Chapter 4: The Pioneer

  The rice is plain white rice, one large bowl per person. The dish is stir-fried pickled radish strips.

  It's already quite good, not many families in the entire Liujiashan production team can afford to eat white rice. Most families eat sweet potato mixed with rice. The so-called sweet potato mixed with rice is a mixture of rice and crushed sweet potatoes. The amount of sweet potatoes mixed with rice depends on each family's financial situation. Families that are slightly better off mix in less sweet potatoes, while those that are poorer mix in more. A small number of extremely poor families even eat only sweet potatoes.

  There was no way, at that time it was a large collective production, and the rice varieties were not improved, so the yield was very low. Can only mix a lot of sweet potatoes. Because sweet potatoes have high yields and relatively few pests, they are easier to harvest. For many years, Chinese farmers, especially those in the south, relied on sweet potatoes to make a living.

  For Liu Jun, this dish is not bad and suits his taste.

  Just after crossing over, my memories are still stuck in the 21st century. I'm tired of eating big fish and meat. It's really not easy to get such a delicious pickled radish stick. Liu Jun picked up his bowl and started eating with big mouthfuls, smiling at his dad while he ate.

  Seeing him eating well, Liu Jincai was also very happy, patted his head, and lit a "Flying Goose" brand cigarette.

  In 1976, being able to smoke cigarettes was a symbol of status and identity. Rural people generally smoked hand-rolled cigarettes made from their own homegrown tobacco, wrapped in paper, commonly known as "trumpet tubes". Only when going out would they buy a pack of cigarettes for show, usually the "Economy" brand at 8 cents per pack or the "Torch" brand at 10 cents per pack. The "Flying Dove" cigarette was considered good quality at 18 cents per pack. As a national employee and a respected figure in Liusanjie Village, Liu Jincai should be able to afford cigarettes. However, his monthly salary was only 36 yuan and 50 cents, and his wife Ruan Bixiu's salary was roughly the same. They had four children to raise and also had to support their parents, so their expenses were not small. Even "Flying Dove" cigarettes couldn't be smoked freely; at home, he sometimes still smoked "trumpet tubes".

  "Dad, why are you back today?"

  Willow leaves edge eat edge ask.

  Liu Jin was a typical kind father, in Liu Jun's past life memories, he had never hit them, and scolded them very rarely. All the siblings were very close to their old dad.

  "Oh, there's an outdoor movie screening at Matang Bay tonight."

  Liu Jin was a technician at the movie theater, specializing in repairing projectors and generators. However, he also occasionally had to go to rural areas to show movies. At that time, there were very few entertainment activities in rural areas, only watching outdoor movies and local operas. The county's cultural troupe had limited personnel and rarely went to rural areas to perform. Each commune or even production team had its own cultural troupe, but the level was extremely amateurish, and props were also severely lacking. During the Great Revolution, only eight model plays were allowed to be performed, and the same few scenes were repeated over and over again, which made people feel bored. In comparison, outdoor movies were far superior in terms of frequency and viewing quality. The rural movie projectionists thus became the able persons in the eyes of the common people.

  Matangwan Brigade is adjacent to Liujiashan Brigade. The dispatchers of Xiangyang County Film Projection Management Station and Liu Jinchai have a good relationship. Whenever there are projection tasks in the nearby brigades of Liujiashan, they will arrange for Liu Jinchai to handle them, which can be considered as taking care of both public and private interests.

  Matang Bay

  Liu Jun had a flash of inspiration in his mind, vaguely feeling that something was there, but couldn't think of it for the time being.

  "Great, Dad, take us to Matangwan to watch a movie at night."

  Liu Yan cheered up.

  Liu Jinchai smiled and nodded.

  In the countryside, most people have a preference for boys over girls, but Liu Jincai is an exception, treating his siblings with equal affection. Naturally, as the youngest child, Liu Jun receives more pampering.

  "Oh no, Teacher Liu has arrived."

  Just by listening to the voice, I knew it was our class teacher, Teacher Yuan (after half a day of classes, Liu Jun had at least figured out what the teacher's surname was).

  "Teacher Yuan."

  Liu Jincai smiled and greeted her warmly.

  "Teacher Liu, how can I bear such a title? You are my mentor, just call me by my name instead."

  Mr. Yuan said with some exaggeration.

  Haha, it seems Liu Jun's guess was correct, Teacher Yuan is indeed Liu Jincai's student.

  "Hehe, you're officially a teacher now, what can't you handle? Besides, Xiao Jun still needs you to worry about him."

  As soon as he mentioned Xiao Jun, Mr. Yuan's eyes lit up, as if he had found a treasure: "Ms. Liu, I'm not exaggerating, your Xiao Jun is absolutely a prodigy. His calligraphy with a brush pen is incredibly beautiful."

  Liu Jincai smiled, thinking it was just Teacher Yuan's casual flattery. This young Yuan is still too young, even if he wants to praise himself for being a good teacher, he can say something like "smart and diligent, listening carefully" and so on. But he had to boast that Xiao Jun's brush calligraphy is beautiful. Practicing calligraphy isn't something you can accomplish overnight. His own son just learned how to hold a brush a few days ago, what kind of fancy writing can he do?

  Mr. Yuan thought that Mr. Liu was being humble and modest, so he quickly said: "Mr. Liu, Xiao Jun is a great seedling, not only does he write good calligraphy with a brush, but his math skills are also very good. With proper nurturing, he will definitely become a national civil servant just like you."

  In 1976, the country had not yet resumed college entrance exams, and university students were a relatively distant concept for ordinary people. To say that children would grow up to become national civil servants was already an extremely good blessing. Teacher Yuan himself was probably still a private teacher, which was quite different from being a public teacher.

  Liu Jun said that Liu Jun was good at arithmetic, and Liu Jincai indeed believed it.

  I remember that in his past life, Liu Jincai had said more than once that when Liu Jun was only three or four years old, he could already calculate addition and subtraction of integers within ten thousand. Primary school arithmetic, whether in his past life or this one, is absolutely child's play for him.

  Watching her three siblings wolf down their food, Liu Jin then chatted with Teacher Yuan for a while before putting away the bowls and chopsticks, reluctantly leaving.

  ……

  In the three classes in the afternoon, Liu Jun was almost thinking about Matang Bay. What was it that made him so preoccupied? Fortunately, no matter how distracted he was, he could answer any question asked by Teacher Yuan fluently, and didn't ruin the good impression she had of him.

  Just before school was over, Liu Jun suddenly remembered.

  Mr. Zhou!

  Mr. Zhou from Matang Bay was an extraordinary figure in Xiangyang County in his past life.

  Mr. Zhou's full name was not known to Liu Jun. Because he had no dealings with him in his previous life, everything about Mr. Zhou came from the mouths of older generations. He was a man of great learning, an outstanding student at Renmin University, and a professor of party history at the N Province Provincial Party Committee Party School.

  In Liu Jun's past life, that is, after 2000, professors gradually became not very valuable. As for in 1976, that was absolutely a great intellectual. Think about it, even college students were his disciples.

  During the Great Revolution, Mr. Zhou was sent back home to work on the farm. Poor him, a professor who couldn't even carry a load or lift a hand, how could he possibly handle the physical labor of the production team? He had poor health and a stubborn temper, refusing to lower his head, so he suffered greatly. At first, the commune officials took pity on him, seeing that he was an educated man, they gave him a light job keeping track of work points. But he didn't appreciate it, and the commune officials grew even more displeased with him, leaving him to fend for himself. Every day he struggled to get by, wearing tattered clothes, not looking at all like a city dweller. He was practically no different from a beggar. When people called him Mr. Zhou, there was more mockery than respect in their tone.

  Mr. Zhou was rehabilitated and resumed work, soon after becoming the vice president of the provincial party school, enjoying treatment at the level of a department head. What's more, many students he had taught were also rehabilitated and became leading cadres in various counties. The secretary of Xiangyang County Committee was one of his students.

  But who could have predicted in 1976 that Zhou would make a comeback and return to the provincial capital as a high-ranking official? If I had known, I would have definitely tried to curry favor with him.

  This "if I had known" is crucial, and it just so happens that Liu Jun is the kind of person who always says "if I had known".

  If you had known what would happen three days later, you would have been rich and noble for millions of years.

  Such a great treasure is right in front of him, and it's impossible for Liu Jun to resist the urge to dig it up. Although by the time he grows up, Mr. Zhou will probably be about to retire. But having this connection can still bring some benefits, right? It's hard to say what specific benefits there are now, but having one more friend is definitely better than having one more enemy.

  Inspired by the good prospects of getting to know Mr. Zhou, Liu Jun held Second Sister with one hand and Third Sister with the other, bouncing and jumping back home.

  As soon as he saw Liu Jincai, Liu Jun suddenly realized another problem - how to tell him?

  You have to have a reason to go out of your way to get to know Zhou Zixu. Can't just tell Liu Jincheng that this Zhou Zixu will soon be on the rise and return to the provincial city as a high-ranking official, if you don't make friends with him now, it'll be too late? Saying something like that is simply asking for trouble, it's strange if Liu Jincheng doesn't think you're crazy.

  In past lives, I've seen many cross through time and space, but never have I seen a traveler dare to utter the words "cross through" out loud.

  "Yèzi, Xiǎo Yuān, Xiǎo Jùn, come and let Daddy test you!"

  Liu Jincai smiled and beckoned to his three siblings.

  Hehe, in the memories of my past life, Liu Jincai's expression is very familiar. When Liu Jun was young, he would come up with this trick every time he came home. Most of them were tests on addition and subtraction, occasionally also testing new characters.

  I didn't expect that after rebirth, at the age of 40, I would still have to play this game with my old dad. A faint, almost imperceptible bitter smile appeared on Liu Jun's mouth. However, since this "exam" could make his old man happy, why not do it as a son?

  "The grass on the distant plain..."

  Liu Jincai opened his mouth and recited.

  Huh? Why do you want to test Tang poetry? Liu Jun is only in the first grade of elementary school, did Liu Jin teach this poem before? Maybe he did, but memories from childhood are too distant, it's impossible to remember that clearly.

  "A year of withering and flourishing, wild fires cannot burn it all, spring winds blow and it grows again."

  Liu Jun finished reading in one breath. Then he saw Liu Jin and Liu Ye staring at him with a very strange gaze, as if they didn't believe it.

  It's broken.

  Liu Jun suddenly realized that her father was testing her second sister. She's in fifth grade and has learned this poem. It seems that from now on, she needs to be more careful before speaking, otherwise she might accidentally reveal her flaws.

  "Xiao Jun, have you learned this poem?"

  Liu Jincai asked with some doubt.

  Liu Jun scratched his head, and with a sudden burst of inspiration, smiled and said: "I've heard Er Jie read it before."

  This explanation can barely pass muster.

  Liu Jincai was delighted, took out a few candies, and smiled: "After listening to Erjie read it, you can remember it, which is very good. I'll reward you with one candy."

  This was also Liu Jincai's usual trick. Every time he went home, he would buy a few pieces of candy and divide them among his siblings. The candies at that time were not very varied, similar to fruit sugar, but without the flavor of fruit, just a piece of sugar wrapped in a layer of colorful sugar paper, commonly known as "paper-wrapped sugar". Children in rural areas could hardly eat it several times a year.

  Liu Jun took over the candy, happily put it in his mouth, and it was really sweet.

  Liu Jin saw their siblings' happy faces and her eyes were filled with affection.

  Eating this kind of paper-wrapped candy that he hadn't tasted for over ten years since his previous life, Liu Jun suddenly had an idea.