After that, sometimes Qiao Songzhi and Shao's mother would take turns, letting Shao's mother come out to breathe some fresh air. She would crochet hairpins at home and Shao's mother would help her sell them. The three women in the family felt that their lives were fulfilling and happy.
Qiao Qingqing's business gradually grew. All the patients who came to her for treatment were cured. Her fees were not expensive, so word of mouth naturally spread.
People from Qiuye Village also came over one after another, saying that they had been looking for her for a long time.
Liuzi said excitedly: "I looked everywhere after work, and I found it! The villagers were separated after the lottery, and it was difficult to reunite."
Qiao Qingqing was very happy to see Liuzi and asked if his nephew was okay.
"It's pretty good. My appetite has gotten bigger recently. My mom said that being able to eat is a blessing. Eating more will help you grow."
Qiao Qingqing nodded: "Then what is it that you are looking for me for?"
Liuzi scratched his head and said, "I want to buy some ointment from you, Sister Xiaoqiao. Your ointment for injuries is very useful. I have a colleague who injured his hand and it has not healed yet. I told him that I know a great doctor who has a very useful ointment, so he asked me to help buy the ointment."
"Okay, I just made some today, I'll give you a bottle."
"Then I'll go back and ask him for the consultation fee. Sister Qiao, is it still the same price?"
“Yes, the price has not changed.”
Liuzi was very happy: "Then I'll come right over. I also want to tell other people that you live in Building 20 of Ping'an Community. I heard from Aunt Ba that her daughter has a cold and cough, and she has been wanting to see you for treatment!"
Qiao Qingqing smiled and said, "Okay."
With the arrival of "regular customers", Qiao Qingqing's business became more stable.
Several people in the family were earning supplies, which greatly slowed down the consumption of supplies in the space. In addition to the usual supply of fruits such as watermelons and apples, the ingredients and finished foods in the space were only taken out and eaten every few days, one to satisfy their cravings, and the other to supplement nutrition for the family.
Even if there were sufficient space supplies, the unilateral and rapid consumption of space supplies would make her anxious, but now that anxiety is gone.
Her husband worked so hard, working one job after another without stopping. He only came home two or three times a month, and every time he came home, Qiao Qingqing would prepare delicious meals for him and stew tonic food for him, fearing that he would be exhausted.
Shao Shengan was physically tired but mentally very satisfied. He shared his wife's anxieties, but his current busy state also made him feel at ease. If he could earn more money and save it, he would have more courage and confidence to face more changes in the future.
Life in the new community is very safe and stable, with security teams patrolling everywhere, and night travel is very safe. Under this general environment, most people try their best to find new ways of living and working, and strive to add assets to their family business.
Three months later, the new government announced that the technology for growing heat-resistant sweet potato No. 5 and heat-resistant potato No. 12 was mature. In addition to large-scale planting on farms, some seeds would be distributed to each family unit to encourage survivors to grow them at home.
"They said it was free! I'm so happy!"
"Shall we go dig together? I know a place with some land!"
"It's such a pity that the village was demolished to build houses and the original land is gone. Otherwise, my family would have ten acres of land to farm now!"
"Don't think too much. Even if you really have ten acres of land, you don't have enough water to plant the land. Do you know how dry the soil is now? I see, even a small basin of soil will be dry unless you pour half a bucket of water into it!"
Qiao Qingqing's family was also happy about the news. She had stored a large number of seeds of various types, but this kind of weather was obviously not suitable for planting. The survival rate was too low, not as good as the high temperature resistant varieties studied by the base.
"We have two houses, plenty of space to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes." Shao's father wanted to quit his job tomorrow and go home to grow sweet potatoes. But he thought about it and gave up. Potatoes and sweet potatoes can be planted after work. He did a good job in that job, so it would be a pity to quit.
"We have to go outside to dig the soil. Do you know where there is soil to dig?" Shao's mother asked Shao's father, thinking that since he was cleaning outside, he must be familiar with the road.
"I'll go and ask around." Shao's father took on the task and indeed brought back an address after get off work the next day.
"It's not far, just three miles away. The houses over there haven't been built yet, so you can dig as much as you want. I've taken a day off with my colleague, and I'll go digging in the evening when the sun goes down. If it's too late, I'm afraid I won't be able to dig."
Qiao Qingqing followed them for a while, and in a remote place, she took out a bicycle for them to use. Shao's father and mother set off together, pedaling very fast, and soon they disappeared. She smiled and turned back to go home.
When Shao's father and mother returned home, there was an extra bicycle in their home.
After Tuyun came back, Shao's father counted the days until the hair seeds were born.
After waiting for a long time, the time was finally set and every household could receive one. The collection location was at the entrance of each community.
Before the sun went down, people started to gather at the gate of Ping'an Community. Qiao Qingqing could not persuade him, but Shao's father put on sun-proof clothing and a hat, opened an umbrella, picked up a bucket and went to line up. She had no choice but to give him the household registration book and his ID card, and then filled a bottle of honey water for him, and let him take a place in the line.
"Don't worry about him, he has a thick skin and is used to it!" Shao's mother said with a smile.
"What's the temperature now? Let me see..." Qiao Songzhi looked at the outdoor thermometer. "Forty-five degrees, about the same as usual. It should drop by seven or eight degrees when the sun sets."
The temperature has been rising for a year and a half. Now when Qiao Songzhi looks at the numbers on the thermometer, he is not as frightened as he was at the beginning.
She felt that her body had adapted to the heat and sweating. Although the environment was harsh, her family never treated her badly in terms of food. She even felt that her body was stronger than before.
"I don't know how long this weather will last. Clothes are ruined so quickly, all because of sweat." Mother Shao lowered her head and bit the thread as she was mending a piece of clothing that Father Shao had worn. Clothes used to be so durable that they could be worn for seven or eight years. This one was only worn three months ago and has been worn out! The elbows and cuffs were the worst worn, and they were torn several times, so they were mended layer by layer.
She shook the clothes and shook her head: "I can't mend it anymore. Next time, just cut off the sleeves and make him a short-sleeved shirt to wear at home!"
"It's okay. Everyone is doing this now, patching up their skin all the time." Qiao Songzhi said with a smile.
"Sheng An said that the villa area is full of rich people. The family that just installed water and electricity even held a housewarming party. They said that the guests all wore suits and ties, and the women wore long skirts, just like on TV." Shao's mother was interested in talking, "You said the party was also like on TV, with a long table with a lot of food and drinks on it. Can you just take whatever you want?"
Qiao Songzhi thought for a moment and said, "That should be the case. Rich people must have a good life."
Shao's mother sighed: "It's good to be rich. Only then will someone hire Sheng An to work. They are also generous. The rice and flour they give are all good, not bad."
After chatting about some gossip about rich people, Qiao Qingqing prepared to set up the stall.
Although it was troublesome to go out all the time, she didn't want to use her home as a clinic. It was not safe with too many outsiders coming in and out of the upstairs. She would rather go downstairs to set up a stall and work harder than to create trouble.
After setting up the stall until after two in the morning, Shao's father, who had been waiting in line for seven hours, finally came back. He walked back to the community with heavy and tired steps, but the joy on his face was clearly visible.
"Dad!" Qiao Qingqing shouted.
He looked up, said "Hey", quickened his pace, touched Shao Shengfei's head first, and then took the stool handed to him by Qiao Qingqing. After sitting down, he breathed a sigh of relief and regretted: "I should have brought a chair earlier. Many older brothers and sisters brought chairs. I only remembered it when I got there. I regret it so much!"
"Dad, have some water." Qiao Qingqing poured him a glass of boiled water. Shao's father took it and drank it all in one gulp.
"No, no, I don't want to drink it anymore. I drank all the honey water you gave me. I'm sweating all the time because it's too hot!" However, Shao's father was still very happy. He happily picked up the bucket on the ground and presented it to Qiao Qingqing and Shao Shengfei. "Look! Sweet potato seedlings and sprouted potatoes!"
Shao Shengfei poked his head out and Qiao Qingqing lowered her head.
There were several green sweet potato seedlings and a whole sprouted potato in the bucket.
"I have prepared the soil at home and added wood ash several times. I can then plant the sweet potato seedlings when I get home. I will cut the potatoes again when I get home. They said that each piece must have sprouts before they can be planted. Experts also said that they should be cut in a place without the sun, otherwise it will be too hot and the potato sprouts will be sunburned to death. Our house is large, and I can take good care of these sweet potatoes and potatoes. After planting them, I can save the seeds. Then we can plant more and more, more and more..." Thinking of the scene of the whole house full of potatoes and sweet potatoes, Father Shao was so happy.
"Dad, I want to plant it too. I want to plant this one!" Shao Shengfei carefully picked up a sweet potato seedling. He thought this one was the most beautiful.
"Okay, I'll plant it for you. Put it in quickly. There's a layer of soil in my bucket. Come back home and I'll plant it for you."
"Then let's close the stall early today and go home to plant sweet potatoes." Qiao Qingqing said with a smile.
"Great!" Shao Shengfei clapped his hands.
Shao's father helped to pack up the stall, handed the bucket to Shao Shengfei to carry, and got on the car himself: "I'll drive, you sit in the back."
Qiao Qingqing and Shao Shengfei sat in the back. Shao Shengfei held the bucket and held Qiao Qingqing's hand: "Sister, sit tight and don't fall down."
"Got it, big brother."
The tricycle was locked in an empty house on the first floor with several locks and finally covered with two layers of sunshade cloth.
No one lives in 101 yet, and it is temporarily used as a parking lot by the residents of the building.
Father Shao picked up the table and chairs, a little worried: "What if someone lives in this room in the future? There will be no place to put the car." Bicycles can be carried upstairs, but the same cannot be done with motorcycle tricycles.
"We'll think about it later. There's always a way. Dad, let's go upstairs."
The sweet potato seedlings and potato sprouts were planted as soon as they were brought back. Shao Shengfei didn't want to go out to look after the stalls anymore, so he watched over the sweet potatoes and potatoes on the sixth and seventh floors and took good care of them.
Sweet potatoes and potatoes are resistant to high temperatures and do not require much water. They are not afraid of high temperatures, but they still need to be watered regularly. They cannot be exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, but they do need a certain amount of light throughout the day.
In order to take care of the crops, Shao Shengfei adjusted his work and rest schedule, working during the day and sleeping at night. Shao Shengfei was very strong and could carry all the crops to the rooftop by himself, and then move them down after calculating the time.
Moving things up and down, a day passed.
When Qiao Qingqing and the others woke up and were about to go out to set up the stall, Shao Shengfei was already fast asleep.
Since someone had to stay at home to look after the house, Shao's mother stopped going out and stayed at home to look after Shao Shengfei and the crops.
When Shao Shengan returned home, he saw that his elder brother had become several degrees darker and his arm muscles had been noticeably strengthened.
"What has big brother done recently? How come he has such muscular hands and is so tanned?"
After Shao's mother happily told him what happened, Shao Sheng'an was also relieved: "Big brother has grown up."
When he got home, Shao Shengfei had just finished his meal and was about to go to bed. Shao Shengfei touched his head and said, "Brother, I'm going to bed now. I'm very busy during the day. Very busy."
"Okay, big brother, go to sleep. From now on, I want to eat the potatoes you planted."
Shao Shengfei nodded happily: "I'll plant big potatoes for you!" He yawned, "I'm going to sleep."
Shao Shengan went to take a shower first, and Qiao Qingqing stood at the bathroom door listening to him.
He was happy to tell Qiao Qingqing about work and the interesting things that happened during breaks. Where did so many interesting things come from? But Shao Shengan was able to make the little things in life very interesting, and Qiao Qingqing's lips curled up when she heard it.
"…When he squatted down, his pants tore, but he didn't notice it. The owner came to check on the progress and told him. His face turned red and he looked for needle and thread everywhere. I lent him the needle and thread I brought with me…"
"...We also need to install the indoor constant temperature system. I don't know how to do that, but the captain does, so I helped him. After he finished, I learned how to do it. I think I'll be able to do it myself next time I have the chance..."
"...There is a swimming pool in the backyard of the villa next door. When I was working, I heard the sound of people swimming next door. They were talking loudly, saying that the water was too hot and asked the nanny to pour two more buckets of ice in. Qingqing, I felt very complicated at the time..."
When he came out of the shower, Qiao Qingqing prepared a separate meal for him: "We are already full, you can eat by yourself, or do you want to go downstairs to eat?"
"Let's go downstairs after we finish eating. It looks delicious. Home food is still better." Shao Shengan ate with relish. After the meal, he held a coconut and drank coconut juice. He was so comfortable that his eyes narrowed.
After going downstairs to chat with the elders for a while, Shao's father went to work, and Shao Shengan said he would accompany her to the stall.
"You can't go on holiday today. You can have a good rest at home. I will accompany you."
Shao Shengan fell asleep holding her hand. When he woke up after two hours of sleep, he wanted to do laundry and found that Qiao Songzhi had already washed the clothes he had just taken off and they were almost dry.
"Mom, just let me wash it myself. My clothes are very dirty and difficult to wash."
Qiao Songzhi said, "It's not difficult. I soaked it in detergent and it was easy to wash. There was a layer of soil at the bottom of the basin after washing."
Shao Shengan felt embarrassed and decided to wash his clothes after taking a shower next time.
"Will we stay for two days this time?" asked Qiao Songzhi.
"We can stay a few more days this time. There is not much work in the villa area and the competition is quite fierce. The captain has some connections and heard that the base is going to be expanded. We want to do public work." The treatment in public work is better, at least three meals are provided, and the wages are also good.
"Really? We need to expand. A lot of people still live in town, and there aren't enough houses here."
"The town is being expanded this time. They said they were going to tear down some of the old urban areas and rebuild new ones. The base will be expanded to the town." Shao Shengan said some of the news he knew, "They may also start recruiting construction workers. I don't know if Dad wants to go. I think he'd better not go. The work on the construction site is too hard."
After Shao's father got off work, Shao Sheng'an told him the news. Shao's father really wanted to go, because he could earn much more at the construction site than as a sanitation worker, but Shao Sheng'an persuaded him, and Shao's mother also persuaded him, so he hesitated.
"Dad, you work near home and you can take care of the family. If you and Sheng An go to the construction site, there will only be a few of us left at home, and we won't feel safe." Qiao Qingqing said.
After hearing what his daughter-in-law said, Shao's father was even more shaken. He didn't think much about why he, his wife and his younger son went to work on the construction site before, leaving only his daughter-in-law, mother-in-law and older son at home. He was busy for half a year, and his daughter-in-law always said that everything was fine at home and asked them to work without worry. Now that they live in the new base, his daughter-in-law says that she doesn't feel safe.
In his heart, his daughter-in-law has always been reliable and rarely makes requests to him as a father-in-law. After being shaken, Shao's father agreed.
"Okay, I'll continue to do this job. I can also take care of you when you set up a stall in the future." Shao's father works hard because he has a sense of responsibility as a man to support his family. Since he can make money and take care of his family by working as a sanitation worker near his home, he should continue to do it! It's okay to earn less, the safety of his family is more important.
Seeing that his father was not insisting on going to the construction site, Shao Shengan breathed a sigh of relief.
During this holiday, Shao Shengan stayed at home for five days. During this period, the recruitment notice came out. Shao Shengan went out for a while and said that he had been hired after returning: "Workers who had built Qiuye Village and other places before have priority in recruitment. I performed well at the time and had not been punished, so I was easily selected."
He asked Qiao Qingqing again: "Is it really okay not to set up a stall? I can go with you."
Qiao Qingqing shook her head: "It's okay. I'm not the only doctor around here. In addition to me, there are two or three other doctors in Ping'an Community who run clinics at home."
"Have you ever thought about working in a hospital? I've asked around, and they're hiring doctors, too."
"No, it's too troublesome. It requires all kinds of materials. Where can I get them? I don't have a medical qualification certificate at all. The management is not strict now. If it were strict, I would definitely not be able to set up my stall. Moreover, I know my level well. I have learned a little bit of everything, but I am not particularly proficient in anything. At that time, Teacher Wei said that I was too greedy and that Chinese medicine is profound and extensive. She told me not to be too anxious. I learned a little bit of this and that, but in the end I just swallowed it whole and didn't learn anything. I told her that I didn't want to specialize, I just wanted to learn enough. At that time, Teacher Wei looked at me with disappointment. At the beginning, she must have thought that I was a very ambitious learner..."
Shao Shengan held her hand and said, "But you are really smart and hardworking. Your current level must be good."
Qiao Qingqing smiled and shook her head: "You have a filter for me in your heart. I'm not that good. Sheng An, I'm very realistic. In the apocalypse of natural disasters, natural disasters are fatal. Before it gets completely chaotic, if there are problems I can't handle, we can go to the hospital and wait until later... For example, after a big earthquake, I can treat minor injuries and illnesses, and my body won't be dragged to death by small problems, but if it's a big problem... I can't do anything about it, so I can only rely on God's will. So I learn a little bit of everything, and it's really the same sentence, just enough is enough."
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Shao Shengan no longer talked about finding a job in the hospital.
"But we still have to go to the hospital. Let's do a physical examination together as a family."
The next day, the family was divided into two groups and taken to the hospital by Qiao Qingqing and Shao Shengan for a full physical examination.
The elders were reluctant to go and it took a lot of persuasion to convince them.
The test results were said to be available in a week, but Shao Shengan went to work before the results came out. Later, Qiao Qingqing and Shao Shengfei went together to get the physical examination report.
Fortunately, the family members do not have any serious health problems. The doctor also said that they are healthier than most people today and do not even suffer from the most common malnutrition, vitamin deficiency and gastrointestinal diseases.
The family had a physical examination, which cost a lot of money, but Qiao Qingqing thought it was worth it.
"What big rats! So many rats!"
Hearing an exclamation from the front, Qiao Qingqing stuffed the inspection report back into the bag and looked up.
"Sister, there's a mouse, look!" Shao Shengfei shouted, pointing ahead.
A large group of rats rushed towards the hospital entrance, and the pedestrians at the entrance were all frightened.
"Close the door, close the door!" The security guard quickly pulled up the door and closed it. The rat hit the door panel with a clanging sound.
"Brother, come with me." Qiao Qingqing pulled Shao Shengfei to the side and took him away.
People in the hospital lobby looked at each other in confusion.
The security guard maintained order: "It's okay, don't be afraid. The door is closed to prevent rats from rushing in. Rats have a lot of bacteria on them. The patients in the hospital have relatively poor resistance. It's not good for the body to come into contact with rats. It's not good for healthy people to come into contact with rats either. They are dirty."
People nodded in understanding and the line was rearranged.
Qiao Qingqing stood by the window and watched the security guards outside catching mice with a mousenet. The fat mice were struggling angrily in the net, chirping and making a shrill sound.
Soon, all the rats were caught, and a security guard took a disinfectant bottle to spray the door before finally opening it.
The few people who were pounced on by rats were disinfected by security guards with their eyes closed, and a small riot was thus suppressed.
Qiao Qingqing pulled Shao Shengfei out of the house. On the way, they heard many good people talking about how they didn't expect there were so many rats in the new community and that they often heard rats squeaking outside the windows.
"There were also cockroaches! A huge cockroach was half the size of my palm. Do you know how high it flew? I was on the third floor, hanging clothes out the window, and a cockroach that big flew up from downstairs and flew right into my face! Oh my god, I was so scared, I thought it was a bat!"
Shao Shengfei said to Qiao Qingqing: "Sister, I will catch cockroaches to make medicine for you."
Qiao Qingqing smiled and shook her head: "You don't have to catch them, that thing is too dirty, don't touch the cockroach bucket hanging outside the window, understand?"
"I didn't move. I just took a look. The cockroach is really big!" Shao Shengfei gestured as the two figures became farther and farther away.
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