Chapter 200

Only then did Liang's mother have the opportunity to ask, "Ladi, whose family is this eldest daughter-in-law from? She is so pretty."

Liang Ladi said with a complicated expression: "She is Qin Huairu, my brother's wife."

"Ah! It's her!"

Liang's mother was startled and then felt scared. Fortunately, no one came to cause trouble, otherwise she would have no place to save her old face.

"Mom, don't think too much. Sister Qin is a very nice person."

Liang Ladi herself did not think much about it. She just wanted to raise her daughter well and teach her to be filial.

Two days later, the college entrance examination was over and students began to fill out their applications. They could fill in up to twenty-four universities, and if none of them worked out, there would be another way.

Because the People's Republic of China was founded not long ago, the scores of each subject in the college entrance examination, including the admission rules, may change every year.

Even the subjects and teaching materials may change, which does not give repeaters any advantage.

"Brother Li, here."

On Saturday afternoon, Ding Qiunan came out of the school carrying her bag. She had graduated and had to move out of the dormitory.

Even if you fail the exam, that is a matter for the future. One advantage of repeating a grade is that you don’t have to pay tuition fees and you can refill your grades as many times as you want.

Many students were admitted by relying on the continuation of the exam. Some studied until the sixth grade of junior high school, and some studied until the seventh grade of senior high school. This requires that their families are well-off and can afford the living expenses.

"Okay! I'll come to your house later and give me the high school textbooks."

Li Zhiguo came to borrow teaching materials. He would study on his own first, and if that didn't work out, he would ask Ding Qiunan or someone else for tutoring.

Since he has to take the exam, he wants to pass it based on his real ability, and of course he also wants to try to get some extra points. This is a trick that makes reasonable use of the rules.

"Uh-huh!"

Ding Qiunan looked around and said, "Brother Li, you didn't come by bike, so let's take the bus."

"I drove here, let's go!"

Li Zhiguo stretched out his hand and gestured, then pulled open a Jim car produced by Big Brother next to him.

It costs 40,000 rubles, is 5.5 meters long, and has a three-speed manual transmission. It is very high-end and friendly to novices.

The power is just a little lacking. I stepped on the accelerator to the bottom, but after half a minute, it was still climbing at 80 mph. The top speed was only 120 mph, and I could hear the roar of the engine.

"what!"

Ding Qiunan was stunned. Such a high-end car was actually driven by Brother Li.

"Ding Qiunan, your brother is here to pick you up again."

Suddenly, several female students came over, and a dozen male students were looking around not far away.

It's graduation time. After three years of craving for it, the male classmates wanted to take advantage of this last chance to keep some memories, but unfortunately, other guys' brothers came.

He even opened the door of a high-end car, which showed that he was a high-ranking official, so no one dared to get close to him.

But it doesn’t matter for female classmates, we can still keep in touch by letters after graduation.

"Hello, I'm Qiu Nan's brother."

Li Zhiguo greeted them. He was face-blind. Well, that was just nonsense. These female classmates were really average.

It seems that the children in these cities are all fine, but it is different in the middle schools in the counties below. Many students and even teachers have edema, are malnourished, and cannot eat enough. It is very difficult to study under such conditions.

They only met briefly and then he took Ding Qiunan away.

"Hey! What do you think Qiu Nan's brother does? Is he really her relative?"

"He must be a high-ranking official. Ordinary companies don't have this car. My dad's company is pretty good, but it can't afford such a nice car."

"Her brother looks so young. I saw him three years ago. He looks the same after three years. No, he's even more handsome."

"I asked Qiu Nan, and she said he was her brother, but she didn't mention what specific relative he was."

"Okay, let's stop chatting nonsense. Qiunan studies harder than anyone else. I believe in her character.

Besides, her brother only comes to deliver things and only comes once every one or two months."

……

After Li Zhiguo sent Ding Qiunan to the bridgehead of Bianjiang Bridge, he had to park the car on the side of the road. Even if he wanted to load something, the road did not allow it. Alas.

The key point is that he was with Ding Qiunan. While others were carrying a big bag, he was just carrying a bag. This was somewhat basic operation.

"Qiu Nan, let me help you get it!"

"No, it's not tiring!"

Ding Qiunan is still able to endure hardship. This is just the beginning.

"Fine!"

Li Zhiguo did not force it. He was spoiled at home. Besides, these hands were used for reading and writing, not for doing heavy work.

After walking for a while, they arrived at Ding's house. It was quite remote. He had been there before but had never been inside.

"Mom, open the door, I'm back."

Ding Qiunan knocked on the door, but no one opened it.

"Brother Li, my mom may have gone to my dad's place. It's okay. I have the key."

"Well, I'll take the book and leave."

He borrowed the car from the Ministry of Agriculture. Since tomorrow is Sunday and cars are generally not needed there, he just needs to return the car on Monday.

He had already taken his concubine and Xueyi out to play in the morning, so he could take leave from kindergarten at any time.

I'm going to take Qin Huairu and my two sons out tomorrow. There's no other way because this car has five seats and we can't sit together on both sides.

Ding Qiunan didn't respond. After opening the door, she quickly put the bag aside and brought Li Zhiguo in.

"Brother Li, please sit down first. I'll pour you some water."

"Well! Here's something for you."

Li Zhiguo put the bag on the table. There were only some rare dry goods and a chicken. In this weather, if he gave too many fresh goods, they would not be able to be preserved.

"Thank you, Brother Li. I'll go find a book for you."

Ding Qiunan handed over a teacup, asked someone to sit in the living room, and then she went to the room.

Her house has two bedrooms, which is good, but the house is not bought but rented, and her father was fired before he got a house.

However, the water pump factory will provide housing in the future. It depends on the indicators and length of service, so not everyone will get it.

Nowadays, state-owned enterprises provide dormitories for unmarried people. Married cadres also have dormitories, and other married workers who do not have houses will have to wait.

Li Zhiguo looked around the room and thought it was okay, except that it was a bit remote and inconvenient because it was located in the north.

"Brother Li, can you come here for a moment?"

"What's wrong?"

Li Zhiguo stood up and walked over. Ding Qiunan's room was right next to it, and he could see the corner inside while sitting in the living room.

"I have a box on top of the cabinet, and I can't get it down."

Ding Qiunan was a girl after all, and not strong enough, so she and her mother had to carry it up there.

"Small thing!"

Li Zhiguo just raised his foot slightly and lifted the box down.

Looking at this room, it is quite small, with a single bed with a mosquito net, about one meter wide.

Small beds are popular now. Double beds are generally only 1.5 meters wide, but there are many large bunk beds in each house. Housing is tight.

After coming to his senses, he helped open the boxes. After a while, he opened the bag that Ding Qiunan brought back. Finally, he had gathered all the textbooks for three years of high school.

"Brother Li, I'm studying in the Medical and Agricultural Class, and the textbooks are different from those in the Science and Literature and History Classes."

Ding Qiunan remembered this.

"It's okay. I'm just flipping through it. I haven't decided what class to take yet."

Li Zhiguo was a top student in the past, so he thought it shouldn't be a big problem.

After finding the teaching materials, he looked at his watch and wanted to leave immediately. He had to go back for dinner and find a place to park the car.

As for parking outside the courtyard, that is not reliable. If the car is scratched, you don't have to pay for it, but it is not good to borrow it after all.

As soon as Ding Qiunan saw the action, he knew that the person was about to leave. He was always in a hurry.

As expected, Li Zhiguo said, "I will go back now, and I will give you a gift when you are admitted to university."

"What a gift!"

Ding Qiunan wanted to keep the person for a while longer since his mother was not at home and no one would disturb him.

"What gift? You will know when the time comes."

Li Zhiguo looked at his watch again and decided to go see Xiu'er while there was still time.

With so many sons, I prefer daughters.

"Well, I'll take you there. I need to go to the bridge to get some water."

Ding Qiunan pursed her lips and said, "Brother Li, I have a notebook with some very useful notes. You can take a look at it."

As she spoke, she took out a notebook from under her pillow and put it between the textbooks.

"Okay!"

Li Zhiguo looked around the room, then walked out with his textbook in his arms, and Ding Qiunan followed him carrying two water bottles.

Boiling water stations were also a feature of this era, just like bathhouses, but they were not available in every place.

Anyone who has used a coal stove knows that it takes a lot of time to boil a pot of water.

Thus, boiling water stations emerged, also to provide convenience for single guys who don’t have a stove.

When they arrived at the Bianjiang Bridge, Li Zhiguo opened the car door with his key and said, "Qiu Nan, I believe you can pass the exam. Relax. In the worst case, you can still repeat the year."

"Thank you, Brother Li." Ding Qiunan carried two water bottles and watched the man drive away, his heart beating wildly.

Li Zhiguo drives this Jim sedan, which is seriously over the standard for his position. Even Director Yang is not worthy of this car. He will have to change it next time.

But it's nice to borrow it for two days and enjoy it.

Suddenly, he had an idea. After entering the city, he parked the car on the side of the road and retrieved the notebook that Ding Qiunan had last placed in the passenger seat.

When I opened it, I saw that the first article was actually a painting. It showed a handsome man riding a bicycle, carrying a beautiful girl on the grassland, with butterflies flying around them.

Turning the pages further, I realized that this was not a note at all, but a diary. Between the lines, one could see the girl's complex emotions towards the boy: admiration, adoration, dependence, or even love; it was hard to tell.

Just like this sentence, "In my most helpless years, I was lucky enough to meet the best you!"

Or this one, "Walking on the busy streets, I always want to bump into you in the crowd."

Coming back to his senses, he flipped his hand and put the diary into the space.

Afterwards, he drove the car to a government agency and parked it. He went to see Xiu'er with a book in his arms and unexpectedly met Dr. Liang there.

"Zhiguo, what are you doing holding a book? It's a high school textbook."

Doctor Liang felt it was strange, as if no one could use it.

"Sister, I borrowed it from someone. I'm going to high school in September."

Li Zhiguo said casually that he had already put the book down and gently picked up Xiu'er. The little girl was sleeping soundly.

Liang Ladi said in surprise: "Ah! Brother, you want to go to high school?"

"Governing the country, are you talking about yourself?"

Doctor Liang has always known that this brother has different ideas from ordinary people, but this...Aren’t you a street cadre?
"Yes, I plan to take the college entrance examination next year. I will be a freshman in high school and take the college entrance examination in advance. My tentative goal is to get into Peking University."

Li Zhiguo lowered his head and gently touched Xiu'er's forehead. When it comes to elderly care, sometimes daughters are more reliable than sons.

"Ah, this... is good."

Liang Ladi didn't know what to say. Is this appropriate? You are already thirty years old.

Dr. Liang calmed down and said in agreement: "It's good to go to college. You can go further."

"I have many children, so I have to save some resources."

Li Zhiguo's words were an admission of fact to Dr. Liang, and it also saved him from blind guessing every day.

Doctor Liang smiled and said, "Zhiguo, you have to call me Second Aunt from now on."

"It's our own business. I still call you sister."

Li Zhiguo held his daughter in his arms for a long time before reluctantly letting her go.

"Ladi, take good care of yourself during the confinement period. If you need anything, I'll bring it to you later."

"Well! We have everything we need at home."

Liang Ladi was on maternity leave, and she was paid during her confinement. There was also food in the kitchen, so she did not lack nutrition.

"Okay, I'll go back and review my lessons."

With Dr. Liang here, he couldn't stay any longer, so he left.

Doctor Liang escorted her to the door, then returned to the room and said, "Ladi, you can't have a second child in your situation."

Liang Ladi smiled and said, "Having Xiu'er is enough for him. He loves his daughter."

"I can see that. Well, now that it's like this, you should just live a good life from now on!"

What else can Dr. Liang do? She seems to be a matchmaker.

……

Time passed quickly. When Li Zhiguo was admitted to high school, He Yushui was also admitted to Red Star High School. Both of them became high school students of Siheyuan, and everyone celebrated.

Ding Qiunan’s college entrance examination results have also come out. Based on analysis of previous years’ situations, she has a great chance of being admitted to a medical university, but she still has to wait for the admission letter.

Li Zhiguo then resigned from his position as public manager and applied for unpaid leave at the street office.

Let Pian Ye and Zhao Yali serve as the official managers of the silk shop and tavern respectively.

Relax completely and focus on reading the books of sages.

It was this book that I borrowed and read for less than two hours on and off. However, I read Ding Qiunan's diary several times.

It was because the desk he customized had not been delivered yet. Nowadays, students usually use the dining table or a bench to do their homework.

But he couldn't do that because he needed a sense of ritual, and that delayed him.

In August, it rained heavily in the capital city, and it finally cooled down for a few days. However, the capital city did not produce much grain, and the city's food rations depended entirely on the general supply, so everyone's life was still not getting any better.

"Brother, what do you think about me going to high school and taking the college entrance exam?"

Jia Dongxu has been thinking about it for a long time. His mother has saved some money and his wife is working, so they can definitely support him in his studies.

"No, who tricked you into studying?"

Li Zhiguo was originally lying down, but now he quickly sat up. Isn't this a trap?

"No one, bro. I learned it from you."

Jia Dongxu didn't rush out to ride his tricycle today. He saved up a few dollars, which can last him for a few days.

"You can't do this, you don't have any work affiliation, and you don't have any recommendation letters.

Dongxu, studying is very hard. Look at me, I overuse my brain and usually can only lie down at home to rest. "

In the past, he might have persuaded Dongxu to go to school even without Dongxu coming to him, but now forget it.

He still wants to maintain his brotherhood with Dongxu. Besides, Dongxu is studying, so who will pick up Guan Xiang from school?
I always feel uneasy about letting Jia Zhang go.

"Is there no other way? Brother, I really want to study."

Jia Dongxu wants to study liberal arts and apply to the Chinese Department of Peking University, where there is a poetic atmosphere. He has written so many poems, so he can take part in poetry competitions and win a prize. In the future, he can join the Writers Association, work in a cultural center or at a newspaper. How great that would be.

"No, are you serious?"

Li Zhiguo was confused. It was not that Dongxu was not bad at studying, but he always felt that it was a rip-off. It was really not like Dongxu could be admitted to university.

"Brother, I'm serious, I've been thinking about this for a long time.

You see, I have saved all the poems I wrote over the years."

Jia Dongxu handed over three thick notebooks. He really worked hard.

Li Zhiguo stretched out his hand and pressed down, blocking the poetry book of the Dongxu brothers. It was impossible to read it and could not comment on it.

As for Dongxu's level of poetry and prose, he was sixty years ahead of his time, but he was born at the wrong time.

"Dongxu, studying is not a trivial matter. It takes a lot of time and is a great test for both your body and your willpower. What's more, you don't have a recommendation letter.

How about this, go back and discuss it with your mother and wife, if they agree, then we can think of a solution.

But I suggest you stop reading it. Isn’t it better to just live a relaxed life? "

Jia Dongxu nodded, "Then I'll go back and talk about it. I still want to study."

"Studying is not just about going to school. Think about it carefully when you go back."

Li Zhiguo thought, if he could just have a life of feasting and drinking, he would never read a book.

"Ugh!"

Jia Dongxu left with a sigh, "My mother is too stingy. I should talk to my wife first!"

Li Zhiguo shook his head. He alone had raised the cultural level of the courtyard house. What a great contribution!

"Jingru, Jingru..."

No one responded. Then I remembered that I had taken Guan Xiang out to play again, and with him was his schoolmate He Yushui. Oh my gosh!
……

"Rainwater, here it is."

At the entrance of Wangfujing Street, a girl was shouting and waving her hands.

"Haitang, you've been waiting for a long time."

He Yushui came with two playmates, Qin Jingru and Guan Xiang. The three of them had already formed a small team and worked together because they all had money in their pockets.

"Just for a moment."

Yu Haitang said enviously: "Yushui, congratulations on getting into high school. I'm miserable because I didn't do well in the exam."

"Haitang, are you still going to repeat the year?"

He Yushui knew the consequences of failing the high school entrance exam: he would be disliked by others, so he stayed at home and waited for the street office to arrange a job for him.

And it is very likely that you will have to wait for several years. Liu Guangtian from the hospital failed the exam and was beaten by the second uncle yesterday. If it weren't for Brother Li stopping him, the consequences would be disastrous.

"I don't want to study anymore. My family is not well off."

Yu Haitang is fine, she is a girl and doesn’t eat much.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, Haitang. I want to take Guan Xiang to buy some books. Let's go to Xinhua Bookstore."

He Yushui is the older sister, and silly brother also asked her to take good care of Guan Xiang.

"Okay!"

Yu Haitang reached out and rubbed Guan Xiang's face, then said hello to Qin Jingru, and went to the bookstore together.

After wandering around for an hour, all four of them, except Yu Haitang, bought books.

This made her unable to help but ask: "Guan Xiang, you have money too."

"It's pocket money from my dad."

Guan Xiang is holding two picture books and has released new models.

Qin Jingru continued, "He has saved a lot, and I have some pocket money too."

(End of this chapter)