Chapter 23 023 The First Peach Blossom & Apricot
He did what he said. Jin Yue had nothing to do tonight, so he simply explained to Zhao Wanqiu the basic theories of Chinese medicine, such as essence, qi, blood, body fluids, yin and yang, the five elements, and the five internal organs. These are the basic concepts of Chinese medicine, and all medical theories are based on these concepts.
Zhao Wanqiu already had a basic medical background and possessed a strong learning ability that other old ladies of her age did not have. In just two hours, she had basically learned the basic concepts. However, her memory was not good for some things that required rote memorization, so she needed to strengthen her memory.
Jin Yue was also very happy. She planned to go to the medical school tomorrow and borrow a copy of "Basic Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine" for her to recite first.
However, she was unable to go the next day because she had to give a report in the district.
The last time Sun Tieniu’s case was cured, the district epidemic prevention station thought it was a “miracle”, and the secretary and station director asked her to tell everyone how she cured it as a business exchange... Although, treating this disease was not within the business scope of the epidemic prevention station.
But we all studied medicine, and the professional qualifications at that time did not separate public health physicians and clinical physicians. We were all the same physicians, and curing diseases and saving lives was our common mission.
Although Shu Jinyue is young, she is not stage-frightened. It may be because she was criticized many times in public by the team leader when she was in the countryside, so she is not afraid of going on stage at all. Not to mention that the eyes of the audience were full of curiosity, encouragement and affirmation, and she spoke even more fluently.
From the initial suspicion of schistosomiasis, to how to inquire about the medical history, to unravel the initial symptoms of the disease, to the combination of pulse and symptoms, how to diagnose, what prescription to use, and what the basis is...
The girl stood on the stage, her eyes sparkling, as if her whole body was glowing.
Liu Jinbu whispered to Lao Zhu, "Our Xiao Shu is really a treasure. With her here, our station has really become a big hit this time."
Zhu Daqiang naturally did not ignore the envious looks from all directions. Those who were "exiled" to the grassroots level had no background and were not good at dealing with things. Those who were able to stay in the district used to look down on others.
but--
"Humph, don't encourage her to take risks in the future."
Liu Jinbu touched his nose awkwardly, "With Jinyue's temper, does he need me to encourage him?"
I'm afraid she is instigating others.
Zhu Daqiang also laughed, "Well, young people are still not calm enough. We can't let her get lost in temporary success. We must remind her in the future..." blah blah.
Liu Jinbu was almost asleep.
Although the secretary and the stationmaster didn't understand what Jin Yue said, they felt that there was some truth in what she said, so they simply asked her to write a written summary, which they circulated among the station so that if they encountered similar cases in the future, they could learn from it.
Jin Yue had already written the report and handed it in immediately, and the three of them returned to Xinqiao Street.
They both have cars, but Jin Yue doesn't have one. She gritted her teeth and decided to get herself a car.
At dinner time, she mentioned this idea to her second brother. It was such a sad thing. There were indeed not many families in the entire No. 16 compound who had bicycles, but at least their workplaces were nearby and they could walk there. However, Shu Wenming and Shu Wenyun's workplaces were much farther away than everyone else's. It didn't matter if it was windy or rainy. Even if it was blistering, they still had to walk to work. For this, they had to get up twenty minutes earlier than others.
Just tell me how valuable those twenty minutes in bed on a winter morning are.
"Let's buy one together as three of us. If the weather is bad or we're in a hurry, my second brother can ride the bike to give me a ride. If Jin Yue needs to use the car, just let me know in advance and I'll leave the car to you the next day. How about that?" Shu Wenyun took the initiative to suggest.
Since that night, she has become much quieter and no longer likes to dress up as before. All those fashionable clothes have been put aside by her. Although Jin Yue was a little curious, she was too lazy to ask. They could never be the same kind of people in this life, and she had to be on guard against her.
But I have to say, her suggestion was very good. Jin Yue's workplace is close to home, so she doesn't need to use it to commute to get off work. She only uses it when she goes to the district for meetings or to the Medical University to borrow books.
The three siblings agreed that they would share the cost of bicycle tickets and the money for buying the bicycle equally, and no matter who rode it more or less, neither of them was allowed to complain or they would not be taken to play with each other in the future. Of course, parents can ride however they want and no one is allowed to object.
Seeing that they had already discussed it, the old couple didn't say anything and didn't dare to mention the issue of subsidies. If the eldest son found out, there would be another family war.
This boss, even though he rarely goes home for meals now, he is better informed than a dog's nose.
The next day, Shu Wenming went to find someone to exchange bicycle tickets. This kind of thing was in short supply. Brother Li in the backyard exchanged his ticket with his father-in-law, while Aunt Zhao's ticket was exchanged by Uncle Zhao last year as the reward for being the fifth advanced worker since he joined the factory.
"Is Jin Yue busy?" Feng Chunxia came over with Xiao Laoliu in her arms, with a faint smile on her face.
"No hurry, Sister Chunxia, come in quickly."
"Your medicine is really effective. I just drank it and soon I felt like going to the bathroom. I have been urinating very easily these past two days. The key is that my hands and feet are warm now. Don't you think it's weird?"
Jin Yue held her hand and squeezed it. It was indeed much warmer. She still remembered the icy feeling of having her vitality drained away when he took her pulse for the first time.
If people with cold hands and feet take cold medicine and actually feel warmer, even people who have not studied Chinese medicine will find this ridiculous.
"I don't feel a headache anymore, and I feel stronger than I did a few days ago. I don't know if it's an illusion, but I feel much better too."
Zhao Wanqiu smiled and said, "I will feel better if I don't go back to see that miserable family."
Chunxia's husband comes to pick her up every day recently, but Chunxia just refuses to go back. A man has to take care of a bunch of children who are in school. You can imagine how busy and tired he is. And the old man is still making sarcastic remarks on the other end, and the house is in a mess.
"You should just stay at your parents' home peacefully until your parents-in-law come to pick you up sincerely and repent. To put it bluntly, we women should think carefully before we go back to our parents' home. If we don't want to make a fuss, we should not make a fuss. But if we do make a fuss, we should make sure they know how powerful we are. Because going back to your parents' home is something that should only happen once or twice, but not three times. If you do it too many times, people will think you are crying wolf and it will be useless."
Feng Chunxia listened silently, wasn't she thinking the same thing in her heart?
If she really couldn't get a divorce, that would be impossible. She couldn't bear to leave her daughters. The man was not completely without merit. His thoughtfulness and gentleness were what attracted her in the first place.
But if she just gets angry for a few days and then goes back in shame, then people will take advantage of her even more in the future.
"However, I am not going back this time, and I have my own plans." She bit her lip, and seeing that there were no men in the room, she asked Jin Yue in a low voice, "Does the vasectomy hurt? Do I need anesthesia?"
Jin Yue was stunned, "You want to do it?"
Feng Chunxia blushed and nodded. After this incident, she had finally come to terms with it. "If I'm destined to have no son, it's no use having ten more. If I get sick and collapse, my daughters will be the ones who suffer the most."
Jin Yue didn't expect her to be so enlightened. "Sure, it can be done at the district hospital. It will definitely require anesthesia."
Zhao Wanqiu frowned, "You can't do it."
——"Your man has to do it."
Jin Yue was startled, then immediately realized, "Gay men can get sterilized very quickly, it can be done in an outpatient clinic, and it won't affect work the next day, unlike lesbians who have to go through a lot of pain."
Feng Chunxia came to her senses after hearing this. "Okay, I'll put it this way. If he wants me to go back, he can do the sterilization first. He can bring the form to me for verification, and then I can go back with him right away."
Zhao Wanqiu laughed and said, "You decide for yourself. I dare not say anything."
Jin Yue took her pulse and found that Baihu Decoction was very cold after all and was not suitable for taking for too long. He made some adjustments and added a few medicines for nourishing qi and blood, and then let her go back to rest.
As they expected, the bargaining between Feng Chunxia and her husband's family ended with her husband having a sterilization operation. Within three days, she returned home with her child.
"I heard that his father-in-law was so angry that he didn't eat for three days. He cried and shouted that their Qin family would have no descendants, and that he was a sinner who would not be able to face his ancestors after his death. How dare he say such words? His son is still a cadre!" Aunt Zhao said, and she was also happy for Chunxia in her heart.
Aunt Li curled her lips and said, "Chunxia is really, she has no sense of being a daughter-in-law. If I were her, I would be... Hey, Chunxia's mother, why are you spitting at me? What word did I say wrong?"
Zhao Wanqiu didn't have time to chat about gossip with them. She was currently studying traditional Chinese medicine and spent her days buying groceries and reading books. Her eyesight is fine and she doesn't have presbyopia. She is very enthusiastic in reading. If Teacher Shu wasn't afraid that she would hurt her eyes and forced her to go buy groceries, she wouldn't even want to go out.
In just a few days, she had finished reading an entire book on basic theory and urged Jin Yue to borrow other books for her.
Whenever Jin Yue went to borrow books, she would trouble Qin Haiyang every time, whether borrowing or returning them. As time went by, the two of them became more familiar with each other. Qin Haiyang would sometimes come to Jin Yue's unit to find her, on the pretext of discussing medical issues.
Shu Jinyue herself didn't think anything of it, but several older sisters from the neighborhood office privately joked that Qin Haiyang was pursuing her.
Not only were the older women curious, but Liu Jinbu was also gossiping: "Xiao Shu, did you really not date that boy?"
Jin Yue spread his hands, "Do you think I have time to date?"
Not to mention that she has to read and study every day, and treat neighbors and colleagues from time to time, she is even responsible for the hygiene of the office. At first, it was Teacher Shu who taught her to take the initiative to clean the house, and to regard this as a simple opportunity to show off. Later, she didn't want to show off anymore, but she really couldn't stand the work done by Zhu Daqiang and Liu Jinbu.
She could not wipe the table clean until it became a map, and she could not sweep the floor clean. The key point was that there was cigarette ashes from their smoking. She thought it was dirty, so she did it herself.
Liu Jinbu also thought of this and laughed awkwardly. "Come on, don't be angry. Lao Zhu and I will always remember your contribution to our station. If you need any help from us, just ask us and we will definitely do it for you."
"Hey, what are you talking about? Who do you want to do something for?"
It turned out to be Sister Qiao from the Finance Office who came with a piece of paper in her hand.
"Oh, Accountant Joe, what a rare visitor."
Sister Qiao laughed and scolded him, "Go away, it's none of your business, I'm here to find Jin Yue."
Shu Jinyue was stunned. He didn't know what Sister Qiao wanted to ask him about. Could it be that she wanted to treat a relative of hers again? Didn’t I check on her niece’s menstrual irregularities last time?
"Jin Yue, check this quickly. This is your salary for last month. See if there's anything wrong. I'll fix it for you before it's too late."
Jin Yue saw that there was no performance-based salary these days and the salary was fixed. Before she was promoted, it would be 37 yuan, no more and no less.
Sister Qiao chatted for a while about this and that, then left leisurely. Liu Jinbu said with a tut-tut sound, "Comrade Shu Jinyue, have you realized that you are now a popular figure in our street office?"
Jin Yue is not a fool. Not to mention that Director Niu comes to show concern from time to time, just take Sister Qiao for example. She was not so enthusiastic before. Although she also liked to chat with Jin Yue about family matters, she was not so attentive.
"I've been her colleague for many years, but she has never come to me in person to verify her salary. In our neighborhood office, only Director Niu and you have this kind of treatment, tsk tsk tsk tsk ..."
Something must have happened to make a veteran in the government like her so kind-hearted.
Shu Jinyue thought about it for a while, but gave up without any result. When he got home at noon, he saw that Teacher Shu had made braised noodles with green beans, and his mood became very good again.
Teacher Shu is not so good at cooking other kinds of food, but he is an expert at making noodles. Don't be fooled by this skinny old man, he can knead, pull and cut noodles with ease. He used to be reluctant to eat white flour, but even mixed flour can be made into different dishes by him. Recently, Jin Yue proposed to improve the food and eat white flour at least five days a month. The noodles he makes are even better.
The noodles were chewy and had absorbed the aroma of the beans and the soup, giving them a sauce-like flavor. He also added a spoonful of lard, which was so fragrant.
Although she still can't afford meat, Jin Yue is already very satisfied. She feels that she has never been so happy in her life.
"Hey, why did you come back so late, brother?"
Shu Wenming hung his head in dejection, "Don't mention it, I'm going to go find the bicycle ticket."
It was really scarce. He asked people he knew outside but didn't find one. Then he asked at work, but everyone said they were short of it and didn't have it.
By the way, Xu Wenli said that she could find a way to ask, but Shu Wenming seemed to be acting weird lately and ignored her, so she could only look for him herself.
Jin Yue also thought of it. He didn't know what the two of them were up to again. "Second brother, do you know how much of a plus a man's emotional stability is?"
"Don't come on, stay out of my business."
"Okay, okay, I don't care. Then you'll be single for the rest of your life."
The brother and sister parted unhappily. Jin Yue was too lazy to remind him and just waited to see when he could get the bicycle. Anyway, she had already prepared the money. If he couldn't get it, she would have to help him in the end, right?
When I arrived at the entrance of the unit in the afternoon, I saw a man wearing a white shirt and military pants standing there, holding two bags of apples in his hands.
"Jin Yue is here?" The man's eyes lit up and he walked over immediately.
It was time for work, and everyone could see it when they came in. People who were not busy at work were looking around, "Hey, Xiao Tan is here, why are you here so early today?"
"I happened to be on my way to school from home, so I stopped by on the way."
"It's on the way... Your medical school seems to be in the south of the city, right?"
Qin Haiyang's ears turned red and he could only smile foolishly.
Shu Jinyue understood it. No wonder everyone asked if they were dating. Qin Haiyang really had that intention.
"Take these apples and eat them. They are quite sweet."
During this period, he had sent many gifts, but Jin Yue had always declined them. Now that he knew he had that intention, it was even more impossible for Jin Yue to accept his gifts. "No, you can take it back."
"There are some at home."
"Then you can take it to school and give it to your roommates."
Seeing that she was still determined not to do it like every time before, Qin Haiyang looked disappointed. His eyes were the standard double eyelids seen in movie magazines, they were very big, his nose was high, his skin was fair, and he said nothing, with his eyes drooping at the corners. When he wasn't wearing glasses, he looked like a well-behaved big dog.
"Don't be angry, okay? Then...I'll send your colleague off, okay?"
The look in his eyes was eager and a little cautious.
Today, I am reminded of a big dog called Golden Retriever that I saw on my phone. It was very well-behaved, warm and obedient.
"It's up to you, but don't bring anything with you next time. There's no need to be so formal between friends."
He distributed apples to passers-by one by one, and deliberately left a few extra in Jin Yue's office.
Everyone who accepted his things would always say something nice for him, "Xiao Tan, come visit us often when you have time."
After everyone left, several older women came over to interrogate Shu Jinyue, "Are you two really alone?"
"Really? We are just friends. He is about to start his internship and asked me to ask some practical questions about his work."
"Oh, Xiaoshu, you don't understand. When a gay pursues a lesbian, he doesn't just say 'I want to pursue you'. Xiaotan is just doing this in a subtle way." Sister Qiao looked very experienced. "I said a few days ago that I wanted to introduce you to someone, but now it seems that's not necessary."
Shu Jinyue has finally realized what adults mean when they say "Once your job is stable, you can choose your partner of your choice". After only a few months at work, several people have introduced potential partners to her.
Of course, she was not interested. She was only 19 years old. Why would she want to get married at such a young age? Many of the girls on the phone were in their thirties and not married. They were living a carefree life.
"You are so lucky, you met Xiao Tan right after you arrived. You are so lucky."
The more you blink your eyes, the more blessed you are.
"Do you know who Xiao Tan's father is?"
Jin Yue shook his head.
Sister Qiao carefully looked at her expression and confirmed that she really didn't know. She immediately patted her knee and said, "Oh, you are really a fool with good fortune."
Several other ladies and aunts also listened with great interest, "Old Qiao, who are you talking about? Don't keep us in suspense."
"His surname is Qin, and he's a forensic doctor. He's in his forties. Isn't that Deputy Director Qin of the Municipal Bureau?" Sister Qiao said in a disappointed tone, "At first I just thought he looked familiar, but then I remembered my husband. When they went to the city for a meeting, wasn't there a big leader like him?"
Sister Qiao’s husband works in the district public security bureau. He occasionally goes to the city for meetings and is very familiar with several directors and deputy directors in the system.
"No wonder. I was saying that Xiao Tan looks energetic."
"Although she doesn't know us, she calls us 'big sister' every time we meet. She's so polite. I guess she has good upbringing."
"Look, there are two big bags of apples. He gives them out to everyone he meets. They are genuine Red Fuji apples, much tastier than our local apples!"
…
Shu Jinyue was a little shocked. She really didn't expect that Qin Haiyang's father was of such an identity. She just felt that he was quite gentle in their daily interactions, and seemed to be very cultured in his words and deeds. She expected that he should be from an intellectual family. Who knew that he was not an ordinary intellectual.
With such a background, it is really a bit "heretical" to study obstetrics and gynecology.
"Xiao Shu, listen to my advice. There are not many good gay men in this world. You have to grab them early. The ones left after being picked by others are all ugly."
"Also, marriage is not only about love, but also about family. Having a pair of helpful parents-in-law is better than ordinary people like us. It can save us a lot of detours!"
"That's right. For us women, it doesn't matter who we marry. We will have to deal with mother-in-law conflicts no matter who we marry. Since we have to deal with mother-in-law, why not pick someone who can at least help?"
"If I were to choose again, I would not want my husband. It's terrible."
Everyone was complaining about the troubles at home. Jin Yue was actually tired of listening to them, but the working hours were long and she had nothing to do for the time being.
"Don't just smile foolishly. Did you hear what we just said?" Sister Qiao pushed Jin Yue's arm. In order to persuade Jin Yue to expose his family's dirty laundry, she certainly had her own selfish motives.
If Shu Jinyue and Qin Haiyang really get together, their family will at least have some say in the Qin family, and maybe there will be hope for her husband's promotion in the future, right? Even if it fails, she might be able to make herself familiar to Qin Haiyang, which might be useful someday.
They have worked in government agencies for their entire lives, and may not have other abilities, but they are good at judging people. This Xiao Tan is more than just interested in Xiao Shu.
Jin Yue actually felt that what they said made sense. After all, years ago, in order to stay in the city, he deeply realized the importance of social status and network resources. But it is not entirely true. Marrying into a good family can indeed help you avoid detours, but it is better to rely on yourself than on others. You can feel at ease using the status and money you earn yourself.
The example of Feng Chunxia is right in front of us. Even if she marries a high-ranking leader, she will still have to be a reproductive machine.
The young, 19-year-old Shu Jinyue feels that her life has infinite possibilities. As long as she wants something, she can get it on her own without relying on anyone else's help.
***
After the incident of sending apples, Qin Haiyang stayed quiet for a while. Shu Jinyue thought he had given up and didn't take it to heart anymore.
Recently, Zhao Wanqiu finished learning Chinese medicine and insisted that she be taken to the mountains to collect herbs. So Jin Yue picked a Sunday and the whole family went into the mountains.
This time we went to the same West Mountain as last time. We didn’t have bicycles, so our whole family took the bus to the entrance of West Mountain Park at the foot of the mountain, and then climbed up to the halfway point along the path we took last time. The view immediately opened up.
Teacher Shu looked at the lush green mountains and even recited loudly and emotionally the great man's poem: "I have traveled through the green mountains yet I am still young, the scenery here is the best."
Everyone was used to his pedantic demeanor. Jin Yue looked around and suddenly noticed something yellow in the woods not far away.
She relied on her years of experience living in the country - "Apricots!"
Shu Wenming ran over following the finger and said, "Oh, it really is an apricot tree!"
These days anything edible is popular. I didn’t expect that I could keep the apricots until they are golden yellow. This is because this place is relatively remote and people who are not familiar with it cannot come here.
The big yellow ones on the tips were eaten by birds, and the rest were hidden under the leaves. They were not big, but they were really yellow. Jin Yue picked one and broke it into two halves directly, putting the kernel aside. The flesh was sour and sweet, and especially delicious.
"It's more sweet than sour, and very ripe." Zhao Wanqiu couldn't help but eat two, "Let's pick more and take them back to make dried apricots."
As the saying goes, "Eating too much peach will hurt you, but eating too much apricot will kill you, and sleeping under a plum tree will kill you." Everyone only dared to eat a few of them, picking the big, ripe ones and putting them into the bamboo baskets they brought... Well, these baskets were originally used to collect medicinal herbs.
However, with the great discovery of apricots, Zhao Wanqiu and Shu Jinyue no longer had time to collect herbs, and hurriedly looked around to see if there was anything else edible.
Food is hard currency.
Soon, Shu Wenyun found a peach tree not far away, but it was full of hairy peaches, most of which were green and hard. Jin Yue picked one, rubbed the fine hairs on his clothes, took a bite, and said, "It's a bit sour."
"Then don't pick them yet. I estimate they will turn red in less than a month. We can pick them then."
Everyone continued searching. Shu Wenming went deeper into the cave alone with a knife. Teacher Shu went with Zhao Wanqiu, while Jin Yue and Wen Yun went together. To ensure their safety, they paired up and could not separate.
They were lucky. After walking for a while, they found an apricot tree. The tree was in the shade and birds didn't like to peck at it. There were many large yellow apricots. They filled the basket but only picked one-fifth of them.
"No, you guys go to work tomorrow, your dad and I will come again, and we will just carry two bags."
After walking for a while, we discovered chestnut and walnut trees, but they had just produced small fruits and were still far from ripe.
"Let's remember the place and come back in the fall to pick walnuts and chestnuts."
Just when everyone thought that today's harvest had reached its peak, they suddenly heard Shu Wenming's voice coming from the woods, "Dad, Jin Yue, come quickly!"
The whole family rushed in and saw that he was holding a colorful pheasant that was struggling desperately!
Jin Yue was so happy that his voice split open, "Pheasant?!"
In all her years in the countryside, she had only seen a family of hunters catch a few pheasants. Because the pheasant's feathers, especially the tail, were particularly bright and eye-catching, they later took them home to breed and made them into a local specialty chicken breed.
The images of braised chicken, chicken in clear soup and spicy chicken flashed through Shu Jinyue’s mind: “…” He swallowed madly.
"This is a stupid chicken. It probably has never seen humans before. When it saw me standing there stupidly, I grabbed it." Shu Wenming said proudly, pointing to a group of animal footprints not far away. "I also saw a gray wild boar just now, but it ran too fast and I only saw its shadow."
Jin Yue's eyeballs almost fell to the ground. She swore that she was so surprised. After all, she had lived in the countryside for so many years and rarely heard of anyone catching a wild boar. Those were farmers who had lived off the mountains all their lives. Shu Wenming, a young man who grew up in a small town, could actually see traces of a wild boar. How could this be just good luck?
It’s simply a lucky star!
She couldn't help but wonder, could it be that the unlucky Shu Wenming was actually a little lucky star...呸呸呸, a big lucky star. Having missed a big wild boar, Shu Wenming didn't seem that excited about catching a pheasant. He looked at the trail and said, "Let's come back next week. I don't believe we can't catch it."
How much meat is there in a chicken? How much meat is there in a wild boar? You can tell how regretful he is just by thinking with your toes.
"Okay, my second brother and I will come next week, and we will bring some tools." She once rescued a hunter's child, who taught her how to dig traps and set traps. This was a good opportunity for her to try and see if they worked.
Meat is so expensive nowadays. They can’t imagine how happy they would be if they could catch a wild boar.
Even Teacher Shu was amazed, "This is really a Feng Shui treasure land for our family."
They put some wild vegetables on the top of the basket to cover the apricots. The pheasant was too big and too active to be hidden, so Shu Wenming had to tie its feet up and tuck them under its armpits, just like the villagers who went to the city to sell chickens. The family took the bus home with their full harvest.
As soon as she entered the gate, Aunt Li saw so many baskets and asked if the store had cheap vegetables for sale. She thought the Shu family was really unkind, keeping such a good thing to themselves.
Shu Wenming was too lazy to pay attention to her. He picked up the chicken and went to the vegetable store. On the way, they agreed that they would take the chicken outside to see if anyone wanted to buy it. If they couldn't sell it, they would eat it at home. When thinking about things, the first reaction of poor people is not whether they taste good, but whether they can be sold and how much they cost.
There were so many apricots, about thirty or forty kilograms in total, that the Shu family couldn't eat them all, and there were still quite a few left even if they were made into dried apricots. Zhao Wanqiu delivered some to Aunt Zhao and Aunt Feng while it was still dark, and the next day she arranged for Jin Yue to deliver some to Yao Qingqing and Huang Mei as well.
But even so, there are still a lot left. Jin Yue suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen Uncle Xu for a long time, "I'll send some to the Xu family as well."
"Will this... make people think we are too eager?" Teacher Shu was still a little aloof.
"That's nothing. Director Xu and his wife sent us canned food and malted milk during the New Year." The Shu family couldn't get these things, but the Xu family had them.
"That's right, just send it away. Send more, and pick out the big yellow ones." Zhao Wanqiu immediately picked them out one by one, picking out a pile of three or four pounds and putting them in a cloth bag.
After get off work the next day, Jin Yue took the bus to Jinyu Hutong.
After knocking for a while, the door opened. The person standing behind the door was someone she had never seen before. She guessed it was the Xu family's new nanny. The three adults in the Xu family are all very busy and have no time to do any housework at all. Hiring a nanny can not only cook but also help with cleaning.
"Who are you looking for?" The nanny saw that the girl in front of her was fair and tender, but unfortunately she was dressed in ordinary clothes, so she didn't pay much attention to her.
"Is Uncle Xu home?" Zhang Zhen came out of the bathroom and was drying her hair just as he finished speaking. "Jin Yue is here. Come in and sit down."
"Thank you, Auntie. My mom asked me to come over and give you some apricots."
Zhang Zhen smiled brightly, "Oh, your uncle Xu likes to eat apricots. Come in."
The living room was still the same living room, and everything was still in its original place. The nanny made her a cup of honey water and brought out a basket of bright orange fruits.
"My friend brought this back from a business trip to southern Yunnan. Try it."
Jin Yue remembered that on the mobile phone, this thing was called "Mango", but they didn't have it here.
The nanny first peeled the fruit with a fruit knife, then cut it into small pieces and put it on a plate.
Zhang Zhen said, "Try it. I can't eat it, but your uncle Xu and the others like it."
Jin Yue really took a piece. How can I describe it? It was a very beautiful yellow color, soft in the mouth, very juicy, sweet, and had a unique aroma - "delicious."
Zhang Zhen was immediately happier, "If it tastes good, eat more."
Zhang Zhen and Xu Ping are also gentle and easy to talk to. Jin Yue couldn't help but think of another easy-to-talk-to person. It's been a long time since get off work, so he must have been working overtime again, right?
"I just got off the night shift today. Your Uncle Xu and Uncle Xu are probably working overtime again. They may not be home before dark. Siqi won't be back from school, so you can just talk to me for a while and we can have a quick bite to eat later, okay?" He turned around and arranged for the nanny to cook.
Jin Yue quickly declined, saying that her family was waiting for her to eat, so she went back first.
Zhang Zhen couldn't persuade her to stay, so she asked the nanny to pack a bag of mangoes for her and said, "Take it back for your family to try."
Just as Jin Yue left, the brothers Xu Ping and Xu Duan walked into the alley. They met at the entrance of the alley today. "Where did these apricots come from? They're quite sweet."
"You're back late. Jin Yue sent it. She just left."
Xu Duanzheng picked up an apricot and paused, "I have something to do. You don't have to wait for me to eat."
"His uncle is the same. There is no such thing as finishing work. It's already dark. Why not eat first?"
Xu Duan went out, thinking about the direction of Liuye Hutong. After leaving the alley, he turned left and crossed the road. Sure enough, he saw a thin figure in front of him, standing blankly on the public platform.
A bus came and she wanted to get on, but there were too many people and the bus was full. She followed the crowd to the door, but couldn't get on after struggling for a long time. As soon as the bus left, she stomped her feet in frustration.
He immediately laughed, "Su Jinyue."
Jin Yue didn't pay attention at first, but after he called her three times, she realized that someone seemed to be calling her full name, "Uncle Xu?"
"Are you off work? I was just about to go home. This is the mango Aunt Zhang gave me."
"I know." He took the cloth bag, weighed it, and thought it shouldn't be filled with so little. He remembered that his old comrade-in-arms had sent much more than this.
Then I thought that it was probably the nanny who put it in. It was impossible for my sister-in-law to put in only this much. "Do you like it?"
"What?" Jin Yue was feeling frustrated because he couldn't get on the bus and didn't understand what he said.
"Do you like mangoes?"
"like."
Xu Duan's mouth curled up, "Wait for me."
Jin Yue didn't know what he was going to do, but the next bus would take at least half an hour, "Okay."
He hurried home and put all the remaining mangoes directly into the bag, then went to the kitchen to get his morning milk, which he always forgot to drink, heated it up, and went to the bus stop, where she was still waiting.
First, he stuffed the hot milk into her hands and said, "Come up, I'll take you there."
"It's too late. You've worked overtime and it's hard. I won't bother you..."
Xu Duan didn't say anything, just looked at her quietly, which made her unable to continue her polite words and she sat in his back seat dejectedly.
The milk in her hand was warm, and it felt warm in her stomach when she drank it. She sighed with contentment. There were many mangoes in the car pocket. Jin Yue suddenly came to her senses and realized that she couldn't accept his things with peace of mind.
"Uncle Xu, don't give me anything anymore."
"Did anyone say anything?" Xu Duan turned around and asked in a calm tone.
"No one said anything, it's just... these things are quite valuable, I shouldn't have accepted them."
Xu Duan looked into her eyes quietly. "Brother Limin is just like my biological brother. Don't say that. Logically, if we had found you earlier, we shouldn't have let you go to the countryside. The suffering you endured was caused by our failure to try our best."
"Originally we should have found a way to fix your problem, but Comrade Su Jinyue is so capable that he solved it himself. Your family treats you like a junior, so just give us this chance."
Having said that, there is no need to go into details. "How have you been lately? Is work going well?" Xu Duan rode neither fast nor slow, keeping a steady pace in the traffic, but did not look back at her.
"Not bad, how about you?"
The man nodded, without saying anything about himself, "What about that student?"
Shu Jinyue was puzzled. "What student? Oh, you mean Qin Haiyang, how do you know he is a student?"
Xu Duan's car was still moving at a steady speed. "I guessed it."
"He's so amazing, guess what he did before, you definitely won't guess."
Xu Duan stopped talking and turned to talk about his own affairs. "I was on a business trip recently and went to Beijing. I just got off the train last night and have some work to hand over today."
This explained why he hadn't been around for a while, and why he hadn't been home with her tonight.
"Where did the apricot come from?"
Speaking of this, Jin Yue suddenly became excited and told him about their hunting yesterday and their fruitful harvest. The second brother was really good and sold the pheasant with his eloquence for four dollars, enough to buy several kilograms of meat.
"If we talk about weight, it's less than a pound of meat. It's more cost-effective to buy the meat. I heard that I met someone who likes to raise these. People think it looks good, and the feathers on the tail are particularly bright."
"Do you like apricots?"
"good."
"What does it mean, like it or not?"
Even without turning around, Xu Duan could imagine that she must be pouting at this moment. He smiled helplessly, "It's a bit sour."
"So you don't like it? Do you like sweet food? Then when the dried apricots are ready, I'll send you some."
"good."
The two of them chatted with each other until they returned to Liuye Hutong. Xu Duan stopped the car and said, "Go in quickly. I'll watch here."
Jin Yue thought of his self-righteous "elegance" last time, and couldn't help but chuckle, "Do you just like to laugh at me?"
Xu Duan didn't seem to know how to answer this unreasonable question, "You know, that's not what I meant."
"Okay, I'm going in then. Do you have anything you want to say to me?"
Xu Duan thought for a moment and said, "Be careful and don't go out after dark."
Shu Jinyue: “…” What’s wrong with this guy? He always tells her not to go out after dark and to be careful when it’s dark. Is darkness so scary? This is a provincial capital city, not the snowy night in the production team before.
Thinking of that snowy night, her expression darkened and she felt that familiar itchy feeling on her toes again.
Xu Duan's height makes it easy to see the top of her head. Ever since she cut her hair short, her hair seems to have really improved. It is not as yellow as before, and the hair loss is not as serious as before.
"Do you really want that wild boar?"
"Of course. I've already thought of eighteen ways to eat pork."
Xu Duan raised the corner of his mouth, "Then I'll go with you guys next Sunday."
"Can you hunt?" Jin Yue's eyes lit up. She would not be stingy when faced with a big enough benefit. "If you can help us catch it, I will give you one third of the meat."
Xu Duan looked at her and smiled again, as if he couldn't do anything to her. "Okay, go in quickly."
Jin Yue was contentedly carrying a whole bag of mangoes and ran a few steps happily. When she turned around, she saw he was still there, waving at her like last time, and she felt even better.
I walked all the way to the gate and he was still there.
Jin Yue put down the mango and made a small trumpet with his hands, "Goodbye!"
"Who is Jin Yue saying goodbye to? Come in quickly. Your elder brother and sister-in-law have been here for a long time, waiting for you." Zhao Wanqiu poked her head out to see that there was no one outside the door. She didn't know who her daughter was talking to.
However, none of this matters. There is something important going on right now. She grabbed her daughter and said, "Wait a minute. Let me talk to you first."
"I don't know where your sister-in-law heard that you can treat illnesses, so she came here today and asked you to see them."
Jin Yue was suddenly overwhelmed. What his elder brother and sister-in-law suffered from was not some strange disease. Instead, they were infertile!
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