Chapter 38 The most serious baldness
A short absence is better than a new marriage.
The downside of working too long at night, besides the aches and pains all over the body, Qin Ju also discovered that her grandmother's eyes when looking at Xiao He had become less friendly.
"Hey, girl, who asked you to cook? Have a good rest."
He Liansheng was confused, but Qin Jue blushed. After all, they were next door. They made quite a noise last night. How could grandma, who was a light sleeper, not know about it?
Qin Guihua took over the work from her granddaughter and pushed her to take a rest. She looked at her grandson-in-law who was working like an old ox and didn't know the importance of the job. "What are you doing? Hurry up, is the water full?"
He Liansheng: “…” Before last night, grandma, you liked me the most.
The old lady snorted, "You don't have enough energy, do you? Then chop the wood. I saw your Aunt Zhang waiting in line. The coal should be here. Hurry up and bring it back for us."
The benefit of the factory is that it can supply coal per capita all year round. Although the quality is not very good, it is definitely better than Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix chinensis. After being burned, it can be molded into briquettes and stored. You can burn it whenever you want to use it. It is much more convenient than firewood.
After sending the man away, the old lady finally calmed down a little. The scallion egg pancake smelled good, but it was not enough to just eat it. She planned to make something good for her granddaughter to nourish her body. If a daughter does not take care of herself, she will age quickly. So she took out the meat coupon and asked Qin Pan to go to the grocery store to buy an old hen, and then soaked the angelica and dangshen that Lai Di brought from her hometown, preparing to stew a nourishing old hen soup.
"Laidi, come and eat this egg custard."
Qin Ju was sitting cross-legged on the kang reading a book. "I don't want to eat it. Give it to Qin Pan. She is lacking in nutrition."
"She's not eating shit. This is something I worked so hard to find. It's the first egg laid by the hen. Only you can eat it."
Qin Ju: “…” His face was filled with black lines.
The older generation always thinks that first-lait eggs have high nutritional value. Even the new aunt and daughter-in-law have to eat two after the wedding, as if to say "like replenishes like". When Qin Jue and Lao He had that thing, grandma fed them several of them mysteriously.
Qin Ju quickly put away her smile and said, "By the way, grandma, what are we going to plant in the field?"
"What the grain factory distributes is enough for us to eat. I want to grow some potatoes, radishes, cabbages, lettuce, leeks, beans, cucumbers, etc., but I'm afraid I can't grow them."
Qin Jue remembered that the western plot of land was able to produce crops in her previous life, especially since her family had taken the most fertile plot of land, which was simply a natural advantage. "Of course it can be produced. Grandma, you are an old farmer, so you must have a way to produce it. At worst, we can water it frequently, cover it with two layers of straw, or plastic film, and we can always eat vegetables with our own hands."
Qin Guihua puffed out her chest and said, "That's right."
"But this acre of land is not a small amount. We can't eat all of it just by growing vegetables. Three or four acres at most will be enough. It would be a pity to leave the rest idle. I thought it would be better to grow some medicinal herbs as well. I can exchange them for a few dollars at the recycling station." The only thing that made her unhappy after coming here was that she had lost the income from selling herbs in her hometown.
Although it was only a dozen yuan a month at that time, now the combined salary of the two granddaughters is 60 yuan, but she still feels unsatisfied.
Nonsense, how can something picked up for free be the same as something earned?
"You can plant them, but let me be frank with you. You have to pay for the seedlings yourself. You can't take them for free from the health center." Zhong Weimin came to help, and the factory not only gave him subsidies, but also sent seedling fees to the botanical institute. He got what he was owed.
Qin Guihua shut up angrily, "I am your grandmother."
"It's even worse for grandma. Public and private matters cannot be mixed up."
"Well...well, I've already told your mother Zhang and the others that they can take...take a little from you. Is it impossible to take nothing at all?"
Qin Ju knew that it was time to set rules for her grandmother. She knew that she just couldn't change her bad habit of being greedy. She didn't dare to do big things, but if she didn't curb her small greed, she might make bigger mistakes in the future under the instigation of people with ulterior motives. Besides, she gave her the seedlings for free this time. With her grandmother's careless personality, the whole family community would know about it in a few days. Would she have to give it to others too?
Whether it was for the sake of developing her own work in the future or for correcting her grandmother's illness, she had to accept the money for the seedlings this time. She couldn't give it to her, she had to take it out of her pocket.
"Oh, that's enough, there's no need to give your grandma a political lesson. My life is more bitter than coptis root. I have never had a full meal since I was a child. My whole family has never..."
Qin Ju: I don’t want to listen, the monks are just chanting.
Doudou lay on the kang, tilting her head back to watch her mother and great-grandmother arguing, blinking her big eyes as if she could understand what they were saying. When her mother laughed, she would laugh “hehe” too; when her mother pouted, she would pout her little mouth too… It was the first time that Qin Ju discovered that Doudou could actually imitate!
She may not know what smiling and pouting mean, but she will follow the people she is closest to and most trusts and do the same actions. Is this also a kind of learning ability?
Qin Ju had a hunch that her daughter might be a top student.
Qin Guihua picked up Doudou, wiped her hands, put a piece of gauze soaked in boiling water into her mouth to brush her teeth, and then drove Qin Jue away.
Qin Jiao didn't have to worry about taking care of the children, as her grandmother cared more than anyone else and loved cleanliness. But she wanted to help find out about the herbal seedlings, but when she asked Director Qian, she found out that the price of this batch of herbal seedlings was not cheap. She had to pay nearly 1,000 yuan just for the 25 mu of land she was going to plant! This was equivalent to more than two years' salary for an ordinary worker!
Sure enough, when Qin Guihua brought her old sisters to ask about the price, they found out it was so expensive, much more expensive than the rapeseed seedlings they bought. They were immediately unhappy and said they would not plant it anymore, at most they would grow it into food.
*
After the land was prepared and all the seedlings were in place, the health institute finally announced that it needed a group of workers to grow medicinal herbs. Because they were temporary help, they had to be trained in advance. After they officially started working, they would receive a daily food allowance and a salary of 80 cents... As soon as the news got out, people started to sign up in an endless stream.
The relatives who did not participate in the reclamation last time were all anxious and said that they were willing to take part in growing medicinal herbs. After all, those old ladies had really benefited from it. Seeing them happily tending to their private plots every day, no one could sit still.
Qin Ju decided to be very selective this time. She remembered who had performed well during the land reclamation period. She did not want those who were lazy or not meticulous. She also selected a few diligent and child-rearing family members who had never participated before. Soon, 20 people were gathered. The older women had rich life experience and could occasionally put forward some constructive opinions; the younger ones listened to the arrangements and did whatever they were told to do. Even Lao Qian said that Qin Ju's idea was good. It not only helped the logistics department solve the work problems of the family members, but also obtained high-quality labor.
Of course, we need to undergo pre-job training before we start working. The training is actually very simple. Professor Zhong leads us. The steps are similar to planting vegetables in the countryside. First, we need to dig a pond, plant seedlings (seeds), cover the soil, and then water the crops. However, some Chinese medicinal herbs cannot be planted in the same area because of flowering and pollination and the incompatibility of medicinal properties, so we need to be especially careful not to plant them in the wrong area.
"Oh, that's right. Yes, compact it a little bit."
"Okay, that's it. Make sure you water it thoroughly the first time, otherwise it won't survive."
Professor Zhong wore a straw hat and walked along the ditch in the middle, looking at everyone one by one. He found that everyone was working very seriously and was very satisfied.
"Professor Zhong really doesn't look like a professor. He looks more like a farmer than us!"
Zhong Weimin smiled and said, "Big sister, you can just call me Lao Zhong."
Aunt Zhang and several other women laughed and praised him for being humble, easy to get along with, and good in every way, and still a pure fool... Well, he's just a little old, otherwise her Yuehong would be... Aunt Zhang started to make some calculations in her mind.
Just as I was thinking about it, someone suddenly ran over and shouted, "Auntie Zhang, your Yuehong has fainted!"
"What?"
The person who came was also helping with the work. He ran over from the cold river, panting and begging, "You, your Yuehong has fainted, hurry up..."
Before he could finish his words, a group of old ladies followed Zhong Weimin and ran towards the Leng River.
Professor Zhong was a gay man after all, and had better physical strength. He was the first to run to the place where several people were gathered. There were wolfberry seedlings planted there. A female comrade in her thirties was lying on the ground with a pale face, and the people around her were busy pinching her Ren Zhong point.
"Are you suffering from heatstroke? Move under the willow tree and cool down."
During the transportation, Zhang Yuehong hummed a few times. Professor Zhong wanted to do CPR, but it seemed unnecessary. He wet the white towel around his neck and put it on her forehead. "How are you, comrade? Are you feeling better?"
Zhang Yuehong opened her eyes weakly, "Much better, thank you Professor Zhong."
Zhong Weimin was relieved, thinking it was just heat stroke. After all, the weather was really hot. "With your physical condition, you should not work under the sun."
It was originally a caring remark, but it frightened Zhang Yuehong so much that she quickly sat up with her arms propped up. "It's okay, it's okay, Professor Zhong. I'm fine. I just drank less water and got a little heatstroke. I won't delay the work. I can continue after a while. Please don't chase me away. I..."
Professor Zhong was also a little confused. He wanted to say that he didn't mean to chase her away, but he felt that he couldn't explain it clearly in a short time, so he simply kept silent.
Seeing this, the others thought that he didn't want Yuehong to work anymore, and they all spoke up to plead for Zhang Yuehong, "Professor Zhong, you don't know, Sister Yuehong is very pitiful."
"That's right, Sister Yuehong works very hard, we all see it, Professor Zhong, please don't chase her away."
When Zhang's mother ran over, she just happened to hear the last sentence and immediately stopped paying attention to her daughter. "Professor Zhong, my daughter is in good health. She just got a heat stroke today and didn't eat breakfast. She is just hungry. It will not affect her future work."
Qin Guihua also arrived with Doudou on her back, but she felt sorry for Yuehong, the girl. "Old Zhong, if you don't believe me, why don't you send Yuehong to the clinic to see a doctor? Yuehong doesn't have a serious illness, she's just hungry and hot. Who here can guarantee that she won't be hungry or hot?"
Everyone agreed, and Zhong Weimin could no longer explain himself.
Of course, he was not the kind of person who could explain. He bent down, picked up Yuehong and ran to the toilet. He was the only gay man among the group, and he was young, so no one would say anything. Instead, they all admired him from the bottom of their hearts.
It was already time to get off work. Qin Ju was about to go out when she heard the crowd shouting, "Grandma, Professor Zhong, why are you here? What's wrong with Sister Yuehong?"
Doudou was wearing a small sun hat, and her little face was sunburned red, like a little cherry. She was sitting in the small basket behind her great-grandmother, drinking from the bottle with a "sizzle". She saw her mother stand up and jump a few times, but when she saw that her mother was not paying attention to her, she simply stopped jumping and hurried to drink. After she finished drinking, she could go home.
Everyone explained at once, but Qin Jue only listened to the general idea, took his pulse, and simply measured his blood pressure and temperature. "Just have a candy."
She had some candies in her drawer, which came in handy.
Zhang Yuehong took it and put it carefully in her mouth. It seemed that her complexion improved a lot.
She is actually only 34 years old this year, which is the prime of a woman's life. However, due to years of hard work and an unhappy marriage, she is not in good spirits and looks like she is in her early 40s.
"Sister Yuehong, if you feel hot, you can take off your headscarf and put it on the table." Qin Jue didn't really understand why she could wear a headscarf in a 40-degree weather.
"It's, it's okay..." Zhang Yuehong stammered.
Qin Ju thought she was embarrassed and wanted to persuade her to unbutton the top two buttons of her clothes and open them to let the cool breeze blow. Then he drove everyone out and said, "Sister Yuehong is fine. You can go back first."
Everyone felt relieved after hearing this, and thought that their children at home had also finished school, so they hurried home.
"Ahh!" When Doudou saw her mother let them go, she immediately raised the bottle high and shook it.
Qin Ju was the first person they saw when they entered the house. She quickly chased after her, kissed her on the forehead, and patted her little butt. "Be good, go home with grandma first. Mom will be back when she's done with her work. Be good and listen to me."
The little girl couldn't speak yet, but she could miraculously nod her head. She nodded her head twice and walked away without looking back, without crying or making a fuss.
Qin Ju didn't know whether to be happy or sad. This child is really not clingy.
After closing the door, I turned around and found that Zhang Yuehong had really taken off her headscarf, but... why was her head bald?
Qin Jue tried her best to control her emotions and not show too much surprise so as not to affect the patient's mood.
What shocked her was that although Zhang Yuehong was thin, she was not severely malnourished. How could she have so much hair loss on her head? Her hair loss was different from that of middle-aged men. It was not Mediterranean style, but... how to describe it, like a field with only a few sparse wheat heads growing, and the rest of the field was just large expanses of loess.
Even after decades of being affected by various pollution, radiation and bad living habits, it is rare to see such baldness.
Zhang Yuehong was extremely shy and wanted to put her headscarf back on immediately. For many years she had not even taken it off when sleeping because she was afraid of strange looks.
"Sister Yuehong, what's wrong with you? It doesn't seem to be hereditary. I think Aunt Zhang's is fine." Although he is still young and his scalp is still not exposed, Aunt Zhang's son also has thick hair, which at least proves that there is no problem with the genes.
"I... I don't know. I just became thin. Life was so hard before that I didn't pay attention..." She paused and said with her head down, "I'm sure Doctor Qin has heard about my situation. Our hometown is really poor. I didn't have enough to eat during the two months of confinement. I lost my hair while breastfeeding... Later, I didn't have the conditions to rest. By the time I found out, my scalp was already visible."
In those days, adults were not full, and the main reason was not feeding them milk, but blood.
Seeing her red eyes, Qin Jue didn't ask any more questions. Malnutrition plus depression and anxiety can indeed cause hair loss, which is very common in later generations and is a common problem for almost every working person. Many young people have normal hair volume when they are in college, but lose one-third of their hair after graduating and working for one or two years, and no shampoo can significantly improve their hair.
What's more, she has already given birth to two children. If she insists on breastfeeding on this basis, isn't that just adding insult to injury?
"It's okay. If you lose your hair, it will grow back. You just need to keep up with your nutrition and be careful not to overwork yourself."
Zhang Yuehong nodded, opened her mouth, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"What?"
"No...it's okay. Can I still go to work this afternoon?"
"Go back and have a meal first, then take a half-day break. Don't worry, your morning work will still count, and you'll be paid half a day's wages."
Zhang Yuehong breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she could still earn 40 cents, and her sister-in-law probably wouldn't say anything.
Qin Ju looked at her from behind, deep in thought. What disease did Zhang Yuehong have? She was sure that the root of the disease was not baldness.
But why were both Aunt Zhang and her being vague, as if they were afraid that she would delve into the matter further?
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