Chapter 301 The Stinking Intellectual
Aunt Qian was stunned: "Can't you see? He has a fever, he's delirious. This is a life-threatening situation, aren't you going to do anything about it?"
The nurse said helplessly, "Please don't make things difficult for me. These are special times, and we can't get involved with people who have been sent down to the countryside."
Those who were sent down to the countryside must have made huge mistakes and were to be labeled as "stinking intellectuals," so their status was naturally very low, and everyone was afraid of getting involved with them.
Only Aunt Qian was still eager to go along with it; they really didn't know what Aunt Qian was thinking.
Aunt Qian said, "Then could you give us some fever reducer?"
The nurse shook her head: "No, we all know you're buying medicine for him, so we can't give it to him."
The light in Lin Xiao's eyes went out. She had actually come many times today, but no one was willing to sell medicine to them. Besides, she didn't have any money. They came here to work in the cowshed without pay. They were only given two meals a day, which were just steamed buns and water.
The steamed bun was very hard, and it gave her a stomachache, but she had no choice but to eat it to stay alive.
Aunt Qian argued with the nurse for a long time, but still couldn't buy the medicine.
Shen Zhixia shook her head: "Let's go, there's no point in continuing this entanglement."
She realized that these people wouldn't sell medicine to the Lin family.
Finally, Shen Zhixia went to find Huo Chunyan. Huo Chunyan had been resting at home during her pregnancy and had not gone to the clinic, but she had prepared a lot of medicine. When she heard that a child had a fever, she prepared the medicine herself and gave it to Shen Zhixia.
Shen Zhixia did not bring the Lin family members with her, mainly because she was afraid of implicating Huo Chunyan.
She gave the medicine to Lin Xiao, who then gave it to the child. After a while, the child's fever started to subside.
Lin Xiao immediately expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much."
She wanted to give the earrings to Shen Zhixia, but Shen Zhixia shook her head and said, "You should keep your earrings. They look very old; they must have been passed down from your ancestors."
Lin Xiao's face darkened: "Our house has been ransacked. These earrings were left to me by my grandmother. I put them in my pocket and took them out. As for their value, it's hard to say. Nobody would buy them now."
They are very wealthy, possessing a vast collection of jade and antiques. Any one of them could be priceless. However, these items are not like gold; they are not hard currency and require someone to be able to afford them.
Who would spend a lot of money to buy jade at this time? Besides, everyone is still cracking down on capitalist practices. She can't even wear these jade earrings out. But she has no money, so she's hoping to use them to exchange for something.
Shen Zhixia said, "Since it was passed down in your family, then keep it safe and don't give it to anyone else. It will be fine after this period of time passes."
She knew that a prosperous era was coming, and jade and antiques would be very valuable. She had many antiques stored in her space, which she would sell when the time came.
Lin Xiao asked blankly, "Will things get better later?"
Before her home was ransacked, she was a student majoring in piano and worked part-time as a piano teacher. She had some outstanding students. However, her piano playing was criticized as being bourgeois, and she lost not only her studies but also her career.
Later, because her mother's family were landlords, their entire family was ruined, everything was confiscated, and they became the despised intellectuals.
These days feel like a dream; she feels like she has endured all the suffering.
Aunt Qian asked, "Is this all you can do? Can you do anything else?"
Lin Xiao shook her head: "I only know how to play the piano."
Aunt Qian asked, "What about your sister?"
The woman, who was holding and comforting her child, said, "I used to work at a research institute."
Well, this family really is highly educated; they must have been incredibly unlucky to be sent here.
Lin Xiao smiled bitterly, "I feel like there's no hope left. Now we can only take it one step at a time. Since we came here, no one has been willing to approach us. You are the only ones who are willing to help us. Thank you so much."
Actually, some men had approached them before, but they all had ill intentions, just like Chen Gang. There were basically no people like Shen Zhixia and Aunt Qian who were genuinely kind to them.
They were truly grateful.
Shen Zhixia looked at her. Even though Lin Xiao was young, she could see a faint aura of death about her.
It's clear that they've been having a very difficult time lately.
She pursed her lips and said, "Comrade Lin, I know you are having a hard time right now, and it may be even harder in the future, but this is a path you can only walk on your own. No one can help you. If you believe me, then remember this: you will definitely get through this, and things will get better in the future."
Lin Xiao was stunned for a moment.
Shen Zhixia didn't say much. After the movement ended, these cadres and intellectuals who had been sent down to the countryside would gradually return to the city in the 1970s, regain their urban household registration, and continue to work and study. Although it would take a long time, it was not without hope.
Aunt Qian felt sorry for them, so she bought some steamed buns and gave them some money.
Shen Zhixia glanced at her but didn't say anything.
She sympathized with the Lin family, but gave them nothing. After all, whatever she gave them would be a drop in the ocean, only enough to save them temporarily, not forever. The difficulties they would face next would have to be overcome by themselves.
Aunt Qian said, "They are so pitiful. One of them works in a research institute, and the other studies piano. Now they raise cattle. How could they possibly know this?"
She was truly heartbroken.
Shen Zhixia said, "Now that they've already gone through it, they'll probably adapt."
Some hardships have already befallen us, so we can only accept them.
Aunt Qian said, "But there are other ways. If they can marry people with good conditions here, then they can improve their current situation. I think Lin Xiao is good-looking and might take this path."
Shen Zhixia, however, thought otherwise. She saw that Lin Xiao was very determined and said that she might be able to get through it on her own.
Besides, people with good conditions probably wouldn't choose to be sent to the countryside now, unless they are lecherous and despicable men, like Chen Gang.
People should always think about relying on themselves; only by relying on themselves can they never fall.
After this incident, Shen Zhixia stopped caring about the Lin family. She also said to Aunt Qian, "Auntie, I know you mean well, but we can only do what we can for this kind of thing. We can't change their fate."
She found that Aunt Qian was a good person. When she was bullied, Aunt Qian took the initiative to stand up for her and uphold justice, but she also had some flaws.
Aunt Qian is somewhat of a saint.
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