The 1960s: The Story of a Country Girl's Journey to the City

"Of course, his job is better than my uncle's. He just stays indoors all day writing and drawing, sheltered from the wind and rain, and his salary is higher than my uncle's. He even has a car to ride in."

Bao Ya exaggeratedly described the daily work of the military region leaders to Su Ruyi, making Su Ruyi's mouth water.

"Will your brother be able to work there in the future?"

"It's possible, but Gou Dan needs to finish high school before he can have a chance to become a leader. It would be even better if he excelled in his studies, since everyone working there is a learned person."

When Su Ruyi spoke, Bao Ya thought that her adoptive mother wanted her to be a "brother-supporting demon," but now it seems that a pancake can solve the problem.

"Don't people say that studying is useless? Now students don't attend classes anymore; they're out and about all the time."

And those educated youth, all city kids who had received an education, came to our village to work in the fields with us.

Sanmao also started from the bottom.

Lin Laosan was skeptical and unsure of his daughter's words, but since she lived in the city and had seen the world, she must know more than he did.

"My eldest uncle didn't know any high-ranking officials before, and Sanmao didn't do well in school. His junior high school diploma was obtained through connections by my third uncle."

The same goes for city kids; without connections, no matter how much they study, no one will arrange anything for them.

Your daughter got to know a lot of leaders on this trip, including the commander of the General Military Region.

When my mother-in-law and I returned, the army commander prepared soft sleeper berths for us and even assigned two people to escort us back.

Do you know what a soft sleeper berth is? The mattress is so thick, it's more comfortable than lying on cotton.

Bao Ya gestured and boasted as she spoke, and seeing the stunned expressions on her parents' and younger brother's faces, she couldn't help but laugh.

It seems there's an advantage to having family members who aren't very bright; they're willing to take any offer, no matter how much money is promised.

"So, can your brother really be arranged to become a leader in the future?"

Su Ruyi was thrilled, feeling like she was about to become her boss's mother.

"Yes, as long as he can finish high school and has excellent grades, I guarantee he can become a leader, and maybe even succeed the army commander."

Mr. and Mrs. Lin didn't understand. They knew that they could take over a job in the city, but they thought they could do the same in the army. Anyway, they believed whatever their daughter said.

"Hey, it's just studying, right? Gou Dan can definitely do it. Let Gou Dan go to school in the fall."

Lin Laosan's mouth stretched from ear to ear, and he excitedly slapped his thigh. This incredible wealth was finally his turn.

In their view, reading books while sitting indoors all day is much easier than working in the fields.

"Dog Egg, did you hear that? You must study hard in school. You're different from them. If you study well, your sister can pull some strings and get you a high-ranking official position, which is better than Simo's job at the state-run restaurant."

Dog Egg nodded vigorously, grinning from ear to ear. His sister said he'd become a high-ranking official someday, and he was sure he would.

Bao Ya looked at Gou Dan with a sly grin. The silly child had no idea that he was about to enter hell mode, where, in addition to studying, he would also face a double whammy of beatings from his parents.

Study hard, and he can take the college entrance exam after he finishes high school. The timing is perfect.

Grandma Su was speechless. She had tried to stop Su Ruyi from speaking to Bao Ya.

As a result, she actually asked Bao Ya to look for a job for Gou Dan. I told her, if she had any brains, shouldn't she have found a job for Lin Lao San first so that he could support you and your son?

This family of three is laughing like they're on drugs; it's unbearable to watch.

The eldest uncle, eldest aunt, second uncle, and second aunt all looked completely at ease, watching the family of three daydreaming and laughing along with them.

After dinner, Jiang Yuan took Bao Ya home. His wife had been away from home for a long time, and he was so busy that he could chat with Yan San for a bit.

"Honey, you must be tired. I'll boil some water for you."

Jiang Yuan parked his bicycle, immediately locked the gate, and headed straight for the kitchen. They weren't going anywhere today.

"Okay, go burn it."

It was just getting dark. At the end of May, it gets dark much later; it must be past seven o'clock now.

Jiang Yuan hurriedly went to boil water. Bao Ya took a walk around the house and found that it was quite well tidied up while she was away.

The vegetables in the front yard are all bearing fruit, some of which are already ripe.

The chickens in the backyard have grown up, but there are three roosters among them. We'll see when we feel like it and slaughter them for meat.

This morning, Liao Chunhua and Jiang Laoshan returned to Kaoshan Village together. With the summer harvest approaching, they felt they had to make an appearance in the village.

After taking a shower and drying her hair, Bao Ya changed into a light and thin sundress, lay on the bed in a seductive pose, and waited for Jiang Yuan to clean the bathroom.

Before Jiang Yuan came in, he was racking his brains trying to think of something to say to coax his wife. But when he entered the room and saw this scene, he felt a heat in his nose and warm liquid flowed from his nasal cavity.

"Oh, you're bleeding, go wash up quickly."

Bao Ya quickly handed him some toilet paper, feeling annoyed. He was so weak; he couldn't even handle this little bit of stimulation.

Jiang Yuan stuffed a piece of paper into his nose and went to the bathroom. He hurriedly washed himself clean, calmed his excited emotions a little, and returned to his room.

At that time, the bedroom light was already off. Bao Ya was afraid that he couldn't handle the stimulation, and she was also afraid of being stimulated by his nosebleed.

"Honey, have you missed me?"

The man moved closer to her from behind, his breathing heavy and his voice hoarse.

Following his lead, Bao Ya turned around, reaching out to touch his bare upper body and broad back. She whispered softly in his ear:

"What use are you to me? You never even look at me."

The soft sound was like the mournful cry of a small animal, and then it gently bit his earlobe.

Jiang Yuan trembled all over, disregarding everything else, and pressed his entire body against it.

The two tossed and turned until late into the night before finally falling into a deep sleep, only to wake up again at noon the next day.

Bao Ya rubbed her sleepy eyes, looked at the person beside her, and then at the time on her watch. It was already midnight; this guy wasn't going to work.

"Wake up, you're late."

Bao Ya reached out and nudged the person next to her. Jiang Yuan groggily opened his eyes, thought for a moment, then reached out and pulled his wife into his arms, burying his head in her chest. He began to get restless again.

"Hey, you're not going to work? Did you get fired?"

That's it, they're all unemployed now.

"Pfft."

Jiang Yuan couldn't help but laugh out loud, and after giving Bao Ya two big kisses, he said:

"I've been transferred to a different position, so I can hold you in my arms every night now."

"Transfer to another position? Which position pays you even if you don't work? Find me one too."

Bao Ya casually remarked that even if Jiang Yuan were unemployed, she wouldn't be worried. She had money in hand and could lie down for several years without any problem.

"I've been transferred to the purchasing department, and I'll be responsible for going to the countryside to buy pigs. My hours are more flexible than before, and I won't have to work night shifts anymore."

As he spoke, Jiang Yuan pulled Bao Ya, who was about to get dressed, back down and pinned her down. It was so nice not having to go to work on time.

With no one else at home, the two resumed their shameless lifestyle.

After Bao Ya returned, the neighbors became lively. Aunt Zhou was almost in tears when she saw Bao Ya, and she was incredibly affectionate.

Xie Laidi, Shi Zhenxiang, and Grandma Liu from next door all came to see her, and the last one was Sister Chen.

However, seeing Sister Chen again startled Bao Ya. She had lost a lot of weight and had a dark circle around her right eye, as if she had been punched.