"Have you taken your medicine? Have you seen a doctor? What did the doctor say?"
"What medicine do you need to take? It's an old problem. I've seen doctors before. There's no need to see a doctor all the time."
"How could I say I came at the right time? Pills are a popular thing for seniors out there, and I happened to bring some for you two."
As she spoke, Qiu Yuling took out two small brocade bags from her bag and handed them directly to Meng Xian.
"Teacher Meng, just take one pill a day. It's not a cure-all, but it will definitely help strengthen your body."
"This? How can you be so embarrassed? You're just a student, how much money can you have? I'll give you the money I spent."
"Well, it didn't cost much, so don't ask me. Just consider it as a token of my appreciation. The kids here are counting on you two."
"Then I'll shamelessly accept it. Coincidentally, I've also prepared something for you. Come with me into the inner room."
The room inside is their study. This is the first time Qiu Yuling has come in after coming here so many times.
"So many books!" Qiu Yuling smacked her lips in amazement. It could almost be used as a small library.
"We don't know how many years we'll live yet. These books are what we've accumulated over the years. Teacher Jia's salary is basically buried here. We're trying to find a good home for them. We're not sure when you'll come, so since you're here today, please move them all out."
"Huh? Are you asking me to move out?"
"Well, we're just teaching an elementary school student, so we don't need all this anymore. Your principal, Jia, said that when we have time in the future, we can learn to grow vegetables or something. Besides, my eyes are blurry now, so instead of just leaving it there as a decoration, it's better to give it to someone who will cherish it."
Qiu Yuling hugged the skinny old man in front of her, who was also her mentor.
"Don't say that. You two elders still have to shine here. But if you ask me to take these books away, I won't refuse. Don't worry, I will cherish them like my own children."
"I trust you, no matter who you are. There are two sacks over there. You can fill them yourself. I'll go out and cook for you."
Qiu Yuling didn't stop them. She couldn't always avoid the meal, so she had to satisfy the old people. Even if they had to eat one less bite, they would be happy.
Two sacks were not enough. Qiu Yuling went out and asked Teacher Meng for another sack, and only then was she able to pack them all up.
"Teacher Meng, I'll take this bag and a half today. I'll come back early tomorrow morning to get the other bag."
"Yeah, it can be done."
"Oh, by the way, I was so worried about the principal being sick that I forgot to get you a gift. Look what I brought you."
"So much cloth? Where did you get two pieces of cloth this big? How many tickets would it take? How much would it cost?"
"I didn't use any tickets, and it didn't cost much. I traded something for some defective cloth. You're a good craftsman, so you can avoid the seam where the thread is pulled. I'll buy you two something."
Pushing and shoving is an old tradition, and Qiu Yuling is not afraid of it. As the saying goes, if you want to give something sincerely, you can definitely give it!
"You kid, I won't allow you to do that anymore. Do you hear me?"
"I heard it. Let's eat. I'm hungry." Qiu Yuling said with a playful smile, trying to change the subject.
"Okay, okay, let's have dinner right away."
The old couple usually eat soup, but today it was a rare occasion that they had guests, so Meng Xian rolled noodles and cooked some stew.
There weren't many dishes in the middle of winter, so while they were eating, the two kept urging her to eat more noodles.
"I can't eat any more. I really can't eat any more. I'm not lying at all."
"Nonsense, you're so big, how can you be full with that little cat food?" Meng Xian didn't listen. Qiu Yuling raised the bowl above her head and refused to ask for more rice no matter what she said.
After the meal, the guests were not asked to wash the dishes, so Qiu Yuling simply said goodbye to them and hurried back to move her things.
"Be careful on the road." Jia Honglin was left inside the house, and only Meng Xian came out to see him off.
"Okay, I got it. Come in, Teacher Meng. The wind is so strong, please stop blowing."
Little Gray carried the bag obediently, and as it walked, it felt lighter.
"Hey, man, please let's go back one more time." After the donkey finished the buffet, Qiu Yuling estimated that it was about time and put two more bags on the donkey.
The big pocket contains flour and the small pocket contains yellow rice.
The man and the donkey returned to school.
When Meng Xian heard the knocking at the door outside, she thought she was hallucinating.
"Old Jia, is there someone calling us outside?"
"You sit down, I'll go."
"I'll go, I'll go, you're feeling better now, stop tossing and turning, or you might get caught in the wind and lie down again."
"I'm not that weak at all. I took some medicine and now I feel better. I just caught a cold. You stay inside, I'll go."
"Principal Jia, why are you out?"
"Yuling, why are you back again?"
It was already dark. The donkey was brought in but not tied to the pasture. Qiu Yuling took down two bags from the donkey and moved them into the house.
"Yuling? Why are you back again? What are you moving?" Meng Xian was surprised when she saw the person coming.
"The big bag is for noodles, the small bag is for rice. Let's finish the run in the dark to avoid making trouble during the day."
"Move back quickly. We have everything we need at home. Be obedient. We really won't accept you."
"So you mean you can't bear to give away those books?"
"You kid, how can you regret what I gave you?"
"That's it. I've already moved all the things into your room, so how can I possibly take them back? Teacher Meng, please point me to a place. I'm almost drowning."
Only after Qiu Yuling had made the sound of the clip did Meng Xian wake up from her dream. She hurriedly walked over and pointed to the box in the corner. She followed behind it and opened the lid of the box.
"Put it here."
"You two elders must be responsible for your own health. The body is the capital of the revolution. You need to eat and drink when you need to. If there are no conditions, you must create them. You can't make do with it any longer.
Did you hear that, Teacher Jia? Your body isn't as strong as Teacher Meng's. You can be knocked down by a little breeze. You've lost your foundation. You two elders are no longer allowed to give your salary to others. You should take care of yourselves first."
"You little girl, you really have so much on your mind that you even care about how your teacher Meng and I spend our salaries. Okay, I know what's going on. Teacher Meng will be the boss of this company from now on. Go and persuade her first."
"Teacher Meng, you can't be so foolish. A companion in old age is worth a fortune. If you talk too much and one of you gets separated along the way, the rest will be so sad. Please be kind to yourself.
Isn't it said that when you are poor, you should take care of yourself, and when you are rich, you should help the world? Under limited conditions, we must take care of ourselves first."
The old couple had been teaching for half their lives since the liberation, but they never thought that there would be a day when they would have to ask students to attend class.
They all smiled helplessly.
"Yes, yes. You should pack up and go back quickly. It's getting dark. Why don't you stay here tonight? Forget it. Don't go back today. It's late at night. We are worried about you walking at night."
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