Chapter 23

Lu Hongjun was very troubled. Lu Xiao was the only blood left by his younger sister. He raised him by his knees, so how could he not feel sorry for him?

But this little bully has a somewhat impatient temper, and it’s time to change. Thinking of this, he asked, “Ah Xiao, my uncle wants you and Mingjie to go to the countryside as educated youth. Are you willing?”

Before Lu Xiao could say anything, Lu Mingjie stood up and protected Lu Xiao behind him like a calf. He stood in front of Lu Hongjun with bloodshot eyes.

“Dad, you are so cruel. My cousin is in poor health, and you actually want him to go to the countryside. Do you want him to die in the countryside?”

“It’s okay that I’m naughty and don’t get your favor, but my cousin is the only one registered with the household registration and doesn’t need to go to the countryside. Are you giving up on both of us?”

“I knew you favored Big Brother. I’m sure you picked this up from the trash, right?”

After Li Lihua explained, Lu Mingjie finally calmed down. However, he still looked gloomy and complained, “But working in the countryside is so tiring. I can’t stand it. How can my cousin do farm work?”

The environment in the countryside is so dirty. I heard that there is a water shortage in some places. Rural people can’t take a bath for the whole winter, and they even have to fetch water from the river.

Unlike the city where every home has a faucet, using water is so tiring. Lu Mingjie doesn’t want to go to the countryside at all. His second brother has been there for a year and hasn’t returned home yet. When will the two brothers be able to return home?

Lu Hongjun frowned, looked at Lu Xiao, and asked with concern, “By the way, are you still hurt from the fight today? Xiao, how’s your heart? Is it okay?”

Lu Xiao breathed a sigh of relief: “It’s okay, I just got hit a few times. Where should Mingjie and I go to the countryside? Northeast or South? Northwest?”

After so many years, Lu Xiao still knows his uncle well. He is not partial to the eldest son of the Lu family. It is true that he loves the eldest son of the Lu family the most. In their Lu family, the eldest son has always been the one to establish the family and take care of the elderly.

“Uncle, I hit someone today. I was impulsive. Mingjie helped me because he saw me getting beaten. We hit him a little too hard. Did it affect your promotion?”

After learning about the punishment Shen Wangzhi received for reporting his father, he followed suit. Over the years, he also knew that his grandmother and the others were being tolerant of Gu Hongye for his own good.

Even if you live in a compound, there are still some gossipers. This time, he was probably set up and got caught up in it. The impact was quite big, so he accepted it.

Lu Hongjun nodded. “It does have some influence, but not much. They all want to move up. Ah Xiao, the officialdom is like a battlefield. The enemy won’t care about friendship. Ah Xiao, don’t worry. I plan to send you to the Victory Brigade in Pingyang County and send you a 20 yuan subsidy every month.”

Guiltily, he said, “I might stay in the countryside for a year or two. There are six children in my family, so I can only leave one in the city. Unless there is a job, I will try to find a job for you…”

This matter has become a big deal, but the Lu family will give the compensation they deserve. Besides, who told them to be so mean first?

Lu Xiao pondered and said, “Okay, when will Mingjie and I leave?”

It’s that place again.

Mrs. Lu and Mr. Lu still disagreed. Mrs. Lu said with a sullen face, “Red Army, let Mingjie go to the countryside. Our Ah Xiao is so weak, how can he go to the fields to work? It’s not possible to be an educated youth without working.”

After all, she still couldn’t bear to let him go. If he was healthy, it would be fine. The doctor said that Axiao needed to rest and it was best not to do heavy physical work, for fear that his heart could not bear it.

Lu Hongjun said seriously, “No, Mom, I’m worried about Mingjie going alone. Let the two brothers go. The situation is special. I believe Dagui won’t force anyone to work. Xiao just needs to do some light work. Mingjie will help.”

“It’s best to leave in a few days. After these few days, all the educated youth will go to the south or the northwest. They will either eat sand or work in the winter. It’s better not to stay in our province.”

“It is better to be early than late, because delay will lead to changes.”

“Ah Xiao’s father was sent to the farm. What will outsiders say about him? Mom, you can’t convince so many people with just one mouth. Besides, Ah Xiao is of marriageable age, but he reported his father. It has already affected his marriage. Let’s see if Ah Xiao can find a partner in another place.”

“Ah Xiao, put an announcement in the newspaper tomorrow to sever ties with Gu Hongye, so your family background won’t be ruined.”

His son and Axiao grew up in the city and had never done farm work. They probably couldn’t even tell the difference between rice seedlings and wheat seedlings. As a father, he couldn’t just ignore them. The second son also said that it was difficult for educated youth who had never worked to support themselves in the first year after going to the countryside.

At the beginning, there was a subsidy of 200 yuan for going to the countryside. Now, local governments cannot provide so much money because there are too many educated youth who go to the countryside without jobs every year.

The subsidy was reduced to 30 yuan per person, which was only enough to support a person through the first year. After going to the countryside, life became difficult without the subsidy from family.

Children reporting their father is considered extremely unfilial in everyone’s eyes. They had originally planned to wait until Axiao got married before taking revenge, but now it’s too late to say anything.

It was confirmed that Lu Xiao and Lu Mingjie would go to the countryside. Lu Mingjie couldn’t sleep at night and came to Lu Xiao to complain.

“Brother, don’t you think we are suffering? The countryside is so poor, and I don’t want to work. My neighbor Wang Jun went to the countryside for two years, and when he came home to visit his family, he was tanned like coal. I don’t want to be as ugly as that.”

Lu Xiao was also sad and confused, but it was useless. He responded, “There’s nothing I can do. Let’s go. I should bear the consequences of my actions. But they shouldn’t have it easy either. I remember Gu Jun and Pei Zhao couldn’t find jobs, so they could go to the countryside. Haha, what’s the point of just us going to the countryside? They should go too.”

Lu Mingjie couldn’t believe his ears. “Brother, are you serious? Gu Jun is already old enough and hasn’t found a job since graduating from high school. He really should go to the countryside. Pei Zhao is quite favored, and his family is even looking for a job for him.”

Lu Xiao scoffed, “Humph, what if we trade it for job postings? Money talks. Gu Jun is the youngest in the family, and neither his father nor his mother loves him. Grandma does like him, but his mother is not a pushover. Isn’t she worried about her nephew?”

“There’s also the second daughter of the Pei family, a girl who’s been exploited since she was a child. Even if she gets a job, she probably won’t be able to protect the family. Why not give her some money and ask her to sign Pei Zhao up for a rural job? Mingjie, are you up for it?”

I have to vent my anger. If Lu Xiao doesn’t fight back, does he think he is made of clay?

Lu Mingjie grinned happily. “Damn, I still have a solution. How much is the right amount to give? Pei Zhaodi is quite patient. How will she be willing to give me more if I don’t give her more? How risky is it to register them? You need your household registration to register at the Youth League Office. It’s too easy for people to remember you with your looks.”

“It would be more appropriate to let their family members sign up. No more, no less, fifty yuan. If Pei Zhaodi doesn’t want to, forget it. Although we are not short of money, we can’t be fools.”

“I think Pei Zhaodi should agree. The Pei family has already reported her name. She’s been patient for so many years, and I’ve seen her do a lot of bad things. Wasn’t it her who ruined Pei Zhao’s reputation? But it’s not easy for her either, living under the thumb of her stepmother.”

“I heard that Pei’s mother plans to send Pei Zhaodi to the countryside and bring her back in two years to marry her off to a good family to help the family.”