Reborn in 1966

Chapter Ninety-Six Li Lei

At noon, those who had come to watch the commotion gradually went home, and Peitian led his sisters home as well.

Those who went to work also returned home from the fields. To get from Tian Xiuwu's house to Shen's house, they had to pass by the school's brigade headquarters. When they arrived at the brigade headquarters, Pei Yin saw Li Lei holding a letter in his hand, his face gloomy, coming out of the dormitory and walking towards the back of the brigade headquarters.

Behind the brigade headquarters was a small grove of trees, a quiet place where few people usually passed by.

Pei Yin walked while thinking about Li Lei, and soon arrived home.

After arriving home, Peitian went to his grandmother's room first, took out the one and a half biscuits from his pocket, and said to his grandmother, "Grandma, these are biscuits that Fourth Grandma gave me. I only tasted a small bite. I'm leaving these for you and Grandpa to try."

Peiyin also took out some broken biscuits from her pocket and said to her grandmother, "We also need to give some to Second Grandpa, Second Grandma, and Third Grandma. Fourth Grandma said that these were brought back from the region by Uncle Shenghuai. They are not sold in Chengdu, Xiping County."

Pei-Chih and Pei-Ching also took out what they had in their pockets, saying, "We still need to give some to our parents and brothers to try."

Grandma looked at her children, feeling both heartache and sweetness. These children were so sensible; no matter how hard or tiring it was for her, her heart was filled with joy.

Pei Yin kept Li Lei in mind, and in the following days she paid more attention to him.

Ever since the four educated youths ate the fish cooked by Third Grandma at Shen's house, they have always liked to bring whatever their families send them to Shen's house to have Third Grandma cook it for them. After these days, the educated youths have split up into groups: the four male educated youths together, the four female educated youths together, and Zheng Tonghui and Wang Si together. These days, I heard that Wang Si and Zheng Tonghui are making arrangements to return to the city.

The educated youth came to the countryside with great enthusiasm. After several years of hard work, many of them longed to return to the city, but returning to the city was not so easy.

Even if Wang Si had connections with Zheng Tonghui's family, it was only after staying in Shenjia Village for more than two years that he began to believe it. Not to mention so many others who had no connections at all.

Li Lei was the eldest child in his family, with two younger brothers and a younger sister. When the educated youth began going to the countryside, Li Lei went with his eldest brother. He was assigned to Shenjia Village, while his brother went to a place with more difficult conditions. A letter came from home saying that his father was getting old and was thinking of retiring directly so that his children could return to the city. After much consideration, the family gave the opportunity to return to the city to his younger brother. At the end of the letter, it was mentioned that his second younger brother had been persuaded by people from the neighborhood to go to the countryside, and the place he was going to was very close to home.

Li Lei felt very disappointed. As the eldest child in his family, he had always been responsible for taking care of his younger siblings. During this movement to send people to the countryside, each family could only leave one child at home. When they reached a certain age, they would be mobilized to go to some place they had never even heard of. At first, everyone came with the idea of ​​settling down in the countryside, but as city people, how many of them really wanted to settle down in the countryside?

After that, people gradually returned to the city through various connections. Everyone saw hope, but I saw no hope. This time, my father retired and my younger brother returned to the city. With my family's connections, it was a long way off for me to return to the city again. What's more, there was also my second younger brother. If I had the opportunity to return to the city, could I really do something like abandoning my brother in the countryside and going back to the city myself?

Li Lei spent half a day smoking cigarettes in the grove behind the house, thinking a lot. But he was very unwilling to find a wife and start a family in the countryside. The hope of returning to the city, which was like a flower in the water or the moon in the mirror, was still in front of him. This somewhat extravagant wish to return to the city was still supporting him.

During lunch, Peihua told his family that Wang Si and Zheng Tonghui, two former educated youth, were going through the procedures to return to the city. He had heard that many people were going through the procedures to return to the city recently.

Grandma said, "It's good to go back to your parents. Look how young you are, coming to live in the countryside on your own. You're still a child, how would you know how to manage a household?"

Summer has passed and autumn has arrived. The autumn air is crisp and clear, and the smiles on the faces of farmers are growing wider. The hopes they have sown are about to be harvested, and this joy comes from the bottom of their hearts.

Pei-Yin and Pei-Jing would often hold hands and go to the school gate to pick up their older siblings, or wait under the big locust tree at the village entrance for their second aunt to get off work in the afterglow of the setting sun.

When my aunt came back, she would put the two children on the luggage rack in the back, put the bicycle on the crossbar in the front, and ring the bell all the way. The two little girls on the back seat would also let out cheerful laughter like the ringing of bells.

Life went on peacefully, but the Shen family's small courtyard was also full of troubles. Grandma's biggest worry was her eldest grandson Peihua's marriage.

Peihua is already twenty years old. Many young men his age in the village are already engaged, but because of his family's class background, no one dares to marry their daughter into the family.

In Pei Yin's eyes, her older brother is a very handsome young man, nearly 1.8 meters tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a very gentle personality. Although he is in adversity, he has been improving himself in various ways.

Several educated youths in the village had some books they brought from the city. Peihua often borrowed them and read them slowly in his spare time. After finishing reading, he would exchange reading experiences with Qi Xiangnan and the others. This exchange was very important. Peihua once told his father that reading a book on his own gives one feeling, but exchanging ideas with Qi Xiangnan and the others gives one a deeper understanding.

Mr. Shen was very pleased with his son's actions. The worst thing for a person is to become complacent and drift with the tide. While the environment one is in is important, one should not be swayed by it. One must never forget one's original aspirations; only in this way can one achieve one's goals.

No matter how outstanding her grandson is, it's all for naught if no one wants to marry him. In his grandmother's eyes, a man should settle down and start a family; otherwise, can he still be called a man?

Grandma quietly told Aunt Hua about her worries. Aunt Hua was also very troubled. Peihua was a really good young man. Not to mention the work in the fields, he was also very good at housework. Any girl who married him would be very lucky. But because of his family background, no one dared to marry into the Shen family.

Aunt Hua comforted Grandma, saying, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. Let's search slowly. Surely we can find a good girl to marry into our family?"

Grandma sighed and said, "Aunt Hua, I understand. Our Peihua has been ruined by his family background. If things continue like this, I won't be able to close my eyes in peace even when I die."

Aunt Hua said, "Sister-in-law, look at you, why are you saying such things? You're not that old, why are you talking about life and death? There are so many good girls in this area, we sincerely ask for a husband and we still can't find a good granddaughter-in-law?"

Grandma sighed again, said a few more words to Aunt Hua, and then headed home.

When she got home, she saw Mr. and Mrs. Shen packing their luggage. Grandma asked curiously, "Peihua's dad, weren't you working in the fields? Why are you back at this time? What are you doing with all this bedding?"

Mr. Shen said, “Mother, the commune received a notice from the county ordering us rightists to go to the region for training.”

Grandma's face turned pale instantly. She grabbed Shen's father's hand and said, "Shengsi, what are you going to study?"

Mr. Shen said, “Mother, it’s alright. This is a study trip for all the rightists in the region. I’ll be back in about ten days.”

Grandma was terrified that Shen's father would be criticized and denounced. Although the criticism and denunciation in Shenjia Village was just a formality, the criticism and denunciation that people from other villages had talked about was still very frightening. Many people had died as a result of criticism and denunciation.

Mr. Shen said, “Mother, don’t worry. I have elderly parents to care for and young children to raise. I will definitely live a good life.”

After the family quietly saw Shen's father off, the grandmother would often stop what she was doing and not know what she was thinking. After returning home from school, Shen's mother would also sometimes drift off into a daze.

Whenever she has free time, Pei-Yin chats and laughs with her grandmother and mother, asks them questions, or tells them gossip she's heard in the village. Pei-Yin thinks that doing this might ease their worries.

Pei Yin slept with Shen's mother in the east wing at night. After Shen's father left, Shen's mother would vomit every morning when she got up and didn't eat much. In just a few days, Shen's mother lost a lot of weight.

Grandma asked Shen's mother to go to Doctor Wang's house for a visit. Shen's mother didn't take it to heart, but Peiyin did. After dinner that night, when she had nothing else to do, she took Shen's mother out and went straight to Doctor Wang's house.

Walking along the road, Shen's mother said, "Oh dear, my little girl, what could possibly be wrong with me? I'm eating and sleeping well. I'm just a little worried about your father. They say all the rightists in the region are going to study together. I don't know if he'll get criticized and struggled against. And your father's health isn't good."

Peiyin said, "Mom, Dad is fine. Look at you, you've lost so much weight in just a few days. Let's go see Doctor Wang. If he has indigestion, we can ask him for some hawthorn pills. Mom, if Doctor Wang prescribes hawthorn pills for you, you have to give me some."

Shen's mother, both amused and exasperated, tapped Pei Yin's forehead and said, "You little glutton, that's medicine! You can't just eat it like that!"

After dinner, a lamp shaded by a shade was lit in Dr. Wang's small clinic, casting a dim yellow light. As soon as you entered the room, you could smell the kerosene. But many families in the village envied Dr. Wang's lamp shaded by a shade, because you could sew shoe soles without straining your eyes.

After listening to Shen's mother's description of her symptoms, Doctor Wang carefully examined her pulse, frowning and pondering for a long time. He examined her pulse again, but didn't say anything after finishing. He just frowned and pondered.

Pei Yin's heart jumped into her throat. She watched with trepidation as Dr. Wang examined her again and again without saying anything. Unable to contain herself any longer, she grabbed Dr. Wang's white coat and asked, "Grandpa Wang, what's wrong with my mother?" Her voice trembled.

Dr. Wang chuckled and said, "Little girl, you're so impatient! Your mother is fine, it's just that you're going to be a big sister."