CHAPTER 28: CHAPTER 28: BUYING SOME MEDICINE

Not only are they acquainted, Zhang Lin and the team secretary Liu Xiangqian’s wife, Ma Lanhua, are also relatives.

It’s easier to talk to someone you know, especially if they’re family.

He looked at Liu Xiangqian, "Uncle, you must not scold Mr. Yi and the others; there’s a reason behind this."

As for what that reason is, he didn’t say, and the team leader didn’t ask.

Instead, they repeatedly promised, "We definitely won’t scold them."

It’s enough as long as they come back safely.

However ——

"You can’t do this next time."

Liu Xiangqian sternly instructed Yi Chichi and the others, "If anything comes up, let us know in advance."

Bai Chen felt that this situation was quite difficult for them.

After all, when they went to the county, they didn’t expect Yi Chichi to suddenly leave and then disappear like that.

When they met again, she had already become a brave and enthusiastic young comrade.

And she also brought them along for food and shelter.

But can this be said?

Absolutely not.

If they really said it, the team leader would explode.

So, as the elder brother, he could only smile and agree on behalf of the youth corps.

The team leader was satisfied, and seeing that it was getting late, they prepared to leave.

Hence, Yi Chichi and the others bid farewell to Zhang Lin and Zhou Yuan.

"I should send you back."

"I need to go to Kao Shan Village Team."

Two voices sounded simultaneously, the first was Zhang Lin, the latter Zhou Yuan.

Yi Chichi’s mouth twitched slightly, "Mr. Zhou, your task is already completed."

She pointed at the team leaders, making it clear that since they were already here, there was no need for another trip.

Zhou Yuan, "..."

It seems to be the case.

He smiled awkwardly, "My mind just didn’t turn the corner, I’ll go back to work then."

"Okay."

After Zhou Yuan left, Liu Xiangqian said to Zhang Lin, "We have many carts today, so they don’t need to walk."

Zhang Lin thought about it and agreed.

"Where are the carts?"

If it’s far, he could give a lift since there are quite a few packages.

"There!"

Liu Xiangqian pointed to a row of empty horse and ox carts on the opposite side of the road, "There are plenty of carts to carry a few people."

"Alright, I’ll leave Yi Zhqing and the others to you, Uncle."

"Definitely."

Soon, all the packages were unloaded from the carriage and transferred to the horse cart opposite.

Yi Chichi and the others also got on board, and Zhang Lin waved at them, "Mr. Yi, I’ll head back now."

"Mr. Zhang, take care and be safe on the road!"

The military-green Liberation truck roared away, and Yi Chichi and the others set off too.

The horses and buffaloes pulled the carts clattering forward, and the team leader sat in the cart, fished out his smoking pipe, lit it with a match, took a deep drag of the spicy, choking tobacco, and then leisurely asked, "Is the county fun?"

His tone was calm, giving no hint of emotion.

Yi Chichi and the three other girls sat on the cart driven by the team leader, while Bai Chen and the others were on the two carts behind.

With no outsiders to turn to, Yi Chichi, after exchanging glances, was pushed out as the spokesperson to respond.

She laughed awkwardly, "I don’t know if it’s fun, we didn’t go anywhere."

"I see you look pretty regretful."

"No, absolutely not."

Heaven and earth as witness, she didn’t regret it at all.

In this era, never mind the small county of Baoshan, even places like Shanghai, Beijing, and Yangcheng didn’t impress her much.

Having seen the brilliance of the future, the 70s seemed dull and gray to her.

They held no attraction for her.

"Where did you stay last night?"

"The public security guesthouse."

Upon hearing this, the team leader knew he shouldn’t ask further.

Even if he did, he wouldn’t get an answer.

The fact that Zhang Linfeng was ordered to bring them back and specifically instructed not to scold them was quite telling.

Thus, the topic was dropped.

"Are you excited for the grain distribution tomorrow?"

"Excited!"

No matter how much, it’s still the result of their labor.

At around five in the afternoon, Yi Chichi and the others returned to the Youth Corps Courtyard in Kao Shan Village.

After reminding them to gather at the team office the next morning, the team leader toodled off on his cart.

After carrying the packages inside, they got hungry.

By then, it was dark, and without electric lights, no one felt like cooking, so they just boiled a pot of water and cooked some sweet potatoes to get by.

In the evening, after sorting all the clothes and daily necessities from the packages, Yi Chichi took out some fine cotton fabric she had bought and skillfully cut it by the light of a flashlight.

The flashlights were also scavenged from the Yi Family; she took both of them.

Not as good as an electric light, but better than candles and kerosene lamps.

By past ten at night, four pairs of shorts were done.

"Finally, I can have freedom with shorts."

She let out a long sigh, quickly fetched water to wash and hang up the shorts to dry, then washed up and lay on the kang to sleep in peace.

She slept soundly, and the next morning, after breakfast, they went to the team office to queue up for work points and grain distribution.

No matter the work points, everyone’s face was full of joy.

Only Zhou Qiuyu couldn’t feel happy because she only received thirty kilograms of coarse grain and two kilograms of fine grain.

The coarse grains included sweet potatoes, corn cobs, etc.

Seeing her with a bitter face, Wang Nan comforted, "Earn more work points next year, and you’ll get more grain at the end of the year."

This perfectly hit Zhou Qiuyu’s weak spot. With bright eyes, she said, "My goal is to earn full work points next year."

This was not easy; even many experienced members in the team couldn’t get full work points, let alone Zhou Qiuyu with her slim arms and legs.

But the young lady had ambition, so Yi Chichi and the others couldn’t dampen her spirit, only encouraging her that she could definitely do it.

Filled with energy, the young girl imagined a bright future.

As they talked, her gaze landed on the grain in Yi Chichi’s hands, "Chichi, why did you take only fine grain?"

"Stomachache."

She sighed, "I’ll change back to coarse grain after my stomach recovers."

Right now, she really couldn’t handle it.

"How can someone as young as you have such severe stomach issues?"

"Poor health, being on medication all year round, hurt my stomach."

Lying without batting an eye, Yi Chichi couldn’t tell them that this body was malnourished from being abused, and the stomach issue resulted from hunger.

The original young girl’s life was already bitter enough; she couldn’t use her story to gain sympathy.

Wang Nan and the others didn’t doubt, only concerned, "Is your health better now?"

"Mostly better, just the stomach left."

"Take good care of it!"

"Hmm."

After chatting and laughing, they returned to the Youth Corps Courtyard, where Yi Chichi stored the grain and prepared to go out.

Wang Nan and the others squatted in the courtyard, sorting sweet potatoes to store in the cellar.

Seeing her leisurely preparing to go out, Ge Sujuan curiously asked, "Chichi, where are you going?"

"Going to buy some medicine from Uncle Yaozi."

Also planning to get some medicinal powder for the team leader and others to take into the mountains since her pig stomach still depended on them.

Can’t afford to neglect it.

"Then hurry along!"

"You guys keep busy."

Over ten minutes later, Yi Chichi appeared at the team clinic.

No one was in the courtyard, but a lot of medicinal herbs were spread out on the ground, still bearing soil.

Intrigued, she squatted down to organize the herbs and had just picked up a nearly ten-year-old piece of Huangqi when a gentle male voice sounded from behind ——