Chapter 146 Let’s See Who Dares to Say That Studying Is Useless?

Chapter 146 Let's See Who Dares to Say That Studying Is Useless?

When looking for a tutor, the first person Deng Shirong thought of was Liu Huakang, an educated youth who had stayed in their village, married, and started a family.

During the period when educated youth were sent to the countryside, Deng Shirong's village had settled four educated youths—three men and one woman. Among them, Liu Huakang was the only one who chose to stay, marry, and have children.

Liu Huakang's decision to stay was influenced by two main reasons:

First, by the time he was eligible to return to the city, he had no relatives left there.

Second, while working in the countryside, he fell in love with a girl from Thatchfield Village.

At that time, the government invested significant resources to encourage educated youths to settle in rural areas and engage in farming, aiming to transform the rural landscape. Those who chose to stay and work as farmers received a resettlement subsidy of 230 yuan per person, which was increased to 480 yuan in 1973. Additionally, those who married and settled in the countryside were given an extra 300 yuan for building a house. This was a substantial amount of money in the 1970s.

After weighing these factors, Liu Huakang ultimately decided not to return to the city and instead stayed to marry and raise a family.

Having identified a suitable candidate, Deng Shirong made his way to Liu Huakang's home.

Three minutes later, Deng Shirong arrived at a relatively new mud-brick house with a courtyard. This house had been built by Liu Huakang using the construction funds provided by the state.

"Uncle Jiu, have you eaten yet?" Liu Huakang's wife, Deng Changqing, was feeding their youngest son when she saw Deng Shirong approaching. She immediately greeted him warmly.

Deng Shirong replied, "I've eaten. Is Huakang home?"

Deng Changqing brought a stool for Deng Shirong and called into the house, "Liu Huakang, come out for a moment. Uncle Jiu is here to see you."

Soon, a tanned man in his thirties emerged from the house. Upon seeing Deng Shirong, he greeted him respectfully, "Uncle Jiu."

Deng Shirong, who had just sat down, nodded and asked, "Huakang, you're a high school graduate. I wanted to ask, how was your academic performance back then?"

Liu Huakang wasn't sure why Uncle Jiu was asking but answered honestly, "I was ranked in the top ten in my class."

Deng Shirong followed up, "After all these years, do you still remember what you learned?"

Liu Huakang smiled and said, "Of course, I still remember. When the college entrance exam was reinstated in 1977, I worked hard with other educated youths to review, hoping to get into university. Unfortunately, after two years of effort, I didn't succeed and had to give up on that dream. However, those two years of hard work helped me relearn much of what I had nearly forgotten."

Deng Shirong then explained his purpose: "It's like this. My children are studying, and even my eldest daughter and daughter-in-law are studying on their own. But without someone to guide them, their learning efficiency isn't great. So, I'd like to ask if you could spare two or three hours each day to teach them and answer their questions. I'll pay you 20 yuan per month as a teaching fee. Would you be willing?"

Before Liu Huakang could respond, Deng Changqing, sitting nearby, exclaimed excitedly, "Of course, he's willing! Uncle Jiu, you don't know how often he's said to me that he's a hero with no place to use his talents. Now you've given him this opportunity—he must be overjoyed!"

Liu Huakang, having understood Uncle Jiu's request, nodded eagerly and said, "Uncle Jiu, I'm absolutely willing."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Then it's settled. Arrange your family affairs and prepare a teaching schedule in advance. I'll accommodate your timing."

Liu Huakang replied enthusiastically, "Thank you, Uncle Jiu. I'll prepare the schedule tonight and bring it to you tomorrow. I'll do my best to teach well and help your children and daughter-in-law."

Deng Shirong stood up and said, "Alright, I'll head back now."

"Take care, Uncle Jiu!"

After Deng Shirong left, Deng Changqing remained excited for a long time. She sighed and said, "Uncle Jiu has always been the most committed to his children's education in our village. While other parents wouldn't let their children go to school, all seven of his children studied until they didn't want to anymore. Now, he's spending an extra 20 yuan a month to hire you to teach them. He's truly willing to invest in their education!"

Liu Huakang nodded in admiration and said, "Uncle Jiu's approach is absolutely correct. For rural folks, if they don't study, there's almost no hope for success. Only through hard work and education can they change their fate. You'll see—in Thatchfield Village, no family will ever compare to Uncle Jiu's, whether now or in the future."

Deng Changqing trusted her husband's judgment, especially since he was an educated youth himself. She praised him again and said happily, "Uncle Jiu personally invited you to teach his children. This is such an honor. I have to go tell my parents this good news. Let's see who dares to say that studying is useless from now on!"

Liu Huakang smiled faintly at her words. As a high school graduate, he understood all too well the low status of sons-in-law who lived with their wives' families. Fortunately, he was different from others in that he didn't live with his in-laws but had built his own house in the village using his own funds. This gave him a much higher standing than those who depended entirely on their in-laws.

Still, Liu Huakang had often been the target of ridicule, even from his wife's family. He wasn't a saint, so it was impossible for him not to care at all. However, since he had chosen to stay in the countryside and farm, and had received resettlement and housing funds from the state, he couldn't expect the state to arrange a job for him. He couldn't eat commercial grain, and his work wasn't as respected as others'. Even with his education, it had seemed useless—until now.

Now, all the knowledge he had accumulated was finally being put to good use, and it filled him with pride. Especially since it was Uncle Jiu, a highly respected figure in the village, who had sought him out to teach his children. With Uncle Jiu's endorsement, who in the village would dare to mock him as they had before?

Seeing his wife so excited that she forgot to finish feeding their son and rushed off to her parents' house to share the good news, Liu Huakang picked up the bowl and spoon and continued feeding his little boy, who was sitting in a wooden high chair. As he fed him, he said with a smile, "Eat well, grow up quickly, study hard, and aim to get into college. Then, let those short-sighted people see whether studying is useful or not."

(End of this chapter)