Chapter 227 – Educated Youth (12)
September 1977, Shangmu Village.
In the blink of an eye, it’s been two full years since Yan Jing Ze traversed to Shangmu Village.
At the same time, the bamboo products of Shangmu Village have also been sold. The supply and marketing cooperatives in the town have many bamboo products from Shangmu Village.
The price of bamboo products is not expensive, but the increased income in Shangmu Village has also allowed the villagers to make more money when they divide their money at the end of the two years.
The folks have more income, and their attitude towards Yan Jing Ze and the Gu family became better, and the Gu family’s life became even better.
Early that morning, Yan Jing Ze got up from the bed and kissed Gu Mingxiu, who was next to him. After the kiss, he felt that it was not enough, so he took a second and third kiss.
Gu Mingxiu is really getting better and better!
Gu Mingxiu’s own father is the handsome son of the landlord’s family after generations of improved genetics. Although Gu Mingxiu’s mother is a village girl who married later, she was also the most beautiful in the village. Gu Mingxiu’s appearance is actually very outstanding.
But he was malnourished before, and he worked all day on the farm, both his temperament and appearance were greatly reduced.
However, it is the opposite now.
After two years of raising, Gu Mingxiu became a lot whiter, even a little taller, his back straightened, and he followed Yan Jing Ze to study every day… Now he is exactly like a city man.
Gu Mingxiu opened his eyes and looked at Yan Jing Ze with a smile, his eyes full of happiness.
He felt that he was really lucky to meet Yan Jing Ze.
These two years of life were the happiest two years he had ever lived since he could remember.
He was always the one who was wronged before, but now he has become the most favored person in the family.
When the two of them got up, breakfast was ready as usual.
Gu Yulan and Gu Yuxian would get up early to cook every day, but Yan Jing Ze and Gu Mingxiu would get up late… It wasn’t that they were lazy, it was because they slept late.
Yan Jing Ze would open a small stove for Gu Mingxiu every night, and teach Gu Ming to fix some things. In addition…the two of them have nightlife!
The others were all early and went to bed at seven or eight o’clock, but the two of them had to go to bed at nine or ten o’clock, so naturally they couldn’t get up early.
After Yan Jing Ze got up, he yawned, took a water glass and went outside to brush his teeth.
The Gu family used to not brush their teeth. Few people in Shangmu Village knew how to brush their teeth, but after Yan Jing Ze came to the Gu family, he began to watch them brush their teeth, so that the Gu family’s teeth are now the whitest in the village.
While Yan Jing Ze was brushing his teeth, Gu Yulan was feeding the four chickens in the family.
In every household in the village, the number of chickens raised is calculated per head, and each person can only raise half a chicken. Of course, if there is really only one person, then one can be raised.
The five members of the Gu family raised three of them, and Yan Jing Ze, alone, had one. In total, they had four old hens.
In the past two years, the family’s situation has improved, and the chickens have eaten well. As long as it is not winter, if you go to the henhouse in the morning, you can basically find two or three eggs.
The Gu family continues to drink porridge in the morning as usual.
It is September now and the sweet potatoes in the field have not been collected yet. Their family’s food is enough to eat and drink, they have white rice porridge. The steaming rack also have steamed pickled vegetables and the leftover pork skin stewed with soybeans last night.
Soybeans are soaked soft and braised with a bit of bone and pig skin. It is a big dish that the Gu family often eats because it is not expensive.
Yan Jing Ze sat down at the table and saw two hard-boiled eggs on the table.
He peeled it and put one in his porridge bowl and the other in Gu Mingxiu’s porridge bowl.
He and Gu Mingxiu have to eat one egg every morning. The other members could have the opportunity to eat eggs only if the chickens in their family lay more eggs, or someone exchanges eggs for something.
Stepmother Yan Jing Ze always does this justifiably.
Gu Mingxiu felt embarrassed at first, but later saw that his younger siblings were fatter, and their yellow hair became black and thick, so he didn’t say anything.
Although they ate eggs, others also ate soybeans cooked with pig skin, didn’t they?
In the past, they could not eat these things no matter what.
Gu Mingxiu drank the porridge and saw that when Yan Jing Ze was dividing the soybeans, he gave himself a portion of pig skin: “I don’t need…”
“You need, you eat more,” Yan Jing Ze said, and took another portion of pigskin for himself.
It’s not easy to eat a pig skin these days!
There was just one meat stall in their town. After making bamboo products, he taught himself how to make furniture and gave away a lot of things to people before they were willing to sell him various offcuts without tickets.
If it weren’t for him, the Gu family wouldn’t have had the opportunity to eat pig bones, pig meat, and pig skin from time to time.
Yan Jing Ze thought so, and gave Gu Yubao a piece of soybeans that didn’t have any pigskin. He gave pigskin to Gu Yubao last night, so he doesn’t need it today.
Gu Yubao rolled his eyes, but didn’t take it seriously.
He was used to it.
The rough and dark Gu Yubao poured his share of soybeans into the porridge and ate quickly.
For two years, Gu Mingxiu didn’t go out very much. In addition to studying at home every day, he helped Yan Jing Ze make bamboo products and turned white, but Gu Yubao became darker and stronger. Now when he goes out, everyone thinks he is Gu Mingxiu’s older brother.
After breakfast, everyone gets busy.
Yesterday, the bamboo products made by Yan Jing Ze were put at the door. At the same time, several households in the village sent some bamboo products they made.
In the past two years, Yan Jing Ze has not been stingy in teaching others to make bamboo products. Several people in the village have learned to make bamboo chairs and baskets, but their craftsmanship is not as good as that of Yan Jing Ze.
After Yan Jing Ze inspected all the bamboo products, Gu Yubao took the carrying pole, carried these things to the village entrance, loaded them on the boat, and sent them away.
When Gu Yubao returned after delivering the things, he saw his eldest brother wearing gloves and chopping bamboo.
Yan Jing Ze never hides his personal secrets. After two years, they have learned some crafts, and Gu Mingxiu has also learnt it. However, Yan Jing Ze usually does not allow Gu Mingxiu to work and lets him to read a book beside him.
Occasionally, Gu Mingxiu worked, but Yan Jing Ze also asked Gu Mingxiu to wear gloves to prevent him from injuring his hands.
By the way, Yan Jing Ze wears gloves when working by himself.
“What about Yan Jing Ze?” Gu Yubao asked.
“He has gone to town,” Gu Mingxiu said, mentioning Yan Jing Ze, his eyes softened.
Yan Jing Ze works very fast, as long as others prepare bamboo according to his requirements, he can make many bamboo products in one day!
As a result, he often had time to go to the town and even the county seat.
If it weren’t for this, their family’s life would not be so good.
“What is he going to do in town again?” Gu Yubao frowned.
“He went to fix a TV for someone.” Gu Mingxiu said: “Yubao, he can fix televisions! The last time he helped someone fix a TV, they gave twenty yuan and a lot of tickets.”
Gu Mingxiu’s face was full of pride.
Gu Yubao looked depressed. At this moment, Gu Mingxiu took out a few candies from his pocket, gave one to Gu Yubao, and gave one each to others: “This is the candy Jing Ze brought back from the town yesterday.” Yan Jing Ze would buy him some small things from time to time, some for him alone, and some for him to give to others to eat.
This sugar is what Yan Jing Ze let him divide. According to Yan Jing Ze, a family will always have one singing white-faced and one singing red-faced. Yan Jing Ze already played the villain, so he let him play the good person.
Gu Yubao held the candy, which was a bit unpleasant.
Sugar is a precious thing, especially this kind of fruit candy, which is not cheap, and even if their life is better, they don’t have the opportunity to eat such a thing.
It is estimated that Yan Jing Ze bought a few to please his brother, but his brother shared them to them.
His brother has always been thinking about them.
In the past two years, their family’s life has improved a lot, but his brother… In the future, will his brother be left with no descendants?
His heart aches for his brother!
“Brother, don’t listen to whatever Yan Jing Ze says, guard against him a little…” Gu Yubao said.
Gu Mingxiu frowned: “Yubao!”
Gu Yubao stopped talking.
Gu Mingxiu said: “Yubao, in the past two years, we have been able to live a good life at home thanks to Yan Jing Ze. Don’t always fight against him.”
“Brother, it’s not me who is against him, but he is against me!” Gu Yubao said.
“He is also for your own good.” Gu Mingxiu knew that Yan Jing Ze was a bit harsh on Gu Yubao, but that was also for Gu Yubao’s good. Look, after two years, Gu Yubao learned a skill, moreover, he also learned all the high school knowledge.
Gu Yubao was very upset.
His brother was fascinated by that Yan Jing Ze who is not what he seems to be!
He wanted to stop it, but there was no way… Gu Yubao gritted his teeth and placed a chair beside him. There was a book on the chair, and he cleaved bamboo while reading.
He wants to learn more!
That guy Yan Jing Ze never reads, he works harder, maybe one day he will be able to surpass him!
In the race of the tortoise and the hare, in the end, it was the tortoise that won!
Of course, the most important thing is that he may be able to go to a university in the future—Yan Jing Ze said in private several times that the college entrance examination will resume sooner or later.
Thinking of this, Gu Yubao’s expression changed again.
Regarding the college entrance examination, Yan Jing Ze might have said it casually. Why did he believe it? Still so convinced.
Gu Mingxiu also works while reading.
He thought it was a little weird—he had studied for two years, and his study progress has exceeded Gu Yubao.
In the morning, Gu Mingxiu and Gu Yubao did a lot of work.
When the smell of rice came out of the kitchen, Yan Jing Ze returned.
Yan Jing Ze actually dressed very ordinary, but they don’t know why, for some reason he looked like a noble son.
At this moment, he walked from a distance, with a smile at the corner of his mouth, a beautiful sight.
Gu Yubao gritted his teeth, and once again felt that the Yan Jing Ze is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Today, the wolf in sheep’s clothing, Yan Jing Ze, brought a piece of pork back, went into the yard and said: “I bought five catties of pork. Today we will celebrate… the resumption of college entrance exams.”
sigh it’s already been 2 years but Gu Yubao still doesn’t know how to be grateful to YJZ🙄