Chapter 32 Working at the Hospital, Wanting to Eat Meat
On their way back with the blanket, the grandmother and grandson encountered several acquaintances. Seeing their eyes constantly drifting towards the blanket, Zhou Chunhua skillfully pulled Yao Ping'an out to take the blame.
"To raise money to pay off debts... he even sold his blankets... The father felt sorry for his child, so he slept wrapped in a sheet and his clothes, and felt unwell in the morning... He really had no other choice, so he gritted his teeth and bought it..."
Seeing the emotions in everyone's eyes shift from complex to sympathetic, the old man and the child breathed a sigh of relief. Humans are complex creatures. If the Yao family, who are in debt, are not doing well, they will advise them to improve their lives first. But if the Yao family really stops being frugal, they will think that the Yao family's character is questionable for not paying off their debts first.
Ordinary items can be concealed with a basket, but a quilt is a large item. Without a suitable reason, gossip is inevitable. Rather than letting the rumors spread and then clarifying, Zhou Chunhua chose to strike first.
"Ping An, once the blankets are aired out, you can sleep with Tian Rui for a while; Xiao Li, will you sleep with me, or with your mother or your sister?"
The blankets at the pawn shop were relatively cheap, but who knew how many times they had passed through hands, or who had slept on them before? Although the grandfather and grandson had tried their best to pick them out, they still had to wash them before they felt comfortable using them.
Fortunately, the past few days have been sunny, and the wind and sun will dry it quickly.
But some things can be decided in advance, such as who the Yao family will sleep with after the blankets are put on the bed.
"Can't I sleep by myself?"
Yao Xiaoli was somewhat unwilling. Since enrolling in school, she had been living in a room by herself. Even before enrolling, she slept in her parents' room on a separate small bed, enjoying her own mattress and blanket.
"no."
Previously, the family was well-off, and the seven people had ten quilts. Two couples shared two quilts, enough for the whole family to wash one set and sleep in the other. Now, there are only three quilts in total. Yao Xiaoli only has the right to choose because she is young and a girl. Yao Ping'an has to sleep separately from Wenrou.
"Then I'll sleep with my sister."
Yao Xiaoli knew there was no room for negotiation, so she quickly made a choice—when they weren't in the same room, her mother would knock on her door every time she got up and drag her out to do chores; she couldn't very well call her sister out as well now.
"Then you can sleep with me."
Seeing that Yao Xiaoyu had no objections, Zhou Chunhua made the decision for Wenrou directly. Wenrou nodded in agreement, but her face clearly said that she had something to say, which Zhou Chunhua pretended not to see.
If you don't speak up about your own affairs, do you expect others to know what's going on in your head?
The distribution of blankets was settled, but Yao Xiaoyu's new book still didn't have a lead character. Fortunately, there was still some time before Ding Xian's story ended, and there weren't any major projects that cost money recently, so she wasn't in a hurry. She just privately asked Yao Tianrui if she could work at the hospital. Her requirements weren't high; as long as it wasn't too tiring, she didn't care if she was paid or not. However…
"We need to go to a Western-style hospital with female doctors."
Yao Xiaoyu looked into Yao Tianrui's eyes and emphasized that everything else could be compromised, but this was the only point on which there was no room for compromise.
"I didn't say no, but you have to tell me why you suddenly want to work at a hospital, right?"
Yao Tianrui frowned as he looked at Yao Xiaoyu. Hospital jobs were hard to find, but even a broken boat has three thousand nails. The Yao family had run out of money and no connections. Besides, Yao Xiaoyu had said she didn't need wages—who could refuse a cow or horse that brought its own food?
But he couldn't understand why his sister would do that; it couldn't possibly be...
"I want to write a story about a hospital in my next book."
When Yao Xiaoyu saw Yao Tianrui's expression change, she knew he had probably misunderstood. She gave a somewhat amused explanation—which was of course not the real reason, but it was enough to fool Yao Tianrui.
Moreover, it's not that she has no intention of doing so at all; it's just that the hospital's articles are listed relatively late in the list.
"There's no need for you to go there yourself; everyone at the hospital is sick..."
Knowing that it wasn't a problem with his sister's health, Yao Tianrui felt much relieved, but he still refused to budge. Yao Xiaoyu's conversation gradually turned from calm to increasingly agitated, and finally she couldn't hold back any longer and told the truth—
"The hospital has heating, but it's too cold at home!"
The room fell silent, and Yao Xiaoyu realized what she had said, her face turning bright red to the roots of her neck.
“...Okay, I’ll go ask if there are any openings for hospital work.”
Yao Tianrui's voice broke the awkward atmosphere, though it carried a hint of laughter. Having received a positive response, Yao Xiaoyu felt embarrassed to stay any longer and quickly went upstairs, not seeing Yao Tianrui's relaxed expression.
What comes out of the mouth is the truth. It seems that the younger sister is really fine; she just can't stand the cold.
Yao Xiaoyu went upstairs and closed the door in one smooth motion. She rubbed her face and collapsed onto the bed, finally relaxing. The most credible words are those that are forced out of her, and the most sincere words are those that are half-truths. Yao Tianrui thought he had seen through her true purpose, but little did he know that she had already anticipated his prediction and was on a higher level.
In a while, she'll probably be able to start working at Maria Hospital, and...
"Take this letter. Go to Maria Hospital next week and give it to the person who can make the decision."
Yao Tianrui acted faster than Yao Xiaoyu had imagined. Looking at the letter of recommendation handed to her, Yao Xiaoyu was unusually hesitant to reach out—she had only been to hospitals, never worked there, and could she really do what she was told in a place that saves lives?
As for the letter of recommendation, she wasn't surprised. This thing exists both in China and abroad; at most, the names are different. In ancient China, it even had a special name: "eight-line letter." Visiting cards sometimes also served this function. It's only now that Westernization has become popular that it's called a letter of recommendation.
"It's all arranged over there. You'll be doing pharmacy dispensing work, six days on, one day off. Meals are provided, but accommodation isn't. The salary is 1.5 yuan per month, and you can work until April."
Yao Tianrui chattered on about salary and other issues, unaware that his sister's expression gradually relaxed after hearing about his position—getting medicine didn't require medical skills, but she could!
"Such a good location will definitely attract a lot of competition. Brother, you're amazing!"
Having achieved her goal, Yao Xiaoyu didn't hold back her praise, making Yao Tianrui blush with embarrassment, and he shyly revealed the truth.
"Actually, there wasn't much competition..."
A job that offers two of these qualities—easy work, high pay, and close to home—is highly sought after, a fact that has remained unchanged throughout history. While the job of dispensing medicine at a pharmacy requires literacy, it is still considered a leisurely and desirable job—but it is unstable!
The woman who originally worked there had only left temporarily because she was pregnant. Once she gave birth and finished her postpartum confinement, the job would have to be returned to its rightful owner. Once this condition was announced, the job lost much of its appeal. When word got out that she would only receive half her salary, the job at the pharmacy became completely useless.
Those who want a leisurely life seek stability, while those who do odd jobs look down on the meager wages. Women who meet the requirements outside the home are not trusted, fearing that their positions will be taken away directly. Both the bride's and groom's families believe that a woman should support her husband and raise children after marriage, and if someone takes her place and doesn't leave, they will most likely not help her.
"But you just want to find a warm place... cough cough, to think about how to write your next book in the hospital, you don't care about the wages you get, and you won't keep doing this forever, so it's just right."
Yao Tianrui met Yao Xiaoyu's threatening gaze and silently changed his words.
“Okay, it’s Maria Hospital, just two blocks away, right?”
Yao Xiaoyu confirmed it again, and Yao Tianrui nodded. There are many places to see a doctor in Shanghai, but not many are Western-style hospitals, and even fewer have heating in winter. After comprehensive evaluation, Maria Hospital is the closest one that meets the criteria.
"Just stay inside to keep warm, don't believe in any religions."
After thinking for a moment, Yao Tianrui added that many Western doctors in this era also worked as missionaries, and he was afraid that his sister would be misled by the church.
"When I'm bored, I read the newspaper."
Yao Xiaoyu obediently nodded in agreement, but she was thinking that she should first find out if there would be any benefits to joining the church before making a decision. After all, she was a devout follower of the Egg Church: once the egg was lit, her faith was activated; once the egg was lit, her faith returned to zero.
Sincere believers need a material foundation to support them!
"...That's about it, Grandma. Ask the nearby farmers if they'd be willing to send someone to accompany me on the round trip. I can give them four copper coins a day."
A woman going out alone is easy prey, but two people are much better. If one of them is strong and powerful, the safety level will increase dramatically. Yao Xiaoyu knew that her strength was so low that she couldn't even beat a chicken, and she didn't want to open her eyes and walk into the white house.
"Four copper coins are a bit too much, let's have three."
Maria Hospital wasn't far from the Yao family's courtyard. Even at Yao Xiaoyu's snail-paced pace, it would take her no more than 45 minutes to walk there and back. It would take less than an hour to go, and since it was just walking, it wouldn't interfere with anything at home.
Once this news gets out, people will be willing to work for two copper coins a day, three copper coins is definitely a high salary, and four copper coins would be considered foolish and a waste of money.
Zhou Chunhua first tried to negotiate a lower price with her granddaughter, who was unaware of the market, before thinking about suitable candidates. However, she had to prepare three meals a day for the workshop as soon as she opened her eyes recently, and she couldn't think of a suitable person for the time being.
"Wait while I go ask around. I'll definitely bring the person over in the next couple of days."
Yao Xiaoyu still believed Zhou Chunhua's words. She nodded and continued writing and eating as usual, waiting for work next week. Meanwhile, outside the Yao family's courtyard, the story of the gold-patterned bowl was still unfolding. Newspapers with the story were also brought into the house and flowed to the source of Yao Xiaoyu's inspiration.
"Why are there vegetarian dishes again? Didn't I say I wanted to eat meat?"
Looking at the lush greenery in front of her, Tan Qingyue didn't even have the strength to pick up her chopsticks. Eating a vegetarian feast for a day or two could be considered a way to cleanse the stomach, but after eating it for so long... to be honest, every time she ate it, she felt like a cow, mooing and starting to nibble on grass.
Silence fell outside the door. Tan Qingyue sighed, knowing that she wouldn't see a single piece of meat until she agreed to the marriage. She could only channel her grief and anger into her appetite and devour the plates on the table.
I was only three-tenths full.
It wasn't that the stepmother was deliberately cutting corners. Tan Qingyue had the same amount of food before studying abroad, maybe with a couple more bites of meat. But since she was working out abroad and trying to eat more meat, eggs, and dairy, her stomach capacity and metabolism had increased.
But asking the kitchen to add more food won't work. Last time she said she wasn't full, her father, who was an official, immediately turned pale and gave her a bunch of nonsense about women eating less. He even reduced her already meager portions by 10%. If she says it a few more times, she'll probably have to live on air.
"Grandma Zhang, you've come to preach to the young lady again?"
A warm greeting came from the doorway, making Tan Qingyue, who was lying in bed conserving her energy, light up – her savior had arrived!
"Oh, I'm a little late today. Here's some money for you to have some snacks. I'll keep an eye on the girl here."
Granny Zhang grabbed a handful of copper coins and handed them to the two gatekeepers. The two exchanged a glance, and one of them ran to the side gate to buy meat and wine, while the other pulled out two stools and a high stool from the corner of the wall to wait for the others to return with the purchases.
Tan Qingyue's courtyard is very large. If you eat something in a corner, the smell won't waft into the house. The only drawback is that if you're far away, you can't hear any noise from the room.
But that's alright. The two of them were guarding the door to prevent Tan Qingyue from escaping or committing suicide. Now that Granny Zhang is inside watching, if anything happens, Granny Zhang will definitely be the first one to suffer.
Grandma Zhang quickly went into the house, and as soon as she closed the door, she saw Tan Qingyue looking at her expectantly.
"I brought braised beef, come and eat."
As Grandma Zhang placed the basket on the table, she waved to Tan Qingyue. Her basket looked like it only contained Buddhist scriptures or something similar, but it was actually hollow inside. The sliced braised beef was wrapped in three layers of oil paper, so you couldn't smell the aroma even if you put your nose right up to it.
Tan Qingyue carefully peeled off the brick-like oil paper, grabbed her chopsticks, and stuffed several pieces into her mouth in one go—she was really hungry!
"I also asked them to slice the ham. I only bought a few packs because I was afraid of being talked about. If it's not enough, I'll buy more next time."
Grandma Zhang took out a few more oil paper packets. This time, the aroma wasn't completely sealed off. Tan Qingyue could tell at a sniff that it was Shao Wansheng brand cooked ham, a top-quality product that sold for two cents a packet outside.
"These are flatbreads and steamed buns..."
Grandma Zhang pulled out one oil paper package after another from her chest and trouser legs. After all the items were placed on the table, she noticed that they had all shrunk a bit.
Tan Qingyue, who had swallowed half of the beef, put down her chopsticks, took out a box from Wan Gong's bed, took out a small wrapped cylinder, tore it open, and it glittered and jingled. If the people outside hadn't been far away, they would have immediately noticed something was wrong.
"You can keep the payment yourself. I want beef tomorrow, and the patties have to be soft. You can buy whatever else you want. I don't have the facilities to heat up food here, so I just need something I can eat anytime."
Tan Qingyue felt that her decision to take a box of silver dollars as her private stash was absolutely right. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to bribe Granny Zhang. Once she was hungry for a long time and lost her strength, she would really be at the mercy of her family.
"Okay."
Grandma Zhang rummaged through the silver coins with a broad smile, pretending to chant Buddhist scriptures. Tan Qingyue tried her best to stuff food into her mouth, and after she was full, she wrapped the rest of the food in oil paper to fill her stomach when she got hungry in the evening.
"The Shenbao and Ribao newspapers are all sold out today, so I bought some other newspapers. You can take a look for now, and I'll go ask tomorrow if there are any leftovers, and I'll bring them over together."
Grandma Zhang carefully put the money away and took out a few newspapers. Before she noticed, a neatly folded square of newspaper was pulled out of her pocket and landed next to the table leg.
"Let's leave it for now, I'll look at it later."
Upon hearing that there were no two authoritative newspapers, Tan Qingyue lost interest in the others and only gave a perfunctory reply. Granny Zhang did not try to persuade her further. As usual, she used Buddhist scriptures to "exorcise evil spirits" for Tan Qingyue, then tactfully folded the oil paper package she had finished eating and left.
"Are you leaving already? Grandma Zhang, won't you stay a little longer?"
After eating and drinking, the two servants, who were chatting away, tried to persuade him to stay, but to no avail. They could only end their pleasant time of slacking off dejectedly and continue to stand at the door like pillars.
Grandma Zhang is kind-hearted and generous; she's good in every way. But if she could stay a little longer, that would be even better.
After leaving the Tan residence, Granny Zhang hurried home. Once inside, she pulled out all the oil paper she had brought with her and neatly folded it one by one—everything was useful to a poor family. Then she packed a clean set of clothes and prepared to go to the bathhouse for a soak.
The fabric absorbs odors, and food stored inside the clothes will quickly become greasy and smelly, so she has to scrub vigorously with soap. Otherwise, if the Tan family can smell it, she will lose a major source of income.
"Use these as you see fit, I'm going to take a bath first."
Grandma Zhang handed the oil paper to her daughter-in-law and left in a hurry. Beef and other things had to be ordered in advance, otherwise there would be nothing to give to Tan Qingyue tomorrow, and their income would drop significantly.
"Huh, huh?"
The daughter-in-law called out twice but couldn't stop him, and her expression turned sour. When she saw the obvious creases and stains on the oil paper and smelled the lingering aroma of meat on it, her face turned frighteningly dark.
She and her child eat meager meals at home, while her mother-in-law eats alone outside, right?
Grandma Zhang was unaware of her daughter-in-law's thoughts. As she passed by the public toilet, she glanced at it enviously before hurrying towards the bathhouse.
The public toilet also had a bathing area, but only men could use it—the room was completely empty except for a row of wooden tubs, and you could see each other clearly when you pulled out a hair while bathing.
Under these conditions, only men are allowed to take soap and towels into the bathroom to shower. If a woman tries to go in, she will be labeled as "wanting a man" and subjected to humiliation.
"Still twenty copper coins, right?"
Grandma Zhang asked the price, placed the coins on the counter, the clerk took the money, and then lifted the curtain with the character for "woman" written on it to let Grandma Zhang in.
This is why Granny Zhang envied the public bathhouse – although that place was bad in every way, a bath there only cost six copper coins, while here it cost twenty, and a bath here cost more than half a pound of pork.
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Author's Note: The remaining 5,000 words will be posted before midnight tonight.
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