The day after Lu Jingfeng returned to the provincial capital, he began calling in favors.
He first went to see the Cigarette Factory’s deputy director. The deputy director had some connections with the Education Bureau, but after hearing him out, he shook his head. “Jingfeng, the secondary technical school slots were settled long ago this year. The people recommended by the commune were submitted at the beginning of July. You’re asking too late.”
Lu Jingfeng then went to see a military leader. After leaving the army, that man had become a staff member in a government office. He helped make inquiries, but the reply was essentially the same: the slots were tight, the timing was too late, and there was no way to squeeze in.
He ran around for three days straight. There was nothing unusual on Lu Jingfeng’s face, but Wang Xiulan could tell. Every day, her son ate faster than usual as soon as he got home, and the moment he put down his bowl, he would rush out again.
“Jingfeng, can’t you rest for a day? You’ve nearly worn through the soles of your shoes.”
“I can’t rest. This can’t be delayed.”
Wang Xiulan angrily pointed her chopsticks at him. “Look at your bicycle chain—it’s already loose! What difference would taking two days off make?”
Lu Jingfeng grabbed a steamed bun and headed outside. “Mom, the start of the school year is right in front of us. If I don’t run around now, it’ll be too late once their door is closed and I go knocking.”
Wang Xiulan chased him to the gate. “Your bicycle!”
But he was already riding away.
Zhao Shoutian was busy on his end as well. As soon as Lu Jingfeng left, Zhao Shoutian went to Commune Middle School to see the principal and submitted Zhao Shuhe’s name for the school’s recommendation list. Although the principal had said that the slots for this year were basically settled, once Zhao Shoutian mentioned the Lu family in the provincial capital, the school also helped send her documents up the chain.
“I can’t guarantee that it’ll work,” the principal said, “but sending up the documents is better than not sending them.”
Zhao Shoutian nodded. “All right. Submit them first.”
In the provincial capital, Lu Jingfeng spent five days running around without getting anywhere. Wang Xiulan couldn’t stand watching any longer, so she said to Lu Changxiong over dinner, “Are you really going to sit there and watch your son run all over the city without helping him?”
Lu Changxiong put down his newspaper. “I’m thinking of someone.”
“Who?”
“Old Zhou.” Lu Changxiong was referring to Zhou Desheng, his former superior at the government office before he retired. These days, Old Zhou held a sinecure at the Provincial Department of Education. He no longer handled specific affairs, but he still had his connections.
Early the next morning, Lu Changxiong went out. When he returned in the afternoon, his face was full of uncertainty.
Wang Xiulan hurried to ask, “What did he say?”
“Old Zhou helped ask around at the Provincial Capital Industrial Secondary School. There really is one program that hasn’t filled its enrollment yet: English.”
“English?” Wang Xiulan asked, puzzled.
“Yes, the foreign-language program,” Lu Changxiong said. “Old Zhou said the province is desperately short of English translators, so the Provincial Capital Normal Secondary School[1]In a school’s name, “normal” traditionally means teacher-training; a secondary normal school was a teacher-training institution below university level. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3733458_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3733458_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); opened this subject specifically for recruitment. There are plenty of applicants, but once they take the exam, most of them are eliminated. A lot of them simply don’t know any English and can’t answer the questions.”
Wang Xiulan felt that something was off. “What does that have to do with us? Shuhe is a girl from some mountain backwater. Where could she have learned English? Commune Middle School in Qinghe County doesn’t look like the kind of place that could afford an English teacher.”
Lu Changxiong nodded as well. “That’s what I thought.”
“Then why did you even bring it up?” Wang Xiulan rolled her eyes.
“Old Zhou said that this program doesn’t look at recommendations or family background. As long as the applicant passes the examination on site and has no problems in the political screening[2]For school admission in this period, political screening could involve reviewing an applicant’s personal record and family background, not just academic ability. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3733458_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3733458_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, she can enroll. So far, ten people have passed, all children of cadres who had the opportunity to study English from an early age. But if our future daughter-in-law has a foundation in English, they can organize another examination.”
Wang Xiulan shook her head. “What good would that do? Those children of cadres secretly hired people to teach them from the time they were little. How could she possibly compete with them?”
Lu Changxiong didn’t have much hope either. After telling Lu Jingfeng about it, he left the decision to his son.
After hearing him out, Lu Jingfeng knew that this was the only opportunity available at the moment, and he didn’t want to let it pass. “I’ll call Shuhe and ask her.”
Wang Xiulan said, “What are you going to ask? Can Commune Middle School in Qinghe County teach English?”
“I’ll ask first. What if she can?”
Wang Xiulan muttered, “You and your ‘what if.’ Go ahead and try your what-if.”
Lu Jingfeng rode to the post office and called the Qinghe County commune.
The phone rang for quite a while before someone answered. “Hello, Qinghe County Commune.”
“Comrade, hello. I’m looking for Zhao Shuhe, the daughter of Zhao Shoutian from Xiaoshitou Village.”
There was a brief pause on the other end. “Zhao Shoutian’s daughter? The Zhao girl that the section chief from the provincial capital took a fancy to?”
Lu Jingfeng hadn’t expected word of his affair to have spread so widely. He gave an embarrassed little cough. “Yes, that’s her.”
“Oh, all right. She isn’t at the commune. We’ll have to send someone to call her. How about this: call back in two hours, and we’ll notify her to come here.”
“All right. Thank you for your trouble, Comrade.”
Lu Jingfeng hung up. With nowhere else to go, he stood waiting outside the post office.
The two hours seemed endless. He walked several laps around the area, read the old newspapers on the bulletin board twice, and even memorized the entire price list at the sweet-water stall.
At last, the time came. He went back inside and called again.
This time, someone answered quickly. A woman’s voice came over the line. “Hello?”
It was Zhao Shuhe.
Hearing her voice, Lu Jingfeng inexplicably felt a little more at ease. “Shuhe, it’s me, Lu Jingfeng.”
“I know. The people at the commune told me.” Zhao Shuhe sounded slightly out of breath; she had most likely run all the way there.
Lu Jingfeng quickly explained the situation. “Here’s what happened. My father asked around at the Provincial Capital Normal Secondary School, and the only program with places left is English. They don’t look at recommendations. You only need to pass the examination on site. The condition is that you have a foundation in English and can pass the test.”
There was no reply from the other end.
Thinking Zhao Shuhe was upset, Lu Jingfeng comforted her. “I know the schools over there have limited resources. It’s all right if you haven’t studied it. We’ll think of another way…”
“I can do it,” Zhao Shuhe quickly said.
Lu Jingfeng froze. “What?”
“I said I can do it. I know English. It’s not that I don’t understand anything.”
Lu Jingfeng didn’t quite know how to react. “You… studied English? Where did you learn it?”
Zhao Shuhe hurriedly added, “The school taught us a little, and I read some books on my own.”
She wasn’t lying. English was indeed included in those courses, from the basics to advanced material. Over the past few months, she had studied the lessons in her mind every night. English was the subject she had studied the most. After all, she already had a foundation in the other subjects, whereas English was completely new to her, so it had taken the most time.
Lu Jingfeng was still somewhat uneasy. “Shuhe, this exam won’t be easy. They said the ten people who passed were all children of cadres who had been exposed to English since primary school.”
Zhao Shuhe said firmly, “Jingfeng, thank you for running around so much for me. Please believe me and let me try.”
Lu Jingfeng could tell that she wasn’t just putting on a brave front. When this girl said she could do something, she genuinely believed she could accomplish it.
“All right! Then set out tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes. The sooner, the better. First, go to the brigade and get an introduction letter. You won’t be able to leave the commune without one. Have your Third Brother come with you. I wouldn’t feel at ease with you traveling so far alone.”
Zhao Shuhe answered from the other end, “All right. I’ll tell my family as soon as I get back.”
“When you reach the provincial capital, don’t panic. Our address is 85 People’s Road. From in front of the station, take Bus Route 2 for five stops and you’ll be there. Do you have enough money for the fare? Bring the money I gave you before.”
“I have enough.”
“Then it’s settled. Be careful on the way.”
“Mm.”
When Lu Jingfeng rode home, Wang Xiulan was sitting in the courtyard sorting green beans. The moment she saw her son, she hurriedly asked, “What did Shuhe say?”
“She said she can do it. She’s studied English.”
Wang Xiulan was stunned. Had she been too bound by her preconceptions? “Really? Can anyone learn English in a place like Qinghe County?”
Lu Jingfeng couldn’t explain it either. “She said the school taught her some, and she read some books on her own.”
Wang Xiulan was half convinced. “What if she doesn’t pass?”
“If she fails, we’ll deal with that when it happens. We have to let her try first.”
Lu Changxiong came out of the house and caught the gist of the conversation. “When is she coming?”
“She’s setting out tomorrow. I told her to come with her Third Brother.”
Lu Changxiong nodded. “Then I’ll make another trip to see Old Zhou tomorrow and settle the matter of the examination. I’ll find out exactly when and where it’ll be held.”
Wang Xiulan carried the dishes toward the kitchen. “Then I need to get the West Room cleaned up. It isn’t easy for the girl to make such a long trip here.”
After hanging up, Zhao Shuhe hurried home from the commune, walking as fast as she could. It was not yet completely dark when she arrived. Zhao Manzhu was in the courtyard carving wooden guns for the children. Seeing her run up, drenched in sweat, he asked, “Little Sister, what are you running from? Were wolves chasing you?”
Zhao Shuhe stood at the gate and took two breaths. “Third Brother, are you free tomorrow?”
“What else could I possibly have to do besides farming and doing hard labor? What’s wrong?”
“Come with me to the provincial capital.”
Zhao Manzhu immediately became interested. “The provincial capital? What for?”
Zhao Shuhe explained everything.
Zhao Manzhu was puzzled. “What’s English? When did you learn it?”
Zhao Shuhe had already prepared her explanation. “It’s what the Americans speak. The school taught us a little, and I read some more on my own.”
Zhao Manzhu didn’t question her further. He had never even attended middle school and had always found matters involving books and studying difficult to understand.
“All right, then. I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
Zhao Shuhe headed into the house. “I’ll go tell Father and Mom. I also need to go to the brigade and get an introduction letter.”
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