Mixed in 1980

Chapter 200 Xu Jinqiu's Career
"Teacher Xu, who are you thinking about?" Chen Fan raised his eyebrows, smiled, and reached out to unbutton Xu Jinqiu's shirt.

Xu Jinqiu blushed, quickly took a step back, and complained: "Chen Fan, can you be serious? I have something serious to say, don't mess around."

"Isn't London for husband and wife a serious matter?"

"Screw you!"

After being interrupted by Chen Fan, Xu Jinqiu lost her temper and slapped Chen Fan a few times to vent her anger. But when it came to the main business, she hesitated again: "I want to sponsor two students."

"It's just a small matter, why are you hesitating with me?"

Xu Jinqiu blushed and scratched her head, feeling embarrassed: "I've calculated that sponsoring two students will cost almost two-thirds of my salary."

Chen Fan found it funny and hugged his wife: "Teacher Xu, are you mentally ill? You are the one who manages the money in our family. How could you possibly need this little money?"

"Family money is family money. You can't use family money, right?"

Xu Jinqiu lowered her head shyly and whispered, "I don't make much money myself, and if I use your money to support others, wouldn't that be like being a saint?"

Hearing this, Chen Fan was stunned. There seemed to be something wrong with this girl's train of thought.

This is what Xu Jinqiu thought. Just based on her own wishes, she asked Chen Fan to spend money to do good deeds, which was no different from the "Maria" that Chen Fan wrote.

I can't become that kind of person.

Even if I have to use my own salary, I must discuss it with Chen Fan. If Chen Fan disagrees, this matter cannot be done and must be put aside decisively.

To Xu Jinqiu, Chen Fan is the most important. She cannot let this affect the relationship between the two of them. She will not do anything that would be counterproductive.

After thinking for a while, Xu Jinqiu said, "It's a pity for those children. Some of them have excellent grades, but their families are not well off, so they were sent back home after only a few days of school."

Glancing at Chen Fan, Xu Jinqiu said, "Originally, I thought that although my salary is not much and I don't need it for household expenses, it is still enough to buy some gifts for my family during the holidays."

"But those children..."

Seeing Xu Jinqiu's hesitation, Chen Fan hugged her lovingly: "Teacher Xu, you didn't have this awareness before, are you touched?"

Xu Jinqiu blushed, nodded, and talked about the two students she wanted to sponsor, a boy and a girl, both of whom were in her class.

The girl's name was Gu Xiaoyan, a very common name. She had a pretty face and was very serious about her studies. She would get up at dawn to read. After evening self-study every day and after the lights in the dormitory were turned off, she would still hold the book and continue reading under the street lights in the dormitory corridor.

Xu Jinqiu chatted with her, and the little girl told her that she wanted to see the outside world.

The little girl likes New Year pictures the most, especially landscape ones. Every New Year, she likes to visit people everywhere, look at other people’s New Year pictures, and see the outside world through the pictures.

But growing up, she has never even left Mentougou. The reason she studies hard is that she wants to get into university and see the outside world.

Unfortunately, after only one month of high school, her family took her back, saying that they had arranged a marriage for her and wanted her to go back and get married.

That day, the little girl was dragged back crying.

There is another boy named Yan Hua, who ranked first in the school in terms of academic performance when he was in junior high school. However, his family is poor. This year, his father was injured while doing farm work and is bedridden, leaving the family without a strong labor force.

As the eldest son, he had to go back to work.

When Yan Hua walked out of the school gate carrying his luggage that day, he looked back every three steps, but every time he looked back there was a smile on his face, and no one knew what he was smiling about.

Maybe he's just stubborn and wants to leave in a dignified manner.

As Xu Jinqiu spoke, her eyes slightly reddened. Compared to them, she was undoubtedly lucky. She failed to get into university because she was stupid, not because her family did not support her.

Meeting Chen Fan also fulfilled my dream of going to college.

Unlike them, who are so hardworking and smart, but have to give up their studies due to family reasons, Xu Jinqiu always feels it is a pity.

"I'll go with you tomorrow!"

Chen Fan did not expect that Xu Jinqiu's mentality would change so much in just one month of internship as a teacher.

But if my wife wants to do it, I should support her.

What is the purpose of making money? It is so that you don’t have to think about things because of money. The money lying in the account is to be spent, not a bunch of meaningless numbers.

I feel a throbbing in my heart, and I’m done with it!
The next day, Chen Fan asked Xu Jinqiu to take the money and drove into the mountainous area of Mentougou. After more than half an hour, the car entered a small village.

Chen Fan got off the car and asked the locals, and after turning a few corners he finally found Gu Xiaoyan's house, which was just an ordinary farmhouse.

Gu Xiaoyan happened to be at home, peeling corn husks in the yard. While working, there was no expression on her face, and even her eyes were dull and lifeless.

Xu Jinqiu felt distressed when she saw this.

The girl was not like this before. Her eyes were full of energy, especially when I talked to her about Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and university, there was light in her eyes.

It’s not like now, numb, as if dead!
"Xiaoyan!"

Xu Jinqiu called out, and Gu Xiaoyan came back to her senses. A glimmer of light flashed in her eyes, but it quickly dimmed again: "Teacher Xu, why are you here?"

"Come and see you."

Xu Jinqiu walked over, looked at Gu Xiaoyan carefully, and asked again: "Are your parents at home?" "Teacher Xu, it's useless."

Gu Xiaoyan had already guessed Xu Jinqiu's intention and smiled miserably, "My dad is already talking to someone about marrying me off."

Xu Jinqiu hugged the little girl and patted the back of her hand: "Don't worry, I'll talk to your parents, and you tell me, do you still want to go back to school?"

Gu Xiaoyan hummed.

Encouraged by Xu Jinqiu, Gu Xiaoyan called out her father, a middle-aged farmer holding a pipe, with a hint of hostility in his appearance.

When Xu Jinqiu proposed that Gu Xiaoyan go back to school, the farmer rejected the idea outright: "Teacher Xu, I know you have good intentions, but our family is in this situation and we can't afford to support her."

"Xiaoyan has two younger brothers. I have to consider them. Girls just need to learn to read and write. It's good enough for Xiaoyan to finish junior high school."

This is indeed true!
In these days, many girls go to work in the fields before finishing elementary school. It is already good enough for this man to support his daughter to finish junior high school and even a few days of high school.

When his daughter grows up and gets married, she will belong to another family. What use will studying bring to this family? It is not wrong for him to consider his two sons.

Such are the limitations of the times.

Xu Jinqiu could also understand. She was not a person who was out of touch with the world. She grew up in a slum and had experienced hardships when she went to the countryside to work in the fields. She had seen a lot of suffering.

After Father Gu finished speaking, she said, "Xiaoyan is good at studying. She will have the opportunity to go to college in the future and have a good future. Uncle Gu, how about this? I will support Xiaoyan?"

"I covered all her tuition and living expenses during her two years of high school."

At this point, Gu's father wanted to agree, but couldn't open his mouth. Gu Xiaoyan explained angrily: "Someone offered 200 yuan as a gift to marry me."

The normal bride price these days is 10 or 8 yuan. 200 yuan is considered a sky-high price, which a rural family may not be able to save up even after working for two or three years.

"Xiaoyan, you can't talk to your dad like that!"

Xu Jinqiu glared at the little girl, then said to Gu's father in a friendly manner: "Uncle Gu, I know you are thinking about your son, but you can't just look at the present."

"There are subsidies for going to college. If Xiaoyan is admitted to college, she can receive a subsidy of 22.5 yuan a month. If she sends 10 yuan back every month, that's 120 yuan a year."

"You do the math, it's 480 yuan in four years. When Xiaoyan graduates, she will be a cadre and can help her brother, right?"

After these words, Father Gu finally nodded.

Gu Xiaoyan hugged Xu Jinqiu and said, "Thank you, Mr. Xu. I promise that when I get a job in the future, I will definitely pay you back if I borrow money from you."

Xu Jinqiu smiled and said, "If you really want to thank me, then study hard and get into college. Okay, I should leave now. Remember to come back for class on Monday."

After leaving Gu Xiaoyan's house, Chen Fan drove to another village to find Yan Hua.

The situation at Yan Hua's family was relatively simple, but not simple either. His father was injured and bedridden, and there was no strong labor force in the family. He was the eldest son, and he had three younger brothers and sisters.

From now on, this family will depend on him.

When he saw Xu Jinqiu, there was no trace of melancholy on the young man's face. Instead, he smiled. He knew that he would have to take care of the whole family in the future and he couldn't be sissy anymore.

"He's a good boy!"

Chen Fan smiled and asked about Yan's father's illness. It was actually curable, but there was no money for treatment. If he really had to stay in bed, he probably wouldn't have many years to live.

Xu Jinqiu offered to sponsor him for schooling, but Yan Hua directly refused, saying that his father needed medicine, his younger brothers and sisters needed to eat, and the family could not do without him.

Xu Jinqiu hesitated, and Chen Fan spoke first: "Young man, I can lend you some money for your father's medical treatment, but you have to write me an IOU and pay me back when you get a job."

"Is it okay?" Yan Hua's heart moved.

If there is any way to cure his father, he would be so shameless as to do it.

Chen Fan really appreciated this point of his. He went back to the car and got a thousand yuan. He asked Yan Hua to write an IOU and helped send the man to the hospital.

On the way back, Xu Jinqiu scratched his head awkwardly, a little embarrassed: "I said I wouldn't spend your money, but I still made you pay for it."

"Xu Jinqiu, what's wrong with you? Our family doesn't need these little things. Besides, if I don't give you the money to spend, I can find a few women outside to help you spend it."

"Chen Fan, you dare!" Xu Jinqiu widened his eyes.

She couldn't help but reach out and slap Chen Fan, saying viciously: "If you dare to have any evil thoughts, I will let my elder sister hit you on the head with a brick."

Chen Fan was speechless and said sarcastically, "That's it. We are not short of money. You can spend it however you want. We are not Grandet and we have to live on money."

Xu Jinqiu rolled her eyes at him and said, "That's different. I have no problem spending the family money, but I can use my own salary to help others. But using the money you earn is like moral kidnapping. It's no different from being a saint."

Chen Fan was stunned. This is what she thought.

No wonder I felt this girl's logic was weird since yesterday. I couldn't help but tease her: "So, Teacher Xu, how do you feel when you help others? Are you happy?"

Xu Jinqiu narrowed her eyes and nodded.

Chen Fan added: "Then you are not suitable to be a teacher. I think there is another career that may be more suitable for you. Would you like to consider it?"

PS: The first update is here~
(End of this chapter)