Chapter 83: Capable Kids
During lunch, Lin Shu went to the cafeteria to get food. When she came back, she found that Tiantian and Panpan had already sent tea eggs to the head nurse and the nurses. In a short time, the head nurse and the nurses all knew them.
They also came to the ward to care for them.
When her second sister was hospitalized, Lin Shu bought a Class A ward with only two beds, and she paid for it.
As long as the hospital beds are not tight, most people live in a large room with four or five or three or four beds.
The head nurse was particularly nice to them. After all, who doesn't like patients and families who are rich, beautiful, and sensible?
In the afternoon, Lin Xia had surgery, and Lin Shu went to wait outside the ward. She originally wanted to bring the two kids over, but they said they wanted to chat with the nurses at the nurses' station, so Lin Shu didn't force them.
Anyway, they are sensible and don't run around. They are familiar with the nurses and others don't dare to approach them casually.
When Lin Shu and her second sister came back from the operation, they found that the two kids had already brought back dinner!
Big white steamed buns, cabbage stewed with vermicelli and big slices of meat!
In addition, there are three small pickled vegetables, pickled cucumber, mustard greens, and half a salted duck egg.
Lin Shu: "Why don't I see any small pickled vegetables when I serve lunch?"
Tiantian: "We told the chef that my mother can make pickled cucumber, and we don't know if they have it. The chef said yes, and let us taste whether his or my mother's is better, so we ordered some to try."
The salted duck eggs and other things were also prepared in the same way.
Lin Shu: "..."
You two are awesome.
Tiantian was not originally a village leader, but with Panpan, a village leader, she became a leader even without being a village leader.
Lin Xia had undergone surgery, and the anesthetic had not worn off yet. She felt the pain, but she couldn't help laughing when she heard it.
Lin Shu hurriedly helped her lie down, "Second sister, don't laugh, it hurts."
Lin Shu remembered again, "That's not right, the money is all with me, how can you two afford to buy food?"
Panpan took out the money she earned from selling tea leaves and eggs, handed it over, and was a little greedy, "Mom, the eggs are made from your tea leaves and the ingredients are from Second Aunt, we also made a part of it, so can we also share the money?"
Lin Xia: "Ha...ah——"
Lin Shu: "Second sister, you have to be careful."
She called the two children outside to ask, so as not to make Second Sister laugh.
Panpan said that because he distributed tea eggs to the nurses, the fragrance attracted an uncle cadre, and the uncle bought all 12.
Lin Shu: "..."
Oh my God, I was prepared to live off my parents-in-law for the first half of my life, at least after the two children are 25 years old, then live off the children. What's the matter? Are you afraid that your old mother will be tired, so you have to support the family now?
Lin Shu was really moved. It was really... a treasure.
God treated her well!
Just for these two children, Lu Shaotang, you have done a great deed!
Lin Shu asked Tiantian to look after her second aunt, and she asked Panpan to take her to see the man.
Who is so generous?
She also knew that no matter what era, there are people whose consumption level far exceeds that of ordinary people.
Take this era for example, many rural members cannot even get enough coarse grains, and a family can have a very good life if they can eat 70% full.
They can never imagine that there are people who can eat steamed buns every day.
Rural people can't eat meat more than twice a year, and they can only think of a few eggs as a good life. They can't imagine that there are people who can eat meat and eggs every day, or even drink milk.
This consumption level is a cliff-like leap.
It's not just a matter of money, but also resources.
Panpan led her to the door of the man's ward. Before she reached the door, she heard someone inside say, "It's just a loan of tens of thousands of yuan, what are you afraid of? Can't you just go to another credit union and borrow a few thousand to make up for it?"
Lin Shu immediately grabbed Panpan, shook her head silently, and then led him away.
It was 1971. Those who could talk about loans were not ordinary people. The words of the man in the room were not good people.
Ten thousand yuan is nothing?
A worker's salary is only thirty yuan. Ten thousand yuan is nothing
to you? She even suspected that the man in the room was related to Accountant Zhuo.
Panpan naturally didn't understand these things, and didn't know what was going on. "Mom?"
Lin Shu: "I suddenly feel that there is nothing to see."
Panpan thought that the hospital sold tea leaf eggs quite quickly. "Mom, let's make all eggs into tea leaf eggs later."
The hospital is a good place to sell tea leaf eggs.
Lin Shu smiled and said, "We brought them for Second Aunt to eat."
Pan Pan: "Then let's give Second Aunt some money, and ask grandma to send another basket of eggs. We don't have enough at home, but Hua Hua Hu Zi and the others have them, so it's quick to get a basket."
Anyway, Second Aunt will never be short of eggs.
Lin Shu touched his head, "You are still young, and you haven't even started school yet, just be happy every day, don't dad and grandma take care of the money-making?"
Children just need to eat, drink and have fun, you are so sensible and well-behaved, you don't need to do adult things.
Pan Pan chuckled, "But mom, making money is really fun."
Every penny counts, and it's so fun to collect money!
He felt his heart was beating.
Lin Shu: "Then... let's buy another pot."
Panpan jumped up happily, "Great!"
The second sister hadn't passed the gas yet, so she couldn't eat.
Lin Shu went to the hospital cafeteria to ask the chef to borrow a stove to cook a small pot of millet for the second sister to eat after the gas was passed.
Lin Xia was in good spirits. Although the operation was painful, she thought that she could have a baby after her body recovered, and she would have cute babies like Tiantian and Panpan, so she felt that all the hardship was worth it.
She was able to walk the next day.
Doctor Zhao said that she had recovered very well and could be discharged from the hospital to go home and recuperate in three days.
Lin Shu felt that she had to stay in the hospital for at least three days, and it would be best to stay for four or five days. It would be convenient to have an IV drip here, and if there was any problem, the doctor could solve it in time.
There were still some tea leaf eggs at home. It was not easy for them to go bad in the cool weather, but the ones brought were sold by Panpan. Lin Shu went home in the evening to bring some more.
The second sister's aluminum pot was big and was used to steam buns. They cooked more than 60 tea leaf eggs in the first pot.
Apart from the ones eaten and given away, there were nearly 30 eggs. Lin Shu brought them all.
Whether to share with nurses or sell to other patients, that was fine.
Although I didn't want Panpan to make money so early, it was still okay for her to make some.
The fragrance of the 30 tea leaf eggs was overbearing and aggressive.
Soon it spread throughout the inpatient department.
With the help of Tianbaoer and Panzier, the 30 tea leaf eggs were also sold.
Selling nutritional products in the hospital is indeed easier than selling them in other places. If there are children or elderly people in the hospital, no matter how hard the family is, they will buy some delicious food to comfort them. And if there are cadres who are not short of money, it is even more so.
The two children always remember what their grandma said, that if there is no shortage of food, we should pity the poor and the weak. So when they see people wearing patched clothes, they sell them for 10 cents each, and if they see people with four pockets, they sell them for 15 cents each.
Doctors Shen and Zhao knew about it, and they couldn't help but sigh that these two children are naturally smart and rare.
On the evening of the fourth day, Lin Shu handled the discharge procedures for her second sister.
They took a tricycle home.
As soon as they went upstairs, Tong Ailian opened the door and came out, "Oh, you are back. Auntie came before and couldn't open the door. She was so angry that she kept pounding on the door. Didn't she go to the hospital to find you?"
Lin Xia was startled and suddenly realized that Lin Shu changed the lock.
Lin Shu said lightly: "Oh, really? I am not familiar with this lock. I accidentally broke the key inside before, so I changed it."
Tong Ailian: "It happens often. I have broken several keys."
She was concerned about Lin Xia again, "Did your operation go smoothly?"
Lin Xia: "Thank you for your concern. It went smoothly."
Tong Ailian sent over a few eggs and a handful of noodles. When other neighbors knew that Lin Xia was discharged from the hospital, they also came over to send some gifts to show their appreciation.
Old Lady Jiang wanted to bring her eldest son over, but Jiang Weidong refused, so she had to come by herself, bringing a pound of brown sugar and a pound of peach cakes.
After everyone left, Lin Shu boiled the water, and used warm water to wash Lin Xia, and then gave the two children a bath before going to bed.
Tong Ailian took the initiative to come over to help, and told Lin Xia about the things in the factory.
Tong Ailian and Lin Xia were originally rivals in love. Tong Ailian fell in love with Qian Lisheng and wanted to marry him, but it happened that Grandma Lin took Lin Xia to the city to meet Qian's mother. Lin
Xia was tall and looked dignified and Qian Lisheng fell in love with her at first sight before Qian's mother said anything.
Tong Ailian was so angry that she made a scene at Qian Lisheng and Lin Xia's wedding. Later, she married a forger from the same factory and lived next door to Lin Xia's house.
At first, she was jealous of Lin Xia. She would always compare herself with Lin Xia in food, clothing and daily necessities to feel superior. She would gossip about Lin Xia whenever she could and pull other female comrades to isolate Lin Xia.
But Lin Xia would never stand up to her. If she was irritated, Lin Xia would confront her directly and not give her any face.
The two of them had been awkward for two years. Tong Ailian saw that Lin Xia was hardworking and capable, and she was also generous and kind. Especially when Lin Xia passed the electrician exam, which was difficult for men, she felt embarrassed to bully Lin Xia and found a chance to apologize.
Lin Xia was busy living her own life, so how could she have the time to be idle with others?
Besides, she has a younger sister who is always sulking, so she has developed the habit of not getting angry with people easily since she was a child.
They met each other in the same factory, and the leader came forward to mediate, so she naturally didn't care.
The two families interacted normally.
However, Tong Ailian was still jealous and compared with others. It was just that except for Lin Xia's childlessness, she couldn't compare with Lin Xia in other aspects, so she was very concerned about whether Lin Xia could have children.
Recently, because her eldest brother and Qian Lisheng were competing for the deputy director, Tong's mother said a lot of sarcastic words, but Tong Ailian didn't care whether Qian Lisheng or her eldest brother took the position.
She was just concerned about whether Lin Xia could really have children.
Lin Shu sent her away with a few perfunctory words.
Although Lin Xia was discharged from the hospital, it would take another seven or eight days for the wound to fully recover.
Qian Lisheng was not at home, and Lin Shu was worried even if Qian's mother came over, so it was better for her to take care of the children herself.
So she took the two children to stay at her second sister's house for a few more days.
Anyway, she brought the food coupons.
The next morning, Jiang Weidong and Lin Xia's direct team leader came to express their condolences.
After putting down the nutritional supplements and saying a few caring words, Jiang Weidong quickly said goodbye.
He had a good impression of Lin Xia, a hardworking, motivated and unyielding woman, but her husband...
Jiang Weidong was also quite conflicted. He shouldn't interfere in the private affairs of other couples, but he didn't know that once he knew, he would be affected.
Especially when he saw Lin Xia actively receiving treatment and full of hope for the future, and compared it with Qian Lisheng's passive avoidance, Jiang Weidong felt guilty.
The sense of justice he developed as a soldier made him feel guilty that he had done something wrong even though he had not done anything wrong.
He decided to find an opportunity to talk to Qian Lisheng. A man should be sincere and responsible, and he should take the initiative to confess to his wife.
After Jiang Weidong returned home, Old Lady Jiang pestered him and asked, "How is the daughter-in-law?" Jiang Weidong:
"She's fine. The operation went smoothly."
Old Lady Jiang: "I was talking about her sister."
Jiang Weidong: "She's fine. She's virtuous and she's especially good at raising children."
Old Lady Jiang: "Right? She's the one I like, how could she be any different? How about I give you some advice?"
Jiang Weidong was so scared that he waved his hands quickly, "Mom, don't make a fuss. She's a military wife and her husband just died."
Old Lady Jiang clasped her hands together and bowed, "The deceased husband must have hoped that someone would take care of his wife and children. It's impossible for a young person to be a widow all her life, right? What, do you look down on remarried women?"
Jiang Weidong hurriedly said no, he was afraid of his mother and didn't know how to tell her, so he quickly made the excuse of a meeting and went out.
Old Lady Jiang got to know the two sisters, just like good neighbors, and they moved around very naturally, sitting and chatting whenever they wanted.
Mainly to see how things were going, she found that Lin Shu was not sad at all, and she did not have the kind of grief that comes from the death of her husband.
Then maybe... she is willing to remarry?
Qizhou, the provincial capital.
The signalman took off his radio headset and said to Lu Shaotang: "Captain, the snake catching operation is over. The chief said he would give you three days off and let you go home..."
Lu Shaotang: "What did you say? Three days?"
He wanted three months!
What three days!
He couldn't stand hearing three days the most now.
Although his voice was normal, his momentum suddenly became strong, and the sense of oppression made the signalman not know what to say.
Chen Yanming came over and said to the signalman: "Send a telegram to the chief and say that the Army will have a three-month vacation. No, it will be until February next year, and go home for the New Year. It's just right to combine the vacations of these years."
The signalman looked at him embarrassedly. Captain Chen, will you just forgive me? Do you think I have the courage to mention this to the chief?
Even if the Army slams the table himself, I'm afraid he won't get a five-month vacation, right?
Lu Shaotang reached out to the signalman.
Signalman: "?"
Chen Yanming took the transmitter headset and put it on Lu Shaotang himself, helping him sit down, "Signalman Lu Shaotang is the newest on duty, contacting the commander now."
Signalman: "???"
Are you kidding? Lu can send a message?
Lu Shaotang's slender and powerful fingers grasped the keyboard, and he started sending messages without any hesitation or pause.
The sound of dripping continued to be transmitted through the radio and antenna.
After catching the last radio station in Qizhou, the mission of stalking traitors that started in the southwest has been completed, and he can now go home with a public identity.
Only three days, no, too little.
He personally slammed the table and asked for a vacation from the chief. He must be given enough vacation to accompany his wife and children, otherwise his wife would be very angry. Moreover, he has not seen his son yet, and his son does not even know him.
Soon the chief's approval came. There was a new mission, requiring the special forces to cooperate with the public security in Qizhou and other places. The mission is to be announced.
This means that Lu Shaotang can go home and the team members can take turns to take vacation.
Lu Shaotang: "?"
Does this mean that the mission can be carried out while on vacation, or can you go home when carrying out the mission?
But being able to go home is certainly a good thing.
Before the first mission is announced, Lu Shaotang has three days of vacation.
Chen Yanming was more excited than him, "Old Lu, let's go to your house for dinner."
Lu Shaotang: "..."
Is the food at my house so delicious?
There are more than a hundred eggs at home, and Lin Shu boiled seventy more tea leaf eggs.
The main reason is that the soup is still there and cannot be wasted, so just add some more ingredients and continue to boil.
Panpan and Tiantian have already decided to take the soup away when they leave, and boil tea leaf eggs at home.
Grandpa said that good soup can be boiled for a hundred years.
Lin Shu wants to eat this pot of tea leaf eggs at home, and also socialize with the neighbors, not a cent a piece is a loss.
Panpan is a little unhappy, he thinks that boiled eggs are fine at one cent each, but the world's most delicious tea leaf eggs made by his mother cost 1.5 cents each.
Lin Shu persuaded him, "Look, many children in the courtyard can't eat tea leaf eggs, and they are crying. It's so pitiful."
Tiantian: "One cent a piece is fine, we won't lose, just think of it as a good relationship with my second aunt."
Good relationship is a word she just learned.
Panpan agreed to sell half of it.
So the children in the courtyard of the steel mill can finally spend one cent to buy a tea leaf egg and enjoy it.
Some parents would be calculating and want to take advantage of others, so they would let their children bring an egg to exchange for a tea leaf egg, saying, "You still have food, so just continue to soak. We won't lose out if we exchange eggs for you."
Lin Shu didn't care about this. Generally, if the family is really nervous and greedy, it's understandable to exchange one, but if you just want to take advantage and want to exchange again, then it's impossible.
Just exchange one.
Are you unhappy?
Don't worry, it's a good opportunity to see what kind of person you are.
In the past few days, Lin Shu has also gotten to know the interpersonal relationships in the second sister's factory. Some women are very kind and have a good relationship with the second sister, and some mean ones are jealous that the second sister, a country girl, married Qian Lisheng and took advantage of them and robbed them of the good opportunity of getting married and working.
For example, Tong's mother.
This is very funny.
The two kids have become famous in the family compound these days.
Although they came from the countryside, they are whiter, more handsome, more sensible, and their clothes are more exquisitely made than other children. Moreover, Tiantian can read and tell stories, and Panpan is eloquent.
This is how other people's children are in the eyes of the elderly.
Especially Mrs. Jiang is very rare. She praises them whenever she sees them and praises them even when she doesn't see them. She praises them to the fullest.
Compared with them, those naughty and trouble-making children in the family compound are really easy to throw away.
For example, Tong Xiaojun from the Tong family.
Tong Xiaojun is the youngest son of Tong Guoqiang. Relying on his uncle's ability to fight, he always threatens other children to play with him and listen to him, otherwise he will let his uncle beat them.
His uncle used to be a gangster. It was said that he was invincible in the steel mill. Parents of the children were jealous of him.
Tong Xiaojun was jealous of Tiantian and Panpan's popularity and ordered the children not to play with them.
One child was not afraid of Tong Xiaojun and came to show his friendship and play with them.
The two children were moved by his friendship and took the initiative to share their tea leaf eggs with him. As a result, the child finished the tea leaf eggs and ran to flatter Tong Xiaojun!
Tong Xiaojun led a group of five or six-year-old children to laugh at them.
The two children: "???"
Hey, cunning little kids!
Tiantian and Panpan never play with them again!
They decided to concentrate on finding their father.
Tiantian: "Dad looked for Mom at the tractor factory last time, right?"
Panpan: "I remember grandma said it was in the hotel near the hospital?"
The two kids discussed it and realized that mom had seen dad three times!
The first time she told grandma but not them.
The second time she told them.
The third time dad came home but didn't call them.
Oh, dad is partial.
The two kids continued to discuss, "Let's go out and look for him. Maybe we can run into him?"
"Dad and grandpa look exactly alike. We can recognize them at first sight."
"Dad came home and kissed us. He knows us too. He will recognize us when he sees us."
"Yeah. Let's go."
They went home and packed a lunch box of tea eggs, planning to go out and try their luck.
Lin Shu looked at them and called out, "Who are you going to sell so many tea leaf eggs to?"
Pan Pan: "Go to the security guard and try. Maybe there are many people buying them at the gate."
Lin Shu smiled and said, "Don't sell them. You two will feel bad if they sell them at 10 cents each. 15 cents each is not easy to sell."
15 cents each is really expensive. This is a factory area and most people are reluctant to buy it.
The two boys said they wanted to try it, so Lin Shu didn't stop them and told them not to walk around at the security guard.
The two boys arrived at the gate. It was the afternoon working hours and there were not many people on the road.
Just like at the hospital gate, they found a sunny place to sit and sell tea leaf eggs while watching the men coming and going.
In the past few days, they have been looking at people at the entrance of the hospital, hoping to run into Lu Shaotang by chance, but unfortunately they didn't run into him, and they didn't see anyone who looked like Grandpa.
They ran to the intersection and sat on a big rock. There were many people here, and they could see far away. They
sat there for a long time but didn't see a man who looked like Grandpa and Dad, but they did sell two tea eggs.
An old man led two little boys, and the children smelled the fragrance and were greedy, so the old man bought two.
Tiantian: "If we sit here, will we encounter kidnappers?"
Panpan: "Look, there is a traffic police uncle at the intersection over there."
The inspection in the city is very strict. They even checked the introduction letter on the way into the city by bus.
The security guard also said that strangers who come here to hang around will be questioned in a while.
It is still very safe.
They wanted to try their luck at the tractor factory, but they didn't dare to run around, fearing that their mother would be anxious and angry if she couldn't find them.
A passerby who was not busy saw the two beautiful children sitting on a big rock by the roadside, and came over curiously to ask.
Hearing that the tea leaf eggs were 1.5 cents each, they all said it was expensive and asked them to pay 1 cent each.
The children refused.
Some people teased them for a while and then left, and some people who had nothing to do teased them.
"Children, where are your parents?"
Panpan: "We don't call them parents, we call them mom and dad."
The passerby laughed and continued to tease them, "You two are from the countryside? Where do your parents work?"
Tiantian: "My mother works in the countryside, and my father works... in the city."
They didn't know where the troops came from, maybe in the city.
Passerby: "Oh, half-household, that's hard, there are brothers and sisters at home?"
The two kids didn't know what half-household meant, and they asked about it. It turned out that a city resident eats commercial grain, and a rural resident cannot eat commercial grain.
They thought about it and nodded.
Passersby: "Poor you, you won't be full. I'll support you if you give me 1 cent each."
Pan's son: "No sale! 1.5 cents each, no cheating!"
The passerby laughed.
As he was talking, a tall and long-legged uncle strode over. Although he was not wearing a military uniform, his back was straight and he was so tall. He looked like a PLA uncle.
Tiantian's eyes lit up and she grabbed Panpan's sleeve, "Look, does he look like grandpa? Does he look like Xiao Baiyang?"
She immediately took out a photo of Lu Shaotang and compared them.
Panpan turned her head and looked over. Just looking at the tall figure, they really looked alike!
Their dad was so straight and tall in the photo, just like Xiao Baiyang!
As the man was about to pass by, Tiantian stood up, waved and shouted: "Uncle, uncle, buy your son a tea leaf egg."