Chapter 202: Task Pig

While going to collect the grain, Wang Zhi saw the new scarf wrapped around Zhang Lan’s neck, and her envious eyes were almost popping out.

“Mom, I also want to buy a scarf like hers.”

Zhu Qiyu tightly held her daughter’s hand and whispered something in her ear. Wang Zhi received her hint and asked excitedly, “Mom, can she buy one for me? She hardly ever spends money at home and is quite stingy. How could she spend ten or eight bucks on a scarf?”

Seeing that no one around was paying attention, Zhu Qiyu whispered softly, “You’re silly. Let your brother help you ask. When both of them are present, mention it to her, and your sister-in-law is no fool. She’ll understand your intention. If your brother also speaks up, it’ll surely work.”

Han Cui, who was in the middle of the line, also noticed the conspicuous new scarf around Zhang Lan’s neck. She had wanted that scarf for a long time but hadn’t been willing to buy it. Unexpectedly, Third Brother Wang had snatched it up before her, and her gaze at Zhang Lan was tinged with envy.

Wang Qian inadvertently glanced at the crowd and noticed that The Second family wife was looking at her mother with an unusual expression. Thinking it over, she understood what was going on. Han Cui was always trying to outdo others. She was envious of her mother’s new scarf, which she found rather amusing. With so many people who could afford nice things, her jealousy would only make her miserable. Could she always stay ahead in everything?

With the grain to eat, everyone’s joy was naturally written on their faces. At that moment, no one had the extra energy to worry about unimportant matters, especially people like Han Cui and Wang Zhi.

A few days later, Wang Zhi finally obtained the coveted new scarf she had longed for, an exact match to Zhang Lan’s. In celebration, she purposefully strolled around the village, garnering many envious glances from onlookers.

Winter continued its relentless advance. Wang Qian sat in the classroom, her feet growing increasingly cold. Despite the stove in the room, its warmth was limited due to the small size of the classroom. After warming her slightly frozen hands, she swiftly began answering the exam questions.

Today was the final exam. Once it was over, things would get easier. As she thought of the warm kang at home, her hands moved swiftly across the test paper, quickly completing all the questions. In her eyes, these problems were child’s play, but she still held back a bit. When working on the applied problems, she intentionally omitted units. This way, all the children at home could score full marks, diverting attention away from her. However, this approach also indirectly conveyed to the teacher that she knew the answers, but simply chose not to write the units.

With all the questions answered, she didn’t even glance at her paper, walking directly to the front of the classroom to turn in her test to Xu Mingda.

Seeing the young girl submitting her test first, Xu Mingda was somewhat surprised. However, after a quick glance at her paper, his face lit up with delight. Nonetheless, noticing the deliberate omission, he asked, “Wang Qian, don’t you want to double-check?”

Seeing the teacher’s inquiry, Wang Qian firmly nodded. “No need, teacher. It’s fine like this.” Seeing her resolve, Xu Mingda was somewhat puzzled. Although she had answered all the questions correctly, he didn’t understand why she left out those details. While it wasn’t a major mistake, it would still result in a minor deduction during grading.

Nevertheless, seeing that she had answered all the questions correctly, he felt pleased to have a student like her. He didn’t regret accepting her in the first place.

After the morning exam, the school would be closed for two days. Wang Qian, carrying her small backpack, waited outside for Mingyuan and the others. Inside the classroom, Mingyuan was also swiftly answering questions. He had already spotted his sister’s bobbing head outside the window and quickly finished the last question on his test before submitting it. Zuo He and the others followed suit.

“How did it go, Qianqian?” As soon as they stepped out, Mingyuan noticed his sister’s slightly flushed face, and he reached out to warm her with his hands.

“Sis, we didn’t have any trouble with the questions. How about you guys? Was it tough?”

Mingyuan confidently stated, “Not difficult at all. These questions are a piece of cake for me.”

Zuo He and his elder brother, Zuo Yu, walked out together. “Mingyuan, our eldest brother hasn’t finished yet. Let’s wait for him first. But it’s cold outside, and Qianqian could catch a cold waiting out there for too long. Why don’t we go find the teacher and ask about some language questions? We can warm up while we’re at it.”

Left He was quick to come up with a plan that would allow them to warm up while providing a legitimate reason to go to the teacher’s office.

The four of them exchanged smiles and ran to the teacher’s office, knocking on the door and entering. Zuo Yu and Zuo He engaged the teacher, asking questions they pretended not to know. They kept the teacher occupied for quite a while, and the teacher was more than willing to help the eager students who loved to learn.

After receiving the signal from Mingyuan, they thanked the teacher and left the office.

“Wow, that was exhausting. I didn’t expect asking a question would be so tough. Qianqian, do you think it’s easy for me?” complained Zuo Yu.

Wang Qian chuckled and said, “Zuo Yu, think of it as revising the lesson. Reviewing old material can shed new light on it.”

Meanwhile, Zuo Hao had already waved to them from outside. “Bro, you’re so slow. I’ve been waiting out here for ages. Let’s hurry home. It’s freezing in the classroom, but it’s much warmer at home.”

The five siblings walked back together. However, when they reached the scrap heap, they instinctively began searching for items, hoping to find some scrap. After collecting a small amount of scrap iron, they hurried home.

“Grandma, we’re back,” called Zuo Yu as soon as they arrived, following Mingyuan’s lead.

The old lady quickly opened the door to let them in. “It’s cold. Hurry up and warm yourselves by the kang. Tell me, how did your exams go today?”

The brothers exuded confidence when discussing their exams. “Grandma, don’t worry. We won’t let you down.”

The old lady trusted her grandsons. Despite their mischief, they didn’t slack off in their studies. As far as she and a few other elderly gentlemen were concerned, there was nothing to worry about.

After staying home for two days, the exam results finally arrived. Zhang Lan and the others looked at the children’s report cards. Apart from the youngest daughter, whose grades were slightly lower, the others had done quite well. Mingyuan and the others had all scored full marks, while Mingcheng and Wang Xuan had only lost a point or two.

Old Master Chen glanced at Wang Qian’s paper. He didn’t believe that the results could vary so greatly since he had taught them all. Yet, when he saw the test paper, a smile involuntarily spread across his face.

“You little rascal, are you doing this on purpose? You managed to get the wrong answers for the easiest questions. Well done. Knowing how to hide your abilities shows talent.”

Old Chen’s words attracted other elderly gentlemen to come and take a look. When they saw Wang Qian’s test paper, they all smiled at each other. “Well done. Very good results.”

At this point, Zhang Lan understood why their youngest daughter’s grades were lower. With Old Master Chen’s clear explanation, she would be foolish not to understand.

She gently patted her daughter’s head. “Qianqian, I’m sorry.”

Wang Qian replied, understanding her mother’s words, “Mom, this is just my level. I’m not upset about it. As long as my brothers and sister have a bright future, I’ll be happy to enjoy their success.”

Her words amused everyone in the room. Zuo He earnestly said, “Qianqian, it’s okay if you didn’t do well in the exam. Once I start making money, I’ll take care of you. You won’t need anyone else; I’ll be enough.”

Adults knew not to take children’s jokes seriously. However, Zuo Zhanshan remarked meaningfully, “Hehe, you better work hard in the future. You’ll still need to earn money to support your sister.”

As the year-end approached, Zhang Lan and her daughter were busy with preparations for the upcoming Lunar New Year.

Wang Qian expressed her desire to make some money in the city. Her mother agreed, and the two immediately started working. Zhang Lan bought some eggs from reputable households in the area.

That night, she informed her husband that they would be visiting her parents’ home the next day. Wang Zhenhe had no objections and thought it was a good idea to spend time with the elderly.

“Wife, after setting aside the share of the earnings and some funds for emergencies, if there’s anything left, save some for my mom and dad. It’s not easy for them, and they don’t have much support. Let’s leave them some money to have a good New Year. We can cut back on our spending at home; none of them will complain.” Wang Zhenhe had always been grateful for the help his in-laws had provided to their family during difficult times. He wanted to do more at this point, ensuring that his younger brother-in-law could stay in the army without worry.

After the mother-daughter duo made a good amount of money in the city, they immediately went back to Lotus Flower’s place and delivered the New Year’s goods they had purchased for their elderly parents.

When they returned home, they took out the seafood they had brought back, not arousing any suspicions, except for the old lady who knew the whole story.

As the year-end approached, it was time for the commune to fulfill its pig production quota. Members were required to work together to fulfill the task. Wang Qian was puzzled and asked her father, “Dad, can’t we slaughter one of our pigs for ourselves?”

Understanding her thoughts, Wang Zhenhe patiently explained, “Qianqian, the pigs we raise on the farm are for meeting the production quota. The city folks rely on the pigs we provide to eat. Besides, our pigs are raised well this year. When we deliver them to the purchasing station, not only will we receive money, but we will also receive some pork as per the regulations. We can raise an extra pig next year for ourselves, but not this year. I’ll bring some pork back from the purchasing station for you to eat.”

Zuo Yu and the others didn’t understand these regulations. They only knew that they had worked hard all year to raise the pigs but couldn’t enjoy the meat. The disappointment was evident on their faces. Seeing Mingyuan’s dejected expression, Wang Qian felt even more upset. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the helpers load their fattened pig onto the truck. The situation was the same for Zuo He and the others; everyone was reluctant, but they had no choice.