The small storage room was filled with miscellaneous items. At a glance, it was all gray and it was impossible to tell what was inside.
Jiang Henian covered his mouth and nose, his eyebrows were twisted into pieces. How long will it take to clean up?
"What a fuss."
Old Ma Liu snorted, walked in, kicked away the broken basket and rotten wooden frame on the ground, walked to the left wall, and picked up a gourd ladle from the broken bamboo basket.
Jiang Henian was wondering what he was going to do, when he saw the old man raise his hand and grab a corner of something on the wall, cover his head and face with the gourd ladle, and then pull it down with force.
At that moment, thick dust fell like a waterfall, the dust was so flying that it blinded the eyes. It was so severe that one breath of it would cause lung disease.
Jiang Henian was stunned by the billowing dust that rushed out from the small storage room and quickly took seven or eight steps back.
With such a quick reaction, he choked several times.
It was a long time before I dared to slip back.
Old Ma Liu was covered in dust, with a clean, round face and a short beard, and his two small eyes stared at her blankly.
Jiang Henian sneered, "Uncle Ma Liu, you made such a big fuss just cleaning the warehouse."
"With your squeamishness, why do you want to learn to be a doctor or become a barefoot doctor?" Old Ma Liu said disdainfully. "There's no need for me to read this book."
Only then did Jiang Henian notice that there was an old wooden bookshelf leaning against the wall, which was densely packed with books.
She immediately picked up the broom from the ground and patted her chest to assure him, "Master, don't worry! I promise to clean it up so that not even a speck of dust can be seen!"
In the evening, Jiang Henian threw away the dirty broom and rag and sat down on the ground.
He stretched his extremely aching waist and didn't even care about the pain in his buttocks. He couldn't wait to take out a thick medical book from the bottom layer and flipped through a few pages.
Good stuff, good stuff!
As for the origin of these books, Lao Ma Liu only said that there was a big disturbance in the early years, and a familiar landlord handed these books to him, and told him that it would be fine as long as they were not burned, as it would be a pity to burn them.
Lao Ma Liu had some problems with his eyes and couldn't read, so he found a piece of cloth to cover his eyes.
As for where the landlord had gone, he didn't say, but looking at his expression it was not difficult to guess that something bad had happened to him, so Jiang Henian naturally didn't bother asking.
The old man was very stubborn when he wanted to give a book to the debt collector apprentice.
"Stop carrying that tattered book of yours around all day. It's an eyesore, it's attracting moths and it's getting in the way of my house. If you can clean it up, take it all away."
Jiang Henian finally saw through the old man's hard words and soft heart.
No matter how disgusted he was, the books that his old friend asked him to read were thrown directly into the storage room to collect dust. In fact, they were covered tightly with thick cloth, and there was not a speck of dust or insects inside.
All well preserved.
Jiang Henian was overjoyed! She had originally been worried about where to buy some medical books and texts.
Now that this whole bookshelf is given to her, if she weren't outside, she really wants to put them all into the space and move them back home!
When He Jinshan found Lao Ma Liu, Jiang Henian was sitting cross-legged on the ground facing an old bookshelf, holding a book as thick as a brick in his hands and reading it intently.
The man leaned against the door with his arms folded, looked for a long time, then knocked on the door frame with his backhand and chuckled:
"Too busy to go home?"
Jiang Henian turned around when he heard the voice, and his little face was black in patches, like a tabby cat.
His body was covered in dust as if he had rolled on the ground several times, but the smile on his face was bright and cheerful.
“You’re here!”
"Come and help me carry it back home. Master gave me so many books!"
*
Half a month later.
"Ah? Half a month! Why does it take so long?"
After hearing what He Jinshan said, Jiang Henian's face turned sad. He followed him all night, pouting and speaking in an annoying voice.
"It's been too long, can we not go..."
"Uncle, why don't you take me with you? I'll be living alone at the foot of the mountain if you leave. It's so pitiful."
The girl hugged the kitchen pillar and looked resentfully at the man who was concentrating on using the spatula.
Swish——!
A large cloud of white smoke rose from the large iron pot, and the aroma of sautéed onions, ginger, and garlic was rich and fragrant.
The potato shreds, cut into even thickness, are poured into the pan and stir-fried quickly.
This posture really looks a bit like a chef in the kitchen.
A chopstick of freshly baked shredded potatoes was brought to my mouth, emitting a hot and smoky aroma.
"Try it."
Jiang Henian lowered his eyes to look at the golden potato shreds, then looked at the calm man, and pushed his chopsticks away unhappily.
"He! Entering! The! Mountain!"
He Jinshan looked at the girl's reluctant, unhappy and aggrieved expression, and suddenly smiled.
"This is the production team sending able-bodied men to work. Are you one of them, huh?"
Jiang Henian pouted even more unhappily.
He Jinshan put the chopsticks to her mouth again, "Open your mouth, small diced potatoes."
Jiang Henian reluctantly opened his mouth and ate the fragrant shredded potatoes. He tasted the flavor and chewed happily, but he still sounded unhappy.
"I'm the little potato cube, and you're the big winter melon cube!"
He kept asking, "Did the captain say we had to be gone for such a long time?"
When he heard He Jinshan say to get a big plate, he walked to the cupboard and took out a blue and white porcelain plate and handed it to him, then hugged the pillar and continued what he had just said seamlessly.
"How far is it from here? Can't I just go along and do odd jobs?"
"Thirty kilometers, digging rocks and sleeping on straw mats. You can't stay here. The team doesn't want child labor."
The slack season is coming soon. Today the production team issued a notice that next week all the able-bodied laborers in every household in the team will go thirty kilometers away to participate in the construction of a water conservancy project in a 10,000-meter cave. All production teams in the communes in the nearby towns will participate.
This is "Chufu", a voluntary labor that contributes to the national infrastructure. There are no work points and no wages, but in an era when everyone contributes to the country, everyone works hard.
If a family's able-bodied laborers did not participate, they would be interviewed, and in serious cases, they would be criticized.
Even if you really have a legitimate reason for not being able to participate, you still have to apply and contribute some supplies and food as compensation.
Therefore, as the only strong laborer in their family, He Jinshan had no choice but to leave unless he was lame.
Jiang Henian knew it in his heart, but he was unwilling.
She felt particularly uncomfortable when she thought that He Jinshan would be away for half a month.
Ever since she came here, she has been able to see He Jinshan every day. After they got married, they have been together day and night and are always sticking together. When she heard the news, Jiang Henian began to have separation anxiety.
What's more, their situation does not allow them to be separated for such a long time, which could be fatal.
"I can do it! I'm already eighteen! The team will definitely agree to have one more person working."
Jiang Henian was completely unwilling to listen to reason at this moment. He angrily hugged the wooden pillar and glared at He Jinshan.
"If you don't take me with you, we'll both die!"
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