Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 488: Perseverance and Integrity

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law both had puzzled and speechless expressions, as if they were saying the idea was nice but not realistic.

"Grandpa, you should go back on your own."

Yi Chichi refused his suggestion and took him aside for a little whispering, emphasizing that Beijing was not fully stable yet, and even if they returned, they would need to keep a low profile for a while, before giving him a firm answer.

"Once you’re settled and stable, I’ll visit you in Beijing."

The old man was not too pleased but understood she had a point.

After being away for so many years, they were indeed unclear about the current situation in Beijing.

It’s settled then, we’ll discuss when things are stable.

"I’ll call you when I get back."

"Alright."

After making the arrangements, Mr. Song and the others came over to say goodbye, saying they’d invite the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to Beijing for a visit once things stabilize.

The two agreed, and then they got in the car and left.

A bit down the road, Wen’s mother remembered something, "What about Xiao Jiu?"

We can’t have Grandpa go back and leave Qin Jiu behind.

Otherwise, when the child gets out of school, he’ll be heartbroken to find he’s been left behind.

"We’ll pick him up from school."

Yi Chichi couldn’t help but laugh, the two of them relying on each other, Grandpa might forget but Qin Jiu never would.

They left Beijing together, so naturally, they’d return together.

Indeed, when the car reached the commune, it first went to the school to pick up Qin Jiu, then headed straight to the provincial military airport to catch the fleet back to the country.

A week later, Yi Chichi received a telegram from the old man.

Liu Lan and the others were around, but respectfully kept themselves busy without reading it.

Wen’s mother came over to read it with her, and when she saw that Grandpa and Ye Yuntang had resumed work, she smiled and said, "That’s good; they regained their positions just a few days after returning, the future looks bright for the in-law’s grandpa and Xiao Ye."

Indeed, not only did they get back their jobs, but their house was also restored to them.

Even their salary from the past years was compensated.

Qin Jiu re-enrolled in school.

"Mr. Song and the others have to wait."

The telegram also mentioned Mr. Song and the others; this couple would need to wait for the educational reform policies to come out before they could return to work.

For now, they could enjoy some wealth and leisure, taking time to improve their health.

As for Mr. Ma...

Honestly, his situation is a bit complicated, but since he can return to Beijing, it means there are no issues.

Just have to patiently wait for further developments.

Knowing the specific situation about Grandpa and having his phone number and detailed address, Yi Chichi felt completely at ease.

She looked at Wen’s mother and said, "Mom, we should also start preparing to go to the island."

"You haven’t told Wen Shi."

"That’s easy. I’ll go to the commune tomorrow to call him."

"Alright, see if it’s convenient for him over there. If it is, and we get a release order, we’ll start preparing to leave."

Initially, Wen’s mother didn’t want to go, but she couldn’t resist Yi Chichi’s constant nagging, saying it would be hard to see her if she didn’t go together.

The most crucial point was she was pregnant and had no one to take care of her.

That really moved her.

So, hearing Yi Chichi bring it up again, she immediately agreed.

Liu Lan and the others reacted strongly to the news that Yi Chichi was going to accompany the army to the island, especially Niu Niu, who whined with a sad face, "Auntie, what will I do when you leave?"

"Keep practicing your embroidery."

Yi Chichi firmly replied, "Your handkerchief is already making money. Practice well. I’ll leave the needlework patterns and embroidery samples for you. If you need anything, talk to your Aunt Liu Lan, we won’t lose touch."

Regarding moving them to Yangcheng now, that’s not feasible.

At the very least, wait until the ’80s. For the first two years of reform, it’s not possible.

"Practice well, and study hard so that you can aim for university in Yangcheng. Then we can see each other every day."

Niu Niu did a mental calculation about how many years she’d need to attend university, and after calculating, she said speechlessly, "Then we won’t see each other for a short while."

"We’ll come back."

Kao Shan Village is our hometown; our relatives are all here.

And there’s Uncle Yaozi and the others.

"If you really miss me or don’t understand something, write me a letter, okay?"

"...Okay!"

After convincing Niu Niu, Liu Lan and the others expressed their reluctance to let her go.

Wen’s mother, watching from the side, frowned, and when Zhou Qiuyu’s eyes reddened and she started to cry, she couldn’t help but sarcastically comment, "You’re crying too early. Even if we’re leaving, it’s not something that will happen in a short period."

If Wen Shi hasn’t sailed, then the stay wouldn’t be long.

If he was unlucky and had just sailed, it would take until the end of the year for him to receive the telegram or letter upon returning to shore.

Traveling far isn’t suitable in heavy snow, so leaving at that time isn’t possible.

Plus, getting the receiving paperwork and using the military passage would take at least a week, so there’s waiting involved.

Calculating the time, amid their tearful glances, she said, "You’ll at least have half a year together, maybe even a year."

With that, Liu Lan and the others’ reluctance instantly vanished.

It was too hasty, feeling reluctant too early.

So, they carried on with their tasks like nothing had happened.

Seeing this, Wen’s mother went to the kitchen to cook, and Yi Chichi leaned over to the group and whispered, "Have you continued studying?"

"Yes!"

They couldn’t afford not to study, after all, they had to teach students. If their own knowledge wasn’t solid, how could they teach the children?

They couldn’t let the children down.

Especially with the families in Kao Shan Village; for the sake of their children, they would subsidize them with rice, flour, and oil every winter.

This kindness had to be remembered.

So, the children had to be taught well; otherwise, they wouldn’t be worthy of the villagers’ winter subsidies.

"Keep it up!"

Yi Chichi gently reminded, and Liu Lan’s eyes shifted as if wanting to ask if she knew something, but in the end, she swallowed her words.

Understanding things without saying them is important, as long as it’s understood.

Wang Nan and they all had the same thought, if previously they felt a bit lost about Yi Chichi’s advice to study hard, like walking step by step without much direction, Grandpa’s return to the city gave them hope.

The few old men from the cattle shed, two of them were college professors with overseas experience.

They all returned to the city, indicating that education should also become a priority.

So after returning home, the few of them started working hard.

Wang Nan and Ge Sujuan had a serious conversation with their respective husbands.

Wang Nan said, "Study hard, when universities reopen, we’ll strive to get into the same city with the kids."

Bai Chen agreed, "That’s a must, but there’s a problem."

"What problem?"

"Which university should we apply to?"

Even though the educational reform policy had not yet been implemented, these two had already started planning for it in advance.

But because they had thought about it ahead, with a goal in mind, and working together, once the college entrance exam was restored, they actually got into the same school, leading a stable life with their children.

But Ge Sujuan and Wu Yongfei, because they hadn’t discussed it, one got in while the other didn’t. So the one who got accepted went to study, and the one who didn’t had to stay back in Kao Shan Village, taking care of the child and working.

Meanwhile, Yi Chichi, who had already gone to the island with Wen’s mother, was feeling quite reflective and spoke to Wen Shi, who was doing her hand care, after receiving letters from Ge Sujuan and Wu Yongfei, "Juanzi and the Old Witch are going to live apart now, who knows what their future holds."

Wen Shi was unfazed, being someone who had the experience of living apart too, "Whether two people can lead a good life after marriage depends firstly on perseverance and secondly on conscience."

Meaning: if those two can persevere and have good intentions, living apart is not a big deal.

If not, then it is!