Chapter 35: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 35: Shanggou Village 35

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

"Husband, is something the matter?"

Li Xiulan answered Wang Zhanggen's call; her mood was flat, no longer as happy as before.

Before, she waited day and night, longing for Wang Zhanggen to call home.

Now, for some reason, she found she didn't feel that same longing anymore.

Perhaps it was because not long ago she had called Wang Zhanggen and been met with his cold attitude.

Or perhaps it was because recently she had been busy with the convenience store, making her life fulfilling, so she no longer needed Wang Zhanggen's emotional support as much.

"Didn't you say before that the child's household registration was sorted out, and he'd start school this September? I'm running low on money here; last time I sent you five hundred yuan, and I might not be able to send any more money back by September. As for the child's tuition, you figure out what to do. If it's really not enough, spend sparingly, and go borrow some from your sister when the time comes."

Li Xiulan's mouth twitched; she really wanted to ask Wang Zhanggen — he works outside and earns four or five hundred yuan a month, and there are still two months until September, so how can he be so sure he won't be able to send money back by then?

But in the end Li Xiulan still held back.

"It's fine, I'll handle the child's tuition. I've asked around — with a household registration, primary school tuition is only seventy yuan a semester, not expensive."

"Mm-hmm, that's good then."

"Xiaohua says he doesn't want to be called this name anymore; should we give him a new name?"

"Let's talk about it later; for now, let's not discuss this."

Wang Zhanggen replied with just that one sentence.

Then the two of them fell silent.

It seemed they suddenly discovered they didn't know what to say to each other.

An unusual estrangement made the atmosphere awkward.

"Is there anything else?"

Wang Zhanggen asked.

Li Xiulan originally wanted to tell him about her and Niu Chunsheng partnering to open the convenience store, but in the end she held back and didn't say it, because she was afraid that as soon as she mentioned it, Wang Zhanggen would start wild thoughts and scold her again.

"Nothing else, nothing else..."

"Then let's hang up."

Li Xiulan was about to hang up the phone.

"Oh, right, this Mid-Autumn Festival I might not go back..." Wang Zhanggen suddenly said this, then hurriedly explained: "The factory is very busy, they're not arranging any holiday leave, so I won't be going back."

"It's fine, if you don't come back then you don't come back. You take good care of yourself out there; I'll take good care of the three children at home."

Li Xiulan hung up the phone, and an inexplicable sorrow rose in her heart.

A woman's keen intuition told her that her husband probably had another woman in the city, but she didn't dare to verify it; she feared that once she pierced through that layer of paper, her life would become a complete mess.

After all, she and Wang Zhanggen already had three children together!

And Wang Zhanggen used to treat her so well, cherished her so much!

It's just that ever since experiencing those two incidents with He Dazhu and Yang Dafu, Wang Zhanggen's trust and love for her didn't seem to be as much anymore.

Back then at the Village Committee, in front of so many villagers, Wang Zhanggen slapped Li Xiulan across the face — to this day Li Xiulan still keeps it in her heart.

It was a deep scar.

Li Xiulan thought time would help her smooth over this scar, but unexpectedly, under time's erosion, the two of them grew increasingly estranged.

If Wang Zhanggen really did have another woman outside, she wouldn't find it surprising at all.

Just, what about the three children?

Li Xiulan's mind raced with wild thoughts as she returned to the convenience store in a daze.

Niu Chunsheng saw she wasn't quite right and hurriedly asked with concern:

"Sister Xiulan, what's wrong?"

Li Xiulan didn't want to tell an outsider about her and Wang Zhanggen's matters, so she shook her head:

"Nothing, just feeling a bit unwell."

Niu Chunsheng busily said:

"Then you go back and rest; I'll watch the store. It's probably because you've been too busy watching the store these past few days, wearing you out!"

Li Xiulan nodded:

"How much we sold today is all recorded in the notebook; remember to reconcile the accounts when you close up."

Having said this, she took Wang Xiaohua and went home.

Days passed one by one.

Li Xiulan buried her emotions deep in her heart; she wasn't someone good at pouring her heart out to outsiders, and even with Niu Chunsheng she didn't confide.

She didn't reveal to anyone that her and Wang Zhanggen's relationship had grown distant.

Time flew, and it was late August.

The day for primary school enrollment and reporting arrived.

Li Xiulan brought the household register to Shangou Primary School, completed Wang Dashan's enrollment procedures, and paid one semester's tuition.

Shangou Primary School is not far east of Shanggou Village.

Walking from the village, it takes just over ten minutes to get there.

This primary school is very shabby — only two two-story old buildings, the desks and chairs are all broken ones used for decades, there's no electronic bell for class changes, and someone has to use a wooden stick to strike an ancient big bell.

Although this primary school is very shabby, the students are not few.

Besides Shanggou Village, children from the Ten Villages Eight Hamlets nearby also came here to study.

So every class had forty or fifty students, and the whole school had one or two hundred students in total.

There were especially many students enrolling this year; the parents coming to register lined up from the flagpole in the middle of the school all the way to the school gate outside.

Li Xiulan waited for a long time, and finally it was her turn.

She handed over the Household Register, respectfully and nervously saying, "Hello, Teacher, this is my child's Household Registration."

"Mm, Wang Dashan, born in January of '90, over seven years old, old enough for the Preparatory Class." The young female teacher in charge of enrollment glanced at the Household Register Li Xiulan handed over, recorded the information with swift strokes of her pen, tore off a slip, and said, "Go pay over there; after paying, bring your child to school on the morning of September 1st for class."

"Okay, thank you, Teacher!" Li Xiulan took the slip, turned around to go pay, but turned back again: "May I ask, Teacher, which teacher teaches the Preparatory Class this year?"

The young female teacher smiled and said, "I do!"

Li Xiulan hurriedly said:

"Teacher, my child is rather mischievous; if he causes trouble in class or doesn't listen attentively, feel free to hit him. If you hit him and he still doesn't obey, tell me, and I'll catch him and give him a good scolding!"

The young female teacher Lin Xiaoyue laughed:

"Rest assured, I will discipline your child well! None of my students are disobedient!"

Hearing this, Li Xiulan felt somewhat reassured and nodded repeatedly:

"That's good, that's good!"

After Li Xiulan completed the enrollment procedures for Wang Dashan, she returned home and told Wang Dashan about going to school on September 1st, but Wang Dashan put on a stern face:

"I'm not going to school; whoever wants to go can go!"

Wang Dashan for some reason really disliked Niu Chunsheng, feeling it was Niu Chunsheng who made him go to school, so he didn't want to go.

Also, he felt school was like a cage; what was the point of going to prison?

If he didn't go to school, he could always play with his little friends in the village, catch mice in the fields, catch fish in the river, pick wild fruits on the mountain, and play however he wanted!

How could school be that free and easy?

"You have to go even if you don't want to; by September 1st, if you don't go, I'll whip you!"

Li Xiulan issued a stern warning.

This Eldest Brother, the older he got, the more he worried her, truly angering her to death.

……