Commander Lin, a straight man, is only sensitive to matters of war; he's clueless about everything else and his head is already spinning.

“I’ve been thinking about this all the way back, but I still can’t figure it out. This kind of brain-teasing thing should be left to the political commissar, who has a smart head. Sister-in-law, you two are both very clever. You two should think about it tonight. They’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this coal mine. You two should come up with a plan. We need to keep more of it under our control.”

Simple is speechless.

"Commander, what you're saying isn't right. I'm just a family member. This is a classified matter, isn't it? Don't tell me. This isn't something a family member should worry about."

"That won't do. If you guys don't step in, these things will all be tricked out of our hands."

He didn't wait for a simple answer; it was as if he just casually mentioned it and that was it.

"Sister-in-law, I'll leave things here to you. I'm going back to have a meeting with those cunning people. If anything comes up, just have Xiao Hu handle it. I've had some porridge cooked at the canteen, I'll bring it over to them in a bit. Once everything's tidied up, I'll take it to them, take it to them."

He pondered for a moment, then asked Xiao Hu beside him,

"Which courtyard is still empty? A larger one?"

With a simple smirk, it was clear that the clinic was packed with about twenty people, and Cheng Jin and Cheng Rui were squeezed out.

Xiao Hu thought back for a moment.

"Commander, the courtyard is really not that big. However, if you need to stay temporarily, the newly built hospital next door has completed the wards on the east side, but other things are not finished yet, and there is no rush to move in the beds."

Or should we settle them there? It's true, this new hospital is close to the military base, but a bit far from the family quarters.

"Alright, alright, then send it there. It's quiet over there. Go find the logistics department and quickly get the bed in. Then, send two people to guard the door. They might not be in the mood to come out, but keep those family members who like to gossip and spread rumors at bay. Don't let them in, or they'll start talking nonsense again."

"Yes, Commander. I'll go right away and have the logistics department take care of this."

"You should just take a class with you. How long will it take for the logistics staff to get there?"

"Hurry up and get the things in, get the people over there. Ah, settle them in first, then we'll talk about it later. I'll go ask the political commissar what arrangements would be appropriate."

Commander Lin gave the order and then, as if throwing away a hot potato, hurriedly ran off, leaving Jian Dan speechless once again.

"They really think the political commissar is omnipotent; they pass on anything they can't solve to the political commissar."

Xiao Hu lagged behind, and laughed upon hearing this.

"Sister-in-law, don't tell me, the regimental commander isn't worried at all when it comes to fighting, but when it comes to other things, especially these trivial matters, like family conflicts and who takes advantage of whom among the family members, he gets a headache and worries about them terribly."

There was no other way before, but now that the political commissar is here, he'll definitely try to avoid it if he can.

"Sister-in-law, I've sent someone to the family compound to find Sister Wang and Aunt Chen, and asked them to find someone who keeps quiet to help. They'll be here soon. I'm going to the logistics department now."

Xiao Hu ran out after speaking, and Jian Dan only then turned his attention to the clinic.

"Second Aunt, how is it?"

Tang Sumei had already calmed down, and her voice was somewhat muffled.

"There are many injuries, many of which are old wounds. The external injuries are okay, none of them are life-threatening. The main problem is that they suffer from stomach problems due to years of excessive hunger and malnutrition. This is the most troublesome part. If they are not properly cared for,"

Jian Dan nodded thoughtfully, looking at the woman who was seeing patients. Almost all of the twenty or so women had the same expression: blank faces and empty eyes. They let Tang Sumei manipulate them, and even when she pressed on them until they hurt, they didn't react at all, just like puppets without any feelings.

Although I can't empathize, I feel bad too. We've been talking about gender equality for so many years, but women always suffer in these kinds of situations, let alone now. They say they're breaking down feudalism and eliminating the Four Olds, but when things happen, women only suffer more cruelly. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many women who try to commit suicide after being humiliated, and so many female educated youth sent to the countryside during this era.

However, at this point, they probably wouldn't listen to anything I said, so Jian Dan didn't try to persuade them. Instead, she started talking about other things with Tang Sumei.

"Second Aunt, have you seen that newly built courtyard over there?"

Although Tang Sumei didn't understand why this topic was being brought up at this time, she went along with it and continued the conversation.

"What's that over there? I was about to ask you that too. I don't think it was here last time I came. What's that for?"

"It's like upgrading from a slingshot to a cannon!"

"Upgrading from a slingshot to a cannon?"

Tang Sumei smiled, then paused, her surprised gaze sweeping around the clinic.

"You mean, the clinic has been expanded?"

A simple chuckle.

"What kind of clinic is that? With that level of facilities, it'll be a proper hospital by then. Didn't they tell you that?"

Really?

Tang Sumei was also happy, and a smile finally appeared on her face.

"They said they would transfer me back, but they didn't say when. I thought I would go back to the clinic. Oh, that's great! There's a hospital here now. If something happens, we won't be as helpless as before."

"Huh? Shouldn't we expand the team? And the equipment and medicines can't be this meager anymore, can they?"

"Of course! Second Aunt, let me tell you, my brother has been running around outside all this time, trying to bring people back. Maybe one day he'll bring back a few good doctors, right?"

In recent years, countless intellectuals have had their homes ransacked and been sent to the countryside for various reasons. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, who were labeled as feudal dregs, and Western medicine practitioners who had studied abroad, were also branded as capitalists or traitors. Tang Sumei knows very well that many of her fellow students and teachers have also suffered this treatment.

"It must be quite difficult, right? Getting your label removed and being exonerated isn't easy. Right now, there are people watching you everywhere. Tell your brother to be careful."

"It's alright, he's experienced. He invited all of us professors back. This year's bumper harvest, those pigs, those greenhouses, all depend on him."

"If that's what you mean, then of course. Everyone has their own expertise. It looks like farming and raising pigs, it looks simple, but there are a lot of tricks to it. Otherwise, why haven't we been able to grow anything here all these years? How come other people have been able to grow it so well?"

"Hehe, right, right!"

As they chatted about everyday things, Tang Sumei's mood improved considerably. Although the others didn't respond or show any obvious reaction, the atmosphere subtly changed. Even the most oblivious person felt that compared to the initial coldness when they first entered, it seemed much more peaceful and even a little warmer.