From Cultivator to Widow

Zhang Fenghua's fourth grade this time was not smooth sailing.

Many people don't send their girls to school. Even if they do, they can count, write names, and recognize common words when they go to the second and third grades.

Just like her two younger sisters, they have also reached the age of school, but Zhao Laidi disagreed, so no one specially proposed to let the two sisters go to school.

Zhang Fenghua graduated from the third grade, and Zhao Laidi already felt that it was okay.

She is already in the third grade, almost.

But Zhang Fenghua wanted to continue reading.

In addition to her son, among the remaining three daughters, Zhao Laidi really loves the eldest daughter the most. Her grades are also very good. , She begged herself like this, Zhao Laidi could only call her a prodigal, and finally agreed to let her continue reading, but she also had requirements.

She continued to read, and then she should pay back the money. She did not plan to let her two sisters go to school, but she, the eldest sister, was responsible for teaching them, and could not be worse than others who graduated from the second and third grades.

Zhang Fenghua has always taught her two younger sisters to study. This is not a problem for her, and her mother does not say that she will teach them seriously.

In the third grade, the number of girls in the class dropped sharply. There were only two girls left in Zhang Fenghua's class, and the rest went home.

In the third grade, there is not a single one under the age of 10. Those who go to school not only have to spend money, but also cannot earn work points.

Because of this move, Zhao Laidi was also said by some people that she loves her daughter.

She can't say that she loves her daughter like this, so how can she count it?

Generally speaking, if you promise that your child will read the fourth grade, the fifth grade will also be read. Otherwise, you will be a year short of getting the graduation certificate, which is too bad.

Zhang Fenghua seems to have no problem getting his primary school graduation certificate.

There are a lot of people, not to mention their daughters, their sons will not let them continue reading, such as Fang Shun who is not very far from Su Hui's house.

Except for her eldest son, who was in the third grade, none of the others went to school, neither son nor daughter.

They spend their whole lives spinning around in the fields, what's the use of learning to read?

It's not enough to continue digging food in the ground with a hoe, as long as you learn to write your name and learn arithmetic, that's all you need, it's enough if you don't be completely illiterate, why waste that money.

This is not just an instance, but the norm.

For example, Su Hui can get full work points because he is a teacher, and Zhang Baoguo, he will also go to see what work is available, go to the field, and try to earn as many work points as possible. After doing this for one year, he earned more than 13 yuan last year. , which is the total income.

Kankan is equal to their tuition expenses this year, but this is on the premise that they have no other expenses.

Although most farmers can be self-sufficient, some things cannot be self-sufficient.

One is salt, the other is matches, the other is sickness, and the other is a rare big expense, such as the expenses for repairing damaged iron items such as hatchets and iron pots at home. If you want to buy them, it is even more incredible. During the period of large-scale steelmaking, it became scarce by a large margin. Now it costs dozens of yuan to buy an iron pot, and also requires industrial coupons. In addition to the expenses, there are also important life events. When the children are old, they must be prepared. If they have a son, they must prepare a house dowry. If they love their daughters, they must prepare a dowry for their daughters.

That’s why people at this time take the livestock at home so seriously, raising a pig and selling it is a few tens of dollars, and the chickens at home are well served, and the steady stream of eggs is their money bag, which can be used for the family. The matches, salt and other trivial expenses are covered, and there is no need to pay for savings at every turn. Most of them live stingy. Do they want to live so stingy?

no.

It was the life at this time that forced them to do this. Otherwise, they would not have the next meal. After today, what will they do tomorrow?

Let Zhang Fenghua continue to read up, that is the expenditure of six yuan, which is half a year's work for one of their husband and wife.

However, Zhang Zhaolaidi has also made up her mind. Primary school is over, and she will never spit in junior high school.

Why do girls read so many books?

After graduating from elementary school, it is heaven, and if you continue to study, it will delay finding someone else.

After graduating from elementary school, you can do it, otherwise the man will despise her for reading too much.

Zhang Fenghua will still go to the second aunt to do homework at noon. If there is anything you don’t understand, please ask them to help him answer. She is in the third grade, and the twins younger than her have skipped grades. Zhang Fenghua said that it is impossible not to be discouraged, but She did not have any negative emotions. She knew that she did not have so much time to study. She had class in the morning, and came here at noon to do homework and answer questions. After she went back, she did not stop at all. She has a solid foundation.

And for her questions, you don't need to ask the second aunt, you can get the answers by asking her cousins, even the twins. They deserve to be the ones who have successfully skipped grades. They hardly can't answer her questions.

It's always easier to talk to your peers.

She also thought about what would happen if they were her own brothers and the second aunt was her own mother?

She thought, maybe she didn't need to ask her at all, and she would let herself continue to study. After graduating from elementary school and junior high school, she should be able to go to high school after graduation from junior high school, and continue to study. If it is not for the absence of college, maybe it is still possible. Continue to go to college?

She wouldn't ban her from studying because she was a girl, wouldn't say wasting money, don't know why, she didn't ask, but Zhang Fenghua felt this way, she was sure.

But no if.

The second aunt is not her own mother, she is her own second aunt.

She is not bad now. At least she has the opportunity to go to school. Now she can continue to study. She should be able to finish primary school. Compared with her two younger sisters, she has taken a lot of advantage.

However, she was drinking the sweet mung bean water with a little sugar added to it. It was sweet, and she drank it cherishingly and slowly.

The second aunt is really good. She even cooked mung bean syrup for them. She also encouraged herself, saying that she should study hard, keep on reading, don't worry too much, and move forward bravely according to the road she wants to go...

She supports herself in her reading. Second Aunt is so nice, she will definitely study hard!

She cherishes the opportunity very much, even if she can't compare with the four brothers, she can't hold back too much.

When Zhang Chengye was in Zhang Baoguo's junior high school, he thought he would cancel the morning training, but he did not cancel it because he had to rush to town earlier, so he chose to get up early.

The self-consciousness makes people feel great comfort. With such a reference in front of them, it is really easy to make people angry with their unsatisfactory children. At the beginning, he urged them, one by one, and complained if they couldn't hold on for too long. , It's not like people, they haven't said a word of tiredness or a word of suffering for so long.

With that demeanor, sometimes when I see him, I feel like I have returned to the life in the army.

Such a good boy with firm will, perseverance and patience, it is a pity not to send him into the army.

However, he is now up to the standard, and he is not old enough, and it will take a few more years.

He sent him back. In a sense, he was also doing his best for the country, helping the country to send good seedlings, defending the family and the country, and defending the territory.

In contrast, his younger brother Baoguo is a bit inferior. His perseverance is not as good as his brother's, and his intentions are not as firm. However, after persevering for a while, his irritability has been smoothed out a little, and he has become more stable. He is also a very good seedling, just a little worse than his brother.

Moreover, he has a clever mind, and he can understand a little bit. From time to time, there are some whimsical ideas that people don't know how to answer. He is lively, and compared with his elder brother's steadiness, it is another kind of character.

Maybe the old man would prefer this one, sweet-mouthed, talkative, and abrasive, but personally, he prefers his brother's one.

For Su Hui, having a junior high school student at home has little impact. Although junior high school is full-time, school is over at 4:30 in the afternoon and comes back at 5:00. Even in winter, it is not dark, that is, noon. Have a personal meal.

However, the impact cannot be said to be non-existent. Except for the rest day, he used to be able to work in the fields to earn work points in the afternoon, but now he has no choice.

He spends the day in town, and after a period of time, he adjusts to the current situation of the school and often spends time in the school library.

Although many of the books in the library have been thrown and burned, the remaining numbers are still huge for him, covering all subjects, and because there is only one middle school in the town, including junior high school and high school , so it covers a wider range.

Every time he went, he could find the books he wanted to read.

After staying at school for a long time, he also found some tricks.

For example, the existence of black, some classmates are relatively wealthy, it can be seen from the aspects of food and clothing, when everyone eats whole grains, the only thing in his bowl is dumplings, steamed buns and rice, and the conditions in this family are not good. , can you afford this?

Then he was reported by the jealous.

All of a sudden, no one came forward, even if the source of these things is legitimate.

In order to avoid problems, Zhang Baoguo basically followed the flow of the lunch he brought to school. He ate it at home in the morning and evening, and had enough time to stuff his portion into his stomach.

After watching several inexplicable farces, he just felt blocked, and he didn't want to be a member of the farce at all.

However, after observing for a long time, he will also carefully discover certain things. For example, the alley behind their school is often passed by people in a hurry.

Where are they going?

Originally thought it was just passing by, but when he saw something exposed in a person's arms by chance, he suddenly realized, and then took a break at noon to follow from a distance.

He followed the captain's uncle for so long, and he was not learned for nothing, and he was not discovered.

Then he followed to a small alley extending in all directions. The people here are all very vigilant, with a pair of eyes looking in all directions, why are they so vigilant?

The boy's heart lifted.

My mind is full of spies, meticulous works, and traitors in the movie...

As a member of China, he can also help...

His fiery heart of serving the country was poured cold water after seeing two people trading a small bag of rice like thieves.

What is the secret agent, shouldn't it be so precious to exchange two kilograms of rice?

Or, does rice have other, deeper meanings?

After seeing several transactions of rice, pork, and even eggs, Zhang Baoguo fell silent.

He just thought too much, maybe this is the black market in the legendary town?

The black market is not allowed. Only in the places stipulated by the state can transactions be allowed, so secretly buying and selling is called a black market. There is no fixed booth, and the consequences of being caught are serious. The place where you can see it, and then immediately find a way to escape is the most suitable "place to set up a stall".

His thought of making meritorious deeds went to waste, but he got excited again after thinking about it.

This is the black market, a black market that can be freely traded. Here, you should be able to sell your own things for more money.

Otherwise, he would try it too. He left a little excited. He had been here for a long time. There was no one around. It seems that everyone's vigilance is still very high. If he really wants to sell something, You must also be very vigilant. If you are caught, the consequences will be disastrous, so you must think about his escape route in advance and ensure that he will not have such an accident.

I just saw that they all deliberately lowered their faces, either using hats or other things to cover their faces, and the clothes on their bodies are also very common and very common, with almost no recognizable features.

He is not very old, but he is tall enough. If he covers his face with a straw hat or the like, he deliberately lowers his voice and speaks, and people who do not know him will not know that he is still a child.

He was thinking about the details on the way, and when he returned to school, his face was calm, as if he had left the school and went for a walk, leaving no trace of clues.

He is a person who likes to make plans and then move. After he has an idea in his mind, he starts to prepare.

He stepped on the spot once, maybe it was a coincidence. He had to figure out the rules before he could act. He also paid unprecedented attention to people wearing red armbands, paying attention to the regularity and time of their appearance.

He hid his thoughts very well, and even Su Hui didn't notice his thoughts, but he took the initiative to explain it.

I didn't know much about the black market in the town before, but the more he knew, the more he felt that his mother might, probably, should, maybe have been to the black market too.

When the family first split up, except for the necessary things, the rest of the family was basically purchased by themselves. At that time, my mother had some money in her hand. Later, my mother hunted and ate a lot of her own food, but there must be other changes. something else?

The frequency of their family eating refined grains is more than a little bit higher than others.

Where do those fine grains come from?

However, he squatted and guarded the black market several times, but he didn't see his mother there, nor did he see it when he changed places.

The black market is not fixed. There are other places. Otherwise, it will always be fixed in one place. Even if the location is better and it is convenient to leave, it is prone to problems.

Is it just wrong?

He tentatively asked Su An: "Mom, what do you think of the black market in the town?"

Su An was cooking with an imperceptible meal. She turned to her side with a smile in her eyes: "Why do you ask this all of a sudden, what happened? You went to the black market."

Discourses are not interrogative sentences.

Can't hide it from mom.

He simply admitted it neatly: "Yes, I was curious to follow two people and saw their transactions behind them. They had everything to eat, but most of them were food." Some of them should have no food stamps. , you can only buy food at a high price. Some supply and marketing cooperatives are out of stock, and they buy from others in private, and some are in short supply and cannot be bought.

He looked at Su An: "Mom, I want to try too, I've asked."

He disguised a little and asked the price several times: "A fish that weighs more than a pound can be sold for two or three cents, and some people also want dried vegetables. One pound can be sold for one cent, and dried mushrooms are also required. Dried fungus." Both are higher than the purchase price of the supply and marketing cooperative, and the minimum is 0.5 times higher.

Su An looked at his eager eyes: "Bao Guo, if you are caught, it is basically impossible for you to join the army."

Zhang Baoguo was like being thrown a pan of cold water.

"..."

Su Fen sprinkled a circle of oil on the pan, and as the temperature rose, sprinkled a few pieces of peeled garlic on the pan, the hot oil stimulated the aroma of the garlic, and then she put the beans in and fry.

"Before doing something, think about the consequences of failure. When it is too big to accept, you can change your way."

She pointed to the oil jar at home: "Didn't you ask me before, if you need to save oil at home, or it will not be enough, but look, have our oil jars bottomed out?"

Zhang Baoguo's eyes were sparkling, he knew what his mother was going to say next, he made a shush gesture and walked around.

Good, still no one.

Seeing his actions, Su An smiled: "You must have guesses, I can give you a positive answer, but do you know how I did it?"

"And even the closest you don't know how I do it, I promise, no one knows where they come from."

It was bought on the black market at first, and later it was grown in her mustard space, and no one knew about it except herself.

Zhang Baoguo: "Mom, how did you do it?"

He pondered: "Did Mom go there when she was in the mountains to collect firewood?"

He guessed the time. After all, it was obvious that she had to attend classes in the morning except on days off.

My mother went into the mountains to collect firewood and dig herbs, and if I got something, I should send it to the black market to sell it, or replace it with what I need.

However, my mother basically did not delay the time to go home. Is it certain to be able to sell it within time? Or... have regular clients?

Su An closed the lid, squatted down and pushed Chai inside.

"I once took you to the hospital to deliver herbal medicine, do you remember?"

Zhang Baoguo nodded.

The herbs they have processed are basically taken to the pharmacy of the hospital.

The purchase price is ok, because they deal with the best, but because the amount is not much, the herbal medicine hospital that is too common often does not accept it. It already has it, so the income is there, but not a lot.

"You may not have paid much attention. I also took two fish to the doctor who received the medicine. I told you that it was a thank you. Someone was there at the time. Later, when I went to deliver the medicine, he paid the market price. I am."

Zhang Baoguo: "..." He didn't notice this at all.

"So it's not a thank you gift?"

"right."

"Also, do you remember the jars of sauce that your uncle Sun Qiang took away some time ago?"

Zhang Baoguo nodded, "I remember." It was he who ran errands.

"There are only two cans he asked for, and the rest belong to his colleagues. Do you remember the package you got back?"

Zhang Baoguo: "...Remember."

He also brought it back, but he remembered that it wasn't something extra from Uncle Sun's friend's house and passed on to them!

Su An blinked at him, and Zhang Baoguo's smile on the corner of his mouth was devastated: "So, do you think I went to the black market? If someone comes to find fault, do you think there will be problems with us?"

This is clearly a testament to **** friendship! What does it have to do with the black market? What's the deal with it?

Zhang Baoguo: "I have to think about it."

I had never thought about this aspect before, but now it seems that the layer of fog has been swept away, and the hidden things are looming.

He thought of the uncle civet cat who mailed large and small packages every time, and the educated youth who often asked his mother to make sauce.

Zhang Baoguo: "..."

He was still too young.