There are four brothers and sisters in the Chen family, except for the youngest Chen Yue, whose academic performance is very good.

The second Chen Qiaoshan is about to take the high school entrance examination, and there should be no problem in being admitted to an ordinary college with normal performance.

The third brother, Chen Xi, is also studying in the first high school, and her second brother is studying in the first year of high school for two terms. When the third high school took the exam, she ranked fourth in the city, and the teacher of the first high school made a special trip to Chen's house, promising to waive her tuition fees for three years and provide an additional living allowance of 100 yuan per month.

Chen Xilai greatly reduced the burden on the family, and also made Chen Weiguo and his wife very face-saving in front of the villagers, and the only regret may be that Chen Qiaoshan, who is in the same high school, is very uncomfortable for a while.

The fourth child, Chen Wan, is more than a year younger than Chen Xi and is in the third year of junior high school in the town. Like the third sister, her academic performance is top-notch, and she is very likely to follow Chen Xi's trajectory.

As the only post-90s generation among the four siblings, Chen Yue's academic performance is average. She is not stupid, but her personality is a little jumpy, and she is very good at naughty things, but when it comes to studying, she is not very bright, which makes Chen Weiguo and his wife very headaches.

Thinking about the situation of the family in his memory, Chen Qiaoshan soon arrived at the school gate.

"Second brother, why did you come here for so long, Dad has been waiting for you here for a while!" Before Chen Qiaoshan could speak, Chen Xi complained first.

I have the impression that his third sister is extremely smart and very cool, but her personality is a little stubborn.

The four women of the Chen family are very strong regardless of their size, and the three sisters may have inherited more of Tao Xiuying's character. In the Chen family, it is usually Chen's mother who has ideas for something at home.

Chen Weiguo is very silent in front of his family, the personalities of the Chen family father and son are very similar, and Chen Qiaoshan usually doesn't like to talk.

Ignoring Chen Xi's complaints, he first said to Chen's father: "Dad, when did you come out, did you eat dinner?"

Chen Weiguo ignored his words and looked at it carefully for a while, "What do I think of you, are you okay? SARS has been going on recently, you and the third child should pay more attention at school!"

Afraid that Father Chen would see something, Chen Qiaoshan hurriedly shook his head and said, "I'm fine, it's just that I've been under a lot of pressure to study recently, and there is nothing else wrong with it." ”

He looked at Chen Weiguo standing outside the telescopic door, he was not yet fifty years old, perhaps it was the burden of supporting his four children that made this man who had suffered from life much older than his actual age, his back was also slightly rickety, and his dark and resolute face could still vaguely see a little handsome shadow of his youth.

The father and son are very similar, with the same face shape, similar eyebrows, eyes, mouth and nose, and others can understand the relationship between the two at a glance.

Chen Qiaoshan looked at the two deep wrinkles on Chen's father's forehead, as well as the rough face left by the erosion of the years, and felt palpitations for no reason, perhaps it was the bloodline inheritance that was deep in the bone marrow reminding him that the man in front of him was the biggest bond in his life.

Looking at the man in front of him who had experienced many vicissitudes, Chen Qiaoshan made up his mind in his heart that he must take good care of his relatives in this life.

"It's okay, it's going to be a college entrance examination soon, you have to take care of yourself. After Chen Weiguo finished speaking, he said to his daughter: "The third child is too, take good care of yourself at school, and go to your second brother if you have anything!"

"Don't worry, we're all fine at school, nothing happens. ”

"Yes, it's really good!" Chen Xi also nodded in agreement.

Chen Weiguo thought for a while and asked: "I heard that the people in the town said that this year's college entrance examination may be postponed, what does your school say, and does it have any impact on you?"

"Don't listen to those people's nonsense, this year's college entrance examination will not be delayed. Chen Qiaoshan said without thinking.

In my memory of my previous life, 2003 was the first time that the college entrance examination was held in June, when SARS had gradually subsided, and the exam was not postponed or started on time on June 7.

At that time, Tang Dashan was in his third year of junior high school, and their junior high school was also the college entrance examination center, so in order to make room for the exam, the local school deliberately took a four-day vacation, which was particularly impressive.

However, there was no way to explain these things to Chen Weiguo, he thought about it and said: "If the college entrance examination is really delayed, it will be the same across the country, and it will be no different from previous years." ”

Chen Xi suddenly interjected and asked, "Second brother, which university are you going to go to?"

Chen Qiaoshan was a little surprised, why did his sister suddenly ask about this, and after thinking about it, he said: "I haven't thought about it yet, let's think about it after the exam, I don't want to think so much now." ”

Chen Weiguo nodded after hearing this, "That's how it should be, don't worry about your brother, just take care of yourself." ”

Chen Xi pursed his lips and didn't speak again.

After teaching his daughter, Chen Weiguo took out a wad of crumpled banknotes from his pocket, some of which were whole and small. He counted them carefully, divided them into two parts, and handed them to the two siblings.

"Your second brother is about to take the college entrance examination, and I discussed with your mother to give him more living expenses this month to improve his life. ”

Chen Xi hurriedly said: "My meal card school canteen is subsidized, and the second brother is not enough to spend, so I can give the second brother more." ”

Chen Qiaoshan hurriedly shook his head and refused, "No, my living expenses are enough, and I have leftover from last month." After speaking, he took out an extra 100 yuan and handed it back to Chen Weiguo, "Dad, you don't need to give me more, it's only a month before the college entrance examination, these are enough." ”

The Chen family is a family of six, and the four children are not rich when they go to school, Chen Weiguo is busy farming, and he goes to the brick factory in the town to help in the farm, and he only has an income of 20 yuan a day. This is not the moving bricks ridiculed by later generations, it is a real coolie, and one hundred yuan is equivalent to Chen Weiguo's income from working in a brick factory for five days without eating or drinking.

With such family conditions, he still has to support four children with food, clothing, housing, transportation, schooling, and education, and Chen Weiguo can be regarded as doing his best for this family.

The father and son pushed back and forth several times, but Chen Qiaoshan couldn't push it, and finally had to accept the 100 yuan.

More than 80 miles from the town to the school in the city, and more than 10 miles from home to the town, he estimated that Chen's father would not even eat lunch in order to save money.

Thinking of this, he took out twenty yuan and handed it to Chen Xi and said, "You go to the supermarket to buy some food, and then buy a bottle of water, Dad hasn't eaten yet." ”

Chen Xi didn't take the money he handed over, and ran directly in the direction of the small supermarket.

Chen Weiguo hurriedly stopped it, but unfortunately he didn't stop it through the school gate, and couldn't help complaining: "You are disobedient, and the third child is not obedient, what are you doing with wasting that money, it's the same when you go home and eat again." That was said, but Chen Qiaoshan clearly saw relief and satisfaction on his face.

After a while, Chen Xi ran back with a plastic bag of bread and purified water.

The brother and sister inquired about the situation at home with Chen Weiguo, mainly because Chen Xi was chattering there, and Chen Qiaoshan was listening quietly on the side, his sister had a lot of potential to talk.

The preparatory bell rang in the school, Chen Weiguo stopped talking and told the brothers and sisters a few words, and then waved his arm at Chen Qiaoshan's brothers and sisters like ducks, sent the two back to class, and turned around and left first.

Watching his background fade away, Chen Qiaoshan suddenly felt an impulse in his heart, or he should do something for this poor family.

Chen Xi suddenly asked again, "Second brother, which university do you want to go to?"

"Why do you have any ideas?"

"Take the university in Yenching, I want to be admitted to Peking University in the future, and your grades will definitely not be admitted to Peking University, but there are many other universities that can be examined." ”

Chen Qiaoshan was hit hard, and sighed: "No one has been admitted to Tsinghua University and Peking University for many years. ”

Chen Xi was silent for a while before she said: "Grandma said that the dead woman surnamed Zhang took the eldest sister to Yanjing and never came back, I want to go to Yanjing to find her and say." ”

Chen Qiaoshan was very surprised, and couldn't help asking, "When did grandma tell you?"

She ignored her second brother's question and said to herself: "Grandma said that if you are admitted to Yanjing's school, you can go to Yanjing, and if you are surnamed Zhang, you can be admitted to Tsinghua University, and I can be admitted to Peking University." Grandma also said that in the past, my father used to talk about going to Yanjing to find the eldest sister when he saved money, and I wanted to go to Yanjing to find the eldest sister back. ”

Listening to his sister's words, Chen Qiaoshan was silent, Chen's father never mentioned it in his family, which was a taboo topic in the Chen family.

Chen Qiaoshan's memories of Chen Weiguo's past are all pieced together from the words and phrases inadvertently leaked by the elders.

He didn't know why his grandmother told Chen Xi about his father's past, but it was obvious that his grandmother's words made the stubborn Chen Xi obsessed. In order to protect her father, this is probably all she can do.

Thinking of this, Chen Qiaoshan was very moved, and also understood the painstaking efforts of his grandmother, she told her smart granddaughter about her father's sad past, and the kind-hearted and stubborn Chen Xi might really be admitted to Peking University for his father, so that the ridicule on the head of the youngest son for half a lifetime should also be dispersed, it is really pitiful for the parents of the world.

The first high school is just an ordinary high school, although it is the best in the city, but it can only be regarded as a second- or third-rate level in Henan Province. There are only a few students in Dengzhou who have been admitted to Tsinghua University and Peking University for so many years.

Since the resumption of the college entrance examination, Zhang Ziyu was the first to be admitted to Tsinghua University, and perhaps it was her incident that made Chen Weiguo realize the importance of knowledge.

This taciturn rural man struggles to support his four children in school, perhaps in his subconscious, only reading can free his children from his past fate.

"Second brother, what do you want, or you listen to me, you have to believe me, I will definitely be admitted to Peking University in the future. ”

Looking at her confident appearance, Chen Qiaoshan found that his sister's stubborn personality was really the same as in his memory.

He was also infected by Chen Xi's emotions, "Okay, I'll also be admitted to Peking University!"

Chen Xi rolled his eyes at Chen Qiaoshan and teased: "I asked you to be admitted to Yanjing University, you were only one hundred and ninety-eight in the last monthly exam, I went to the bulletin board to look at you and found you, I took the midterm exam and was the second in the whole grade!"

Chen Qiaoshan made his sharp-toothed sister a little unable to get off the stage, "I can't get into Peking University, can't I go to Peking University Jade Bird, what's wrong with the second grade, isn't there still the first above, besides, you are also my sister in the second grade, you have to listen to me." ”

Chen Xi was a little surprised, his second brother is usually very honest, and today he looks very different from the past.

After thinking about it, she asked curiously, "Second brother, what kind of university is Peking University Jade Bird?"

Chen Qiaoshan also realized that he had missed his mouth, this would be Peking University Jade Bird probably not running a school locally, so he couldn't explain it to her, so he said casually: "It's nothing, you go back first, I'll think about the university, anyway, there is still a month, let's talk about it then." ”

"Second brother!" Chen Xiaowan muttered a few more words dissatisfied, and left reluctantly.

Thinking of what Chen Xi said just now, Chen Qiaoshan's heart suddenly moved, maybe as Chen Xi said, it is not impossible to be admitted to Peking University.