That night, Father Bai really came back with big news. Their production team was going to have a grandparent and grandchild move in, an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor and his granddaughter.
This old traditional Chinese medicine doctor was not only outstanding in medical skill, he also knew how to grow medicinal herbs.
It was also for this reason that the brigade leader had so readily agreed to help them with settling in.
Their brigade was also preparing to open up wasteland to grow medicinal herbs.
That night, Bai’s parents chatted on the kang.
Mother Bai complained a little, “How much wasteland is the brigade leader planning to open up? It’s so hot right now, I’m almost getting heatstroke. Why not use the old land? Our brigade has so many mu of land, just plant it there.”
Father Bai said, “The brigade leader doesn’t want that either, but the team has never grown medicinal herbs before, and he’s afraid they won’t survive. If they end up taking good land and still have to turn over the public grain, wouldn’t we all starve? So he figured they’d try it on reclaimed land first. That way, at most, it’ll just be a bit more tiring, and we won’t go hungry.”
Father Bai was lazy too, but there were still some things he could see clearly, so he supported the brigade leader’s decision.
“When is that Doctor Sun coming? Where is the brigade leader going to arrange for him to stay?” Mother Bai asked.
Father Bai said, “He’s supposed to arrive the day after tomorrow. When the time comes, I’ll go meet him by ox cart. The brigade leader’s idea is to arrange a usable clinic next to the brigade office. That old traditional Chinese medicine doctor will be our brigade’s barefoot doctor from now on. We won’t have to go to the town for treatment anymore, it’ll be much more convenient. The old doctor can also support his child with ten work points a day.”
This had been something he had discussed with the brigade leader and the accountant.
The reason he had been included was also because this old traditional Chinese medicine doctor had only learned about their brigade through a teacher at the agricultural university.
That teacher had also sent him a telegram, asking them to help this distant relative.
But the brigade leader felt that this old traditional Chinese medicine doctor looked more like he was here to avoid trouble, so in order to avoid trouble, he told him not to spread the word outside.
“Is his medical skill really that good? Can I go take a look then?” Mother Bai asked again.
“What’s wrong with you, wife? Where does it hurt?” Father Bai bolted upright, very nervous.
Then he was dragged back down by Mother Bai.
Of course, all of this was Bai Shuhua, who was pretending to sleep, imagining from the sound.
Mother Bai chided, “Don’t make such a racket, you’ll scare the children. I’m not hurting anywhere. Xiaojun is already four, and I want another one, but I still haven’t had one.”
“Oh, that.” Father Bai’s tone relaxed all at once. “That has nothing to do with you, it’s our family’s ancestral grave that wasn’t buried properly. We still have two in our family. Look at eldest brother, he’s only got one lonely sprout.”
Bai Shuhua: Father, you really know how to roast yourself.
Mother Bai probed a little, “Then how about… you go take a look?”
Bai Shuhua bit her lip to keep herself from laughing.
“Tian Fen!” Father Bai was angry.
“Hey, hey, don’t be so loud, you’ll scare the two kids. If you don’t go, then you don’t go. If I’m to say, people really do need a skill. Look, if it were an ordinary old man who also brought a little girl, they’d probably have to beg for food. But he can become a barefoot doctor, and every day he gets full work points.” Mother Bai was a little envious.
“That’s not all. If the medicinal herbs can be grown, the team leader promised to give extra work points too.” Father Bai was also a little sour.
“Can’t you learn it, the father of the children? No, you don’t have that brain. Or let the eldest daughter learn it. She just glances at those books and understands them, she’d definitely be able to learn medical skills well.” Mother Bai had an eight-hundred-power filter on her daughter, blindly confident.
Bai Shuhua’s face turned red as she listened, but learning medicine was still out of the question.
She did not want to become a bald little fairy.
“Then ask the eldest daughter tomorrow. If she wants to learn, I’ll go say something.” Father Bai also took the idea to heart.
Bai Shuhua silently repeated in her head, “I’m asleep, I’m asleep…” Otherwise she was afraid she’d pounce over and shout, “I’m not learning! Beat me to death and I still won’t learn!”
“Would they even take her? Our family doesn’t have much money either, this would need gifts.” Mother Bai started nagging again. “To learn a master’s real skills, you have to work for the master’s family for free for three years. That’s to temper one’s nature. Back then, it was only because my own grandma taught me storytelling, otherwise I would have had to work for the master for free for three years too.”
“I don’t want my daughter working for other people for free. That would tire her out.” Father Bai was very unwilling. “We’ll talk when we actually meet the person then. What if he’s easy to talk to?” At worst, he would try to help as much as he could. “All right, stop thinking about it, it’s too late, hurry up and sleep.”
This round of kang chatting ended. Bai Shuhua quietly turned over, wanting to sleep but unable to, her mind unusually active.
She had some guesses. This old traditional Chinese medicine doctor would not have come to their remote, poor little place for no reason. Thinking of the ten-year campaign, she more or less understood.
This old traditional Chinese medicine doctor probably really did have genuine skill, and she herself also had no intention of learning medicine.
But didn’t she still have a little brother? Four years old was not that small anymore. He was a mature little big kid and could recite the Tang herbal song.
The old doctor and his granddaughter were brought back by the brigade leader and Father Bai.
Because the clinic had not yet been tidied up, they first stayed at the accountant’s house.
The accountant’s eldest son was serving in the army outside, the eldest daughter and second daughter were both married, and the youngest son was studying in high school in the county seat, so the house had plenty of room.
It was just right for the old doctor to stay there for a few days.
Actually, Father Bai had wanted to let the old doctor stay at their home, but unfortunately there really was nowhere.
Bai Shuhua naturally also met this grandparent-grandchild pair.
Father Bai even introduced the two sides to each other, “Doctor Sun, this is my eldest daughter Bai Shuhua. She’s smart, she studies very well, and she’s already skipped two grades. When Xiaobing goes to school later, it’ll be just right for Shuhua to take her along.”
Bai Shuhua felt that her own father was really praising his goods like an old vendor.
“Daughter, this is Grandpa Sun and little sister Xiaobing. You take good care of her later.” Father Bai said again.
Bai Shuhua naturally would not tear down her father’s face, “Got it, Father.”
“Xiaobing is eight this year. Her body wasn’t good, so she grew up small, and before this she also didn’t go to school. It was all… family teaching her.” Doctor Sun touched his granddaughter’s little head.
Father Bai was a little embarrassed. “Then it’s little sister Xiaobing.”
Bai Shuhua immediately added obediently, “Little sister Xiaobing.”
Doctor Sun encouraged his granddaughter, “Xiaobing, go play with your sister for a while.”
But the little girl shrank farther back instead.
Doctor Sun sighed and did not force her.
Father Bai then started talking with Doctor Sun about the clinic. Bai Shuhua really was not doing it on purpose. She noticed the little girl sneaking glances at her, so she looked over, and then the two of them met eyes.
Many years later, Song Xiaobing called this the gaze of fate.