Chapter 42: Going to the Countryside as Educated Youth in the 1970s 5
[This is a parallel fictional world. Please do not take any similarities between place names and people as they appear.]
Zhang Xiaojia finished eating the chicken noodle soup made by Xiaocao. It was so unpalatable that she felt it was a waste of her chicken. However, she ate it believing that food should not be wasted. However, less than an hour later, she had a stomachache.
Xiaocao looked at Zhang Xiaojia anxiously. She was so weak from diarrhea that no medicine could help. Zhang Xiaojia was afraid that she would die from diarrhea. It was like this. The mission failed.
After defecating for a long time, he finally stopped. Zhang Xiaojia swore that he would rather starve to death than eat the food cooked by He Xiaocao.
Did Xiaocao not expect that her cooking would be so unpalatable? Couldn't she just throw it into the pot?
Zhang Xiaojia was stunned when she saw the cooked chicken in the pot. She originally thought that the chicken had been prepared, but she didn't expect that it was put into the pot to be cooked whole, and she didn't even pluck the feathers, let alone clean the internal organs.
At this moment, He Wu came over. He originally wanted to discuss something with Zhang Xiaojia, but his eyes were attracted by the chicken in the pot. After the two looked at each other, He Wu also fell silent.
"Can a girl from your He family get married like this?" Zhang Xiaojia couldn't help asking.
"The He family's daughter has dividends. As long as she's alive, she gets them. If she dies, she's gone. For the sake of money, a man would never dare to let a He family girl down. If they do despise her, the worst that can happen is that the He family can take her home and raise her themselves."
The corners of Zhang Xiaojia's mouth twitched. The He family's family rules were indeed good, allowing the girls of the He family to live freely.
She thinks girls should still master some basic common sense, otherwise they might accidentally hurt others, like her.
"Uncle He, what's the matter?" Zhang Xiaojia turned around and asked.
He Wu said, "Tomorrow you go to the county town and get your doctor's license."
Zhang Xiaojia was very surprised after hearing this and asked quickly, "Is it okay?"
"Why not? The doctor has already informed Third Aunt's mother of her funeral arrangements, and you were able to save her life. Your medical skills are absolutely flawless. Medical practice requires a license now, and our He family recommended you. It doesn't violate policy."
"Okay!" Zhang Xiaojia said indifferently.
The next day, Zhang Xiaojia drove a tractor to the hospital and saw several people taking exams. Zhang Xiaojia hurried in, picked up the test paper, wrote it down quickly, finished it in 20 minutes, and handed it to the teacher.
The dean took the test paper and started marking it, and all the answers were correct.
I took Zhang Xiaojia to the Chinese medicine department, showed her a bag of Chinese medicine and asked her what it was. Zhang Xiaojia blurted out the answer.
Go to the place where the nurse is giving injections and ask her to give the patient an injection.
Zhang Xiaojia looked at the needle in his hand, then at the patient, and immediately wanted to change the needle, only to find that the needle was not disposable.
I was so angry that I couldn't help but say, "Nurse, please change to a size 4 needle. This medicine requires a size 4 needle."
When the nurse heard this, she turned around and glared at Zhang Xiaojia, then muttered disdainfully, "It doesn't matter what kind of injection you get. Why are there so many rules? It's so annoying."
Zhang Xiaojia's face darkened instantly after hearing this. She stared at the nurse coldly, anger flashing in her eyes. If looks could kill, this nurse would have been dead without a burial place.
The nurse took out a No. 4 needle. When Zhang Xiaojia smelled it, his face turned black. He took out some alcohol and disinfected it before giving the patient an injection.
After each injection, Zhang Xiaojia disinfected the needle by soaking it in alcohol, and then used a new needle, and continued to do so until all the injections were completed.
She saw that the director had already issued her a doctor's certificate. After receiving the certificate, Zhang Xiaojia looked at the nursing department and could no longer hold back and said, "It's difficult now. Needles cannot be used disposable, but you can prepare more needles each time. After injecting one needle, put it in alcohol for disinfection, and then steam sterilize it again at the end of the shift, instead of injecting a group of patients with one needle. I don't need to emphasize the contagiousness of needles. As doctors and nurses, you should have learned this before."
After saying this, no matter how ugly their faces were, if they couldn't do this, she could imagine that in twenty years, a large-scale infectious disease would definitely break out in the five cities of Hongguo.
I went to the post office, sent a telegram to Aunt Leng to tell her I was safe, and mailed the letter back.
Grandpa Feng is with my dad, and now he doesn’t have their address, so he can only wait for them to write to him.
I went to the grain station and bought 100 kilograms of rice, three boxes of noodles weighing 100 kilograms, and 100 kilograms of soybeans.
The meat of the supply and marketing cooperative was long gone, and even the bones were not hers.
The supply and marketing cooperative bought 20 liters of kerosene and No. 1 batteries, and nothing else was needed.
When he went to the scrap collection station again, there was nothing there except bundles of old books. Zhang Xiaojia bought all the old books, issued a receipt, and left.
On the way, she met someone from the Gwei Bureau and recognized him as the one who asked her at the market.
Zhang Xiaojia waved and said, "Comrade, nice to meet you again. I like to eat rice, so I went to the grain station to buy some. These are my rations for the winter."
The comrades from the Georgian and Uyghur Autonomous Region Bureau had no choice but to say, "Just don't waste food."
When she returned to the village, she drove the tractor directly to the door of her house and saw Xiaocao helping her build a chicken coop. It looked pretty good and quite beautiful.
"Sister Xiaojia, do you want to grow vegetables? I'm a great grower, I'll help you." Xiaocao said enthusiastically, "Uncle He Ba was here. The furniture will be moved in this afternoon, or tomorrow."
"Afternoon set."
"Okay, I'll go talk to him."
When Xiaocao saw the food on the cart, he immediately started moving it. When Zhang Xiaojia saw this, he picked it up with one hand and put all the food into the kitchen.
Zhang Xiaojia smiled and said to He Xiaocao, "Xiaocao, I'm a doctor. Saving lives is my duty, so I don't need you to repay me, understand? All you need to do is sincerely say to me, 'Doctor, thank you, and thank you for your hard work.' That's all, understand?"
After hearing this, He Xiaocao's eyes turned red and she bowed to her and said, "Doctor Zhang, thank you for saving my grandma. You have worked so hard."
"Okay, go home quickly and take good care of your grandma. Oh, and you're not allowed to cook or make medicine. Ask someone else to help, okay?"
"Sister Xiaojia, I'm going back first."
Zhang Xiaojia took out the rice ball that He Fei prepared for her and started eating.
After eating, I felt melancholy.
He Ba came quickly and put all the furniture away with his two sons and daughters. He Yi's daughter stayed to help her clean all the furniture and the house. She was so shy that she left without saying a word.
There were several large bags piled up in the hall. Zhang Xiaojia took out three bags of spring and autumn quilts and summer blankets and put them away, and put all the clothes in the two bags into the closet.
There were three bags left. Zhang Xiaojia opened them and sorted them one by one. When he was done, it was dark again. He lit the kerosene lamp, went to the kitchen, and made himself a bowl of noodles with soy sauce.
After eating, I took out the bathtub, took a bath, and went to bed.
When Zhang Xiaojia saw the radish, she knew she had forgotten something! The day before yesterday, she went to the old patriarch to ask for white wine, but then she showed off and forgot about it. Just as she was about to go out, she saw Fatty pacing back and forth at the door.
Zhang Xiaojia called out, "Pangpang, are you looking for your sister?"
Fatty ran over and said shyly, "Sister, I want to ask you, can my grandma's eyes be cured?"
Zhang Xiaojia held Pangpang's hand and said as they walked, "Pangpang, I can cure grandma's eyes. It's not a big problem. But, I don't have a suitable scalpel. I'm already thinking of a way."
Fatty jumped up excitedly, "Great, great, my grandma can see me now."
Not seeing the old patriarch, but seeing He Wu, Zhang Xiaojia asked, "Uncle He Wu, do you have any white wine to exchange?"
"What are you going to do?"
“Making pickles.”
"I'll ask Ping An to send it to you."
Fatty ran to He Wu and said loudly, "Uncle Wu, Uncle Wu, my sister said she can cure grandma's eyes, but she doesn't have a suitable scalpel. You are the best, go and help my sister make the scalpel."
He Wu raised his eyebrows and looked at Zhang Xiaojia, asking, "Can you really do this?"
Zhang Xiaojia said with certainty, "Cataract, a minor operation, done in ten minutes."
He Wu immediately said, "What kind of scalpel do you need? I'll get it for you."
Zhang Xiaojia took out a notebook from her bag and handed it to He Wu. "I want all of these. I've written down all the names. If you can, that would be great. If not, I'll find a way. It'll just take a while."
He Wu took a closer look and found it very detailed, without any major problems. "Leave this booklet with me. I'll go to the city steel mill and have someone print it out next week. Now that you've passed the medical exam, how about becoming a doctor in the He family?"
"Uncle He Wu, it's better for you to be a doctor in the village. A tall tree attracts the wind, so keep a low profile."
"If you don't want to attract attention, you'd better work as a doctor in the He family for the next two years, not in the village. Your conditions are too good, and it will attract jealousy. Not every village protects girls like the He family does. Many of them think that if a girl's reputation is damaged, she has to marry off. There are too many low-class methods."
"Okay, I'll listen to you. I'm a doctor in the He family now. I'll leave first."
"During this period of time, just hang out around the He family. Don't go to the Youth League Home or the village." He Wu suddenly said, and then stopped talking.
Zhang Xiaojia nodded, indicating that she understood. She knew what Uncle He Wu meant. Recently, she should try not to contact other educated youth to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Zhang Xiaojia is officially staying at home. After making kimchi, Zhang Xiaojia made potato starch, sweet potato starch, and also made potato flour with great interest.
Grind the soy milk and make bean curd skin, tofu, fermented tofu, and dried tofu.
This week passed by, working from sunrise to sunset and going to bed at sunset.
The weather is getting colder and colder, it's more than ten degrees below zero, and it has snowed several times.
Zhang Xiaojia was awakened by the noise from next door. Hearing Pangpang's cry, Zhang Xiaojia quickly put on his clothes and ran over. He saw the blind grandmother beating a man, with his wife trying to stop them, and their two children crying.
Zhang Xiaojia hugged Pangpang in his arms.
The old patriarch and He Wu and others also came over.
"Second Aunt, stop hitting me." He Qi hurried forward to hold her back, fearing that she would attack again.
"He Qi, don't stop me, let me beat this little beast to death." He's mother wanted to beat him to death immediately.
He Wu spoke up: "Nineteen, why did you come back?" His tone was cold and emotionless.
He Shijiu lowered his head, not daring to look at him, and said softly, "Fifth Brother, I'm retired from the army and back with my wife and children."
Hearing this, He Wu frowned and his eyes became even colder.
After a moment's silence, he slowly spoke, "When you got married, the clan crossed you out of the family tree. As I said before, your He is no longer He of the He clan."
He Shijiu's face was filled with despair as he begged, "Fifth Brother, please, my wife's background is not good. If the He family doesn't take her in, what will happen to my two children?"
After hearing this, He Wu became even angrier. "Two children? Where's Pang Pang? You left to join the army, your wife passed away, and you didn't come back because you had a mission. We understand. Less than two years later, you returned with a second wife and twins. You violated the clan rules. If your wife dies and you have children, you have to wait until they are sixteen before remarrying. This is your first mistake. After you left, apart from sending back five yuan every month, you never wrote a letter or sent anything to Pang Pang. You are unworthy of being a father. This is your second mistake. You have been away for six years and have never written a letter to your mother. Did you know that your mother lost her sight three years ago? You are unworthy of being a son. This is your third mistake. Nineteen! You personally asked for Pang Pang's mother's hand in marriage."
After hearing this, He Shijiu looked at his wife in disbelief and growled, "Didn't I ask you to send 20 yuan and 20 kilograms of food coupons every month? Where's the letter I wrote to mother?"
"They say you can live well in the countryside with 5 yuan. I didn't mean it!" the woman cried, her tears and snot all mixed together. Suddenly, she rushed to Pangpang like crazy and hugged Pangpang's legs: "Pangpang, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me... Those are your brothers. They are the roots of the He family. As an older sister, you should take good care of them!"
As soon as these words came out, He Qi stopped trying to stop the blind woman, and He Wu was so angry that he was shaking all over. He rushed forward, grabbed He Shijiu by the collar, kicked him hard, and then started beating him up. He Shijiu did not fight back, and did not make a sound.
While beating him, He Wu cursed with gritted teeth, "The men of the He family have never been anything special! The men of our He family all make a living by their own abilities!"
Fatty said loudly, "Grandma said, my mother is dead, my father broke the clan rules, and is no longer a member of the He family. I don't have a father and a mother, I only have the He family, and I absolutely cannot break the clan rules. Uncle Wu, stop hitting me, your hands will hurt. Grandma, return the money he sent them before."
The blind woman angrily said, "What are you going to pay back? Not only is he not going to pay it back, but he's going to have to give money to us grandparents every month. If he doesn't, I'll sue him and put him in jail."
Zhang Xiaojia carefully observed the blind woman's expression. Oh no! What the blind woman said was true. She was afraid that the blind woman would forgive her son and that Pangpang would feel wronged. She was just being overly suspicious.
He Shijiu didn't say a word, and silently took his wife and child away.
At this moment, the old patriarch slowly spoke, "Nineteen! As your uncle, I will help you again this time for my brother's sake! The winery in the county will provide you with a job, and you can bring your wife and children to live in the county. Listen to your uncle's advice. Your current wife doesn't know how to educate the children. The children are still young, and there is still a chance to correct them. Our family rules have never stipulated that an older sister must take care of her younger brother, or that an older brother must take care of his younger brother. Boys are the roots of the He family. Whether it's a boy or a girl, they are all the children of our He family. Remember, children are the responsibility of their parents."
"Uncle~" He Shijiu knelt down.
The old patriarch waved his hand and said, "Okay, when you get to the county town, don't show up. Tell your wife and children to keep a low profile, stay out less, and work hard at the winery."
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