Chapter 70: I’m Too Ashamed to Live
Shen Meng held a face full of grievance as she spoke to everyone, "Years ago, I wanted to buy a bicycle, but Lu Zhenping wasn’t home, and with such a big family like the Lu Family, there were always expenses. We hadn’t divided the household and any money I had would be borrowed away. We’re all family; could I really make them sign IOUs? When you have money or something nice, you can’t keep it because you’re afraid of doing something wrong and getting resented for it. Finally, after we split the household, I thought I had saved enough money and industrial tickets to buy a bicycle, with the help of Lu Zhenping’s comrade in arms. Sister-in-law Lianhua, you know this, our production team and the commune’s primary school are so far apart, and on rainy, cloudy days, the roads are full of water. It’s so difficult for children to go to school. I just wanted to make it a little easier for the kids. Who did I ever offend to deserve being treated like this, along with my children?"
That wasn’t her original plan, but now that things have come to this, she might as well use it to her advantage, or those eyeing her bicycle will still be tempted.
Daqing moved up to fourth grade this year, and Guo Xiuxin’s family also has children in school. These rural dirt roads are just like this. It was still okay years ago, but these recent years a few production teams made money and bought tractors.
And so the roads are frequently flattened by their passing, deep ruts are formed.
When it rains or snows, water and snow accumulate and the muddy ground becomes impassable, and it’s common for children walking to school to slip and fall, getting covered in mud.
"That’s right, your family has three children in school. If it rains, and you don’t hurry to pick them up, they’ll get so cold they might fall ill, especially now that the weather is getting colder."
"Such a valuable item, and Zhou Jiaojiao dares to just reach out her hand and ask for it. It’s clear she’s used to asking for things; she sees something nice and thinks it should fall into her own hands."
"Exactly, you weren’t there, but you should have seen her acting all justified and telling Mingyang, Mingliang, and Ming Fang not to be childish. It’s as if Lu Jiaxuan going to work at the commune is the proper thing to do. Oh, it just makes me so angry!"