Chapter 902 The Boy’s Decision
After staying in the cemetery for a long time, Luo Yang talked a lot with his comrades and Wang Hu. He poured the last glass of wine in front of the tomb. Luo Yang kowtowed to his comrades and Wang Hu, stood up and asked Gou Wa and Wang Hu to say goodbye before leaving.
It was noon now and it would take some time to get back. Luo Yang and his companions took some dry food and simply returned to their old wooden house to rest and have lunch before leaving.
Arriving at the wooden house and pushing open the door, the furnishings inside were still the same as before, with not much change. But it had been unoccupied for a long time, and the furniture and other things were covered with thick dust. Gou Wa found a broom and rag to clean it up, and Luo Yang was not idle either, helping out, and even found the tools that Wang Hu had left here before, and made some simple repairs to some parts of the wooden house.
After more than an hour of hard work, they seemed to be much better. They wiped their sweat, moved stools and sat in front of the wooden house to eat dry food.
Because of the physical labor just now and it was already past noon, Gou Wa was already hungry and ate a little fast. Luo Yang picked up the kettle and handed it to him, asking him to drink some water before eating so as not to choke, and to eat slowly.
"Thank you, Uncle Luo."
"You kid, you're still polite to me!" Luo Yang said with a smile. He had no appetite, perhaps because he drank yesterday, or maybe because he was in a heavy mood after visiting the grave just now. After eating two bites of bread, Luo Yang put it down and lit a cigarette.
Gou Wa finished the bread in his hand in a few bites. Luo Yang asked him if he wanted another one, as he had some in his bag.
Gou Wa shook his head, took a sip of water and put down the kettle. He glanced at Luo Yang beside him, thought for a moment and said to Luo Yang: "Uncle Luo, can I tell you something?"
"Tell me something?" Luo Yang turned his head and looked at Gou Wa. Seeing Gou Wa nodded seriously, Luo Yang smiled and said, "This is the first time you have spoken to me seriously. What's the matter? Have you become estranged from your uncle Luo after not seeing him for more than a year? Tell me, what's the matter?"
Gou Wa smiled embarrassedly, and then said: "Uncle Luo, I don't want to study anymore..."
"Why? How could you have such an idea?" Luo Yang was stunned. He didn't expect Gou Wa to suddenly say such a sentence. The smile just now disappeared instantly. He looked at Gou Wa with a serious expression.
"It's like this..." Gou Wa seemed to have told Luo Yang about this a long time ago. He began to explain to Luo Yang. After listening to his explanation, Luo Yang finally understood what Gou Wa was thinking.
After Wang Hu passed away, Luo Yang stepped in and asked the Forestry Bureau to help his sister-in-law solve her work problem and also solve Wang Hu's pension.
Now, my sister-in-law works in the Forestry Bureau and has a relatively stable job. In addition, with Wang Hu's pension, our family has been getting by fairly well these years.
Moreover, every time Luo Yang came, he would help his sister-in-law as much as he could, but this kind of help was just bringing some gifts or something. It was not that Luo Yang was stingy. With Luo Yang's current financial resources, he could fully afford the lives of Wang Hu's widow and children, and there would be no problem at all for them to live a good life.
But the reason why Luo Yang didn't do so was because of his sister-in-law. You should know that Luo Yang had given Wang Hu money when Wang Hu was still alive, but Wang Hu's family did not accept Luo Yang's donation. Instead, they used all the money on the cemetery of Luo Yang's comrades-in-arms, and kept the remaining part without touching it, and later returned it all to Luo Yang.
Luo Yang knew very well what kind of people Wang Hu's family was. If he gave them money directly, his sister-in-law would never accept it, and she might even quarrel with him. So every time he came to Luo Yang, he would not leave money. At most, he would bring some gifts for his sister-in-law and the children, expressing his feelings in this way.
In recent years, reform and opening up have developed rapidly, but compared with the south, the north lags behind much.
Greater Liaodong was once China's heavy industrial base with a glorious history. However, since the reform and opening up, due to various local reasons, it has not kept up with the pace of opening up. Over time, it has lagged behind the south.
From the early 1980s to today, the price increase has gone through several price barriers and is completely different from a few years ago. If a worker's monthly salary of 50 yuan a few years ago could allow a family to live well, now this money is far from enough .
Coupled with the emergence of bargaining items, the role of bills has begun to become smaller and smaller. From the perspective of overall economic development, this is a good thing, but in some places, such as the backward areas in the north, it has brought great impact on the lives of ordinary people.
In addition, there is the issue of corporate efficiency. In recent years, the country has been plagued by serious triangular debts, and Liaodong is the hardest hit area. Many large companies have become less efficient than before due to backward products and debts. Some companies have even fallen into extremely difficult situations.
Although my sister-in-law currently works in the Forestry Bureau, this job was obtained at the cost of Wang Hu's sacrifice. In addition, my sister-in-law has a low level of education and works in a very ordinary position, which only pays a fixed salary. In addition, the performance of the Forestry Bureau has not been very good in recent years, so no one can guarantee what the situation will be like in the future.
Gou Wa's academic performance is OK, but it is worse than Xiao Hu's. If Xiao Hu's grades are among the best in the class, Gou Wa can only be ranked in the upper middle level.
Unlike ordinary children, Gou Wa has been very sensible since he was young. Especially after experiencing the death of his father Wang Hu, Gou Wa grew up a lot overnight.
Compared with his peers, Gou Wa is much more mature and thinks more deeply about some issues.
Gou Wa is very familiar with the family situation. He knows that it is not easy for his mother to raise him and his brother. In fact, Gou Wa thinks that his mother should find someone else to start a family. After all, his mother is not too old. As a son, Gou Wa can accept a man who treats her well. In this way, his mother will not have to work so hard.
Although Wang Hu has passed away for many years, the sister-in-law has never thought about it. Her hope now is to raise the two children, watch them grow up, and then start a family with their own offspring. In this way, she can completely let go of her heart, and when she closes her eyes in the future, she can also happily see Wang Hu in another world.
Gou Wa felt sorry for his mother's hard work, and also understood that it was unlikely for his family to raise two college students based on their financial situation, even though the Forestry Bureau had promised to support the two brothers until they graduated from junior high school, and had also said that after they graduated from junior high school, the Forestry Bureau would give priority to letting them work in the unit.
But Gou Wa also learned a little about the situation of the Forestry Bureau from his mother. Besides, the leader who made the promise has retired, and no one can be sure whether the leader who came later will keep his word. And even if he gets a job at the Forestry Bureau, what will happen? The current salary of the Forestry Bureau is just ordinary, and it will not change the situation at home much.
Gou Wa knew that he was not as good as his younger brother Xiao Hu in study. Even if he graduated from junior high school and went to high school, the possibility of being admitted to university was very low. In this case, is it necessary to continue studying? Gou Wa will graduate from junior high school next year. Now he has begun to face the choice of life. Gou Wa thought about this problem for a long time, but never told his mother. Today, facing Luo Yang, Gou Wa finally spoke his mind.
"I want to find a job in the south. I heard that the salary is high and there are more opportunities in the south. If I start making money early, it will also be good for my family."
Luo Yang's expression suddenly turned cold. He stared at Gou Wa seriously. Gou Wa avoided Luo Yang's gaze and lowered his head slightly at first, but soon he raised his head again and looked back at Luo Yang with an appraising look, telling him his determination in this way.
"My child, if you are worried that your family will not be able to afford your brothers' education in the future, you don't have to think so. Your uncle Luo..."
"Uncle Luo, I understand what you mean." Before Luo Yang could finish his words, Gou Wa shook his head and said, "My dad once told me that I have to rely on myself. My dad is gone, and my mom taught me this since I was a child. Your money is yours, not mine, and you can't help our family forever. There are some roads that you still have to walk on your own. Our teacher taught us an old saying, which is that it is better to rely on yourself than to rely on others. What do you think?"
Luo Yang opened his mouth, wanting to refute Gou Wa's words for a moment, but in the end he said nothing. He and Gou Wa had known each other for so many years, from the time when he was a little boy who leaned on Wang Hu, staring at the steamed bun in his hand with a runny nose. So many years had passed in a flash.
Now Gou Wa is already a teenager, maybe in two years he will be taller than himself, and Gou Wa's mind is obviously more mature than his peers, and he thinks more and more deeply. There are some things he can say to other children, but he knows it is useless to say it to Gou Wa, because this child has made up his mind, and no one can change his mind.
"You're such a stubborn guy, how come you're the same as your father?" Luo Yang sighed helplessly.
Gou Wa grinned and said, "Uncle Luo, I am his son, so of course I am the same as him."
Luo Yang was so amused by this answer that he thought for a moment and asked, "Have you told your mother about this idea?"
Gou Wa shook his head: "I haven't mentioned it yet. I plan to tell her before graduation next year. No matter what, I still have to get a junior high school diploma, otherwise she will be unhappy. But Uncle Luo, don't worry, my mother will not object to the decision I make. She just hopes that this family will be better."
"Okay..." Luo Yang sighed helplessly as he looked at Gou Wa who had made up his mind. After thinking for a while, he said, "Since this is the case, I won't force you. After all, you have to walk your own path in life. But there is one thing I hope you can agree to, Uncle Luo."
"You say. "
Luo Yang said sternly: "After you graduate from junior high school, you must not go south to find a job by yourself. If you want to find a job, I will arrange it for you..."
At this point, seeing Gou Wa was about to say something, Luo Yang waved his hand and said, "Don't be impatient, just listen to me finish my words."
Luo Yang continued, "When you graduate from junior high school next year, you will only be 17 years old. Although there are many job opportunities in the south, it is still difficult for a half-grown child like you to go out on your own. I watched you grow up, how can I just sit there and do nothing? Just because you call me Uncle Luo, I have to help you no matter what. Besides, helping you does not mean you can just sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor, but just giving you a better opportunity. How far you can go in the future depends on your own ability, so there is no need for you to reject Uncle Luo's kindness, understand?"
Gou Wa thought about Luo Yang's words seriously. After a moment, he stood up and said nothing. He just bowed deeply to Luo Yang.
