"... Mobilize the entire nation, everyone, take action, launch a short-term assault, and launch a comprehensive campaign. Eliminate the Four Pests without delay!"
The streets and alleys of the county town were filled with overwhelming broadcasts and illustrated newspapers. Starting in the early morning, they kept broadcasting news about the harmful effects of flies, mosquitoes, rats, and sparrows, as well as information on hygiene and epidemic prevention.
As soon as working hours arrived, Aunt Wang from the neighborhood committee started to go door to door to notify the inspection.
"Every household must fulfill their task. Rats, sparrows, mosquitoes, and flies must all be punished. No one can be lazy or collude with the Four Pests reactionaries!"
"Those who refuse to pay are showing contempt for the president and for society!"
"We firmly support the President. We will not only eliminate the four pests, but we will also eliminate all enemies."
In the wasteland in the eastern suburbs, colorful flags were flying and war drums were beating.
A few days ago, after the newspapers reported that various places in China had sworn in to eliminate the four pests, the streets and grassroots units in the county began to hold reports, oath-taking meetings, and seminars at all levels... using various means such as big-character posters, blackboard newspapers, broadcasts, slogans, cartoons, and singing to describe the harmfulness of the four pests.
For three days straight, Zhang Guoqing was immersed in a frenzy of work at the command center jointly established by the Patriotic Health Committee, the county party committee, the armed forces department, and the public security bureau. The entire county's armed forces were deployed, working around the clock without a day off. He barely cared about his family, following Zhao Dashan and Zuo Lin to register and coordinate personnel.
Starting early in the morning, staff from the Health Committee led people through each district, promoting hygiene and safety, and the need to eliminate the four pests. They encouraged residents to maintain good hygiene, bathe frequently, and eliminate lice, fleas, and other pests. In their free time, they also taught residents various catching techniques.
For nearly a few days, the whole city was eager to respond.
The residents were mobilized and decided to fight a three-day annihilation war.
Men, women, young and old in the city all went out.
They climbed up to the treetops and ran onto the roofs. Children below waved colorful flags, and the elderly cooperated by beating gongs and drums, iron plates, iron buckets, iron lunch boxes, etc. They used all the tools that could make a sound and kept shouting loudly.
The poor sparrows had never seen such a big scene before, and they were so frightened that they flew around in all directions, but had nowhere to stand. Finally, exhausted, they fell down one after another, which attracted waves of cheers from the people.
Straw men were piled up in the empty fields and wastelands on the outskirts of the city. When sparrows came down, everyone used all kinds of means, such as burning wildfires, shouting and beating drums, and catching sparrows in a massive way. The dense woods were filled with smoke, and the dying sparrows and crows were all stuffed into sacks. Even the sparrow eggs on the trees were taken out.
Every evening, the neighborhood committee would start the collective fumigation. Every household would quickly close their doors to kill mosquitoes and guard rat holes.
In the smog, rats scurried about the streets, eager to be killed. Elementary school students, on holiday, gathered in groups of three or five, eagerly scoured corners, roadsides, and public toilets for rats and other pests. Dead rats and flies quickly became treasures. Exclamations of surprise and delight could be heard from every corner.
To ensure the Four Pests Campaign became more deeply ingrained among the people and encouraged them to persevere, the command center also offered numerous rewards—from large items like rice, flour, and jars to small items like a box of matches and a pencil. In just three days, as the tasks were being submitted, many advanced individuals emerged one after another.
After summarizing the results of this vigorous campaign to eradicate the four pests, all tasks were handed over to the Health Committee. As soon as the temporary command center was disbanded, Zhang Guoqing immediately rushed home.
His wife was capable of any task—except this rat. He figured there was no way he could complete the task, and he didn't know what a mess the house had been in these past two days.
As night fell, groups of students would still be seen chasing the few surviving sparrows in the trees. They were so frightened that the poor sparrows fell to the ground after only a short flight. This scene made the children jump for joy. Compared to the other three pests, people were more willing to kill sparrows—braised, stewed, or grilled. Although small, sparrows are still meat dishes.
As soon as he reached the courtyard, Zhang Guoqing immediately called out to Zhou Jiao. He looked around the house anxiously, only to find that everything was as it was before. With a slight sense of relief, he walked towards the lighted kitchen.
Zhou Jiao heard his voice, looked at her sleeping son, and didn't dare to respond loudly. She hurried out of the kitchen and happily pulled him into the kitchen.
When I learned that Zhang Guoqing had three days off including the weekend, I hugged him happily.
In the kitchen, Ping'an was sleeping soundly in the cradle.
Zhang Guoqing looked at the child greedily and asked, "Why are you still sleeping? How have you and the child been these past two days? Leave the tasks at home to me."
Zhou Jiao laughed, "You underestimate me. With the help of Ziwen and the others, the tasks at home have been completed brilliantly. Ping'an has been very happy these past few days—he stays up all day and goes out to see people on the roof. I've been fumigating mosquitoes for the past three days, while he and Aunt Wang and the others are out. Don't worry, everything is fine at home."
Zhang Guoqing helped her serve the food. Dinner consisted of a single vegetable dish, a bowl of soup, and sweet potato rice. He was about to ask a question when he saw her pull out two meat dishes and a pot of white rice from her space.
"I'm not at home, you won't eat like this, right?" He smiled knowingly, then asked worriedly.
Zhou Jiao smiled and shook her head. How could it be possible? People had been coming to her house every day these past few days. She simply left the door open to facilitate access. To keep it secret, she didn't dare to start a fire easily, leaving the meat and vegetables out in the open.
After the couple finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, they hurried back to the bedroom with their child in their arms.
After washing up, Zhou Jiao saw him forcing himself to sleep. She guessed he hadn't gotten enough rest these past few days. He was always in a rush when he came home every day. She quickly told him to stay with the children and sleep first. They could talk about it tomorrow. She still had to wait for her eldest sister, Zhang Meili.
These days, Zhang's father and mother have been busy eliminating the four pests in the village and have no time to visit.
Zhang Meili learned that Zhang Guoqing was working overtime, so she came to see him three times a day, morning, noon, and evening. If Zhou Jiao guessed correctly, she would come to visit her brother tonight.
Zhang Guoqing shook his head. He had finally gotten home, and he couldn't bear to miss the chance to spend time with his wife.
Since they started working, they've been busy with either official business or studying, and with their son causing trouble, it's been a long time since they've had the leisure to chat alone.
Seeing Ping'an sleeping soundly on the kang, Zhang Guoqing surrounded his son with two quilts outside, observed his son's sleeping posture for a while, and laughed with joy. Then he hugged Zhou Jiao and returned to the study room.
In the study, Zhang Guoqing brewed two cups of tea and set up the chess pieces. Then, the couple sat on the kang, playing chess and chatting about family matters. They'd been staying at home quite a bit lately, except for weekend trips back home to clean up their backyard. Now, they were planning where to go for a family outing tomorrow.
Suddenly hearing Zhang Meili's shouting outside, Zhou Jiao didn't bother to continue the conversation. She quickly asked Zhang Guoqing to check if his son had woken up, and she quickly went out to greet her.
The couple, especially Zhou Jiao, always respected this eldest sister.
An older sister is like a mother, and Zhang Meili is a prime example. Regardless of Zhang Guoqing's age or whether he's married and has children, she always treats them like children, always thinking of them. But it's this older sister who makes them feel even more distressed.
During this time, she had watched her lose a lot of weight. Her mother-in-law, who had been seriously ill and recuperating in bed, had been discharged and was living at her home. This time, Zhang Meili and her husband were once again responsible for all the material and human resources.
At this moment, Zhang Meili came over to see Zhang Guoqing and saw that he was fine. She didn't have time to say a few more words. Knowing that his work was going well and that he would have three days off tomorrow, she hurriedly said goodbye and went home.
Zhang Guoqing and his wife were left staring at her back in a daze, feeling both amused and helpless.
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