Starting from 1950

Su Yang and Wu Xinxue exchanged a glance, nodded, and said in unison, "Yes."

The ages of the children in the reformatory were all changed by 3 years. Before they left, Wang Cui specifically instructed that no matter who asked, they should be reported according to the changed age.

Old Zhao glanced at them; the two children didn't look 16 and 14 at all.

However, changing one's age is very common nowadays.

Although there are no explicit age requirements for recruitment by various companies, the general consensus is that it should be 16.

People wanted their children to start earning money as soon as possible, as the new country needed a large workforce to rebuild.

Changing one's age has become an unspoken rule, something everyone knows but doesn't talk about.

"How many characters do you know? Do you two have any special skills?" Old Zhao asked, swallowing a mouthful of rice.

After a moment's thought, Wu Xinxue cautiously asked, "I think I know several thousand characters. As for special skills, do singing and dancing count?"

"Several thousand words?" Old Zhao was slightly surprised and couldn't help but take a few more glances at the pretty young girl in front of him.

Nowadays, illiteracy is rampant. Although Zhao Laochu is a retired soldier, he was illiterate before joining the army.

I only attended a literacy class in the army for a few months before being discharged, and now I can barely recognize one or two thousand characters.

He knew the identities of Su Yang and the other children, as well as the women sent from Shanghai.

I also know that they had undergone basic literacy training before they came.

However, according to those comrades who were in charge of the handover between Beijing and Shanghai, their literacy training only taught them to write their own names and numbers, and to understand some commonly used characters.

They were basically still semi-literate.

He picked up a newspaper from the table and handed it to Wu Xinxue, saying, "Read this!"

Wu Xinxue was taken aback for a moment, then understood. She took the newspaper, looked at the front page, and began to read it aloud in her clear voice:

"State-owned factories in Shenzhou have fully resumed production capacity, and workers are working hard to achieve a 'successful start'!"

"[Our Correspondent Reports] As of the 15th of this month, the resumption rate of 406 state-owned factories in Shenzhou City has reached 98%, and 37 key enterprises in Tiexi District have exceeded their production targets for the first month of this year..."

She read it aloud for several minutes, her voice carrying a slight Beijing accent, but every word was clear.

Old Zhao smiled and waved, signaling her to stop.

"You've got the makings of a good announcer," he praised, then took out a pen and a sheet of paper and said, "Write down what you just read."

Wu Xinxue nodded, took the pen and began to write, leaving only the scratching sound in the office.

Su Yang couldn't help but lean closer to take a look. The girl's handwriting was delicate and elegant, clearly indicating that she had practiced calligraphy.

A few minutes later, Wu Xinxue stopped writing at Zhao Laochu's prompting.

"What beautiful calligraphy! I can't even come close!" Old Zhao exclaimed sincerely.

Upon hearing this, Wu Xinxue's face flushed slightly, and a hint of pride appeared in her eyes after being praised.

"Su Yang, what about you?" Old Zhao asked again.

After considering it for a moment, Su Yang realized that if he included his previous life, he could say that he knew 90% of the Chinese characters.

But nowadays they still use traditional characters. He might be able to guess the meaning of many characters when he sees them, but he can't write them out.

The original body's memories that were integrated into his mind were limited to the few hundred characters that the master had taught him incidentally at Zuiyuxuan, and some commonly used characters that the teacher had taught him during the two months at the reformatory.

"I... know about a thousand characters, and can write... about five or six hundred characters."

"A thousand or so? That's pretty good." Old Zhao gestured for Wu Xinxue to give the newspaper to Su Yang.

Wu Xinxue handed over the newspaper and gave Su Yang an encouraging look.

Su Yang took the newspaper. The words on it were written vertically. He took a deep breath, found the second page, and began to read.

"A citywide campaign to ensure people's livelihood during the winter has been launched."

"In response to the severe cold weather, the municipal government allocated 500 sets of cotton-padded clothing and 800 tons of coal for distribution to people in need. 24-hour heating stations were set up in Tiexi and Heping districts, and migrant workers in need can receive three days' worth of food rations upon presentation of their identification..."

Compared to Wu Xinxue, he stuttered a bit when reading, and when he encountered some traditional Chinese characters, he had to stop and infer their meaning from the context.

"Okay, okay!"

Old Zhao clapped a few times with a smile, not letting Su Yang write like Wu Xinxue, after all, he treasured his paper and ink.

Li Weixin asked him to take care of the two little ones, and he was initially a little hesitant.

As one of the first cities to be liberated, many factories and shops related to industry and people's livelihood in Shenzhou were confiscated early on.

There are so many companies, with varying benefits and wages.

As the head of the shelter, he did have the authority to decide the specific destinations of people when factories came to recruit them.

But as a veteran, he couldn't show favoritism. Even if he had promised Li Weixin, he couldn't go against his conscience and send those two young guys to good units if they were too useless.

But if both of them know so many words, that's a different story; every company is short of literate workers.

He was fully aware that the two of them were claiming to be older than they actually were.

He glanced at their heights.

Wu Xinxue is about 1.5 meters tall. Although her face looks like she is 12 or 13, she is a girl, so it is not unreasonable to say that she is 16 years old.

Su Yang was different. He looked to be less than 1.4 meters tall, thin and weak, and looked like a child.

Even if he went against his conscience and said that Su Yang was over 16, those government agencies probably wouldn't want him.

According to the work process, people sent to the shelter will not stay here for long; this is just a transit point.

Those aged 16 and above will be taken away by their respective work units, while those under 16 will be sent to orphanages or adopted by local families in Shenzhou.

However, he had already promised Li Weixin. Although it was only a verbal promise, as a veteran, he was a man of his word and meant to do what he promised.

The two men felt a little uneasy as Zhao Laochu scrutinized them.

Su Yang couldn't help but ask, "Um... what exactly did you call us here for?"

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Laochu said to Wu Xinxue, "Limin Flour Factory will be coming to ask for people this afternoon. They are a top-notch company. I plan to put your name on the list. As for Su Yang, he will probably have to stay here for a few more days."

Wu Xinxue was stunned for a few seconds after hearing this before she understood what he meant.

She asked incredulously, "You mean I have to break up with Su Yang?"

Old Zhao nodded and smiled, "The flour mill could be a good place. Besides, you can read and write, and you can sing and dance. Maybe you'll be able to..."

"I'm not going to the flour mill! I want to go with Su Yang!" Zhao Laochu was interrupted by Wu Xinxue before he could finish speaking.

Her little face showed anxiety, and she even reached out to take Su Yang's hand.

Under Zhao Laochu's watchful eye, Su Yang was about to have her hand grabbed. Who knows what would happen if word got out?

Su Yang subtly dodged away, giving Wu Xinxue a reassuring look. He then smiled at Zhao Laochu and asked, "Are there any other places to go? Xinxue and I grew up together, like siblings. We're unfamiliar with Shenzhou, so we'd like to look after each other."

Old Zhao sighed, "It's not about where you'll go, it's about your age. You're probably only eleven or twelve, right? Even if your records say you're 14, our government workplace isn't some backstreet factory. If you're under 16, you're not an option!"

He had barely finished speaking when a thought suddenly struck him, "There is another way, but..."

"What method?" Wu Xinxue's eyes lit up, and she quickly asked.

"No unit will accept people under the age of 16, but if it's an accompanying family member, that's fine," Zhao Laochu said, frowning. "But that's the thing, young lady, you'll have to work to support two people. The wages for apprentices at Limin Flour Factory aren't high."

"Family members?" the two murmured.

"Can!"

Wu Xinxue gritted her teeth, then her face flushed red. She glanced quickly at Su Yang, lowered her head, and whispered, "Just say... just say Su Yang is my husband."

"!!!"

"What?"

"What the heck?"

Not only did Su Yang look incredulous, but Zhao Laochu also looked like he had seen a ghost and laughed along with him, though he was angry.

"What are you thinking, young lady? Do you think I can't tell your real ages? Even according to the laws of the Republic of China, men had to be at least 18 to get married. Do you know you're breaking the law?"