Chapter 199: Changes
Chapter 199: Changes
As the New Year of 1982 approached, the festive atmosphere grew thicker each day in Naye Village.
Compared to the previous year, most families in the village had at least doubled their income. Several new brick and tile houses had been built, and the village was brimming with joy.
After the 15th day of the 12th lunar month, the school began its winter break. Deng Shirong also received his children’s report cards.
Overall, Deng Shirong was satisfied, especially with his third son, Deng Yunsong, who had secured the top rank in his grade, showcasing his academic prowess.
His youngest son’s performance was steady, neither improving nor declining. He was in a state where he could earn some rewards but not too many.
As for his youngest daughter and fourth son, these two academic underachievers were beyond help. Deng Shirong didn’t push them too hard.
After all, academic success really did depend on talent.
When faced with a difficult problem, someone with talent would grasp it instantly and even apply it to similar situations. In contrast, someone without talent would remain clueless even if you gave them the answer, frustrating you to no end.
After rewarding his third and youngest sons, Deng Shirong turned to his third son and said, "Yunsong, next year you’ll be attending Shuangwang Middle School. Being the top student in the village middle school isn’t enough; you need to be the top student at Shuangwang to get into Bogao or even Yugaohigh School. Your next goal is to be the top student at Shuangwang. Do you have the confidence?"
Deng Yunsong smiled, "Dad, don’t worry. I’ve already developed a good study method. I promise I’ll be the top student at Shuangwang next semester."
"Good, I’ll be waiting for your good news."
Deng Shirong nodded in satisfaction, then turned to his youngest son, adding, "Yuheng, you need to keep trying. I’m not asking you to be the top student in your grade, but at least aim for the top in your class!"
Deng Yuheng scratched his head, "Dad, that’s a bit too much to ask. Don’t get your hopes up."
Deng Shirong replied, "It’s definitely challenging, but do your best!"
Deng Yuheng nodded, "Okay, I understand."
Deng Shirong then looked at his two underachieving children and said, "I won’t set any specific goals for you two. Your only aim is to graduate from high school smoothly. Everything else will come naturally."
Deng Yunzhu and Deng Yunhua exchanged a glance and could only nod in agreement.
If their other siblings had average grades, they might have had something to say. But with their siblings performing better and better, while they lagged behind, they didn’t dare to complain.
After the students were on break, most families in the village began preparing for the New Year.
The Spring Festival is the most significant traditional holiday in China. In the past, even if conditions were poor, villagers would still prepare some New Year goods, like buying fabric to make new clothes for their children or purchasing a few pounds of sunflower seeds and candies.
Now, with conditions improving for most families, even though they were still relatively poor compared to the past, their lives were looking more promising. As a result, they were more generous when preparing for the New Year.
For example, where they used to buy three feet of fabric, they now bought five. Where they used to buy one or two pounds of sunflower seeds and candies, they now bought three or even five pounds.
In contrast, there was little change in Deng Shirong’s household. Last year, they had already prepared the best New Year goods the village could offer. Buying more would just be wasteful.
Beijing
Peking University Campus
Peking University was already on break, and the majority of students had left the campus to begin their long journeys home. However, some students, for various reasons, planned to stay in Beijing during the Spring Festival. Among these students were two freshmen, Deng Yunheng and Huang Shengjun.
Noticing that Huang Shengjun also wasn't going home, Deng Yunheng asked, "Old Huang, why aren't you going home for the New Year?"
Huang Shengjun smiled and countered, "Brother Yunheng, aren't you also staying behind for the New Year?"
Deng Yunheng laughed, "I'm not going home because my hometown is too far from Beijing. It takes four days and three nights by train to reach Nanning, and another day to get back home from there. When my father dropped me off at school, he told me to stay here for the New Year. He said it's not worth the trouble to squeeze back during the Spring Festival rush, which is too exhausting. If I want to go home, I can wait for the summer break."
Huang Shengjun was taken aback. "That is quite a distance. My hometown isn't that far from Beijing, but the round-trip fare is a significant expense. Plus, another mouth to feed at home would be a burden. To avoid adding to my family's troubles, I decided not to go back. I can stay here and find some odd jobs to earn some extra money."
Now that the two had become close friends, Deng Yunheng knew about his friend's family situation. He nodded and said, "That's a good decision. I was worried about being bored here all alone."
Huang Shengjun asked, "Are all the other students from your hometown in Guangxi going back?"
Deng Yunheng replied, "Yeah, they all went back. Only they are willing to go through the hassle."
Huang Shengjun smiled, "It is the Spring Festival, after all. Who wouldn't want to go home and spend the New Year with their family?"
Deng Yunheng sighed, "That's true. I recently received a letter from home saying that my eldest brother's wife gave birth to a niece in October. I really want to go back and see her, but it would take over ten days of travel, which is too much time to waste."
Huang Shengjun envied him, "You're already an uncle. My eldest brother is also at the age where he should be getting married, but our family's poor conditions have delayed it. Thankfully, now that I'm at Peking University, I can send some money home every month to ease the financial strain. Recently, I received a letter saying that the village matchmaker has found a potential bride for my brother. I don't know how the talks are going, but I hope the girl doesn't look down on our family's poverty."
Deng Yunheng reassured him, "Don't worry about that. You're a Peking University student, and after graduation, you'll have a bright future. Any sensible girl wouldn't reject your family's conditions."
Huang Shengjun sighed, "I hope so. My brother is a good, honest person, but he's quite insecure. If the girl rejects him, it would be a significant blow to him."
Deng Yunheng said, "I don't know much about marriage, so I won't comment. But you can't do much about it now, so don't stress over it."
Huang Shengjun laughed, "You're right. Instead of worrying about this, I should go out and find a suitable job to do."
(End of Chapter)
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