Cannon Fodder Group Ch.180

Chapter 180 – You Are Our Family’s Lucky Star

Xu Ru had been waiting for Fu Zhixu to receive the letter, leave Xu Ci, and head to Beijing.

However, she waited and waited for several days but didn’t see Fu Zhixu leaving.

Fu Zhixu and Xu Ci were still happily together.

“What’s going on? Could it be that the letter wasn’t written by Fu Zhixu’s mother? Does Fu Zhixu no longer care about his mother?” Xu Ru was puzzled, unsure where the problem lay.

Why hadn’t Fu Zhixu left?

If he didn’t leave, how could she proceed with her plan?

Seeing that Fu Zhixu not only didn’t leave but also seemed to be studying diligently with Xu Ci, Xu Ru felt a bit panicked.

Because in her dreams, she knew that this year’s college entrance exam would be restored.

She also knew that Fu Zhixu was very smart, and Xu Ci had graduated from high school with excellent grades.

Now that they were studying so hard again, were they planning to take the college entrance exam together?

If they got into university and left here, it would be difficult for her to scheme against them again.

What to do, what to do!

Actually, if one were to think normally, being able to foresee dreams in advance and dreaming about the college entrance exam being restored would definitely lead to studying hard and striving to get into university.

Xu Ru also wanted to, but she realized that she couldn’t do it at all.

She only graduated from primary school, couldn’t focus on studying at all, and her temperament was restless, making it impossible for her to concentrate on studying.

“Forget it, let’s wait and see.”

“However…”

If Xu Ci really got into university, then she had to think about how to snatch Xu Ci’s admission letter away.

This university is naturally suitable for her, the heaven’s daughter.

Xu Ci, on the other hand, is only fit to stay in the countryside for a lifetime.

*

Fu Zhixu indeed did not leave and was fully preparing for the college entrance exam with Xu Ci.

Meanwhile, Mother Fu in Beijing seemed increasingly urgent, sending several letters in succession urging Fu Zhixu to return.

However, the more she pressed, the colder Fu Zhixu’s heart became, and he grew more disappointed in his mother.

Because he knew that if he really went back, what awaited him in Beijing would be his mother’s schemes.

How could Fu Zhixu, as her son, not feel disappointed and disheartened about a mother who schemed against her own child?

However, Fu Zhixu had long decided not to reply or return. His fate, his life, his marriage, he wanted to take control himself. No one, not even his mother who gave birth to him, could arbitrarily control him.

*

The new year passed, and spring had arrived, not yet the busy season requiring heavy labor.

The villagers didn’t spend long hours working in the fields each day.

However, there was one thing that all the villagers had been looking forward to—the fishing season!

The Qinghe Production Brigade was named after a river that ran through the entire brigade. It was called Qinghe River, and decades ago, during a drought that affected the region, all nearby production brigades saw their rivers dry up and crack, except for Qinghe. Despite the significantly lowered water levels, it still flowed with water.

It was thanks to the Qinghe River that so many people managed to survive in the first place.

The people of the Qinghe Production Brigade, especially the older generation, had a deep emotional attachment to the river.

During the spring season, the water level of the Qinghe River would drop significantly every day, reaching a level where adults standing in it would only be submerged up to their knees.

This period would last for about ten days each year, after which the water level would gradually return to a depth of two to three meters.

No one knew the exact reason for this phenomenon.

Although they couldn’t explain why, the people of the Qinghe Production Brigade had grasped this characteristic of the Qinghe River.

So, during the first spring of the year, the entire village would pool money together to purchase fingerlings from the government, which were then released into the Qinghe River.

By the following year’s spring, when the water level of the Qinghe River dropped, it was time for the whole village to go fishing.

Perhaps due to the quality of the Qinghe River’s water, within just a year, the small fingerlings would grow into large fish weighing over a pound or two.

In an era where meat was scarce, being able to catch fish and enjoy fresh fish meat and delicious fish soup was indeed a source of happiness.

Now, as they observed the water level of the Qinghe River dropping, the entire village was delighted.

Xu Jinning was also quite curious about this matter.

“I reckon in about two days, the water level will drop enough for us to catch fish. By then, our brigade leader will broadcast the announcement for everyone to go fishing.”

Xu Xiangdong explained to Xu Jinning.

“At that time, every household can send out three people to catch fish, while the rest can only watch from the shore.”

“Whoever catches the fish owns them.”

“During those three days, our village will organize a fish market where households that catch more fish than they can eat will place them for sale.”

“At that time, people from other production brigades who want to eat fish can come and exchange goods for them.”

Since private buying and selling were not allowed nowadays, using money to buy fish was not an option. Thus, exchanges were made with goods.

“However, it seems like there’s more flexibility this year in this regard. Perhaps buying with money might also be possible.”

“Hey, second brother, who went fishing for our family last year?”

“Last year, it was me, big brother, and dad who went,” second brother, Xu Xiangbei, replied.

“Usually, it’s the men from the household who are sent. Unless a family can’t gather three adult men, or if the women in that family are more capable than the men, then the women will join. But there are still quite a few women who go fishing each year, accounting for about a quarter of the total.”

“Ningning, how about you join in this year and go fishing with us?” Xu Xiangbei suddenly looked at Xu Jinning and suggested.

“M-me? I-I don’t think I can, right?”

In reality, when Xu Jinning heard about going fishing, she felt a bit excited and eager to try. After all, she knew how to eat fish from her past life, but she had never tried fishing in the river.

She wondered if going fishing with her family and so many other people would bring a different kind of joy.

Although Xu Jinning felt excited, she didn’t dare to suggest it herself. She knew that if she asked, her family would definitely let her go. It was unexpected for her that her second brother would suggest it first.

“Why not?”

“I think it’s fine,” Xu Aiguo chimed in. “In previous years, I always took leave to participate. But today, I’ll go to work as usual and not take leave, let Ningning go in my place.”

“But I don’t know how to fish. What if I can’t catch any fish at all?” That was exactly what Xu Jinning was worried about.

Sensitive and insecure individuals always have various concerns. They fear not doing well in something they’ve undertaken, so they tend to pre-emptively give up or avoid trying altogether, afraid of being scolded or blamed.

“How could that be? Little girl, you are our family’s lucky star. What if you have such good luck that all the big fish jump into your arms?” Xu Xiangbei wasn’t very pleased with Xu Jinning’s lack of confidence.

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