Chapter 1333: Application

Liu Lai returned to the village carrying his things, now it was already past three. He went home, started the fire, then poured out a pound of wine, thinking he’d go to Liu Laoda’s house for dinner tonight, that way he could see his son. Actually, Liu Lai’s house is really nice, thanks to his two friends who focused on building it. Although it’s not a brick house, the foundation below is made of stones. The roof is also tiled.

Despite Liu Lai’s usual scruffiness, his home is quite clean. The kang was heated, he sat down and ate a piece of sweet potato, knowing there wouldn’t be much to eat at Liu Laoda’s house, mainly because he wanted to see his son.

This way, Liu Lai visited Liu Laoda’s house once every few days, the Liu Family already knew the reason, and they were used to it.

Liu Lai also goes to the city for a few days, doing speculative and profiteering business with two friends, he earns money each time.

Du Fengying didn’t know about this situation, she’s still moving around every day, actually Doctor Xie once told her that to give birth naturally, she must endure certain hardships now.

She is scared, now she’s got a man who loves her, a happy family, and a child in her belly, she’s certainly afraid. So she never skips the ten thousand steps a day.

Everybody’s living their lives quietly, only Pan Xiaoying is now filled with regret.

It’s because the man who wanted to marry her knew she was in Liu Family Village, that’s why he stopped paying attention to her.

Turns out he was looking for her just wanting to go to Li Family Village. Pan Xiaoying coldly laughs inside, luckily she didn’t exchange the quota for a thousand yuan.

She finally saw the man’s true face. Who says only women deploy beauty tricks? Who says only women sell themselves for benefits?

Men are no different. Yet Pan Xiaoying is genuinely frustrated. It’s fortunate she didn’t end up with him, otherwise, who knows what her future would be like.

Moreover, Pan Xiaoying regrets coming to Liu Family Village.

Here it can’t compare to the peace of Li Family Village, a bunch of half-grown lads loitering all day. They frequently visit the Zhiqing point as well.

The female Zhiqing don’t dare go out alone, and these days they also discovered that the grain allocation in Liu Family Village isn’t as much as Li Family Village.

Nothing feels smooth anywhere. Yang Xiuqin must be flourishing, right?

But thinking about her thousand yuan, Pan Xiaoying considers it her only consolation.

In the Zhiqing point at Li Family Village, everyone gets along well, the cellar has been cleaned up, and they pooled money to buy three hundred catties of cabbage, rationing carefully they can last till the New Year.

This day Tao Chunhe came visiting. Yang Xiuqin only then realizes this is the person who hadn’t yet arrived but had a new house built for them.

Tao Chunhe also met Yang Xiuqin, noting she was much better than that Pan Xiaoying. The two introduced themselves to each other, not saying anything more.

"Why didn’t you buy potatoes?"

"Life must be lived precisely." Shen Youjun said with a smile.

Tao Chunhe laughed, with no one she disliked there anymore, she can visit often now.

"Tao Zhiqing, do you have news about going home?" Shen Youjun couldn’t help but ask.

The others overheard it. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Tao Chunhe.

"No, when we came, our families told us we wouldn’t be able to go home in three to five years, that’s why we built houses."

"Three to five years?" Everyone was quite disappointed.

"Actually this place is quite nice. I think it’s just a matter of mindset. Do you think life at home is better than here? Or do you find going to work easier than here?"

Faced with Tao Chunhe’s question, everyone was stunned.

Yeah, going back, will it necessarily be better than here? At work, you only get two days off a month, regardless of holidays.

But here, you work just half a year, like Shen Youjun, he got a hundred and eighty bucks this year. Plus, this much grain. If calculated over six months, that’s thirty bucks a month.

Moreover, life here is lighter than at work, truly lighter.

Thinking about going home is probably just about missing family.

Yang Xiuqin laughed, "Right. After all, Tao Zhiqing’s right, we’re just affected."

"Actually, if we miss our family, we can apply for family leave, right?"

"But the time off would be wasted on the journey, hardly staying home for long."

They’ve thought about taking leave to visit home. But it really doesn’t work.

No one spoke again. Almost all are from the South. It truly is too far.

"Could we do something similar to Lv Zhiqing and the others? We could ask for an extra two months’ leave, otherwise, we’re stuck here through winter."

"I think we should talk to the Zhiqing office, rules are dead, people are alive. Our situation is different from other places."

"Alright, let’s contact other Zhiqing."

Tao Chunhe shook her head, "You’re naive. Do you know what the village chief despises? It’s when Zhiqing band together to make something happen.

Actually, the idea is fine, but our village’s Zhiqing can manage ourselves, no need to involve other villages. I’m telling you, many will have similar ideas.

We’d better not organize anything. It’ll be bad for us."

The few listened to Tao Chunhe and nodded.

"Let’s write a request, then everyone press their fingerprints, and when there’s time, we’ll submit it to the Zhiqing office."

Tao Chunhe wanted to go home to see, definitely not possible this year. But if they can get two more months’ leave over here, then it could work.

Gosh now what’s home like, Grandpa and Dad and Mom at home only share good news, not bad.

Actually, ever since Grandpa agreed to the Yang Family’s affairs, Tao Chunhe knew things at home were probably not going well.

He’s not happy inside, feeling he’s compromising his sister’s happiness for the family’s safety, this made him feel very incapable.

Shen Youjun took action immediately. He brought out papers and pens, everyone contributed ideas. Everybody participated in the application.

"But we’re still missing Lv Zhiqing siblings and Zhao Zhiqing, they’re not here. It wouldn’t be proper to leave them out, right?

Xu would undoubtedly agree, I’ll go find them to sign later."

"First, come to my house, let my sister and cousin sign too."

The application was well-written, rich with compelling appeal.

"I’ll take it to the Zhiqing office tomorrow." Yang Xiuqin voluntarily offered.

Tao Chunhe looked at her in surprise, rarely do female comrades show such enthusiasm.

"No need, Shen Youjun and I will do it together, so write down whatever you need us to bring back."

Yang Xiuqin laughed softly, not insisting, just thinking she should demonstrate. Since it’s not needed, well, whatever, avoiding trouble.

The two went together to find Xu Chunshan and his wife, and they agreed as well. Then Tao YanZhen and Wang Menglin also signed and fingerprinted. The application was thus complete, just waiting to be submitted.