RIRW – Chapter 103

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On the way back, Zuo Dacheng sang loudly, releasing his excitement. A primary school was about to be built in Zuo Village, which meant that children in the village would be able to go to school without having to travel a long distance to the commune.

“In the past, it was so difficult for you and Xiao Cong. When it was windy or snowy, the roads were terrible, and you couldn’t even attend class. Your mother had to secretly teach you at home. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have achieved such good grades,” Zuo Dacheng reminisced after finishing his song.

Hearing this, Zuo Dan had an idea. “Dad, what if Mom also became a teacher at the school?”

Zuo Dacheng’s hands trembled on the tractor’s handles. “Do you think that’s possible? I’m worried the people in the team won’t agree. Even though they no longer hold grudges against your mother’s background, they might not be willing to let her teach.”

Zuo Dan replied, “Why wouldn’t they? Mom is a university graduate! Even those educated youth may not be as qualified as she is. Plus, she taught me and Zuo Cong, and we both have great grades—everyone can see that. How about we organize a test? If someone wants to be a teacher, they should have the necessary knowledge. Let the educated youth and other literate people in the production teams take the exam. From there, we can select the most capable candidates. Mom can take the test too. As long as she passes fair and square, no one can say anything. Even if she doesn’t end up teaching, she could still get a job at the school, so she wouldn’t have to do farm work anymore.”

Zuo Dacheng was deeply moved. His biggest regret over the years was not being able to provide a good life for Li Hui. After she married into the Zuo family, things were fine at first, but later, due to unforeseen circumstances, she never had a peaceful day again. Other than treating her well, he had been unable to help her in any way. Now, the thought of keeping her from working in the fields made him happier than anything.

“Dad, the priority right now is to build the school first. We can plan the rest later,” Zuo Dan reminded him.

Zuo Dacheng immediately perked up. “Yes! I’ll call a meeting as soon as we get back to discuss this. First, we need to choose a good location for the school. If we’re going to build a large one, it needs to be in a spacious area.”

When they returned to the village, Zuo Dacheng enthusiastically got to work. Zuo Dan, however, left him to it. Seeing that it was nearly noon, she went home.

As soon as Shen Yiming’s shift ended, she called him.

It seemed like Shen Yiming had been waiting for her call because he answered immediately. “Provincial Military Region Newspaper.”

Hearing his serious tone, Zuo Dan chuckled. “Comrade Yiming, I have good news for you again! The commune just informed us that they fully support us in building the school. They even want to establish a larger one to accommodate children from several production teams.”

Shen Yiming responded, “Accountant Zuo, I have some bad news for you. The former director of the coal yard at Dahe Commune, Comrade Zhang Baoshu, has been arrested by the Revolutionary Committee. He was dismissed for abusing his power at the mine and was also found to have serious misconduct issues. Investigators are still looking into his connections. I’m worried about the stability of Dahe Commune.”

Zuo Dan was shocked. She quickly recalled that Shen Yiming had previously mentioned keeping an eye on Zhang Baoshu. She hadn’t expected him to actually use this information.

“I think stability should be the priority now. Hopefully, this doesn’t turn into a big issue. We still need to build our school,” she said. Strictly speaking, she didn’t want a leadership change at this moment. A new secretary would be an unknown factor—they wouldn’t have any prior relationships and wouldn’t know what to expect. Besides, in her experience, new leaders often overturned their predecessor’s decisions as a rule.

Shen Yiming seemed to share her thoughts.

“I don’t think things will escalate too much. For now, it’s just an investigation, and the final decision is still uncertain,” he said.

Zuo Dan sighed. “Comrade Yiming, thank you for your concern about our Dahe Commune. I think Secretary Zhang would be grateful to you.”

Shen Yiming chuckled. “I wouldn’t dare accept his gratitude. He’s too busy to be thinking about me.”

Hearing his smug tone, Zuo Dan could almost picture him smiling slyly with narrowed eyes. She cleared her throat. “Um, Comrade Yiming, now that we’ve finished discussing serious matters, can I talk to my fiancé?”

“Dandan, what do you need me for? Do you miss me?” Shen Yiming immediately switched to a playful tone.

“Cut it out, Shen Yiming. I just wanted to ask how your grandma is doing. She always coughs when it gets cold.”

Shen Yiming laughed. “She’s doing much better this year. Her coughing isn’t as bad. But she misses you a lot—she even told me to call you and ask you to visit after the New Year. I told her you’d definitely come, especially since we still have to get our marriage certificate.”

Zuo Dan was used to Shen Yiming sneaking in such comments. Even though she had already made up her mind, she wouldn’t admit it to him just yet—otherwise, he’d get too full of himself.

“Shen Yiming, stop thinking about nonsense.”

Shen Yiming smiled. “Thinking about it every day gives me so much motivation to work. Zuo Dan, you are my goal in life.”

Zuo Dan coughed. “…Now I understand why people like you so much. Even though I know you’re exaggerating, I still feel happy hearing it. Go on, say a few more things to make me even happier.”

Shen Yiming burst out laughing. “Zuo Dan, I really miss you. I suddenly want to give you a New Year’s blessing.”

Before he could continue, Zuo Dan beat him to it. “Let me say it instead—Happy New Year!”

With that, she gently hung up the phone.

On the other end of the phone, Shen Yiming held the receiver and closed his eyes with a smile. “So, she really understands.”

Because of the plan to build an elementary school, Zuo Village remained busy even in winter.

Whenever the weather was clear, people would head out to clear a plot of wasteland near the village, preparing to start construction at the beginning of the new year.

Since the commune had agreed to support the school, they would provide bricks, but not many. So, Zuo Dacheng discussed with nearby production teams and decided to use half adobe bricks and half blue bricks. They planned to build six classrooms for now. There was no need to construct an office for the teachers—they could simply use the team’s existing office to save resources. Instead, they preferred to use the budget to buy more textbooks.

The others had no objections to Zuo Dacheng’s decision. After all, the commune had chosen to place the school in Zuo Village, so the other production teams were just contributing labor. Once the school was completed, their children could also attend.

The school construction wasn’t urgent. Once spring arrived, all the able-bodied workers from the production teams would help, and it wouldn’t take long to complete. However, selecting teachers required careful planning.

Since this involved multiple production teams, it had to be overseen by Secretary Zhang.

Zuo Dacheng wrote out a proposal based on Zuo Dan’s suggestion for a teacher selection process and submitted it to Secretary Zhang for review.

After reading it, Secretary Zhang convened a meeting and, in front of everyone, approved the idea of selecting teachers through an examination. He also made it clear that bribery and coercion—especially against female candidates—would not be tolerated. Anyone caught engaging in such behavior would be immediately handed over to the revolutionary committee, no exceptions.

With this stern warning, even those with objections dared not voice them. After all, refusing the examination process would make them look like they had ulterior motives.

Thus, the decision was finalized. The commune would organize the exam, and Zuo Village would handle the execution.

When the official announcement was made, the educated youths from various production teams were thrilled. After all, becoming a teacher meant no more farm work.

People started pulling strings and trying to pull favors, only to be told that none of that would work. The only way to qualify was to pass the exam.

With no other options, everyone began borrowing books and studying furiously.

In Zuo Village, many knew that Zuo Cong was in high school and had textbooks, so educated youths came over to borrow them.

The Wei siblings, Wei Xiaohong and Wei Xiaojun, also came to ask Zuo Dan about the exam. When she confirmed that passing the test was mandatory, both of them looked miserable.

They had barely studied. Despite having a high school diploma, they had relied on connections to graduate. An actual exam was completely out of the question for them.

Zuo Dan had been quite satisfied with their recent performance—they had effectively countered Du Juan’s antics and had been working diligently. So she encouraged them, “Study hard and review. You never know when you’ll regret not having enough knowledge. If, one day, returning to the city requires passing an exam, wouldn’t you be giving up that chance too?”

Wei Xiaojun shook his head. “Forget it, I’m just not cut out for studying.”

Wei Xiaohong asked, “Can’t they just give us a chance? We might not be good students, but we can still teach the younger kids who don’t know how to read.”

“I can’t decide that,” Zuo Dan sighed. “It’s the commune’s rule. If you really can’t study, you should focus on your work as livestock keepers. It’s a good job, and you don’t have to work in the fields. I had to pull some serious strings to get you that job, and the villagers weren’t happy about it. Remember how Xu Fengxia even came to confront me about it?”

The Wei siblings nodded. They remembered that when they got the job, someone had indeed confronted Accountant Zuo.

Thinking about it, they felt bad pressing her to help them get a teaching position. If they annoyed her and she stopped helping them, that would be even worse.

Unlike them, the other educated youths didn’t give up so easily. Everyone threw themselves into reviewing textbooks and copying notes, determined to pass the exam in the new year.

Meanwhile, Zuo Dan was at home reading the books Shen Yiming had left her. She thought to herself that, whether or not these people passed the exam, they would definitely be grateful to her later.

On Little New Year’s Eve, Zuo Cong returned home from school.

Since he had taken an extra shift, he arrived in the village in the morning.

Hearing about the plan to build a school, he was thrilled. He even thought that after graduating, he could come back to be a teacher, staying close to home to take care of their parents.

Zuo Dacheng and Li Hui both supported his idea.

Zuo Dan, however, remained silent. That night, before going to bed, she went to Zuo Cong’s room for a talk.

Zuo Cong was excited. “Sis, it’s been so long since we had a proper chat.” He had been studying hard, sacrificing even his one day off per week to maximize his learning.

But Zuo Dan wasn’t as relaxed as he was. “I want to talk to you about your future.”

Seeing her serious expression, Zuo Cong straightened up. “Sis, what’s wrong?”

“You know about the Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers University, right? If you’re interested, I can get you in.”

Zuo Cong’s eyes lit up at the mention of university. He had never even dared to dream about it before—spots were limited, and getting into high school had already been a challenge for their family, let alone college.

“Really? I can go? Wouldn’t that be a burden on our family?” He was excited but also worried.

Zuo Dan replied, “Don’t rush. Let me finish. When I went to the provincial capital, I heard some rumors. I can’t say for sure, but it’s possible that the national college entrance examination (Gaokao) might be reinstated soon. If that happens, anyone who passes the exam can attend the university of their choice. However, if you go to the Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers University now, you won’t be eligible for the Gaokao in the future.”

Zuo Cong was stunned. “Sis, is that true? Will the Gaokao really come back?”

“I can’t guarantee it,” Zuo Dan admitted. “It’s just a rumor I heard. So, I want you to think carefully about whether you want to take the safe route and attend Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers University, or wait for the Gaokao and try for the university of your dreams. This is a big decision, and you need to make it yourself.”

Zuo Cong lowered his head in deep thought, his expression shifting as he struggled internally. After a long silence, he finally seemed to make up his mind. He pressed his lips together and said firmly, “Sis, I’ve decided. I want to wait for the Gaokao. No matter what, I want to try. I want to go to Beijing.”

Hearing his words, Zuo Dan breathed a sigh of relief.

She had secretly been hoping he would choose this path. After all, the first batch of Gaokao students would have immense opportunities—far greater than those who graduated from Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers University. If he succeeded, the future would be full of possibilities.

“Alright. If the Gaokao happens, we’ll both take it. We’ll go to Beijing together.”

Zuo Cong grinned. “And Brother Yiming will come with us. But… will he even take the exam? His job is already so good.”

Zuo Dan smirked. “Of course, he’ll take it. Someone as competitive as him? There’s no way he’d let others surpass him academically.”

Because of the school construction, the entire village was in high spirits that New Year’s.

Right before New Year’s Eve, Zuo Chengcai also returned from the county town.

After spending a night at home, the next day, Zuo Dan went to the office with Zuo Chengcai to split the money.

For the past few months, it was mainly Third Uncle who had been busy, and Zuo Dan hadn’t managed much. Although she had invested more money, they still split the profits 50-50. She even gave Third Uncle some extra money for his hard work. In the end, they divided more than 110 yuan.

After splitting the money, Zuo Dan reminded Zuo Chengcai, “Uncle, I heard some news at the commune. Let’s pause this business after the New Year and take it slow.” The new year would be 1976, a year bound to be eventful. Zuo Dan thought it would be best not to take any risks.

Zuo Chengcai sighed, “I was planning to earn more money… but fine, if you say we stop, then we stop.” He trusted Zuo Dan’s judgment 100%—every time, she had been right.

After finishing business matters, Zuo Dan was about to go home to help Li Hui prepare for the New Year’s feast.

But Zuo Chengcai tugged at her sleeve, “Hey, don’t rush off. I need to talk to you.” His face looked a little awkward.

Zuo Dan raised an eyebrow. “Oh my, Uncle, this is the first time I’ve seen you looking so shy. What’s the matter? Just say it.”

“Ahem, well, I heard that they’re building a primary school in our village and hiring teachers… Can you help arrange for someone to get in? I guarantee they’re good at studying and hardworking.”

Zuo Dan was surprised. “Uncle, who are you recommending? I’ll be honest, my dad and I also want my mom to go, and she still has to pass the exam.”

Hearing this, Zuo Chengcai looked a little down. “I was hoping to help her out…”

“Who is it? Tell me. Maybe I can help her in the future,” Zuo Dan probed.

Zuo Chengcai hesitated for a moment before saying, “That educated youth girl… The quiet and diligent one.”

Zuo Dan started filtering through her memory. A quiet educated youth in their village?

Wait, there really was one. If Third Uncle hadn’t mentioned it, she would have thought of that girl as a local already.

“You mean Li Suli? She didn’t ask you to talk to me, did she?”

Zuo Chengcai first nodded, then quickly shook his head. “No, no, I mean her, but she didn’t ask me to talk to you. We’ve barely spoken a few words.”

Zuo Dan didn’t even need to ask—she could tell that her Third Uncle had taken a liking to Li Suli. “Uncle, how did you start liking her? Don’t you rarely come back to the village?”

“Well, when you went to the provincial capital last time, I came home to rest. Since you weren’t around, I wandered around the village. I saw her learning to sew shoe soles with a group of old ladies, and I thought she’d make a great wife. Then I kept an eye on her and noticed she rarely talks—she’s quiet but takes her work very seriously. She’s just… endearing.”

“…” Zuo Dan could already imagine her Third Uncle secretly following behind the girl, watching her like some creep.

“Uncle, from what I know about her, she’s indeed decent. But whether she’d want to be with you… that’s uncertain.”

Zuo Chengcai’s face reddened a little. “I’m just looking, that’s all! It’s not like I said we have to be together. But what if she accidentally falls for me, huh?”

Zuo Dan gave him a smile. “Then that’s up to you.”

She didn’t dare meddle in her Third Uncle’s love life with Li Suli. After all, in the current social mindset, if an educated youth married a local, they might lose the chance to return to the city. Li Suli might not be ready for that commitment.

Still, she didn’t want to discourage her uncle either. After all, he wasn’t doing anything inappropriate—he had the right to pursue someone.

On New Year’s Eve, the entire Zuo family gathered for a reunion dinner.

There had been many happy events in the family this year, so the feast was especially bountiful. As they ate, Grandma Zuo suddenly put down her chopsticks and sighed. “Our Zuo family is finally living a good life. But Hongjun and Chunhong are so disappointing. If they were here, we’d truly be reunited as a family.”

Hearing Grandma’s lament, Zuo Chengcai stared at the fish in front of him, Zuo Dan at the braised pork, and Zuo Cong and Zuo Dacheng exchanged looks.

Seeing no response, Grandma Zuo sighed again. “I was just saying. Alright, let’s eat.”

In the middle of the village, Zuo Hongjun’s house was cold and quiet.

Since it was New Year’s, Xu Fengxia had cooked one meat dish and two vegetable dishes. The family of three sat together to eat, but she had no appetite. “Huahuan hasn’t come home in a long time, has she?”

“Just that time when the phone was installed,” Zuo Qing replied.

Xu Fengxia slammed her chopsticks on the table. “It’s New Year’s, and she still won’t come back! What is she trying to do? Does she not recognize me as her mother anymore?”

“Enough, eat your food!” Zuo Hongjun snapped. The house was already cold, and now there was an argument on top of that. Couldn’t they just have a peaceful New Year’s?

He suddenly missed the past—when the entire Zuo family was together…

How did their lives end up like this?

Early in the morning on the first day of the new year, the Zuo family’s telephone rang.

Zuo Dan was still lying in bed when she heard Zuo Dacheng’s cheerful voice from outside. “Yiming! Happy New Year! It’s so kind of you to think of us from so far away. Yes, your aunt and I are doing well. Dandan is good too—I guess she’s still asleep.”

Zuo Dan was already out of bed, hair messy, shouting, “Dad! How could I be sleeping in? I’ve been up for ages!”

She grabbed the phone. “Shen Yiming, Happy New Year! Where’s Grandma? I want to wish her a happy new year.”

On the other end, Shen Yiming adjusted his scarf and smiled. “Grandma’s at home, waiting for the neighbors who are out visiting each other for New Year’s.”

“Then wish her a Happy New Year for me.”

“I already did, on your behalf too. After all, you’re my fiancée,” Shen Yiming teased. “Oh, and I also collected the red envelope Grandma gave you. Since we’re practically family, I’ll just hold onto it for you.”

Zuo Dan immediately said, “Shen Yiming, you better keep that safe. Don’t you dare spend it! I’ll ask for it next time we meet.”

Shen Yiming chuckled. “That’s going to be a problem—I’ve got a card game with Dapeng tomorrow. I was planning to use it as my betting money.”

Zuo Dan’s competitive side flared up. “You’re only allowed to win, not lose! If you win, the money’s mine. If you lose, that’s on you!”

“Haha, yes, ma’am.” Shen Yiming laughed, then softened his voice. “Since I’m working so hard for you, can I get a little reward?”

“What reward? We’re so far apart—I don’t have long arms.”

“I just want to hear you say the first English phrase I ever taught you for New Year’s. If I hear it, I’ll be so happy, I’ll win all of Dapeng’s money.”

Zuo Dan bit her lip and smiled. “Alright, listen carefully.”

“Mhm…”

Zuo Dan closed her eyes and whispered with a grin, “Shen Yiming, I love you. Mwah.”

On the other end, Shen Yiming leaned against the wall, holding the phone with a satisfied smile.

Meanwhile, Zuo Dacheng was wiping the table when he overheard and looked confused. He went to find Li Hui in the kitchen.

“Hui, I think young people these days say things I don’t understand.”

Li Hui, steaming buns, turned back with a smile. “Like what?”

“I just heard Dandan tell Yiming, ‘I love you.’ What does that mean?”

Li Hui choked. “Ahem… How should I know? Stay out of young people’s business.”

“Oh, I was just curious.” Zuo Dacheng chuckled, mumbling to himself, “I love you, I love you… Young people sure have a lot on their minds.”

_{Ahhhh!! I LOVE YOU DANDAN. I don’t know why but I am loving this character as i translate. Let’s see what happens.}