Chapter 264 - 256: Going to College
Tian Xinhua went to a remote rural area in Henan, Dengfeng City, to become an educated youth, along with several other young people from Beijing, both male and female, all older than him. Life in the countryside as part of a sent-down youth team was certainly tough, but Tian Xinhua, being from a rural background himself, found the fieldwork effortless and thus managed it quite comfortably.
Because transportation was inconvenient in the countryside, what was once a weekly letter between the two turned into one every half a month. However, the thickness of the letters increased, with each letter stretching to six or seven pages before they would stop writing. If not for the fear of overweight, the pair would probably have written ten or so pages!
In August 1976, Tian Xinhua was recommended to attend Tsinghua University, majoring in humanities and socialism, and it seemed he also studied Marxism-Leninism. It sounded very grand, but it was uncertain if Tian Xinhua, who usually got a headache at the sight of textbooks, could keep up with the studies.
When the news of Tian Xinhua going to university reached Yuequan Village, the Tian Bajin family could hardly believe it. They never imagined that the Tian Family, who had always scraped a living from the soil, could produce a university student. This must truly be the blessing of their ancestors!
The Old Man was also very happy, realizing that his grandnephew might be embarking on a path wholly different from Ai Guo and Guanghua. The Old Man was deeply moved; he had originally thought that the men of the Tian Family would end up either in military or farming, yet he never anticipated such a turn of fate for Xinhua. He knew all this was thanks to Mr. Yun; without him, with Tian Liu Jin’s capabilities alone, Xinhua wouldn’t have gone far on this path, nor would he have let Xinhua pursue it.
From the Tian Family members, those who should go into politics did, and those who should join the military did. The old gentleman had said that a century of prosperity might just be around the corner. The Old Man felt very proud internally, his gaze towards his granddaughter increasingly affectionate. Ah Nan truly was blessed with good fortune!
Tian Xinhua hadn’t come back yet; he was still in Henan completing the final formalities before heading straight to the university. However, this did not dampen the spirits of the Tian Family. Tian Bajin boldly decided to slaughter a pig and hold a grand banquet, wanting to invite everyone from the village.
Tian Bajin’s decision received unanimous agreement from all members of the Tian Family, even Zhu Qingping, Tian Jinhua’s wife, was cheerful about it, not minding at all that the pig, which could have been sold for money during New Year, was being used now. The family’s cohesion at this time was very strong; if one person achieved success, the entire family would share in the joy, all taking pride in it.
The people from the Tian field in Yuequan Village were also happy since, after all, Tian Xinhua was one of their clan. Tian Xinhua’s success brought honor to the whole clan; even when they walked outside, they could hold their heads high.
The banquet that day was exceedingly lively. Tian Bajin bought about a dozen very loud firecrackers, setting them off continuously. The entire Yuequan Village was permeated with the acrid smell of gunpowder. The feasts stretched from the Tian field to Zhongjia Bay, and everyone in the village, regardless of age or gender, came to drink. Even the town leaders came to celebrate, which made the villagers respect and fear the Tian Family even more.