Chapter 195 - 22 Lu Rong
Upon hearing this, Zhu Huixi’s expression darkened, "My second uncle is just a laborer, he was born with both legs disabled. Our family was already struggling to feed ourselves, let alone care for a dependent like him. Out of desperation, my grandma thought about giving my uncle away, but she tried several times without success."
"Later, an old man from the library couldn’t stand by and watch, so he came by and took my uncle in. Then the Cultural Revolution happened, and that old man had his own share of troubles, dying when my uncle was just a teenager. It looked like my uncle would also face difficulties, so my grandpa and my dad took him back in. But my uncle, having grown up in the library and influenced by that old man, loved books deeply and was always seen with one in his hand. He never went to school, but his mind was filled with knowledge. He helped me prepare for my college entrance exams. If it hadn’t been for his legs, I am certain he would have been able to go to college too. Now he can only work in a paper box factory gluing boxes together, a job my dad found for him. I’ve always felt it’s such a shame."
Lin Xiaoguai hadn’t expected to hear about the other person’s family affairs, and felt a bit awkward, but also pitied the second uncle. During the ten years of the Cultural Revolution, how many talented people suffered persecution and even lost their lives, and how many aspiring individuals lost their ambition, content to live in obscurity, no longer willing to contribute to the country?
Zhu Huixi’s second uncle was one of the luckier ones, at least his inability to advance was due to his own physical limitations, and not from any real oppression.
Yet such cases weren’t unusual; in that era, there were many who lacked formal education but were incredibly learned. When it came to a thirst for knowledge, no matter if you looked before or after, that era was unparalleled.
That day, Lin Xiaoguai and Zhu Huixi talked a lot, about themselves, about each other, clicking more and more as they chatted, thereby laying the foundation for their lifelong friendship.
When the wakeup bell rang, Lin Xiaoguai and Zhu Huixi were already up. Lin Xiaoguai, having just finished brushing her teeth and washing her face, came out of the restroom, while Zhu Huixi was folding the bedding.
"You go get washed up quickly, I’ll see if I can get the meal tickets," Lin Xiaoguai said.