Chapter 357

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Everyone was talking about building a new house in the hometown, but Wang Xiaohua suddenly came out with this line, which inevitably seemed rather abrupt.

"You're just a bookworm, what do you know?"

Wang Zhanggen pulled a long face and retorted to Wang Xiaohua without giving any face:

"Focus on your studies. Don't meddle in other matters; you can't handle them anyway!"

Wang Zhanggen hadn't never thought about buying a house in the city. When he initially learned that Zhang Zhongtian had bought a new house in the county town for his son, he also considered whether to buy in the county town, but after weighing the pros and cons, he still felt that building a new house in the hometown was more cost-effective.

Not only was the cost low, but living there was also comfortable.

Most importantly, living in the city, everything costs money.

Property fees, water and electricity bills, etc., every month is a not-small sum of money.

Whereas in Shanggou Village, not only is there no property fee, but water doesn't cost money either.

Shanggou Village also has tap water, and it's mountain spring water diverted from the mountain; no matter how much you use, it doesn't cost money.

"House prices will probably continue to rise."

Facing Wang Zhanggen's scolding, Wang Xiaohua's reaction was very calm:

"In the future, buying a house in the city will be even more difficult; at that time, you all must not regret it."

Speaking here, Wang Xiaohua looked at Wang Dashan:

"Big Brother, if you want to get married in the future, not having a house in the city probably won't work."

Wang Dashan, however, didn't take it to heart:

"The eight characters don't even have a single stroke yet; I'm single now, talking about marriage is still too early, no need to think that far ahead. Let's get the hometown house built first, then we'll see."

Wang Erhai then said:

"Little Brother, Dad and Big Brother both feel that building a beautiful new house in the hometown is what can give our family face. In the future, bringing a girlfriend back will also be easier to handle; otherwise, people see our family's conditions and turn around and run. Women nowadays are all very realistic."

Wang Xiaohua was somewhat at a loss whether to cry or laugh:

"Big Brother, you don't think that Du Xiaojuan broke up with you back then because she disliked our hometown's environment, do you?"

Wang Dashan gave a dry hehe laugh:

"If not because of this, what else could it be? I treated her well enough, yet she was still like that. Isn't it just because she looked down on me for being poor, for having no ability?"

Then he also said:

"So, no matter what, we must fix up the family house first. As for buying a house in the city, let's talk later. Little Brother, you don't need to worry about family matters. Dad is right; you just study hard. You're about to take the college entrance exam; you must get into a good school. Only then can our family hold our heads high!"

Wang Xiaohua could only give a bitter smile and said nothing more.

He knew that no matter what he said, they definitely wouldn't listen.

In this family, apart from him, Wang Xiaohua, who disagreed with building a new house in the hometown, the other four family members all agreed to build in the hometown, even Li Xiulan agreed. Under such circumstances, it was very hard for him to change anything.

"As long as you don't regret it when the time comes."

Wang Xiaohua finished breakfast and put down his bowl and chopsticks:

"I'm going back to my room to study."

Then he stood up and returned to his room.

"Xiaohua, not eating a bit more?"

Li Xiulan watched Wang Xiaohua's retreating figure as he returned to his room and asked with concern.

She sensed Wang Xiaohua's unhappiness, but she also didn't say anything more.

In her understanding, she also felt that Wang Xiaohua just needed to study hard; other matters didn't need him to worry blindly.

The matter of building a new house at home had been settled long ago.

Although she doted on this youngest son, it was also impossible for her to change her mind just because he was slightly unhappy.

After all, building a house for a rural family is a very big matter.

Since it was already planned, it absolutely could not be changed lightly.

This year's Spring Festival was somewhat more desolate than previous years.

In previous years, New Year's Eve would have lots of fireworks and firecrackers sounding.

This year there were some too, but not as many as previous years.

The village had fewer children; it wasn't as lively as previous years.

Don't know from when it started, the younger generation returning for the New Year all didn't like going out to visit neighbors; they all hid at home and didn't come out.

Wang Dashan used to go everywhere visiting neighbors during the New Year, finding old classmates and playmates to bluff and chat.

This year he didn't want to go out either.

Because this year he didn't earn much money.

He had agreed to bring three hundred thousand back, but in the end didn't bring it.

Wang Zhanggen had spread this everywhere early on; now that he returned without money, going out to visit neighbors he feared being mocked.

Unknowingly, Wang Dashan seemed to have also become very concerned about face.

Also don't know what's going on; maybe he inherited some of Wang Zhanggen's genes.

Wang Erhai also didn't go out visiting; he stayed in his room, on the phone chatting heatedly with Zhang Xiaoyun.

Zhang Xiaoyun also complained that he didn't bring her back to the hometown; Wang Erhai promised that next year he would definitely bring her back to meet his parents.

By that time, the hometown's new house should already be built; when Zhang Xiaoyun comes, she probably won't be picky like Du Xiaojuan.

"This is what you said — next Spring Festival, if you still don't take me back to your home, just watch how I'll clean you up!"

Zhang Xiaoyun replied to Wang Erhai with a playful tone.

Wang Erhai smiled:

"Rest assured, I'll definitely do as I say."

Although he said so with his mouth, in his heart there was some confusion.

Because in his inner heart, he actually wasn't too certain that he truly loved Zhang Xiaoyun.

As for Wang Xiaohua, he didn't even go out to visit neighbors.

He had long been accustomed to loneliness, from childhood to adulthood he never had many friends.

Even during these Spring Festival days, he still raced against time burying his head in study, not daring the slightest slackening.

In his inner heart, wasting time doing meaningless things was an extremely shameful matter, which would make him produce a sense of guilt.

This also caused him, in outsiders' eyes, to become a thoroughgoing bookworm.

Besides reading, he knew nothing.

He couldn't make friends, couldn't play, couldn't handle human relations.

But outsiders all didn't know, Wang Xiaohua actually understood everything; many things he simply didn't want to do, even disdained to do, that was all.

On this New Year's Eve night, Wang Xiaohua studied until midnight.

Once midnight passed, it became the First Day of the Lunar New Year.

Households one after another began opening doors to welcome the New Spring.

Firecracker sounds rose and fell in succession.

At first only a few scattered households opened doors to burn firecrackers, the firecracker sounds intermittent.

By around five in the morning, households opening doors to welcome the New Spring suddenly became many.

Firecracker sounds rang in a mass, continuous without end.

Wang Changgen and Li Xiulan also got up to open doors and welcome the New Spring.

This year they bought a circle of super-large firecrackers, fully the size of a foot-washing basin.

Unwrapping the firecrackers, arranging them in a long strip spread at the door, Wang Changgen took a cigarette to light them.

From outside the door came crackling piercing sounds.

The firecrackers burned for a full several minutes before they finished burning.

Wang Xiaohua had only slept a short while before being noised awake again.

He simply didn't sleep, got up and continued to study.

Until past seven in the morning, Mother returned from worshipping gods, the family ate breakfast, only then did he come out from his room.

He hadn't slept much the whole night, yet still not a trace of weariness could be seen.

After eating breakfast, he went back to continue studying.

He valued the approaching college entrance exam more than anyone, because in his heart he was very clear that the college entrance exam might be the only chance in his life to change his fate.

So even during the Spring Festival, he didn't dare the slightest slackening.