Cannon Fodder Group Ch.321

Chapter 321 – Returning Home

It was said that her elder brother’s business was also doing well.

The people in the county liked these fresh vegetables and poultry products from the countryside the most.

According to her elder brother, the medicinal herbs he planted, such as Tianqi and Fu Ling, would be ready for harvest by the end of the year.

As for who to sell them to, there was no need to worry at all.

Because soon after these Tianqi and Fu Ling started growing, official herb merchants heard about his cultivation and immediately came to inspect at Qinghe Production Brigade.

After confirming the decent quality, they agreed on a price and planned to come back to collect them after they fully matured next year.

Due to market demand, the prices offered by the herb merchants were very high.

This led nearby production brigades to start planting Tianqi and Fu Ling one after another.

However, not everyone could successfully grow them. Even if they did, their harvest might not be as good or profitable as Xu Xiangdong’s.

Xu Xiangdong wasn’t concerned with what others were doing.

He only needed to manage his own affairs.

Upon hearing that both of her brothers were doing well, Xu Jinning felt happy for them.

She also heard that their father was gaining more recognition at the textile factory, though he hadn’t been promoted, his salary had increased.

As for their mother, Zhang Ailian, she was skilled in cooking. Initially, she had planned to set up a stall selling food, but she didn’t have the time.

She had to take care of the children.

These children were her two grandsons, and soon, another grandchild was on the way.

The two grandsons were naturally the twins Xu Xiangdong and Wen Yulan had initially conceived.

In the spring of 1981, she became pregnant, and instead of waiting until the end of the year, she gave birth a month early.

The two children were named Xu Feng and Xu Ji by their father, Xu Aiguo.

As for the other grandchild mentioned earlier, it was also a child of Xu Xiangdong and Wen Yulan, their second child.

Indeed, about half a year later, Wen Yulan became pregnant again.

Now, this child was almost due before the Chinese New Year this year.

Xu Jinning still remembers asking her sister-in-law about her feelings on having a second child so soon.

Her sister-in-law said she loved children very much and hoped to have a few more while she was still young.

On another note, Beijing University has been very lively recently.

Because of one thing: studying abroad!

Yes, not only Beijing University but also some other top universities in China arrange for excellent and eligible students to study abroad in the United States.

Naturally, Beijing University will select some students as well.

Xu Jinning thinks that she, Xie Ting’an, her sister, and brother-in-law are all likely candidates to be selected.

However, she is not interested in studying abroad.

She doesn’t have such lofty ambitions and has no plans to go abroad.

As for Xie Ting’an, he has also told Xu Jinning that he doesn’t plan to study abroad either. Moreover, as the sole heir of the Xie family and considering Mr. Xie’s status, it’s not suitable for him to go abroad.

Her brother-in-law, Song Yi, is studying medicine at the medical university, which makes him very suitable for studying abroad.

It’s just that she doesn’t know if her brother-in-law will choose to study abroad.

After all, studying abroad means at least three years, possibly up to five years.

As for her sister, Xu Fanghua, who is majoring in Chinese literature, she plans to stay at the university after graduation and become a teacher.

Therefore, she also doesn’t plan to study abroad.

If her brother-in-law decides to study abroad, the couple will inevitably face separation.

Before they got married, they had spent three years apart, even without contact. Now, if one goes abroad to study while the other stays in the country, they would be living apart, possibly even in different countries.

Can they accept this?

However, this is not certain at the moment.

Currently, various universities are in the process of selecting students, and the specific quotas will be announced after the Chinese New Year.

As for how her sister and brother-in-law will decide at that time, it depends on their choices.

Regardless of their decision, Xu Jinning won’t interfere.

However, Xu Jinning has heard some news from the plotline. At Beijing University, there are some people who are not suitable for studying abroad.

After all, these people are extremely admiring of foreign cultures. Once they go abroad, they are like released doves, never to return. Some even become traitors, constantly criticizing their own country and forgetting their roots.

They are the ones being referred to.

However, the specifics will have to wait until after the Chinese New Year when the quotas are announced.

The matter of studying abroad in the United States has stirred up quite a storm in the hearts of many students at Beijing University, causing them to feel unsettled.

Many people yearn for life abroad, whether it’s for advanced technology and knowledge or for the allure of luxury living.

However, many are also trying to find out the specifics of who will get these quotas.

They are also wondering if they can be among those selected.

Xu Jinning didn’t care much about it, because she didn’t have the intention to study abroad, so everything was irrelevant to her.

She was more concerned about the upcoming holiday.

By then, she could go home.

Xie Ting’an said that when he was on vacation, he couldn’t go to Qinghe Production Brigade with her. But when it was almost time for the Spring Festival, he and Grandpa Xie would go to Qinghe Production Brigade, visit the Xu family, meet the parents, and discuss their engagement. They would also stay at Qinghe Production Brigade to celebrate the New Year together.

“Isn’t it too early to get engaged so soon?” Xu Jinning was somewhat surprised. After the New Year, she would only be eighteen.

“Not early. In your village, many people get married and have children at eighteen.”

However, Xie Ting’an knew that as modern people, neither he nor Xu Jinning could get married and have children so early.

Marriage could be postponed, but engagement couldn’t.

Get engaged first before discussing further.

Xie Ting’an had said so, and Xu Jinning naturally had no objections.

In this lifetime, barring any unforeseen circumstances, she had settled on Xie Ting’an.

So whether they got formally engaged sooner or later didn’t really matter.

As time passed, they found it was passing quite quickly.

After Xu Jinning finished her final exams, it meant they were on vacation.

Finally, they could go home.

So, with their luggage in hand, after parting with Xie Ting’an at the station, Xu Jinning and her sister and brother-in-law boarded the green train heading home together.

The green train whistled and departed, and the children studying away from home were finally returning home…

At the Xu family’s place, knowing Xu Jinning and the others would return today, even though they knew the arrival time was in the afternoon, they still woke up early.

Everyone put on new clothes and faced each other, their moods especially good.

“Today, Xiangdong and I will ride our bicycles to the station to pick them up,” Xu Aiguo took a day off specifically.

“Oh, okay, Dad.”

“I miss Ningning too,” Wen Yulan said.

Xu Xiangdong looked at his wife’s belly somewhat helplessly. “Yulan, you can’t go today. The doctor said your due date is in these two days. It’s better to stay at home. The station will be crowded, and what if you, pregnant like this, get pushed around?”

“Alright, I know,” Wen Yulan said, understanding. She wasn’t insistent on going to pick them up.

She just missed her little sister-in-law.

Touching her belly, Wen Yulan had a feeling that the little one inside was waiting for her aunt to come back before deciding to come out.

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