Since Yu Rujia came to Shangfen Brigade, she has received a lot of vegetables. Of course, she didn't receive them for no reason. They were all given to her by people she had helped, such as those who were treating illnesses or those who had found children who had been abducted by human traffickers because of her.
These vegetables together would be enough for her family of five to eat for a month. If she didn't have a space to store them temporarily, most of the vegetables would probably have gone bad.
Yu Rujia: "You've come at the right time. I went up the mountain a couple of days ago and picked some herbs to treat menstrual cramps. Take them back and boil one dose every day. Boil three bowls of water down to one bowl and drink it for five days. See how it goes when your next period comes."
"If the effect is not obvious, I will adjust it again for you."
Zhang Zhaodi never expected that bringing Yu Rujia vegetables to thank her for her help a few days ago would bring her such an unexpected reward.
And those kind-hearted educated youth and team members, she once again affirmed in her heart that not everyone was as cold-blooded as her family towards her, and that she had made the right decision to come to the countryside.
Zhang Zhaodi: "Menstrual cramps have really been tormenting me, so I won't stand on ceremony with you. I'll buy these medicines from you at market price."
Yu Rujia: "I picked these herbs on the mountain. They're not worth much. If you really want to thank me, help me gather some firewood."
"I'm alone with four children, and I don't feel comfortable leaving them at home alone. Since you're here, I'd like to ask you for a favor. Would you be willing?"
Zhang Zhaodi earns her own money and spends it as she pleases, but unfortunately there are few opportunities to make money in the countryside. After deducting her daily expenses, her savings are pitifully small.
She doesn't like to owe favors and wants to settle accounts with people clearly. If it weren't for the unbearable menstrual cramps, she wouldn't be willing to spend money to buy brown sugar and medicine.
Yu Rujia suggested using firewood to pay for the medicine, which would save Zhang Zhaodi some money. Firewood is readily available in the mountains, and using something as readily available as firewood to cure her menstrual cramps was more to Zhang Zhaodi's liking.
Zhang Zhaodi: "No problem, I'll bring you firewood tomorrow at noon."
Yu Rujia: "No, it's better not to. It's easy to get heatstroke if you go to collect firewood in the middle of the day. I don't want you to get sick from exhaustion. The firewood I have now can last for four or five days. You can just collect some on your way home from work in the afternoon and bring it over."
In early August, the sun was blazing. During the busy harvest season, several people suffering from heatstroke had been brought to her.
As someone who suffers from menstrual cramps, it's easy to imagine that Zhang Zhaodi's health couldn't be very good. She didn't want to exhaust herself over a little firewood.
Zhang Zhaodi: "I will take care of my health and won't do anything reckless."
Yu Rujia: "Do you have time now?"
Zhang Zhaodi: "What's wrong? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Yu Rujia: "It's like this, the brigade leader just brought over some medicine bottles. I'd like to order a medicine cabinet from Comrade Huang Dazhuang to store these medicine bottles. I'd like to trouble you to keep an eye on Duofu and the others for me. I'll be back soon."
Zhang Zhaodi: "It's just a small matter. You go ahead, I'll take care of Duofu and the others."
Yu Rujia: "Thank you." Turning around, she instructed Duofu: "Duofu, I'm going to Sister Xiaohua's house for a bit. I'll be back soon. You and this sister can stay home and look after the younger brothers, okay?"
Duofu nodded obediently and said, "Okay."
During lunch break, Huang Dazhuang's family was having lunch when they saw her coming. Sun Qingqing put down her bowl and greeted her, "You've come at the right time, Yu Zhiqing. Come and have lunch with us."
Yu Rujia: "Thank you, but I've already eaten at home, and my kids are waiting for me to come back, so I can't stay any longer."
"I came here today to order a medicine cabinet. The team leader said that this medicine cabinet will be counted as work points. Comrade Huang, is that alright?"
Huang Dazhuang put down his bowl and said, "It's a good thing to earn work points. What's the problem? What kind of medicine cabinet does the educated youth want?"
Yu Rujia briefly described the design: "...Comrade Huang, can this be made?"
Huang Dazhuang: "This is quite simple. I'll send it to you in a few days."
Yu Rujia: "Thank you, Comrade Huang. This is for the benefit of the brigade. Comrade Huang, don't forget to talk to the brigade leader about the work points."
Huang Dazhuang: "I can't forget it."
If Yu Rujia were to use the cabinet herself, Huang Dazhuang would definitely not charge her.
But Yu Rujia said that the medicine cabinet was used by the infirmary to store medicine. Even if the brigade was using it, he wasn't stupid. He would rather go hungry than let the brigade go hungry.
Zhang Zhaodi promised to deliver firewood, and without hesitation, she filled the eaves of Yu Rujia's house with firewood.
Yu Rujia: "That's enough. You're too honest. I asked you to bring firewood, and you brought so much. It's enough for me to burn for the whole year."
Zhang Zhaodi: "There's firewood everywhere on the mountain, it's just a matter of finding it easily, you don't need to worry about it."
Gathering the firewood took Zhang Zhaodi only a few days; it was really effortless. If she had gone to the town hospital to get the medicine Yu Rujia gave her, it would have cost at least several yuan. In all things, she got a better deal.
Zhang Zhaodi decided that after Rujia used some of the firewood, she would send some more over.
Gathering firewood was just a casual thing for her; she could easily collect a large pile on her way back from work. If she could use the firewood to befriend Yu Rujia, the team doctor, it would greatly benefit her future life.
Yu Rujia: "Okay, I'll accept the firewood. If the medicine doesn't work, remember to come back and I'll make you a new one. It will definitely make your menstrual cramps much better."
Yu Rujia's request for a medicine cabinet was simple. To enable her to use it as soon as possible, Huang Dazhuang directly converted a wardrobe into a medicine cabinet, which was delivered in just a few days.
Huang Dazhuang: "Yu Zhiqing, what do you think of this medicine cabinet?"
Yu Rujia: "As long as there are enough compartments, this medicine cabinet is quite good. Comrade Huang's craftsmanship is excellent. If city people saw it, they would definitely like it."
Not only was the cabinet polished smooth, but it was also carved with patterns—the kind of intricate designs only a master craftsman could create. In a different era, his skills would certainly be highly sought after, and he wouldn't be living in such dire poverty.
Huang Dazhuang said with a hint of disappointment, "I'm only good at carpentry. I learned it for many years when I was a child, hoping to make a living with this skill, but I never thought I would not be able to use it now."
Yu Rujia: "Having a skill is always better than not having one. You can make what you want yourself and save money by not having to buy it from outside. It's such a good thing, and now you don't need it anymore."
Thinking about the wooden products at home, which had indeed saved a lot of expenses, Huang Dazhuang's spirits lifted: "That's true, thanks to Yu Zhiqing for helping me get this job."
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