After having their meal, the two younger ones cleaned up the dishes while Yun Xiaoxiao took out a dictionary, a pencil sharpener, some pencils, and a Rubik’s cube.
"Come, come, I got you these learning materials. Take a look."
"I found this dictionary at the junk station because you can’t buy it at the Cooperative, and as for these other things, some were bought at the Cooperative and others from a peddler."
"Mom, what is this?" It had several sides, each a different color.
"It’s a Rubik’s cube. You can twist it, and after mixing up the colors, you return it so each side is the same."
"This is a pencil and a pencil sharpener, ....."
Yun Xiaoxiao explained while demonstrating.
"Mom, that must have cost a lot?"
Dad had gone out. Had he left any money for mom?
"Not expensive. Starting today, you two must practice your writing diligently. Next year, I’ll send you to school. You’ll learn many things you didn’t know before, like 1+1=2, and much more....."
The children, sensitive about their jaundiced tongues, dared not go out. One practiced writing while the other played with the Rubik’s cube, taking turns.
It must be said, after getting that Rubik’s cube, it truly captured their attention.
Next door at Li Laosan’s house.
That widow’s family, seeing Li Laosan was not forthcoming with the money, immediately brought her son over to demand it.
They didn’t care that Li Cuixia, from Li Laosan’s household, had drowned herself and her body hadn’t been found.
But how could Li Laosan possibly have three hundred yuan?
"You make a fuss, your widow slept with my son. If you bring this to town, they’ll both be arrested. It will affect your grandsons too. I’ve heard that having a relative in prison can prevent children from being able to study," Li Laosan had inquired extensively about this issue.
He was actually worried the widow’s family would create a scene.
Now, as for that dead girl Cuihua, who knew where she had ended up?
The family was too poor to come up with three hundred yuan.
Not long ago, the family of the oldest son’s wife had come over and smashed some things. Some valuable items in the house had been broken.
Now that the widow’s family was causing a disturbance, he was like a dead pig not afraid of boiling water.
How could the widow’s in-laws be satisfied? Their daughter-in-law had been tainted, and now there was no resolution.
The team leader came over and also felt a headache watching this scene unfold.
Li Laosan’s in-laws had come over to smash things, and now they were smashing things again.
Still, from Li Laosan, they extorted one hundred yuan, especially since the team leader mentioned that having a relative in prison really could affect the children’s education. He dared not seriously send them to jail.
Originally, Brother Li’s former father-in-law had also wanted to make a fuss, wanting to send Brother Li and the widow to jail, but he worried about the children from both families not being able to study. Angry, they had smashed the Li Family’s home.
The widow was directly driven out by her in-laws. Unable to return to her maternal home, she simply came to the Li Family to become a wife and mixed up with Brother Li.
"Educated Youth Yun, Educated Youth Yun..."
Yun Xiaoxiao saw someone was knocking at the door; it was the little sister-in-law.
"Sister-in-law, please come in and sit."
The little sister-in-law’s eyes sparkled; today, she had come to gossip.
"Educated Youth Yun, I heard someone saw Li Cuixia in town."
The little sister-in-law was from the neighboring team and knew Li Cuixia.
Moreover, Li Cuixia used to be Cao Dali’s ex-girlfriend.
Cao Dali was close friends with Zhao Laosan.
"Wasn’t it said that Li Cuixia jumped into the river?" Yun Xiaoxiao was quite shocked and poured a glass of water for the little sister-in-law, adding a spoonful of white sugar.
"Oh, Educated Youth Yun, you don’t have to be so formal; water is fine."