Beijing First Middle School.
“Mom and Dad, why are you here?!”
Su Huazhu was very surprised when she suddenly heard that her family had come to look for her in the classroom.
As it turned out, when she came out, it really was her parents who had arrived.
“Hua Zhu, Mom and Dad have something very important to tell you.”
Qiao Jiuru looked at her youngest daughter, who stood tall and graceful before her, like a budding flower, and increasingly felt that in such an era, being innocent and naive was not a good thing.
One must be wary of others, but never harbor ill will.
Su Huazhu looked at her parents’ grave faces with a bewildered expression, her heart jolted, and she immediately felt a sense of unease.
“Mom…”
“Don’t be afraid, Mom and Dad are here. Hua Zhu, your father and I signed you up to go to the countryside today, and you’ll leave the day after tomorrow. The place where you’ll go to the countryside is in Ji Province, a village your maternal grandfather once visited. It can be said that the Qiao family owes them a debt of gratitude, so going there should ensure no one bullies you, and you’ll even receive some care.”
“Mom, did something happen at home?!”
As soon as Qiao Jiuru quickly finished explaining about going to the countryside, Su Huazhu keenly sensed that something was amiss and immediately guessed that something had happened at home.
“Yes, our family was reported. So, tomorrow night, we’ll send your younger brother away first, and the day after tomorrow, we’ll send you. You don’t need to worry about your father and me, your eldest brother and sister-in-law, and your two nephews. Listen, Hua Zhu, after you hear what I’m about to say, do not tell anyone.”
“Mom, okay, I’m listening.”
“Your father and I have already stored three thousand catties of grain, a large batch of various supplies, exchanged for hundreds of various tickets, and five thousand yuan in other places. After we are sent down, Uncle Lu will secretly send us five hundred catties of grain, supplies, money, and tickets every six months. Not only that, Uncle Lu and Uncle Zhang will continue to buy us grain and supplies every year, so even if we are sent down, we will live very well.”
“Mom and Dad, is this true?!”
“It couldn’t be more true, and Mom and Dad also have something to secretly tell you, which you absolutely cannot tell anyone. Although our family was reported, Uncle Lu has already found someone to help us change the location where we’ll be sent down. That place is very close to where you’ll be going to the countryside, so we can meet again and look after each other then.”
“Hua Zhu, are you scared?!”
“Mom, I’m not scared. As long as you are by my side, I’m not afraid of anything.”
“We originally didn’t want to tell you these things. However, Uncle Lu and the others said that given the current situation at home, you and Xiao Feng cannot be completely unaware. You cannot be naive anymore, you cannot be simple anymore, especially you, a girl. In the future, you won’t be at home, and you will face many complex situations and people. There are many bad people outside; you must learn to discern and protect yourself, and do not trust anyone. Under any circumstances, before you have the ability, the most important thing is to protect yourself.”
“Your mom is right. Both your uncles reminded us, fearing that you might panic when the time comes. The current situation isn’t that scary. Your mom and I have the ability to protect you and won’t let you suffer from cold or hunger.”
“Mom and Dad…”
Su Huazhu looked at her parents with teary eyes, and suddenly, she became incredibly calm. She no longer felt afraid of going to the countryside or what was about to happen to her family.
In just an instant, Su Huazhu felt that she had grown up and was beginning to mature slowly.
“Mom and Dad, I’m going back to pack my things now. I’ll go home with you in a bit.”
She was going to the countryside the day after tomorrow, and Su Huazhu was somewhat eager to go back to her dorm and classroom to pack her bedding and books.
“Hua Zhu, don’t rush. We’re going to Uncle Lu’s house in a bit. Tomorrow morning, ask your teacher if you can get your high school diploma early since you’re going to the countryside?! Or take the exam early?! If you can take the exam tomorrow, then your father and I will pick you up to go home tomorrow night.”
Qiao Jiuru still hoped her daughter would get her high school diploma, as she knew that the college entrance examination would resume in about four years, and then she could continue to take the university entrance exam.
If she couldn’t take the exam and get her diploma tomorrow, then she would only be able to get her high school diploma in the countryside.
“Mom and Dad, I understand.”
Su Huazhu nodded heavily, wiped away a tear, looked at her parents reluctantly, and then turned and entered the school.
It wasn’t until their daughter’s figure disappeared that Qiao Jiuru and Su Huaiyuan rode their bicycles together to the Beijing Mechanical Factory.
“Really?!”