Wu Lihong disagreed: "Hey, this is what we should do. Besides, you went to the trouble of preparing two tables of food so that everyone could have a good meal!"
"Yes, Sister Yuyao, I've never eaten so much before, I'm so full." Yu Wenjiang, who was sweeping the floor, straightened up and rubbed his stomach.
This resonated with many people; very few other families could afford such a lavish banquet.
Every single one of them was stuffed until their bellies were round.
Zhao Honghui slept until almost nightfall before waking up.
He was too excited last night and barely slept. He also drank too much at the banquet and, under the influence of alcohol, quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Upon waking, he was so reluctant to move that he hadn't had such a good nap during the day in far too long.
A knock sounded at the door, and Yao Yao walked in. "Are you awake?"
"You're awake." A deep, hoarse voice sounded, and in the dim light, Zhao Honghui sat up lazily.
He took Yao Yao's hand and said, "Yao Yao, I went to see a house in a commune yesterday. It was quite dilapidated. I'll look around some more."
“Sure, actually I’d prefer to buy a courtyard house in Beijing. It doesn’t matter whether I buy one in the commune or not. It’s only for two years anyway, so I can just stay here temporarily.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Yuyao saw the man's gaze become deep and unfathomable, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
She then realized what was happening, pursed her lips, and decided to just go for it: "I think it won't be long before the college entrance exam is reinstated, and then I can go to university in Beijing."
Hearing her say that, Zhao Honghui understood that she had already decided that the college entrance examination would be reinstated in two years. "Then we won't buy the commune's houses. Once we've saved enough money, we'll ask Ye Xingchang to help us inquire about houses in Beijing and buy them directly there."
"Hmm, it's up to you." Xie Yuyao thought about what would happen two years from now and asked jokingly, "Do you want to take the college entrance exam like Zhao Jianbin?"
Zhao Honghui was somewhat tempted, but he did not agree: "I went to military school, and at this age, it is my duty to protect our family."
Xie Yuyao: I also went to university.
However, the most important function of the college entrance examination nowadays is to help her return to the city, and incidentally, change her major, which is not bad.
As for Zhao Honghui, he can do whatever he wants, as long as the two of them don't separate.
Life after the proposal wasn't much different from before. The weather was too cold now, and it wasn't convenient to go out and buy wedding supplies. Anyway, there was still plenty of time; they could hold the ceremony next spring.
During the day, Xie Yuyao spends most of her time at the clinic.
Unlike their previous casual conversation, she brought several medical books she had salvaged from a junkyard to the clinic for the other two to study, but this did not include the book "Compendium of Materia Medica".
In order to put her knowledge into practice, she also asked Zhao Honghui to find medicine-making tools and buy medicine pots, and used him as a cover to embezzle medicinal materials from her space to make three kinds of pills from the "Compendium of Materia Medica". Their effects are: dispelling wind and unblocking the meridians, replenishing qi and blood, and beautifying the skin.
A problem then arises: its effectiveness is unknown.
When Zhao Honghui heard her talk about this problem, he introduced her to someone: "There are three people living in the cowshed now: Dr. Sun, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and a couple who are university professors. You can consult Dr. Sun."
Xie Yuyao then learned that a leading figure in the field of traditional Chinese medicine lived in Qingshantun.
According to him, Old Sun is almost sixty years old and was sent to the countryside five years ago after the accident.
Because Party Secretary Liu of Qingshan Village was self-protective and the brigade leader was not proactive in getting involved, the brigade headquarters adopted a cold-blooded approach towards this group. At the same time, they also restrained the villagers and children from provoking this group of people with special status.
It was precisely because of this that the Qingshantun Brigade Headquarters did not value Sun Lao's medical skills, and when Yu Wenbo had an accident, no one thought to ask him to treat him.
These three were not maliciously harassed, but they did dirty and hard work every day, were destitute, and didn't even have a decent thing to keep warm. Every winter was a major hurdle for them.
After Zhao Honghui returned from military service, out of sympathy and respect, he visited him once, bringing gifts.
To repay the kindness shown to him, Zhao Honghui would send him things from time to time, and life became a little better than in previous years.
Previously, Zhao Jianbin frequently visited the two professors to seek their advice and also brought them some practical gifts.
To their surprise, because Xie Yuyao had bought Zhao Honghui a lot of warm clothes, Zhao Honghui had sent over a lot of old clothes for the winter, so they could stay warm this winter.
Xie Yuyao knew that a group of people lived over there. In the past, she only wanted to be an outsider and never thought about making friends with anyone.
Upon hearing Zhao Honghui's words, Xie Yuyao took out paper and pen and copied down the formulas for three kinds of pills from "Compendium of Materia Medica": one for dispelling wind and unblocking meridians, one for beautifying the skin, and one for replenishing qi and blood. She decided to take the formulas and pills with her to ask for advice.
She folded the paper a few times. "Should I also bring some braised pork and cured pork?"
“Sure, if you have any clothes you don’t wear anymore, you can give them to them.” Zhao Honghui was very clear about the situation there; in the dead of winter, what they needed most was warm clothing.
"Wouldn't old clothes be too inappropriate?" She felt embarrassed to wear them.
But Zhao Honghui said, "No, they would love to. Besides, given their current situation, it would be safer for them to use the old ones."
"Alright, I happen to have a lot of old clothes that I've been wearing." Hearing him say that, Xie Yuyao rummaged through her drawers and found all the winter clothes she had brought from her hometown.
These clothes have been worn for several years; not only are the colors faded, but the cotton-padded coats are also clumped together.
Xie Yuyao couldn't stand it anymore, "Tell me their height and build."
After listening to Zhao Honghui's explanation, she took out four cotton vests for the elderly that she had stockpiled in her storage space. They were simple and practical, and wouldn't be conspicuous when worn under an outer coat.
The extra item, even without Xie Yuyao saying it, they would understand that it was for Old Master Sun.
They packed the items together with the old clothes, and Zhao Honghui carried them as the two of them headed to the cowshed.
When they arrived at the cowshed, Xie Yuyao saw a dilapidated courtyard not far away.
The courtyard consisted only of a fence and a gate, with a few mud-brick houses in the front yard. The elderly university professor couple and Mr. Sun lived there.
The yard is upwind and some distance from the cowshed, so the smell isn't too bad.
Zhao Honghui called out, and Teacher Chen came out to open the door. "Honghui, what brings you here? Come in quickly."
Her face was weathered, but her hair was neatly combed, and although her clothes were patched, they were clean and tidy.
Hearing her say that, Zhao Honghui opened the gate and led Xie Yuyao inside.
"Young lady, are you Honghui's girlfriend? You're so beautiful!" Teacher Chen had never seen such a beautiful girl in Qingshan Village. Standing next to Honghui, wearing the same military overcoat, they were a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
Xie Yuyao readily agreed and introduced herself: "Thank you for your compliment. You must be Teacher Chen. My name is Xie Yuyao, and I am an educated youth who came here a few months ago."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
