Font Size:
Although the two elderly gentlemen spoke somewhat cryptically, Wang Qian had a vague feeling that it was related to something she had read about before. She had unintentionally come across articles like this in the past, but she wasn’t sure if her guess was correct.
Seeing the two men looking upset and indignant, Zuo Zhanshan casually asked, “Old Wu, what’s going on? What’s this about desertion? Your sons and Cui’s son were sent to the countryside. How did they get involved in this?”
Zuo Zhanshan was his old comrade-in-arms, and they had a deep bond. Besides, their families had a close relationship, so he didn’t hide anything from him.
“Old Zuo, do you know? Some of the educated youth sent to the countryside in the south have run away. Isn’t that desertion? The problem is, with them gone, can my son and Cui’s son not have ideas? This is what the letter is about. I don’t agree with what they’re doing. Once they go there, what will they be? They won’t even have an identity. How will they survive over there? The conditions are harsh, and even half of what we have here is hard to match. But that’s not a reason. There are still many people who chose to stay,” Wu Changyong explained.
Wu Changyong’s words confirmed Wang Qian’s suspicions. In her previous life, she had indeed read articles and reports about this. Those who left had no identity, no household registration, and were not recognized by the locals. The hard-earned things they brought with them couldn’t be sold at a good price in other countries because they were not native residents. They dared not sell their goods everywhere and could only sell them at a low price to the locals.
Some even attempted to swim to another place, but many drowned. They were risking their lives by doing so. While a few people became prosperous, most of those who left lived in remote mountains. Even in the 21st century, they still struggled to make ends meet and were still living in poverty. Even if they returned to their home country, they had no identity or household registration and couldn’t enjoy the various benefits that the country provided to formal citizens.
Wang Qian felt concerned for these two unfamiliar individuals. If they could endure a little longer, they would soon see the dawn. The darkness before dawn might bring despair and fear, but when the sun shines upon the earth, everything will dissipate.
Zuo Zhanshan was quite agitated upon hearing the news. They had fought battles all their lives, and now the younger generation wanted to run away, even crossing the border illegally. If caught, they would be sentenced for desertion. This was a clear case of desertion, and it was a blatant mistake, giving others an excuse to arrest them. If they really managed to escape, it would be difficult for Wu Changyong.
“Wu, Cui, you two need to write back immediately and tell them to stay put. As long as they’re not starving and can still breathe, they should stay honest in this country. Even if they leave, there’s no guarantee of a better future,” Zuo Zhanshan advised.
Wu Changyong and Cui both sighed. Writing a letter was easy, but they were far away and didn’t know if their advice would be heeded.
At this point, Wang Qian didn’t know how to advise the two elderly men. Allowing the two to take action was absolutely out of the question. Not to mention the primitive forest, where survival was uncertain, but even if they managed to leave, it would be a perilous journey. The situation on the other side of the border was even worse. The border was not a place of gold, and staying in their own country was the best option.
“Grandpa Wu, Grandpa Cui, you must not let them go. If they go, they will become refugees without household registration”.
After some consideration, Zuo Zhanshan continued, “Wu, you and Cui should send a telegram first, asking them to stay put. But be discreet in the content of the telegram. The situation is delicate here. Let’s stabilize them first.”
“Grandpa Wu, you should tell them that the college entrance examination may resume soon, so they should focus on their studies. If they wait until it resumes, they won’t be caught unprepared,” Wang Qian suggested.
Old Cui hesitated and asked, “Qian, I’m not sure about that. We don’t know when the examination will resume. If these kids can’t wait and do something foolish, it will be too late for regrets.”
Wu Changyong, however, thought it was a good idea.
“Cui, it doesn’t matter when they take the exam. You should explain to them that the United States and Japan have established diplomatic relations with us. They will need talent. It’s just a matter of time. Let’s stabilize them first. Once this period passes, they probably won’t have those thoughts anymore. It’s not easy to survive abroad. If they can’t make it in China, they won’t fare any better elsewhere. You should also send a letter home, asking them to buy books and materials for your son and mail them over. This way, they will have something to do and won’t have time to think aimlessly. At the very least, it will give them hope to strive for,” Wu Changyong suggested.
Zuo Zhanshan strongly agreed with Wu Changyong’s words. “Wu, do as you said. You should also write a letter to them, guiding their thoughts. Our own country is better than any other. Let them quickly dispel these thoughts and not act impulsively.”
At this point, Wang Qian remembered something else. “Grandpa Wu, Grandpa Cui, it’s best if your sons don’t find partners there. Once the college entrance examination resumes, it will be difficult for them to study with a family. Moreover, after finishing their studies, differences in values between husband and wife may arise, making communication difficult. It’s better to be cautious now than to become resentful in the future. Advise them to wait until they return before finding a partner.”
It wasn’t that Wang Qian was meddling, but in those special times, many from those special groups who returned to the city paid the price of divorce or abandoning their families and children. She didn’t want to see such results and believed that prevention was better than cure. She didn’t have the power to control the situation, but these two were after all the children of Wu Changyong and Cui. Reminding them was the least she could do.
The two elderly gentlemen looked at Wang Qian with some surprise. This young girl seemed to understand so much, but what she said made sense.
Wu Changyong and Cui took out all the money they had, and Zuo Zhanshan also provided some support to each of them. They quickly sent the money to the two children, as a way to alleviate their current predicament and stabilize their emotions.
After dinner, Wang Zhenhe took the two men to the post office, while Wang Qian went to the backyard to check on the saplings they had planted, all of which were thriving.
“Are you at home?” Wang Juan, who hadn’t visited for some time, came to their house for a visit.
At this point, Wang Qian was somewhat glad to see Wang Juan. At the very least, her elder Aunt-in-law could bring some news that she didn’t know.
Zhang Lan quickly went out to greet her sister-in-law, while Wang Qian went into the house through the back door, hoping to hear some new gossip.
As soon as she sat down on the kang, Wang Juan began to gossip about the Wang family. “Little sister, do you know that Ma Fenqing is pregnant? I felt that her size didn’t match the expected months of pregnancy. But the old lady insists that she’s just chubby. I feel like it’s an early pregnancy. No wonder Wang Zhenguo hurriedly got married. That child in her belly is his. But let’s keep this between us. Don’t spread it around,” Wang Juan said, emphasizing the need for discretion.
Zhang Lan chuckled and said, “Sister-in-law, you should know what kind of person I am. I won’t go around spreading rumors. By the way, has Wang Zhenguo’s job been settled?”
Together, Wang Juan is furious. “Sister, that brat of a son-in-law got his father-in-law to arrange a temporary job for him at the supply and marketing cooperative right after getting married. They said there’s a chance for him to become a regular employee in the future. He’s really had a stroke of luck. He’s in charge of the grocery section. Last time when I went to buy meat, just look at his sly and unpleasant face. It made me so angry. I wanted to buy some fatty meat to render lard, but he said, ‘Sister-in-law, we can’t use our family connections to get special treatment.’ He stubbornly cut me a piece of pork belly. When I got back, I had a big argument with your brother. What kind of person is he? He doesn’t acknowledge his own family. By the way, you should ask someone else to cut the meat for you when you go to buy it. Otherwise, he definitely won’t cut it properly for you,” Wang Juan said.
Wang Qian had long known that Wang Zhenguo was the type to disown his own family. Ever since the anonymous letters, his character had started to deteriorate, and it was heading in a worse direction. He dared to treat his own sister-in-law this way, let alone others in the family.
But what Wang Juan said next surprised her even more. “Little sister, do you know that this time, Wang Mei introduced a potential partner to Wang Zhi in the city? Last time, the old lady asked them to help find a job in the city, but they couldn’t find a suitable one. So, the old lady ordered the couple to find a partner for her in the city. After all, she’s going to be eating rationed food. In a short while, she’ll be able to bring him over for a visit.”
Zhang Lan had completely experienced the tactics of Wang Mei and her husband. Although she didn’t like Wang Zhi, she was still somewhat concerned and asked, “Sister-in-law, is the old lady really willing to let her daughter marry someone introduced by Wang Mei and her husband?”
Zhang Lan had lost all faith in the character of this couple. They dared to use their own niece as a bargaining chip, and her sister might become their ladder for climbing up in the world.
But Wang Juan didn’t care about all that. As far as she was concerned, her in-laws were just a matter of face. “Sister, we can’t do anything about this matter. After all, it’s the old lady’s own daughter. As long as the old lady is there, we don’t need to worry. By the way, have the chickens, ducks, and geese you bought started laying eggs?”
Talking about the animals at home brought a smile to Zhang Lan’s face. “Sister-in-law, they’ve started laying eggs. I want to thank you. Most of the ones you gave me were females. Now we have eggs to eat at home. When we first split from the family, I was worried, but now, look at us. We have everything. It feels like a dream.”
Wang Juan envied Zhang Lan’s life now. Although she had suffered a lot in the past, she had completely separated herself from her in-laws after going through so much. But Wang Juan still had to deal with them, especially those with ulterior motives, and it made her quite worried.