Chapter 26 Community Mutual Aid Day Activities
The next morning, Xiao Peng arrived at the Laogang Wharf. He changed out of his shirt, leather shoes, and watch and put on a T-shirt, jeans, and river trekking shoes, just like he used to dress when he was a seabed garbage cleaner.
"Xiao, you're here!" Mrs. Derrida extended her hand to greet him.
Xiao Peng nodded and said, "Even if it rains knives from the sky today, I will come!"
Mrs. Derrida laughed and said, "If that were the case, I wouldn't go out. You young people really have the courage!"
Xiao Peng blinked. This old lady was still as interesting as ever.
"Where is Mr. Derrida?" Xiao Peng asked.
Mrs. Derrida laughed and said, "He's gone to drive! Come and help! You wouldn't let an old lady carry so many things, would you?"
"Of course not!" Xiao Peng jumped onto the boat. There were boxes of all sizes, folding tables and chairs and other items. Xiao Peng moved them all down. After he finished moving these, a Renault Twingo microcar drove over.
This car is about the same size and shape as the Chery QQ in China. It is one of the most common cars in France.
The French do not have the habit of buying luxury cars. It is not that they have no money, but that they are inconvenient to use. Many cities here are ancient, so the roads are narrow and parking is inconvenient.
The most common types of hatchbacks on the streets of France are various types of small cars.
The car had a small space but there was a luggage rack on the roof. Xiao Peng and Mr. Derrida put all the luggage on the roof and secured it.
Xiao Peng wanted to move it himself, but Mr. Derrida rejected his kindness and even seemed a little angry as he pushed Xiao Peng aside and did all the work himself!
What is this? An old man reminiscing about his youthful madness?
After putting their luggage away, Mr. Derrida drove them to Rue La Paigne, where Miao Pei called Xiao Peng that night.
The car drove into a yard and stopped, where several people were already waiting for them.
Seeing Mrs. Derrida get out of the car, a middle-aged woman in her forties wearing a formal suit came up to her and said, "Dr. Derrida, I'm sorry to bother you again! I have to trouble you to come here every month."
Mrs. Derrida smiled and said, “That’s what I should do.”
"Xiao, nice to see you again!" the woman greeted Xiao Peng.
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "Hello, District Mayor Bayard. I'm just Mrs. Derrida's assistant."
"Just call me Olivia," the woman in the dress said, "You're really more than just an assistant."
"You guys chat first, I'll go help Mr. Derrida move things!" Xiao Peng gestured for the two to chat first, and he went to help move the things out of the car.
The woman in the suit is called Olivia Bayard. From the way Xiao Peng addressed her, he knew that she was the district chief here.
But don't be scared by the name.
Marseilles might be small; standing on a hill, you can see the entire city. But it's also huge, encompassing many nearby towns. The Marseille region comprises sixteen administrative districts, which are further divided into 111 communes. These sixteen administrative districts are further divided into eight "departments," each of which elects its own councillors to the city council. There are 303 councillors alone, plus officials from each commune and administrative district, and each district has its own departmental officials.
To put it simply: there are as many officials here as dogs!
Although Mrs. Derrida is just an ordinary old lady living on a boat now, she has a complicated background. She used to be the best gynecologist in the University Hospital of Tübingen, Germany. She came to France for love and started her life on the boat with Mr. Derrida.
It seems a bit of a pity that she gave up the generous salary and future, but looking at the life of the couple, I have to say that they are very happy.
All I can say is that people’s pursuits are different.
Mrs. Derrida now comes to La Paigne every month for a free clinic, helping the prostitutes there with their health checks. This is why the prostitutes at La Paigne all greeted Xiao Peng when they saw him that night: Xiao Peng is a popular guy here and they flirt with him a lot.
Mrs. Derrida hired Xiao Peng as her assistant, not just to help with loading and unloading. Xiao Peng's grandfather was a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and Xiao Peng grew up with him, learning Chinese medicine from a young age. While he wasn't a miracle healer, he was no problem treating basic ailments with acupuncture, massage, and the like.
He originally came to France not to be a diver but to practice Chinese medicine. He failed as a Chinese medicine practitioner and became a diver by chance.
France can sometimes be a very difficult country to understand.
France was one of the first countries in the world to embrace Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM has been firmly established in France since the 1930s, and acupuncture has been a legal treatment in France since 1956. French medical schools have even offered specialized acupuncture diplomas for decades. TCM clinics are now common in France, and many practitioners are native French doctors. This is in stark contrast to other countries, which prefer to hire Chinese TCM practitioners.
Why is France so difficult to understand? While acupuncture is extremely tolerant in France, with even non-physician practitioners rarely penalized, the control over traditional Chinese medicine is exceptionally strict. Many practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine in France must order their medicine by mail from countries like the Netherlands and Belgium.
There is one big difference between Chinese medicine here and in China: the Chinese medicine clinics here are concentrated in cities and wealthy areas.
The cost of seeing a Chinese medicine practitioner in France is quite high! Furthermore, most social insurance plans don't cover it. Here, Chinese medicine is considered a "luxury," a medical treatment only available to the wealthy.
When Xiao Peng first arrived, he couldn't get an acupuncture license because his French wasn't good enough, so he became a diver. It was also through this that he met Mrs. Derrida. When the old lady learned that Xiao Peng could perform acupuncture and massage, she was amazed and brought him to participate in community volunteer activities. Xiao Peng never turned down such activities; it was a quick way to integrate into the community.
I swear to God, he really didn't do this to help Ms. J get some free medical treatment so that he could take advantage of her. He was the one who was being taken advantage of here, okay?
After I packed up all my things, no one came. Those J girls wouldn't get up so early.
Olivia led Xiao Peng and the others to a nearby room to rest. This was a pre-prepared clinic. Under Mrs. Derrida's direction, Xiao Peng set up the portable diagnostic equipment and then went to the coffee machine to make a cup of coffee to refresh himself. Besides coffee, there were also desserts provided by other volunteers.
When Ms. J comes here, she can have free desserts, drink coffee and get a free physical examination. It’s so pleasant.
Xiao Peng was drinking coffee and discussing fishing experiences with Mr. Derrida when Olivia came over. "Xiao, do you have a moment now? I want to talk to you about something!"
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