Chapter 106
In September 1960, the Party Central Committee issued the "Instructions on Eliminating the Four Pests and Talking about Hygiene", calling on the revolutionary masses across the country to complete the task of eliminating flies, mosquitoes, rats, and sparrows within 10 years or less.
This is the massive campaign to eliminate the four pests mentioned in later generations.
As soon as the instructions to eliminate the four pests were issued, Yunshui County launched a vigorous campaign to eliminate the four pests.
Among the four pests, the one that most disgusted the rural people was the rats, which had a strong reproductive capacity and would steal food during the grain harvest season. People were not getting enough to eat these days, so how could rats steal food?
Of the four pests, rats and sparrows are the easiest to catch. Although sparrows are small, they can be roasted and eaten. Rats are the most annoying. There are usually many rats in the compound. Old Gu's family is fine because Lin Yao is most afraid of rats. Deputy Director Gu puts mousetraps in the corridor, kitchen corners, and yards where rats often appear.
Rats are hated by everyone in Old Gu's family, and with Dahei and Erhei around, they are afraid of being beaten and dare not easily poke their heads out.
The family of the wealthy lady next door was in trouble. The peanuts, sweet potatoes, and bacon hung on the beams in her small pot all fell into the clutches of the mice. The peanuts were gnawed to the point of leaving only peanut skins all over the floor, the sweet potatoes were eaten half, and the bacon reserved for the New Year was gnawed here and there. The wealthy lady was heartbroken.
The wealthy uncle was furious and turned into a roaring emperor. He chased and scolded the mice with a broom. The neighbors who were basking in the sun at the entrance of the alley wondered what had happened to his family. When they ran over to take a look, they found out that a group of primary school students were carrying slingshots and brooms, lining up every day to catch mice and sparrows in the fields outside the city.
Dongzi, a naughty boy, pestered Gu Mancang and asked his father to cut a thin bamboo pole and put a net bag on it to catch mice.
A group of young guys dug mice holes, filled them with water, and used wire sticks to stab mice hiding in the cracks of the wall. In the evening, they came back with a bag of mouse tails to report to the teacher. This was much more fun than going to school.
Every morning when Gu Doudou was sleeping soundly in the house, his uncle had already put on a smaller military uniform and a small military cap, waiting for the Children's Corps at the door of the house.
The children of the Children's Corps saluted Gu Shidong crookedly, "Reporting to the squadron leader, the children's corps members report in!"
"Well, the comrades have a very spirited revolutionary look!"
Gu Shidong also returned the salute seriously, picked up the whistle hanging around his neck and blew it, and gave orders to the children.
"At ease, stand at attention! The children's corps is going! The target is the farmland in the suburbs!"
A group of little guys sang the national anthem and went to the suburbs happily.
*
The weather gradually became cooler in early September. Yesterday, Lin Yao washed the mosquito net in the house and hung it in the yard.
Recently, the Public Security Bureau has been less busy. Deputy Director Gu got up and went out of the house at 7:30 in the morning.
The county militia company started training at 8:30. Gu Shian washed his hands, rolled up his sleeves and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
At Gu's house, whoever gets up early always cooks breakfast.
Lin Yao likes to stay in bed all the time, so most of the time, it's either Zhang Cuilan or Deputy Director Gu who cooks.
Gu Shi'an is a grown man, and the food he cooks is just so-so. He doesn't need to cook or stew dishes. But he is quite good at making porridge and steamed buns on the sieve. We just made a basket of three-fresh buns at home last night, and they are just right for breakfast.
Gu Doudou always had a bowl of steamed eggs with shrimps every morning. The little fat boy was very picky at a young age. He had to use his own special white porcelain bowl for steamed egg custard. He could not add salt or vinegar to the eggs. He could only add sesame oil, and only three drops. More or less would not do. The little fat boy would taste it and cry.
Deputy Director Gu, who was so majestic outside, had to be hit by Comrade Cuilan's rolling pin.
"........"
Gu Shi'an stuffed a few pieces of firewood into the stove, washed his hands, and went back to the house.
Lin Yao was still sleeping soundly in the house. She was not honest in her sleep, with her long white legs pressed on the quilt. When someone came to call her to get up, she angrily let them go.
The old clock in the room was almost eight o'clock, and Gu Shian could only hold Lin Yao in his arms and coax her softly.
"Yaoyao, if you don't get up, you'll be late."
"Hmm."
Lin Yao closed her eyes, wrapped her snow-white arms around Gu Shian's neck, and then said "hmm" twice before nothing else. Anyway, today was the weekend, so she could just sleep in at home.
Deputy Director Gu smiled and said softly, "Today, the housing allocated by our Public Security Bureau has been delivered. Don't you really want to take a look?"
Lin Yao, who was drowsy from sleep, immediately opened her eyes, jumped out of Gu Shian's arms, and quickly put on a sweater on her head while chattering questions.
"Is it true that you're coming down so soon?"
"What kind of house can we get?"
"I heard that cadres can get a tube-shaped building? How about we not get a tube-shaped building, but a small courtyard house? A tube-shaped building with two rooms? How can we live there? A courtyard house is more convenient to live in. It doesn't need to be too big, just enough for the whole family to live in, with its own kitchen and toilet."
God knows that Lin Yao has lived in a large courtyard for several years. Every time he wants to go to the toilet at night, the toilets these days are dry toilets, dark and low brick toilets. Although people are sent to clean the streets every day, after a long time, there is still an inevitable
stench. Lin Yao was afraid of the dark at night. She didn't dare to go out alone in the dark, especially when Gu Shi'an was not at home. She went in alone with a flashlight, holding her breath...
Besides, living in a large compound, the neighbors were always visible. Living in a large compound, one could tell clearly what each family ate and drank just by smelling. Even turning on a small stove at home was a matter of fear.
Zheng Dacheng and his wife in the front yard quarreled every two days and every five days, which made people's heads buzz.
Speaking of which, when the county public security bureau was liberated, the house had already been divided up.
The house of Xu Xiangqian was divided at that time. The Xu family built two new bedrooms in the front, planted bougainvillea in the yard, built a grape rack, planted some vegetables by the yard wall, and dried clothes on the bamboo rack in front of the house. The house was spacious and comfortable to live in.
Lin Yao now really understood the saying circulating in the county, "I don't ask for lights and telephones on the upper floors, I just want a small courtyard with a private
door." If they could really get a small courtyard with a private house and a yard, even if it was only a dozen square meters, it would be good to have an independent kitchen and toilet.
Gu Shian naturally knew what Lin Yao was thinking. He brought a plate of hot three-fresh buns, a dish of mixed cucumber dripping with sesame oil, and two bowls of porridge. The couple sat down and ate and talked.
"Where are my parents? Why can't I see them?"
Lin Yao took a bite of the steamed bun with three fresh delicacies.
"I went to Guihua Hutong to see Chunmei."
Gu Shi'an picked up a piece of mixed cucumber and passed it over. Lin Yao ate it in one gulp and sighed. Gu Chunmei was pregnant with her second child. This time, she was less than three months pregnant and couldn't sit very steadily. I don't know if it was because her body was not well taken care of or what. When she was working at the supply and marketing cooperative, she actually had spotting. She was sent to the county health hospital. The doctor said it was caused by overwork and recommended that she stay in bed at home.
The leaders of the supply and marketing cooperative asked her to come back to rest, and she didn't need to worry about the female militia company anymore. The old couple was worried about their daughter going to see her.
Lin Yao swallowed the last bite of the steamed bun with three fresh delicacies. "After we look at houses today, let's go see Sister Chunmei."
Gu Shi'an nodded naturally. After the couple cleaned up the dishes, they held Gu Doudou who had just woken up, fed the little boy some egg custard, and the family of three pushed their bicycles out.
The house assigned to the Public Security Bureau is in the old city, next to the gate tower of Yunshui County. The old city is now full of quaint street shops, all of which are built of fine bricks, with red walls and black tiles. As soon as Gu Doudou arrived at the street in the old city, his big eyes were not enough, and he kept whimpering in his little mouth, "Mom, there are little birds on the eaves!"
Lin Yao smiled and explained to the little fat boy, "That's not a little bird. The raised eaves are called wing corners, because the corner rafters spread out like the wings of a flying bird, our ancestors gave it this name."
Gu Doudou nodded.
The family of three passed by the county cinema, and the loudspeaker at the door was playing the promotional song of "Tunnel Warfare". As soon as the exciting and moving melody came out, a group of kids on the street clenched their fists and sang along, but the song from the tone-deaf broken voice was really unpleasant.
Gu Doudou also opened his little voice to cry along, and Lin Yao couldn't stand it anymore, so he quickly stuffed the little fat boy into Gu Shijian's arms.
After the cinema, we arrived at the street with the state-owned hotel and the supply and marketing cooperative. There was a big sign hanging at the door of the state-owned hotel, which listed the dishes and food that could be eaten today. An old lady who had just finished her meal was muttering to herself, "White flour steamed buns are two cents each, sesame cakes are five cents each, and you need one or two grain coupons. It's expensive, really expensive. A plate of vegetable soup noodles costs twenty cents, and there's no meat. All my pocket money that I saved is used up on a meal in the city!"
Lin Yao couldn't help but sigh in her heart. No matter what era it is, the economic base determines the superstructure. In old-fashioned terms, everything costs money!
There are many alleys in Yunshui County. The family of three walked along the county's main road for more than a mile and turned into a quiet alley behind the county supply and marketing cooperative. At
the entrance of the alley was an extremely large sycamore tree, which fluttered and dropped some fallen leaves, adding a bit of autumn to this small alley.
"Mom, big tree!"
"Yes, big tree."
"The big tree is taller than Dad!"
Gu Doudou chattered, but Lin Yao was paying attention to the buildings in and outside the alley. If you walk out in front, you will find the bustling city, but if you walk into the alley, you can find a quiet place. Looking at the alley full of private houses and courtyards, you can tell at a glance that the families living around here are all well-off. They live in their own courtyards, and they don't have to worry about trivial matters in the future.
It was early in the morning, and most of the people in the alley were resting at home. The alley
was quiet, and a family of three stopped in front of a semi-new small courtyard. The paint-chipped courtyard gate was locked and covered with dust. It looked like no one had lived there for some time.
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