Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 209 Class Registration
Yang Ju drove the donkey to the livestock shed, put the donkey cart back in the warehouse, led the donkey to the livestock pen, and hurriedly drove back.

A short while later, she returned home to find Yang Chuanfu hunched over his desk reading documents. Hearing the noise, he immediately turned to look at her and said, "You're back."

Yang Ju nodded, went inside, took out a handful of money, and placed several cents on the desk. "Dad, this is the money Teacher Chen gave us for selling pottery today."

"Divide the money?"

Yang Chuanfu was stunned for a moment. He looked at the money first, then at her, and immediately frowned. "Tell me, what's going on?"

Yang Ju quickly recounted Chen Fan's previous arrangements, and concluded by saying, "According to the previous agreement, the four of us will each take 10%. Today we sold a total of 515.2 yuan, and I received 51.52 yuan, which is all here."

At this moment, Aunt Yang also came in. When she saw the money on the table, she was stunned for a moment. She quickly closed the door and pulled Yang Ju aside to ask, "Where did you get so much money?"

She manages all the money at home, and the team's collective money isn't kept at the team leader's house; it's managed by custodian Huang. Yang Chuanfu doesn't usually have a penny on him, so this money definitely isn't his. There are only two people here, so it could only have been brought back by Yang Ju.

Yang Ju explained it to her mother again in a simple way.

Aunt Yang turned to look at the money on the table, her eyes filled with surprise. "I heard from people who came back from the market that Xiao Chen made a lot of money selling pottery today. I didn't expect it to be so much, and there's even a share for you."

Yang Chuanfu frowned, thought for a moment, and said softly, "No, you can't accept this money."

He looked up at Yang Ju and said seriously, "Although it is a temporary cooperative, it seems reasonable for the five of you to work together and share the money. However, if he didn't know how to make pottery, no matter how much clay you knead, it would just be clay and wouldn't become pottery, let alone a charcoal stove or a set of tableware."

"You get paid for whatever work you do. Your value is at most three or five yuan, just a pittance. Ju'er, listen to your father, return the money to him."

Aunt Yang's expression changed slightly. She glanced at her husband but kept her mouth shut and said nothing.

Yang Ju considered many possibilities, but she never expected her father to refuse the money and even ask her to return it. She was in a dilemma. "But Teacher Chen said that if we didn't take the money, we would be putting him in an unjust position and exploiting the value of our labor. If that happened, he wouldn't fire the kiln anymore. So we didn't dare to disobey and took the money."

Yang Chuanfu was slightly taken aback. "That's what he said?"

Yang Ju nodded vigorously, "Yes, Huang Ying, Liu Dan, and Jiang Lili were all there at the time. It was Teacher Chen who told us about it when he called us to a meeting."

Hearing this, Yang Chuanfu was in a dilemma; he didn't understand the intricacies of the matter either.

At this moment, Yang Ju said, "After we came back, Teacher Chen said that this is the only time we can make big money. In the future, the potters of Shengli Brigade will definitely learn to write on pottery like we do. So even if there is a market day, he doesn't plan to sell too many things. He will just make some ordinary bowls and plates. Even if he can sell them, he will only earn a few dozen yuan, not as much as he did today."

Only then did Yang Chuanfu finally breathe a sigh of relief, "If it had only happened once, it would have been better."

He chuckled, glanced at Yang Ju and his wife, and said, "Even if we can only earn a few dozen yuan each time, Ju can get three to five yuan for each market trip, which means she can earn more than one yuan a day. That's almost as much as the 37.5 yuan a vocational school graduate gets after getting a permanent position. This job is quite good."

Seeing that her husband agreed to accept the money, Aunt Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked at Yang Ju and whispered, "Don't just think about working. You should spend more time with Teacher Chen. Liu Dan is alright, but Huang Ying is much more nimble than you. Be careful she doesn't get snatched away by someone else."

Hearing her mother say that, Yang Ju blushed deeply. "Mom, please don't worry about it."

Yang Chuanfu leaned back in his chair and chuckled, "Haste makes waste. These things can't be rushed. We have to take it slow. Besides, they're still young. It's not too late to wait a couple more years and let them develop their relationship first."

He paused for a moment, then turned to look at Yang Ju and said softly, "Don't look at those women who marry workers in town. How many of them actually get urban residency? In the end, they all become unregistered residents and even lose their work points in the village."

Mountains may crumble, and rivers may dry up. Although Xiao Chen is not a registered resident of the city, he is very capable. As long as he gets a veterinary certificate, he can earn two sets of work points for a unified labor program. Isn't his income higher than that of ordinary workers? Moreover, he is a good cook and can make pottery. He has plenty of extra income from all aspects. Even if there is a disaster, he will not have to worry about not finding food.

Over the past month, I've carefully observed his character, and he's absolutely flawless in every way. He's not the kind of unreliable, irresponsible, or irresponsible person. If you could be with him, it would be better than marrying a government official…

As Yang Ju listened to her father's words, she lowered her head, her face flushed, her eyes glazed over, seemingly lost in thought.

On the other side, Huang Ying and Liu Dan's homes were in similar situations.

However, compared to Yang Chuanfu, Accountant Liu had some ulterior motives. "Only one big fortune? That would be such a waste." She then pulled Liu Dan aside and carefully imparted her experience, "It's easier for a woman than a man to pursue a man. You're not as quick-witted as those two, so you might as well use your hands more and think less..."

Huang Ying, too, was studying diligently surrounded by her parents and uncle.

……

The next day, March 7, 1977, the 18th day of the first lunar month, Monday.

At 9 o'clock, after finishing get off work in the morning, Chen Fan packed his things and went downstairs.

Two days ago, after a series of tests, three people were selected to gain admission to the commune's veterinary station training program.

Needless to say, Chen Fan had already memorized the veterinary textbook perfectly. A graduation exam paper, which only had a theoretical part, was hardly difficult for him.

The remaining two spots were taken by Yang Zhijun from Team 6 and Li Zhengqun from Team 11, respectively.

Yang Zhijun lived in Team 6, and if he encountered any problems he didn't understand, he would run to the educated youth settlement at night to ask for help.

Chen Fan had promised Captain Yang he would give him special attention, so he could only provide him with extra tutoring. Fortunately, the boy was quite hardworking and lived up to expectations, ranking third in the class and securing the last spot.

As for Li Zhengqun, he was truly gifted. After a few days of confusion, once Chen Fan explained the key points and basic principles of learning to them, he quickly grasped the basics and ultimately ranked second in the class based on his own abilities.

The remaining 10 people, although they did not get a spot in the training program, were all confirmed by Station Chief Zhou after he personally graded their papers to have mastered the theoretical knowledge of the veterinary class. As long as they persisted in studying the practical courses, they could become qualified veterinarians.

Unbeknownst to him, Chen Fan had already begun practical learning with them half a month earlier, so in fact, all 10 students were qualified to obtain veterinary certificates.

Unfortunately, they were not among those who could go to the commune's veterinary station to learn.

Chen Fan walked to the front yard, and all 12 students were there. Yang Zhijun and Li Zhengqun stood on one side, while the other 10 stood beside them, their eyes full of envy.

He looked at the others and said seriously, "Although you can't go to the commune's veterinary class, you can still continue to learn veterinary techniques."

He then turned to Yang Zhijun and Li Zhengqun and said, “You two should study hard at the veterinary station. When you come back, teach the new knowledge you have learned to everyone. After they learn it, they can solve some minor problems on their own in their team, which will also benefit you.”

The two nodded immediately, "Understood."

At this moment, Secretary Yang, Captain Zhang, Xiao Liewen, Ye Shubao, and Zhang Wenliang all came out.

Secretary Yang nodded and looked at everyone, saying, "Teacher Chen is right. You are all part of a group. You should be happy to share what you learn and help everyone improve together. This is also a way of learning from Comrade Lei Feng."

Captain Zhang continued, "Those who passed the exam shouldn't be arrogant; they should continue to work hard. Those who didn't pass shouldn't be discouraged either; they should continue to study diligently with Teacher Chen, and they will definitely have a chance to pass in the future. At the very least, learning a veterinary skill will only benefit you, and there will be no harm in it. You should know what's good and bad."

The students all nodded in unison, "Yes."

Seeing that Captain Xiao and the others didn't seem inclined to speak, Chen Fan waved his hand and said, "Prepare to depart."

After saying that, he walked towards the horse in the corner of the yard.

The three of them each had their own "vehicles of transportation." Yang Zhijun and Li Zhengqun rode mules provided by their respective teams, while Chen Fan naturally rode a mare he had bought himself.

Although this horse wasn't trained as a riding horse, it was naturally fast, and since it was only just reached adulthood, there was still a chance for improvement.

I can go back and ask Master Liu, who has raised warhorses, and Captain Xiao, who has ridden warhorses, for advice. Maybe I can train them to be riding horses.

(End of this chapter)