Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Buy a House and Get a Hukou
Two more months had passed, and before they knew it, summer was almost upon them.
In the village, spirited young men would usually start to go bare-chested, while the girls who loved to look pretty began changing into skirts.
With changes in national policies, some quick-witted folks in the village also started to look for various ways to make money.
It was no longer like the past, where they could only rely on the fields for sustenance.
Those who had some spare cash became more adventurous with their thoughts.
Some heard that the government was planning to further liberalize policies, even considering allowing more rural people to move to cities to seek a livelihood.
Regarding such talk, some were hopeful, but more were skeptical.
After all, to this generation, there was a world of difference between city dwellers and villagers.
For more than a decade, the country had been strictly controlling population movement.
Apart from a few rare instances such as state land requisition, admission to higher education institutions, promotion to an officer after joining the military, and special policy consideration, it was very difficult to change one’s household registration from ‘agricultural’ to ‘non-agricultural’.
There were even regulations in some places a few years back that forbid peasants from entering county towns.
The saying “Leave the land but not the hometown, enter the factory but not the city” was prevalent.
It was only later that restrictions were gradually lifted, and village folks were finally allowed to work in cities.
Going to big hospitals in the city no longer required approval slips.freewebnσvel.cѳm
The disparity between urban and rural household registrations also created an inherent inequality between the two sides.
Children with rural household registrations found it very difficult to study in the city.
Unless they were willing to pay several times the tuition, becoming a commuter student like Yue Jiannan.
Many young men and women were originally in free-love relationships, but due to household registration issues, their love often ended without sickness or death.
Some rural girls, even under immense pressure, married into the city only to face relentless criticism from their in-laws, with a few even committing suicide over this.
Thus, when the news that the government was considering ways to bring many rural people into the city was heard, the village elders were dismissive.
They bluntly lectured the younger generation, “Don’t be so naive at every rumor. I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice. Rather than daydreaming, you might as well check on the crops in the field.”
The Yue Family heard the news too, but it didn’t cause much of a stir.
After all, their lives were getting better and better, and they hadn’t thought of squeezing into the city.
Lin Chunju, however, took the initiative to ask Yue Jiandong, “Big brother, have you heard about those rumors?”
As a businessman, Yue Jiandong had a wide range of information sources.
He was much more sensitive to these policies than others.
“I’ve heard some, and it’s said that there’s a lot of construction in the city lacking labor, so they want to find a way to bring in more people.”
Lin Chunju asked further, “What exactly are they planning to do?”
Yue Jiandong speculated, “I recently saw a particular area being designated, with no specific use announced; they just released a planning diagram. There are rumors that these houses are specifically for us country folks, and if you buy a house, you’ll get an urban household registration.”
Whether or not this type of household registration was actually the same as that of city residents remained to be seen.
Yue Jiandong was just guessing based on the information he had, and it might not be true.
Lin Chunju narrowed her eyes, pondering something.
Seeing his mother’s expression, Yue Jiandong was startled.
“Mom, you’re not really thinking about moving to the city, are you?”
Lin Chunju countered with a question, “Why not?”
Yue Jiandong scratched his head, “But our life here is pretty good as it is.”
“Our life might be good now, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t aspire for better. They say people aim for higher places and water flows to lower ground. Have you ever thought about why everyone dreams of moving to the city?”
Yue Jiandong certainly knew, “In the past, you could get food rations in the city, and anything fashionable also spread from there. But now our family is well-fed and clothed, and we can afford things like refrigerators and color TVs.”
“But as the children are growing up day by day, have you ever thought about their future? Do you plan to let them learn just a few characters in the village school and call it a day?”