Early in the morning on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, the entire Shu Family woke up bright and early.
Zhao Wan Qiu cooked corn porridge for her three children, boiled an egg for each, and prepared an extra cup of warm milk for Jin Yue.
Though the corn porridge was coarse, it was warm and filling. Paired with the fragrant eggs, it left them feeling warm and satisfied.
Jin Yue slung her green school bag over her shoulder, carrying the necessary documents and papers, and bid farewell to her parents, who watched her like "Gazing-at-the-Daughter Rock": "Mom, Dad, I'm off."
"Come home for lunch, alright?"
"Sure thing."
Her fluffy hair was neatly combed into two thin braids hanging over her shoulders, tied with the same red ribbons she used as a child, making her look just like a middle school student.
Jin Yue thought to herself, how wonderful it feels to be young!
The current epidemic prevention station was a county (district)-level unit, but unlike the district hospital, it didn't handle basic medical treatments, so it had low visibility. People only remembered its existence during patriotic health campaigns or pest eradication drives—oh, there's such a unit.
Each district health and epidemic prevention station had workstations in several subordinate sub-districts. Shu Jin Yue was reporting to the Xinqiao Subdistrict Office epidemic prevention station, which covered Liu Ye Hutong.
Walking out of Liu Ye Hutong, turning left for less than a hundred meters, and crossing the street brought her to the Xinqiao Subdistrict Office. Of course, its official name now was the Subdistrict Revolutionary Committee. A decade ago, it was called the People's Commune. Though the name had changed four or five years back, everyone still habitually called it the subdistrict office or neighborhood committee.
Though Xinqiao Subdistrict seemed obscure now, Jin Yue, during her time as a wandering spirit, had heard Teacher Shu mention that due to urban expansion, with single-story houses replaced by buildings and a sharp increase in population density, it would later be divided into North Xinqiao and South Xinqiao subdistrict offices.
Currently, Xinqiao Subdistrict Office managed eight nearby hutongs, making it one of the largest subdistricts in Shu City. The office occupied an entire three-story building and a communal courtyard. Jin Yue wasn't sure about other cities nationwide but recalled that in Shu City, subdistrict epidemic prevention stations belonged to the subdistrict offices. Though part of the health system, they weren't entirely under it and were also governed by their respective subdistrict offices.
She brought her documents to the personnel files department of the subdistrict office to register, then was directed to find Director Zhu, who was in charge of health and epidemic prevention work.
The epidemic prevention station had three offices within the subdistrict office, plus a workroom that served as a public service window. Jin Yue found Zhu Daqiang in the workroom, wearing a white coat and a hat.
He was a middle-aged male comrade in his forties, half-bald, thin, and small—hardly matching the implications of "big" and "strong" in his name.
"Hello, Director Zhu. I'm here to report. My name is…"
"Shu Jin Yue, right? We were notified during the station meeting yesterday. Please wait a moment."
Zhu Daqiang handed a cage of squealing, struggling, dying mice to a colleague waiting to collect samples. The epidemic prevention station had weekly monitoring tasks for infectious diseases like plague—just as Yao Qingqing had predicted.
However, Jin Yue wasn't afraid of mice. During her hungriest times in the countryside, she had even eaten field mice. A sixteen-year-old boy, starving terribly, once roasted some and invited her and the other female educated youths to "share the fortune."
At first, she didn't know it was rat meat and ate it with great relish. Later, when she found out, she didn't dare to eat it anymore, but the delightful taste of that barbecue was simply unforgettable.
So, looking at those squeaking little mice, she even felt a bit of affection for them.
Seeing her remain unfazed, Zhu Daqiang was the first to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that this girl, though young, was quite brave. To be honest, when he learned yesterday that he had been assigned a young girl, he was very reluctant.
After signing the paperwork, washing his hands with soap, and taking off his work clothes, Zhu Daqiang took Jin Yue to see a few rooms.
"Currently, at Xinqiao Station, there are only three of us: Liu Jinbu, you, and me." This was because the Xinqiao Sub-district had a large population; other sub-districts had only two people, and some even had just one.
"We use the room on the right as our office, which is convenient for the public when they come to handle matters. The middle room stores documents and materials, and the room on the left stores various medical supplies."
Jin Yue looked around and took notes. While he opened the door to enter, she glanced at the list of medical supplies posted on the wall. She needed to know not only what was available but also remember their specific locations, storage conditions, and usage methods, so she wouldn't be caught off guard when working alone.
As for the so-called office, it only had two old desks and two thermoses.
"Liu Jinbu is on leave these days. You can use his spot for now. In a couple of days, I'll go to the sub-district office to get you a desk." Zhu Daqiang pointed to the seat by the window and sat down himself, holding an enamel mug to drink water.
Remembering what Teacher Shu had taught her, Jin Yue quickly fetched water to wipe down the desk and chair, washed the cloth clean, and hung it to dry on the windowsill before sitting down to organize her things.
"Your home is in Liu Ye Hutong. I remember there are several families with the surname Shu here. Is your father…"
"Shu Li Nong."
Zhu Daqiang slapped his forehead. "Oh, you're Teacher Shu's daughter! Your father used to teach at Xinqiao Primary School, right? He even taught my three sons. I remember he taught Chinese and had excellent handwriting. Everyone asked him to write for the blackboard bulletins."
Jin Yue smiled. See, this was the advantage of working close to home—everyone you met seemed to be an acquaintance.
"Does your father still write? I was just thinking about who to ask to write Spring Festival couplets."
Writing Spring Festival couplets for neighbors was one of Teacher Shu's great joys. For this, he often bought red paper, brushes, and ink out of his own pocket, and Zhao Wan Qiu had been nagging him about it for most of her life, but he never changed.
"Yes, he does. How many pairs do you need, and what style would you like? I can bring them for you tomorrow."
And so, thanks to Teacher Shu, the living Lei Feng, Jin Yue instantly bridged the distance with her direct supervisor. Zhu Daqiang looked at her with nothing but warmth and kindness.
"Our station doesn't have much work. From Monday to Wednesday, we go out for health inspections. Thursday is for health education, and Friday and Saturday are for routine tasks."
At that time, the health inspection department had not yet been separated and still belonged to the epidemic prevention station, making this a relatively important responsibility.
"But as a female comrade, it's too tiring for you to go out. Liu Jinbu and I will handle the health inspections. You can stay at the station." Zhu Daqiang finished his mug of water and glanced at his wristwatch. "Oh, it's already 10:30. I told my son to wait in line at the grain store. I need to head over now. Keep an eye on things here, and if anything comes up, come find me at the grain store—the one on the street corner."
Jin Yue stood up to see him out.
Of course, Zhu Daqiang never returned after stepping out, and Jin Yue was quite happy to have the supervisor away. She took a stroll around the office compound to familiarize herself with the environment and spent some time reading.
As soon as work hours ended, she locked up and headed home for a meal.
It couldn’t get better than this!
For lunch, Zhao Wan Qiu steamed a batch of mixed-grain cornbread, stir-fried some shredded potatoes, and served them with pickles, urging Jin Yue repeatedly to eat more.
"I’d love to eat more, but it’s coarse grains for one meal and corn congee for the next. Mom, when can we have some fine grains?"
"You want fine grains? I’d like some meat too!"
Jin Yue pouted. She knew the family was short on food, but her stomach couldn’t handle coarse grains all the time. Right now, the most important thing was to nurse her health back.
"The New Year is almost here. Farmers might come to the Ghost Market to sell grain. I’ll go check it out tonight." Teacher Shu felt for the children. With the second child, Wen Yun, and Jin Yue all eating dinner at home, it was time to get something better.
"Alright, Dad, go ahead. Once I get my salary, I’ll contribute to the household expenses too." She was now a Grade 16 worker, earning 37 yuan a month.
"We were just about to discuss this with you. You don’t need to pay for food. You still have to repay your eldest and second brothers, and young women have their own expenses too. Just manage your salary yourself." After saying this, Teacher Shu added emphatically, "Don’t mention this to the others."
Jin Yue wanted to say she still had money on hand, but she understood it was her parents’ way of showing care. If she didn’t give them this chance, their guilt would have nowhere to go.
Anyway, there would be plenty of time to support them gradually in the future.
The workload at the station wasn’t heavy, and with the New Year approaching, Jin Yue had been slacking off for a few days. On the 28th of the lunar month, she even brought home two bars of soap, two jin of apples, and one jin of cooking oil!
Every year around this time, everyone in the compound watched eagerly—which household had workers and what benefits they received, which had cadres and what extra they got compared to workers. It was as if this represented a family’s dignity, and everyone wanted to come out on top.
Of course, the top spot undoubtedly went to Uncle Zhao, a Level 3 welder—a scarce talent in the factory with four apprentices under him, who in turn had trained several apprentices of their own.
But no one expected that Shu Jin Yue, who had only worked for four days, would also receive benefits—and all of them were solid, practical items!
Auntie Li couldn’t hide her envy: "What kind of unit does Jin Yue work in? I hope the supervisor didn’t make a mistake." "If she doesn’t return the extra items, that’s undermining socialism."
Zhao Wan Qiu shot her a glare. "Our Jin Yue is capable. She deserves all of it."
The slacker in question, Shu Jin Yue, thought: "…I also suspect the supervisor might have mixed up my start date."
However, Zhu Daqiang and Liu Jinbu had indeed received much more than her and encouraged her to work hard so she could get the same next year.
This New Year, the Shu Family was the talk of the town. All four children had jobs and received decent New Year benefits. Throughout the Spring Festival, Teacher Shu and Zhao Wan Qiu never stopped smiling.
They spent New Year’s Eve together. On the second day of the lunar New Year, Shu Wen Yan and Liu Hui Fang visited her parents’ home. On the third day, Teacher Shu’s regular students came to pay their respects. On the fourth day, the vegetable shop reopened. On the fifth day, Shu Wen Yun was on duty. On the sixth day, Jin Yue also returned to work.
Jin Yue called the work shifts around the Spring Festival the "prime window for slacking off." Apart from cleaning and chatting about holiday experiences, there was hardly anything to do.
In the morning, we joined the street office to clean the public sanitation in the alleys of our jurisdiction, mainly sweeping up firecracker debris. Each compound sent one person, so with dozens of people in one alley, it wasn’t too tiring.
Jin Yue was petite and frail, so Zhu Daqiang and Liu Jinbu took good care of her, letting her do just a few light sweeps while they eagerly handled the heavy and laborious tasks.
With the Spring Festival just over, schools were still closed, and few factories or mining units had resumed work, so there was no need for sanitation inspections. The afternoons were the station’s quietest time, with the two men spending hours sipping tea and reading newspapers.
"On the second day of the new year, I went with my wife to her parents’ house. My brother-in-law brought a bottle of Maotai—oh my, the whole family practically put him on a pedestal, tsk tsk tsk…" Liu Jinbu, a fair-skinned, plump man in his thirties, narrowed his eyes into slits when he laughed.
But Jin Yue knew he wasn’t like her, who had switched careers midway. He was a formally trained professional, a graduate of a five-year preventive medicine program—an undisputed top student in the 1960s.
As for why he was content to stay in a grassroots position, she hadn’t quite figured that out yet.
"He’s just a section chief at the Health Bureau, and he acts so full of himself, hmph."
Zhu Daqiang was no stranger to such behavior. Visiting relatives was a time for everyone to show off their skills, especially among sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law—the dynamics were particularly delicate.
Just as Jin Yue was listening with great interest, Director Liu came bustling over. "Jin Yue, how’s your dad been lately?"
Jin Yue was puzzled, while Zhu Daqiang and Liu Jinbu winked at her.
"If your dad’s in a decent mood, how about I send Liu Dong to pay him a New Year’s visit tomorrow? That kid always thinks of him, but after what happened back then… tsk, as a junior, he ought to take the initiative to apologize. Don’t you think so?"
Jin Yue understood now—Director Liu was still trying to cozy up to her family?
"By the way, how’s your sister doing? Liu Dong said he’d like to visit her but is afraid she’ll be angry."
Before she could mention that Shu Wen Yun was almost seeing someone, Director Liu hurriedly asked, "You’ve visited Deputy Director Yang’s family for New Year’s these past couple of days, right? Is the old lady’s health any better?"
If he hadn’t brought it up, Jin Yue would have nearly forgotten. Before she reported for duty, she had gone to check the old lady’s pulse. Grandma Yang was recovering quite quickly, as it wasn’t a critical illness to begin with.
She kept the big shot’s reminder in mind at all times: avoid getting involved with the Yang family as much as possible, but she didn’t dare offend them outright, given their current influence.
"You haven’t even gone to pay a New Year’s visit? Oh, my dear, your dad’s such a blockhead, and you kids aren’t any more perceptive. Such a golden opportunity—if it were me, I could…"
Ahem, Old Liu, don’t you have work in your department?" Zhu Daqiang cut him off. "Xiao Shu, go to the medical supplies room and fetch that thing. Hurry up."
Jin Yue stifled a laugh and left.
She thought her elder brother was right: when you stand at a different height, the view changes. Director Liu, who once acted superior to the Shu Family, now seemed just ordinary.
As Jin Yue reached the door of the medical supplies room, she suddenly heard a commotion at the main entrance. People from every office were peering out to see.
"Here to make trouble again? It’s the middle of the new year—can’t they let anyone have some peace?" The speaker was Qiao Dajie from the finance office across the way.
Jin Yue pricked up her ears. It seemed the person "making trouble" wasn’t a first-timer.
"Poor Hu Nainai. Her life was hard enough as it is, and now she’s stuck with such a heartless grandnephew."
"The problem is, this grand-nephew isn't even related by blood. Isn't that infuriating?"
Jin Yue listened for a while. "Qiao Dajie, are you talking about Grandma Hu from Huai Shu Alley?"
"Exactly, it's her." No sooner had Qiao Dajie finished speaking than noisy voices approached from the entrance, heading toward the office. Jin Yue then saw a tall, sturdy young man dragging a stumbling white-haired elderly woman with one hand while pulling on the arm of Niu Zhuren from the neighborhood committee, who had just returned from an outside meeting.
"Niu Zhuren must give us ordinary folks an explanation. How come I can't enter my grand-aunt's house? Is there no justice left?"
Grandma Hu was the elderly woman to whom Shu Wen Ming had kindly sold tomatoes last time. She was a childless elderly resident of Huai Shu Alley. Ever since Jin Yue could remember, she had known this old lady. Her bound feet made walking unsteady, and nearly every elementary student in both Liu Ye Hutong and Huai Shu Alley had written essays titled "Helping an Elderly Lady Cross the Street"—whether fictional or based on real events, the protagonist was always Grandma Hu.
Stories about her had long circulated in the neighborhood: In her youth, Grandma Hu was the young lady of a wealthy landlord family. Her family ran a medicinal herb business, having moved from Bozhou in Anhui Province as an affluent household. Almost half the houses in Huai Shu Alley belonged to them, and half the medicinal herb shops in Shu City bore the Hu surname.
Unfortunately, this privileged young lady was somewhat love-struck, having fallen for a clerk in their family's herb shop and insisting on marrying him. Unable to dissuade his only daughter, Old Master Hu reluctantly compromised, taking the clerk in as a live-in son-in-law. He not only taught him the business but also entrusted him with all aspects of the medicinal herb trade, from sourcing to distribution.
At first, the young couple enjoyed a honeymoon period. However, after several years with no children, the son-in-law secretly kept a mistress outside. The situation exploded when the mistress showed up at the Hu family's doorstep with their son, causing Old Master Hu to suffer a stroke from rage.
Grandma Hu, being strong-willed, demanded a divorce.
Unfortunately, before the divorce could be finalized, turbulent times descended. The son-in-law was killed by bandits on a trip to Bozhou to purchase herbs, and the mistress abandoned their child and fled. The illegitimate son, prompted by someone, showed up crying at the Hu family's gate.
Business families emphasized accumulating virtue through good deeds. Unable to bear seeing the child starve, the Hu family took him in for several years, publicly claiming him as Grandma Hu's nephew. They provided not only food and shelter but also education and later arranged his marriage.
This arrangement continued until after Liberation. The Hu family had always been law-abiding and thus largely avoided political targeting. They even proactively converted several ancestral herb shops into jointly state-private managed medicinal stores.
This should have been a positive development, but the "nephew," seeing "his" assets becoming public property with little of his "family fortune" left, grew desperate. He filed reports everywhere, falsely accusing Grandma Hu and causing her to fall seriously ill from anger.
If things had ended there, it might have been tolerable. But this ungrateful wretch, much like his scoundrel of a father, never gave up. During 1966, he wrote accusation letters everywhere. Eager to distinguish themselves, young radicals vied to ransack Grandma Hu's home, digging up her courtyard and causing utter chaos.
Fortunately, the Hu family still had some old acquaintances who spoke up on their behalf. Combined with Grandma Hu's advanced age, she was spared being sent to the countryside and was allowed to keep the siheyuan courtyard where she lived.
Thus, the elderly lady held onto her courtyard home, renting out empty rooms to impoverished workers in the neighborhood to scrape by.
"Heaven has eyes. Her ungrateful nephew died of illness the year before last. We thought Granny Hu could finally have a couple of peaceful years, but then this grandnephew shows up, claiming he wants to take care of her. Really, he's just after her house."
Qiao Dajie fumed indignantly, "The seed of an ingrate grows into a rotten sprout. If I had that money, I'd rather raise a cat or a dog than support him."
Granny Hu's tenants felt the same way. Unable to stand by and watch the young ingrate bully the elderly woman, they consistently blocked him from entering the courtyard house. After being stopped so many times, these disputes often ended up at the neighborhood committee.
Niu Zhuren was well aware of the situation, but since it hadn't escalated to illegal activity, he could only rely on persuasion, having no real means to deal with the man.
In her previous life, Jin Yue had stayed in the countryside and hadn't known about this. Now it seemed the one who reported her second brother a few days ago was probably this scoundrel!
Anyone who kindly helped Granny Hu was seen as his imaginary enemy.
And so, Granny Hu, worn down by his pestering and too embarrassed to make a scene, tried to leave, but he stubbornly held her back, tugging forcefully.
The small-footed old woman stumbled from his pull and fell hard on the bluestone pavement, unable to get up for a long time.
Though everyone was outraged, they dared not directly provoke such a scoundrel and kept their distance, watching the commotion from afar. But Jin Yue couldn't bear it. She remembered how Granny Hu had once given her two eggs when she was in elementary school!
She took out a tin chocolate box from her green book bag. Inside were several silver needles, all sterilized along with the box. She selected a thin one, held it between two fingers, and while Hu Laizi was busy gripping Niu Zhuren, gently inserted it into his elbow.
Hu Laizi, ignoring Granny Hu's plight and focused solely on holding Niu Zhuren, didn't even notice being pricked. He only felt a vague numbness in his arm and cried out, "Ouch!"
Seizing the opportunity, Jin Yue helped Granny Hu up. "Are you alright?"
Granny Hu's eyesight was poor, and she could no longer see clearly. "I'm fine. Whose child are you?"
"My dad is Shu Li Nong."
"Oh, from the Shu family. Thank you, girl."
"Ouch, my hand, it hurts, it hurts…" Hu Laizi clutched his right elbow and cried out, but no one paid him any mind.
Everyone thought he was faking it, surely up to some new trick.
Hu Laizi was genuinely in pain, as if bitten by a venomous snake, with the venom seeming to crawl up from his elbow, leaving half his body numb.
Seeing that everyone was "leaving him to his fate," Hu Laizi could only limp out the door, muttering a few threats under his breath. He figured he'd better go to the hospital first, in case he really had been bitten by a snake.
Niu Zhuren breathed a sigh of relief and hurried toward the door. "My apologies, Section Chief Xu, for the embarrassing scene. I'll have someone bring down the materials you need right away."
Xu Duan smiled faintly. "No rush."
Niu Zhuren thought to himself, how could it not be urgent? For the section chief of the city's supplies bureau to personally come asking for materials, he wondered if there was something in those documents he had overlooked. The thought made him start reviewing them mentally—were the numbers correct? Did the logic hold up? Was the information verifiable?
Xu Duan watched the dispersing crowd, seemingly deep in thought.
Assuming he was curious, Niu Zhuren explained, "You probably heard about the old lady's situation just now, Section Chief Xu. It's really quite pitiful…" and he went on and on.
"New here?"
"Hmm?"
Xu Duan tilted his chin toward the back of the girl with braided hair. "This young comrade is quite warmhearted."
"Oh, that one. She seems to be new here—I haven't seen her much. Looks like she's from the epidemic prevention station." He vaguely recalled seeing several colleagues seeking medical treatment from her a few days ago, saying she had cured someone's illness… Ah, right!
Isn't this the educated youth that Deputy Director Yang went to find last time? No wonder she looked familiar—it turns out she's that "little miracle doctor"!
Someone Deputy Director Yang values highly—how could he have relegated her to a corner seat? That was truly inappropriate. Now even Section Chief Xu has praised her. This young comrade has a bright future ahead.
The clerk quickly delivered the materials. Xu Duan had his assistant take them and left, leaving Niu Zhuren standing there deep in thought—one moment worrying about the documents, the next pondering Shu Jin Yue's placement.
"Director, don't worry. The materials definitely won't have any issues. Even if there were problems, what could he do? He's just a section chief—same administrative rank as you, but 'the county magistrate isn't as powerful as the local official.' Xinqiao Sub-district affairs still depend on your say."
Niu Zhuren smacked him on the head. "Nonsense! Is this about rank? He's from the Municipal Supplies Bureau, controlling the entire city's supply system! What do you know?"
From major raw material allocations for factories and mines down to bicycle and sewing machine quotas—everything rests in their hands. Without Xu Duan's signature, no one can get anything done.
The junior clerk hadn't expected his flattery to backfire and could only awkwardly shut his mouth.
Meanwhile, Shu Jin Yue led Hu Nainai to the office and poured her a cup of warm water. "Should I take you to the hospital, Grandma?"
"I'm fine." The old woman stood up and tentatively took two slow steps. "I can go back myself. No need to accompany me."
Jin Yue didn't insist. While supporting her earlier, she had discreetly checked the elderly woman's pulse and confirmed there were indeed no issues.
Speaking of which, Hu Nainai's true age remained an unsolved mystery. Teacher Shu had known of her since childhood, and now that Shu Jin Yue was already an adult, neighborhood stories about the wealthy Hu family still circulated.
"I heard from Sister Zhang in the household registration department that according to the age she registered in the liberation year, the old lady is already 98 years old."
Zhu Daqiang took a sip of tea. "She doesn't look it, judging by her energy."
"I think so too. Probably a mistake—the registration official back then might have been illiterate themselves." Liu Jinbu stood up, tightening his belt and hiking his pants. "I'm going to the restroom. You all leave first after work—don't lock up, alright."
And so, another day of leisurely work passed.
Everyone discussed Hu Nainai for a few days until the tenth day of the lunar new year, when attention shifted to Hu Laizi.
"Did you hear? Hu Laizi has been running to the hospital like crazy these days!"
"What happened?"
"Says his hands are numb. Went to the hospital but couldn't get cured. Yesterday he got so angry he fought with the doctor and got arrested by the police for 'disturbing public order.'"
"Oh my! How bold—daring to hit a doctor! Serves him right. At least Hu Nainai can have some peace for a few days."
"Jin Yue, you're at the sub-district office. Hu Laizi claims his hands started hurting and going numb that day. Did you see anyone touch him? You think he's planning to fake an injury?"
"Maybe Old Master Hu can't stand him bullying Hu Nainai. After all, that ungrateful live-in husband of his was personally trained by the old master back in the day."
When it came to supernatural matters, everyone was both curious and afraid to discuss deeply, but they all felt it must be retribution. After all, pain doesn't come without reason, especially when examinations can't identify the cause.
However, from that day on, everyone noticed that Hu Nainai seemed to be gradually enjoying going out more. Previously, she would stay cooped up at home, avoiding people and conversation for long periods, even her reactions seemed sluggish. Recently, as the sun rose to mid-sky, she would lean on her cane and totter unsteadily to the neighborhood committee courtyard to bask in the sun.
She didn’t like chatting with others, but she would respond when people greeted her. When everyone finished work for the day, she would lean on her cane and head back home.
Jin Yue happened to be going the same way, so she would accompany Hu Nainai to her doorstep. Over time, the two gradually became familiar with each other, an old woman and a young girl supporting each other as they chatted all the way home.
After the start of spring, Shu Jin Yue encountered two more things worth celebrating.
First, under her treatment, Auntie Huang’s prolapse condition had improved. Although the combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine wasn’t as fast as direct surgery, according to her own description, as long as she didn’t strain during bowel movements, it basically wouldn’t protrude anymore.
Jin Yue advised her to avoid squatting and heavy physical labor, and Huang Mei went so far as to stop her from doing any household chores at all.
The other happy news was that Jin Yue had passed the district epidemic prevention station’s exam with high marks—something her entire family hadn’t expected.
“Shu Jin Yue, you really didn’t cheat, did you?” Shu Wen Ming squeezed a pimple on his face while looking into a small mirror. “How come I remember you weren’t much of a student before? You didn’t even get into high school.”
At least he had managed to get into high school—he just didn’t want to attend.
Jin Yue was well aware that she used to be a poor student—the kind who struggled no matter how hard she tried, the type who just seemed naturally slow. Her ability to pass the exam now was entirely thanks to A Piao’s memory.
She had little natural talent for academics, but she couldn’t deny her excellent memory—she was practically a walking textbook library.
“Alright, Second Brother, instead of wasting time on that, why not worry about your own personal life?”
Shu Wen Ming popped a pimple on the tip of his nose, wincing in pain. “Marriage doesn’t interest me. If I eat enough, the whole family is fed.”
Teacher Shu and Zhao Wan Qiu exchanged a glance and sighed quietly. He felt guilty about this son—not only had he failed to provide him with a house, but he didn’t even have a stable job. How could finding a partner be easy?
“By the way, when Xiao Li came to pay New Year’s greetings last time, he mentioned that his family has a cousin in the countryside who hasn’t been matched yet. Her family has plenty of strong laborers, she’s quite pretty, and she has a lively personality. Would you like to meet her?”
Shu Wen Ming tucked the small mirror into his chest pocket. “Go on, what’s the catch?”
“It’s not really a catch—she’s never been to school.”
“Not even a single day?”
“No, but when it comes to living life, you’re not marrying a book. As long as she has a good personality and is hardworking, that’s what matters.”
Shu Wen Ming curled his lip. “If she can’t even write her own name, she’s illiterate. What’s the point, even if she looks like a fairy?”
Teacher Shu sighed, wanting to scold him but afraid of hurting his fragile self-esteem. “You’ll be thirty in lunar age this April…”
He was undeniably an older youth, commonly known as an old bachelor. With all his own flaws, what right did he have to be picky?
Jin Yue sighed helplessly. “Second Brother, don’t reject it outright. Once I get my paycheck, let’s go on a spring outing. We can invite this girl along—it doesn’t have to be a formal blind date, just think of it as making a friend. Meet her once, and if it doesn’t work out, we’ll drop it.”
Seeing that he was about to refuse, Jin Yue quickly added, “I’ll cover your expenses for the spring outing.”
“Hey, now that’s more like it.”
When Jin Yue first started her job, she had missed the previous payday, and with the Spring Festival in between, she had to wait over fifty days until the next one. Her wallet was already starving. She had it all planned out: once she got her salary, she would first buy some meat for the family to supplement their nutrition, get herself a can of Seagull brand shampoo, and buy a pair of leather shoes each for Teacher Shu and Ms. Zhao Wan Qiu.
They had both retired and had never worn leather shoes before.
A few days ago, Jin Yue had gone to the department store with Yao Qingqing to look around. A good pair of first-layer cowhide shoes cost twenty-eight yuan, which she couldn't afford. Last night, she secretly went to the Ghost Market to check—even the ordinary ones cost around eighteen or nineteen yuan, and they might not even have her size.
For specific sizes, they were even more expensive and required waiting.
Doing the math, thirty-seven yuan was nowhere near enough to buy two pairs of leather shoes… She still had to find another way to make money!
"By the way, do you still have any of that chocolate from last time?" Shu Wen Ming leaned in and asked with a sly grin.
Xu Duan had packed her a heavy bag last time, and when she counted, there were actually twenty-three pieces. Jin Yue had shared a few with her family and secretly eaten two pieces under the covers at night. If she remembered correctly, there were still ten left.
"What's with that look? I'm not asking for free." He wrapped an arm around Shu Jin Yue's shoulder and whispered, "Last time, I took some to the office to eat, and someone saw it. They've been pestering me ever since, saying they could buy it or trade something for it."
"Who?"
"That gluttonous, chubby Xu Wenli from our office."
Shu Jin Yue: "…" No wonder you'll be single forever.
"Don't worry, her family is rich. Her dad works at the Materials Bureau, so she can get you anything you want. The only reason she can't get this chocolate is that it's foreign, and specifically from the Soviet Union."
Thinking of that sweet, melt-in-your-mouth silkiness, how could Jin Yue bear to give it away? Her past life experiences kept her awake at night, but hiding under the covers and slowly savoring a fingernail-sized piece would let her sleep soundly.
"Weren't you at the department store looking at leather shoes a few days ago? They're expensive, right? No problem—her dad has connections and can get them cheaper."
Jin Yue's eyes lit up. "Alright then, ask her if she can get two pairs in my parents' sizes. If she can, I'll trade."
Of course, one piece of chocolate wouldn't be enough for a pair of shoes—she'd make up the difference. But she couldn't bear to trade away too much.
Seeing her look like a protective little kitten, Shu Wen Ming scoffed and went out.
The next noon, Shu Wen Ming specifically went to the street office to find her and said he had settled it with Xu Wenli: two pieces of chocolate for one pair of leather shoes, no need to pay the difference, and any size would do.
"Two pieces for one pair?" Jin Yue rubbed her ears. Had she heard correctly?
"Yep, you heard right."
Shu Jin Yue thought Xu Wenli must be a fool.
Sure, the chocolate was delicious, but did she even know how much a pair of leather shoes cost? Even an ordinary cadre wouldn't dare buy a pair in a year! Even her direct superior, Comrade Zhu Daqiang, only wore his leather shoes on the day he went to the district meeting—and even those were patched up repeatedly.
"That greedy girl initially said four pieces for one pair, as if she could get away with it. I haggled her down." He wore a "look how awesome I am" expression.
Though she had never met her, Shu Jin Yue had already formed a mental image of Xu Wenli: a classic case of the landlord's silly eldest child. But her own second brother was too cunning—he knew exactly what his colleague was like and still haggled her down to a rock-bottom price.
"Second Brother, I suspect you deliberately ate chocolate in front of her on purpose, didn't you?"
Shu Wen Ming remained unfazed, "Of course, how else could I hook that greedy girl?"
It turned out he had long known about Jin Yue's desire to buy leather shoes for their parents. Though he himself had no money and couldn't help despite wanting to, he was skilled at deception and trickery.
"Let me tell you, that greedy girl works efficiently enough, but her mouth is too…"
"Alright, alright, Second Brother. If you still want to find a wife, here's my advice: stop giving people nicknames like 'greedy girl' or 'little fool.' Respect, understand?"
Shu Wen Ming looked embarrassed, but he was the type who'd stubbornly chew on iron biscuits even at death's door—never yielding in argument.
"Who said I want to get married? Hans Christian Andersen, Ivan Turgenev, and Leonardo da Vinci never married, yet it didn't stop them from becoming world-famous."
Well, Shu Jin Yue realized there was really no point in arguing with this second brother. However, he did have one merit: his mind worked exceptionally fast. Since starting at the vegetable station, he never needed an abacus; no matter how much someone bought, he could calculate the total instantly.
Someone like him should either be a math teacher or a big boss.
"Second Brother, how about we collaborate?"
His eyes darting around, Shu Jin Yue looked like a mischievous cat plotting trouble. Shu Wen Ming wrinkled his nose, "Tell me first, how would this collaboration work?"
"You have the brains, I have the capital. How about we check out the Ghost Market another day?" Jin Yue's idea was simple: if she wanted nutritious food and to grow taller, she needed money.
Second Brother needed a house if he wanted to find a partner.
Heh, the two of them were arguably the most cash-strapped in the entire family. Such a partnership was bound to be like protagonists in novels joining forces, conquering all before them.
Sure enough, Shu Wen Ming was tempted, "Deal. We'll go tomorrow night. But I'm warning you, don't think about cheating me."
With that, he hurried back to work at the vegetable station. Jin Yue sat alone in the workroom for a while, wearing her white lab coat. Today, Zhu Daqiang was at a district meeting, and Liu Jinbu had gone home to take medicine after suffering from food poisoning the previous night.
As she sat there, she suddenly heard someone ask, "Comrade, is this the epidemic prevention station?"
Jin Yue was short, and sitting made her even less visible. Worried the person outside might not see her, she immediately stood up, "Yes, this is the Dongchuan District Xinqiao Sub-district Epidemic Prevention Station. How can I help you?"
The villager looked at her, then at the sign, "Where are the adults?"
Jin Yue felt frustrated, "I am the staff member here."
"You don't look like it. Can you really treat illnesses?"
Perhaps noticing Jin Yue's patient attitude and lack of annoyance at his rambling, he quickly explained, "It's mainly because my son has a strange illness regular hospitals can't cure. Our production team's barefoot doctor told us to come to the city and find some place called an epidemic prevention station. He said it's an infectious disease and only you can treat it."
Jin Yue's heart skipped a beat. Infectious disease?!
"Where is the patient?" She put on a mask and asked him to bring the person into the workroom. Currently, district-level epidemic prevention stations had departments for infectious, parasitic, endemic, and chronic diseases. Some cities directly had tuberculosis/endemic disease prevention institutes.
The patient was a young man in his early twenties, with sallow skin, listless eyes, and dry, peeling lips. He was too weak to walk and had been brought on a flatbed cart. Jin Yue's first impression was that he was far too thin.
The legs on the flatbed cart resembled two chopsticks, the face so gaunt it appeared sunken, leaving only two deep, large eyes fixed on the ceiling.
"My son used to be such a spirited young man—the strongest in our production team, always earning ten work points each time. But ever since he caught this infectious disease, he's withered away, now barely recognizable as human."
Jin Yue closed the workshop door to prevent anyone else from entering, then approached the young man. She first checked his blood pressure and used a stethoscope to listen to his breath sounds and heart rate. Aside from a slightly rapid heartbeat, everything else was normal.
Of course, during the examination, she noticed the young man also had a significantly swollen abdomen, with obvious liver enlargement. The thick winter clothing had nearly concealed it.
"Did the doctors you saw before mention what illness it was?"
"Schistosomiasis."
"Schistosomiasis?"
"Oh yes, that's it. I'm illiterate, so I can't say it clearly, but that's the idea. Last year he was still a fine young lad, and now the hospital tells us to prepare for the worst. How are my husband and I supposed to go on living?"