Reborn in 1966

Chapter Thirty: Reasons

The school was located at the northernmost part of Shenjia Village. It had a large courtyard with a row of poplar trees planted along the wall. To the north was a row of blue brick tile houses, and to the south was a row of newly built red brick tile houses. This was probably the current junior high school in Shenjia Village.

There are only two grades in junior high school, and now there is one class in each grade. The teachers' offices for elementary and junior high school are together. The grandfather and grandson entered the courtyard and saw a lot of people gathered around a room next to the classroom on the south side. They quickly ran over.

Several teachers were dispersing the students who had gathered. When Grandma saw Shen Shengmin's wife, Chen Qiuping, she quickly went over and asked, "Qiuping, what happened to your sister-in-law?"

Seeing that her grandmother's hair was disheveled from running, and that she was still holding Pei Yin's hand with one hand, while Pei Yin's face was flushed from running, Chen Qiuping quickly picked Pei Yin up and supported her grandmother with the other hand, saying, "Auntie, it's alright. My sister-in-law just bumped her head. Doctor Wang will bandage it up for her."

Grandma said, "Take your aunt to see her quickly."

Chen Qiuping carried Pei Yin in one arm and supported his grandmother with the other as they entered the room.

It turns out that this room was the dormitory of a female public school teacher. Meng Ruolan moved in before classes resumed, and after classes resumed, the female teacher lived here with Meng Ruolan.

Meng Ruolan had already gone to work to earn work points. Shen's mother lay on a bed, her face pale and her eyes closed. Her short hair was a little disheveled, and a white gauze was wrapped around her forehead, with faint red bloodstains showing through it.

Grandma burst into tears and choked out, "Peihua's mother, Peihua's mother, are you alright?"

Pei Yin cried out, her voice trembling with sobs, "Mother, Mother."

After Dr. Wang finished bandaging her up, he tidied up his things and said to his grandmother, "Sister-in-law, Peihua's mother is fine. When we get home, make her some good food to help her recover."

Grandma said, "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright!"

Just then, Mr. Shen rushed into the room like a whirlwind. Seeing Mrs. Shen lying on the bed with her eyes closed, he grabbed Dr. Wang's hand and asked, "Dr. Wang, is Peihua's mother alright?"

Dr. Wang said, "It's nothing serious. You just bumped your head and probably had a concussion. Rest at home for a couple of days and make yourself some good food to help you recover."

Mr. Shen said, "Thank you, doctor. Thank you, doctor."

Pei Yin thought to herself, "I need to go to the hospital for a brain examination after a concussion. Is this simple bandaging enough? What if there's a blood clot in my head?" Hearing a noise at the door, she looked outside and saw Secretary Tian, ​​the production team leader, Fourth Grandfather, and even Third Grandfather from the Tian family standing there.

When Dr. Wang went outside, he saw the village leaders standing at the door and said, "Teacher Ma hit his head on the edge of the podium after being pushed down by the students. He has a concussion and needs to rest."

The third grandfather of the Tian family said angrily, "Baogen, there has never been a case of betraying one's teacher and ancestors in our Shenjia Village. You have to find out the truth about this matter today. Whoever pushed Teacher Ma should go to Teacher Ma's house to apologize. School is a place for learning. No matter what, once you enter the school, you have to respect the teachers who impart knowledge. The teacher was pushed down by a student and fell unconscious."

Party Secretary Tian said, "Uncle, don't worry, I will definitely investigate this thoroughly and give Teacher Ma an explanation. In addition, Teacher Ma will continue to receive his work points and salary during his recovery period, and the village will also provide him with a subsidy of ten catties of millet and ten catties of eggs. Our Shenjia Village has always respected our teachers."

The third grandfather of the Tian family nodded and said, "That's good. Fourth brother, you don't have any objections, do you?"

Fourth Grandfather said, "No objection, no objection. Our production team has a stretcher. I'll call two people to help carry Teacher Ma home."

Seeing that all the teachers were there, Party Secretary Tian said, “Our village school has just established a junior high school. Junior high school knowledge is not something just anyone can teach. Our brigade headquarters carefully considered the matter before deciding to invite Teacher Ma to teach at our junior high school. Why? Because Teacher Ma not only has knowledge and qualifications—she was originally a university teacher—but she is also just a relative of a rightist. She herself has no problems. Teachers, please don’t think that Teacher Ma is not qualified for the position of junior high school teacher because of the gossip of some people in the village.”

Shenjiacun Junior High School no longer has school leaders. The principal is still the same one from Shenjiacun Primary School, surnamed Zhou. He lives in the county and is over fifty years old with a receding hairline.

Principal Zhou was covered in sweat. Since last year, the students at the school had started to make a revolution, and some teachers had been criticized and struggled against. However, the teachers of Shenjia Village Primary School were well protected by the leaders of the village brigade. Even when some Red Guards from outside came to the school to drag and struggle against the teachers, the village blocked them. But today, a teacher was pushed to the ground by his own students and even fainted.

Principal Zhou wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Secretary Tian, ​​Teacher Ma has always been an excellent teacher. We have all witnessed Teacher Ma's excellence over the years. What happened today is truly an accident."

Nowadays, many schools rely on subsidies from the village. Some teachers' living allowances and even salaries are paid in advance by the village. Therefore, the village secretary of Shenjia Village is essentially his own leader.

Party Secretary Tian said, "Principal Zhou, let's go to the office and have a proper talk about this. Let's see whose child caused this trouble. No matter whose child it is, they have to go to Teacher Ma's house to apologize. If you don't respect your teacher, why do you need to come to school to learn? If you don't respect your teacher, don't come to school to learn. If you have bad character, you'll only cause trouble if you learn too much."

Principal Zhou replied with "Yes, yes, yes," wiping his sweat as he led the leaders to the teachers' office.

Grandma wiped away her tears and said to Shen's father, "Go to the production team and borrow a stretcher. Let's carry Peihua's mother home and take good care of her. Peihua's mother has really suffered a great injustice."

Mr. Shen agreed and hurried to the production team to borrow a stretcher.

Chen Qiuping, holding Pei Yin, stood to one side and said to the teacher living in the dormitory, "Teacher Zhao, I'll have to trouble you to find something to wrap Teacher Ma's head with. It's not good if she gets exposed to the wind now that it's wrapped up."

The teacher said, "Okay, I have a headscarf here, it'll be perfect for Teacher Ma to wrap up."

Peiyin got off Chen Qiuping, went to the bedside, took Shen's mother's hand and called out "Mom". Grandma said, "Good Peiyin, let your mother rest well. We'll take your mother home later."

Mr. Shen borrowed a stretcher, and his fourth grandfather helped by calling four strong young men from the production team to carry Mrs. Shen home.

When Grandma got home, she slaughtered one of the family's old hens and made chicken soup for Shen's mother.

After returning home, Shen's mother lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) in the east wing. People with concussions dare not move, as any movement would cause dizziness and nausea. Peiyin had been sitting on the kang with her mother since she returned home. Shen's mother closed her eyes and said softly, "Yinyin, I'm fine. You can go out and play."

Pei Yin didn't say anything else, just called out "Mom" and then fell silent. Grandma was busy outside, and she wouldn't be able to help much if she went, so she decided to stay inside and keep her mother company.

Shen's father returned the borrowed stretcher to the production team. When he came back, the village accountant came with him. The two of them carried the ten catties of millet and ten catties of eggs that Secretary Tian had mentioned. These were very expensive things. Fortunately, Shen's village had a good harvest this year, so the village was not short of these things.

After delivering the gifts, the accountant said, "Sigh, Teacher Ma is the first in our village to receive such a generous subsidy. This is a token of our village's goodwill. Once Teacher Ma recovers, she must teach our village's children well."

The accountant's child is also in junior high school. The child came home and said that Teacher Ma teaches very well. The accountant thought to herself, with such a good teacher, maybe her child will be able to get into high school in a couple of years.

Xiping County only has one high school, Xiping No. 1 High School, and the number of students it enrolls each year is fixed. The top students from Shenjia Village were all taught by Shen Shengsi when he returned home. Now it seems that Shen Shengsi can no longer teach students. It is said that Shen Shengsi's wife is his college classmate and also worked as a teacher at the same school. Their level should be about the same. If their own child can get into high school under Teacher Ma's guidance, they will feel much more confident.

So when Secretary Tian mentioned giving Teacher Ma these subsidies, the accountant didn't hesitate. He found the village's safekeeper's scale, weighed out ten jin of millet and ten jin of eggs, and delivered them over.

Grandma said gratefully, "Thank you for taking care of us in the village."

The accountant exchanged a few more pleasantries and then took his leave. Grandma put the ten pounds of millet in the kitchen and said to Shen's father, "This is precious stuff. With these things, Peihua's mother will definitely recover more quickly. Oh, please be careful that there are no aftereffects."

There was a man in the village who bumped his head when he was a child, and he has never been very sharp. He is always a step behind others in doing things, so Grandma's worries are quite reasonable.

Pei Yin felt somewhat helpless. The conditions were really too backward. Such an injury should have been thoroughly examined at the hospital to see if there was any blood clot in the head. With just the barefoot doctor in the village taking a look and bandaging it up, how could her mother possibly recover properly?

Mr. Shen said, "Mother, Peihua's mother is fine, don't worry."

Grandma said, "Your second sister sent some Panax notoginseng a while ago. I'll go ask Doctor Wang if it's suitable for Peihua's mother. Sigh, can you keep an eye on the chicken stewing on the stove for me?" After saying that, Grandma quickly left the courtyard on her bound feet and headed towards Doctor Wang's house.

Looking at his mother's thin back, Mr. Shen swallowed the sob in his throat, wiped his face, and went into the east wing.

Inside the house, the wife lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) with her eyes closed, while the little daughter sat against the wall, intently watching her mother. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, conveying her fear and apprehension.

Mr. Shen picked up his youngest daughter and sat her on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), saying, "Peiyin, don't be afraid, your mother is alright."

Pei Yin wrapped her arms around her father's neck and whispered, "Dad!"

Mr. Shen said softly, "Peiyin, Daddy's here. Your mother is alright. Don't be afraid. Peiyin is a brave child. She can protect her mother." Mr. Shen felt a pang of sadness when he thought of his daughter's helpless face when he came in. In this kind of world, it was destined that children would not have an innocent and carefree childhood.

Pei Yin looked at her mother and whispered, "Mother, Mother."

Father Shen said, "Yes, Mother is resting. Grandma has made chicken soup. Dad will take you to watch the fire. When the chicken soup is ready, we'll bring it to Mother, okay?"

Looking at her father's face, Pei Yin saw heartache for his wife, forbearance for the family's plight, and above all, love for her as his daughter.