095 Major Revision of This Chapter
As soon as Lin Yiku entered the room, the two of them looked at him with sly smiles.
When asked if they had conspired to speak ill of him again, they quickly denied it, shaking their heads vigorously.
Lin Yi suppressed a laugh, not exposing their obvious abnormality, "I'm dirty, find me a bath ticket and some clothes."
"Okay. Just wait."
Normally, seeing his clothes covered in dried mud would have made him jump up and down, and he would have been kicked out of the house with bath tickets and clothes.
As soon as Lin Yiku stepped out, Guan Yuehe teased Lin Sitian again, saying, "Can you meet the quota assigned to you? You won't be able to get the advanced worker award this year, will you?"
"Forget it, I'm not even looking for any kind of advanced awards. I've only worked for half a year this year, so I won't be considered for any awards."
Every medical staff member at the Workers' Hospital was required to take the lead in promoting family planning to families and persuading eligible male relatives to comply with the national policy. Lin Sitian's father could be excluded from the list of eligible male relatives, leaving only her brother as a married man.
However, her brother is "married but childless", so he does not meet the requirements for the time being.
Lin Sitian said, "Tell my brother that he needs to reserve a spot for me for his future sterilization."
Guan Yuehe couldn't stop laughing.
"You're still laughing!" Lin Sitian was so embarrassed and angry by her laughter that she pounced on her to tickle her.
With no one else at home and the yard quiet, Guan Yuehe whispered to Lin Sitian, "Will having this surgery after the age of thirty have any negative effects...?"
Lin Sitian feigned disgust and let out a long "Huh?", "Could you ask me more tactfully next time?"
Finally, he said, "Actually, this kind of problem can be treated... Do you want to hear a doctor's proper treatment method, or some folk remedies summarized by the old folks in the alley?"
Guan Yuehe was shocked: "Dr. Lin, you know so much!"
Dr. Lin was pleased with himself; all those years of study hadn't been for nothing, and neither had all that gossip he'd heard in the alleyways!
—
The power went out unusually early tonight.
Before nine o'clock, the incandescent light suddenly went out, and the electric fan stopped whirring. Only the tape recorder was still playing a cassette tape.
Each household exclaimed in dismay and then began searching for flashlights or kerosene lamps.
Without electricity, everyone goes to bed early.
Guan Yuehe turned off the tape recorder and drew the curtains tightly shut around the room.
Lin Yi returned to her room after washing up and found her already lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) fanning herself.
After thinking for a while, she finally walked to the cabinet by the kang (a heated brick bed). When she opened the drawer, all the family planning supplies inside were gone.
"Yuehe..."
Guan Yuehe had already guessed it when he reached for the drawer. She patted the pillow next to her with her fan and said, "The things in the drawer have been used three times. I threw them all away."
Although family planning supplies can be reused, they are not durable. She was afraid they would break halfway through use, so she dared not reuse them repeatedly.
She can't possibly end up being two people while studying alone. Otherwise, she won't get a diploma, but rather an expulsion or withdrawal notice!
"By the way, I always have to wait in line for family planning supplies at our factory clinic. Why don't you go to the clinic near the military base?"
In March of this year, the state clearly proposed that "it is best for a couple to have one child and at most two children," and various units in Beijing are advocating "fewer births and better births."
As a result, the unit's health clinic began to distribute family planning supplies regularly. No marriage certificate was required to collect them, and no registration was needed when collecting them. Some people received a lot at once, and some children even used them as balloons.
Therefore, even with the increased supply of family planning products, it is actually harder to obtain them than last year.
Lin Yiku agreed, thinking that it was hard to get medical supplies from the army clinic, and he would probably have to ask his comrades for help.
With no family planning supplies available, Lin Yiku stood by the kang (a heated brick bed) for a while to vent her anger before moving her pillow next to hers, lying down and letting her mind wander.
He had only closed his eyes for two seconds when Guan Yuehe moved closer to him.
"It's too early, I can't sleep, let's talk for a bit."
All the heat from her body rushed towards him, so he could only take the fan and become a "Lin Yiku" brand electric fan.
"Okay, go ahead."
When she was actually asked to speak, she really couldn't think of anything to say for a moment.
It was only when I smelled the familiar scent of soap on him that I remembered I needed to replenish the household supplies.
"We're out of bath tickets at home, so I'll have to exchange for more tomorrow."
This summer, bath tickets were used up particularly quickly.
In the hot summer, Guan Yuehe showered every day, but mostly at home, only going to the public bathhouse once a week. Last summer, Lin Yiku was away on a mission until August and didn't go to the bathhouse much. This year, he was home five days a week and often got dirty from training, so he went to the bathhouse more frequently.
He could have showered in the bathhouse at the military base and come back, but his work hours and dormitory hours were different, and he was too lazy to take the extra detour.
"You've been training hard lately, I'll find someone to exchange some meat tickets for you to make up for it."
"Oh, if training gets too tiring in the future, you can stay in the dormitory over there and don't have to travel back and forth."
There's still more than a month before school starts, and Lin Yiku is already starting to feel reluctant to leave because of what she said.
She spoke her mind, regardless of his response. As she talked, Guan Yuehe seemed to have opened a floodgate, mentioning all her relatives and friends by name.
"Chunmei hasn't replied to me yet. I don't even know if she's been accepted into her graduate program."
"Ding Xuewen and Chen Lizhong went to tutor people again. Instead of renting a place to teach outside, they went to people's homes every day to tutor them..."
They also mentioned that Lin Sitian now has performance targets.
Thinking of the smirking expressions on their faces when she came back that night, Lin Yiku joked, "Lin Sitian isn't trying to get me to have surgery so she can meet her quota, is she?"
"That's not true! But Sitian said that your future quota has to be reserved for her."
Lin Yiku said, "That won't do. I'm going to a military hospital for surgery. If Lin Sitian performs the surgery on me, I'm doomed."
Guan Yuehe laughed at his joke, but didn't forget to defend her friend, "She was assigned to the gynecology department, she won't perform surgery on you!"
Guan Yuehe told him to fan it harder, but it wasn't bright enough or cool enough.
"I think you two are on the same side."
"There's a sour smell wafting from you." Guan Yuehe laughed at herself after saying that, and reached out and touched him. "We're revolutionary comrades recognized by the organization, we're in cahoots."
After having a good time, Guan Yuehe touched Lin Yiku's face, leaned in and kissed him twice, showing her special affection for Lin Yiku at that moment.
He whispered, "I should have scolded you less before."
Sigh! Who would have thought she would actually marry Lin Yiku and live a normal life with him?
Lin Yiku immediately said, "Then you and your best friend should say less of a few words to me in the future."
Guan Yuehe didn't reply, but chuckled and pressed her face against his.
After hugging for a while, Guan Yuehe felt hot again. Both of them were "furnace-like" in terms of body temperature, and it was especially comfortable to hug each other in winter, when the blankets were even warmer. But in the summer, when the power was off at night and the fan couldn't be turned on, they would easily get covered in sweat when hugging.
Just as she was about to take her hands and feet off Lin Yiku, Lin Yiku immediately hugged her and laughed, "Are your sweet talk expired? It only lasts for a short while each time."
Guan Yuehe just kept laughing, "Then I'll give you two more sugar-coated bullets."
You can hug me a little longer.
In the quiet moment, Guan Yuehe suddenly thought of a question.
"Look, the men in the alley are all brought back in tricycles after their vasectomies. I'll go pick you up too?"
Lin Yiku was enjoying the sweetness of the sugar-coated bullets when she suddenly said this.
He couldn't even bear to imagine that scene. If he really did it, his comrades would laugh at him for years to come.
Lin Yiku suddenly felt like flicking her forehead; Comrade Guan Yuehe was quite adept at ruining the atmosphere!
"Stop talking and go to sleep."
"Let's chat for another ten minutes."
"...Let's talk, but don't touch me."
"hey-hey."
They chatted for less than five minutes when a cool breeze began to blow on her, and the faint sound of the fan could be heard. Guan Yuehe yawned twice, her voice growing softer and softer, and the whole room fell silent.
Two days later, Lin Yiku got home from get off work and casually closed the front door behind her.
She took out eight boxes of family planning supplies from her bag, her feelings were very mixed. "The doctor specially gave me a note, a special case with special approval. I can get another note next time I use them up."
He went to the clinic to get family planning supplies, but didn't get any, so he went to a doctor to consult about male sterilization surgery.
The doctor initially didn't take it seriously, saying the surgery wasn't difficult and he could just take leave and have it done at a military hospital. But when the doctor heard that he didn't have children yet, and his wife was going to graduate school and couldn't get pregnant and have children during her studies...
The doctor told him to immediately give up the idea of getting a tubal ligation and to wait until he had a child. He also gave him a special note to pick up family planning supplies from the military hospital.
This person is really cunning. He must have deliberately consulted the doctor about tubal ligation surgery so that the doctor would issue him a prescription!
Guan Yuehe looked at the boxes of family planning supplies and fell silent. After a long while, she said, "The doctors in the army are so considerate."
"It's quite thoughtful," Lin Yi replied dryly.
The two suddenly fell silent, looking at each other.
These few boxes should last her until she goes to school.
—
As soon as the college entrance examination ended, Ding Xuewen and Chen Lizhong's tutoring classes came to a close.
Upon learning that Lin Sitian had returned, he specially waited until the last Sunday of the month to gather his childhood friends and their families for a meal.
Besides Chen Lizhong, he was an unofficial member of his childhood friends and their families.
When they got together on Sunday, Ding Xuewen and the others laughed at Lin Sitian, saying that she definitely wouldn't be able to be selected as an advanced worker this year, since she wouldn't be able to meet the new quota.
Laugh it off, but we should still help if we can.
Xu Chengcai said, "Friends should also be considered one, right?"
Qin Zilan is now pregnant with her second child. The director of the Women's Federation has already visited Xu Chengcai to persuade him to have a tubal ligation as soon as possible.
He originally planned to have only two children, and that his two jobs would be enough for both of them in the future, so surgery was just a matter of time.
"It should count!" Lin Sitian's mood instantly improved after seeing this unexpected turn of events. Looking at the menu in front of her, she ordered three main dishes without hesitation.
He looked at Ding Xuewen and Chen Lizhong with a sour expression and said, "No wonder people say there are golden houses in books. The money you two made in two holidays is more than I saved in ten years of work."
Guan Yuehe immediately seemed to have found an accomplice, saying, "I knew it! It's impossible that I'm the only one who's jealous."
Although I can't help feeling envious, I'm also very happy to see my friends doing better and better.
"Oh, right," Chen Lizhong said, "The brigade leader wrote to ask if you still want dried goods? We have plenty of things like wood ear mushrooms and pine nuts in the brigade. We'll charge you the price the commune buys back, but you'll have to pay for the shipping yourself. We also make our own pork sausages. If you want those, it's the same. We definitely won't sell them to you at a higher price, but you'll still have to pay for the shipping yourself."
"Yes, we want it!" The three people, who receive local specialties from Sidaogou every year, nodded without hesitation.
"Yuehe and I were just saying that we haven't had mushroom-filled buns in ages. We've been eating them for years, and the thought of not having pork sausages for Chinese New Year this year makes the holiday feel like it's not quite right!"
Lin Sitian praised Chen Lizhong, saying, "Comrade Chen Lizhong is not only a skilled pig farmer in the Sidaogou production team, but also a good comrade who helps the people of Beijing and Sidaogou exchange goods and services!"
Chen Lizhong was amused by her praise and joked, "Don't flatter me, I don't have any suitable men in my family to help you meet your quota."
The others burst into laughter.
After having her fun, Lin Sitian didn't forget to inform Ding Xuewen.
"Ding Xuewu has once again deserted the college entrance exam. He went for one day, but refused to go again the next day no matter what. He's still lying at home now."
The neighbors said that Ding Xuewu was a good-for-nothing, but they also said that Ding's mother didn't know whether she was spoiling her son or harming him. She had spoiled him so much that he would have trouble even supporting himself, let alone getting married and starting a family.
After all, apart from Aunt Ding, Ding Laowu's other brothers weren't fools either. Who would support someone who doesn't work?
"Your older brother and sister-in-law are also making a fuss."
This story begins with someone at the Zhuoyue Garment Factory losing over a thousand yuan gambling.
Aunt Ding was planning to buy someone else's job. Not only did she take all the money in the house, but she also dug up the money that Ding's eldest son had secretly saved. That money was intended by Ding's eldest son and his wife to support Er Ya's high school education.
"Aunt Ding has spoken up, saying that Er Ya is not allowed to apply for high school, but only for vocational school. If she doesn't pass the exam, she'll have to go to the countryside. But your sister-in-law disagrees, saying that Er Ya has good grades and that only by going to high school can she take the college entrance exam and get a better job in the future."
Xu Cheng raised an eyebrow. "Going to a vocational school means being assigned to work in a car factory. Isn't a car factory good enough?"
Lin Sitian said meaningfully, "Sister-in-law Ding is really shrewd. She knows that Er Ya will stay at the factory to work and will have to support Ding Xuewu in the future. She might even be eyeing Ding Da Ma's job spot."
"That makes sense."
Ding Xuewen slowly let out a heavy sigh. One thing after another happened at home. Although he didn't care, he still felt annoyed when he heard about it.
"It's good that you're frustrated!" Lin Sitian said frankly, "We just want to constantly remind you, so you don't get carried away and go back to give Ding Xuewu a blood transfusion! Sooner or later we'll drain you dry, scrape off your flesh to render oil, and use your bones to make soup..."
"That's enough, that's enough!" Guan Yuehe's expression was indescribable. "We'll be eating meat later, so please use a different example."
"Oh." Lin Sitian shrugged apologetically and apologized to the guests at the next table who were grinning and frowning.
"Don't be so happy," Lin Sitian turned to Xu Chengcai. "Your eldest brother's son, Da Bao, has gone to the countryside, and your parents are very unhappy about it. They'll probably be asking you for money to buy him a job soon!"
Borrowing money? Not much. But, "Who will they buy jobs from?"
"I don't know." Lin Sitian continued, "I overheard your mother and sister-in-law talking in the bathroom about finding some time to go to the clothing factory's residential compound to borrow money."
The people at the next table looked over again: Why are they always talking about blood and gore or something smelly?
"I'm sorry, I won't say anything more, you guys continue eating." Lin Sitian admitted her mistake and corrected it, so the other person didn't have the heart to be angry.
Lin Yiku arrived shortly after the dishes were served.
It's a rare occasion for everyone to get together at the same table for a meal.
Xu Chengcai also mentioned Lin Sitian and Ding Xuewen, saying, "After you two have your own partners and start your own families, it will be even harder for you to get together."
"I'll try my best." Lin Sitian added, "I even turned down a blind date that my director arranged for me just to have dinner with you guys. Isn't that generous of me?"
Ding Xuewen: "Then I must be the last one to get married, along with Chen Lizhong."
Chen Lizhong looked down at his bowl and chopsticks and absentmindedly responded with a reply.
—
Just a few days into August, this year's college entrance examination results were released.
Unlike last year's college entrance examination, this year's results are made public, and every candidate can know how many points they scored.
But doing well on the exam doesn't guarantee you'll get into a better school.
College application is done before the college entrance examination, and many people, to play it safe, dare not apply to schools they don't really want. But when the results come out, they find that they did much better than expected, and can only regretfully regret not applying to their ideal schools.
Three students from Yinxing Hutong were admitted to universities this year, and the one with the lowest score was admitted to the best university out of the three.
Most of the workers who failed the university entrance exam this time chose to give up.
In reality, it was something we had no choice but to give up.
The government has issued new regulations setting an age limit for next year's college entrance examination. Generally, candidates must be no older than 25, with exceptions for exceptionally outstanding candidates, who may be up to 28. Most people will be blocked by this age requirement.
Next year's college entrance examination will still include foreign language scores at 10% of the total score. Many people don't even know all the letters of a foreign language, let alone spend time studying and preparing for the exam.
Aunt Bai lit firecrackers at the entrance of Courtyard No. 2, making a lively commotion for a while. Curious neighbors came over to ask her what good thing was happening at her house.
"Is your Xiang Hong or Yue Jin getting married?"
"There's plenty of time, I'm not in a hurry." Whether they get married or not is not important, but she finally got over the anger that had been building up inside her, and this is a joyous occasion!
Grandma Bai was being very secretive, only saying that she was happy and willing to set off firecrackers to celebrate, but she wouldn't say why.
A neighbor who knew the situation explained to others: "Xiang Hong's ex-boyfriend failed the exam again, and Bai Dazui is happy!"
"...Old Bai is quite vengeful."
"If it were me, I would set off firecrackers all the way from our No. 10 courtyard to the entrance of the alley, calling on the neighbors to celebrate together!"
Well, Jiang Guiying is quite vengeful.
The next day, Guan Yuehe went to work and met Bai Xianghong, and told her the news.
“This is Aunt Bai.” She gave a thumbs up.
When her children were upset, she would help them vent their anger. Afraid that it would affect Bai Xianghong's chances of being criticized by her superiors at the factory, she would secretly burn talismans at home and set off firecrackers to celebrate, without making a big fuss about it.
Bai Xianghong also felt a pang of sadness, "It's really not easy for my mother to worry about the three of us siblings."
After exchanging only a few words, Guan Yuehe looked towards the bulletin board in front of the office building and gestured for Bai Xianghong to look over, saying, "Someone wants to see you."
They hadn't been talking for more than a few minutes when the man kept glancing this way, seemingly looking for Bai Xianghong.
That person was Bai Xianghong's ex-boyfriend.
Bai Xianghong's smile vanished as soon as she saw it. "Sister Yuehe, I'm going to work now. I'll talk to you again when I get home."
We went back to the workshop in a different direction.
The man wanted to chase after her, but Guan Yuehe stopped him.
"Section Chief Guan, is something the matter?" Seeing that Bai Xianghong was about to reach the workshop, he became anxious.
"It's alright." Seeing him about to leave, Guan Yuehe reminded him, "Our factory rules state that anyone who harasses female colleagues will be immediately dismissed."
"I absolutely didn't! I..."
"That's good. I just remembered and wanted to remind you." Guan Yuehe ignored his explanation and walked straight to the personnel department office.
Terrified, he ran back to his workshop. He spent the entire day on edge: Had Section Chief Guan gone to the personnel department to complain about him?
If Section Chief Guan knew what he was thinking, he would definitely rebuke him to his face: "You have something to hide, don't think of me as a mess like you!"
Section Chief Xiao Guan is here to submit his personal documents.
She went to school to report in early September, while her time at the factory was considered "suspended from her duties with pay." For the next three years, she would not work at the factory and would no longer have a position, but she would still receive a monthly salary from the factory.
We're currently processing the paperwork according to the factory's regulations, and I'll have to go to the finance department later.
When Section Chief Xiao saw her coming, he personally processed her paperwork and asked, "Will Section Chief Guan come back to the factory in the future? Next time you come back, you'll be Section Chief Guan."
Guan Yuehe thought to herself that it might not be so, but she didn't explain further and said with a smile, "Thank you for your kind words."
"Oh dear." Section Chief Xiao pressed the seal down heavily, sighing, "I've watched you go to school twice already!"
"There shouldn't be a third time." Guan Yuehe: "Even if there were a third time, it wouldn't be your turn to stamp my document."
If it's not his turn to stamp it, doesn't that mean he's getting promoted? Section Chief Xiao smiled even more broadly, "I appreciate your kind words."
After exchanging compliments, Section Chief Xiao casually asked, "Now that you're going to school, the planning department will need to promote someone else, right? Has the leadership spoken to you about it?"
When promoting cadres, the opinions of former and current leaders are taken into consideration. Guan Yuehe and Section Chief Long were both called in for a talk by the leaders.
But Guan Yuehe shrugged and said, "Our planning department is full of talented people. Anyone can be chosen. I've nominated all the qualified candidates. The leaders should have a plan for the final selection."
Anyway, it has nothing to do with her, who is about to go to school.
"Alright, then I'll wait for the factory's announcement." Section Chief Xiao smiled, but in his heart he was thinking: Comrade Guan has become quite the seasoned veteran over the years; it's really hard to get a word out of her.
Guan Yuehe's explanation was so vague that Tao Cheng was starting to have doubts: would they end up parachuting in someone from another department?
When Tao Cheng stopped her to ask, Guan Yuehe replied very seriously, "I mentioned you too, but I really don't know the result."
Tao Cheng's face turned bitter, but he couldn't say it to her directly: "Can't you just mention me?"
The new deputy head of the planning department has not yet been appointed, and Guan Yuehe will continue to work on this position, but the key tasks have been transferred to other people.
She has little work now, and all she needs to do is go to get off work and leave on time every day.
So, as soon as she got off work, she would rush to the meat shop to buy pork bones to make soup, and every few days she would buy pork to nourish herself and Lin Yi.
She exchanged a lot of meat coupons with someone, and started gaining weight for the fall this year from the summer!
If Lin Sitian can come home from get off work on time, she will come over and have a bowl of hot bone broth.
Lin Sitian had been mooching off the elderly people for three days in a row when she suddenly remembered discussing with Yuehe the dietary supplement recipes she had heard from the old folks in the alley.
"People say you can treat a bone like a bone, but you were trying to help my brother... isn't this a bit off?"
Guan Yuehe was stunned. "I didn't say I was going to give him this supplement!"
Even if he needs to replenish his body, she still has to buy pig's penis to cook with... so she keeps buying bones and meat, thinking, "Let's talk about it when he really needs to replenish his body."
She simmered bone broth for a week straight, which nourished her and gave her a rosy complexion. She was very satisfied with her achievement and went to find someone to exchange it for meat tickets.
When she got home from work that day, she was called to answer a phone call by a colleague from the neighborhood office. All the way there, she kept guessing that it must be Chunmei calling.
She thought to herself that when she received the call, she would definitely criticize her for not writing for so long, and she was getting angry from waiting!
To her surprise, when she finally got through on the phone, it was a teacher from the school looking for her.
The teacher wanted her to report for duty as soon as possible, to adapt to graduate student life, and to help out with chores.
She didn't know which one was "by the way"!
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