Deputy Director
Zhan Aiping spent several days preparing the materials and submitted them to the county health bureau. Half a month later, an inspection team sent by the county health bureau came to their Yanxin Health Centre to conduct a corresponding inspection.
Leading the team was Director Zhou, Zhou Hai, along with Xue Zhengdong, the deputy director of the county people’s hospital, and three other comrades. The five of them arrived at the Yanxin Health Centre in a special car.
There have been significant changes at the Yanxin Health Centre over the past year. It was different from when Zhan Aiping first arrived. The entrance of the hospital had been renovated and altered. Four stone pillars were erected at the hospital entrance, along with a white iron gate, dividing it into three sections: a central main gate and two smaller gates on either side. The gates were made of iron mesh, and because they were newly replaced, the white paint on them had not yet peeled off, making them look particularly new and beautiful.
Zhou Hai nodded approvingly, “It’s quite impressive.”
Compared to the dilapidated small gate before, the current hospital entrance undoubtedly appeared formal and imposing, somewhat resembling a county hospital. Nowadays, with the development of county hospitals and township hospitals, the Yanxin Health Centre had made outstanding achievements in the past year, standing out among several township health Centres. The county also attached importance to the development of the Yanxin Health Centre, hoping that it could play a leading role among the township hospitals.
There were lush green trees on both sides of the main entrance, and the greening inside the hospital was well done. There were two large flower beds in front of the pharmacy, full of lush greenery and several red flowers blooming. There were flower beds and trees in front of all the buildings, with varying heights. Although there were no specific designs, it was refreshing to look at.
A row of bungalows in the hospital had been renovated and repainted. The roofs were grey tiles, and the walls below were white. The walls were not entirely white; they were divided into two layers, with white paint on the top and uniform light blue below the windows. The windows were green wooden lattice windows, and many propaganda posters were hung on the white walls.
At a glance, it was extremely comfortable. Behind the tiled roofs were several tall electric poles, and above them was the blue sky and white clouds. Further away, the colours of the hospital building were bright red.
Zhou Hai and the others discussed for a while, nodding repeatedly. A young comrade behind them held a camera and snapped several photos.
“Now let’s go meet Director Hao and Doctor Zhan.”
When Director Hao and his team arrived, Zhan Aiping was giving acupuncture treatment to a patient with asthma. Zhou Hai and the others observed for a moment, and after looking through her previous case files, they praised her greatly.
“Doctor Zhan has a very high cure rate.”
Director Hao smiled, “Patients all speak highly of her. Doctor Zhan is a versatile talent, proficient in both Western and Chinese medicine.”
Zhou Hai said, “That’s great. Now we aim for a combination of Chinese and Western medicine, collaborative diagnosis and treatment.”
“Comrade Zhan, hello.”
“Hello, everyone.”
Zhan Aiping spoke with them separately in the office. Today, Qin Lanfang was helping her take care of her two children. She sat down in the office with Zhou Hai and others. Zhou Hai took out her materials and asked her a few questions while looking through them.
Zhan Aiping answered everything systematically.
“Comrade Zhan, you are an outstanding comrade and an excellent medical talent that we urgently need.” Zhou Hai looked at Zhan Aiping, still amazed. This young female doctor, beautiful, articulate, clear in her speech, and talented, was proficient in various medical knowledge of both Chinese and Western medicine.
“I heard you used to be a teacher at the Shanghai Medical School. Can you give us a lesson on the spot?”
Zhan Aiping was taken aback, “A lesson?”
Zhou Hai nodded, “Yes, let’s have a medical skills class.”
Zhou Hai asked Comrade Xu beside him to bring out a white printed booklet and handed it to Zhan Aiping. “Take a look at this book, pick a section, and give us a lesson on it right here.”
Zhan Aiping flipped through the booklet, which was a simple general training course for medical schools. She chose a section on surgical nursing and improvised the language in her mind, giving a lesson on surgical nursing right in front of everyone.
After she finished, Zhou Hai and the others applauded. Zhou Hai chuckled, “I thought you would give us a lecture on traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture.”
“Comrade Zhan, your class was excellent. Not only can you be a good doctor, but you can also be a great teacher. I find your teaching easy to understand and suitable for students. I heard you were awarded as an outstanding lecturer…”
After talking for a while, Zhou Hai continued, “The county health school is currently short of teachers. Can you go to the county to teach for a few days every month? Our county recently established a health school to provide regular training. If you could teach there, it would be a great thing. I think you are very suitable for it.”
The county health school recruited high school graduates for a three-year training program. Additionally, it periodically conducted one to three-month skills training for the barefoot doctors in communes and the medical staff in township health Centres.
Currently, there was a pressing need to increase the number of medical personnel in the county and townships. However, talent was scarce, and medical matters couldn’t be taken lightly. If mistakes were made, lives could be lost. There weren’t many good doctors in the county, and even fewer who could teach well. Learning about someone like Zhan Aiping was a great opportunity to invite her to teach at the health school.
Since the Spring City Medical College had not enrolled students for five years, and only recently recruited a group of workers, peasants, and soldiers students last year, it would be until 1974 before these students graduated.
Moreover, the quality of these students varied greatly. Zhou Hai had visited the classes before, and many of the students couldn’t understand the lectures.
And those who couldn’t understand were likely to be assigned to the county and townships.
Enough about that, it wasn’t easy for them to have medical students graduating from higher education institutions. Someone like Zhan Aiping, with her qualifications and experience from the Shanghai General Hospital, was a valuable asset.
“You want me go to the county health school to teach?”
“Yes, we hope Comrade Zhan can agree to it. Go teach a few training classes there every month, and make sure your work at the township medical Centre is well taken care of…”
There were direct buses from the camp to the county, and some military wives also worked in the county, so it wasn’t particularly inconvenient for her. Going to the county to teach would provide another platform. “Alright, I will do my best to contribute to the medical cause in our county…”
Zhan Aiping spoke with enthusiasm, uttering some positive and uplifting thoughts.
After the inspection, Zhan Aiping took a few people on a tour of the Yanxin Health Centre, showing them the newly constructed inpatient building. “The inpatient building is divided into three sections: here is the general internal medicine, this is general surgery, and over there is obstetrics and gynaecology…”
“After further development, we will also build an outpatient building there.”
After touring the inpatient building, they went to the operating room, which was still empty with no equipment. They would have to wait a while for a batch of old equipment to be sent over from the county.
Township hospitals picked up scraps from county hospitals, and county hospitals picked up scraps from city hospitals. These outdated and discarded medical instruments were passed down layer by layer. Of course, not all were old instruments; there were also newly imported medical equipment.
After the tour, they had a meal together at the hospital and took a group photo at the main entrance before leaving. Before departing, Xue, the deputy director of the county people’s hospital, said to Zhan Aiping, “Would you like to transfer to the county people’s hospital?”
Director Hao, who was nearby, was speechless, thinking it was inappropriate to poach like this. He felt a bit anxious, fearing that Zhan Aiping might become restless and consider leaving.
Zhan Aiping smiled, “Now that our health Centre is developing, I need to stay here.”
She hadn’t even finished her own meal, how could she go and take a bite from someone else’s? You can’t achieve anything by trying to do too many things at once.
Deputy Director Xue said, “Indeed, you are still young. Spend some time honing your skills at the grassroots level. I’m looking forward to your transfer to our county people’s hospital. Our hospital especially needs talents like you.”
Zhou Hai chuckled, “Where doesn’t need talent?”
“I was initially worried that your Yanxin Health Centre was taking too big of a step with the new inpatient building and operating room. Now, with Comrade Zhan here, the county can also feel more at ease. I hope your Yanxin Health Centre can serve as a model for township hospitals and play a positive leading role.”
“When you have developed well, other township hospitals will send people to visit and learn from you.”
After the inspection team left, Zhan Aiping’s appointment as the Deputy Director of the Yanxin Health Centre became a certainty, and many people in the health Centre came to congratulate her.
Qin Yanfang smiled, “They all said you would eventually become the director. Look, it’s only been a year, and you’ve already become our Deputy Director. Amazing!”
” Deputy Director Zhan!”
Dr. Zhou Zhonghua, seeing this scene, felt a bit uncomfortable. He had coveted the position of deputy director for a long time, but his qualifications were insufficient, and he couldn’t make up for that deficiency.
He congratulated her a couple of times, then went home feeling disheartened.
Meng Xiaoyun teased him, “You’re getting old, can’t compete with the young ones anymore.”
“You don’t understand. As doctors like us, our prime is in our forties or fifties. I could have been a leader if it weren’t for my lack of qualifications.”
“Stop bragging.”
However, Dr. Zhou could still accept Zhan Aiping becoming the Deputy Director. Perhaps he just wasn’t destined to be a leader.
Zhao Jing looked at Zhan Aiping and couldn’t help sighing, ” Deputy Director Zhan, congratulations. You are such a good doctor. The first time I came to our health Centre, you cured me.”
Zhan Aiping said, “Everyone makes mistakes, Dr. Zhao, don’t take it to heart.”
“That’s right,” Qin Yanfang laughed, “Old Zhao, why can’t you let it go? You’re just one person. Don’t you want to become the hospital’s joke? I promise to tell it to every new doctor.”
Zhao Jing: “…Can you leave me some face?”
Qin Yanfang clicked her tongue, “Alright, alright, I’ll give you some face.”
Dr. Zhao continued, “I can’t have our children growing up listening to their father’s jokes.”
Qin Yanfang blushed, “What children? Stop dreaming!”
“You two continue chatting.” Zhan Aiping waved at them, “I need to go check on my child.”
Qin Lanfang sat beside the cradle sewing clothes. She was also making tiger-head shoes for her unborn baby to wear in the future. “Congratulations, Dr. Zhan!”
Zhan Aiping smiled faintly, “Looks like good things are on their way to your family too. Dr. Zhao is still chatting with Yanfang. I think their relationship is getting better and better lately. Shouldn’t you be planning a celebration?”
“Once you give birth, it will be a double joy for your family.”
Qin Lanfang couldn’t stop smiling. These days had been a turnaround for her and her sister.
“Dr. Zhan, I feel like I’m living in a dream every day now.”
Zhan Aiping chuckled, “What do you mean living in a dream? This is the solid reality we’re living. We’re grounded and realistic. If you feel like it’s not real, you can pinch yourself.”
After chatting with Qin Lanfang for a while, Director Hao called her over and gave her a thick stack of materials. “Next month, when the medical equipment sent by the county arrives, you will be responsible for receiving it. Take a few people with you and store it in the warehouse over there first. We’ll learn to use it slowly afterward.”
“It won’t be put into use until later, probably in July or August, after the new batch of medical school graduates come. Our hospital will need more medical staff…”
Zhan Aiping opened the list of medical equipment. There were many items, large and small, including over a dozen sets of surgical instruments, electric centrifuges, analytical balances, microscopes, blood pressure monitors, two small X-ray machines, a small ultrasound diagnostic instrument, and an electrocardiograph… There were also two refrigerators.
Refrigerators were considered medical equipment in this era, not yet widely used for civilian purposes. Having two refrigerators in the hospital was quite convenient.
“Alright, I’ll take care of this.”
Director Hao smiled, “The capable should take on more tasks. When the new doctors come later, you’ll have to guide them more. By then, the county hospital will also send a medical guidance team.”
Zhan Aiping nodded. “Our health Centre will continue to develop.”
“Yes, we can’t be too hasty. We can’t afford to be careless in treating patients.” Director Hao turned to look at the inpatient building in front of them, took a deep breath, and said, “Everything is improving, and our hospital will only get better and better.”
Zhan Aiping smiled, “It will only get better.”
In the evening, Zhan Aiping, Qin Lanfang and Shen Liqing took the two children back by car. Shen Liqing was worried. She had already started teaching at the school. “Every time I see those kids, my head hurts.”
Shen Liqing was now a painting and calligraphy teacher at an elementary school, teaching art and calligraphy to the entire school.
All grades in the school were taught by her.
Although it wasn’t a major subject and wasn’t too tiring, seeing so many children every day made Shen Liqing feel upset. No matter what era they were in, elementary school students were always very mischievous.
Qin Lanfang smiled, “Kids are quite cute.”
“They’re both loveable and annoying. These kids sweet-talk so much, praising me for being beautiful and calling me ‘Teacher Beauty’ every day.” Shen Liqing laughed. Although she was a lazy person, she also enjoyed being flattered, especially by innocent children. The compliments from children were the most sincere.
Her motivation to go to class every day was to receive a few compliments as a beautiful teacher.
Zhan Aiping chuckled, “You should be happy about that.”
“Happy? These kids change their minds so quickly. One moment, they say you’re the best teacher, and the next, they start misbehaving and causing trouble for you. They change as quickly as the June rain.”
Shen Liqing laughed, “I told them, I know a Dr. Zhan. If anyone dares not to listen, I’ll let Dr. Zhan use needles on them.”
“And they’ll have to drink extremely bitter medicine!”
Zhan Aiping: “…Are you planning to use me to threaten your own children in the future?”
Is she going to be used as a villain?
Shen Liqing sighed, “I’m really afraid of naughty children.”
Qin Lanfang said, “Both you and Wang Comrade have good personalities. Your children shouldn’t be naughty, right?”
“I’m not sure about that.”
Shen Liqing continued, “Dr. Zhan, how are you planning to raise your two children? They seem so well-behaved, never crying or fussing. They’re such good babies. And they even come to work with their mother. They’ll probably become two great doctors in the future.”
“These babies are growing up in a hospital. If people ask, they’ll have a background in practicing medicine since childhood.”
Zhan Aiping smiled as she looked at her two children. “What else can we do? We’ll play it by ear.”
Qin Lanfang said, “We’ll see when they’re three years old.”
Shen Liqing gently stroked her belly and couldn’t help saying, “I’m as big as a watermelon now, Sister Qin. Mine is much bigger than yours.”
“You’re having twins,” Qin Lanfang smiled. She was carrying a single child, so her belly wasn’t as large.
Zhan Aiping glanced at them and said, “It’s better to unload the cargo.”
Back home, when Gu Sheng returned, he was anxious and asked about the situation. Zhan Aiping proudly said, “With me in action, can your wife still not become a Deputy Director?”
“Congratulations, Comrade Gu. You now have a wife who is a Deputy Director.”
Gu Sheng nodded with a smile and kissed her on the cheek. “Congratulations to my wife on her promotion.”
“Do you want me to cook more dishes tonight to celebrate?” Gu Sheng rolled up his sleeves, ready to cook.
“Of course.”
Gu Sheng went to cook, while Zhan Aiping played with the two children, helping them turn over. These two little ones could already flip over. With toys as encouragement, they could perform a little acrobatic show of flipping over like salted fish.
Their chubby arms looked like lotus roots, short and fat, making people wonder if they had any bones.
“Our son is amazing, he’s already flipped over. Come on, little Tang Yuan, are you going to sleep? Why are you lying still? Look at mommy’s hand.”
Zhan Aiping spent some time playing with the children. The air was filled with the aroma of food, and the two children were restless. Zhan Aiping fed them milk, and once they had their fill, they lay down quietly, humming softly. When people were full, they tended to feel sleepy.
The siblings hummed their own tunes, back and forth, as if conversing with each other. They didn’t need their parents to play with them as they had each other for company.
Although they couldn’t speak yet, the siblings had a strong desire to communicate with others. They babbled as if saying something, and whenever someone responded, they would smile.
Gu Sheng brought the food over and teased the two children, “In a while, you won’t just be drinking milk, right?”
“Yes, we’ll need to feed them some other supplementary food.” As the children grew, simple breast milk was no longer enough to meet their nutritional needs.
“Poor daughter-in-law, you’ve worked hard.”
“Fortunately, we have two little piglets.” Zhan Aiping smiled faintly. “They can eat and sleep, and they rarely make a fuss. At most, they cry a bit in their dad’s ear.”
Gu Sheng chuckled. “The next-door neighbour’s ‘big elbow’ is getting louder and louder. Mrs. Zhou said she wants to thank you. Thanks to your advice, their ‘big elbow’ is also growing strong. It’s improved a lot recently.”
“Comrade Qian told me that it’s still Dr. Zhan who knows how to raise children. Marrying a doctor is good. He said I hit the jackpot.”
“I’m not just lucky; I hit the jackpot.”
Zhan Aiping clicked her tongue twice. “Feeling so smug? You men just want to take the easy way out. You want to marry a teacher so you don’t have to deal with educating the children. You want to marry a doctor so when the children get sick, you leave it all to your wife. If you don’t raise the children well, criticism follows. You, a teacher, can’t even teach your own children properly. You, a doctor, don’t even know when your child is sick? You need to take more responsibility for the children…”
“In that case, you’re in trouble,” Gu Sheng teased. “Now you, Dr. Zhan, are not only an author with a new book, but also a Deputy Director at the hospital, a doctor, and you’re going to be invited to teach at the medical school. Well, when the time comes, as your husband, I’ll have something to say.”
“Then I’ll say, ‘You, the great author, how can our child’s essay turn out like this? How can you not know when our child is sick? You’re a teacher, yet you can’t even manage their studies. Zhan PingPing, you’ve disappointed me.’”
“Get out of here!” Zhan Aiping kicked him lightly, but Gu Sheng caught her hand and pulled her into his arms.
Zhan Aiping reached up and tousled his neatly groomed hair. “In the future, you need to take charge of the children’s education, discipline them when they misbehave, ensure they study well, and take care of them when they’re sick.”
“In short, you have to take care of all aspects of our children’s lives, including their eating, drinking, peeing, and pooping. You even have to manage their essays. After all, you peeked at my diary.”
Gu Sheng smiled with narrowed eyes and rubbed his chin against her face. “Okay, I promise to take care of them.”
“Yes, that’s how it should be.” Zhan Aiping smiled and pushed his face away. His clean-shaven chin felt rough against her soft cheek, which felt special.
“I’ll remember what you said and write it down in a little book.”
Zhan Aiping joked, “Then I’ll have something to say to you too—’You, the future Commander Gu, can manage thousands of people, but you can’t handle two children? You’re so useless, Gu Sheng, I’m very disappointed in you!’”
Gu Sheng pinched her nose. “I promise not to disappoint you.”
Zhan Aiping snorted lightly. “Don’t make empty promises. What if the children end up riding on your head?”
Gu Sheng sighed, “If the children can ride on my head, it’s definitely because their mother is backing them up. Blame her. You’re the children’s protector, yet you’re just talking nonsense here. A kind mother spoils her children.”
“I—” Zhan Aiping admitted defeat. “It’s true that you, Commander Gu, are very good at talking nonsense.”
In any confrontation, whether it’s through conspiracy or direct confrontation, it’s customary to exchange some trash talk beforehand to shake the opponent’s morale. In her family, Old Gu is known for his tough talk.
“What trash talk? I, Gu Sheng, always speak the truth.”
“Blah, who believes you? Look, even the sweet and sour pork is eyeing you—” Zhan Aiping glanced at the children carefully, feeling a bit worried. “Gu Sheng, do you think the children will pick up on our verbal sparring and start doing the same in the future? Our house will be turned upside down if that happens.”
Gu Sheng tousled her hair. “Luckily, we’re just having a verbal battle for now. At least, we’re not getting physical. We only fight sneakily where the children can’t see.”
“You, Gu Sheng, you’re such a troublemaker. Always relishing in others’ misfortune, stirring up trouble. No wonder when I was a kid, I always felt like you deserved a beating, always acting like you didn’t care about anything, as if you were invincible. Even if the sky fell, you wouldn’t be afraid. You’re really asking for a beating.”
“I’m just trying to stabilize morale. If I panicked, who would stabilize the morale in our family? Would I cry with you?”
Zhan Aiping leaned against him. “I suspect you’re mocking me for shaking morale.”
“Yeah, Zhan Daping, where do you think you’re so good? I know you’re not afraid. You’re doing it on purpose. The real troublemaker shaking morale is you.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
“Ping Ping, you can’t beat me.” Gu Sheng affectionately touched her. “Don’t worry, you’ve got me.”
Zhan Aiping reached out to pinch her daughter’s paw. “You’re bragging too much, bragging. Little Tang Yuan and Sweet and Sour Pork are here to listen. Your dad has no shame, bragging.”
“I really don’t know where you get your confidence.”
The children listened to their parents’ verbal sparring and joined in the excitement, babbling along. Although they didn’t understand what their parents were saying, they could feel their parents’ emotions were high and joyful. The siblings couldn’t wait to join in the lively conversation.
They were so eager to speak, waving their hands and feet, drooling. They wanted to join in the conversation.
Gu Sheng and Zhan Aiping each picked up one of the restless little ones.
Gu Sheng grabbed his daughter’s little arm and chuckled. “It looks like both of them take after their mother, two chatty little sparrows.”
“My dad used to say you were a chatty little sparrow since you were little, especially good at shaking morale.”
“You’re the chatty little sparrow. You and your son are both so lively.” Zhan Aiping snorted. “What’s wrong with shaking morale?”
Gu Sheng pointed at his own face. “Kiss me, and my morale will follow your lead.”
Zhan Aiping didn’t hesitate to kiss him twice. “I’ll give it a try first.”
“Okay.” Gu Sheng pretended to panic calmly. “Darling, I’m so scared. What will we do if our children misbehave in the future?”
Zhan Aiping: “… I won’t shake morale anymore. It lacks sincerity.”
“Next time, I’ll let you try the sincere approach.”
Zhan Aiping shook her head. “When we came back today, Shen Liqing was still talking about me in the car. She said she would scare the children with me in the future. If the children misbehave, she’ll say Dr. Zhan is going to give them shots or make them drink very bitter Chinese medicine.”
Gu Sheng laughed. “That’s a good idea.”
“Good idea, my foot.”
The family finished their meal and all retreated to the study. Zhan Aiping asked Gu Sheng to continue transcribing her manuscript, while the children lay on the bed. Zhan Aiping herself sat at the sewing machine, preparing to sew some small floral bibs for the children and make a few jackets for them.
Gu Sheng chuckled as he transcribed.
Zhan Aiping tutted, “Are you shocked by your wife’s masterpiece?”
Gu Sheng praised her, “It’s very interestingly written. When it’s published, we’ll need at least a dozen copies in our home.”
“It will be used to teach the children how to read.”
Zhan Aiping shook her head. “There are children’s books for teaching them to read.”
“Gu Sheng, since you’re so good at drawing, why don’t you draw for the children, and I’ll come up with ideas.”
Gu Sheng refused, “I don’t want to be a painter. But I can draw airplanes and cannons for the children.”
The next day, Zhan Aiping didn’t go to work. Mrs. Zhou from next door came to chat with her and brought her own child, who had grown quite a bit. Zhan Aiping hugged the child and said, “Heavier now.”
Mrs. Zhou laughed heartily, “Your way of raising children is better. We have to learn from you doctors now. We have to focus on hygiene and prevent those bacteria and viruses… Our big elbow has a much better appetite lately and doesn’t cry as much.”
“Is he teething?”
Mrs. Zhou nodded, “Looking forward to him growing up quickly.”
When Mrs. Zhou came over, she brought some pumpkin flowers and malt sugar for her. Zhan Aiping gave her some White Rabbit milk candies, saying, “Take these home for your big and second daughters.”
Mrs. Zhou didn’t stand on ceremony either and smiled, saying, “Thank you, Auntie Zhan.”
Zhan Aiping asked, “Has your mother-in-law gone back?”
“She’s gone.” Mrs. Zhou nodded. “It’s good that she’s gone, it’s quieter. It’s one less person to look after the children. Dr. Zhan, you’re much better than me. You’re still taking care of two children, while I have big and second daughters to look after.”
“Your big and second daughters are well-behaved. You have an easier time.”
Mrs. Zhou smiled, “Yes, my two daughters are well-behaved.”
“When Big Elbow grows up, I’ll have him take care of his younger brother and sister.”
“Big Elbow, Big Elbow.” Mrs. Zhou beamed with joy. “It was better to change his name to Big Elbow. Since his name was changed, this child has been getting stronger and stronger.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Big Elbow, Sweet and Sour Pork, Little Rice Dumpling… Zhan Aiping thought of the big plate of chicken in Qin Lanfang’s belly again and smiled, thinking that it might not necessarily be chicken.
In the evening, Mrs. Zhou left just as Gu Sheng returned home. Xie Shu and Xie Jun, the officers, also came to their house. They returned the notebook to Gu Sheng, which had been borrowed for transcription for several months. Finally, it was returned.
“Captain Gu, thank you very much.” Xie Shu handed him a pack of cigarettes.
Gu Sheng declined, “I don’t smoke now.”
Xie Shu said, “I’ve quit smoking too.”
“I just saw your two children. They’re raised really well, fair and tender. Our Lingling always praises them. Um… Captain Gu, are you still writing notes?”
Gu Sheng replied, “I’m still writing a bit.”
“Write well, and lend me the manuscript to transcribe again in the future,” said Xie Shu as he left. When he returned, He Lingling asked him how it went. Xie Shu said, “Both of their children are fair and tender, and even the kid next door, Big Elbow, has grown stronger. Vice Commander Qian said that when it comes to raising children, it’s best to listen to doctors.”
He Lingling, pregnant with a child, felt both sweet and anxious. Being a mother for the first time, she had many adjustments to make and feared not being able to raise the child well. She expressed her hope, “Let’s also choose a food name for our child in the future.”
Xie Shu replied, “It’s a pity that such a good name like Big Elbow has been taken by someone else.”
“Do you also think Big Elbow is a good name?” He Lingling’s eyes lit up.
Xie Shu said, “Calling him Big Elbow is better than calling him Rib.”
“Indeed, the fatter, the better. Should we name our child Braised Pork?”
Xie Shu hesitated, “It somehow doesn’t sound right.”
Braised Pork?
Big Elbow didn’t sound as ferocious as Braised Pork.
“Let’s not use ‘braised’. It doesn’t sound good.”
Xie Shu said, “Then let’s think about it slowly.”
The Xie couple continued to ponder food names.
After Xie Shu left, Gu Sheng complained to Zhan Aiping, “Look, they’re all addicted to copying now, asking me to copy. Whether it’s one person or two, they’re all the same. Commander Jiang even watches me write.”
“Now I have three separate notebooks: two for records and one for writing dates. My diary is only for you, my wife, to read.”
Zhan Aiping casually remarked, “Who writes diaries nowadays? I never write.”
Gu Sheng said, “You don’t write diaries, you write your Strange Tales.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
“I write my diary, you write your Strange Tales. Let’s keep our own affairs separate. After all these days of hard work, I’ve almost finished transcribing your Strange Tales.”
Zhan Aiping felt a rare moment of guilt and patted Gu Sheng’s shoulder. “Thank you for your hard work, Comrade Gu.”
Gu Sheng boasted, “Tonight, help me massage my shoulders and legs.”
Zhan Aiping snorted, “You’re panting just talking about how fat you are.”
By April, Zhan Aiping had become the Deputy Director of the hospital, and the batch of medical equipment had also been transported over. Zhan Aiping led a team to receive and inventory the equipment, moving them into various rooms as needed, such as the lab and the operating room.
Many of the medical equipment couldn’t be used temporarily, except for one item: the refrigerator. Quietly waiting to be powered on for a day, the next day, everyone in the hospital couldn’t wait to plug it in. They now had two large refrigerators to use.
The refrigerator was a huge item that excited everyone who saw it. No household had such a thing; only hospitals and factories did.
Everyone in the hospital gathered around to see the refrigerator, reaching out to touch the cold air. “Wow, it’s really cold! It can actually refrigerate! How amazing!”
Dr. Zhou Zhonghua looked at the refrigerator with admiration. He thought to himself that there had been tremendous changes over the years. When he was young, he hadn’t even seen electricity. Now, there were electric light bulbs, refrigerators, and microscopes that could see tiny bacteria.
Zhan Aiping reminded them, “Don’t keep it open for too long, or moisture will get in and it will frost.”
They closed the refrigerator and discussed what to put inside to test it out.
Qin Yanfang exclaimed happily, “The medicine hasn’t arrived yet. Can’t we freeze something else? It seems like there’s a refrigerated and frozen section.”
Zhan Aiping suggested, “Let’s try making milk popsicles.”
“In the future, water buffalo milk can be stored in the refrigerated section.” Currently, it was inconvenient to store milk and fruit without refrigeration. Without refrigeration, if they couldn’t finish eating or drinking them, they would just rot and smell bad, and they could only feed them to the pigs or compost them.
“Let’s freeze some ice cubes too.” Zhan Aiping thought it would be appropriate to use the refrigerator to freeze ice cubes. They could bring ice cubes home wrapped in blankets and occasionally enjoy the taste of cold drinks.
Dr. Zhao spoke up, “Let’s make some green bean soup.”
Director Hao, standing with his hands behind his back, shook his head repeatedly. “Look at all of you. Is this refrigerator for medical equipment or for making popsicles? Once we put medicine in it, it will just smell like medicine.”
“I don’t mind the smell of medicine. I’m used to it,” Qin Yanfang shrugged.
“I don’t mind either,” Dr. Zhou added.
“Let’s make red bean flavour,” Director Hao suggested.
Everyone laughed.
Dr. Zhou said, “This refrigerator is indeed a good thing.”
“I wish we could have one at home. On hot days, I’d freeze ice cubes every day,” Qin Yanfang said wistfully.
“This is medical equipment, not something to put in your homes,” Director Hao reminded them.
“Who knows, maybe in the future it will be common for every household to have one, just like electric light bulbs in the city,” Zhan Aiping said with a smile.
“But who knows how many years that will take,” Qin Yanfang sighed.
“You’re already living in an apartment. Refrigerators aren’t far off,” Zhan Aiping teased.
“In the future, there will be more and more refrigerators in our hospital,” Director Hao concluded.
The group chatted enthusiastically around the refrigerator. Since they didn’t have any medicine to freeze, they made a lot of popsicles. Zhan Aiping tried making milk popsicles and milk ice cream, both of which were well received, although she couldn’t eat them yet.
Qin Yanfang and the others cooked green bean and red bean soup, poured them into molds, and made bean paste popsicles.
Zhan Aiping and Qin Lanfang couldn’t eat them, but Qin Lanfang and Zhao Jing enjoyed them heartily.
“This mung bean popsicle is indeed delicious, but you shouldn’t take too many bites.” Qin Yanfang, eating the mung bean popsicle in her hand, took a few more bites. The originally cloudy mung bean popsicle turned somewhat transparent in places, as if she had sucked out all the syrup.
“It’s really delicious, just enjoying the ice is delightful.”
Zhan Aiping said, “In the hot summer, eating frozen watermelon is the real pleasure.”
“It’s still you, Ping Ping, who knows how to enjoy. It’s just a pity you can’t have it. Wow, your milk popsicle smells so fragrant, so rich, and so delicious.”
Principal Hao remained silent on the side, enjoying his ice quietly. Dr. Zhao couldn’t help but advise him, “Principal, you’re getting older. Eating too much ice might give you diarrhoea.”
Principal Hao replied, “Just give me some medicine if that happens. I’ll eat what I should eat.”
Even if he got diarrhoea, he would finish this popsicle and bring some home for his family.
—— Those present didn’t know how many would get diarrhoea.
Zhan Aiping: “…”
The doctor also doesn’t pay attention to health preservation.
Zhu Hui didn’t say much. She had eaten the milk popsicle made by Zhan Aiping. During this time, Zhu Hui had been studying diligently. She planned to attend training in the county as she wanted to transition from being a nurse to an anaesthetist.
At this time, the management wasn’t strict. Nurses could switch to become anaesthetists, but they needed the corresponding qualifications. Zhu Hui was preparing for this.
Having divorced, Zhu Hui wasn’t in a hurry to find another partner. She wanted to improve herself, and Zhan Aiping was very supportive of her.
Zhu Hui smiled and said, “As for me, I want to become a deputy director.”
Long learning, look at us at this age, you are a deputy director, you are also a teacher, you can even write and publish books now, you are really amazing.”
“Don’t be modest.”
Zhu Hui shook her head, “I’m not being modest, I’m feeling inadequate. When I was in the cultural troupe before, I always wanted to marry a well-off partner, I wanted to marry a powerful military officer or cadre, I wanted people to envy me, I always thought about relying on men. But now I don’t want that anymore. I want to rely on myself. I want to study, I want to work, I want to become an outstanding person.”
“If you have hands and feet, why rely on men.”
“Right.” Zhan Aiping smiled, “With determination, keep it up.”
As a Deputy Director, she should also fulfil her role of supervision and encouragement, and give Comrade Zhu Hui more motivation.
“When you become an anaesthetist in the future, we’ll join forces.” Zhan Aiping raised her hand, ready to give her a high five.
Zhu Hui raised her hand and lightly responded, “What join forces? For me, I just hope not to hold anyone back.”
“Look at you, you’re going to teach in the county, and I’m going to study in the county.”
Zhan Aiping said, “Let’s encourage each other, study together, and go to the county together tomorrow.”
Zhu Hui smiled happily, “Ping Ping, I just love your proud and confident demeanour.”
Zhan Aiping glared at her, “Where am I proud? I’m a very modest person.”
Her old Gu is the proudest one.
Zhu Hui smiled and didn’t say anything, she blinked, “I can eat popsicles, you can’t, I feel so proud.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Zhan Aiping wrapped up some popsicles with ice cubes and took them back. Although she couldn’t eat them herself, she could give them to Gu Sheng and let him upset his stomach.
**Nomad: Sorry I was away for so long. I underestimated the amount of things I had to get done and how tired I would be. These next few months are going to be super busy for me but I will try to update as much as possible.
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