Take Medicine
Comrade Gu Ze’an, who had been hung up on, felt like his high blood pressure was about to flare up. What had that mischievous kid just said?
“Getting by, getting by… How can a married couple just ‘get by’? And he’s saying he’s going to ‘get by’ with Ping Ping. Is he out of his mind?” Gu Ze’an exclaimed.
Qin Ying said, “You used to say that our fifth child was most like you.”
Gu Ze’an remained silent.
Qin Ying sighed and tried to console Gu Ze’an, “Having Ping Ping as our daughter-in-law is quite nice. I like that girl, and it’s fitting. They’ve grown up together since childhood, they’re childhood sweethearts. Both families know each other well, and Ping Ping is a good girl. Our fifth child is not bad either. The water in our field doesn’t flow into others’.”
Gu Ze’an stared at her, “I can’t believe you’re saying this with a straight face.”
Qin Ying glared back, “What’s wrong? Why wouldn’t I say it?”
Gu Ze’an asked, “Do you remember how you used to talk about our fifth child when he was little?”
“You used to say that he should learn from the girl next door, Ping Ping! You said he wasn’t as good as Ping Ping! Oh, my, our fifth child really couldn’t compare to Ping Ping. From now on, let’s call her Sister Ping Ping…”
Qin Ying cracked a smile., “Why did they become a married couple, indeed?”
Gu Ze’an pondered, “Yeah, I want to know too. Why did they become a married couple?”
“Didn’t you just hear him say on the phone that he married Ping Ping just to oppose me, his old man? He even wants to straighten out Ping Ping. This kid has a strong revenge streak,” Gu Ze’an remarked.
Qin Ying took a more optimistic view, “Maybe they’re just getting by with each other. Both kids are grown up now, so they might just get by. A lifetime will pass, Ai Feihong is gone, and we’ll take care of her daughter. Our fifth child won’t bully her too much.”
“Maybe he likes Ping Ping,” Qin Ying added.
Gu Ze’an questioned her, “Can you honestly say that with a straight face? Do you believe it?”
Qin Ying remained silent.
Gu Ze’an said, “I really hope they can just get by with each other. But the way they’re constantly at odds, who can believe they’ll get along?”
“Ordinary couples may have arguments, but these two can really get into fights. You know about Ping Ping’s skills… and your son… You also know. They’re both like dangerous elements put together, a recipe for a chemical explosion.”
“He says they’re getting by, but how will they manage when they start fighting? When he brought Ping Ping into our family, it feels like we gained another son,” Gu Ze’an mused.
Qin Ying replied, “It’s more like having two brothers together, isn’t it?”
Gu Ze’an speculated, “Could it be that the two of them are just like two brothers getting by together? When Ping Ping stands by his side, she’s just like his own sister. With four older brothers on top of him, the fifth one probably wanted more younger brothers.”
“That’s incest!” Gu Ze’an exclaimed.
Qin Ying replied, “Don’t talk nonsense. There’s no such thing as brotherly love between a man and a woman.”
Qin Ying came up with an idea, “How about we send his little sister over? His little sister has a good relationship with Ping Ping. With her there to look after Ping Ping as her sister, we can also have peace of mind.”
Their youngest daughter liked a man over there, and she had been insisting on going to him. However, the man didn’t like their daughter, and they didn’t want to force her to go. But their daughter persisted, so what could they do?
Qin Ying had already been softened by their youngest daughter’s daily requests, and now she thought… maybe she should just send her daughter over.
With her brother and sister-in-law there, if she felt wronged, she could also help mediate the relationship between her fifth brother and sister-in-law.
Gu Ze’an gasped, “Has your son been kicked in the head by a donkey? You’ve also been kicked in the head. You come up with one bad idea after another. Letting his little sister go over there, aren’t you worried it will become even more chaotic?”
“If Ping Ping becomes her little sister-in-law, I’m afraid your daughter won’t be able to handle it.”
Qin Ying sighed, “Children are a handful.”
Gu Ze’an hesitated, “How about we let her give it a try? I have a feeling… if she meets her fifth brother and sister-in-law and spends some time with them, maybe, just maybe, she might change her mind. She might not be so infatuated anymore. Why does my daughter have to like that stinky kid so much?”
Qin Ying replied, “You’re the one with the donkey-kicked brain. Your ideas are even worse than mine!”
“I’m just afraid… I’m just afraid that his little sister might not want to get married at all.”
Gu Ze’an remained silent.
Qin Ying continued, “Let’s think about it some more.”
“She doesn’t even know that her fifth brother is married.”
“Let her learn from her Ping Ping. It might help her avoid getting involved with wild men in the future.”
“That’s a good point.”
…
*
The problem with marrying someone you know is that there are too many acquaintances who are aware of it.
Zhan Aiping also received several “concerned” phone calls, including one from her childhood friend Xie Wan, who was also an old neighbour in the same residential compound and currently worked as a primary school teacher.
Xie Wan couldn’t believe that Zhan Aiping had married Gu Sheng. She shouted over the phone, “Zhan Aiping, did you really marry Gu Sheng? How could you possibly marry Gu Wulao?”
Zhan Aiping could only reply calmly, “I’m just getting by with him.”
Apart from this sentence, it was difficult to make people believe anything else.
“Just getting by with him?”
Zhan Aiping said, “Yes, I’ll just get by with him from now on, just get by, and maybe a lifetime will pass.”
Xie Wan was almost dumbfounded, “You plan to get by with him for a lifetime?”
“Are you serious?”
Zhan Aiping smiled, “I’m serious. I’m even going with the military to his place.”
Xie Wan exclaimed, “Have you lost your mind? You’re in Shanghai! Everyone wants to stay in Shanghai, and you’re leaving.”
Zhan Aiping replied, “I’ve grown tired of it.”
Xie Wan remained silent.
“Being with Gu Wulao won’t be boring.”
Xie Wan asked, “Are you planning to fight with him?”
Zhan Aiping nodded, “Yes, I plan to fight with him.”
Xie Wan couldn’t find the words to respond, “In a few years, when I get married, you might already have had a second marriage.”
“Old Zhao is even running a betting pool, betting on when you two will divorce.”
Zhan Aiping challenged, “Then you bet that we won’t divorce in our lifetime.”
Xie Wan countered, “I bet you’ll divorce within three years.”
Zhan Aiping said, “Goodbye. Maybe in three years, you’ll get to meet the child of Gu Wulao and me.”
“Really, I feel like you’re talking in opposites. How does it sound scarier the more you say?” Xie Wan’s face looked like it was about to split, “If you can have Gu Wulao’s child, then I can conceive a Nezha.”
Zhan Aiping wished her, “Good luck having a little Nezha.”
(**Nomad: Nezha is a deity or a mythical figure known for his bravery, incredible martial arts skills, and magical abilities. He is often depicted as a young boy with fiery red hair **)
After hanging up the phone, she bid farewell to those who were once familiar, while those who didn’t know much about her past represented a different perspective.
For example, the teachers at the school where she had been teaching for some time. Living in the school dormitories and being well-liked by the students, everyone believed in the saying, “Seeing is believing.”
“Teacher Zhan has married a good man.”
“They say her man knows how to treat her well. They’ve known each other since childhood, and on the day of their wedding, it was quite a grand affair…”
“If he weren’t a good person, how could Teacher Zhan possibly go with the army to his place?”
Especially for Ye Fangjing, she had unwavering faith, “I also want a devoted childhood sweetheart brother!”
This is probably the essence of life imitating art, and art imitating life.
*
On the day of her departure, the sun was shining brightly. She had packed up her belongings, sold or given away what needed to be disposed of, and now her home was empty, with only the original furniture remaining.
Yesterday, Zhan Bo had called her. He had recently found out about her and Gu Sheng receiving their marriage certificate, and he was quite pleased. It seemed that Gu Ze’an and his wife had contacted him. Zhan Bo had advised her to be a good housewife when she arrived there.
Zhan Aiping, of course, had retorted in her usual style, nearly leaving Zhan Bo feeling downcast again.
She didn’t bring too many things with her, but of course, she didn’t bring too few either. She had packed two boxes of medical books, some clothes, as well as needles and medicines. As for other items, she planned to acquire them gradually after arriving there.
Two boxes of medical books were not easy to transport, so Zhan Aiping had made a small cart herself and loaded the two boxes of books onto it. The books were quite heavy, but fortunately, both she and Gu Sheng were strong.
Gu Sheng arrived early in the morning to pick her up, bringing along plenty of food. He didn’t have much luggage himself. Seeing her with two boxes of books, he chuckled, “Bringing so many books?”
“How can a doctor be without medical books?” Although she might not need most of them, she had to put up a shelf of books to make people believe in her medical skills.
During this period, she hadn’t been idle at home. She had borrowed some ancient medical texts, some of which she copied by hand, while others she had memorized and transcribed from memory.
After years of practicing medicine, she had also compiled several medical books of her own. Now, it wasn’t difficult for her to transcribe the cases she had handled from memory.
When the time came, she could claim that these medical books were gifts from senior experts and provide some plausible explanations.
Gu Sheng casually flipped through a few books. “So you’re not going to be a teacher anymore and have decided to become a doctor at the hospital?”
Zhan Aiping nodded. “Yes, I’m going to be a doctor. I’ll not only treat illnesses but also cure you.”
Gu Sheng smirked, “Learn from other doctors, don’t become a mediocre one.”
Zhan Aiping shook her head, “Why should I learn from others? Let me tell you, I’m really good at this.”
“I don’t believe it,” Gu Sheng said sceptically.
Curious, Gu Sheng asked her, “Are you studying traditional Chinese medicine or Western medicine? The medical books seem quite diverse.”
The contents of the medical books were indeed headache-inducing. They seemed to provide understanding but also left room for uncertainty. Real-world illnesses often didn’t follow the textbook examples precisely, as diseases varied among patients. No matter how many medical books one read, it didn’t necessarily mean they understood the practice of medicine, as it was a field that required extensive hands-on experience.
“Can’t I study a combination of both Chinese and Western medicine?”
Gu Sheng sighed, “That doesn’t sound very reliable.”
“Reliability isn’t determined by you,” Zhan Aiping replied with a smile, patting him on the back. “Don’t worry, in the future, when you get sick, I’ll treat you. I’ll give you injections, feed you medication. Come on, open your mouth, take your medicine!”
“Have you ever seen me in a doctor’s white coat?” Gu Sheng asked.
Gu Sheng pondered for a moment and said, “Well, who’s supposed to be taking medicine here?”
Leave a Reply