A young man from another world returned to his hometown.

Chapter 56 The Name That Disappeared from the Registration Form

"Let's go and find out what's going on."

Section Chief Ma handed the helmet to Lin Jiayao.

"Looking at the data alone is useless; we need to go to the village and see for ourselves what the situation is."

"Three people in one car? I haven't tried that since I went away to study..."

Lin Jiayao's lips twitched slightly, but he still chose to make a phone call to his uncle.

Then, the two motorcycles headed deeper into the town, planning to visit several nearby villages.

Lin Jiayao vaguely remembered the surname Liujiacun.

When Mixue Ice Cream first opened, Lin Yanlin, a forestry worker, mentioned that some people from their village had come to cause trouble.

The motorcycle was parked in front of a two-story self-built house with exposed red brick walls.

Is Uncle Liu home?

Section Chief Ma shouted at the door.

"Hey, who is it?"

A middle-aged man poked his head out of the house.

Upon seeing Section Chief Ma, a smile immediately spread across his face.

"Section Chief Ma! Oh, come in and sit down, come in and sit down!"

He hurriedly moved a stool and shouted into the house.

"Wife! Pour some water! Section Chief Ma is here!"

The courtyard was small, and under the hand pump well, a girl who looked to be about fifteen years old was squatting on the ground.

There were two large red plastic basins in front of her.

A pot of vegetables, and a basin of clothes waiting to be washed.

The girl's movements were very practiced; it was clear she was used to doing it.

Inside the room, a boy who looked two or three years older than the girl was lying casually on a bamboo bed.

An electric fan was blowing directly on him from his bedside, and he was holding a mobile phone with the sound of a game playing loudly.

"Go! Go!"

The boy shouted as he crossed his legs and swung them back and forth.

Section Chief Ma also witnessed this scene. He didn't say anything immediately, but sat down in the courtyard first.

Uncle Liu was holding water.

"Section Chief Ma, what brings you here today? The fruit harvest this year is quite good, and there haven't been any natural disasters."

"Old Liu, come and see your kid."

Section Chief Ma took the bowl and took a sip.

"I heard your son enrolled in a vocational school?"

Uncle Liu slapped his thigh and beamed with joy.

"I signed up! As soon as I heard it was tuition-free and even included job placement, I had someone fill out the application form for him right away! Section Chief Ma, this is fantastic news! My son used to always be messing around, and I was so worried about him. Now there's a school right here in our neighborhood where he can learn a trade. I'm so happy I could laugh in my sleep!"

Section Chief Ma grunted in response and glanced into the room. The boy was still lying down playing games and hadn't even come out to greet the guests.

"Actually, it's not like I'm guaranteeing you a job. You still need to complete your studies smoothly, pass your exams, and graduate before you can work. Your kid, are you... waiting for school to start?"

Uncle Liu smiled ingratiatingly.

"Yes, yes, I will make sure he studies hard. Please be patient with him. If he dares to disobey, beat him with a stick."

Section Chief Ma did not respond.

He turned his head and looked at the girl.

"Old Liu, is this your daughter?"

"Ah, yes, girl."

"You're graduating from junior high this year, right?"

"Yes, I'm graduating soon."

"How were your grades?"

Uncle Liu was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Section Chief Ma to ask this question.

"This... result?"

He scratched his head, seemingly unsure himself.

"Top 10 in the grade, I have Uncle Liu's daughter's report card here."

At this moment, clerk Xiao Zheng stepped in, with a thick stack of documents in his hand.

Section Chief Ma and Lin Jiayao were both stunned for a moment.

Top ten in the grade?

Although the junior high school in town is short of teachers, students who can get into the top ten should have no problem getting into a regular high school.

"Old Liu, your daughter's grades are so good, why didn't you enroll her in a high school or vocational school?"

Uncle Liu's smile paused for a moment, then he smiled again.

"Section Chief Ma, you're joking."

"Are you kidding me?"

"What's the use of a girl reading so many books?"

Uncle Liu let out a long "Hi" and moved closer to Section Chief Ma.

"To tell you the truth, if you become too ambitious, you'll suffer when you marry into your husband's family. The more you know, the more argumentative you become, and argumentative people won't have a good life."

Uncle Liu pointed in the direction outside.

"Besides, a matchmaker has already come up to propose marriage to him. The man is a driver and his family has a three-story house. His mother and I discussed it and decided that we would hold a wedding banquet for the girl after she comes of age in two years. This is the right way for a girl."

Lin Jiayao and Xiao Zheng clenched their fists, but Section Chief Ma's expression remained unchanged.

"Old Liu, high school is expensive, but vocational school is tuition-free. If your daughter learns a skill, she can earn seven or eight thousand a month after graduation. Isn't that better than those tens of thousands of yuan in dowry?"

Uncle Liu waved his hand repeatedly.

"Section Chief Ma, you don't understand. That's not how it works. After a few years of vocational school, you have to work in a factory for several more years. By then, the girl will be in her mid-twenties. Who will want her then? We should take advantage of her youth to find a husband, get the bride price, and help our son get married in the future. That's the right thing to do."

As Uncle Liu finished speaking, he gestured towards his son, who was playing video games inside the house.

"Getting a wife is so expensive these days, and with my family's circumstances... if we don't get some financial support from my daughter's side, what will become of my son?"

Section Chief Ma asked Xiao Zheng to chat with Uncle Liu, saying he wanted to talk to the girl for a few minutes.

The girl was still washing clothes when Section Chief Ma squatted down. The girl glanced at him timidly, then quickly lowered her head again.

"Girl."

"uncle…?"

"Just think of me as one of your teachers at school. I'm here to learn about your family situation. You're graduating from junior high this year, right?"

"Um."

"With such good grades, would you like to continue your studies?"

The girl looked around blankly for a moment, then continued working.

"Teacher, my dad said I'm not going to study anymore."

Section Chief Ma paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words.

"If... if that school you were promoting at the high school not only waived tuition but also waived accommodation fees and provided a living allowance, and you didn't have to worry about anything, and could start working right after learning the skills, would you be willing to go?"

Section Chief Ma awaited her reply.

He thought that as long as the girl said "I do," they would have a reason to help her fight for it.

Section Chief Ma originally thought that as long as the road was laid out under their feet, these girls would grab onto it like a lifeline and run forward with all their might.

However, when the girl looked up, there was no expectation in her eyes.

"teacher."

"Um?"

"I'm not going."

"..."

"It's no use for me to study. My dad said that no matter how much a girl studies, she will still get married in the end. My mom went through the same thing."

Section Chief Ma squatted there and sighed deeply. He had been doing grassroots work for so many years, but at this moment, he still felt somewhat helpless. A girl told him that she didn't need to be saved because she had already accepted her fate.

Section Chief Ma stood up, his legs feeling a little numb.

He nodded to Uncle Liu, said "Sorry to bother you, I'll go take care of other things now," and then turned and walked out.