He placed great importance on his children's education, largely because of what had happened to Zhuang Hualin.
If Zhuang Hualin had finished her schooling back then and earned a qualification one level higher, she could easily have stayed in the city.
Unfortunately, that sliver of difference in qualifications meant the difference between a lifetime in leather shoes and a lifetime in straw sandals.
Zhuang Hualin's letters vividly described how bitter life in the countryside was.
Zhuang Chaoying feared hardship, and he feared his children suffering hardship too.
He demanded that all three children study hard because he was afraid-afraid they would follow in his younger sister's footsteps.
When word first spread that the sent-down educated youths could return to the cities, he had been full of hope.
But the regulations were cruel. After all that waiting, all he got was a bucket of cold water.
Huang Ling knew very well what her husband and sister-in-law had been through, but what could she say? All she could say was that fate toyed with people.
Zhuang Chaoying composed himself, then changed tack. "Although Hualin can't come back, under the Return-to-Hometown Policy, her child can still come back and register his residence here."
Huang Ling's heart jolted. She frowned, a note of wariness entering her voice. "What are you telling me this for?"
As though feeling guilty, Zhuang Chaoying lowered his voice further. "When I went to see Mom and Dad last week, Mom told me Hualin had already bought a train ticket to send Pengfei over. It's been a week now. Counting the days, Pengfei should be here soon."
Pengfei, whose surname was Xiang and given name was Pengfei, was the son Zhuang Hualin had given birth to after marrying in Gui Province.
Huang Ling abruptly sat up, keeping her voice tightly