Raising Babies in the 70s - Chapter 63

Political Commissar Liu panicked for a day, and often lost his mind at work. When he returned home, he secretly asked Liu Yue, the little boy at home, to inquire about the situation, “How is your mother lately?”

Liu Yue happily said, “Okay!”

Political Commissar Liu asked again, “Did she say anything about me?”

“No,” Liu Yue denied it.

Political Commissar Liu: “…”

“Dad, I’m going to feed the chickens, don’t quarrel with me!” Liu Yue was not interested in talking to his father, and happily went to the newly built chicken coop to see the chickens.

He also wanted to draw a chicken observation diary and show it to Aunt Qin.

He liked chickens more!

In the past, his little wife took the child at home lazily every day. When he went home, the mother and son were still warm and thoughtful to him. Just two days before the separation, his wife tried to please him.

Only at that time would she be diligent for a few days, so that Liu Kai could live a comfortable and proud life for those days.

Of course, after a few days, she went back to her old ways.

Political Commissar Liu was also used to it. Although he said that if she didn’t change, he would definitely get divorced… He realized that what he said was a bit too much that day. But it was not his original intention.

As long as his wife admitted her mistake, the matter would be turned over.

Who knew things wouldn’t turn so easily.

It had only been a few days but the mother and son ignored him, which had never happened before.

Political Commissar Liu also discovered that his wife was secretly learning to read behind his back, and he heard her mumbling, “A tiger on the mountain, a deer in the forest, a pig on the roadside…”

While reading, she was drawing in the palm of her hand.

It was not that Political Commissar Liu didn’t teach his wife how to read and write personally, but she was fishing for three days and drying the net for two days.

So she was actually studying by herself in private?

Was the sun coming out of the west?

“Xiaohua, do you want to learn to read again? I’ll teach you.”

Li Qinghua, like her son, rejected the man, “I don’t want you to, you are not good at teaching.”

Political Commissar Liu’s eyes widened, ” What did you say?”

– She dared to despise him?!

Li Qinghua disliked him very much, and she did not want Political Commissar Liu to teach her to read again. When she first moved to the colony, although there were many embarrassing incidents, Li Qinghua also studied humbly and did not want to be an illiterate woman who could not read.

However, her memory was not good. When her husband taught her, it was like teaching a stupid cow. After a while, he said, “Why did you forget?”, “I taught you this last time, and you don’t remember?”, “I’ve never seen someone as stupid as you.”, “Looks like I taught in vain again yesterday.”

Over time, Li Qinghua also felt that she was indeed not fit for studies, and she had to be illiterate for the rest of her life, so she simply gave up.

When she was with Xiao Qin a few days ago, Xiao Qin said that she was going to be an announcer, and read tongue twisters every day, told stories to children, read prose aloud… 

Li Qinghua listened to her telling stories to her son, and was also fascinated by it. Xiao Qin’s voice was really nice.

She also was teaching the three children to read and write. Li Qinghua listened next to her, and found that she could memorize it.

So she asked Xiao Qin to teach her to read. Since she had the burden of divorce on her back, Li Qinghua also wanted to learn characters. When she was in the village, she used to envy the commune’s scorekeepers, and even more those who teach in the classroom.

Being literate made it easy to find a job.

Xiao Qin taught her a few simple tongue twisters, and Li Qinghua recited them next to her. She found that she had memorized them all.

Not to mention, Xiao Qin also gave her a dictionary to teach her to recognize pinyin and radicals, and taught her how to look up a dictionary. Li Qinghua didn’t understand anything, and her memory was not good. There were always many questions to ask Qin Rou. The girl also taught her tirelessly, never throwing impatient words.

Li Qinghua asked her, “Don’t you think I’m stupid?”

“How can that be? Sister Huahua, you obviously learn very quickly.” 

Qin Rou had taught many younger children, and she had long been accustomed to these little guys learning and forgetting things. So the teacher would blow the cow hide (boast) so as to not cause them to be disinterested in studies.

Therefore, she couldn’t be too serious. That was torturing herself. She always had a little more patience and knew that she had to teach them over and over again.

For Qin Rou, compared to teaching a three- or four-year-old child, teaching an older child like Li Qinghua was much easier.

At least Li Qinghua’s attitude was correct, she was not lazy, and she studied seriously. As long as she had that attitude, Qin Rou, who was a kindergarten teacher, felt very relieved.

If all kindergarten children were like Li Qinghua, then she would be willing to be a kindergarten teacher.

“Sister Huahua, you are already doing very well. Don’t be too eager to learn everything. Let’s take it step by step.”