Font Size:
After the heavy rain, community members began replanting seedlings in the fields, redistributing the healthy seedlings to replace the ones that had withered.
Completing this task was a relief. At least the seedlings were now in place, and the rain had brought renewed hope.
Mingcheng’s acceptance letter arrived as expected. Their class teacher personally delivered it. “Congratulations, Mingcheng’s mom. I must congratulate you. Student Wang Mingcheng topped the school in the exams and ranked second in the county. It’s no small feat. His outstanding performance at such a young age is a testament to the quality of your parenting.”
Although the couple knew of Mingcheng’s capabilities, they were still taken aback by the surprise. Wang Zhenhe sincerely expressed his gratitude, “Teacher, with such excellent results, it’s all thanks to your guidance and the school’s education. I’m just an uneducated man who doesn’t know much.”
Wang Zhenhe knew that this success was largely due to the influence of the family’s patriarch, but he couldn’t mention this. Instead, he emphasized the importance of the class teacher and the school.
As the teacher had to deliver notifications to other students, the visit to Wang’s home was brief. However, this time, Wang Mingshan had indeed failed to make the cut. Wang Juan wasn’t surprised by this news. She knew that neither she nor her husband were the scholarly type, so they had limited expectations for their child.
“Sister, our family has truly produced a talented individual this time. Look at how accomplished Mingcheng is. He topped the school. We haven’t had someone like that in our village for so many years,” remarked Wang Juan to her sibling.
After the rain, the villagers began replanting the fields. Some of the stronger seedlings were distributed to replace the withered ones.
With this task completed, there was a sigh of relief. At least the seedlings were in place, and the rain had brought renewed hope.
Mingcheng’s acceptance letter arrived as expected, and it was personally delivered by their class teacher. “Congratulations, Mingcheng’s mom. I must congratulate you. Student Wang Mingcheng topped the school in the exams and ranked second in the county. It’s no small feat. His outstanding performance at such a young age is a testament to the quality of your parenting.”
Although the couple knew of Mingcheng’s capabilities, they were still taken aback by the surprise. Wang Zhenhe sincerely expressed his gratitude, “Teacher, with such excellent results, it’s all thanks to your guidance and the school’s education. I’m just an uneducated man who doesn’t know much.”
Wang Zhenhe knew that this success was largely due to the influence of the family’s patriarch, but he couldn’t mention this. Instead, he emphasized the importance of the class teacher and the school.
As the teacher had to deliver notifications to other students, the visit to Wang’s home was brief. However, this time, Wang Mingshan had indeed failed to make the cut. Wang Juan wasn’t surprised by this news. She knew that neither she nor her husband were the scholarly type, so they had limited expectations for their child.
“Sister, our family has truly produced a talented individual this time. Look at how accomplished Mingcheng is. He topped the school. We haven’t had someone like that in our village for so many years,” remarked Wang Juan to her sibling.
Wang Juan felt a sense of pride. After all, their families were close, and she believed in Mingcheng’s potential. She felt that, based on their family’s character, even if their own family prospered in the future, they wouldn’t forget their roots. Perhaps their three children would also benefit from the success of their younger cousin.
As Zhang Lan worked in the fields, she asked, “Sister-in-law, what are your plans for Mingshan? Are you going to have him work in the team, or do you have other ideas?”
Wang Juan sighed, continuing to work as she spoke, “What other plans can we have? If he didn’t do well in his studies, he can only come down to work. But he’s still young, and he can’t handle heavy physical work. I’m thinking of talking to the team leader to see if there’s a lighter job available. Even feeding the cows would do. At least he could earn a living.”
In Zhang Lan’s eyes, Mingshan was still just a child. Despite being older than Mingcheng, he still had a childish nature.
“Sister-in-law, don’t let Mingshan go and feed the cows. Talk to the team leader about having the child learn to operate a tractor. If someone else has an emergency, Mingshan would be able to help out. This way, he would learn a skill. Not everyone can operate a tractor, and it would be beneficial for him to learn,” Zhang Lan suggested, providing Wang Juan with a clear direction.
Wang Juan ruefully smiled, “I didn’t think of that. It’s you educated folk who have nimble minds. Your idea is good. We’ll go and talk to the team leader tonight.”
Zhang Lan chuckled, “Sister-in-law, being educated doesn’t change much. I also work alongside you. I haven’t lived as comfortably as you have. I spent many years enduring hardships under my mother-in-law before moving out. Sometimes, it’s not about how much education you have. Look at how well you’re doing. As long as Mingshan learns to drive a tractor well, he’ll be fine. By the way, you should talk to the team leader about this matter as soon as possible. Many children who didn’t pass the high school entrance exam will be coming down to work. Don’t let others get ahead of you.”
Wang Juan felt that Zhang Lan’s suggestion provided her with a clear path. She shouldered her hoe and went to find her husband.
The next day, when Zhang Lan saw Wang Juan again, she was elated. “Sister, I’m so glad I listened to you. The team leader agreed yesterday. He said the team will be buying a tractor this year, and our Mingshan can learn to drive it. You know, last night, several people went to talk to the team leader about arranging such a role for their children. I never expected us to be the first. That’s why I say you educated people are good. The few of us can’t compare to your knowledge.”
At home, Hao Lianchun made a new set of bedding for Mingcheng to take to school. There was no mention of military training at this time, and the bedding was prepared by their own family. Zhang Lan had bought plenty of cotton to ensure the bedding was warm and comfortable for the children.
“Brother, we’ll probably make quite a bit of money from what we collected today. After we sell everything, we’ll use the money to buy things for you to take to school.”
As soon as summer vacation began, Mingcheng started collecting scrap with his younger siblings to sell. They were no longer limited to scrap iron and began searching for other items they could sell. Today, they had visited several areas in the village, and their baskets were filled with scrap iron, glass, and even empty bottles. Over this period, they had saved up quite a bit of money from selling scrap, and Zhang Lan allowed them to use it to buy things Mingcheng needed for school.
At the cooperative, the weight of their collection amounted to over two yuan for the day. Wang Qian led the others to the sales counter and used the money to buy towels, soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a tooth cup, soap, a box of shampoo, a comb, a mirror, a drinking cup, a brush, shoes, and several rolls of toilet paper. Some items needed replacing since life in the city was different from life in the village.
Notebooks, ballpoint pens, and ink were all prepared, and even Mingcheng felt slightly overwhelmed by it all. “Sis, this is too much. We still have these things at home.”
Wang Qian looked up at her brother. “Brother, you can’t go to the city still using your old things. Those will be kept for when you come back. It’s a waste not to use them. You can bring a hot water bottle from home. We’ll also buy you two pairs of socks and some insoles, and then you’ll be all set. Think about anything else you might need. If we forget something, you can buy it in the city when you go there.”
Mingcheng quickly shook his head. His sister had already thought of everything they needed. However, Wang Qian suddenly remembered something they had missed – a lunchbox. After taking Mingcheng and his siblings to the hardware store, they bought two small rice bowls and a lunchbox. The lunchbox would be useful for bringing food from home, although they regretted not having a thermos. They had to make do with what they had until Wang Qian added her New Year’s money to cover the remaining cost.
When Zhang Lan and Hao Lianchun saw the children return with several items, they came over to see what they had bought.
“Who would have thought it would be so comprehensive? It seems like nothing is missing,” observed Hao Lianchun, realizing that it was indeed quite comprehensive. They had never had so many items even when they went on military campaigns.
Zhang Lan didn’t need to guess. “Auntie, you don’t need to think about this; it must be Qianqian’s doing. Think about it, they’re all just children. Only a child like her would be so thoughtful. Our Mingcheng is blessed to have such a caring sister. We don’t need to worry about anything.”
Wang Qian smiled at the two. “Mom, now that we’ve bought everything, you don’t need to worry. By the way, I’m not sure if we missed anything, so you and Grandma can take a look.”
Wang Xuan took out some sugar cubes from her pocket and handed one to each of them. “Mom, this was bought by your eldest daughter. I think I’ve almost spent all my New Year’s money from the past two years. Having a caring sister is great – she has money, and we can help spend it.”
The siblings chuckled at this. Zhang Lan picked up her younger daughter. “Qianqian, aren’t you upset about spending all your money?”
Wang Qian shook her delicate little face. “I’m not upset. I spent it on my family, so I have nothing to regret. If my older siblings have money in the future, they’ll spend it on me. I’m just making a small investment now, and I expect a big return in the future.”
Hao Lianchun patted her little face. “You’re quite financially savvy, little one. I think that’s a good plan. When you’re studying, your older siblings will be working, and you can spend their earnings.”
“Makes sense. Once I start working, I’ll give you money to spend,” nodded Mingcheng.
“Mom, should we let Grandma know that he’s going to study? At least, we should share our joy with them. It’s an honorable achievement to get into high school,” Wang Qian suggested.
If the little sister hadn’t reminded her, Zhang Lan would have forgotten about this. She had been busy in the fields for some time and hadn’t thought about this yet.
Hao Lianchun thought for a moment. “Lan, take the kids to see your mom tomorrow and talk about the children’s matters and the family’s affairs. We won’t feel at ease if they go by themselves.”
The next day, Zhang Lan took the children back to her mother’s place. In the evening, when they entered the space, Wang Zhenhe agreed that they should inform his mother-in-law about the good news. “Wife, bring some good food for Mom tomorrow. Take some extra oil from home. Qianqian, see if you can catch some rabbits for your grandparents. Also, I’ll bring some grain to the grain store tomorrow and exchange it for ration tickets for Mingcheng. He’ll need them for the school cafeteria.”
Zhang Lan was aware of the need for ration tickets, as it was clearly stated in the notification. “Zhenhe, exchange a good amount. We have enough grain at home. We don’t want the children to go hungry at school.”
The next day, the family prepared and set off early, before the sun rose too high. On the way, Wang Qian looked around but didn’t spot any rabbits or wild chickens. Her wish to bring some meat for her grandparents remained unfulfilled.
Upon seeing the family, Geng Lianhua was delighted to learn that her eldest grandson had been accepted to high school. “Lan, I knew you were blessed. Look at how accomplished the child is. You and your husband will have a good life together. Taking care of these children, you can’t go wrong. Your blessings are still ahead of you.”