He Erniu really thought things through, she prepared everything. If she were to leave and not return ho, then soone like Liu Zhi wouldn’t be able to find her.
Anning smiled slightly. If you don’t say He Erniu is shrewd, who would?
But He Erniu has never hard anyone. She’s planning for herself, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Anning wouldn’t say much about it. Anning thought for a while and then said to He Erniu, "Why don’t you go to the Capital."
"What?"
He Erniu was a bit confused, "Why should I go to the Capital?"
Anning said, "You don’t want to do manual labor all your life, right? You have to plan well. If you work in a factory in the south, the work intensity is high, and besides sleeping and eating, I’m afraid you won’t have ti for anything else. It would be better to go to the Capital. The cultural and political atmosphere there is thicker than in the south. You could find a well-educated family to work as a nanny, work during the day, and learn things at night. If you find a family with an old professor, that’s even better. If there’s sothing you can’t learn, you can ask them. After working in the Capital for a few years, you can save so money, and maybe even attend night school to get a degree or sothing, so you’ll have more opportunities for whatever you want to do in the future. When the country’s policies are more open, you’ll be more knowledgeable, having learned a lot, you can start sothing on your own, or look for a different job."
She thought for a bit and suggested again, "If you could learn a foreign language, that would be even better. Just being an interpreter for foreigners visiting the Capital would allow you to save quite a bit of money."
He Erniu had never considered this.
She just wanted to earn so money to survive and not suffer at ho. It wouldn’t be bad if her mother didn’t marry her off to so cripple or deaf person, but she hadn’t thought that Anning would think things through so thoroughly.
Anning smiled at He Erniu, "No matter when, anyone might betray you, but the skills you learn will never betray you. Once you learn them, they are yours, and they’re more reliable than how much money you have."
He Erniu is a smart girl.
She just hasn’t broadened her horizons, she’s not stupid.
Anning had indicated this much, and she understood.
"Okay."
She smiled, "Then I’ll go to the Capital. If I can’t find work as a nanny, I can always do so odd jobs for people. With my hands and feet, I won’t starve."
"Wish you a smooth journey."
Anning said with a smile.
She watched He Erniu leave, and only then did Anning enter the school gate.
As soon as she went in, Wu Fanfan pulled her aside, "Anning, what did that woman say to you? Did she threaten you?"
Anning shook her head with a smile, "No, she was just going out to work and ca to say goodbye."
"Going out to work, huh."
Wu Fanfan said as she walked to the classroom with Anning, "That might be hard, my mom said people working outside go through a lot, and she says nowhere is better than staying at ho."
Anning smiled and said, "It’s probably pretty tough, but it’s not our concern, we’re still students now."
As they talked, they reached the entrance of Class 1, waved each other goodbye, and entered the classroom.
Zhang Heping and Secretary An hurried to Fenggou Village.
They found out where Xiao Heizi’s house was, but didn’t dare to go in.
They were afraid of running into Xiangling and blurting out the truth about recognition.
Secretary An found a kid from the village, gave the child a few coins, and asked him to call Xiao Heizi and his wife to the small store at the village entrance.
The kid’s family had a good relationship with Xiao Heizi’s family and knew that Xiao Heizi and his wife wouldn’t be ho at this ti; they were busy with the winter irrigation for the wheat in the fields.
The child ran to the fields at Xiao’s house and found Xiao Heizi and his wife.
After delivering the ssage, the child happily ran to the store to buy candy.
Xiao Heizi was a bit puzzled, who would suddenly look for him?
Besides, they could just find him at ho, why did they send a ssage?
But he wasn’t afraid. After all, this was his village, and he had a good relationship with the family running the store, who could do anything to him here?
Xiao Heizi and Sister Xu packed up and went to the small store.
By the ti they arrived, Zhang Heping and Secretary An were chatting with the store owner’s wife.
Upon seeing Xiao Heizi and his wife, Secretary An almost didn’t recognize them.
The couple had aged, and looked so different from when they were young that she didn’t dare to admit it at first.
Xiao Heizi patted the dirt off himself and walked up front, "Are you the ones looking for us?"
Zhang Heping recognized him, "Yes, Brother Xiao, not sure if you still recognize us?"
Xiao Heizi scrutinized Zhang Heping, not recognizing him right away.
Instead, Sister Xu recognized Secretary An. She pointed at Secretary An, "It’s you, it’s you..."
Secretary An smiled at the store owner’s wife, "Sister, could you find us an empty room and make us a few dishes?"
She handed over ten dollars, "Take this."
In the countryside, ten dollars was a lot, enough for quite a few dishes.
The store owner’s wife happily accepted it and tidied up a room at her place.
The four entered the room.
The store also sold so ats, and the owner’s wife cut up so pig ears and cooked a few dishes before bringing them in.
Afterwards, she thoughtfully closed the door.
Secretary An then pointed to the dishes on the table, inviting Xiao Heizi and Sister Xu, "Brother, sister-in-law, let’s eat first and talk while we eat."
Xiao Heizi nodded in agreent and ate a few bites.
Sister Xu, however, didn’t have the appetite for food.
Zhang Heping was silent for a mont before he said, "Over the years, we’ve searched many places but couldn’t find anyone. I never expected that after more than thirty years we’d find brother and sister-in-law."
Xiao Heizi also sighed, "There’s nothing we could do. It was chaotic back then, sothing happened at our place, and we had no choice but to take the child and wander everywhere. You couldn’t find us, and we couldn’t find you. After so many years without seeing anyone, I thought you had passed away."
He was a straightforward man, saying whatever was on his mind, without thinking whether it was appropriate or not.
Sister Xu tugged at him, but Xiao Heizi ignored him.
He took out his hand-rolled tobacco, lit it, and took a few puffs, "You want to reconnect with the child."
Secretary An nodded vigorously, "We didn’t dare go to your house, afraid we might say sothing the child wouldn’t accept, so we thought to call you out first to discuss it."
Sister Xu turned away and wiped her tears, "Discuss what, talk about what? The child knows, we didn’t keep it from her. Once she was old enough to understand, we told her she wasn’t ours."
At this, Sister Xu couldn’t help but start sobbing, "I regret telling her now. She’s thoughtful, knowing she’s not ours, she never wants to trouble us. After marrying off, she endured grievances alone at her in-laws, never telling us. She’d co ho with a smile and say everything was fine. Who would’ve known my daughter had two babies, both were killed by that old witch."
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