Chapter 412

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Wang Xiaohua couldn't be bothered to keep talking to Wang Changgen.

Those seemingly correct but utterly useless grand principles — who in this world doesn't know them?

Even a three-year-old child knows them!

The specifics of how to do it, how to implement it!

A capable elder wouldn't just open their mouth and tell you what to do; they would lay out the detailed implementation steps one, two, three, four for you, and even provide some resource support to help you achieve your goals faster.

While an incapable one, aside from running their mouth, can't help with anything.

If it's just running their mouth, that's actually fine — as long as you treat their words as wind in your ears.

What's most feared is running into the kind of elder who points fingers and forcibly interferes.

Their starting point might be good.

They aren't bad people.

But they're stupid, stupid to the point of ignorance.

The destructive power of stupidity is far greater than that of malice.

Especially for poor children from rural backgrounds.

A single moment of parental stupidity might ruin the child's future.

Wang Xiaohua had long seen many stories of stupid parents in the news and newspapers.

For example, a child gets into an undergraduate program, but because the parents want the child to stay close to home, they insist the child apply to a junior college instead.

For example, the file bag is mailed home with repeated instructions not to open it, but they just have to tear it open to take a look; after opening it they think it's no big deal, just put it back.

There are even some bizarre parents who, not wanting their child to leave too far away, deliberately hide the admission notice so the child can't go to university.

The world is vast; there's nothing too strange to exist.

Wang Xiaohua was also afraid his parents might tear open the file bag out of ignorance, so the moment he thought of this, he immediately urged them:

"If the school mails a file bag, you absolutely, absolutely, absolutely must not tear it open to look!"

"Why can't we open it to look? What's wrong with taking a look?" Wang Changgen immediately asked this question.

Wang Xiaohua didn't know whether to cry or laugh, inwardly rejoicing that he had brought this up in advance; otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable.

"The file bag is top secret; if you open it, it will affect my future civil service exams. If you don't want your son to become an official later and want to cut off this path, then go ahead and tear it open."

With Wang Xiaohua putting it this way, Wang Changgen immediately compromised:

"Oh, so that's how it is. Then rest assured, we definitely won't tear open your file bag!"

Then he also reminded Li Xiulan:

"Did you hear that? You don't go tearing it open either!"

Li Xiulan hurriedly nodded:

"Got it, Xiao Hua, rest assured, we won't casually touch your things."

Wang Xiaohua breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

He knew that as long as he mentioned affecting his future civil service exams, that incomparably stubborn father of his would immediately obey.

After all, in this old man's mind, being an official is the most noble profession in the world, bar none.

"Also, when the time comes and I've filled out my applications and the admission notice arrives, you mustn't tear that open either — call me at the first opportunity!"

"How do we call you? You don't have a mobile phone yet."

"I'll go to the county town in two days and buy a new mobile phone."

"Do you have enough money to buy one? Do you want us to give you some money?" Li Xiulan asked with concern.

"No need, I'll earn the money myself. Once I buy the phone I'll call back, and then I'll tell you my phone number."

Wang Xiaohua had already arranged everything properly.

That's just how he is — he does things very systematically, very methodically.

Like doing a math exam paper, every step is planned out, and then executed.

Seeing Wang Xiaohua completely making his own decisions, not leaving the slightest room for him as a father to maneuver, Wang Changgen's face couldn't help but show some displeasure.

Wang Xiaohua acted as if he didn't see his expression.

He continued:

"As for filling out the volunteer applications, I'll have the homeroom teacher and the principal decide together with me; you don't need to worry about it for me."

Then he looked at Wang Changgen:

"You just stop pointing fingers and waving your hands around. Do you know better, or do my homeroom teacher and principal know better? Ask yourself — do you know more than they do?"

Wang Xiaohua had actually never discussed this with the homeroom teacher or the principal; the homeroom teacher had only said she could be asked if there was anything he didn't understand, but he had never communicated with the principal at all. The reason he told this lie and dragged the principal into it was to suppress that stubborn old mule Wang Changgen, to make him give up on his idea of blindly giving random orders.

Sure enough, with Wang Xiaohua putting it this way, although Wang Changgen's face still showed displeasure, he no longer refuted anything.

He only changed the subject and said:

"This afternoon you'll come with me to the construction site. Working the construction site for two days is good too — consider it exercise, let you know that construction site work isn't easy."

"Fine!"

Wang Xiaohua revealed a victor's smile.

He felt he had already mastered the method to subdue his stubborn old father.

This old man — you can talk feng shui with him, you can use what he holds most authoritative in his heart to pressure him, but you absolutely cannot reason with him.

Reasoning with him, even if you are perfectly right, he will never listen to you.

But change the approach, and you can easily make him lower his proud head and compromise.

At two in the afternoon, the construction site started work.

Wang Xiaohua followed his parents to the construction site.

He helped sift sand, mix mortar, and carry bricks, doing the work of a Small Worker.

This made his mother Li Xiulan much more relaxed.

For building the new house this time, they planned to finish the rough structure before the Winter Solstice, wait for the Eldest Brother and Second Brother to bring money back, and then decorate.

To speed up progress, they also hired two more Big Workers to help.

Previously Li Xiulan alone had to deliver cement mortar and bricks to three Big Workers, and it was very hard.

Now with Wang Xiaohua helping, sharing much of the work, she indeed felt much more relaxed.

But seeing Wang Xiaohua's small frame working with his head down, she couldn't help but feel some heartache.

"Xiao Hua, take it easy, no need to be so diligent."

Li Xiulan said with concern.

Wang Xiaohua smiled and said:

"It's nothing, just treat it as exercise."

Wang Zhanggen watched with an expressionless face.

He originally wanted to use this to warn his son, to let Wang Xiaohua know that construction work was not easy, and stop looking down on him as a father, but he never expected Wang Xiaohua to work hard all afternoon without a single complaint.

After finishing work, Wang Xiaohua made a suggestion:

"Actually we can install a Pulley hoist on the roof, preferably an electric one; if not electric, a manual one is also okay. Use the pulley to hoist cement mortar and bricks up to the Second Floor, then efficiency will be much higher, and it won't be so tiring."

Wang Zhanggen said instead:

"I've heard of that machine, but doesn't it cost money? Save wherever you can save, no need to spend that money! It's not like there's no one to do this work!"

Li Xiulan also chimed in:

"Right right right, save wherever you can save, money is not easy to earn."

Wang Xiaohua was quite speechless about this; his parents were just used to eating hardship when there was none, but he didn't argue about it.

Instead he asked:

"How much does a Pulley hoist cost?"

Wang Zhanggen said coldly:

"At least several hundred Yuan, I'd say."

Early the next morning, Wang Xiaohua personally went to the Town once, then used the nine hundred Yuan he earned from selling Waste Books to buy a small Pulley hoist back.