Training the Heavens

Chapter 210 Taking Off the Hat
"Bang, bang, bang!" Guo Chenzi banged on the gate fiercely. When he saw Xu Lingjun coming out, he started yelling, "I just ran into Teacher Li when I got to the city. He asked me to tell you something. The local produce company has received a batch of hairtail. You should hurry and buy some. If you're late, you won't be able to eat it."

"Okay, I'll go right away!" Xu Lingjun responded, called Li Xiuzhi, took the money and tickets and went to the county town.

He first went to the store to buy some things and wished Li Binggui and Niu Guiping a happy new year. When Niu Guiping heard that he had not prepared the New Year's goods yet, he took him directly to the warehouse of the local products company. Their company not only collects local specialties for sale, but also brings back good things from other places to sell locally.

There were piles of mandarin oranges from Fujian, hairtail from Zhoushan, and prawns from Bohai Sea everywhere, and even Sichuan bean paste and pickles. Li Xiuzhi was so happy to see these. People's tastes are cultivated from childhood. She was used to eating these in Sichuan, and it was rare to see them at the ranch. Naturally, she missed them a little, but she couldn't find them sold in the county town. Now seeing these, she can finally satisfy her craving.

Xu Lingjun spent all the money he had on him. This was his first New Year in this world and also his first New Year after marrying Li Xiuzhi, so naturally he had to celebrate it well.

They got on the bus with a bunch of stuff, and the salesperson asked them to buy an extra ticket. They wandered all the way back to the production team, and happened to meet a postman who was delivering mail. "Lao Xu, there's a letter for your family, sent from Sichuan."

"Hey, thank you. Can you come in and have some water?"

"No, no, I still have two houses to deliver to!" After saying that, he rode away on his horse. Postmen in other places ride bicycles, but it is different in pastoral areas. It is more convenient to ride a horse.

After entering the house, Li Xiuzhi hurriedly opened the envelope without even bothering to light a fire or pack up. Fearing something might have happened at home, she tore out the letter and glanced at it for a few seconds before her brows relaxed. "The harvest was good this year, and the family has finally recovered. They also told us to go home and take a look if we have time."

"It's not appropriate now. I'm wearing a hat and it's inconvenient for me to go out. Going to your house might even cause trouble. Let's wait two years and see if we can find a chance to take off the hat and go back together! If you miss home, you can go back by yourself. Find a time when the train is not so crowded. I'll find a way to get you two tickets. You can go back and have a look." Xu Lingjun calculated the time and it should not be far away.

Li Xiuzhi is in good health now and is planning to give birth to a child after the New Year. That way, when the time comes to retire, she can take the child with her. The old couple will surely be overjoyed to see their grandson coming.

"How are their preparations for the New Year? How about sending some money back? I, as their son-in-law, can't go over to wish them a happy New Year. It would be a shame if they didn't express their gratitude."

"I'd better wait and go back with you." Li Xiuzhi didn't know whether the collective poverty alleviation would be completed in two years. She just felt that her husband was so capable that he would definitely find a way. "There's no need to send money. My family has recovered this year. We don't have to worry about going hungry."

"You still have to show some consideration. I've been busy buying local specialties today and haven't bought any clothes yet. I'll go to the county town tomorrow and send it to you." As soon as Li Xiuzhi's parents sold all their grain this year, they sent back the money Xu Lingjun had given them. Xu Lingjun was willing to help people like them and make their lives better.

"Write your letter first. Remember to include the earthworm method for raising chickens. Having more eggs at home will make life easier. I won't mention the porcini mushroom method. First, the technique is very demanding, and I can't describe it all in a letter. Second, the climate and soil are different over there, so the same method might not work there! When I visit you in the future, I'll see if you have any good ideas."

Xu Lingjun remembered that Sichuan's wood ear mushrooms were very famous. Shifang wood ear mushrooms and Qingchuan wood ear mushrooms were both well-known. Jiangyou was not far from these two places, so in theory, it could also grow wood ear mushrooms. He would first sort out the methods and teach them how to grow them when he went to Sichuan in the future.

He didn't learn this method at the Central Government, but rather bought it from a professor at Southwest Agricultural University while working as a Xinhua News Agency reporter reselling patents. Xu Lingjun had many similar technologies in mind, and if he could find one or two suitable for local development, they would ensure their livelihoods. As the Lunar New Year approached, Xu Lingjun's home was always full of guests. This year, most families in the production team had a good New Year, and these were all brought to them by Xu Lingjun. With the Lunar New Year approaching, he definitely had to visit.

Firstly, it is to express gratitude, and secondly, it is to maintain relations. I hope that when Xu Lingjun comes up with some good ideas next year, don’t forget to bring them along.

Xu Lingjun accepted all the gifts they brought, calculated their value, and then returned them with gifts of equal value. He also wished them a happy new year. They had taken good care of Xu Lingjun over the years.

On New Year's Eve, Xu Lingjun and Li Xiuzhi were listening to the radio and eating New Year's Eve dinner at home. Thinking back to the time when they first got married, Li Xiuzhi felt like she was dreaming.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the two not only made dumplings, but also made glutinous rice balls according to the customs of Jiangyou.

After the second day of the Chinese New Year, people can visit each other, visiting one house today and another house tomorrow. During the Spring Festival, almost every family in the production team has held a banquet.

This was unthinkable in the past. Who could have so much food? At most, they would entertain close relatives, but who would dare to clear out the guests like this?

It’s different now. Raising chickens with earthworms and porcini mushrooms has made their pockets fatter, so they don’t have to worry about treating others to a few more meals.

In the next two years, the small production team became more and more prosperous. Xu Lingjun taught them how to grow medicinal herbs and raise Angora rabbits, and every household benefited greatly from it.

At the beginning of 77, someone suddenly came to the ranch and asked Xu Lingjun to go to the ranch office. Xu Lingjun went there and found Director Dong who called him over.

Director Dong took out a document and read it to Xu Lingjun. The general meaning was that the whole country was starting to remove the labels, and what principles should be followed in this work, how to carry out it, etc.

After reading the document expressionlessly, Director Dong looked at Xu Lingjun and said, "That's all there is to the document. Regarding your question, it was marked incorrectly before, but it has been corrected. Considering there's no one left in your hometown, you'll be assigned to teach at Ranch Primary School. You'll receive a subsidy of 500 yuan. You can go to the Finance Department later to collect it. The transfer order is with Old Pan next door. Report to the school tomorrow."

Xu Lingjun had known that this would happen sooner or later, but when it came, he was still a little excited, because from now on, he could finally resume his ordinary life.

Taking off the hat is a good thing, but forget it, teacher. Xu Lingjun has other plans.

(End of this chapter)