Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Li Juan had already opened the door and rushed out, running to her teacher, grabbing her arm, and asking excitedly:

"Teacher Chang, what brings you here?"

Then she turned to her classmate and asked, "Ren Wenxia, ​​what brings you here? When did you arrive?"

When Li Long got off the bus, Teacher Chang, a woman in her forties, had already started chatting with Li Jianguo. At this moment, Li Jianguo showed a quickness that people his age had never seen before; he got off the bus only a few seconds later than Li Juan.

"Congratulations!" Ren Wenxia said with a smile, shaking Li Juan's hand.

"Renmin University! You've been accepted! Your acceptance letter has arrived!"

"Ah—!" Although she was mentally prepared, Li Juan still exclaimed in surprise when she heard Ren Wenxia say this, and then turned to look at Teacher Chang.

"Yes." Teacher Chang, who was talking to Li Jianguo about this, took out a piece of paper from her bag—yes, at this time the notice was just a piece of paper—and handed it to Li Jianguo.

Li Long clearly saw that his older brother's hand was trembling slightly as he took the paper and looked at it carefully. Then, Li Juan, who was standing next to him, eagerly took it from him.

"Hehe, I passed the exam!" Li Juan glanced at the list and laughed happily, "I passed the exam!"

Liang Yuemei walked over with a bright smile on her face. She said to Teacher Chang and Ren Wenxia:

"Thank you so much for coming all this way to deliver this notice to Li Juan... You two chat first, I'll cook, and you can stay for dinner later."

"No, no, no, we're not staying. We have to go back to school. We have other things to do. Come on, Li Juan, sign here." Teacher Chang said, taking out a notebook. "The registration time is on the notice. Go early."

Li Juan quickly responded, took the notebook, and neatly wrote her name and the date on it.

"What's the rush?" Li Jianguo said. "It's lunchtime, and we just caught some fish. We'll cook fish for lunch. It's just a simple country meal, but we should at least show our appreciation!"

"No, no, really no need." Teacher Chang was genuinely in a hurry. "If Li Juan hadn't been here, we would have left just now. The school is really tight on things; there are still a few students who passed the exam this year, and we still need to do this work for the other students..."

Seeing that the teacher was really anxious and didn't want to stay, Li Jianguo had no choice but to find a new bag and give two carp to Teacher Chang and Ren Wenxia as a token of his appreciation.

Teacher Chang declined for a moment but then accepted it. The carp had a very auspicious meaning. Ren Wenxia was a little embarrassed and blushed as she declined again. In the end, Li Juan insisted on putting the bag of fish into her hand and also learned that she had been recommended to the teachers' college.

The two close classmates chatted until Li Long parked his car at the gate of the courtyard—Teacher Chang and Ren Wenxia had come in a van, but the van had already driven away, and Li Long was going to take them back to the county and to the No. 1 Middle School.

Teacher Chang sat in the passenger seat, while Ren Wenxia sat in the back, looking around curiously.

"Li Juan is really good!" Teacher Chang exclaimed on the way. "Our school hasn't had anyone get into such a prestigious university for many years."

"What was the highest score this year?" Li Long asked while driving. "There should be some higher scores, right?"

“Yes,” Ren Wenxia chimed in from behind. “Ma Jiahui scored 637, the highest in the whole school—I really didn’t expect that. It’s usually very difficult to score 600 in practice tests. But she estimated her score at 580, so the school she went to wasn’t as good as Li Juan’s.”

"So many points off?" Li Long was somewhat surprised. "This estimated score... isn't it way off?"

"That's sometimes the case," said Teacher Chang, who is quite knowledgeable. "I don't remember very clearly, and I'm a bit vague about some conceptual questions, etc."

Li Long drove them to the west gate of No. 1 Middle School. He got out of the car, said goodbye to Teacher Chang, and seeing that Ren Wenxia couldn't find the car door, he opened it for her.

Ren Wenxia blushed slightly and whispered, "Thank you, Uncle," before quickly following behind Teacher Chang.

After saying goodbye, Li Long drove to the purchasing station first. He saw his father, Li Qingxia, proudly showing off to customers. He knew that his older brother must have already called his father, so he didn't stay there and drove back to the fourth team.

The courtyard was bustling with activity. The eldest brother, Li Jianguo, beamed with joy, receiving compliments from others. The Lu family couple, along with many neighbors, had come over. The eldest sister-in-law, Liang Yuemei, and Li Junfeng's wife, Dong Xiaojuan, were cooking—stewing fish and presumably preparing rice.

Li Juan wasn't in the yard; she was probably inside the house. There were too many people around, so she was probably embarrassed.

"Brother, let's have a feast in a couple of days!" Li Long said to his elder brother Li Jianguo as soon as he entered the courtyard. "Let's slaughter two sheep and kill a pig, and invite everyone from the team over for a meal to celebrate."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly right!" Xie Yundong clapped his hands. "Exactly! Why didn't we think of that? Let's hold one! Our fourth team has produced its first college graduate, from a prestigious university, Peking University, that school, hey!"

Li Jianguo hesitated for a moment, then Liang Yuemei, who was sitting by the stove, spoke up: "We must hold one! Juan is so promising, so as her parents, we have to make sure she goes to university in style!"

Liang Yuemei is the kind of traditional woman who usually lets men make the decisions at home, but today she spoke up and confirmed this matter.

If your daughter is successful, then you, as parents, must make sure she does her best to support you!

"Let's do it!" Li Jianguo thought it made sense. "Let's not talk about the date yet. As you said, Xiaolong, let's slaughter two sheep, kill a pig, and catch some fish. I'll announce it over the loudspeaker. Everyone can come. It's a continuous feast; we can afford it!"

"Hehe, we have to have this meal, the kids need to absorb Juan's talent," Xie Yundong said with a smile. "Come on, definitely come!"

"Tell Juan to have her classmates come if they're free," Li Long continued. "After graduation, those classmates are scattered all over the country. Some went to university, some might be studying for the exam, and some didn't go to school at all. Students are all connections... Hmm, it'll be good for them to get together!"

Li Long's words were direct, but no one thought there was anything wrong with them. Come to think of it, someone who went to university, even if things don't go well later, will still be a technician when they come back—that's the power of connections!

Since we've decided to hold it, let's start discussing the details now. The wheat harvest isn't completely over yet; there's still some finishing work to be done, mainly plowing the fields. So after discussing it for a while, we set the date for August 16th.

At this time of year, cotton bolls are ripe, while sunflowers and corn are not yet mature; it is the off-season for farming.

Once the date was set, it was time to get to work. Since it wasn't a wedding, there wasn't much to do. They just slaughtered the sheep and pig early in the morning, and seven or eight women came to help. Two of the team's chefs came to cook, and that was it.

Du Chunfang, the old lady, sat on the side grinning. Although she didn't know the true value of Renmin University, seeing so many people so excited, she knew that this school must be good.

So after sitting for a while, she stood up and slowly walked back to her room. After a while, she went out, closed the door, and went into the west room, into Li Juan's room.

Li Juan was humming a song as she packed her things. She was going to school, and she thought about some things she used in high school, such as her schoolbag and bedding, which she could still use.

"Juan, you got into university, and a good one at that!" Du Chunfang said to Li Juan with a smile as she entered the room. "Here, Grandma will give you some money. Don't tell anyone. Spend it at school, don't be stingy..."

As he spoke, he stuffed a roll of money into Li Juan's hand.

This roll of money contains one hundred-yuan notes, fifty-yuan notes, and ten-yuan and five-yuan notes.

"Grandma, I don't want it!" Li Juan quickly took two steps back and said, "This is money my dad and uncle gave you, I can't take it, I have money..."

"Take it. I have food and drink here, what do I need this money for? Isn't it still for you? You're going to study in Yanjing, which is so far away. You won't have any relatives or friends around you. How can you manage without money?"

Du Chunfang stuffed the money into Li Juan's pocket, nagging, "We're farmers from the countryside, but we got into university honestly and fairly. There's nothing shameful about it. We have money, we're no worse off than others, no worse off than those city people. Take the money, buy whatever you want, don't be stingy... Hey, I'm so happy to see you get into university..."

Li Juan clearly remembers that when her grandmother first came, although she lived in her own home, she always thought about how good her uncle's family was.

Li Juan herself knew that her family's current good life was largely due to her uncle. But at first, she did have some resentment towards her grandmother, after all, she and Li Qiang were also her grandchildren, but it seemed that her grandmother only had eyes for Mingming and Haohao.

But I don't know when, when I entered junior high school, my grandma would take out candy from the house and give it to me when I came home, or in winter when I came home, she would quietly call me into the house and give me a roasted sweet potato.

When she entered high school, she would try to give herself money from time to time, but Li Juan never accepted it, as she had enough money of her own.

The resentment in my heart had disappeared without me even realizing it.

Sometimes Li Juan would even joke with her younger brother Li Qiang, saying that their grandmother was a very interesting old lady.

Ultimately, because of Du Chunfang's insistence, Li Juan couldn't forcefully refuse her grandmother, so she accepted the money.

Du Chunfang seemed to have won a battle. She happily gave a few more instructions and left the room.

After sitting back down on the old sofa by the wall near the door, Du Chunfang murmured to herself, "When Qiangqiang goes to university for three years, I'll be able to save up some money again, and then I'll give it to him."

Well, it's still a long time before Mingming and Haohao start school. By the time they go to university, I'll be able to save up some money again... Damn old man, I'll have to ask him for more money next time!
As for the rest... let them be!
Du Chunfang knew the rest in her heart.

After her grandmother left, Li Juan counted the roll of money; it totaled five hundred yuan.

It still held the warmth of Grandma's hands and a touch of dampness.

Li Juan was somewhat moved. She sat for a while, and only when she heard footsteps did she quickly put the money away.

Li Long walked in, looked at Li Juan and said:

"We'll be holding a celebration in this courtyard on August 16th to celebrate your university admission. Do you want to invite your classmates over for some fun?"

“Okay, but I don’t know how many people I can get,” Li Juan said after thinking for a moment. “After all, there are no shuttle buses in many places.”

“It’s okay, you can contact the school when you have time, I can drive you there.” Li Long really took this matter seriously. “Anyway, I don’t have much to do.”

After this was explained, some people had already gone home. After all, everyone had caught fish, and they couldn't all work at the Li family's place. Although Liang Yuemei tried her best to persuade them to stay, everyone still went home first, planning how to come and help later.

Li Jianguo sat on a small stool, holding the admission notice in his hand. He suppressed a smile, after all, he was older than everyone else present, and he couldn't laugh out loud no matter how happy he was.

After the people left, Li Jianguo stood up, but after taking just one step, he lost his footing and fell, startling Li Long, who rushed over to help him up. Li Jianguo had already gotten up on his own, chuckling, "It's nothing, it's just that my legs went numb from sitting for so long..."

Okay, that explanation works too.

Older mother Du Chunfang sat on the old sofa and muttered softly, "What numbness in the feet? It's just because I'm happy..."

The old woman's voice was soft, so Li Jianguo and Liang Yuemei couldn't hear it, nor could Li Junfeng and Li Junhai, but Li Long could hear it.

He hadn't thought about it at first, but now that he thinks about it, it really is true!

My daughter got into university, and a prestigious one at that! How could I not be excited?

The lunch was very enjoyable. Li Long said half-jokingly:

"Of the four great joys in life, passing the imperial examination is the best. Juan is really amazing, a top university in Peking University! Hey! She's the only one in the whole team to achieve this, even Xiaoxia's dad can't compare..."

To be honest, a couple of years ago, one of our team members went to work at a junior college and is now the director of education in a rural area.

I don’t know if they were admitted in 1979 or 1980, but in the eyes of ordinary people, it wasn’t considered a regular university—mainly because Gu Boyuan was there. Although none of them got into university, it didn’t stop them from having high standards.

Li Juan's case is definitely a legitimate one. She got into Renmin University, which, although not as famous as Tsinghua or Peking University, is still a prestigious university. Her professor personally delivered her admission notice, so how could it be anything less?
"I wonder how far the school is from the yard we bought," Liang Yuemei suddenly asked during the meal.

“No matter how far it is, once you go to university, you will definitely have to live on campus.” Li Jianguo knew a little more about it. “Then the courtyard is for people to stay in during holidays and weekends, to do laundry and cook or something.”

“Yes, that’s true.” Liang Yuemei smiled. “It’s always better to have a place to stay.”

“That’s right, we’ll buy a bicycle after we get to Yanjing, or if that’s not possible, we can buy…” Li Long was saying when Li Jianguo interrupted him, “We can’t buy a car, a bicycle will do!”

He knew his brother's thoughts. Now that the family had money, they should provide the best conditions for their children. But that wasn't how they should provide them. If they really brought a car over, not to mention whether Li Juan could drive it, it wouldn't be a good thing to parade it around in the city.

“Okay.” Li Long smiled. “If it’s too far, we can take a taxi. On weekends, we can go to the courtyard, cook a meal, and relax. University isn’t as busy as high school. Just choose your courses and focus on mastering those few.

He himself had never been to university; he had only heard about it, so he just said it offhand.

Li Juan had heard her teachers and senior students talk about required courses and elective courses.

"So, will Juan stay in Yanjing to work from now on?" Li Junfeng suddenly asked.

“Well… logically speaking, I should go back to work in the autonomous region,” Li Long said after thinking for a moment. “Xiaoxia’s sister said that if I have excellent grades and find a receiving unit, I might stay in Yanjing.”

"Oh..." Li Junfeng nodded, it was unclear what he was thinking.

“Even if she comes back, she’ll most likely stay in Wucheng, not back in the county. How many people graduate from universities like this in the whole country each year?” Li Long chuckled. “You could say that if things continue as they are, Juan will never be a resident of Ma County again.”

So at least at this time, in everyone's eyes, the college entrance examination is indeed the greatest fairness and the easiest springboard for students from poor families to achieve upward social mobility.

Most of the people present had children. Junhai's family had two children, a son and a daughter. Chen Qianjin and his family, however, were not yet married and were thinking about whether they could settle down in the fourth team.

Several people who were initially considering settling down there but weren't entirely committed are now showing some interest. Even if they themselves don't succeed, it would be good if their descendants followed Li Juan's example and achieved success.

That's a great honor for the family.

Before we had even finished eating, some people from the team came over for a visit. Since it was the tail end of the busy farming season and everyone didn't have much work to do, visiting each other was a normal thing.

"Brother Li, I heard Juan got into a prestigious university?" Wang Caimi was the first to come over, holding a melon in his hand. "I ran into a melon seller earlier and bought some. I brought one over for you guys to try."

It's quite rare to see Wang Caimi bring over a watermelon.

"Yeah, I got in, Renmin University." Li Jianguo said with a hint of pride. "The teacher brought the admission notice over this morning. Hey, not bad."

"How can you say it's not good? It's amazing! Do you know where the best student from the whole township got into last year's college entrance exam? Chang'an! Not a single one got into Beijing, let alone a prestigious university..." I didn't expect that Wang the money-grubber was still paying attention to this.

"Oh, is your child going to high school this year, just like Qiangqiang?" Li Long suddenly thought of something.

"Yeah, I got into the first year of high school." Wang Caimi smiled, took the small stool that Li Junfeng handed him and sat down, saying, "My grades are just average. I was just thinking that when I took the college entrance exam, I could at least get into a teacher's college, let alone a prestigious one."

After saying that, he patted the melons at his feet and said, "I just came here to share in the joy. Brother Li, your family is truly amazing!"

In the past, whether it was Li Jianguo or Li Long, he couldn't compare to them in terms of making money, but he was still unconvinced. He always felt that the Li family was just lucky, that they had benefited from good fortune.

After all, many young people today don't remember what Li Long looked like before, but he still remembers him very well.

But the fact that the Li family managed to raise their eldest daughter to be a student at a prestigious university is something that can't be denied.

Moreover, he now knows from the children in his family that Li Qiang's academic performance is also very good, and he is likely to be admitted to a prestigious university in the future.

That's amazing!

What's so great about one generation? It's impressive if the second and third generations are doing well! These four teams, putting aside everything else, are genuinely concerned and attentive to their children's education. So, Wang Caimi came here truly wanting to share in their joy and was genuinely impressed.

Li Jianguo quickly finished his rice, put the bowl down, took a small stool and sat down next to Wang Caimi. He took out a cigarette and offered it to Wang Caimi, who took it, lit it himself with a match, and said with a smile:

"Are you planning to do it?"

"Yes, let's get it done. Once we're done with this, let's take this opportunity to celebrate. Besides, we're not being hypocritical; it's a big deal, after all. As the old saying goes, 'Our ancestors' graves are emitting auspicious smoke.'" Li Jianguo lit a cigarette and said with a smile, "Juan has worked hard these past few years; we deserve some recognition, don't we?"

“That’s right, studying is tough. My kid works hard enough, getting up early and working late every day, but his grades are still not as good as Qiangqiang’s. I think getting into a prestigious university isn’t just about being smart and diligent.” Wang Caimi agreed, took a puff of his cigarette and said, “When are you going to do it? I’ll come and help.”

"Number sixteen..." Li Jianguo had just said one sentence when he heard a car outside the courtyard stop by the roadside, and then someone strode over.

Li Long was facing the courtyard gate when he was eating, and he saw Captain Xu Chengjun enter the courtyard.

"Brother Li, Juan got into a prestigious university?" Xu Chengjun shouted as he entered the courtyard. "I heard it's Peking University?"

"Hey, you already know?" Li Jianguo stood up and offered him a cigarette.

Wang Caimi also stood up. Xu Chengjun took the cigarette from Li Jianguo and then held out his hand to Wang Caimi: "Come on, let's check it out."

Wang Caimi handed him a cigarette. Xu Chengjun lit it, smoked it, and then returned it to Wang Caimi, saying, "I've heard about it. It's all over the team. A prestigious university! This is the first one in our team, right? Xiaolong's father-in-law, Xiaoxia's dad, also graduated from a prestigious university, but it can't compare to this, can it?"

"That's right, they're not even in the same league." Wang Caimi said knowingly. "Nationwide, you can count on one hand the top officials who can compare to this!"

Li Long just smiled and didn't say anything.

"That's right! This isn't just a source of pride for your Li family, it's a source of pride for our Fourth Team! From now on, when we go to meetings in the township, I, as the team leader, can hold my head high. Do other teams have that? No! So I'll have the confidence and the right to speak!"

Xu Chengjun spoke with conviction, ultimately summarizing his words in one sentence:

"The team needs to address this. Brother Li, here's my plan: this afternoon, we'll have a meeting of village representatives, and from now on, if any family has a child who gets into university, the team will give them a bonus. After all, they're from our team, so we can't leave them unrecognized."

"I'm not so sure about that," Li Jianguo hesitated. "The first one is my daughter, so how do I put it?"

“Hey, that’s not what I meant!” Wang, the money-grubber, thought this was something that should be done. “Every kid will have to go through this test in the future. So, if they pass, they should be rewarded, right? Besides, even if you don’t say anything, other people will definitely have their own thoughts.”

Xu Chengjun came over for two reasons: first, to congratulate the Li family's daughter on getting into university, and second, to discuss this matter.

Since that was the case, Li Jianguo went to the meeting. Li Long wanted to know what the meeting was about, so he didn't rush back. He stayed in the courtyard until Li Jianguo and the others returned from the meeting.

More people came during this period, or rather, almost everyone in the team who had a good relationship with the Li family and whose children were in school came. Most of them said they wanted to see the admission notice, just to share in the good fortune.

Of course, no one came empty-handed; some carried a chicken, while others brought several watermelons on their bicycles.

This is the first time—Li Long guesses that when the banquet starts on the 16th, the people who come to eat will still have something to say—although the Li family intends for it to be a continuous banquet, so there's no need to bring anything.

It's a family celebration.

Even if each family didn't bring much, there were still a lot of people. In fact, people from all three teams came over. The Li family had good relationships with the other teams, so they couldn't just refuse to see them.
Li Juan held the admission notice, tucked inside a hardcover notebook. Everyone understood that she could look at it, but not touch it, and this had been explained to them, since she needed it to register for university.

Of course, people don't have high expectations; a quick glance is enough.

When Li Jianguo returned, the sun was already setting in the west, and Li Long asked curiously why it had taken so long.

"It's not just rewards for students, but also for those who can join the army," Li Jianguo said. "Someone brought it up, so we have to discuss it. But it's all good news, and no one objects."

Finally, it was decided that those who get into university will receive a 100 yuan reward, and those who get into a vocational teacher training school will receive 50 yuan. Those who join the army will receive 50 yuan. Originally, someone suggested a 100 yuan reward, but no one wanted that; joining the army couldn't compare to getting into university.

The team still has some money, mainly from the extra land lease fees. The team now has more than 4,000 mu of land. Apart from the land allocated to each family and some wasteland, the rest of the land is leased out, and there are lease fees every year.

The money will be used for two purposes: firstly, for public construction in the village, and secondly, for year-end bonuses for public workers.

Although the household responsibility system was implemented, the team still paid out public labor at the beginning of the year for tasks such as clearing ditches and planting trees. If each household met a certain standard, the team would pay them if they exceeded it.

Of course, if there aren't enough public workers, then we still have to pay the team—these are all necessary collective expenses, and everyone understands that.

In other words, although the household responsibility system was implemented, the village was still a collective, and it was impossible to divide everything up and make it all private.

Li Long wasn't sure about other places, but the Fourth Team had always operated this way. Even twenty or thirty years later, the team still counted the spring canal clearing work as labor, but by then it was directly converted into cash.

“One hundred yuan is fine too, that’s a month’s salary,” Liang Yuemei said with a smile.

The point isn't the money, it's the recognition. Li Juan is the first college student in the team to receive this kind of money. There will definitely be more in the future, but getting into a university of this caliber is difficult.

At least in Li Long's memory, there wasn't.

Seeing that it was getting late, Li Long drove back. Mingming and Haohao were playing at the recycling station, but they actually wanted to come to the team. However, everyone was working, and Li Juan and Li Qiang couldn't be exempted. Besides, Li Qiang had just been admitted to high school and would be doing military training.

Nobody was playing with them, so they were left at the recycling station to play in the courtyard. There were people there, food and drink provided, so they weren't in a hurry.

Back at the purchasing station, Li Long picked up Mingming and Haohao and took them back to the courtyard. Old Man Li Qingxia said he wasn't going back; he'd go to the fourth team after closing the gate and told Li Long and the others not to wait for him for dinner. He was overjoyed and was still bragging to the other middlemen.

His granddaughter got into Renmin University. At first, Li Qingxia wasn't quite sure how prestigious Renmin University was, but he gradually learned about it from those brokers, and the smile on his face never stopped.

Li Jianguo's words were like a blessing from his ancestors!
Li Long returned to the yard and let the two children run and play by themselves while he cleaned up some trash in the yard.

The two roe deer cubs have grown a bit and are about the same height as their mother goat, but they still have the temperament of little kids and often fight with the goat calves.

They would also make a mess in the yard, leaving droppings everywhere, so Li Long would clean it up.

Gu Xiaoxia would go to the cannery whenever she had free time, wanting to see how it operated.

After Li Long finished sweeping the yard, Gu Xiaoxia, Sister Yang, and Han Fang returned together.

Before Li Long could even speak, Mingming ran over and loudly told Gu Xiaoxia, "Mom, my sister Juan got into Renmin University!"

"Yes, that's great!" Gu Xiaoxia said with a smile. "You all should study hard too, so you can get into a good school like your older sister!"

"I understand!" Mingming and Haohao agreed in unison.

Li Long could tell that his wife and the others probably already knew. It was likely their father who told them, since his older brother had called their father shortly after Li Juan received the acceptance letter.

"Dad's going back to the fourth team later to check the notification letter," Li Long said. "We won't wait for him for dinner."

"Okay, then I'll go cook." Gu Xiaoxia rolled up her sleeves, washed her hands, and prepared to cook.

Dinner was actually very simple: goat milk (boiled), bread baked by Gu Xiaoxia, and two stir-fried dishes.

Sister Yang helped in the kitchen, cooking together. Han Fang came over and asked Li Long, "Uncle Li, is Sister Juan coming up? If not, could I go down tomorrow?"

“If you want to come up, I’ll go down tomorrow and pull you down. She might need to inform some classmates that there’s a banquet being held at Team 4 on the 16th, and she’s inviting her classmates to attend.”

"Okay. I'll go down now—I haven't seen her in a long time." Han Fang and Li Juan are very close, but they haven't seen each other much during this holiday, and they always seem to miss each other.

During dinner that evening, Li Long mentioned that a banquet was to be held on the 16th, and told Sister Yang that it was fine for them to go as well.

Sister Yang said, "We'll see then. The cannery and the dried meat processing plant have some extra orders, so they might not be able to handle them all. But Han Fang could go over there."

Sister Yang was quite envious of Li Juan's admission to Renmin University, but there was nothing she could do. Her own daughter was determined to attend a vocational school, and it wasn't her destiny.

Li Long also mentioned the team's decision, which surprised and impressed Sister Yang, who remarked that the team's leaders were indeed insightful.

They value education, and that alone makes them better than many other places. Moreover, the Fourth Team values ​​education regardless of gender, unlike many other places where there is genuine gender bias at this time.

Regardless of the amount of money, it's at least an incentive, letting everyone know that this is an attitude.

The next day, Mingming and Haohao insisted on going to the team, so Li Long drove them and Han Fang to his older brother's house. Mingming and Haohao immediately ran off to find Li Juan, with Han Fang following behind.

There were quite a few people in the courtyard, including the Lu family couple and some neighbors, all chatting.

Li Long believed that this lively atmosphere would continue until the day the banquet began.

It was unusual for his mother not to be sitting in the yard, so Li Long went inside to check on her and found her sitting on the edge of the bed, tidying up her clothes.

When Du Chunfang saw Li Long come in, she looked up and smiled, saying, "Mingming and Haohao are here? I heard the noise. These two kids are getting louder and louder when they walk."

"Yeah, as soon as I got here, I ran to see Juan. She wanted to see the admission notice, saying she'd never seen one before," Li Long explained. "Mom, why don't you stay outside? There are more people, it's more lively there."

"It's so noisy, so many people, so loud, it's annoying." My mother made no attempt to hide her preferences; she likes a lively atmosphere with lots of people, but the kind of liveliness where her family is all around, not this kind of noise.

"My dad left this morning?"

"Yeah, I came back last night in a great mood. I had a few drinks with your older brother and gave Juan some money." Du Chunfang laughed as she mentioned this, then whispered, "I gave her some too, five hundred! Juan is so capable, more capable than all the girls back home—hey, that's great!"

Li Long didn't know why his mother insisted on comparing Li Juan to the girls back home, but no matter what, Li Juan's current achievements were something to be proud of.

Li Long chatted with his mother for a while, and when Mingming and Haohao came over to "bother" her, Li Long drove to Lao Ma Hao and told Uncle Luo about it.

"Slaughter them, we absolutely have to slaughter them!" Before Uncle Luo could say anything, Yang Laoliu, who was cleaning the sheep pen, spoke up, "That's Renmin University! One of the top universities in the country—hey, Xiaolong, your family is something else!"

Yang Laoliu was knowledgeable, and after hearing what he said, Uncle Luo understood the value of this prestigious university degree. He then said, "Okay, no problem, we'll go there that day too."

When Li Long returned, he drove Li Juan to find their classmates, mainly to thank their teacher first.

Li Long drove to the entrance of the No. 1 Middle School and then let Li Juan go into the school to the family area to share the good news with the teachers and express her gratitude.

Li Juan meant that Li Long didn't need to wait anymore; she would walk back to the purchasing station herself after everything was finished. Li Long said that he didn't have anything to do anyway, so he would just stay there.

Li Juan stayed at the school for less than an hour. When she came out, she told Li Long that there was no need to go to each of the students individually. Her teachers had already arranged to hold a banquet at their home on the 16th, and they would inform the students when they came.

“My classmates are scattered far apart, and it would take them a day to run the whole thing, so I just stopped running.”

Li Long agreed. Students would definitely visit their teachers after graduation, regardless of whether they passed the entrance exams or not. Leaving a message with the teacher was the most convenient way; the students would know and be able to inform each other.

Li Juan had another little thought she didn't say. She went to notify everyone one by one. It would be fine if those who passed the exam did, but what about those who didn't? Would they think she was showing off?
Whether you come or not is up to you.

The 16th arrived quickly. In the past few days, Li Long went to the Agricultural Broadcasting School and told them about it. Professor Yang was quite surprised and then said that he would bring his students to participate.

"Wow, Renmin University is amazing!" Professor Yang exclaimed. "Is this like a golden phoenix flying out of a chicken coop?"

"Old Yang, I don't like hearing you talk like that!" Li Long said half-jokingly. "Our family is at least somewhat of a scholarly family, how did we become a chicken coop..."

"Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue," Professor Yang said hastily with a smile. "That's exactly what I meant, please understand."

Knowing that there would be a banquet on the 16th and that he would get a day off, his students were quite happy. After all, they had been quite busy for the past few months, only getting one or two days off a month, and they were all tanned.

It's really not easy for the average person to stick to it; what's the difference between them and farmers?

But knowing the importance of this project, these students were quite resilient.

Early on the morning of the 16th, Li Long drove Gu Xiaoxia and Han Fang to the fourth team. Mingming and Haohao were staying at their older brother's house. Sister Yang was originally going to go, but yesterday a group leader at the cannery had something to do, so Sister Yang had to go there to handle the matter.

Because of this incident, the purchasing station closed for a day, and Li Qingxia also had to stay home to participate in the matter.

So they gave the purchasing station staff a holiday, which made Liang Shuangcheng and the others quite happy, as they were finally able to rest.

Fortunately, the purchasing station owners are currently buying dried mushrooms—the main type they can buy in August is dried black tiger paw mushrooms, and the quantity is quite large, so they don't care about one more day.

When Li Long and his group arrived, the fire in the stove in the courtyard was already lit, and some women from the village had come to help.

They borrowed seven or eight tables and filled the yard. Li Long also set up three tables in his own yard, and some ingredients were placed in large basins on a long table, covered with iron sieves or pot lids.

Li Jianguo and his team had already started getting busy. The head chef hadn't arrived yet, but some cold dishes and other dishes were already prepared, covered to keep flies away, and ready to be plated and served as soon as the head chef arrived.

Gu Xiaoxia chatted with the women in the village and helped them out. Li Long noticed that Li Juan kept looking towards the gate, clearly wanting to see if any classmates were coming today; she seemed quite anxious.

Soon, the villagers arrived first. Li Jianguo invited them to sit down, gather around a table to play cards, chat, and eat melon seeds, and then served dishes and drinks.

The head chef arrived and got busy. Li Long heard the car and saw Li Juan quickly run to the door, then greet a group of students with a smile.

Li Long walked to the door and saw a Daihatsu minivan.

But how did they manage to squeeze in twelve students—both boys and girls!
“Your classmates, right? Come inside, it’s too noisy outside. Take them to the table in your room,” Li Long said to Li Juan. “Or you can come to my yard.”

"Uncle, let's go to your yard. One table isn't enough for us," Li Juan said.

“Okay, you take care of them first, I’ll have someone serve the food over there,” Li Long said. “Make sure you take good care of your classmate.”

Then he said to those classmates—he only knew one of them, Ren Wenxia, ​​who had delivered the admission notice to Li Juan that day—"Don't be shy, make yourselves at home. If you need anything, just ask Li Juan."

Li Juan then led her classmates to the south courtyard, and their group attracted the attention of many villagers—in their eyes, they were all going to university and were all high achievers.

A handsome and talented man!
Li Longcai told his older brother to order two tables of food to the south side, but then he heard a car horn again. He hurried to the door and found that the township leaders had arrived! (End of Chapter)