Chapter 285 – Changes
After escorting Su Man back, Lu Xia felt somewhat surprised. She hadn’t expected Su Man to indirectly inform her about the college entrance exam.
Could it be that Su Man considered her a friend now?
Lu Xia silently pondered…
When Jiang Junmo returned holding Kang Kang, he saw Lu Xia sitting there in a daze.
“What’s wrong? Did Educated Youth Su leave?”
Lu Xia nodded and took Kang Kang from Jiang Junmo’s hands. “Before Educated Youth Su left, she mentioned that the policies seem to have changed and advised me to study more. Do you think the college entrance exam might be coming back soon?”
Jiang Junmo looked puzzled, “How did she know?”
Lu Xia shook her head, “She didn’t say. Could it be that she heard it from Gu Xiangnan’s mother?” Lu Xia provided an excuse.
Jiang Junmo’s expression turned serious, “Regardless of whether it’s true or not, don’t talk about this outside. If she can tell us, we should be grateful.”
“I know, I’m just surprised. Our relationship isn’t that close, so I don’t understand why she would tell me.”
“If you can’t figure it out, don’t dwell on it. Let’s focus on studying from now on.”
Lu Xia nodded, “We need to make the most of our time. We don’t know when the exam will happen, so we need to seize the opportunity. If we pass, we can return to the city.”
Jiang Junmo also agreed, “Don’t think too far ahead for now. In the next few days, I’ll come up with a study plan. We also need to be cautious not to let others discover it, as it could have consequences.”
“Don’t worry, I understand.”
However, Lu Xia still hesitated, “Should I tell Sister Shengnan about this?”
Jiang Junmo thought for a moment, “Let’s wait and see. If the policies indeed change, things won’t stay quiet. If there’s a change, you can inform her then. It’s good to have an explanation at that point.”
“Alright.”
…
Over the next few days, Jiang Junmo devised a revision plan for the two of them, and they began studying according to the plan.
Knowing that politics was Lu Xia’s weak point, Jiang Junmo even took the time to buy a lot of newspapers from a recycling center. These newspapers weren’t just from this year; he also bought newspapers from previous years at a cheap price, using the excuse of using them to wallpaper the house.
Subsequently, Lu Xia started reading various newspapers, learning about the thoughts of this era, aiming to avoid writing anything controversial in the exam.
The Lunar New Year passed by like this.
By February, there were gradual policy changes. Newspapers reported that many researchers were returning to their work positions.
Lu Xia and Jiang Junmo both felt that what Su Man had said might be true—the policies had indeed changed!
Of course, Lu Xia had known this would happen.
At this point, she thought for a while, took a newspaper, and went to find Sun Shengnan. As the college entrance exam was drawing closer, informing her in advance would give her more time to review.
When she arrived, Sun Shengnan was playing with Zhen Zhen. Zhen Zhen had turned one year old now and was much more articulate than Kang Kang was at that age. Although not as chubby as Kang Kang, she was still adorable, clearly well taken care of.
Upon seeing Lu Xia, Sun Shengnan said, “I was planning to take Zhen Zhen to see Kang Kang. I didn’t expect you to come. Why didn’t you bring Kang Kang? After Zhen Zhen met Kang Kang last time, she kept saying she wanted to play with her big brother.”
Lu Xia smiled, “I asked him before I came. He said he wanted to stay home with his dad, so I didn’t bring him.”
Sun Shengnan laughed at that, “Your Kang Kang is really sensible.”
After exchanging a few words, Lu Xia explained her purpose for coming this time and showed Sun Shengnan the newspaper.
Sun Shengnan looked puzzled, “When did you start liking to read newspapers? And caring about national affairs?”
Lu Xia said solemnly, “I came here to talk to you about these matters. The recent national policies have changed, which might affect us educated youths. I suggest that when you have time, you should read more books.”
*
Chapter 286 – Senior Brother Xu’s Departure
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Sun Shengnan’s expression froze upon hearing this, then she appeared somewhat surprised. “Are you saying… that it might be coming back soon?”
Lu Xia shook her head, “I don’t really know. It’s just that there’s been a lot of news lately, different from the previous years. I just thought it would be good to be prepared. If it gets better, great; if not, it’s no big deal.”
Sun Shengnan nodded after listening, “You’re right. Let’s be prepared, just in case it does come back. We shouldn’t be caught off guard.”
Then she grew somewhat anxious, “I’ve been in the countryside for so many years, and I’ve forgotten most of what I’ve learned. Besides, I’m getting older, and I’m married now. I wonder if they’ll even let me take the exam if it comes back.”
“Don’t think too much. Let’s get prepared. It’s useless to worry now. Study as much as you can, but be discreet. After all, this is just our speculation,” Lu Xia reassured her.
Sun Shengnan nodded, and with seriousness in her tone, she said, “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t talk about it, and I won’t let it affect you either!”
Lu Xia smiled. She liked Sun Shengnan’s personality.
After telling Sun Shengnan, Lu Xia felt relieved and started studying intensively.
In March, a significant event occurred in the village.
An old professor who was with Senior Brother Xu resumed his original position and was picked up by a car from the village.
What was unexpected was that before leaving, the old professor made a special visit to see Lu Xia and Jiang Junmo.
It was also at this time that Lu Xia knew that it was him who Jiang Junmo helped buy medicine that night.
Although the old professor was dressed well at the moment, years of living in the countryside, combined with his recent illness, made him look frail.
However, determination shone in his eyes. He didn’t say much to Lu Xia and Jiang Junmo, only expressing his gratitude before inviting them to visit him in Beijing after their return.
Afterward, he left in the car that had come to pick him up.
When he came to find Lu Xia and Jiang Junmo, the villagers didn’t see him. But when he left in the car, everyone saw him off.
In this era, many rural people might never see a car in their lifetime. In their eyes, anyone who could ride in a car was a leader or an important figure.
So, the village was once again stirred up by this event. No one had expected that among those people in the cowshed, there would be someone so remarkable, and they would have a chance to leave one day!
With these thoughts, the villagers’ opinions of Senior Brother Xu and his group changed…
After this incident, Senior Brother Xu and his group received better treatment.
The impact of this event on the educated youths was significant as well.
With these policy changes, did this mean they also had a chance to return to the city?
During this time, both the village and the educated youth spot were in a state of unrest.
…
Over the next two months, people from Senior Brother Xu’s group started leaving one after another.
And at the end of June, Senior Brother Xu and his family also departed.
Upon receiving the news, Jiang Junmo and Lu Xia were genuinely happy for them.
They even went to see them off in person.
Senior Brother Xu’s family didn’t have a lot of luggage; much of it was prepared by Lu Xia and the others. They didn’t need to take much of their own belongings with them.
As they left the village, Senior Brother Xu didn’t turn back. His eyes were filled with complex emotions, his heart in turmoil.
Sister Qiu and Xiao Tian were the same. Sister Qiu was excited to finally leave, while Xiao Tian was curious and eager.
When they were about to board the train, Senior Brother Xu finally realized they were leaving for good.
Then he looked at Lu Xia and Jiang Junmo, gratitude filling his eyes.
He knew that without them, their lives in the countryside during the past two years would have been extremely difficult. It was their help that had allowed his family to live securely until now.
However, there were so many words of gratitude he wanted to say at this moment, yet he couldn’t find the right way to express them.
Thank you for the chapter (♡˙︶˙♡)