Chapter 30

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

Niu Chunsheng came to find Li Xiulan as promised.

"Sister Xiulan, I've thought of two plans for getting your child registered; you see which one is better."

These three days Niu Chunsheng neither thought of tea nor food, constantly thinking about this matter.

Finally he came up with two relatively feasible plans.

"You speak quickly!"

Li Xiulan immediately grew excited, her face full of expectation.

For the sake of getting her child registered, she could be said to have worn her heart out with worry.

"From what I understand, during the national census they usually open a loophole, household registration policy relaxes a bit; at that time as long as you report the child, the census staff record it, and the child can be registered. So the first plan is to wait until the national census to register the child."

"When is the national census?" Li Xiulan hurriedly asked.

Niu Chunsheng answered honestly:

"Our country generally conducts a census every ten years; the last one was 1990, the next should be 2000."

Li Xiulan immediately looked surprised and discouraged:

"2000? It's only '97 now, that's still three years away; in three years my eldest son will be ten, other people's kids will be in third or fourth grade! How much will that delay the child's schooling!"

Seeing Li Xiulan not too keen on this plan, Niu Chunsheng then proposed the second plan:

"If you don't want to wait, you can go register your eldest son first; as for the second and third sons, we'll talk later when there's a chance."

Li Xiulan shook her head:

"I went before, it didn't work; they wouldn't register him, saying I'm a serious over-quota household, not a single one can be registered."

Niu Chunsheng said:

"You just go try; when they ask how many children you have, don't foolishly give an honest account — just say you have only one child; they'll turn a blind eye and naturally register your eldest son. The country actually has no rule that over-quota means none of the children can be registered; it only stipulates that over-quota children cannot be registered. The town refusing you is the result of grassroots units layering on extra requirements. So registering only your eldest son is definitely possible."

Li Xiulan half-believed, half-doubted: "Really?"

Niu Chunsheng nodded:

"Really, I wouldn't lie to you; why would I lie? If you're not confident, I'll go with you!"

Li Xiulan immediately looked at Niu Chunsheng with a face full of gratitude:

"Director Niu, then please accompany me on a trip!"

That afternoon, Niu Chunsheng accompanied Li Xiulan on a trip to the town police station.

Before going, Niu Chunsheng reminded Li Xiulan to bring all documents:

Marriage certificate, household register, child's birth certificate, birth permit, and village committee certificate.

Li Xiulan had no child's birth certificate, no birth permit from the family planning office, not even a village committee certificate; she was missing many documents.

Upon learning this, Niu Chunsheng went again to get her a village committee certificate.

As for the birth certificate and birth permit, he couldn't help obtain them; they could only see the situation when they got to the police station.

"Only one child at home?"

The police station staff, expressionless, went through the routine questioning.

Li Xiulan had received Niu Chunsheng's reminder beforehand, so now facing the interrogation, she nodded with a nervous expression:

"Yes, only one..."

"No over-quota births?"

"No."

"Why so late to register? The child is already this big!"

"I, I..." Li Xiulan stammered.

Seeing things turn bad, Niu Chunsheng hurried forward:

"Comrade, she's a rural woman, an illiterate with no culture, she doesn't understand anything; she doesn't even know what a household register is or what it's for. If not for the child needing registration for school, she wouldn't have thought to come register the child at all."

The staff was noncommittal, checked the documents, and finally said expressionlessly:

"Still missing the birth certificate and birth permit; according to procedure I'm afraid we can't process it for you."

Hearing this, Li Xiulan immediately deflated like a punctured ball, head drooping in dejection.

Niu Chunsheng hurriedly pleaded:

"Comrade, Sister Xiulan originally had the child's birth certificate and birth permit, but seven years have passed and those two documents were lost long ago. Please do a kindness; the child starts school this September. We're all ordinary people; don't make things difficult for people."

The staff smacked his lips:

"It's not me making things difficult; those documents are mandatory. As the village Women's Federation Director you should know well that household registration isn't decided by me alone; it needs approval from several leaders above. If the paperwork isn't complete, even if I register it, the leaders above won't approve — it'd all be wasted effort!"

Niu Chunsheng was momentarily at a loss for words:

"Then what can we do? The child has to start school this September; we can't afford any delay..."

The staff gave Niu Chunsheng and Li Xiulan a suggestion:

"You go to the Family Planning Office, see if they can reissue a birth permit; then go to the town health center, see if they can reissue a birth certificate. If they can, come find me again. If not, the child can only attend school by paying extra tuition."

"Alright, thank you."

Niu Chunsheng took Li Xiulan out of the police station and immediately rushed to the Family Planning Office.

On the way, Li Xiulan was deeply worried.

She was afraid she couldn't supplement these two documents.

Niu Chunsheng comforted her:

"You don't need to worry, I know the Family Planning Office Director; as long as we explain the situation, he should be able to help you refill the documents. As for the hospital's birth certificate, that's even simpler — just stuff a red envelope, and the doctor will definitely issue the certificate for you."

Li Xiulan nodded, her heart full of gratitude:

"Director Niu, thank you so much this time; if it weren't for your help, I wouldn't know how to solve these matters."

Niu Chunsheng laughed heartily:

"Ruthless, it's all what I should do; additionally, don't call me Director Niu, makes me seem so old — I'm younger than you, just call me Chunsheng!"

"Okay, Chunsheng!"

The two came together to the Family Planning Office.

Niu Chunsheng pushed open the office door and walked in.

"Director Wang, I've come to find you to handle some business!"

Li Xiulan followed in, fixed her eyes for a look, but was stunned.

Isn't this the Wang Yuejin who led a team to raid her home a few years ago?

Li Xiulan still remembers to this day Wang Yuejin's cold and ruthless expression back then; his lofty attitude of destroying an ordinary family's every effort with a wave of his hand is a shadow Li Xiulan cannot erase in a lifetime!

Back then she had already knelt to Wang Yuejin, yet Wang Yuejin still had people take away the two big pigs she had painstakingly raised for over a year.

Would such a demon issue her a birth permit?

Li Xiulan's heart was like fifteen buckets drawing water — seven up, eight down; she felt this matter was probably hopeless.