Chapter 230

Shi Tingyu was inclined to agree to teach at the academy. While an hour-long bike ride wasn’t considered far by current standards, she felt it was still a bit too far for her.

However, transportation wasn’t an unsolvable issue.

She recalled that when she visited her hometown, Lu Weiguo had a comrade named Zuo Ping, who worked at the county militia department and owned a vehicle he had bought as a discard.

Shi Tingyu thought she could do the same. Having a car would be more convenient and could be used at any time.

But she would need to discuss it with Lu Weiguo when he returned in the evening.

As for the child, that wasn’t a significant problem. Nowadays, most factories and workplaces had nurseries. If she became a teacher, she wouldn’t have many class hours, and she could pick up her child after classes, so there wasn’t much to worry about.

Another point was that university classes didn’t end late, so traveling back and forth in one day wouldn’t pose a safety issue due to darkness.

She believed that having a child shouldn’t be a shackle limiting a woman’s career.

Parents should be responsible for their children but also for themselves.

Within her capabilities, she wanted to provide the best for her child. Leading by example in daily life would ensure her child wouldn’t turn out badly unless they had severe behavioral issues.

In this era, many parents still believed that providing food and clothing was good parenting. If the child misbehaved, a beating would correct them, and if one beating didn’t work, two would.

Despite this, there wasn’t a large-scale occurrence of antisocial personalities.

Upon reflection, teaching while raising a child seemed more convenient than studying while raising one. At least the child could stay in the faculty nursery during class hours.

This year marked the first college entrance exam since its reinstatement, with examinees spanning a wide age range. Many students had children and could overcome difficulties, so Shi Tingyu felt she could manage as well.

Having made up her mind, Shi Tingyu relaxed. After playing with Shen Shen and Lijian for a while, she started preparing ingredients for dinner.

Shen Shen sat in a small bamboo cart, playing with toys quietly.

This was another advantage Shi Tingyu noticed in her child.

He could focus intently on a single toy for a long time without getting distracted.

Shi Tingyu generally didn’t interrupt him, as this helped improve his concentration, which would be beneficial for studying and other tasks in the future.

In the evening, when Lu Weiguo returned, Shi Tingyu had already prepared the meal.

He walked over, hugged his wife, and kissed her. “Wife, you’ve worked hard.”

Shi Tingyu smiled and invited him to eat.

Reluctantly, Lu Weiguo let go of his wife, turned around, and brought their son inside, giving him a kiss that made the little one giggle.

After placing their child back in the bamboo cart, Lu Weiguo helped set the table.

Today’s dishes were plentiful, easing the cravings they had endured over the past two months.

Shi Tingyu ate until she was about seventy percent full, and Lu Weiguo finished the rest.

After the meal, Lu Weiguo quickly cleaned the table and went to the well to wash the dishes.

Once the dishes were done, instead of resting, the family took Shen Shen and Lijian for a walk to aid digestion.

Winter nights fell early, and the family compound didn’t have streetlights, only occasional light bulbs in some yards for convenience.

Lu Weiguo brought a flashlight and used it to light the way in dark spots.

Accustomed to the neon lights of modern streets, Shi Tingyu found this kind of walk unique and enjoyable.

Lu Weiguo held his wife’s hand with one hand and pushed the bamboo cart with the other, feeling that life was peaceful and content. He could never tire of such days.

During their walks, Lu Weiguo and Shi Tingyu often had in-depth conversations.

Shi Tingyu told Lu Weiguo about Principal Sun’s visit.

Lu Weiguo understood his wife’s ambitions. She was talented and capable, not someone who would be content staying home with the child all the time. He said, “If you want to go, then go. Being a university teacher is a coveted job that many people can’t even dream of. Now that they found you, it shows you have the ability.”

“Don’t worry about the child. We can hire someone to help out. Many local villagers would be happy to.”

Looking at Lu Weiguo’s face illuminated by the flashlight, Shi Tingyu smiled. “I can take care of the child myself. The school has a nursery for staff. I can leave Shen Shen there during my classes and pick him up afterward.”

Shen Shen heard his mother say his name and turned to look at Shi Tingyu, tilting his little head in confusion.

Shi Tingyu patted his head reassuringly, and he casually turned away.

Lu Weiguo thought his wife’s idea was feasible but got worried about the living arrangements. He was torn between having his wife commute daily from the school to the family compound, which made him feel both concerned and uneasy, and not wanting to live apart from her.

Noticing Lu Weiguo’s hesitation, Shi Tingyu didn’t say much but asked, “I remember there were some vehicles in your camp that were going to be decommissioned. What do you think about us buying one?”

Upon hearing this, Lu Weiguo’s eyes lit up. He tightened his grip on his wife’s hand and said, “Are you thinking of buying a car to make commuting easier?”

“Yes, so I wanted to discuss it with you,” Shi Tingyu replied.

Lu Weiguo had no objections; he was all for it. He had seen his wife’s driving skills and knew she was quite capable.

“Alright, I’ll check with the logistics department tomorrow.”

After some thought, Lu Weiguo added, “I think buying it shouldn’t be a problem. The only issue is that private car ownership isn’t allowed yet. My former comrade, Zuo Ping, had his car registered under the militia department.”

“If we buy one, we’ll need to find a unit to register it with.”

Shi Tingyu then remembered that private cars wouldn’t be allowed until the early 1980s. Essentially, they would be purchasing the right to use the car, but the ownership would still officially belong to the unit.

She started to plan. It wasn’t impossible; they could register the car with the Jinling Art Academy and draw up an agreement. Since the car would come from the camp, there shouldn’t be any issues with the academy.

In the future, if they no longer needed it, they could sell it. For the next decade or so, cars would remain highly sought after.

This matter would have to be discussed in detail when Principal Sun came back.

With this major issue settled, the family strolled for a while longer before heading home.

The next day, Lu Weiguo went to the logistics department to discuss buying a car.

Minister Zheng of the logistics department looked surprised. “Are you serious?”

Lu Weiguo explained, “My wife is planning to teach at Jinling Art Academy. It’s inconvenient for her to commute with our child, so we thought of buying a car.”

The minister had no objections. Those decommissioned vehicles were destined for scrapping anyway. Selling them could create value for the camp, so it was naturally a good idea.