◎ First update ◎ 

Putting the photo back in its original place, Chen Siming searched through a pile of documents and finally found the annual purchasing information of the State Cotton Factory. Chen Siming quickly flipped through it, wrote down the names and data, and while no one was home yet, he restored everything and went out. 

Guo Mingli slept uneasily. She lay there for half an hour on and off, then got up to talk to her second son. 

This time when Chen Siming came back, he was obviously much more sensible, and he spoke and acted calmly, so she felt relieved. 

“Siming, don’t argue with your father and older brother from now on. We’re family, and we need to keep our harmony. Other people might hurt you, but your family never won’t!” 

Chen Siming had a hint of sarcasm on his face, but it turned into a gentle and warm smile in an instant, “Mother, don’t worry, I understand now, and I will definitely not do that again in the future!” 

“That’s good. Your sister will definitely be happy when she comes back later. She said she missed you a few days ago.” 

“Mother, I miss you all too. I wish I could come back sooner, especially since your health isn’t good, and you often have back pain. I worry more when I’m at the farm.” 

“It’s great to hear that you’ve become so sensible and are thinking about taking care of your mother like this!” Guo Mingli felt sad when she heard her son speak from the bottom of his heart for the first time. There’s still a year and a half left for Chen Siming’s reform; she couldn’t bear it. “I’ll find another chance to talk to your dad and elder brother and see if there’s a way…” 

It is not known what method she’ll use, but it is clear that both of them are capable. 

“Oh!” Chen Siming came back this time to get support from his mother, who was the most affectionate toward him. How could she bear to let him stay at the farm for another year and a half? He told Guo Mingli about all the sufferings he had experienced in the past six months, which made Guo Mingli even more distressed. 

“You’ve really suffered! Siming, don’t worry, Mother will definitely let you come back soon.” 

The mother and son, both in tears, shared a rare tender moment. 

After wiping away his tears, Chen Siming thought of the photo. He felt that he had heard the name Wu Huacui somewhere, so he spoke hesitantly. 

“Mother, is there someone named Wu Huacui in the State Cotton Factory?” 

Guo Mingli was also a worker at the State Cotton Factory. She stopped working and stayed at home after she married Chen Yong and had a child. When the photo was taken, Guo Mingli had not yet left the State Cotton Factory. 

Guo Mingli, who was originally looking at her son with a loving face, suddenly changed her expression, her eyes widened slightly, as if she had heard it wrongly, her voice suddenly became sharp, harsh, and unpleasant, “Who did you say again?” 

“Wu Huacui?” Chen Siming paid attention to his mother’s expression and noticed that her pupils widened instantly when she heard the name. “Mother, do you know her?” 

“I don’t know her!” Guo Mingli looked away with a blank expression on her face, her eyes wandering and her voice becoming stiff. “I’ve never heard of this name. You must be tired after coming back today. Go and have a rest. I’ll go see what we’re having for dinner.” 

Guo Mingli left in a hurry. Chen Siming watched her retreating figure. Her mother’s reaction did not seem like she didn’t know her. Instead, there must be some connection! 

*** 

Liang Baojun hadn’t been back to Damei Village for a few days. He came back this morning to talk to his family and then hurried back to the educated youth’s house. 

After the renovation, the educated youth house looks new, and even the walls are much cleaner and tidier. However, the educated youths who used to eat and chat during lunch break are now staying in their room, reading papers and eating at the same time. 

The news that the college entrance examination was resuming gave them hope, like the only light in the dark night and it provided them with the motivation and courage to move on. 

There are currently six educated youths in Damei Village but unfortunately, they have only managed to get two books between them. They had to borrow from each other and copy books in advance. 

Xu Shuping was sitting on a small stool copying a book. Ma Zhiqing went to the town and found a high school math textbook. Today was her turn to copy it. The math book was placed on the wooden stool, and she was getting familiar with every number. 

Knock, knock, knock. 

There was a knock on the open door. 

Only one of the six educated youths looked up. Ma Zhiqing saw that it was the second son of the Liang family, so he stood up and walked over, “Comrade Liang Baojun, is there anything wrong?” 

Hearing the name Liang Baojun, Xu Shuping looked up reflexively, and just as her eyes met his, she hurriedly lowered her head again. 

“Oh, I’m looking for… Comrade Xu Shuping. The team leader told her to go to the commune to answer the phone.” 

“Xu Shuping, you have a phone call,” Ma Zhiqing called out before returning to his meal. 

Phone call? Xu Shuping put down her pen and paper and walked out doubtfully. Who would call her at this time? 

Her family was still undergoing reform, and they couldn’t easily use the phone. They had only been communicating through letters. 

“Comrade Liang Baojun, who called me?” 

After walking a few hundred meters, Liang Baojun turned around and told her, “No one called you.” 

“You, why did you lie to me?” Xu Shuping regretted it the moment she said it, and she understood instantly. 

“I haven’t been back for a while, and I want to see you. If I don’t do it this way, it will affect you badly.” 

Xu Shuping felt that this person had such thick skin. He would always tell her that he wanted to see her.

Liang Baojun watched Xu Shuping’s cheeks turn red and knew that he was too straightforward! 

He couldn’t leave a careless impression in front of others. Seeing Xu Shuping was copying something just now, he immediately changed the subject. “What were you writing just now? You looked so focused.” 

“Copying questions.” Xu Shuping knew that Liang Baojun only went to elementary school, so she added, “The college entrance examination has been restored, and we all want to take it again, but the textbooks are hard to find now. Brother Ma went through a lot of trouble to get two books.” 

The educated youths have been working hard lately. They work during the day and spend their breaks, and even their evenings, studying when they’re supposed to be resting. They are all looking forward to the college entrance examination in a month. 

“Oh, you’re going back?” Liang Baojun was a little dazed when he heard this. He knew that Xu Shuping had good grades in school. It would be a good thing if she could really get into university and return to the city. It seemed a waste for such a nice girl to be working in the fields. 

But if she went back to the city, it would be difficult for them to meet. 

Regaining his composure, Liang Baojun saw the fervor in Xu Shuping’s eyes regarding the college entrance exam and hoped her wish would come true. “What books do you need? I’ll try to find them for you.” 

“Really?” Xu Shuping’s eyes sparkled, and she quickly told him a list of book titles. 

Back at the Liang family, Song Chunhua and Liang Baoying were cooking in the kitchen, while Liang Baoling was doing homework in the yard, with her back hunched and her head buried. 

“If you bend any lower, you might fall into the book.” 

Looking up at her second brother, Liang Baoling quickly bent her head back down and continued writing. “Second brother, you don’t understand the hardships of us first-year junior high school students!” 

“Oh, you’re really speaking in a pretentious manner, aren’t you?” Liang Baojun sat down next to his younger sister and looked at her handwriting. It seemed that her handwriting was much better than before. It was really useful to practice writing a piece of calligraphy every day. 

“Don’t disturb me while I’m doing my homework.” Liang Baoling looked at her second brother with disdain. It wasn’t that she was too studious, but her old mother was jealous after hearing her third sister talk about the students in the city last time. Now she even stared at her youngest daughter’s homework every day. 

“Okay, okay, keep working hard.” Liang Baojun was about to get up, but then he remembered something and sat down again. “Baoling, do you think I could get into college?” 

Didn’t they say that this time anyone can sign up and take the college entrance examination! 

This time Liang Baoling reacted strongly. She suddenly raised her head and looked at her second brother. Her mouth opened as if she could swallow a whole egg. Her second brother hadn’t even graduated from elementary school! “Second brother don’t joke around. If you can get in, I could get into Peking University!” 

Peking University is the best university and has a long-standing reputation, so you can imagine how difficult it is. 

Liang Baojun: “…” 

Whose family’s little sister is this, so irritating! 

*** 

The next day, Liang Baojun, who was self-aware, had put the idea of taking the college entrance examination out of his mind. He knew his own abilities and wasn’t cut out for academic work. 

He got a letter of introduction and went into the city. He first went to the soda factory for a stroll and then got a few books from his brothers who were doing business on the black market. Xu Shuping knew that books were scarce now and the whole city and even the country were searching for them. She couldn’t be picky; having any books was already a blessing. 

Carrying a sack of books, Liang Baojun went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought two cans of malted milk and a pound of peach cakes to go to Crescent Alley to visit Baozhen. 

The last time he came, he brought an old hen and twenty eggs from his home. Today, he spent his own money to buy some nutritional supplements for Baozhen. 

Zhou Yun welcomed him warmly and wanted to make him a pot of tea, but Liang Baojun couldn’t bear to trouble her, so he poured himself some warm water to drink. 

“Brother, why did you buy so many things?” Liang Baozhen thought her second brother had actually found a job in the town. Although it was better than working in the fields, a month’s salary was only a little over twenty yuan. How could he afford to buy so many things? “Aren’t you saving up for your future wife?” 

She knew about the relationship between her second brother and Xu Shuqing. They were interested in each other but were trying to keep their distance. 

“The money for my future wife is here.” Liang Baojun patted the sack, and the sound of the books inside echoed crisply. 

The books were not expensive but were valuable! With the college entrance exam approaching, those who can find a way to get the books must have some connections.

“How are you and Xu Shuping doing recently?” Liang Baozhen asked with concern, not knowing whether her second brother’s relationship was going well. 

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. Take care of yourself. If you feel uncomfortable, tell my brother-in-law. Don’t deprive yourself of anything you want or need.” 

“Don’t worry, I won’t deprive myself!” 

“By the way, I went to the soda factory today.” Song Jianguo’s words sounded nice, but he was still worried. Today, he quietly went to ask around and found out that this man was quite honest and devoted to his work. “They said that Song Jianguo worked overtime every few days and always swapped night shifts with others. His overtime pay and night shift allowance were much higher than other workers.” 

“Brother-in-law still thinks about my eldest sister and Mengmeng.” Liang Baozhen, now pregnant, felt differently even though the baby wasn’t born yet. She believed that her brother-in-law, Song Jianguo, wouldn’t neglect his wife and daughter. 

“Alright, I’ll head back now. I don’t want to miss the bus.” Liang Baojun stood up to say goodbye to Zhou Yun. 

Liang Baozhen wanted to send him to the entrance of the alley but was rejected, “You’re pregnant, so don’t send me off. Rest more.” 

When he walked out of the alley, he ran into his brother-in-law Xu Shengjie, who had just returned home. Liang Baojun walked up to him and exchanged pleasantries. Although he had no children and was not married, he still had to act like a brother-in-law. 

“Baozhen is having a hard time with the baby. You should be understanding and accommodating.” 

“Of course. You and Mother and Father can rest assured.” Xu Shengjie wanted to take responsibility, but his wife didn’t give him any room to do so. Thinking of Lu Yuan riding his bicycle all over the city last year and buying things everywhere, he was actually a little envious! He wanted to have a sense of being involved! 

After work today, he went to Hong Saner’s place first. Hong Saner knew that he could assemble radios and wanted him to help make one, but the materials were too difficult to collect. After more than two months, Hong Saner finally collected all the materials and asked Xu Shengjie to go home with him to get them. 

“What’s in that bag in your hand?” Liang Baojun looked at the bulging bag and felt curious. 

“Oh, this? It’s for assembling radios,” Xu Shengjie answered casually, not being on guard against his own family. 

Liang Baojun was a little surprised; his eyes lit up. His brother-in-law could assemble radios? With this skill, couldn’t he assemble them and sell them on the black market? The big brother who cooperated with them last time doesn’t have a foresight. He said that he didn’t want to participate anymore because he had a wife and wanted to take care of his family. 

Isn’t that foolish? 

If my brother-in-law comes… forget it. Liang Baojun thought about his sister and realized that he still had to take care of the family! 

The author has something to say: 

Liang Baojun: You should be a good family man! @Xu Shengjie