Chapter 38 "Get out here! Did you run off to...?"
Shu Ran and Xu Junjun quickly got up to greet them.
Old Aken nodded when he saw Shu Ran, but then looked at Xu Junjun with some surprise and asked, "Isn't this the medic Xu from the company headquarters? What brings you here?"
Xu Junjun patted the medicine box beside her and said with a smile, "Secretary Liu is worried about the pastoral area. He's afraid that some villagers might have been frightened or had minor injuries that weren't taken care of. So he asked me to visit each yurt these past two days, deliver some calming oil, and check if there are any wounds that need treatment. I happened to run into Teacher Shu Ran, so we came together."
As she spoke, her gaze fell on Adil, especially on the several scabbed whip marks on his exposed arm—marks left by old Akhen in a fit of rage last time.
Old Akhen's gaze swept across the yurt, lingering for two seconds on Adil's red scarf before finally settling on Shu Ran. The lines on his face seemed less deep, and his eyes no longer held that aloof scrutiny.
"Teacher Shu, please sit down." Old Akhen's tone was much gentler than last time, and he himself sat down cross-legged on the felt rug. Xu Junjun also sat down next to Shu Ran, looking at her curiously.
“Uncle Aken.” Shu Ran sat down as instructed.
Old Aken didn't rush to take the tea his daughter offered. Looking at Shu Ran, he said, "I shouldn't have believed that nonsense earlier. Company Commander Ma was right. That woman Zhou Qiaozhen is wicked; she should be sent to repair the earth!"
He paused, then pondered, "Later, those bad guys bombed our pastures and scared our sheep and children. If it weren't for the capable people in your company, you... and Adil's sharp eyes that recognized them, the damage would have been even greater!"
"It's thanks to the efforts of the organization and everyone," Shu Ran replied, though a thought stirred within her.
Old Aken nodded, picked up a piece of naan, broke it in half, and soaked it in the milk tea. He looked at Shu Ran and said, "Bayan and Saidar came back today with bright eyes. They said Adil wore a red cloth, that the teacher taught them to read, and that they wanted to learn too. This is a good thing!"
He changed the subject, his brows furrowing as usual, "But, Teacher Shu, it's too far! The children have to ride horses through the wind, and in winter the mountains are closed off by snow. It's more than ten miles, a round trip in a day, and the adults are always on edge! It also interferes with the work on the pasture. Look at Adil these days, he has to leave before dawn and doesn't get back until very late."
Xu Junjun whispered a reminder to her, "Yes, Ranran, this road is quite long. I'm still shaken by what happened to Li Dazhuang when he had heatstroke. Children can't withstand such a journey."
Shu Ran's heart sank; this was precisely the actual problem she was worried about.
Old Aken looked at Shu Ran, then at Turdi and Xu Junjun: "I've thought of a solution, what do you think?"
He pointed outside the yurt, “There are several yurts not far from each other on this grassland. We old folks also want to learn some Mandarin, recognize our work point slips, and look at the pictures in the newspaper. Could we… find a place in our pastoral area and set up a small… uh… the teaching point that Company Commander Ma mentioned? We don’t need to go to the company every day; could you come over every few days? Or, could we find a literate young man to teach us? We adults and children can all go and listen! I’ll take the lead! It’ll save the kids from running around and the adults from worrying!”
Shu Ran's eyes lit up immediately. This idea was brilliant! It solved the problems of long journeys and safety for children in pastoral areas, promoted literacy among adults, and made full use of the convenience of pastoral settlements. It was an unexpected delight!
"Uncle Aken, this is a great idea! It's wonderful!" Shu Ran said with delight. "I'll go back and report to Secretary Liu of the company to see how to arrange it. If we can set up a point in the pastoral area, it will be convenient for everyone! Junjun, you see, this way adults and children will be closer, and you can take care of them if they have a headache or fever."
Xu Junjun's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! I support it! We can also do health promotion in pastoral areas together!"
“Yes, tell your secretary that I, Old Aken, keep my word! As long as the location is decided and the time is arranged, I will tell everyone, and all the people in our yurts will go!” Old Aken smiled and then turned to Xu Junjun and said, “Dr. Xu, please save me a bottle of your medicated oil. My bones have been a little sore these past few days.”
"Okay, sure!" Xu Junjun readily agreed and opened the medicine box.
"Grandpa!" Adil, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up, his tone a little urgent, "I don't want to go to the teaching point! I want to go to the company to study!" He pointed to the red scarf on his chest, then to his younger sister, "Ayiman wants to go too! Shitou, Shuanzhu, Huzi, they're all there! The teacher is good! And...and the flag raising!"
Ayman quickly grabbed Old Aken's sleeve and said rapidly in the local language, "I want to go to the company with my brother! There's a blackboard and stools there!"
Old Aken was taken aback. He looked at his stubborn grandson, then at his little granddaughter's longing eyes, then at Shu Ran and Xu Junjun, and finally glared at Turdi.
Turdi shrugged, with an expression that said, "The kids are too old to be controlled, and besides, the company is definitely better."
"Alright, alright," Old Aken waved his hand, a mix of helplessness and indulgence. "Those who want to go to the company can go! You have legs to walk on! The teaching point is for little kids who live far away and old guys who want to learn something!" He turned to Shu Ran, "Teacher Shu, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on these two little rascals."
"Don't worry, Uncle Aken," Shu Ran replied with a smile, feeling relieved.
Xu Junjun had already quickly applied some ointment to Old Aken's shoulder, and then checked the whip marks on Adil's arm. She took a small bottle from the medicine box and handed it to Turdi's wife: "Sister-in-law, apply this ointment to the child, it will heal quickly and leave no marks." Turdi's wife gratefully accepted it and thanked her repeatedly.
Shu Ran stood up: "Uncle Aken, Brother Turdi, Junjun, shall I take Adil to visit Bayan and Saidar's homes now? Junjun is here too, so he'll have company on the way."
"Go ahead, go ahead," Old Akhen waved his hand, stretching his shoulders comfortably after applying the medicated oil. "Tell them it's my idea, Old Akhen's idea. It's a good thing the kids want to learn to read! For those that are far away, wait until Teacher Shu sets up the teaching points! Dr. Xu, why don't you go and check on those two schools later?"
“Let’s go! It’s on the way!” Xu Junjun slung her medicine kit over her shoulder.
Turdi also stood up: "Teacher Shu, Dr. Xu, I'll go with you to Bayan's house. His father is a bit stubborn. As for Saidar's house, the road is a bit roundabout. Let Adil take you there; he knows it. It's over by the ditch."
Shu Ran and Xu Junjun followed Tuerdi out of the yurt. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the boundless grassland golden, and a few wisps of smoke rose from the yurts in the distance.
About a hundred meters away, two horses were grazing with their heads down, their smooth coats gleaming in the sunlight.
Turdi looked at the two horses, put his thumb and middle finger into his mouth and blew hard, producing a very penetrating whistle.
The two horses raised their heads at the same time, turned around in unison, and galloped toward Turdi.
Soon the two horses had galloped up to Turdi.
"Teacher Shu, Dr. Xu, can you ride a horse?" Turdi asked, deftly checking the saddle.
Shu Ran looked at the horse's back, which was taller than her, and honestly shook her head: "No, I've only ever ridden a horse." Xu Junjun also quickly waved her hand: "I only rode a donkey when I was a child."
Turdi had anticipated this, and he handed the reins to Adil: "You take Dr. Xu to ride the mare, be careful." Then he said to Shu Ran: "Teacher Shu, you ride this one with me."
Adil skillfully mounted his horse and then pulled Xu Junjun up with him.
Shu Ran skillfully stepped onto the pedals, grabbed the saddle bridge, and climbed up, gripping the iron ring in front of it tightly.
The horses' hooves clattered as Adil steered his horse behind them.
Although she had ridden a horse several times, the bumpy ride still made her feel like her internal organs were shaking. She tried to adapt, gazing into the distance.
Bayan's pasture finally came into view. The sheepfold was large, but the wooden stakes were crooked, the brambles were sparse, and the gate was dilapidated.
Bakhti was swinging a heavy iron hammer, slamming it down hard on a crooked wooden stake, trying to drive it deeper. The "thump-thump" of the hammer hitting the stake sounded particularly dull and violent.
The sheep were startled by the noise and began to stir restlessly, bleating incessantly, filling the air with the pungent smell of mutton.
Bayan was waiting outside the yurt early on, but he only dared to hide behind a horsehide bucket, with only half of his head showing.
"Bahiti!" Turdi reined in his horse and called out from a dozen paces away.
Bakhti looked up at the sound and saw Turdi, then the Han Chinese female teacher on horseback in front of Turdi, and the medic being led by Adil on horseback behind her. His brows furrowed even more.
He didn't stop; instead, he slammed the wooden stake even harder before planting the hammer on the ground. Panting, he said to Turdi in the local language, "What's going on? Can't you see I'm busy? The sheepfold is almost falling apart!"
He then looked at Shu Ran and Xu Junjun, and said impatiently in broken Chinese, "Teacher? Sanitary worker? I'm not sick!"
With the help of Turdi, Xu Junjun and Shu Ran carefully slid off the horse.
Shu Ran composed herself and said with a smile, "Brother Baheti, I'm sorry to bother you. I'm Shu Ran, a teacher at Qiming Elementary School, and this is Comrade Xu Junjun, the sanitation worker. Your family member Bayan..."
"Bayan!" Before Shuran could finish speaking, Baheti suddenly turned around and shouted, "Get out here! Did you go to the company and cause trouble for the teacher?!" Dr. Xu Bayan was so frightened that he trembled and slowly moved out from behind the bucket.
“I didn’t cause any trouble,” Shu Ran quickly explained. “Bayan went to school today. He’s very smart and wants to learn to read.”
"Read?" Bakhti scoffed, pointing to the messy sheepfold and the distant pasture. "Can reading help me hammer this wooden stake in? Can it fix this broken gate? Can it make the sheep gain a few more pounds?"
He was venting his frustration: "The family has mouths to feed! The work on the pasture is piling up! There are so many kids at home, his mother is always busy! What's the point of him going to run off to such a far place to learn to read? Who will do the work?! You city folks just spout off about how 'reading is good,' but what's so good about that?!"
After he finished speaking, Bayan lowered his head even further, tears welling up in his eyes.
Xu Junjun tried to speak up to ease the tension, but Shu Ran stopped her with a look.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Turdi tried to persuade him in the local language, but Bakhti quickly retorted.
Shu Ran wore a calm smile that conveyed understanding yet remained steadfast. She took two steps closer and pointed to a dirty paper bag in the corner of the sheepfold: "Brother Baheti, that's a bag of medicinal powder issued by the company, isn't it? The spring medicinal bath is coming soon."
Bahiti glanced at it and snorted irritably, "It's this foreign medicine powder! Last year, I diluted it with water as they said, but Yangwazi still got sick! In the end, my father cured him by washing him with black soap made from saxaul ash and nettles!" His tone was full of distrust.
“Your black soap is indeed very effective,” Shu Ran said, following his lead, but then changed the subject, “But on that packet of powder, besides the dilution ratio, there’s a line of small print that says ‘half for pregnant ewes.’ Last autumn, didn’t your pregnant ewe miscarry after the medicated bath?”
Bakhti was taken aback, his eyes flashing with annoyance and regret at having his thoughts exposed. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Before he could refute, Shu Ran continued, "And then there's the distribution of grain and ration coupons at the end of the year. Accountant Shi would read from the work point book, and you'd always feel confused listening to it. But you can't read, and even with the ledger right in front of you, you still couldn't understand it, right?"
Baheti stared at Shuran, as if weighing the weight of her words.
Tuerdi then slowly spoke up: "Old Akhen said it's a good thing the children want to learn! He's going to set up a knowledge yurt around here, and have Teacher Shu come over every few days to teach. It'll be near the yurt, when the sheep are resting, or during the time after milking in the evening. After the children have finished learning, they can go back to herding sheep or collecting cow dung! Adults who want to learn can also go and listen! Old Akhen is the first to sit on the yurt!"
"Aken Batur wants to set up a knowledge yurt?" Bakhti was completely stunned. He had absolute faith in old Akhen's prestige. Moreover, the key points that "adults can also learn," "it's near the yurt," and "it won't interfere with his work" really appealed to him.
If he could really understand those words... he subconsciously glanced at the dirty medicine powder bag again.
Shu Ran noticed the subtle change in his expression and immediately added fuel to the fire: "That's right! Uncle Aken said it himself. He'll announce it once the location and time are set. If Bayan wants to learn, he can learn right at his doorstep. It's just a short walk away. He went to the company today to familiarize himself with the place and see how Adil and the others are learning." She emphasized "doorstep" and "not delaying" again.
Bakhti fell silent. He looked at his son's longing little face, then at Shuran's sincere eyes, then at Turdi's "you decide for yourself" expression, and finally thought about the few lost lambs and the unfamiliar words.
He stomped his foot as if he had made a great decision, and roared at Bayan, "Did you hear me?! Once old Akhen sets up the knowledge yurt, you'd better go and study! If you dare to run off so far without saying goodbye like today, my whip will recognize your legs!"
Bayan burst into laughter through his tears, looking excitedly at Shu Ran. Shu Ran nodded slightly to him, feeling a sense of relief.
Xu Junjun then stepped forward with a gentle smile: "Brother Baheti, I'm Xu Junjun, the medic from the company headquarters. Secretary Liu is concerned about the pastoral area and asked me to check if anyone was frightened by the explosion a few days ago, or if anyone feels unwell. I heard from Bayan that your wife has been having heart palpitations and not sleeping well these past few days?"
Baheti paused in his hammering of the wooden stake, and muttered, "Hmm, a little."
"Shall I go in and see my sister-in-law?" Xu Junjun asked casually.
“…Alright, thank you for your trouble.” Bakhti didn’t turn his head, which was taken as tacit agreement. Xu Junjun lifted the yurt curtain and went inside.
Turdi walked over and whispered to Shu Ran, "It's done. The Saidar family is having a harder time. Let's leave after Dr. Xu finishes his work."
The road to Saidar's house was even more remote, winding westward along an almost dried-up ditch. The grasslands became increasingly sparse, with more exposed gravel. A few low, dilapidated yurts were crammed into a small, relatively moist depression beside the ditch.
Adil, familiar with the place, led Xu Junjun ahead, while Turdi followed behind with Shu Ran.
Seidar was waiting ahead, and as soon as he saw them arrive, he ran over to lead the way.
As soon as we approached the yurts, we heard coughing and the crying of a baby coming from the smallest yurt.
A thin man, leaning on a cane, was hunched over trying to pick up a wooden bowl from the ground. His left leg was dragging on the ground in an unnatural position. Seidar ran over to help him pick it up.
“Dad, the teacher…the teacher is here!” Seidar’s voice was full of anticipation.
The man looked up, his face ashen. He saw Turdi and Shu Ran, assuming Xu Junjun was also a teacher, and his eyes filled with embarrassment. He leaned on his cane, trying to stand up straight. "Teacher, Turdi, please sit, please come in!"
Just then, another cough came from inside the yurt, followed by a woman's comforting voice: "Don't cry... Mom's here..."
Xu Junjun had already jumped off her horse and walked quickly over. "Saidar's father, don't move! I'm Xu Junjun, the medic. Your leg..." Her gaze fell on the man's stiff left leg.
“My old bones are no good anymore,” the man said with a wry smile, waving his hand. “Last winter, there was a snowstorm, and my horse fell into a snowdrift. Heaven didn’t take me away, but it left me with a crippled leg. But I can still stand…”
Seddar mustered his courage and asked, "Teacher Shu asked... if I could... go to the company to study?"
The man's face turned ashen. He looked at his son, his voice filled with despair: "Saidar! My son! Look at your father, I'm just an old horse with a lame leg! And those few skinny sheep in the pen that even wolves would avoid... The whole family depends on your mother and your sister! Your mother is so sick she can't even get out of bed!"
He pointed to the yurt and said, “If you run that far again, dozens of miles round trip, who will carry the milk bucket at home? Who will look after your younger siblings? Who will collect the cow dung cakes? Who will dig the grass?! Knowing Chinese characters… will it fill your brother’s stomach? Will it stop your mother’s cough?!”
The light in Seidar's eyes went out, and his head drooped.
Adil panicked, jumped off his horse, and pointed to his red scarf: "Going to school is good! You can read, you can...you can..." He was so anxious that he scratched his head and couldn't remember what Shu Ran had said before.
Shu Ran sighed. Compared to survival, learning culture was indeed insignificant. Only when people are well-fed can they improve their intellectual and cognitive abilities.
Before she could speak, Xu Junjun interrupted, "Brother, don't rush, speak slowly. We all know how difficult things are for your family." She pointed to the dilapidated yurt, "Is your wife sick? How long has she been coughing? Can I go in and see her?"
Saidar's father looked at the medicine box on Xu Junjun's back and nodded.
Xu Junjun immediately lifted the curtain and went inside. Low voices and coughs could be heard from within.
Shu Ran walked to Saidar's side, gently patted his shoulder, and then looked at Saidar Ata, her tone sincere: "Brother, you're right, making a living right now is the most important thing. We're not here to be a burden to you."
She pointed to the yurt that Xu Junjun went into, "Dr. Xu is here to help my sister-in-law with her medical treatment. As for Saidar's schooling, we've come up with a solution: he can study right here at home, without interfering with our work at home."
The man's eyes lit up: "At the door?"
“That’s right!” Turdi spoke up at the opportune moment. “Old Aken suggested setting up a teaching point in our pastoral area. Teacher Shu will come to teach regularly, right near the yurt. The children can just walk there, and after they finish learning, they can go herd sheep or collect cow dung. Adults can also go if they want to learn how to recognize work point slips or read notices! Old Aken is leading the way!”
"A teaching location? Right here?" This was something the man hadn't expected.
“Grandpa Aken said it!” Adil quickly added loudly.
“That’s one way…” The man’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little.
At this moment, Xu Junjun came out of the yurt, her face somewhat grave, but she tried to sound relaxed: "Brother, sister-in-law caught a cold, and with all the fatigue, it's been dragging on for too long. I left her some licorice tablets to mix with water and drink. She needs to take good care of herself and can't overexert herself anymore." She handed a small packet of pills to the man.
The man took the small package. This medicine was a precious commodity in the pastoral area. "Sigh... alright, I'll learn right here at my doorstep once the teaching point is set up!"
"Thank you, Dad!" Seidar rushed over and hugged his father's good leg.
The last rays of the setting sun sank behind the snow-capped mountains.
On the way back, the four men and two horses remained silent.
"Jun Jun," Shu Ran's voice was exceptionally clear in the twilight, "I'll go see Secretary Liu first thing tomorrow morning. This teaching point in the pastoral area must be established as soon as possible! The sooner the better!"
"Okay!" Xu Junjun nodded vigorously behind Adil. "I'll go with you! I'll explain everything I saw to the secretary!"
Turdi and Adil escorted Shuran and Xu Junjun to the company headquarters, and then Turdi and Adil reined in the horses.
"Teacher Shu, Dr. Xu, we're heading back!" Turdi's voice was loud and clear, typical of a herdsman.
"Thank you for your hard work today!" Shu Ran and Xu Junjun carefully slid off the horses, only then feeling as if their bones had been shaken apart. She waved to Tuerdi and Adil, "Be careful on the road!"
"Yes!" Adil nodded vigorously, flicked the reins, and followed his father to turn the horse around, quickly disappearing into the twilight.
Shu Ran and Xu Junjun walked on the dirt road, with the silent dugouts behind them and the windows of the canteen in front of them dark and empty, indicating that it was well past mealtime.
"Oh well, I guess I'll have to eat dry rations again." Xu Junjun rubbed her rumbling stomach, looking miserable.
"Be content, at least we have some dry food to eat." Shu Ran pulled her towards the women's dormitory. "Sister Wang is thoughtful, maybe she left some for us."
Pushing open the new door of the dugout, the room was dimly lit. Sister Wang was sewing shoe soles by the faint light of an oil lamp, while Li Xiulan sat in front of her bunk with her back to the door, seemingly fiddling with something.
"You're back? How did things go?" Sister Wang looked up and put down her needlework.
"It's done!" Xu Junjun answered quickly. "Old Aken agreed to take the lead in setting up teaching points! Bayan's family relented, and Saidar's family... well, it's difficult, but they've kept their word. We're just waiting for the teaching points to be up and running."
Shu Ran nodded, but her gaze involuntarily fell on Li Xiulan. Li Xiulan seemed to be disturbed by their movements, and she shrank her shoulders, quickly stuffing a small object in her hand under her pillow before turning around with a slightly timid smile on her face.
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