Literary Master 1978

Watching Banmei riding away on his bicycle, Lin Chaoyang also rode his bicycle eastward and turned two corners to Mianhua Hutong.

After entering the yard, he first put away the things he had just collected. Then he skillfully lit the earthen boiler in the main room. When the fire in the furnace became strong, he went out and took the bus to the train station. The old couple Lin Erchun would arrive in Yanjing on the train at noon today.

After waiting in front of the train station for more than an hour, Lin Chaoyang met Lin Erchun and his wife who were carrying large and small bags.

"Why are you taking so many things again? We don't lack anything here."

"Won't it go bad if you leave it at home for a winter? You are the only one who talks too much when you take something."

Lin Erchun's tone was impatient. He didn't even plan to come to Yanjing, but Lin Chaoyang kept urging him with one letter after another.

"Look at your attitude. I asked you to come to Yanjing to enjoy life, not to suffer. Don't think about the farm work."

In December 1978, one night during the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, 18 farmers from Xiaogang Production Team in Fengyang County, Anhui Province gathered in a thatched house and wrote a note.

The note reads: We divide the land among households, and the heads of each household sign and seal. If we are capable in the future, each household guarantees to complete the annual public grain payment and no longer ask the state for money or grain. If we fail, we cadres are willing to go to jail or beheaded, and all members guarantee to raise our children until they are 18 years old.

Then they pressed 17 red handprints and 3 seals on the note with the courage of sacrificing themselves, representing the 20 households in the team.

In 1978, this move was undoubtedly a great defiance, and it was also a brave and even great feat.

The following year, the threshing ground of Xiaogang Village was golden. According to measurement, the total grain output of the whole team that year reached 66 tons, which was equivalent to the total grain output of the whole team from 1966 to 1970, which fully demonstrated the superiority of the distribution of land to households.

Soon, Xiaogang Village's move, which was against the will of the world, reached the ears of the top leaders of the province, and was highly recognized and widely spread by the official media.

However, the road to China's rural reform was not smooth sailing. Despite the successful case of Xiaogang Village, there has been no final conclusion in the country in the past two years on whether to distribute land to households.

Both the official and the private sectors are cautious about this decision that may affect the future trend of China's reform and development.

Until the second half of this year, the wind that had accumulated for two years seemed to suddenly become fierce. Discussions on "distributing land to households", "contracting output to households", and "household contract responsibility system" in various media were rampant, and the public response was also extremely enthusiastic. Many local officials also publicly voiced their support for reform in official media.

All this indicates that the rural reform that determines the future and destiny of China seems to have ushered in the fate of blossoming and bearing fruit.

In recent years, the news about the division of land has been spreading like wildfire, and the remote Xiaoyangtun has also been blown by this wind. The members have no intention of working at all, and they study the division of land every day.

Lin Erchun has been the production team leader for nearly 20 years. Naturally, he does not want such a change to happen, but what can he do in such a national event?

The people's hearts are scattered, and it is difficult to lead the team.

After being the team leader for nearly 20 years, Lin Erchun felt this deep sense of powerlessness for the first time.

It was not easy to get through this year's autumn harvest, and I don't know what the rules will be in the spring of next year. Lin Chaoyang urged him to return to Yanjing at this time. Lin Erchun was naturally worried about Xiaoyangtun and was upset.

Listening to Lin Chaoyang's words, he said angrily: "Don't think you are successful now! Without the production team and the collective, can you grow up to be such a great writer now?"

Lin Chaoyang was scolded by him and looked at Zhang Guiqin helplessly, "What's the matter?"

"Don't pay attention to him. Those who know him think he is a production team leader, and those who don't know him think he is a state government official."

In the past few months, Lin Erchun was as restless as a donkey, and Zhang Guiqin was angry with him a lot. Now that she has her son to support her in Yanjing, she is not afraid now.

After arguing all the way and sitting on the bus for a while, Lin Erchun noticed the scenery outside the window and asked: "Chaoyang, isn't this the way to your home?"

"Let's go directly to Mianhua Hutong, everything is cleaned up there, and I'll light the stove for you."

After getting off the bus and walking a few hundred meters, the three of them came to the front of the small courtyard.

"Oh, it's really changed!" Before entering the courtyard, Zhang Guiqin looked at the brand new courtyard gate and exclaimed.

After entering the courtyard, she was full of joy and kept praising.

"What's so good about it? Isn't it just the courtyard of the landlord's family?" Lin Erchun muttered.

The old man was upset and didn't like anything.

After entering the main house, the windows were bright and clean, the coal blocks in the furnace of the earthen boiler were burning, and the warm air was mixed with a faint smell of coal smoke.

"This room is really warm!"

After entering the house for only one or two minutes, Zhang Guiqin turned around and felt a little hot before taking a closer look.

"There is a radiator in the room, and the doors and windows are new. It is much warmer than at home. If you stay in the room for a while, you will feel hot even if you wear a sweater."

Zhang Guiqin touched the radiator curiously and felt the warmth on her hands. She said happily: "This thing is really good. With this thing, I won't be afraid of the cold in winter."

As the mother and son were talking, there was a clanging sound from the boiler. It turned out that Lin Erchun had opened the cover of the furnace.

"What are you doing?" Lin Chaoyang asked.

Lin Erchun glanced into the furnace and cursed: "What a waste! Just burn the coals like this!"

Lin Chaoyang was completely speechless. With Comrade Erchun's current temper, even a dog in the alley would be kicked if it passed by.

"This is not for you to dry the house. The coals are all outside. You can burn them however you like from now on."

"This cabinet is really nice. It looks like it's made of good materials."

Zhang Guiqin's hand patted the pair of Duobao pavilions that Lin Chaoyang had taken back from Long Shuncheng, with several pieces of porcelain placed on them.

"Mom!" Lin Chaoyang hurriedly stopped her, "These are all antiques from my collection, please be gentle!"

Zhang Guiqin looked at the Duobao Pavilion in front of her, "Is this cabinet an antique?"

"They are all, and so are the bottles and jars above."

"Are these the same?" Zhang Guiqin looked surprised, "What's the use of this thing?"

"It's for collection and will increase in value in the future."

Lin Erchun squinted his eyes, "I burned you with two coins! I think you look like an antique!"

Lin Chaoyang ignored him and pulled Zhang Guiqin to explain the origin of these antiques to her.

After listening to Lin Chaoyang's words, she looked at those things with a bit of fear, fearing that they might accidentally touch them. She complained: "Why do you think you are so good at stuffing these things into the house? As soon as you leave. Once they pass, you have to watch out for them, and you won’t feel at ease even if you walk along the road.”

"The house is so big that you can't touch it when walking normally."

After leading the old couple to get familiar with the yard, Lin Chaoyang looked at his watch. It was almost time for Tao Yushu to finish school.

Just as I was thinking about it, there was a roar of a motorcycle engine outside the hospital.

After a while, Tao Yushu entered the courtyard. When he saw Lin Erchun and his wife, their faces were full of smiles, and he apologized and explained that he had classes this morning.

"It's okay, it's okay, class is important. University classes are so busy, so we can't delay them!" Lin Erchun said with a smile.

Lin Chaoyang looked at the cheap smile on his old father's face and realized that academic discrimination was a disgusting habit.

Are college students amazing?

Who isn’t a college student anymore? In two months, I will also be a certified college graduate.

After chatting for a while, Lin Chaoyang made arrangements to go out for dinner.

"Why go out and spend that money? Let's just do something ourselves. There are so many guys at home." Zhang Guiqin said.

Lin Chaoyang and his wife prepared a lot of things for the courtyard. There was no shortage of rice, flour, grain and oil, but there was no food. Zhang Guiqin took Tao Yushu to buy vegetables.

After leaving the courtyard, she saw the motorcycle at the door. Zhang Guiqin asked: "Whose motorcycle is parked here?"

Tao Yushu's face showed a bit of embarrassment, "Mom, Chaoyang bought this for me."

Zhang Guiqin looked surprised. She wanted to ask how much it cost, but then she thought that her daughter-in-law might think too much about it, so she smiled and said, "Okay, this motorcycle is really nice."

"Yushu, is the vegetable market far from here? Why don't you take me there on this horse."

Tao Yushu was feeling anxious. When she heard Zhang Guiqin's words, she felt much more relaxed and happily responded: "Okay!"

The two of them went out for more than half an hour before returning. Zhang Guiqin said tremblingly: "Everything about this motorcycle is good, but riding it in winter is too painful."

After lunch, Lin Erchun and his wife walked around the yard again. Zhang Guiqin said, "The place is too big. How can we live in such a big yard just for the two of us?"

"It's okay. Mom, there are two guest rooms in the west wing. Yushu's cousin occasionally comes to stay. There is also a room for both of us in the east wing. If you feel it is empty, we can stay here for a few days."

Hearing what Lin Chaoyang said, Lin Erchun scolded Zhang Guiqin, "You are given such a big house to live in, why are you being pretentious?"

Tao Yushu also noticed Lin Erchun's abnormal mood and quietly asked Lin Chaoyang what was going on. Lin Chaoyang explained the reason to her.

"It'll be fine after waiting for a while. If he doesn't accept the matter of dividing the land, he won't be stupid for a day."

Tao Yushu nodded in understanding.

After dinner, Tao Yushu talked about what happened to her at school today.

Originally, when Lin Erchun and his wife came here, she wanted to take leave to go to the train station, but the teacher in the department came to talk to her about graduation assignments, so she couldn't get out.

For today's college students, being assigned a job after college is almost like opening a blind box. Except for a very small number of people who take postgraduate entrance examinations and stay in school, most people only know that they will definitely be assigned to work back in their hometown.

Tao Yushu had the honor of being approached by her teacher to discuss assignments, mainly because of her excellent results in four years of college.

After studying for four years, Tao Yushu ranked first in the Chinese Department of YNU in almost every semester, and was the favorite of many professors and lecturers in the department.

Tao Yushu did not prepare for the postgraduate examination before, which made these teachers very regretful.

What a great scholar, but he didn't continue his studies.

Graduation is approaching, and the teachers are eager for Tao Yushu to stay in school. With Tao Yushu's academic diligence and studiousness, it will only take a few years for Tao Yushu to become the backbone of the Chinese Department of Yan Normal University and a rare addition to the school. Got the talent.

"Teacher Wang said that the school hopes that I can stay in school. He said that if I am willing to stay in school, they can help me solve the housing problem next year."

Lin Chaoyang thought about it and realized that he must have met the teacher Tao Yushu mentioned and had drinks with him.

"We don't need to consider the housing issue. If you like to stay in school and work, then we will stay in school." Lin Chaoyang said.

Tao Yushu was entangled, "I haven't thought about it. The environment of our school is really good, and I'm a little used to it after four years. But Dening said before that she wanted me to go to her unit..."

"Oh, by the way, I almost forgot about it. Can their unit have a say in the allocation?"

Tao Yushu and his class are the first batch of college students after the resumption of the college entrance examination. Both the country and the school attach great importance to them.

After enrollment, they have paid study, unit allowances, and scholarships. Now that they are about to graduate, these college students have become popular. Central ministries, government agencies at all levels, and state-owned factories have all opened their arms to welcome them.

Before graduation, the Education Commission, in conjunction with various departments of the country, formulates an allocation plan based on the employment needs of state-owned enterprises, government agencies, and institutions, and then distributes it to various universities. The universities recommend suitable candidates based on the allocation plan.

Among them, the Education Commission and the school, as the head and tail, have the heaviest say, and the other units basically have no say.

"Yenjing Literature" is a publication under the Yanjing Municipal Bureau of Culture. It is not difficult to ask for one or two college students, but it is not easy to ask for students from Yanjing Normal University by name.

"It should be no problem. The main distribution direction of our department is party and government agencies at all levels, news and literature institutions and education positions. Going to "Yenjing Literature" also meets the regulations."

Hearing her say this, Lin Chaoyang asked: "Have you made up your mind?"

"It's useless for me to decide. I have to get the school's consent." Tao Yushu said.

Lin Chaoyang nodded.

While the two of them were talking, Lin Erchun and Zhang Guiqin listened quietly.

The old couple also heard that their daughter-in-law was about to graduate. The school wanted her to stay in school, and the magazine wanted her to be an editor. This college student is popular, and units are scrambling for him.

"Yushu, you just said that your school can also enter government agencies?" Lin Erchun asked.

"Yes. If nothing unexpected happens, half of our class should have to enter government agencies. I heard that the government is scrambling to ask the school for people."

"Then it's better to go to government agencies!" Lin Erchun said.

Zhang Guiqin immediately said, "Children can go wherever they want. Do you think everyone is like you, obsessed with power?"

"Why am I obsessed with power? What's wrong with Yushu joining the government? Being a state official is respectable!"

"Yushu, don't listen to his nonsense. Being a teacher is good. There are winter and summer vacations!"

The old couple argued, neither of them gave in.

Lin Chaoyang and his wife looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.