Chapter 29: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 29: Shanchou Village 29

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Wang Zhanggen had a cigarette between his lips, looking worried and miserable.

Registering the household was not something he could easily resolve.

He was just a commoner with no money and no connections; no leader would give special treatment to someone like him, an over-quota black household.

"Why not let Dashan start school next year, so he can be in the same class as Erhai and they can look out for each other?"

In the end, Wang Zhanggen could only offer this makeshift plan.

Li Xiulan, however, said:

"Dragging it out isn't a solution. If we can't resolve the household registration, and both children start school next year, we'll need even more tuition, which we definitely can't afford! So we must resolve the household registration problem first!"

Li Xiulan knew very well the priorities of the matter.

Only by resolving the household registration could they enjoy nine years of compulsory education and send their children to school without paying so much tuition.

However, Wang Zhanggen looked utterly depressed:

"I know we need to resolve the household registration, but how? We have no money and no connections; we simply can't resolve it! I say we take it one step at a time, and if it really doesn't work out, we'll just let the children attend less school!"

"How can that be? We've suffered so much precisely because we lack education; we must let the children study more and become educated people!" Li Xiulan's attitude was very firm. She felt that only by studying could they walk out of these deep mountains, so no matter how hard or tiring it was, she was willing, as long as the children could study their way out.

"I want my children to study more too, but isn't it because we can't register the household? Sigh, let's not talk about it now. I'll send five hundred yuan home later; you handle it yourself!"

After saying this, Wang Zhanggen hung up the phone.

He couldn't solve the household registration problem, so he could only avoid it, procrastinating again and again.

Now he could see he couldn't keep dragging it on, yet he still lacked the ability to resolve it, which made him very irritable and depressed.

A sense of powerlessness toward life made him gasp for air like a drowning man.

Li Xiulan walked out of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, her heart full of worries.

Counting on her husband, working far away in the big city, to return and solve the children's household registration was almost impossible; she had to take action herself.

In Li Xiulan's mind, she suddenly remembered what Yang Dafu had said to her four years ago. Back then, Yang Dafu was still the Women's Federation Director of the village, and he told her that if she would submit to him, he could help her solve the children's household registration problem.

After Yang Dafu went out to work, he didn't come back much anymore, and now the Women's Federation Director in the village had long been replaced by someone else.

Li Xiulan thought she would go find the Women's Federation Director; maybe they could help her resolve this matter.

The current Women's Federation Director in the village was a young man named Niu Chunsheng. Li Xiulan had only met him a few times and wasn't very familiar with him, because he was assigned from the town to be stationed in the village and was not a local.

Li Xiulan didn't know if he would be like Yang Dafu, using the help with her children's household registration as an excuse to make excessive demands on her.

So she struggled greatly in her heart.

After a long inner struggle, she finally made up her mind.

That morning, she killed a chicken raised at home.

Carrying a whole slaughtered rooster, she went to the Village Committee to find Niu Chunsheng.

She thought to herself that if Niu Chunsheng really made excessive demands on her, she would probably have to wrong herself, after all, the matter of the children's schooling was far more important than her body.

However, when Li Xiulan arrived at Niu Chunsheng's office with a nervous mood, she found that things were completely different from what she had expected.

She handed the rooster to him, but Niu Chunsheng absolutely refused to accept it.

Niu Chunsheng also said to her:

"Sister Xiulan, just tell me whatever you need. If I can help you solve it, I will definitely do my best. The meaning of my existence as this Women's Federation Director is to solve all kinds of problems for you rural women! This is my job! You don't need to give me things!"

Li Xiulan, however, insisted he accept the rooster she brought:

"I want it, I want it. Director Niu, please accept the chicken first. I'll feel more at ease if you accept it."

Since Niu Chunsheng wouldn't accept her gift, she didn't dare to speak about the matter.

Because she was afraid that if she spoke, Niu Chunsheng wouldn't be willing to help.

Niu Chunsheng saw through Li Xiulan's thoughts at a glance, so he planned to accept the gift first, and after helping Li Xiulan solve the problem, return the gift to her.

"Then I'll accept it. Now you can speak with peace of mind, right?"

Li Xiulan then opened her mouth to say:

"My three children have never been able to register their household. Seeing that my eldest son will start school this September, Director Niu, do you think you can help me register my children's household……"

Hearing this, Niu Chunsheng immediately put on a worried and miserable look, with a troubled expression:

"I'm afraid this is difficult. I'm just a small Women's Federation Director and don't have that authority. Besides, your family has three children, which counts as a serious over-quota birth……"

Niu Chunsheng indeed found it very difficult to help Li Xiulan with this matter; he indeed didn't have that authority.

However, when Li Xiulan heard him say this, she mistakenly thought he was deliberately refusing to help.

When Yang Dafu was the Women's Federation Director before, he could help her with this matter. Now that it was Niu Chunsheng's turn to be the Women's Federation Director, it should naturally be possible for him to help her with this matter too.

She hadn't thought that what Yang Dafu had said to her before were all empty boasts and lies; what Niu Chunsheng said now was the honest truth.

"Director Niu, I beg you. As long as you can help my three children register their household, I'm willing to agree to anything……"

Li Xiulan lowered her head, bit her lip, her face full of grievance, tears falling down in torrents.

She needed great courage to say such words.

After saying this, seeing that Niu Chunsheng was still indifferent, Li Xiulan began to actively undo the buttons in front of her, revealing a patch of white snow on her chest……

Seeing this, Niu Chunsheng was immediately shocked and hurried to stop her:

"Sister Xiulan, what are you doing? Hurry up and button up! Speak nicely! What do you take me, Niu Chunsheng, for? The organization sent me to be stationed in the village to serve the people, not to take advantage of you!"

Niu Chunsheng was truly afraid of Li Xiulan.

He hadn't thought about that aspect at all!

His thoughts weren't as dirty and filthy as Yang Dafu's!

He simply lacked the ability to help Li Xiulan solve this problem!

"Director Niu, please help me! As long as you're willing to help my child with household registration, I'm willing to do anything! My child can't go without schooling!"

Li Xiulan continued to beg desperately.

She had no money and no ability; besides this body, she didn't know what else she could take out to exchange.

Niu Chunsheng hurriedly comforted Li Xiulan:

"I know you're anxious, but don't rush first! I'll help you; you don't need to sacrifice yourself like this. I'm not the kind of person you think I am! Go back first; give me three days to think of a method. Three days later, I'll come to your home to find you!"

Li Xiulan received Niu Chunsheng's promise, and only then did she feel slightly reassured:

"Then Director Niu, I entrust this matter to you. If you can help me solve this matter, then you are my child's benefactor!"

Niu Chunsheng hurriedly urged: "Go back first; I still have other work to do. Once I've thought of a method to solve it, I'll naturally tell you!"

"Then Director Niu, I'm leaving, goodbye!"

Li Xiulan turned around and went out.

At this moment, Niu Chunsheng called out to her: "Wait!"

Then he returned the rooster Li Xiulan had brought:

"I can't accept your things; take them back! Rest assured, even if I don't accept your things, I'll still help you solve the problem!"

After Li Xiulan left, Niu Chunsheng hurriedly closed the office door.

He sat alone at the office desk, unable to help but let out a long breath of turbid air.

In his mind, uncontrollably floated up the scene of Li Xiulan unbuttoning her chest buttons just now before him; that large expanse of snow-white was so dazzling, so wonderful. As a man who had been single for many years, his inner heart couldn't help but start to feel some heat...