Back to 1978

Chapter 55 Digging a hole
It’s a pity that Xie Hushan doesn’t go to school.

This was Yang Liming's feeling after he followed Xie Hushan back home, settled down, had lunch, and in the afternoon the other party accompanied him to visit the various labor groups and sideline groups of Team 3.

This young man who looks fierce and aggressive, you can tell from the conversation that although he appears to be a lazy rogue on the surface, he is actually smart, has a sharp mind, and has excellent execution and self-control.

He does selfless things, says shitty things, and makes the other person mad to death. The result is that other people benefit from what he did, and they don't have to be grateful to him or say thank you, but the other person will become closer to him in his heart.

Yang Liming couldn't imagine what it would be like if this guy, whom Uncle Ma Wu affectionately called "calf", was sent to high school and college for further studies.

Perhaps he could easily figure out the university student union, and after graduation, he could be recruited by state agencies that are vigorously promoting rejuvenation with his excellent organizational and executive abilities, and then he could thrive and make a name for himself.

But I just asked him, and it turns out that this guy has never considered studying on his own, taking advantage of the fact that the college entrance examination questions are not difficult in the past two years to escape from the countryside and make a breakthrough.

You should know that there may not be many such opportunities. It is very likely that only in the first three years can one rely on self-study with a junior high school diploma to take the college entrance examination and be admitted to a university. In the future, the college entrance examinations will definitely become more and more formal, and the questions will become more and more difficult. There will be no such opportunity anymore.

"If you had also applied for orphan status two years ago, you might be in college now. The country's policy on placing orphans after the earthquake is very good. You should have asked the brigade to report you." After Yang Liming returned to the west room where he was staying, he sat on the kang and sighed to Xie Hushan.

Xie Hushan looked at Yang Limin and said, "What do you mean? As an orphan, can I get some money?"

"It's not about money. It's about the orphans who were registered after the earthquake. After the registration was completed, the provincial party committee coordinated and mobilized manpower to select elites from the entire province, the best cadres, the best teachers, the best childcare workers, and doctors. A Yuhong school was built in Shimen City, the provincial capital, from Yuhong classes to high school. As long as they are underage orphans from the Yaoshan earthquake who are included in the statistics, they can go to school. All expenses during their school life will be borne by the state, and they will be placed after graduation." Yang Limin hesitated and added:
"I shouldn't say this, but even their household registration may be in Shimen, the provincial capital, which is a city household registration."

After Xie Hushan heard that he had the opportunity to change his household registration, his face showed no emotion, he just said calmly:
"There are not many orphans reported in the countryside. In the countryside, the family atmosphere is very strong. If a family has orphans with no one to support them before they die out, then they will be laughed at by outsiders."

"So some orphans are in similar situations to me, registered under the names of uncles and grandfathers. Of course, if I knew in advance that there would be such a good thing as changing the household registration, I guarantee that all the children in Zhongping Village can immediately falsify their identities and become orphans under the organization and arrangement of the production teams."

Xie Hushan himself is a villager. Among the villagers, kindness and cunning, honesty and cruelty coexist. If they knew that the country could change the household registration of orphans, the production teams in Zhongping Village might really take the lead in studying how to let the children in the team enjoy life and become city dwellers.

Poor families know that the government can bear all expenses for their children, and that they can also change their household registration to an urban one and find jobs after graduation. However, they may be so cruel as to die accidentally and leave their children without anyone to take care of them.

After all, the temptation of a city hukou and a stable job is too great for rural people.

"Oh, by the way, this is my food allowance, eight dollars. My fifth uncle said that he would take the other five dollars from you first, and we'll settle it together at the end of the year." Yang Liming took out a small wad of change from his pocket and handed it to Xie Hushan.

"Er Mianfei has been trying to cheat me out of my money every day." Xie Hushan took it and put it away without even looking at it. Then he looked at the bicycle that Yang Limin had ridden into the yard:
"Captain Yang, please lend me your bicycle. Accountant Zhao in our team is too stingy. Riding his bicycle is like asking for his life. You see, it doesn't matter who pedals it. It's not my wife. I'd be heartbroken if someone touched it."

"Okay, but you have to tell me what you are going to ride it for, and then I will decide whether to lend it to you." Yang Liming said in a harmless and gentle tone.

Xie Hushan pointed at the other party and said with a smile, "You are cunning. You have been trying to trick me since you came to the third team." "You misunderstood. I am just curious. I heard from my fifth uncle that you set up two stewed pork stalls and made a lot of money for the team, but you have been saving it and want to do something else. I am curious about what your side job group is going to do." As Yang Liming spoke, he took out an opened box of peonies from his pocket and gave it to Xie Hushan.

Xie Hushan took it and looked at the cigarette box: "The cadre's level is high, so young that he even put Peony in his pocket?"

"I was doing some chores for the leader's family, and the leader's wife gave it to me in front of the leader. She also required me to open it and take a match in front of her, otherwise I would have to return it to the leader unopened." Yang Liming took out a match, struck it, and said with a smile.

Xie Hushan took out a cigarette and lit it in front of Yang Limin's fire. Then he blew out the match, put the Peony cigarette in his pocket, and changed the subject:
"I'll save money. I have an idea..."

"I smoke too." Yang Liming said after seeing the guy put the peony in his pocket.

Xie Hushan said seriously: "Smoke less, take care of your health, and serve the country for a few more years. This is for your own good. So, you can ask me for one a day."

"I saw it during lunch. You are honoring your grandma, right?" Yang Limin was not angry at all when his bag of Peony was robbed by this guy. He just smiled and said:

"If I go to the east room now and tell grandma..."

Xie Hushan threw the cigarette to Yang Limin:

"I don't like dealing with you leaders. You are too cunning. You are not like us country folk who are simple and honest. You eat at my house every day and I don't say anything. I smoke a pack of your cigarettes and you see how stingy you are."

"What I mean is, if you take the peony away, you can at least give me your own labor badge." Yang Liming said as he handed the peony back to Xie Hushan.

After lighting his own cigarette, Yang Limin said to Xie Hushan:

"What side job are you planning to do with the money you saved? I happened to be here to do some research, so I wrote this down. You did a really good job. If the county needs a role model, I'll report you."

Xie Hushan was a little hesitant. The young clerk in front of him was not an honest villager. Although he looked gentle and polite and had the appearance of a pretty boy who couldn't even tell wheat from leeks, and his words were nice, he was actually cunning. He took him around the third team, and he went to the braised pork stall and chatted with Aunt Wu for a while, and found out the supply chain of the stall.

Tell him that he is afraid that this guy will find out that his selfless dedication actually hides a capitalist tail. After all, the commune is still holding high the banner of grain as the main link.

But let's not talk about it. I have to save money slowly, and there is still a long way to go in the follow-up work. It would be great if I could involve this pretty boy named Yang. If he is willing to help and take the lead, the work will be much easier to carry out, and the progress can be sped up by at least half. If I'm luckier, I might be able to celebrate the Spring Festival in Hong Kong Island by the end of the year.

That's right, Xie Hushan made up his mind. As the saying goes, those who are involved in the matter are often confused, while those who are on the sidelines can see things more clearly. He can't just stand by and watch forever. He still has to dig a pit for him to bury himself in. In this way, the pretty boy named Yang will have to work hard to climb out of the pit and won't have time to worry about his bladder.

(End of this chapter)