◎ Third update ◎ 

Liang Baozhen took Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya to the Youth Palace to sign up after receiving the photo. With the weather getting warmer, it’s a much better time to learn swimming. 

Actually, both she and Xu Shengjie could teach swimming. Taking the kids to the river and letting them splash around a few times would be enough for them to learn, just like how Liang family siblings learned. Liang Baoling, for instance, learned to dog-paddle after drinking a few gulps of river water. 

These days, few people sign up for lessons at the Youth Palace. Most of the students were children of leaders and officials. They had both money and foresight. For ordinary families, spending money on classes seemed like a waste. It was better to save money for food or clothes or keep it for security. Wasting it on classes wasn’t an option. 

Liang Baozhen has lived in the countryside for many years. If she hadn’t known the plot in the book, she would have been dumbfounded by the investment in education in later generations. 

The Youth Palace wasn’t far from the cinema, just about a kilometer across the street. It was a small five-story gray and white building that had been around for over twenty years. The first floor was for registration, and going up, there were various hobby classes. 

“Hello, comrade, we want to sign up for a swimming class.” Liang Baozhen had inquired last time and learned that swimming classes can be signed up voluntarily, as long as the child is over five years old and in good health. 

Xu Shengya had always had a minor heart condition, but Liang Baozhen had already discussed this with the teacher at the Youth Palace. It was a mild case and wouldn’t have much impact. 

The Youth Palace is still an elite education institution. They only select students from the key schools who are outstanding in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor aspects from various primary and junior high schools for training and education. Many people do not have the opportunity to set foot in it, but the swimming class is currently an exception and can be opened to registration from the public. 

“Let our teacher take a look at the child’s physical condition first.” The staff at the Youth Palace were much more polite than those at the supply and marketing cooperative and the department store. They took the three people in and waited for the swimming teacher to see that the children had no physical limitations before letting them fill out the registration form. 

The tuition for the swimming class is three yuan per semester, which is six yuan for two people. It is indeed a sky-high price for many families. Liang Baozhen paid the money readily and let the two fill out the registration form themselves. 

“Sister-in-law, can we learn swimming in the future?” Xu Shengya looked at the well-decorated small building with full of expectations. Especially at the thought of learning with a class full of children. It sounded exciting. 

“Yes, I’ve seen the class schedule. It’s still getting dark early, so for the next two months, we’ll come on Sundays. When summer arrives, we’ll come three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.” 

“Wow! It must be fun here!” Xu Shengwei said as he filled out the registration form in a lively manner. His handwriting was wild and difficult to read. After finishing, he wandered around while his sister was still writing. 

There are many children walking in the Youth Palace from time to time. Some are wearing colorful dance costumes; some are wearing red sports clothes while holding table tennis rackets in their hands. Walking further in, he can hear some music coming from a classroom, accompanied by the crisp sounds of musical instruments. 

Xu Shengwei didn’t know what it was, he just thought it sounded nice. It was not until he entered the Youth Palace to learn swimming that he realized that the big thing was called a piano and that the black and white keys would make sounds when pressed. 

“Sister-in-law, there are so many children over there! They are all wearing different clothes.” The excited Xu Shengwei was surprised. Those children walked with their heads held high and they look very special. 

Liang Baozhen looked over and found that they were children from the music class, table tennis class, and dance class. These were the top talents selected by the Youth Palace from various primary and junior high schools in the city, and they had not yet been recruited by the public. 

“Wow.” Xu Shengya, who had just finished writing, raised her head and looked at the groups of children with envy, “They seem to be very good.” 

Xu Shengya’s handwriting is very beautiful, neat, and generous, much better than Xu Shengwei’s. Liang Baozhen looked at the two registration forms and suddenly wanted to sign Xiaowei up for a calligraphy class! 

After signing up, the three of them took the bus back to Crescent Alley, but they were not going home today. They were going to eat at a state-owned restaurant! 

Today is Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya’s birthday. They will be fourteen years old this year, and their only wish is to eat at a state-owned restaurant. 

State-owned restaurants have a special status in the hearts of children and even adults. Most people can’t afford to eat there often, but it’s good to have a meal occasionally. Xu Shengjie calculated the time and set off with his grandmother and waited at the state-owned restaurant. 

“Grandma, big brother!” 

“We have signed up and can start swimming lessons next Sunday.” 

“There are so many kids in there, and they seem to know a lot of things.” 

It was rare for Xu Shengjie to hear the two kids talking about a place so excitedly. He had never been to the Youth Palace, and even when he passed by there for business, he had never paid much attention to the place. He only had a vague impression of the three big red characters wriiten on a banner without knowing much about what went on inside. 

“Are you so interested? Then you can sign up for more classes.” The tuition for each class is a few yuan per semester, which he can afford. 

“You’re dreaming!” Liang Baozhen tilted her head and smiled at Xu Shengjie. She took the chopsticks that her grandmother had scalded with boiling water and gave him a pair. “Those classes are for selected students from key schools. The swimming class is the only one open to the public, and even then, it’s quite competitive. When we went today, there were only a few spots left. You don’t know how many children of cadres have signed up to learn several things.” 

Zhou Yun had never heard of these classes. Back then, she was lucky to have a thatched hut as a classroom and learn a few words. Today, when she heard that the two little ones had to spend six yuan to enroll in a swimming class, she felt distressed. It was not that she was reluctant to spend money on her grandchildren, but she only felt pained by having to part with so much money. 

After all, that’s six yuan, and many people only earn more than twenty yuan a month. 

“Xiaowei and Xiaoya, you must study hard and listen to your teacher.” Since the money has been spent, they must make sure to get every penny back. 

“Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll definitely swim like a duck!” 

The food they ordered arrived, one was stir-fried pork with green onions. The strong aroma of green onions mixed with the aroma of meat was delicious, and it could be washed down with a bowl of rice. There was also another dish of stir-fried, pork stomach, pork kidney, and pork liver. The chef at the state-owned restaurant was very skilled, and even Xu Shengya, who didn’t like eating offal very much, could pick them up one by one with chopsticks. The dishes also came with stir-fried dried tofu and vegetable and tofu soup. All four dishes were quite filling, and the whole family was very full. 

However, this meal cost three pounds of food tickets. Zhou Yun smiled and joked with her grandchildren, “After this meal, we will have to tighten our belts when we go back.” 

After eating the meat, Xu Shengwei was very satisfied and didn’t mind at all, “It’s okay, grandma, I can go without meat for a month!” 

He would remember this taste, and just thinking about it while eating sweet potatoes and cornbread would make them seem delicious too! 

After the meal, the family returned to the courtyard. Zhou Yun led Xiaowei and Xiaoya in front, while Xu Shengjie and Liang Baozhen followed behind. Liang Baozhen was still quite surprised when she thought of what she saw at the Youth Palace today. 

She never had the chance to learn those things from a young age. With a variety of classes available—music, dance, art, table tennis, calligraphy…everything you can imagine—she finally understood today what it means to “win at the starting line.” 

“If there’s a chance, I’d like Xiaowei and Xiaoya to also learn things they’re interested in. Seeing how they were so amazed by the other kids in different classes today, they could barely move.” 

“Xiaoya is fine, but with Xiaowei’s short-lived enthusiasm, I’m doubtful.” Despite saying this, Xu Shengjie was already thinking, “Has the Youth Palace been to the secondary school associated with the State Cotton Factory for selection?”

Speaking of this, Liang Baozhen felt a little regretful, “They only recruit from key schools; the factory school isn’t within their scope.” 

The Youth Palace is so small, with only twenty or thirty kids per class. By the time they finish selecting from the key schools, there are no spots left for other schools. Besides, the secondary school associated with the State Cotton Factory, like other state-run factory schools, is just a makeshift option meant to solve the problem of schooling for the thousands of workers children. As for teaching quality, it’s naturally not as good with the primary schools. 

“I’ll think of a way.” Xu Shengjie looked at his younger siblings who were still talking to their grandmother about the Youth Palace and came up with an idea, “Let’s see if we can transfer them to another school.” 

Liang Baozhen was also thinking that even Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya, who studied in the city, had less exposure to many things than their peers in key schools. Her own sister, who lived in the countryside, had no opportunity to experience anything beyond studying in the county. She only knew how to swim, which she learned by going to the river by herself. As for other skills such as singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments, she had never heard of them before. 

Thinking of this, Liang Baozhen felt even more pity for her little sister. Her sister has no channels to access these things, Other children could buy so many books and learn so much knowledge first, but poor Baoling had nothing! 

 What other younger sisters have; my sister must have it too! 

With this in mind, Liang Baozhen decided to give her sister a gift when she goes home next week. 

Liang Baoling attends school in the village and enjoys a leisurely life every day. Naturally, the teaching in the village school is not as good as that in the city, and the goal of most people is just to recognize more characters. 

She didn’t like going to class very much. The Chinese teacher currently teaching was an older man in his forties. His Mandarin wasn’t very standard, but he insisted on reading the text in a heavily accented way, which made Liang Baoling yawn during class. 

After the Chinese class ended, Liang Baoling packed her books and was the first to rush out of the classroom and run home as soon as the bell rang. 

Today is the last day of school this week, and tomorrow is a day off. She already made an arrangement with Shui Xing, a girl of the same age in the village, to go fishing. But the next day, when she was about to go out after lunch, she saw her third sister coming back! 

“Third sister, why are you back?” Liang Baoling hadn’t seen her third sister for a while, so she rushed over and hugged her tightly. 

Liang Baozhen was carrying a large bag that looked heavy. Liang Baoling wanted to help her sister carry the bag, but after she took it, she was surprised by the weight. “Sister, what are you carrying?” 

“A gift for you.” Liang Baozhen went into the house with her sister. Seeing that no one was in the house, she asked casually, “Where’s mother and father? My eldest brother-in-law is not here either?” 

“They’re all out.” Liang Baoling was now concerned about the big bag of gifts. There were so many and so heavy. She reached out her hand to touch the bag, and it felt a little a little rough. “Sister, what gifts are these?” 

“Liang Baoling, come and fish!” Several children from the village came to call her, but Liang Baoling smiled and directly rejected them. 

“I’m not going today; you all go ahead.” She wanted to see the gifts! They must be something fun and delicious from the city! 

Liang Baozhen untied the rope that sealed the bag and took out the gifts one by one. “Supplementary materials for Chinese and math, three practice books for calligraphy, two illustrated storybooks, and supplementary materials for first-year physics and chemistry that you can review in advance…” 

Liang Baoling’s smile slowly faded as she saw book after book being taken out. By the end, her smile was gone. Was it still possible to go fishing now? 

The author has something to say: 

Liang Baozhen: Baoling, please accept my love! 😘📚 

Liang Baoling: Sister, there’s no need for that! 😭