LAVW – Chapter 95 Still Want to Go to School

When Shi Qian turned back again, he realized the team’s pace had slowed.

Some people were staring at that line of slogan with tears rolling down their faces, while others just gazed blankly. He hurried a few steps forward in confusion and caught up with Chen Niu’s ox cart.

Only after hearing some voices did he understand—this year had been a sorrowful one for the whole nation. One great figure after another had passed away, leaving the people with an emptiness in their hearts.

The older a person was, the stronger this feeling seemed to be.

Chen Niu was fine; he hadn’t lived through the most turbulent times.

As for Shi Qian, he was an even later comer, and what he could sense was only a faint reflection of the emotions held in the hearts of the elders.

Still, his chest felt heavy, weighed down with an unshakable sadness.

Usually, all he saw were the badges and portraits in the Chen family’s home, or the quotations book in Chen Niu’s hands. At most, when working, Xu Youguang would shout a few slogans, and there were some painted on the walls—but those were much more down-to-earth…

Today, upon entering the town, a flood of overlooked details suddenly surfaced in his mind.

“ Moo—moo—”

The ox’s lowing carried from the front. The team delivering the grain tax continued forward slowly, treading upon the passage of time.

The staff at the grain depot had long been prepared, the storehouses swept clean, and a bright red slogan posted up: “Actively Deliver Patriotic Grain.”

Plenty of people were already there ahead of them, lining up under Xu Youguang’s lead.

Shi Qian hadn’t expected so many to arrive even earlier.

Could it be that they set off before dawn?

Then the ones who came after them would have to wait even longer.

Chen Niu hopped off the cart and patted the ox calf’s head. “What are you looking at? Stop staring around and don’t wander off.”

“Moo.”

Got it.

Shi Qian butted his head gently against Chen Niu’s hand, then stood still, obediently surveying the surroundings.

Before coming, he had been quite excited.

But now that he was here… it didn’t feel all that interesting.

The others, however, seemed happy enough to catch up, chatting away with acquaintances, talking about their brigade’s harvests.

Shi Qian picked up on the key point: everyone had done well this year.

Yes, it was a good harvest year.

By the time the sun had climbed high overhead—Shi Qian suspected one or two hours had already passed—it was finally Shengli Village’s turn.

After inspection, the able-bodied young men hefted the heavy sacks of grain onto their shoulders and backs, heads lowered as they carefully stepped their way into the warehouse.

After one or two trips, sweat was pouring down from everyone.

When it was nearly Chen Niu’s turn, Shi Qian finally got a glimpse of the inside.

A narrow wooden plank had been set up as a ladder, and the grain had to be carried all the way up into the higher recesses of the warehouse, then carried down the other side.

If someone missed a step, they could fall along with the heavy sack crushing them down.

Because Chen Niu was tall, he nearly bumped into the ceiling beams.

He and a few others were asked to stay behind by the depot comrades to help stack the sacks at the highest point.

Shi Qian noticed Xu Youguang give a nod, and the men agreed?

Meanwhile, Xu Aigang and another person immediately went to drive away the last two carts.

Xu Aigang stroked the calf’s neck. “Come on, Qian Niuhua, don’t just look around. Come out with me first.”

Shi Qian stared at the dust motes rising in the light, mooed softly, and followed along.

He didn’t know if Chen Niu heard him, but he went with Xu Aigang anyway.

If they lingered, they would hold up the others waiting to deliver their grain.

After circling outside, Shi Qian realized there were several different places for deliveries. Some brought it all by manpower, carrying it in on poles; the route they had taken was for animal-driven carts, off to the side where the ground was less presentable.

Out there, he overheard someone talking enviously to Xu Youguang: “All passed inspection? You really dried your millet well.”

“Redoing is troublesome. Besides, it’s patriotic grain—we’ve got to hand it in properly.” Xu Youguang glanced at him. “I see you even brought a couple of mats, just in case?”

“Exactly. Last year we got rejected once, nearly wore us out with the back-and-forth. If they don’t approve it again this year, I’ll just spread it out here for a few days.”

“You old rascal.” Xu Youguang spat. “Go lend them a hand for half an hour. Otherwise those fellows will never finish.”

Shi Qian suddenly understood—having Chen Niu and the others stay behind to work was also a kind of “connection.”

If they didn’t comply, they might get hassled.

“Hmph, I’m not the one getting paid. Just a few days’ work a year, and they still whine.” The other man snorted, clearly disgruntled.

While they were talking, two photographers arrived.

Immediately, everyone straightened up and put on their “image.” Shi Qian heard Xu Youguang instantly switch his tone to something serious and proper.

Even the tough guy he’d been bickering with just now obediently posed, showing his best “positive spirit.”

Xu Aigang and the others, dripping with sweat, naturally drew the cameras’ attention.

“Comrades! Did you just finish delivering your grain?”

“Yes, just now,” Xu Aigang answered, a little embarrassed. He pushed his father forward. “This is our Party branch secretary, also our team leader.”

“Hello, comrade. May I ask which production team you’re from?”

…

Shi Qian crouched quietly to the side, listening to the reporters’ warm and enthusiastic questions.

Then he saw Xu Youguang—usually a scruffy little old man—now standing tall, hands clasped behind his back, looking proper and dignified. Shi Qian found it rather amusing.

Just as he was chuckling, he realized one of the young reporters was staring right at him.

“Moo?”

What are you looking at me for?

The young reporter immediately whispered something to his colleague, then came over to ask Xu Aigang:

“Hello, comrade. Is this little calf called Qian Niuhua?”

“Yes.”

“Comrade, is this your calf? Could I ask you to tell me a bit—”

“No, no, this isn’t mine.”

The moment Xu Aigang heard “your calf,” he knew this person had done some homework and understood that Qian Niuhua wasn’t strictly collective property. It actually belonged to an “individual.”

“Qian Niuhua belongs to Chen Niu. He’s inside the warehouse helping out. Comrade, I’ll go get him for you!”

Without waiting for the reporter’s reply, he passed the rope to someone else and hurried inside to call Chen Niu.

Inside, Xu Aigang shouted loudly: “Chen Niu! Quick, come down, a comrade reporter has come to interview our team!”

With that announcement, Chen Niu’s group was suddenly “liberated.”

The people inside the grain depot also became aware of the situation.

The young reporter didn’t realize things would turn out to be such a big deal and was a little worried about being scolded.

But when she saw Chen Niu and the others, big sturdy men with clothes soaked through, she couldn’t help snapping a photo.

Shi Qian wondered: was she actually here for him?

He asked a couple of questions, but the handsome guy ignored him again.

Annoying!

The young reporter comrade still remembered the little calf. After taking photos, she asked Chen Niu about two rumors.

One was about the hooligans who had been caught while eating pears, the other was about the grain thieves who were too scared to be found out.

Chen Niu: “Yes, both are true.”

As for how especially smart the little calf was, Chen Niu didn’t bring it up. Too much cleverness would only come across as a bit frightening.

Shi Qian made an effort to raise his head.

Even though it didn’t lift much, his tender little voice was loud and clear: “Moo moo!”

Take a picture of me too!

The young reporter didn’t understand, and she definitely didn’t dare waste precious film on a calf.

Fortunately, some good comrades from Shengli Village helped out, telling the story of the big yellow cow that once made it into the papers.

The young reporter was deeply moved. She said: “I’ll go back and ask my editor if we can combine the story of the big yellow cow into another article.”

At those words, everyone looked even happier than if they themselves were to be reported.

If it were them in the paper, they’d probably just feel embarrassed.

Seeing the brawny men looking like they wanted to hoist him up, Shi Qian quickly slipped away.

Once everyone returned, they went to get their seals stamped, and only then did the group make it back smoothly.

By now it was already midday. It was said that people from villages farther away might have set out before dawn, and wouldn’t return until late at night. Going back and forth was truly exhausting.

And the fellow who had been chatting with Xu Youguang hadn’t escaped grain-drying duty either.

They really did spread out bamboo mats, held sieves, and got to work nearby.

On the way back, Shi Qian saw the long line of people. Some really wouldn’t get their turn until nighttime.

Back in the village, the “interview” and photos were shared gleefully at the dinner tables.

At the Chen family’s table—

Chen Niu ate his rice with a bite of pickled radish. Sour and salty, it replenished the lost salt.

As he spoke, his feelings were mixed: “Today we met two reporter comrades. They took pictures of us handing over the grain, and even took one of me. Then one of the younger ones came asking me about Qian Niuhua…”

“That’s good.” Zhang Peyue nodded after hearing this. “Being in the paper gives you a name. Everyone wants that. If the cow makes it into the paper, it’s also good for us.”

Back then, if Big Yellow hadn’t gotten reported, she definitely wouldn’t have been allowed to stay at the Chen house alone.

Now that the little calf had a chance of being reported, that too offered extra security, keeping others from gossiping.

Chen Niu nodded: “That’s what I was thinking too.”

Shi Qian also nodded: “Moo moo.”

Me too!

After finishing his food in big bites, Chen Niu walked around a bit, then dragged Shi Qian off for lessons.

The old lady sat in the sun watching, her eyes squinting from the brightness.

After a while the sun shifted, Chen Niu finished the lesson and pulled out his Russian notes.

Zhang Peyue asked: “Have you finished calculating this year’s accounts?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the number?”

Chen Niu replied: “Excluding the grain, we have a surplus of twelve yuan, five jiao, and eight fen.”

Shi Qian: ?

He knew these were poor times, but working for a whole year, and in the end the two of them only earned twelve yuan, five jiao, and eight fen?

That shattered his understanding three lifetimes over.

Seeing the little calf’s shocked expression, Chen Niu laughed: “We owed some before, so the surplus is what’s left after repaying that.”

“Moo moo?”

So how much did you earn in total?

Shi Qian wrote the words “in total.”

Zhang Peyue explained: “Chen Niu worked more, so added together it’s nearly two hundred. But after deducting the food ration fees and some other things, it’s already good to have settled the accounts clearly.”

That was why the old lady insisted on working. Otherwise, if you didn’t put in the labor, by the end of the year you’d still be in debt.

Families with too many children and too few laborers ended up owing the team every year. They couldn’t even earn enough for their ration fees.

Shi Qian could only comfort them: “Moo moo.”

At least it was a fresh start.

From now on, no more debts, and life could feel lighter.

But then Zhang Peyue asked: “You’ve been studying—what are you planning? If you save up, you could still go to high school.”

High schools still existed at this time. Back then, Chen Niu had done well in exams and had gotten recommendations from his teachers. But they were far too poor, so he hadn’t continued.

Now, after all this time, he wasn’t so young anymore.

Saying he still wanted to study would probably make people laugh their heads off.

But with his face red, Chen Niu nodded to the old lady: “Yes, I… I do have that thought.”

He had read the newspapers Lin Nanyin gave him, and he knew that those with knowledge really did seem to have the ability to make sure everyone had enough to eat.

Hearing this, Shi Qian stretched out a hoof and tapped Chen Niu’s uncollected bowl: “Moo moo.”

Forget school—sell the bowls and buy books to study on your own!

Chen Niu: ?

“What does Qian Niuhua mean by that?”

The old lady glanced over with a smile: “He’s saying he’ll sell the bowls to send you to school.”

Chen Niu was even more bewildered.

Then he saw the little calf shaking his head, denying it.

So the old lady was also stunned.

Shi Qian: Finally, I’m not the one who’s confused today.