> "What's the use of a girl studying, don't you still have to get married in the end?" It's not that I said, your family Xu Jingxu is 20 years old, if you take the exam for another year, don't marry at all, forget about being an old girl." The earthy local sound floated out of the courtyard wall of the house, like nails, and threw into Xu Jing's ears.

Xu Jing's father is a good man in the village, because he has no brothers in the village, he is bullied, and he always speaks softly: "She studied well this year, and she was given a scholarship, maybe she was admitted." ”

"It's useless to get in. If you really go to study in other places and are deceived by men outside, you won't be able to receive a penny of the bride price, and then you will be able to do the whole thing? If you study in a college or secondary school, you may not know where to be assigned, but you want to be assigned to Pingjiang City, and who doesn't want to be assigned to Pingjiang? When you graduate, it is all decided by the leaders of other schools, and your old Xu family is not an official, right? No?"

"Nope. Xu Jing's father was also honest, so he nodded along with the other party's words.

"yes. There has not been a single official in eight lifetimes, who is willing to allocate a good place to you. The students who have no one to help are all sent to the frontier, and they know that the frontier is not new*Xinjiang, Xi*Tibet, Yunnan*south, and Zhenbao Island's ......" This is the one who watched the news broadcast Xuezheng zhì, and told Zhenbao Island.

However, Xu Jing didn't want to laugh at all, she could hear the meaning of the people inside, and she knew that although her father was a good person, his ears were very soft, and he was accidentally moved.

If it weren't for that, she wouldn't have been able to repeat her studies for three years.

It was Father Xu who gritted his teeth and provided for her to go to school, and none of her peers, including the boys in the neighboring villages, were like her, who went to junior high school and high school, and then repeated after high school.

The girls of other people's families, no matter how much they begged their fathers, did not repeat their studies for three years, Xu Jing was able to get through, and the family's efforts were unknown.

Xu Jing also thought that if she couldn't get into college, she would have to pay a bride price and marry herself. It's just that if you don't try your best, you're really unwilling.

"Xiao Jing did very well in the exam, they said that Xiao Jing can be admitted to university, and she also applied for a volunteer this year, and she was admitted to university, not a college or secondary school. Xu Jing's mother's voice was projected from the courtyard wall, revealing helplessness.

"I know, Xu Jing is a little capable of learning, she doesn't have this ability, and I won't go to your door, but it's too difficult to get into college, it's useless for you to sign up, in the end, you still have to apply for college and secondary school, that's it, I think it's also hanging, two years ago, didn't your Xu Jing also report, didn't you not succeed?"

Xu Jing gently pushed open the door and saw her mother standing in front of the firewood room with her head down, surrounded by relatives in addition to her father. Standing opposite her was an unknown man, with a towel around his neck, dressed in a sloppy shoulder, but with a pair of muddy leather shoes under his feet. The heel and sides of the shoe are covered with loess, but the front is only a thin layer of dust.

Xu Jing's mother didn't know if she understood the other party's words, but when he finished speaking, she said: "I didn't apply for a college or secondary school, I remember that we applied for an undergraduate degree and an undergraduate university." ”

"Undergraduate?" the man in leather shoes laughed and said, "Do you know how many people in our township have been admitted to the undergraduate? None of them are still undergraduates? Is it so easy to undergraduate, let me tell you, the son of our county magistrate Wang also reviewed for the university examination, and the last time I saw him, I said, Uncle Qiu asked you, which school are you going to take the exam, what do people say? I was so happy to take the junior college exam in Pingjiang......

"The son of the county magistrate can't get into the bachelor's degree, why do you say that I can't get into the bachelor's degree. When Xu Jing heard this, she couldn't hold back any longer, and stood up and slammed the back basket containing the pigweed on the ground.

Uncle Qiu, who was wearing leather shoes, was startled by Xu Jing, who had a big waist and a round waist, smiled instantly, and said, "This is Xu Jing, right?" Well, I haven't seen you for a long time, but my body is still so strong." ”

"You know me?" said Xu Jing in a rough voice.

Uncle Qiu smiled and said, "I've seen it from afar before, oops, your body is really good, and it's good to study, it's really good." My son is in the primary school in our township, and he is in the same class as you, relatively thin, Xiaolei, Qiulei, do you remember?"

Under the gaze of a group of people, Xu Jing silently picked up the back basket, thought for a while, and said, "I don't remember." ”

"It doesn't matter if you don't remember, it's okay, anyway, Xiaolei is 20 years old this year, and you're classmates, I just thought, let's kiss each other, let the two of you ...... everywhere"

"You're in an arranged marriage. Xu Jingqi was smoking, and he didn't know how to resist, and there were relatives and friends watching him all around.

"No, no, no, it's not an arranged marriage, it's an introduction, you are in the object, you are in a good place, it's good, it's good, it's not good, it's okay, right, Xu Jing's mother. Uncle Qiu's gaze turned to the other side.

Xu Jing's mother hung her head and was silent.

Xu Jing looked at him angrily and said, "I'm not in a good place, can you leave now?"

"Hey, you kid, you have a big temper, whether you have a big temper, it's good. Uncle Qiu looked at Xu Jing, thinking that his ass was good for birth, his body was strong and he was good at working, and when he went up to the terraces, he estimated that he would save even cattle. Nowadays, it costs a lot of money to raise a cow, and when the farm is busy, there is nowhere to borrow it, and the son marries such a wife and goes home, saving not a star and a half.

Moreover, it is good for the next generation. Qiu Lei has been weak since he was a child, he is thin and small, and his height is less than one meter five, which is the opposite of Xu Jing, balance it, at least his grandchildren can have a little bit of talent, and Xu Jing may be able to teach him something.

Uncle Qiu prepared a bride price of 300 yuan for this, which is a first-class high price in Taqian Village.

Of course, the aesthetics of the 80s also helped Xu Jing. In the past few decades, when Chinese society promotes the image of women, it mostly uses propaganda slogans such as "who says that women are inferior to men", and women heroes such as Mulan are well known, and the women on the posters are also female men from various fronts such as railways and oil.

Xu Jing's father is still a good man, and when he saw Uncle Qiu sighing, he pulled Xu Jing's clothes worriedly, and said, "Talk to Uncle Qiu, you go back to the house first, there's nothing for you here." ”

"Dad, I'm not married. Xu Jing's tone is a bit like coquettishness, but her movements are like bears, but the color is not like pandas, and she sells cuteness like a door.

"You go into the house first. Father Xu said again.

Other relatives also persuaded him.

Xu Jing was besieged by a group of people, and she didn't retreat, and when she saw that she was about to retreat into the room, she shouted in fear: "Dad, I will definitely be admitted to college this year!"

In the courtyard, there was an instant silence.

Suddenly, bursts of laughter rang out.

Even Father Xu hung his head, sighed, and said, "This kid is hysterical from reading." ”

"Dad, I can really get in. Xu Jing's tears flowed down her face.

"I know, I know. Xu's father touched his daughter's braid and said, "Dad is also good for you, college and secondary school are assigned work, but you have to go to school for three more years, and by then, you will be 24 years old......"

In the final analysis, he thinks that even if Xu Jing can be admitted, he will also be admitted to a college and secondary school.

This is actually not surprising, because only a few people in the county can be admitted to junior college and undergraduate every year, and these students, when they take the high school entrance examination, can get the top ranking in the county.

In the era when there are no private enterprises and even household registration restrictions can not move at will, the temptation of this kind of examination is stronger than that of the civil service examination in later generations.

Xu Jing burst into tears.

Xu Jing's mother said on the side: "Less than twenty-four, that is, twenty-three!"

"Twenty-three is also old, when the time comes, how can I find your mother-in-law's house. Your Uncle Qiu's family knows someone, and if you get married, he will find a way to find you a job, not saving three years. "Father Xu has indeed weighed the pros and cons. In addition to being able to assign jobs, the current college and secondary schools are treated exactly the same as high schools, and the academic qualifications of the two are also comparable. Therefore, if the family can find a way to find a job, no one will go to a college or secondary school.

Xu Jing was persuaded by her father to burst into tears, sobbing and saying, "I don't want to marry, I want to go to school." ”

"You have to think about your dad all of a sudden, you have to study for three years, your dad and your mom, your family have to stay up for three years......" Uncle Qiu said with a smile, but his tone was a little impatient.

Xu Jing said with a crying voice: "I don't need the family's money, Yang Rui said, the Rui school group will give scholarships, and the school will also give living expenses......"

"Can this Ruixue group raise you for a lifetime?" girl, don't be stubborn, listen to your uncle's words, marry early, give birth to a baby early, give birth early, live your own little life early, ah?"

"Phew, you can fool my dad, you can't fool me. If you have a way to find a job for someone, why is your son still a farmer, and if your son has a job, will you come to our house to propose marriage?" Xu Jing and Yang Rui and the others stayed for a long time, and the logic of their speech was next to the next.

Uncle Qiu was asked, and he didn't have anything to refute, but he had a local method.

only listened to Uncle Qiu's "snap" and stomped his feet, Qiao said angrily: "It's boring for you to say that, I'll tell you the truth, I didn't find a job for Xiao Lei, that is Xiao Lei didn't get a junior high school diploma, you want to say that I don't have the ability to find a job for others, my Uncle Qiu put his face here, who wants to find a job, come to me at night, I will run an errand for him in vain." Lao Xu, this family business can't be discussed, let's go back to our respective homes. ”

His words were half-true and half-false, but in the second half, they lit up the eyes of many people.

In the eyes of the villagers in front of the tower, Uncle Qiu who wears leather shoes is a first-class capable person, if he is really willing to run errands and find jobs for everyone, no one is not moved.

Work for the country, but the drought and flood to ensure the harvest, stable and decent good things, the villagers who can't worship the temple gate with a pig's head, but there are too many.

Father Xu was moved by Uncle Qiu's retreat, he looked back at Xu Jing, who was five big and three thick, and thought of her depression in the first two college entrance examinations, and couldn't help but order: "Xu Jing, you go to the back room to stay." ”

Father Xu called two women to persuade Xu Jing to go in.

Xu Jing didn't leave, and the women dragged hard, but they didn't move.

The number of people increased to four, and the number of people increased to six, and in the end, it was eight women who lifted their hands and feet to carry Xiong Zhuang's Xu Jing into the house.

"Drink water, drink water. Father Xu's voice came from behind.

Xu Jing was locked up in the house for a day, and was not released the next day, but smelled the long-lost smell of oil.

It was Mother Xu's fried steamed buns for Uncle Qiu to eat.

Two steamed buns, cut into slices, fried in shallow oil, lightly sprinkled with salt, fragrant and crispy.

However, the Xu family has not been so extravagant for a long time, since ...... Since Xu Jing was in high school, she has been more frugal than her neighbors.

Xu Jing's sense of smell brings surging memories - her mother who is leaning on her body, her father who beats her waist and hoes the ground, and her younger brother who picks elm money to satisfy his hunger......

Yes, my younger brother is also in junior high school.

Xu Jing cried while thinking, snot and tears were stained all over her face, and she couldn't wipe it off.

In the yard, Uncle Qiu sat on a bench, eating fried steamed buns, looking up at the sky at 45 degrees with his neck and said: "Don't look at our Xiaolei's poor health, his hands are very flexible, do some carpenter work or something, it is easy to change oil." When I get married, I will find him a job in the township government, and then find a job for your family Xu Jing, and have a big fat boy, and this little day will be prosperous......"

Xu Jing's parents ate steamed white steamed buns and smiled on both sides.

After a while, the relatives who came yesterday rushed to the courtyard one after another and began to discuss more details.

Xu Jing's mother entered the room and tried to persuade Xu Jing.

Xu Jing sat on the bed, her eyes blank, neither speaking nor moving.

Mother Xu is not a person who can talk, so she persuaded her twice, but she didn't know what to say, so she had to ask relatives and women to come in and help.

So, the room was soon filled with women's voices: "How nice is this......"

The outside of the room was also filled with Uncle Qiu's voice: "I'll tell you......"

The chaos lasted until noon.

Just when the people in the room were tired to death, and the sound outside the room broke the sky, the loudspeaker in the village rang twice with an unexpected "click".

"Hey, hey, hey......"

"Hey, mom!" the startled villager laughed and scolded.

Xu Jing stood up with difficulty like a stout ghost.

"My village head, Xu Sanba, inform something, Xu Jing, Xu Jing, your letter is here......

……