As the saying goes, a fierce sweep is as good as a tiger, but look at the result...
The folded paper was made according to the steps I saw and cut according to the steps I remembered. But after cutting it, when I unfolded the red paper, I saw something that was neither writing nor painting. Utter silence was the most realistic description of the situation.
Before Liu Yumin could explain, Zhu Jiabao spoke up: "What kind of lousy paper is this? It's substandard. Honey, let's not use it, let's use the good one."
After saying that, he took out another sheet and handed it to Liu Yumin. Liu Yumin took it, confidently folded and cut it again, and then unfolded it. It was another sheet with neither words nor drawings.
Zhu Jiabao said again, "The scissors must be broken, honey. Hold Fanfan while I go find you a new one."
Zhao Tiezhu and Miao Yang in the ward: ...They are sick, not blind.
Liu Yumin's competitive spirit was ignited. She refused to believe that she couldn't even handle a piece of paper, so she started to fight with the red paper, wasting several more sheets in the process.
Miao Yang couldn't stand it anymore: "Yu Min! I haven't done this in ages, let me cut a few!"
Paper is a resource, and it's precious. Don't waste it.
However, Liu Yumin did not receive Miao Yang's signal and said, "You need to rest. I'll take care of these things. You just lie down!"
After saying that, she threw up another piece of paper. Miao Yang couldn't help but say, "Yu Min, if it's not our specialty, we shouldn't do it. Can't we just hand it over to someone else?"
Zhu Jiabao disagreed: "Only through continuous effort can we make progress. Every mistake is an opportunity to gain experience for making the right choice. We should support adventurers who dare to try."
Miao Yang couldn't hold back any longer: "That doesn't mean we can waste national resources. There's clearly a correct method, but you insist on using an incorrect one. Commander Zhu, are you out of your mind?!"
She felt sorry for the red paper scattered all over the ground. They had worked so hard to make it, and the red color symbolized joy and celebration. She never expected it to die so unjustly.
Zhu Jiabao naturally retorted: "Look how beautiful these drawings are! This is exactly what we want, to hang them on the wall for display."
Although these things are indeed a hodgepodge, my wife has to support them.
Miao Yang looked at the devastation all over the ground and went straight to Zhu Jiabao, "Do you even believe it yourself? Your house is littered with things that are stuck to the walls and scattered all over the floor?"
Zhu Jiabao: ...
Liu Yumin knew she wasn't cut out for this kind of work, so she gave all the tools to Miao Yang. Miao Yang quickly made a round "Fu" character.
Liu Yumin exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, Miao Yang, you have this skill too!"
Miao Yang blushed with embarrassment after being praised: "My mother taught me how to cut them when I was at home."
She was embarrassed to say that anyone with hands could cut this, but Yumin had a strong sense of self-respect, and she couldn't hurt her feelings. Most importantly, Yumin was her attending physician, and she didn't dare to offend her! After spending so much time together, she had long since realized that this girl was very petty.
Liu Yumin and Zhu Jiabao started busying themselves with other things. Zhao Tiezhu wanted to help but was refused. He said that his whole body would hurt if he moved, so he shouldn't cause any trouble.
Soon, the room was filled with a sense of home. A few plum blossoms were placed on the table, a few "Fu" (good fortune) characters were pasted on the wall, and some paper-cut window decorations by Miao Yang were pasted on the glass. It was a simple change, but it warmed their hearts and made them feel that they were no longer alone.
Liu Yumin still had patients to examine, so she handed the task over to Zhu Jiabao. Zhu Jiabao discussed with the two of them what other changes were needed.
After everyone finished their work, it was already dark. Zhu Jiabao said, "My wife and Lin Wu will come first tomorrow, and I will come later with some things. We can all have a good time together and stay up late tonight. You should all prepare red envelopes to give my Fanfan some New Year's greetings."
Zhao Tiezhu and Miao Yang naturally agreed. They had been spending the New Year alone in the hospital room before, which was extremely lonely. This was their last New Year, and they didn't want to have any regrets.
The next day, Lin Wu drove Liu Yu and Zhu Fanfan to the hospital first. Zhu Jiabao told several close friends that they would not be spending the New Year at home and did not need to come to their house to pay their respects. He then took the prepared gifts upstairs to find his wife.
The day passed just like that. In the evening, the ward became lively. They set up a stove between the two beds, with a pot on it. Zhu Jiabao specially bought seasonings to cook hot pot. They hadn't been this relaxed in a long time.
Besides the vegetables and meat, Zhu Jiabao also specially asked Lin Wu to bring a bottle of wine to stay and celebrate the New Year together, since Lin Wu was also all alone.
Because there were patients, the food was cooked until very soft before serving, for fear that they would get an upset stomach if they ate undercooked food. Dipped in sesame sauce, it was so fragrant that it awakened everyone's taste buds.
Zhao Tiezhu couldn't help but say, "Back then, our team had nothing to eat, so we made a big pot, put all the ingredients together and cooked them. A group of us would eat around the pot. At the time, we were so grateful that if we could have enough to eat and wear, we would do anything."
It was winter, and they had no warm clothes, no food, no water, and not even a place to shelter from the wind and snow. They gathered firewood, melted the snow, and cooked wild vegetable roots to survive.
With the founding of the People's Republic of China, they finally lived a life where they had enough to eat and wear. It was like a dream. If only the people in their village were still alive, they wouldn't be all alone.
Miao Yang also reminisced: "Back then, when we had nothing to eat or drink, and we were still on the battlefield, with the enemy at any moment, we boiled snow to make water. A group of us huddled together for warmth, ready to fight at any time. The men were okay, but we girls almost cried."
They were all in the prime of their lives. Whether they were sold by their families for dowry, abused after marriage and unable to bear it, or students who joined the revolution for their ideals, or women whose families were destroyed by the Japanese invaders, sisters from all over the country gathered together just so that the country could be stable and that they could have a place to live. They fought the Japanese invaders with all their might.
After fighting for so many years, watching their loved ones die one by one before their eyes, the sisters didn't even have time to grieve; they picked up their weapons and continued fighting.
After the battle, they looked at the corpses scattered all over the ground, whether they were their own or the enemy's. They held back their tears as they buried their comrades, while also being wary of a possible enemy counterattack. Only when they were sure there was no danger could they cry. After crying, they would wipe away their tears and continue fighting the Japanese.
Finally, the hardest time was over, but all her comrades were gone, and she was all alone again.
Zhu Jiabao interrupted: "Those days are over. We should look forward. After the New Year, Miao Yang, you will be going back to your hometown. Congratulations on returning home. Let's have a drink together today. On this joyous occasion of the New Year, you two can just have a little to show your appreciation. Cheers!"
Those difficult days are over. They have won now, and their lives have undergone tremendous changes. Everything will be alright. This reminiscence reminded him of what the old folks often say: you can't keep talking about the past, or it will really pass by.
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