Chapter 72 - 25: Sending Off

Chapter 72: Chapter 25: Sending Off

Da Zai also looked at his mother expectantly.

Every child who grew up in the countryside dreamed of becoming a worker.

Just as they were learning to talk, their family and the other villagers would tease them.

"Da Zai, when you grow up, do you want to scrape a living from the dirt like your grandpa, or do you want to be a city person?"

The babbling children, understanding nothing, found the term "city person" completely foreign. Of course, they would reply, "Like Grandpa, scraping a living from the dirt."

At this, the villagers would laugh. Although their laughter held no malice, it still left a deep impression on the children. When they grew up, the memory of it would leave a bad taste in their mouths.

"Yes, I passed the test. I’ll start work in a couple of days," Lin Zhao replied to her eldest son, her voice gentle yet firm.

Da Zai was beaming.

"Mom is a salesclerk at the supply and marketing cooperative!" he said happily.

Er Zai’s eyes grew wide. "Mom, does that mean you’re a city person now?"

Lin Zhao nodded. "You could say that."

’From now on, I’ll be eating commodity grain.’

"Mom, what about me and my big brother?" Er Zai asked, tilting his little face up with hopeful eyes.

Da Zai filled in the gap his brother had missed. "And Third Child and Fourth Child..."

"Right, right! And Third Child and Fourth Child! Mom, what about us? Are we city people too?" Er Zai pressed.

"Of course. If I become a city person, you all become city people too," Lin Zhao replied.

The household registration system was quite strict back then; in their region, a child’s registration status followed their mother’s.

Er Zai leaped to his feet with a triumphant "Whoop!" "We’re city people too!"

Da Zai, remembering their mother’s warning not to show off, quickly wrapped an arm around Er Zai’s neck and covered his mouth. "Er Zai, keep it down."

Lin Zhao stroked Da Zai’s shaved head. A child’s hair grows quickly; in just a few days, a dark fuzz had already appeared.

"It’s alright." Everyone knew how the household registration policy worked.

In fact, the villagers were already discussing the very thing Da Zai and Er Zai had just been talking about.

"Hey, tell me this," one woman started, "now that Chenghuai’s wife is a city person, does that mean her kids are city people too?"

"I think so. I seem to recall hearing that a child’s household registration follows the mother’s."

"Oh, my! Then Da Zai and the others will get to eat commodity grain, too. The Gu Family’s third branch is just... so lucky."

But they didn’t dare say that last part aloud, lest they be accused of "feudal superstition." Instead, they could only let out a sigh filled with envy.

Just then, Gu Xing’er walked past, her face dark and sullen, without saying a word.

The gossiping women fell silent, their eyes following her. Gu Xing’er ignored them and stormed home, fuming.

Once she was out of earshot, the women exchanged knowing glances.

"Did Xing’er look angry to you?" Yuanbao’s mother asked.

"Just you watch. There’s more drama to come for the Gu Family." The village chief’s wife pulled a few melon seeds from her pocket and began cracking them slowly, an expression on her face that showed she was ready for the show.

"Doesn’t everyone know Gu Xing’er is dying to become a city person? She loves to butt heads with the third branch. And now, the third branch has become city folk, and in such a respectable way, too. How could she not be furious? She’s probably about to explode."

An older woman, feeling Gu Xing’er was getting out of line, chimed in, "Da Zai’s mother might be a bit lazy, sure, but it’s not like she ever did anything to that girl, Xing’er. Why does she always have it in for Da Zai’s mother? That girl’s personality is so unpleasant. What’s to become of her..."

The village chief’s wife pursed her lips. "Before the Gu Family’s third son got married, Gu Xing’er was one of only two daughters in the family, so she was rather doted upon. If she wanted something, she could usually get it just by pestering for it.

"After Chenghuai got married, a huge sum was spent on the bride price. Lin Zhao didn’t ask for the ’three turns and a sound,’ but Chenghuai gave her the cash equivalent instead, which was another huge sum of money...

"And don’t forget, not even half a year after Lin Zhao married in, she raised a fuss and had the households formally separated. After that, Chenghuai’s stipend went straight to her. If Gu Xing’er wanted to get any little perks, she had to watch Lin Zhao’s mood. How could a spoiled girl like her ever stand for that?"

The older woman sighed. "You really can’t spoil a girl too much. Otherwise, she’ll just be trouble for her husband’s family when she marries."

The others all agreed with this sentiment.

A little spoiling is fine, but not so much that she turns into a family-wrecking troublemaker.

Thinking there was surely a good show waiting for them at the Gu Family’s old house, the women started walking in that direction with a silent, mutual understanding.

Lin Zhao, of course, knew nothing of this.

Just as she walked in the door, she saw two bundles of firewood piled by the entrance.

"Did your aunt bring this?"

Da Zai answered, "No, Second Uncle brought it."

"Our aunt gathered the firewood this morning," Er Zai added.

As they spoke, the two boys dragged the firewood into the lean-to against the wall.

"Mom, my brother and I caught some cicada nymphs! Can you cook them for us?" Er Zai shouted.

Lin Zhao was in the middle of washing her face. At his words, she turned her head to look.

She saw Er Zai holding a bamboo container as big as his head, which was filled with cicada nymphs.

"You caught so many," Lin Zhao said, surprised.

"Heh heh, the other kids helped us," Er Zai replied.