Chapter 20 In the health center...
In the health center
Cheng Xiuying tied a strong man up tightly with hemp rope and threw him into the ward. The ward door was half-open, and Chen Hongmei stood by the bed, guarding Lu Gong'an.
The two men, pretending to be Lu Gong's family members, came to take care of him. They thanked Cheng Xiuying and Chen Hongmei profusely and told them to go back and rest while they stayed to take care of Lu Gong's family.
Cheng Xiuying saw that the two men looked shifty and didn't believe them at all. She decided to arrest them first.
As a result, the two turned and ran away. Cheng Xiuying and Chen Hongmei picked up sticks and started hitting them. The other party actually had a weapon in their hand, and they used a dagger to stab Cheng Xiuying.
Weapons are all about length and strength. Cheng Xiuying and her companion were no ordinary people; they had actually practiced with sticks. They quickly subdued the shorter, crew-cut man. Chen Hongmei pinned him down, pulled her belt, and tied her hands behind her back. Seeing their stance, the other man threw something at Cheng Xiuying and her companion and ran away.
Cheng Xiuying and her companion quickly dodged, scattering chili powder that stung their eyes. Ignoring the pain, they chased after the man, cursing him as a scoundrel.
But Cheng Xiuying quickly stopped and dared not chase after him any further.
What if this is a diversionary tactic?
The most important thing now is to protect the safety of the Lu police. Since they dared to come and silence us, the Lu police must know something!
Cheng Xiuying threw the stick in her hand, hitting the other person squarely, but unfortunately it didn't knock him unconscious, and he still managed to run away.
The nurse heard the commotion and rushed over.
Cheng Xiuying rubbed her eyes: "Someone tried to harm Lu Gong'an, and one of them escaped. Do you have any rope? We can tie this one up."
The nurse quickly found some rope and brought it over. Despite the discomfort in her eyes, Cheng Xiuying first tied up each of the men on the ground tightly, and then took out several more packets of chili powder from her pocket.
Chen Hongmei cursed, "That's a crooked and evil way of doing things."
The nurse then used saline solution to wash Cheng Xiuying and Chen Hongmei's eyes, which finally made them feel less burning.
The burly man who had been hit by the stick didn't leave the hospital. He had to think of a way to make sure no one was left alive. He should have smashed the man's head in the first place. Who would have thought he would be so lucky?
Now, instead of killing anyone, we've lost a brother.
He looked out the hospital window and thought he could throw a knife onto the bed through the window; that would surely kill the other person. Then he'd set the place on fire and rescue his brother in the chaos.
He stealthily climbed onto the window and started to climb up.
He was hit on the buttocks again with a stick, followed by his hands. He cried out in pain and was slapped.
He fell to the ground with a thud.
"What are you trying to do, sneaking around like that?" Yu Songchuan stepped on his chest. The burly man reached into his pocket, pulled out a dagger, and was about to stab Yu Songchuan in the chest when Yu Songchuan stepped on his wrist. With a crisp crack, his hand bone broke, and the dagger fell to the ground.
Yu Songchuan unbuckled his belt and tied his hands together. "Oh, you dare to use a knife?"
He looked up at the building; was that Lu Gong's ward?
Yu Songyan was afraid that he might have weapons in his pocket, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out several paper packets. When he opened them, they were all filled with chili powder. The smell of it was so strong that it made people cough. In another pocket, he found a large wad of banknotes.
He clicked his tongue: "So many banknotes!"
Yu Songchuan's eyes were glued to the stack of banknotes. He immediately spotted the meat coupons. Good heavens, he had never seen so many banknotes piled up together. He wanted to grab a handful. He wanted to eat meat—braised pork, Dongpo pork, braised pork knuckle…
The man never expected to be so unlucky. He was being trampled on the ground, his face pressed against the earth. He had never been so miserable. He said, "I'll give you half of the money and tickets, and let me go. Let's pretend we never met."
The fact that someone could say such a thing further confirms the crime.
If there hadn't been a crime, they would have made a scene long ago.
Yu Songyan: "This money should go to the police. I don't want it!"
The man changed his tune and wailed, "It's all yours, all the money and tickets!"
Yu Songyan hesitated for a moment, but quickly said, "I don't like to spend money that isn't clean."
Yu Songchuan stared at him, feeling that this man was trying to harm Lu Gong'an.
Yu Hongding: "Let's go, take the person upstairs first, and then call the police later."
Yu Songchuan carried the bound man upstairs. The man realized in despair that this was the very place he had just escaped from. He struggled desperately, trying to escape.
Yu Songchuan kicked him, "What are you doing? Behave yourself."
When they arrived at the ward door, Yu Songchuan called out softly, "Mom."
Cheng Xiuying spotted the bound man immediately—wasn't this the one who had just run away? "Hahaha, you've fallen into my son's hands!" she exclaimed, praising, "Well done!"
They tied him up tightly with hemp rope, kicked him into the corner of the ward, and put him to keep another short man company.
Chen Hongmei was overjoyed and kicked the man to avenge the chili powder incident. She said, "How did you manage to catch him? They came up here trying to harm people and almost got caught, but they threw chili powder and ran away."
Yu Songchuan was overjoyed: "We had just arrived at the hospital when we saw this man climbing up the wall from behind. He was almost up to the second floor. I knew he was no good, so I knocked him down and held him down."
The bound man was furious; he had actually been defeated by this ordinary family.
Yu Songyan: "Mom, I found a lot of money in his pocket. There were over five hundred in cash!" He handed the dagger to Cheng Xiuying along with the money.
Cheng Xiuying gave him a look, and Yu Songyan narrowed his eyes. Cheng Xiuying happily took the money and stuffed it into her pocket: "Give it to the police tomorrow. This is definitely stolen money!"
Yu Songchuan looked at the money with deep reluctance.
Yu Hongding looked Cheng Xiuying up and down. Seeing that she was wearing a hospital gown, he asked worriedly, "Are you injured? Why are your eyes so red?"
Cheng Xiuying: "I came to the hospital without anyone on my back, and I was covered in blood. The doctor gave me a hospital gown to wear first. Don't worry, who can hurt me? I just got some chili pepper in my eyes, but the nurse rinsed it off with saline solution. I'm fine."
"Our family brought three hospital gowns from the hospital in one day." Yu Hongding was relieved and didn't ask any more questions. He put the lunchbox on the table, opened it, and handed the chopsticks to Cheng Xiuying: "Are you hungry? Eat first."
Yu Songchuan: "Mom, how is the patient?" He looked at Lu Gongan, who was lying on the bed, looking pale and lifeless.
Cheng Xiuying: "It's not a big problem, I should be able to wake up tomorrow."
Everyone was relieved; such a good policeman must be brought back to life.
Yu Songyan was curious about what exactly was going on.
Yu Songchuan no longer needed to hide anything from him and prepared to start by telling the story of his trip to his maternal grandmother's house.
Cheng Xiuying: "Let's talk outside." There are still two criminals in the ward; it's best to keep them from hearing this news. She then called to Chen Hongmei: "Let's eat together."
The two brothers, Yu Songyan and Yu Songchuan, went to the corridor to talk. Yu Songchuan started by talking about his trip to his maternal grandmother's house, but he didn't get to the point for a long time.
Yu Songyan: "Can you get to the point!"
Yu Songchuan: "The important part is coming soon. Mom took my fourth sister and me into a ditch while riding her bike. After we fell, we felt someone touching us, which scared us so much that we ran away. My fourth sister felt that the hand that touched her was a little warm, like a person, so we turned back."
"We found a person covered in blood in the grassy area. Mom recognized him; he was a policeman. We rushed him to the hospital." He then recounted how the three of them had split up, and finally said, "Second Brother, come closer; I have something else to tell you."
Yu Songyan moved closer.
Yu Songchuan whispered, "Second brother, did you secretly keep some for yourself? Could you give me a dollar?"
Yu Songyan: ...
"Who do you take me for? Nobody like me."
Yu Songchuan: "Take me to the state-run restaurant tomorrow and treat me to pork rib noodles."
Yu Songyan: ...
Yu Songchuan: "Second brother, I just saw you and Mom squinting, and Mom even smiled."
Yu Songyan: "Why don't you ask Mom to make you pork rib noodles? I'd like to eat some more."
Yu Songchuan: "I'm not going." Isn't that asking for a beating?! "You can buy meat tomorrow, no need to tell Mom."
When the two returned from outside, Cheng Xiuying had almost finished eating. Yu Hongding cleared away the dishes and said, "I've prepared a clean set of clothes for you to change into. I've also brought your toothbrush and toothpaste."
Cheng Xiuying was secretly pleased. "You don't need to change your clothes. You should go back first; it's not comfortable staying in the clinic."
Yu Hongding: "I'll sit for a while before I leave. You should lie down and rest for a bit; you still have a long night ahead. If anything happens, we'll call you."
Cheng Xiuying didn't even take off her shoes and lay down on another hospital bed to rest, while Chen Hongmei lay on a bench outside.
Yu Songyan and Yu Songchuan stood guard on either side of Lu Gong's hospital bed. Yu Songchuan even peeked through the window to see if anyone was outside.
Cheng Xiuying slept for almost two hours. When she woke up, it was almost eleven o'clock. She quickly told Yu Hongding and his two sons to go home.
Yu Hongding packed up the bowls, chopsticks, and bloodstained clothes and put them back: "I'll bring you food again tomorrow."
Cheng Xiuying: "Have the eldest or the fifth brother come with you."
Yu Hongding is too weak to even kill a chicken. What if there are bad guys at the health center again?
Yu Hongding: "I'll listen to you."
The father and his two sons rode their bicycles home. The short journey left Yu Hongding drenched in sweat. At the gate of the courtyard, he told his second and fifth sons to get off.
Pushing my bicycle home, I hadn't gone more than a few steps when I saw my eldest brother.
Yu Songqing: "Dad, why are you only getting back now? Where's Mom?"
Yu Hongding: "We'll talk about it when we get back."
When they arrived home, the door to the west room opened, and Yu Jiamin came out. Not seeing Cheng Xiuying, she asked, "Dad, isn't Mom coming back?"
Yu Hongding: "Your mother isn't coming back today."
She then asked, "How is the patient?"
Yu Songchuan chimed in, "It's not a big problem, she should wake up tomorrow. Is Fourth Sister asleep?"
Seeing Yu Jiamin nod, he boasted again: "I caught a criminal tonight!" He then recounted how he had subdued the burly man.
Yu Jiamin clicked her tongue in amazement. It was like something out of a movie. "What's going on today? More things have happened than in a whole year."
Yu Songqing was completely confused, and no one explained the situation to him. "What patient? What prisoner? Is there anything else I don't know?"
Yu Jiamin naturally wouldn't answer her questions. Yu Songyan whispered a few words, roughly explaining that they had encountered the injured police officer at his grandmother's house, "Don't tell anyone."
Yu Songqing: !!!
His expression gradually became complicated. So, Jiajia and Songchuan not only pulled two drowning people out of the reservoir, but also pulled a policeman who was about to bleed to death from the grassy area.
Three lives lost!
No, we also have to include Xu Jinbao, making it four lives lost.
After Yu Songchuan finished speaking, he waited for his eldest brother and third sister to praise him.
Yu Songqing: "You have to be very careful when you do things. What if someone just climbs out the window to take a look and you knock them down and they get hurt?"
Yu Songchuan: "At such a low height, how could you possibly get hurt?"
Yu Songqing: "You should shout it out. He'll be too scared to climb any further. Once he's down, ask him who he is. If he can't answer clearly, then take him to the police station."
Yu Songchuan rolled his eyes, feeling he was right: "What if I yell and he runs away, or what if he has a dagger? He could just disappear into the deep mountains and forests, and the police wouldn't be able to find him. What good can someone be that can climb up to a window? I'll just smash it down. If he climbs to the third or fourth floor, I definitely wouldn't dare to smash it down like that, what if he falls and dies?"
Yu Jiamin felt that Yu Songchuan hadn't done anything wrong. What kind of good person would climb the window of the health center? It was a special time to do special things. She praised him a couple of times, saying, "He's pretty good." She also told him about what had happened at home.
Yu Songyan frowned: "It really is their family's doing."
Yu Songchuan slapped his thigh in regret: "If only I could be in two places at once! One of me could go catch the criminal, and the other could stay home and deal with Xu Dali's family, and I could enjoy my moment of glory! They came to thank their benefactor, and I wasn't even home!"
Yu Jiamin chuckled, "They'll probably come again, and you'll definitely be home then."
Yu Hongding praised Yu Songqing and his two siblings for doing a good job: "We cannot accept the gifts from the Zhou and Xu families."
Yu Songchuan felt bad about all the delicious food. He said, "But I really need to replenish myself. I've lost weight from exhaustion today. Fourth Sister must be even weaker. How can she not replenish herself properly? Didn't Xu Dali's family lose money and coupons? Let's buy a pound of meat tomorrow and have white flour dumplings."
Everyone looked at Yu Songchuan; he didn't look thin at all.
Yu Songchuan: "Mom worked very hard today and didn't get much rest last night. I'll cook some shredded pork noodles for her tomorrow morning to help her recover. Oh, Uncle Lu also needs to recover; he should eat more pork liver to replenish his blood."
Yu Hongding: "Go to sleep, you can have anything in your dreams."
If Cheng Xiuying weren't home, I really would have slapped him.
They just ate crucian carp stew with tofu, and now they want to eat refined grain dumplings? What kind of family is this? Who do they think they are?
Yu Jiamin: "Xu Dali and Xu Jinbao are currently undergoing training at the Public Security Bureau. When they get out, they won't let it go like this. The way Xu Dali looks at Jiajia is menacing."
Yu Songyan sneered, "How could we let this go so easily? Do you think our family is easy to bully? You don't need to worry about it, I'll handle it."
Yu Songchuan asked excitedly, "What should we do? Put a sack over it or smash the window?"
Yu Hongding: "I'm going to wash up."
He stopped listening to what his children said next.
Yu Songyan stretched and said, "Old Xu's mouth stinks like she ate shit. I'm sleepy too, I'm going to sleep."
Yu Jiamin smiled and went back to her room to sleep.
Yu Songyan draped a towel around his neck, picked up his toothbrush cup, and went to wash up. He saw Yu Hongding washing clothes by the sink; those were his mother's clothes.
Yu Songchuan chased after him, "Second Brother, what do you mean? Don't just say half of what you mean, I don't know if I understood you. Is that what you meant?"
Yu Songyan: "What do you mean?"
Yu Songchuan looked around. It was so late, and there was nobody there. He muttered, "Eat shit."
If someone with foul mouth should be forced to eat shit, then that must mean exactly what it says, right?
But how do we do that?
Yu Songyan: "How can you be so uncivilized? You're not a dog, how are you going to eat that?"
Yu Songchuan:......
The next day, Yu Jiajia was awakened by noises outside.
Granny Xu and her mother were crying and sobbing at the entrance of the Yu family's house. "Please let Dali and Jinbao go. They are still children. They will definitely know their mistakes and correct them in the future. They will never do it again."
Yu Jiamin pulled back the curtain to look at the sky outside. It was still quite dark, probably not even five o'clock yet. She got dressed, combed her hair, opened the door, and went out.
Yu Jiajia woke up too, and thought the Xu family was really annoying. What time is it?! Don't they let people sleep?
I really hope they move away!
She put her hands together and first checked in daily, saying, "Money, money, money!"
[Received 2 chive and egg buns]
Okay...
Yu Jiajia got out of bed and went to collect the clothes. The clothes she had hung out to dry yesterday were already dry. She chose a set of clothes with few patches and put them on. She stood by the window and watched Granny Xu crying outside.
Granny Xu sat at the entrance of the Yu family's main house, sobbing and crying, "The two children were ignorant and didn't see that there was something in the river. Fortunately, no damage was caused, and I have already compensated them. Please let my children out."
Xu's mother, Wang Cuifen, also joined in the wailing, "Sister Cheng, Brother Yu, please have mercy and let my son go this time. You watched them grow up, how can you bear to leave them in the police station?"
Thinking about the two children being detained in the police station, she couldn't sleep all night. Everyone held back until dawn and rushed over to plead for them.
Yu Songchuan got dressed and ran over, holding a teacup and brushing his teeth beside her. When he spat, he spat a few times, and the spittle splashed onto Granny Xu's clothes.
Granny Xu glared at him fiercely; there wasn't a single good person in the Yu family.
Yu Songchuan jumped up as if startled: "Ah, Grandma Xu, don't glare at me like that, you're scaring me."
The dramatic crying of Granny Xu and her daughter-in-law quickly woke up half the people in the courtyard, who all rushed over.
Just then, they saw Granny Xu glaring fiercely at Yu Songchuan.
Granny Xu quickly looked away and continued crying.
Yu Songyan said earnestly, "Grandma and Aunt, what are you doing? Dali and Jinbao are going to the Public Security Bureau to learn. They'll come back once they've learned well, which is a good thing. No one is perfect, and it's always good to admit your mistakes and correct them."
Yu Songchuan: "If your family has any complaints about the Public Security Bureau, go to the Public Security Bureau, or have Dali and Jinbao study quickly. Once they've learned, they'll be released."
Yu Jiamin: "If you make a mistake, just correct it. You can't have any complaints about the Public Security Bureau. It's unacceptable for your thinking to slip up." She said earnestly, "Grandma Xu, you can't say things like that."
Grandma Xu truly hated Yu Jiamin's foul mouth. "I didn't, how could I dare to have any complaints about the Public Security Bureau?"
Yu Jiamin: "No objections? Then why not let Dali and Jinbao continue their studies?"
Yu Hongding, dressed neatly, came out of the house: "Quickly help your aunt and sister-in-law up. The ground is cold in the morning, don't let them catch a cold."
Yu Songqing and Yu Songchuan each helped one of them up and managed to take them back to the Xu family.
Neither Granny Xu nor her daughter-in-law were willing at all; they were basically forced to go back.
Yu Songchuan: "Dad, what should we eat for breakfast? Let's buy some bones, make some bone broth and duck blood, and send them to the health center." He then whispered, "To help Uncle Lu replenish his blood and to help Mom recover. She stayed up all night and must be very tired. Second brother said he'll pay for it and provide the receipts."
Yu Songyan: "When did I say that?"
Yu Songchuan winked and said, "Yesterday, around that time." He reached up and touched himself.
Yu Songyan: "...Okay, I'll go."
Yu Hongding was impressed. What kind of family was this? They ate meat every day, but the kids were paying for it and providing the tickets, so he certainly wouldn't refuse.
Who can resist the pleasure of eating meat?
Yu Songchuan happily dragged Yu Songyan to buy meat.
Yu Jiajia and Yu Jiamin went to the pool to wash up. Everyone was very kind to the Yu sisters and was very grateful to the Yu family for selflessly teaching them first aid methods.
Pan Hongying said, "Jiamin, where's your mother? Didn't she come back last night? What was she doing? She shouldn't be working the night shift."
In the factory, everyone knows who works the night shift and who doesn't.
Yu Jiamin: "Yeah, he hasn't come back." She casually added, "I don't know either."
Pan Hongying said meaningfully, "What? Why are you keeping this so secret?"
Yu Jiamin: "Auntie, where's my sister? I haven't seen her go out these past two days. It was so lively yesterday, but I didn't see her at all."
Pan Hongying: "My sister hasn't been feeling well these past two days."
Yu Jiamin: "Where does she feel unwell? I'll go check on her later."
Pan Hongying's face immediately turned cold. "There's no need for you to come see her."
Yu Jiajia: "What? Why are you keeping this so secret?"
Pan Hongying gritted her teeth, picked up the washbasin, and left. After she left, Lu Man whispered, "Sister Jiamin, what happened to Zhang Amei?" She had been busy with blind dates and finding a partner these past few days and hadn't really noticed Zhang Amei.
Zhang Amei is Pan Hongying's daughter. She is 19 years old this year. She stopped going to school after graduating from junior high school and has been helping to take care of her nephews and nieces at home ever since.
Yu Jiamin: "I don't know, I only asked out of curiosity."
Lu Man then said, "Jiajia, let's go to the park today."
Yu Jiajia shook her head: "I have to go to the health center today, so I won't go."
She wouldn't go out with Lu Man.
She carried her toothbrush cup and took her older sister's hand as they went home together.
It was still early, so there was no rush to cook. Yu Jiajia decided to redraw yesterday's comic. Yu Hongding praised it, saying that even illiterate people could understand and learn from it, and that it was better than written descriptions and easier to spread.
Yu Jiajia proudly declared, "That's right!"
Grandma Zhou brought over five eggs and half a packet of brown sugar. "Jiajia first went into the water to save someone yesterday, and then she saved Xu Jinbao. She was busy for most of the night, so she needs to eat more brown sugar and eggs to replenish her strength."
Eggs and brown sugar are both good things, and Yu Hongding was unwilling to accept them, but Grandma Zhou insisted on putting them down, saying, "They're for the child to nourish his body, you can't stop him."
Yu Jiajia didn't want it either, so Grandma Zhou eventually took the things back.
Grandpa Wang brought over a block of firm tofu and a jar of fruit. They learned first aid techniques, which could save a life should they encounter such a situation again.
The Yu family didn't accept anything from Grandma Zhou's family, so naturally they wouldn't accept anything from Grandpa Wang's family either.
Grandpa Wang used to think that the Yu family children were all good, smart and polite. Now he really thinks that the Yu family has noble character. Yu Jiajia teaches everyone first aid methods and really doesn't ask for anything in return.
When Yu Songchuan and Yu Songyan returned, they found a pile of things at the door: "Where did all these dishes come from?"
When Yu Jiajia and the others came out, they saw that there were about thirty eggs, three pieces of tofu, two pieces of duck blood, brown sugar, canned food, a pack of peach crisps, several steamed buns, and several bunches of green vegetables.
Seeing that the Yu family wouldn't accept the gifts, they secretly placed them at the door.
Granny Xu peeked out and saw so much food that her eyes reddened. She should have come out earlier and taken the food to her own home!
What he didn't know was that Grandma Zhou next door had been secretly watching, afraid that the Xu family would take it away.
This is something everyone is grateful to Yu Jiajia for; this stuff has to go into Yu Jiajia's stomach.
Yu Hongding stared at all the things for a moment, stunned.
Grandma Zhou said, "Take it home. Boil two eggs for Jiajia every day to help her recover. Jiajia can keep the brown sugar canned peach shortbread and eat it slowly."
Yu Hongding followed Grandma Zhou's instructions.
Grandma Zhou nodded in satisfaction, "That's right."
The Yu family moved their belongings into the house together. Yu Jiajia put some snacks back in the west room, and saved the eggs for her to cook.
Yu Songyan and Yu Songchuan put the pound of pork belly they bought on the table. When they went to the grocery store to buy pork, the salesperson recognized Yu Songchuan and knew about his rescue yesterday. The salesperson gave them an extra large bone with meat on it and told them, "Give this to Songchuan and Jiajia to nourish their bodies. Each of you can eat half of the bone."
The large bone has been chopped in half, exposing the marrow inside, and there are still strands of meat on the outside, making it perfect for making soup.
Yu Songchuan: "Fourth Sister, how do you make a delicious soup? Should we add winter melon and pig's blood to it?"
Yu Jiajia: "Okay, let's make a pig's blood and vermicelli soup. It's good for replenishing qi and blood, and it's suitable for patients. Let's give it to Uncle Lu to help him recover."
Yu Songchuan: "Where's the pork?"
Yu Jiajia: "It's just right to make pork, chive, and vermicelli dumplings, to nourish Mom. Big brother, come and knead the dough. Second brother, pick the scallions and chives. Wubao, let me teach you how to make soup first. First, wash the pork bones and stew them, then add chopped scallions and ginger. That's it. Then soak the vermicelli in hot water."
Yu Songqing: "And you?"
Yu Jiajia: "I'll teach you." She fanned herself with a palm leaf fan. "Big brother, it's only because I'm willing to teach you. If you change chefs, even if you pay and ask for a master chef, they won't want to talk to you."
Yu Songqing was speechless: "You think you can compare to a chef?"
Yu Jiajia: "I don't know if I can match you, but I'm more than capable of teaching you. You're so dissatisfied, you're not just trying to freeload, are you?"
Yu Jiamin chuckled and helped pick the chives.
Yu Songqing immediately felt that he had lost face.
He genuinely didn't want to learn or do the work in the kitchen. He wasn't just there to freeload; he handed over his salary, but the meat for this meal was paid for with coupons from his second brother.
The bones were specifically given to the fourth and fifth sons.
He had no choice but to keep doing it; how come his status kept getting lower and lower?
After picking the vegetables, Yu Songyan took out the cutting board and placed it on the table in the main room. He then used a cleaver to chop the chives, scallions, and vermicelli, and minced the pork.
This brings up the question of how much pork to eat.
Everyone subtly suggested that since it's hot in the summer, they should leave the food out overnight to prevent it from spoiling and to avoid wasting food, and eat it all at once.
Actually, it won't spoil even if you pickle it, but why pickle it? It's better to eat it fresh!
Yu Jiajia said, "Then let's make pork fritters. We can save the leftovers for dinner. They won't spoil easily if they're made properly."
Everyone agreed that as for whether it could be kept until evening, it was definitely not possible; there was only so much meat, and it would be easily finished.
The second brother chopped the pork into minced meat with a knife.
Yu Jiajia moved a few steps closer to Yu Jiamin and fanned herself with a palm leaf fan.
Her wrist was still sore, and after fanning herself for a while, her hand hurt. She handed the palm-leaf fan to her third sister, saying, "Sister, my hand hurts."
With a smile in her eyes, Yu Jiamin took a palm-leaf fan and fanned the two of them.
After the meat filling was chopped, Yu Jiajia taught her second brother and Xiao Wu how to season the filling: add salt, soy sauce, scallion, ginger, and peppercorn water, and then add two drops of sesame oil. Then they could start wrapping the dumplings.
The eldest brother rolled out the dough, while Yu Jiajia and Yu Jiamin wrapped the meat dumplings in cloth and covered them with a cloth. They would then fry the meat dumplings after the soup was cooked.
The bone broth simmered for over half an hour, until the marrow had extracted and a layer of milky white oil floated on top, looking very delicious. Then, the pig's blood, tofu, and glass noodles were added and simmered until the noodles were soft. Finally, chopped green onions were sprinkled on top, and it was ready to serve.
Take the casserole down and place the pan on top to start frying the meat dumplings.
Add a little oil to the pan and fry the meat sandwiches until the bottoms are golden brown. Then pour in the flour water mixture you just prepared, enough to cover half of the sandwiches. Cover the pan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the water evaporates. Turn off the heat and let it sit for two minutes before serving.
Yu Jiamin: "Why do we need to add flour water?"
Yu Jiajia: "That's what the book says, and this is my first time trying it too. I'll try it later."
Yu Songqing: "First time??? Aren't you afraid of messing it up! This is meat!"
Yu Jiajia: "Yesterday was the first time I saved people; I saved three lives."
As soon as the lid was lifted, Yu Songqing shut up. The mixed meat and flour dumplings smelled delicious!
Everyone was eager to eat, but we had to wait until the food was ready before we could all eat together.
I made two more batches, frying a total of 12 pork fritters. One and a half for each person, and the remaining four were sent to the clinic.
Each person also had a bowl of duck blood, tofu, vermicelli, and pork rib soup, and Yu Songchuan and Yu Jiajia each had half a large pork bone.
No one objected; the salesperson had specifically instructed that it was for the two of them.
The remaining soup was packed into two lunchboxes, which will be delivered to the health center later.
Everyone buried themselves in their food. The pork boxes were fried until crispy on the outside and filled with a mixture of lean and fatty pork, chives, and vermicelli, making them incredibly delicious.
Yu Songchuan: "If this were made of pure pork, it would be so delicious."
Take another sip of the soup; it's rich and fragrant, the pig's blood is very tender, the tofu is especially flavorful, and the vermicelli soaked in the meaty aroma is even tastier than the meat itself.
The Yu family has never eaten like this during Chinese New Year.
Cheng Xiuying would absolutely not allow herself to eat so much meat in one meal!
Yu Jiajia enjoyed the meal immensely, not only because the food was delicious, but more importantly, because she hadn't cooked it! She didn't have to stay in the hot kitchen to cook! She only needed to provide technical guidance from the kitchen doorway.
This feeling of happiness is overwhelming.
She quickly devoured a meat box, then held the bone and gnawed on the meat, saying, "Third Sister, have a bite!"
Yu Jiamin leaned over and took a small bite. "It's very fragrant."
Yu Jiajia chuckled and continued gnawing on the meat. The pork in this era was truly delicious; it wasn't raised on pig feed, but rather fattened up over a real year.
The Yu family ate to their heart's content, while the Xu family was filled with rage. The aroma of the meat was too strong. Old Mrs. Xu sniffed and cried, "This is all our money, our meat coupons! They're living the high life, while Dali and Jinbao are suffering terribly in the police station. God, you're blind!"
After the Yu family finished eating, it was time for them to go to work. Yu Songchuan volunteered to wash the dishes, and Yu Jiajia took out her pocket and handed Yu Songchuan one yuan and fifty cents. "Your popsicles this week, also treat Sanshi and Kunzi to popsicles. They helped our family a lot when we were fighting with the Xu family yesterday."
Yu Songchuan looked at the 1.5 yuan in his palm and his eyes welled up with tears: "Fourth Sister, you're so good to me! You're the best fourth sister to me."
His sister is so kind; she's made a fortune and is enjoying life to the fullest, but she doesn't forget to include him in the meal.
Yu Jiajia promised him a bright future: "When I have money, I'll take you out to eat."
Yu Songchuan smacked his lips and instructed, "Fourth Sister, don't go near the water these next few days! We'll go fishing after we get to Grandma's house."
Yu Jiajia's spatial backpack was piled high with hot pot, fried chicken, snail rice noodles, and a large carp she hadn't eaten yet. She also had so much money, and since she didn't plan on going fishing again, she nodded in agreement: "Okay." She packed her backpack, slung it over her shoulder, and prepared to leave.
Yu Songchuan: "Fourth sister, when you have time, go to the scrap yard and look for books on planting medicinal herbs. Let's study them and identify the herbs. When I have my vacation, let's go to the mountains to find medicinal herbs."
This is a legitimate business!
"I'll go this afternoon." Yu Jiajia slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and left. She ran into Sanshi at the door, who was poking at an ant nest with a stick. When he saw Yu Jiajia, he called out, "Fourth Sister, when is Chuanzi coming out?"
Yu Jiajia: "It'll be out soon."
She headed straight to the clinic at the meat processing plant, helping a child who almost fell down on the way. [Reward: 1 pound of brown sugar + 1 medicinal herb planting skill fragment (7/10)]
Then I ran into a little girl crying her eyes out by the roadside. She was heartbroken because her childhood sweetheart, the neighbor's brother, had started dating someone else.
Yu Jiajia couldn't bear to see the sweet young girl cry, so she handed her a tissue to wipe her tears, but she didn't know how to comfort her, as she had no experience in this area.
The little girl continued to cry, and Yu Jiajia was almost out of toilet paper, so she handed her a piece of fruit candy: "Eat a piece of candy to sweeten your mouth and you won't feel so bad."
The little girl chuckled, then said sadly, "Even though I ate the candy, I still feel terrible. I was planning to confess to him on his birthday; no one is more suitable for him than me. Waaah!"
Yu Jiajia didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only leave silently.
[Reward: 1 Electric Shock Device + 1 Herb Cultivation Skill Fragment (8/10)]
Yu Jiajia:! ! !
The stun gun is so useful! It significantly increases safety. If you encounter a bad guy, one stun gun and he's done for.
She opened the panel and studied it carefully for a while. The stun gun was about the size of a flashlight, small and lightweight, with a voltage of two million volts, and could knock a person unconscious in three seconds.
Yu Jiajia felt very safe.
When she arrived at the health center, the nurse greeted her with a smile, "Jiajia, Director Cao is busy right now, please wait a moment."
Yu Jiajia: "Okay, I'll go see Sister Xu first."
In the same hospital room as yesterday, Yu Jiajia knocked on the door. "Sister Xu, Brother Zhou, may I come in?"
Xu Jingqiu and Zhou Mingyuan were having breakfast when they saw Yu Jiajia at the door of the ward and quickly invited her in.
Xu Jingqiu's mother-in-law, Xie Lihua, greeted her, "Jiajia, sit here. Have you eaten? Would you like some more steamed buns? They're pork and scallion filled."
Xu Jingqiu took Yu Jiajia's hand and made her sit next to her: "My mom's steamed buns smell amazing, you should try some."
Yu Jiajia carefully observed Xu Jingqiu's condition and found her to be quite good. She took a small steamed bun and ate one. The skin was thin and the filling was plentiful, and it was very juicy. She praised, "Auntie's cooking is really good, it's especially fragrant."
Xu Jingqiu had a better appetite, so she ate a steamed bun and drank some rice porridge.
Xie Lihua peeled two apples, handed one to Yu Jiajia, and cut the other into small pieces, put them in a bowl, scalded them with hot water, and then handed them to Xu Jingqiu to eat.
Zhou Mingyuan ate it whole, skin and all.
Xie Lihua said, "You young people talk, I'm going to work." She then told Xu Jingqiu, "Just lie down and rest in the health center, don't overthink things. It's better for you two to be well than anything else."
Xu Jingqiu: "Mm."
She was heartbroken to lose her child and cried for half the night, but the mother was more important than the unborn child. The fact that she and Mingyuan were both alive was the greatest joy.
She should recover and wait for the child to return to her womb.
After Yu Jiajia finished eating the apple, Xu Jingqiu took some pastries from the bedside table and asked Yu Jiajia to continue eating, but Yu Jiajia was already full and couldn't eat anymore.
Xu Jingqiu: "Pack some up, eat it when you're hungry."
Yu Jiajia wasn't about to accept such a situation, so she quickly refused.
Xu Jingqiu: "Jiajia, don't be so polite with me." Her voice was trembling with tears. "If the child were still alive, I would definitely call you godmother and kowtow to you every year for New Year's greetings. Now you are my own sister. I want to give my own sister something to eat, but you won't even eat it?"
She opened Yu Jiajia's schoolbag and stuffed it with a bunch of food before she was satisfied.
Yu Jiajia said, "Thank you, Sister Xu."
Xu Jingqiu recounted the incident of falling into the river. She didn't know why they were so unlucky. Zhou Mingyuan finally caught a fish, which should have weighed more than a pound. It was biting the hook very hard and trying to escape. She excitedly went over to help, but then everything went black and she fell into the river with a splash.
She can't swim, and she panicked after falling in. She tried to float to the surface, but the more she struggled, the further she slid into the middle.
Zhou Mingyuan couldn't reach her, so he quickly jumped down to save her. At first, he was entangled by Xu Jingqiu, but once she regained her senses, she quickly let go. However, her foot somehow got stuck in the rock, and Zhou Mingyuan couldn't get her ashore. He dived to the bottom of the water and tried to pry Xu Jingqiu's foot out, but he couldn't get it out no matter what he did.
Xu Jingqiu was afraid that they would both be killed, so she wanted him to go ashore and call for help. Whether she could live or not was up to fate.
As a result, Zhou Mingyuan suffered a leg cramp and had no strength to swim up. After swallowing several mouthfuls of water, he could no longer swim up. The two of them struggled and sank to the bottom of the water together.
Zhou Mingyuan felt a chill run down his spine when he thought about it; the two of them had truly been on the brink of death.
Yu Jiajia: "When Songchuan and I came back to look for the hair tie, we saw you sinking. If it had been two seconds later, I wouldn't have noticed."
In that case, she might think that the two of them went to relieve themselves or look for something.
I wouldn't consider the possibility of someone falling into the water.
When the two of them float back up from the bottom of the water, they will be completely dead.
She said, "Those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortune. You will surely live a peaceful, prosperous, and happy life from now on."
Xu Jingqiu kept thanking them: "If it weren't for you and Songchuan, Mingyuan and I would be dead."
Yu Jiajia: "Luckily, I know CPR and artificial respiration, otherwise there wouldn't have been any other way for you guys to come up here. I'll draw these." She handed a stack of drawings to Xu Jingqiu, "Please pass these on to Aunt Zhao for me."
Xu Jingqiu and Zhou Mingyuan looked at the drawing together. It was very clear and easy to understand. No matter whether you could read or not, you could understand it after reading it once.
Xu Jingqiu flipped through the pages repeatedly, realizing that this was how she had been rescued.
Six minutes of CPR and countless artificial respirations.
Since she woke up, she had actually heard it many times, but none of them were as shocking as this picture book. It was in this way that her and her husband's lives were pulled back from the brink of death.
She took Yu Jiajia's hand and reached out to touch her wrist and fingers: "Does it hurt?"
Yu Jiajia was delicate all over, with slender, fair fingers like scallion segments and a slender, supple wrist. It was unimaginable that she could have such great strength.
She persisted in saving her, never giving up, until she came back to life.
Yu Jiajia: "It doesn't hurt anymore. I'll be fine after a good night's sleep." She turned her wrist to show Xu Jingqiu, "You're doing well too. You'll be fine from now on."
Xu Jingqiu reached out and hugged her. "Mmm."
After Director Cao finished his work, he came to check on Xu Jingqiu and found that she could be discharged that afternoon after finishing her IV drip. He added that if possible, she should have a short postpartum period, saying, "You suffered a lot after falling into the water, so you need to take good care of yourself."
Zhou Mingyuan pressed for details on how to recuperate, and Director Cao gave a long list of dietary therapy recipes. In addition, just like during postpartum confinement, one should avoid exposure to wind and cold, and avoid overexertion.
When Director Cao left the ward, Yu Jiajia followed him to his office.
Director Cao took a bunch of snacks out of the drawer for Yu Jiajia, and made her a cup of orange juice. He then asked Yu Jiajia to sit down. “You’re too thin. You look malnourished. Let me check your pulse.”
Yu Jiajia thought to herself, "I've gained so much weight back! I've even gained a little weight, and my skin is fair and rosy now. Before, it was an unhealthy pale and yellowish color, and I didn't look good at all!"
She obediently reached out her hand.
After examining his left hand, Director Cao examined his right hand and finally looked at his tongue coating. "It's alright, nothing wrong."
Yu Jiajia smiled sweetly: "Thank you, Aunt Cao, you've gone to so much trouble." She took out another sketchbook from her schoolbag and handed it to Director Cao. "Aunt Cao, I've turned it into a picture book, so even those who can't read can understand it." She also mentioned that she had given the other picture book to Xu Jingqiu's mother.
Director Cao looked down at the picture book, which had accompanying text descriptions, but even without reading the text, one could easily grasp the key points just by looking at the pictures. She was going to take Yu Jiajia to see the dean. "This picture book can be used directly as a teaching material. All medical staff should master it."
"Aunt Cao, you can use whatever you want." Yu Jiajia didn't go to see the dean with him and was about to leave when Director Cao learned that she was going to the recycling station to find books on Chinese medicinal herbs. "I have some here, wait a moment."
I found Yu Jiajia an old book without a cover, which contained detailed records of Chinese medicinal herbs. "That's great, thank you Aunt Cao! I'll bring it to you again once I've learned how to use it."
Director Cao asked with a smile, "You want to study medicine?"
Yu Jiajia shook her head: "I want to learn how to identify medicinal herbs." She told him about the time she met the mute girl selling poisonous snakes, "So I want to learn so I can go to the mountains to pick Chinese herbs in the future."
Director Cao teased her, "You can learn it just by reading books?"
Yu Jiajia nodded confidently: "Yes, it's possible."
She'll soon be able to master all the skills for planting Chinese medicinal herbs; she won't even need to read a book!
Director Cao smiled and thought the child really loved to boast. She would know how difficult it was once she learned it. She said, "If there's anything you don't understand, come and ask me." She then stuffed orange juice, dried meat, red dates, peanuts and other things into Yu Jiajia's hands: "Drink a cup of orange juice every day, and eat a few red dates and peanuts to replenish your qi and blood."
Yu Jiajia: "Aunt Cao, I can't accept it."
Director Cao insisted on giving it to her, saying, "Just call me 'Auntie,' and you can take it and eat it." She then said to her, "The three first aid techniques in the book are all highly commendable, and the higher-ups will definitely reward you. Do you want to be a doctor?"
Yu Jiajia thought about it very seriously, "Aunt Cao, I can't be a doctor."
She didn't study medicine in her past life, and she doesn't want to study it in this one.
Director Cao was somewhat disappointed. "Go have fun. If you don't know how to do anything, you can come to the hospital or my house."
Yu Jiajia: "Okay, goodbye Aunt Cao."
After leaving the office, she went to the ward to say goodbye to Xu Jingqiu.
Xu Jingqiu: "Jiajia, shall we have lunch together before you leave?"
Yu Jiajia: "I can't finish all the food in this bag in a few days."
Xu Jingqiu: "Then come visit me when you have time. I won't be able to leave the house for the next two weeks. I live in the government compound, not far from your home." She gave Yu Jiajia her specific address.
After leaving the health center, she still planned to go to the scrap yard to see if she could find anything worthwhile.
She likes everything—gold, antiques, and stamps too! She needs to save some; they'll be worth a fortune in the future.
But we need to send the food and drinks back first, they're too heavy!
On the way, we also went to the steel mill clinic to see if Uncle Lu had woken up and to ask Comrade Cheng Xiuying if she needed anything.
Walking is really tiring, I want to buy a bicycle!
She had money and tickets, but she couldn't use them.
Take the bus; it'll save you two stops.
When Yu Jiajia arrived, Cheng Xiuying was knitting a sweater at the door of the ward. "Why are you here?"
Yu Jiajia blinked her big, watery eyes: "I came to see you and brought you some food." She opened her bag and showed it to Cheng Xiuying: "Take whatever you want to eat. Sister Xu and Aunt Cao gave me these to eat to nourish my body. They also told me that I can go to them if I need anything in the future."
She is a confident person!
Cheng Xiuying looked down and saw sugar cakes, sponge cakes, sesame leaves, walnut crisps, peanuts, dried meat, apples... and more than half a bag of orange extract.
so much?
Is this a plan to open a small shop?
After saving Xu Jingqiu, she fed Siya normally, so why is Director Cao of the health center still so good to Siya?
She immediately grabbed two sponge cakes and was about to hand them to Zhang Hongmei when Yu Jiajia ran up to Zhang Hongmei and asked, "Auntie, what would you like to eat?"
Zhang Hongmei: "I had a lot of oily food this morning, and I'm still feeling full. The meat pies you made are the best breakfast I've ever had."
The meat pie is fragrant, and the soup is even more fragrant.
Yu Jiajia then took a sugar cake and a sponge cake and handed them to her, saying, "Auntie, you eat."
Zhang Hongmei really wouldn't eat it, and stuffed the food into Yu Jiajia's bag again, saying, "Why would I eat this? You're so thin, eat more to help you grow taller and gain weight."
Yu Jiajia is indeed not tall, barely 1.6 meters, but the original owner was only eighteen years old. She didn't eat or sleep well and had too many worries, so she definitely wouldn't grow tall. Now she eats well, sleeps well, and has no worries, so she will definitely grow taller quickly.
Cheng Xiuying called out, "Hongmei, here you go." She tossed her a sponge cake, which Zhang Hongmei caught and ate in one bite with a wide grin.
Yu Jiajia: "...Mom, is Uncle Lu awake?" She went into the ward to check on Lu Gong'an.
The person was still lying in the hospital bed, with gauze wrapped around their head, and their face was extremely pale.
Cheng Xiuying: "He woke up for a while, but his mental state wasn't very good. He fell asleep quickly. You should go back now and not disturb the patient's rest."
Yu Jiajia: "Didn't they arrest two people? Did they take them to the police station?"
Cheng Xiuying: "The police took the person away."
Yu Jiajia then asked, "Have any other criminals been caught? Is it a big case? Can we take down the entire criminal gang?"
Cheng Xiuying: "Don't worry about things like that, kid. It's none of your business. Enjoy your snacks slowly. Don't go fishing by the water these next few days, and don't go to any remote places either."
"Fine, then don't tell me," Yu Jiajia thought, figuring Cheng Xiuying probably didn't know either. "Okay then."
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