NOVPUB
Chapter 285: Chapter 275: Can’t Bear to Part
"Mm," Shen Yunfang replied without blushing or panting. Although she hadn’t finished high school, the knowledge in her head was definitely more abundant than that of a high school student, as she had been a college student in her previous life.
"My goodness, with such a high level of education, why hasn’t Hongjun found you a job?" Sister Wu asked with an expression that said, ’why are you so foolish?’
"Do we really consider educational background when looking for a job here?" Shen Yunfang genuinely didn’t know much about this aspect, mainly because Li Hongjun hadn’t mentioned it.
"That’s not the case at all. Haven’t you seen the wife of Commander Wu from our third battalion, Liu Shuli whom you’ve met? Remember her?" Sister Wu reminded her.
Shen Yunfang quickly nodded her head; she had been around for a few days and had only seen a few people, how could she forget.
"It’s because she has a high school diploma that she was able to go teach in the city. If you ask Li Hongjun to look around, you could definitely become a teacher too," Sister Wu said with conviction.
At that time, having a high school education was already considered highly educated, and not many girls had the chance to attend high school. Within the whole families’ quarter, the education level of the military wives was generally at the primary school level, and there were even several who were illiterate. Only a few had a high school education, and now all of them had decent jobs.
"Is that so? That sounds quite good, but Pangpang is still young right now, so there’s not much I can do. I can only wait until the child is older," Shen Yunfang said, feeling no envy at all and disinterested in becoming a primary school teacher. The main thing was she had everything she needed now, there was no necessity to abandon her home and work to take a job. Most importantly, if she went to work, what would happen to her son? Who would take care of him?
It was only when Sister Wu heard her say this that she remembered the young child in her home, "That’s true, your child is too small; you can’t be expected to manage everything." She stroked Pangpang’s small hand and said with a sigh, "There’s no need to hurry, children grow fast, changing every day. Once the child passes six months and can be sent to kindergarten, then you can ask Hongjun to look for a job for you just the same."
Shen Yunfang was quite surprised; kindergartens taking in six-month-old children at that time? She knew that kindergartens in the future seemed to only accept children older than two.
"Sister, can Pangpang really be sent to kindergarten at six months old?"
"Yes, why not? Our kindergartens here are full of children from our military district, and the caregivers are also military wives, so generally, they all accept kids. This is also a way of indirectly solving some of the living problems for us military wives. If you send your children to kindergarten, adults can also be more flexible to do something." Sister Wu imparted her experience. "However, if the child is older when sent to kindergarten, they can suffer a little less."
Shen Yunfang didn’t need her to continue speaking to understand her point. A child so young, who can’t yet talk, how many people would care for them as attentively as for their own child? If the child peed or pooped and the caregiver didn’t notice in time, then the child could indeed suffer.
"Haha, our kindergarten here is pretty good," she said, praising it verbally, but in her heart, she was reluctant to let her own Pangpang suffer there.
"Hey, can it be anything but good? After we became military dependents, we only get those few pounds of grain per month, enough to feed ourselves, but if you have more kids, it’s not enough food to go around, so you have to think of something to do." Having money allows you to buy expensive grain in the city; otherwise, the whole family can starve by the end of the month. "By the way, have you sorted out your grain ration book?"
"I don’t think so; I haven’t seen it," Shen Yunfang had heard of the grain ration book but had never seen one.
"Oh dear, you must ask Hongjun about it, it’s important. We’re nearing the time to collect the food rations, and if you don’t have the grain ration book, next month you’ll have to face the northwest wind."
Shen Yunfang nodded in agreement; the issue of the grain ration book indeed needed to be addressed promptly.
The two chatted for a while, and Shen Yunfang took the opportunity to ask about Qiu Fengmei’s situation.
"Her? She’s probably the most disorganized among us," Auntie Wu sighed while saying this, "She also comes from the countryside, been here for several years, but hasn’t been able to do anything well. In the end, she can only stay at home and take care of the kids. She’s not the scheming type, either; she starts the month eating her fill, and by month’s end, she’s borrowing food to get by."
"Is that so? If she’s always like this, does anyone still lend to her?" Shen Yunfang just wanted to know everyone’s attitude so she could act accordingly.
"Lazy as she is, her character is not bad. She repays the food she borrows, it’s just that a few days after repaying, she borrows again. Everyone thinks she’s reasonable enough, and since we all see each other regularly, even if not for her sake, they lend to her out of respect for Captain Wang." Auntie Wu expressed a helpless attitude towards Qiu Fengmei; such people were truly rare.
"Oh, I see," Shen Yunfang nodded in understanding. You have to repay what you borrow before you can borrow again—that’s the principle. From this perspective, Qiu Fengmei’s character wasn’t too bad, certainly much better than those who borrow without repaying.
"Speaking of Qiu Fengmei, she’s really quite capable. Their family doesn’t have any additional burdens, and with Captain Wang’s salary of over fifty yuan a month, it’s all in her hands. But what does she do? She doesn’t save anything for her kids, nor does she save any ’crossing the river money’ for herself; if there’s money, she just eats it all up. After so many years, she doesn’t have a dime. When it was time for her child to start school, she couldn’t even come up with the tuition fee and simply didn’t let the child attend school, let the child stay at home idling with her. Is that the way to be a mother?" Auntie Wu shook her head in exasperation.
Shen Yunfang nodded in realization. No wonder that evening everyone came without their kids except her, who brought her child. It turns out others’ children either went to school or kindergarten; they all had places to go, except for her child who was left to run wild at home.
"Doesn’t she find some work to do for herself?" Shen Yunfang was quite curious.
"Who says she hasn’t worked? When she first arrived, she was given a job in the canteen, but she didn’t last long there before they let her go." A job in the canteen was a good position, not just anyone could get in.
"Why? What happened?" Shen Yunfang was curious.
Auntie Wu looked around before whispering to her, "Her? She’s just too messy and lazy. They say she couldn’t even wash vegetables properly; after having her for a few days, they couldn’t stand it anymore and didn’t want her. I heard her home is so chaotic you can’t even step inside. Tell me, which woman is as out of sorts as she is?"
Shen Yunfang thought of the snot on her daughter’s sleeves and nodded understandingly. With a mother like that, it’s no wonder the child is messy.
The two then talked about some people and things in the residential area. Suddenly, Auntie Wu slapped her thigh, "Oh my, look at my poor memory, I totally forgot my purpose once my butt hit the kang. I came today to bring you chicken. I slaughtered an old hen this morning, and since you’re breastfeeding, I brought you half. Please don’t think it’s too little; it’s the thought that counts. I put it on your stove when I came in earlier; it’s almost noon now, so you should start cooking. I need to go back and cook too, all my little rascals are home today."
"Auntie, why are you bringing me this? We have plenty at home," Shen Yunfang followed Auntie Wu out of the house and saw half a chicken on her own stove, split down the middle.
"Oh dear, you having it is one thing, but this is my gesture. We don’t have much at home, just don’t think I’ve brought too little," Auntie Wu said as she walked toward her own home.
"Then, thank you, Auntie," Shen Yunfang replied, as it would have been rude to refuse after all was said and done. This was indeed a kind gesture.
"What’s there to thank for? Just hurry inside and don’t come out again; I’m off to my home."
