Chapter 150: A Leap of Faith, from Bicycle to Motorcycle
Chapter 150: A Leap of Faith, from Bicycle to Motorcycle
On the fourteenth day of the third lunar month, under Deng Shirong's arrangement, the bride's family came to visit the Deng household.
Before the Spring Equinox, Deng Shirong had arranged for both families to meet and get to know each other. Both sides felt good about the match, and after agreeing on the dowry, they set the date for this visit.
The visit wasn't just about seeing the house; it was also about thoroughly understanding the groom's family situation.
Thus, after the bride's family toured the house, the groom's side took them to the "straw shed" to see the oxen, which were one of the family's most important assets. They naturally wanted to showcase this to the bride's family.
In this era, oxen were incredibly valuable and essential livestock. After seeing the several oxen in the straw shed, the bride's family couldn't help but nod in approval, agreeing with the matchmaker that the groom's family was only temporarily in a difficult situation and would surely have better days ahead.
After touring the groom's assets, Zhang Xiuping, Ou Guofang, and Ou Guohua, the three good sisters, naturally gathered to chat.
Zhang Xiuping, looking at her happy younger sisters, smiled and said, "Guofang, how about it, are you feeling better now?"
Ou Guohua teased, "Sis Ping, you don't know, Guofang has been smiling the whole way here, she's so happy!"
Ou Guofang ignored her cousin's teasing and smiled at Zhang Xiuping, "I'm feeling better. Once Guohua and I are married, the three of us can gather and play like we used to."
Ou Guohua laughed, "Once I'm married, I'll come over every day with a bowl of plain rice to mooch off your food."
Zhang Xiuping couldn't help but think back to the days when they were all still in their parents' homes. Their families' living standards were far below what her current husband's family provided. They could hardly afford meat more than twice a month.
Even when they did have meat, it was rationed, with each person getting only four or five small pieces.
When they were around ten years old, the three sisters made a pact that whoever's family had meat would bury their share under the rice and bring it over to share with the others. This pact lasted until Zhang Xiuping got married.
Recalling those times, Zhang Xiuping smiled and said, "Don't worry about bringing plain rice; you're welcome to come over and eat with us every day."
Ou Guohua beamed, "Sis Ping, you said it! When I come over to mooch food every day, don't you dare complain."
Zhang Xiuping laughed, "I won't complain; you're always welcome to come over and eat."
The three sisters chatted for a while longer, and then the groom's family called them to eat.
After the meal, they rested for a bit, and then Ou Guofang and her party prepared to leave.
The groom's family gave them red envelopes and gifts, but this time, the three sisters parted without the usual sadness. They all knew that the Ou sisters would be married into the Deng family soon, and they would be able to gather every day again.
...
Back at home, Deng Shirong was giving rewards to his children.
The mid-term exam results were out, and all his children had made significant progress.
First was Deng Yunsong, who was in his first year of junior high. In his previous life, he had managed to get into a technical college. Even following his past trajectory, his academic performance had started to improve rapidly.
Now that Deng Shirong had invited Liu Huakang, a knowledgeable youth, to teach his children, it was even more beneficial for Deng Yunsong. This time, his mid-term exam average was 91.5.
Deng Shirong took out six yuan and handed it to his third son, saying with satisfaction, "Yunsong, your performance this semester has been excellent. This is your well-deserved reward. Keep up the good work and aim to get into the best high school in our city for the middle school entrance exam."
Deng Yunsong happily accepted the reward from his father and said, "Dad, shouldn’t my goal be to get into a vocational school? High school doesn’t guarantee a job, but vocational school does, with the state assigning work after graduation. Isn’t it better to go to vocational school rather than high school?"
Deng Shirong hesitated for a moment.
In his previous life, his third son had attended a vocational school, entered the public sector after graduation, and achieved remarkable success, retiring with a senior administrative position.
In this life, Deng Shirong had come back to life and wanted to influence the education of his other children, but he wasn’t sure whether he should interfere with his third son’s path.
Vocational schools, with their guaranteed state-assigned jobs, were indeed impressive in this era, far surpassing high schools. However, compared to universities, they were in a different league altogether.
If his third son skipped vocational school and instead went to high school and then university, his potential after graduation would far exceed that of a vocational school graduate.
Of course, every choice had its pros and cons. Greater potential didn’t guarantee a better career. Deng Shirong, though not well-versed in politics, understood that his third son’s success in his previous life was due to both political acumen and timely opportunities. Disrupting that trajectory could mean he might not achieve the same success.
Moreover, being able to get into a vocational school didn’t guarantee he could get into a university.
However, despite the risks, with Deng Shirong around this time, their family was destined to be financially secure. It was worth taking a chance.
If his third son managed to get into university, that would be great. Even if he didn’t, he could always come back and start a business, and with a net worth in the hundreds of millions, life could be even more comfortable than a government position.
With this in mind, Deng Shirong said, "Yunsong, vocational school does offer immediate employment and a stable job, which is indeed much better than high school. But compared to university, vocational school falls short. Vocational schools are popular now, but they may not be in the future. University, on the other hand, will always be a golden ticket, both now and in the future.
Therefore, I hope you don’t just focus on the present. Look to the long term. Going to high school and then university will make you the kind of talent the country truly needs."
Hearing his father’s words, Deng Yunsong, though not fully understanding, nodded and said, "Okay, I’ll work hard to get into university."
Deng Shirong smiled with relief and encouraged him, "Good, then keep working hard and try to improve your scores in the final exams."
Deng Yunsong, feeling confident about his rapid progress, replied, "I’ll make sure to do that."
Deng Shirong nodded and then took out seven yuan, handing it to his youngest son with a smile. "Xiaoheng, you’ve done well. Keep it up and aim to get more rewards in the final exams."
Deng Xiaoheng happily accepted the money and responded, "Got it, Dad!"
Deng Shirong then took out five yuan and handed it to his youngest daughter, saying with a warm smile, "Azhu, this is your reward. You passed your average this time. Aim to pass both subjects in the final exams."
Deng Yunzhu, delighted, took the money and said with renewed determination, "Dad, I’ll work hard."
Finally, Deng Shirong looked at his fourth son and sighed, "Xiaohua, keep working hard."
Deng Yunhua, feeling a bit ashamed, replied, "Dad, I understand."
(End of Chapter)
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