide for him in the old age. After all, he was a cadre in the mine, and when he came down later, he was also subsidized.
"I said, brother, you don't worry about retirement. Why do you ask a girl to study? This child is still so young. How many years will it take to read and how much will it cost? To make clothes for our mother, I can do a lot." Zhang Cuiqin chimed in.
She doesn't want to support another child to study. Isn't this robbing her child's things
Xu Jiansheng ignored her, just looked at the old lady, "Mom, let Xiaoling study, I promised her."
This time Xu Jiansheng said firmly.
Even the old lady didn't expect Xu Jiansheng to be so determined this time, she said so much, and he still insisted on sending this girl to study.
What is he planning
Xu Jiansheng himself didn't know what he was drawing. In fact, I didn't even try to figure out what kind of face the child would read, but sometimes I felt a little uncomfortable looking at the child.
Of the three children, this is the only one left. In the past, I always felt that I have many children, and children are not so important.
But looking back, when there was only such a child left, his heart was sometimes empty.
Seeing the stalemate between the old lady and Xu Jiansheng, Liu Qiao hurriedly said, "Mom, why not, it doesn't cost much to study in the village, let Wu Ya come back to study."
Xu Meizi glanced at her mother, and the corner of her mouth slightly curved.
Xu Ling widened her eyes and looked around at everyone, then put her arms around Xu Jiansheng's arm, "Dad, I don't want to leave you!"
Before Xu Jiansheng could speak, the old lady decided, "Okay, let this child come back to study. It happens that there are five children in the family, and you can't take care of them."
"Mom..." Xu Jiansheng was a little unhappy.
"Jiansheng, don't be too twisted. You have listened to me a few times when you come back this year for the Chinese New Year. You don't agree to let your daughter-in-law go back to the countryside to earn work points. You don't agree to let Wuya go to school. Now let Wuya go back to her hometown Come on, you still don't agree. You don't think of me as your mother, do you?"
What the old lady said was a bit heartbreaking.
Li Jing secretly pulled Xu Jiansheng, "Jiansheng, don't make Mom angry."
Xu Jianhai said, "Brother, Mom is looking forward to your return every day. You are so right when you come back? Are you worried about taking care of a child with a big family? If it weren't for the fact that the big girl Leizi is studying so much in the city." It has been many years, and they are all in junior high school, and I will definitely let them come back."
Xu Jiansheng looked at his mother, and then at his brother, feeling a little uncomfortable because he couldn't breathe.
After a long time, he breathed a sigh of relief, "... ok."
Xu Ling let go of her hand, lowered her head and continued eating melon seeds.
With this incident to divert attention, the old lady was no longer unhappy because of Mrs. Chen and Song Guihua's new clothes. He also talked about how he covered the Red Army, was shot, and how he gave the Red Army the glorious deeds of soles.
Everyone has heard this story for more than ten years, and every time I listen to it, I am still very interested.
It seems that after hearing too much, that period of glory can stay in the old Xu's house forever.
They even forgot that Mrs. Xu is now a bad person undergoing labor reform.
In the dead of night, Xu Jiansheng leaned against the bed and couldn't sleep for a long time.
Li Jing reached out to wait for him to take off his clothes, but he pushed him away.
"What's wrong?" Li Jing asked guiltily.
Xu Jiansheng looked back at her, "You still ask me what's wrong. When I was in the east room, why did you mention Xiaoling's going to school? Don't think I believe what you say, Xiaoling's going to school can still affect you. Mom makes clothes?"
When Li Jing heard this, she cried aggrievedly, "Can this be my fault? Mom is jealous when she sees other people's clothes, and it's that damn girl Nannan making trouble. Why do you want to make clothes for outsiders and make mom angry. How about I So, doesn't mom still have to make trouble?"
"Then why are you bringing up Xiaoling's schooling?" Xu Jian was angry about this.
When Li Jing said the first sentence, he knew that Li Jing wanted to change the subject, but she was Xiaoling's mother. She knew that the old lady was angry at that time, but she still mentioned Xiaoling. Are you angry with Xiaoling
Originally, he was ready to send Xiaoling to school first, and not tell the family. When he found out, Xiaoling had already gone to school, so what else could the family say.
But now
Xu Jiansheng suddenly found that the virtuous pillow person he had been with for many years made him feel more and more strange.
The Chinese New Year is always the fastest time, in the blink of an eye, it will be the third year of junior high school. Xu Nannan didn't plan to stay with Xu's Village Chief. She also has to go back to the city to prepare for the new year's exam.
And living in Song Guihua's house for a long time, it's not good to always be crowded. Before deciding to leave, Xu Nannan visited He Qiusheng again and assured him that he would come back to announce the good news when he passed the exam.
Xu Nannan wanted to go back to the city, Song Guihua definitely disagreed, and wanted to keep her to live in the city and start working before going back.
Hearing that Xu Nannan said there was something going on at the mine, he agreed to the two of them going back to the city. They also specially asked Xu Gui to take the two children to the car.
Back at the mine, Xu Nannan was not idle, holding some manuals on the mine to study. As a former test master, she is still very good at focusing on the key points.
After Zhu Fang asked about the content of the exam that year, she also guessed what the recruitment exam usually takes.
One day, Xu Nannan was memorizing the manual when suddenly there was a ding ding sound in his head.
The voice was still a little familiar.
She closed her eyes subconsciously and entered the Taobao store.
What appeared in front of me was a chat interface, Wangwang chat interface...
"Hey, dear, why are there some items in your store that don't have a price tag? Are you in stock? How do you sell that stone book?"