Chapter 114: The Recommendation Quota
Mu Lantu stared up at the roof.
Wasn’t the point that they had both “entered a book”? Why was Xu Huazhang’s mind only full of romance?
Xu Huazhang asked again, “Really not?”
“No. Sleep.” Mu Lantu closed his eyes. If there had been anything, 005 would’ve said so already.
Angry?
Xu Huazhang didn’t understand, and he didn’t dare disturb him. He kissed Mu Lantu’s forehead, lay back down, and continued fanning him.
Mu Lantu opened his eyes helplessly. “We both entered a book, and you don’t think that’s strange at all?”
Xu Huazhang was silent for two seconds. “Baby, we’ve transmigrated several times already. This is nothing stranger.”
Mu Lantu was left speechless.
“You win.”
Xu Huazhang curved his lips. “So you’re not mad anymore?”
“When was I ever mad?”
Such a happy life might only last one day less with each passing day—Mu Lantu couldn’t bear to waste it being angry. He leaned closer on his own, resting his head on the man’s arm, and yawned.
“Sleepy. Let’s sleep.”
Neither of them really slept well during that nap.
The educated youth spot was noisy until work time in the afternoon, when it finally quieted down.
That evening, they went to the brigade leader’s house for dinner. From him, Mu Lantu learned that Yan Xuan also planned to build his own house.
No wonder the brigade leader was in such a good mood—Yan Xuan’s house would eventually belong to the brigade anyway.
Mu Lantu handed over the prepared gift to little Minmin. “Happy birthday, Minmin. This is our gift for you.”
It was a pair of crystal hair clips, a bag of White Rabbit milk candies, and half a dried wild pheasant.
The pheasant was, on the surface, for Minmin, but in truth, it was for the Zhang family. Nobody had surplus grain, and even though the Zhangs were hosting, the two of them couldn’t just eat for free.
“Thank you, Brother Mu, Brother Xu.” Minmin hid her hands behind her back and pouted. “But this is too valuable, I can’t accept it. The reason I didn’t tell you this morning that it was my birthday was because I didn’t want you to prepare gifts.”
The adults looked on with smiling eyes. To them, Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang were also children—until they started their own families, they were still just children. Matters between children weren’t something for adults to interfere in.
Mu Lantu rather liked the little girl. “Just accept it. Aren’t we friends? When it’s my birthday or your Brother Xu’s birthday, you can make us a card by hand. Something you make yourself is more precious than anything we could buy.”
Blushing, Minmin accepted the gift. “Okay, thank you.”
Aunt Chunhua warmly invited them, “Come on, Lantu, Huazhang, take a seat.”
Though it was Minmin’s birthday, the gathering wasn’t just about celebrating—it was also an excuse for the whole family to have a treat.
Aunt Chunhua had prepared six dishes in all: braised rabbit with potatoes, stir-fried eggs with pickled cabbage, braised eel, cold eggplant salad, cold cucumber salad, and salted duck eggs cut in half, their yolks oozing tempting oil.
The children had a separate table in another room, and Minmin handed out candies to each older brother, sister, younger brother, and younger sister one by one.
After a cup of wine, the brigade leader finally spoke, watching Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang’s expressions carefully.
“Today I invited you for another reason as well. This year, our brigade has been allocated two recommendation quotas for workers-peasants-soldiers university…”
The quota was extremely precious—not every brigade got one each year. The brigade leader secretly believed they had been given two partly because Xu Huazhang had invented the diesel harvester. That made the matter harder to bring up.
Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang remained calm.
Xu Huazhang said, “The brigade leader has always been fair and upright. I’m sure you’ve already decided who the two quotas should go to.”
The brigade leader refilled their cups.
“I’ve decided: one quota for a local member, one for the educated youth. For the educated youth, I plan to give it to Captain Xu. These past few years haven’t been easy for him. The educated youth spot has stayed peaceful largely thanks to him—that’s been a blessing for our Dongfanghong brigade.
Given your contribution, Huazhang, by rights you also deserve a spot. But in the end, you’ve only been here a year—your seniority is still shallow. I’m afraid others wouldn’t accept it. I want to say this upfront so it won’t affect relations between our families.
Next time, if there’s another quota, I’ll definitely fight for one for you. With your good relationship with Lantu, one of you could go to university, the other work, and neither of you would have to labor in the fields anymore. Compared to returning to the city, it’s not much worse.”
Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang felt a touch of respect for him. They exchanged a glance and together toasted him.
Mu Lantu said, “We understand your intentions, and thank you for thinking of us. Meeting you has also been our blessing. But if there really is another quota in the future, please prioritize Comrade Lu Manman. See if she needs it.
Female comrades have it harder than men, and she’s been here for years. Huazhang and I are in no hurry—we like living in Dongfanghong brigade. Besides, the country needs talent to develop. I believe things won’t always be like this. In a few years, maybe we educated youth won’t even need recommendations—we might all have the chance to return to the city.”
“Good, good!” The brigade leader admired them all the more. “Come, eat, eat!”
The brigade leader was efficient. Early the next morning, the quotas were announced over the loudspeaker.
The other quota went to the secretary’s younger son, one of the few high school students in the village, and of good character.
The new educated youth were still green, perhaps a little lost.
But the older ones, who’d been in the countryside for years, were already tired of facing the yellow earth with their backs to the sky. To them, a place at workers-peasants-soldiers university meant going back to the city. Every one of them was excited. They had always worked diligently—so why should the single quota go to Xu Jincheng?
It was easy to imagine how lively the educated youth spot would be today.
Mu Lantu was glad he and Xu Huazhang had already decided to go into the county. They didn’t even eat breakfast at home but cycled off.
First, they went to the machinery factory to pick up this month’s procurement assignment. Then they sold off some grain at the black market before heading to their house in the county, where they lingered until past four in the afternoon before returning.
They weren’t sure if the welcome party would still be held that night, but they prepared two dishes anyway—braised fish and sweet-and-sour pork.
They returned to the village before six. The educated youth courtyard gate was closed, silent.
As they passed by on their bicycles, Mu Lantu was careful.
He told Xu Huazhang to go home first, while he went to find Miao Jiaze and Du Xuewen.
Xu Huazhang parked the bike inside the yard and followed.
Mu Lantu glanced at him smugly: You like sticking to me this much?
Xu Huazhang nodded calmly: Of course. I’m afraid you’ll run off.
Miao Jiaze and Du Xuewen were sitting in the courtyard, feeding mosquitoes and looking dejected.
Mu Lantu realized—they and Huazhang could take things easy because they knew the college entrance exam would resume in a few years. But Miao Jiaze and Du Xuewen didn’t know that. They must have been desperate to seize any chance to return to the city.
“Brother Mu, Brother Xu, sit.”
They gave up their chairs and went inside to fetch two more.
Mu Lantu opened his flask and took out two ice pops.
Their eyes lit up.
“Thanks, Brother Mu!”
“You’re welcome.” Mu Lantu also pulled two more from Xu Huazhang’s flask—one for each of them.
Gnawing on the cold sweetness, their moods lifted a little.
“Brother Mu, Brother Xu, don’t you want to go to university? I don’t mean to stir things up, but Brother Xu could’ve competed fairly against Brother Xu Jincheng.” Du Xuewen couldn’t understand how their faces really showed no gloom at all.
Miao Jiaze dared to add, “Yeah, you two have farmed yourselves stupid!”
Xu Huazhang kicked him.
Miao Jiaze jumped away like a monkey. “I was wrong, brother!”
Mu Lantu draped an arm over Xu Huazhang’s chair back, lazily swinging one leg.
“We haven’t farmed.”
Miao Jiaze nearly coughed blood. True—they didn’t farm. Lantu only ever drove the harvester! Comparing people really could kill you with anger.
Du Xuewen was sharper. “Brother Xu, Brother Mu, it’s not that Jiaze and I must go to university, we just don’t want to keep working the fields. Can’t you give us some advice?”
Miao Jiaze wasn’t as clever but knew how to read the situation. He rushed inside and brought out the mung bean cakes and banana crisps they had bought on a recent trip to the county, placing them in front of Mu Lantu.
“Brother Mu, Brother Xu, eat. We also bought a watermelon—I’ll fetch some well water to chill it, then we’ll cut it open.”
Xu Huazhang gave him an approving look.
Miao Jiaze grinned, watching them expectantly.
Du Xuewen picked up a fan and fanned them diligently.
Mu Lantu took a bite of popsicle, then banana crisp. “Ask Huazhang. He’s sly and cunning—he’ll definitely have an idea.”
Sly and cunning?
Xu Huazhang turned his head. How had he offended this little ancestor now?
Mu Lantu just smiled sweetly. He hadn’t—he just didn’t feel like thinking.
The two boys looked at Xu Huazhang with eager eyes, still fanning Mu Lantu attentively.
Xu Huazhang thought for a moment. “There’s a way. But it’ll have to wait until after the busy farming season.”
They jumped up, excited.
“Then we’ll wait until after! Brother, don’t forget!” Miao Jiaze looked at him pitifully.
Xu Huazhang turned away in distaste.
Du Xuewen shoved Miao Jiaze. “Brother Xu’s word is as good as gold. He won’t forget. You fetch water, I’ll get the watermelon.”
While eating watermelon, Mu Lantu asked if they knew whether the welcome party would still be held that night.
Miao Jiaze shook his head. “We haven’t heard anything. And we don’t dare ask. Brother Xu Jincheng must be in an awkward spot now—if he holds it, it feels like showing off; if he cancels it, the five new educated youth will lose face. The brigade leader really chose the worst time to announce it.”
Du Xuewen lowered his voice. “Probably afraid of delays. I heard from Guodong that three years ago our brigade also got a quota. To fight for it, some educated youth reported each other, and it turned really ugly. In the neighboring brigade it was even worse—two people died.”
Miao Jiaze was silent for a moment. “Since coming here, Brother Xu has taken care of us. No matter what, this is still good news. We should congratulate him.”
Mu Lantu asked, “When does he report to school?”
“June 12th,” said Miao Jiaze.
“That’s not far. Is he going to the same school as the secretary’s younger son?” Mu Lantu asked again.
