Chapter 176: Zhang Yi
“Thank you, thank you Doctor Su… I, if I really get pregnant with a baby…”
He quietly set up a longevity tablet for her at home!
Zhu Yuhua knew this couldn’t be said now, so she didn’t say it out loud but secretly made up her mind in her heart.
“How much money does this medicine cost?”
“Um, this…”
Hesitating a bit, Su Ning could estimate the market price of all the Chinese medicinal materials used in this medicine, but for the most precious jadeite…
Seeing her furrow her pretty brows with some difficulty, Zhu Yuhua carefully took out an old, frayed-edged handkerchief from her waistband.
The bills wrapped layer by layer inside were all saved bit by bit by the couple through frugality; she didn’t know if it was enough and felt a bit heartbroken.
But thinking of the chubby baby, the money could be earned again if it was gone, so she quickened her movements in taking out the money and ration coupons.
“Doctor Su, if it’s not enough, use my and my husband’s work points to make up the difference.”
The largest denominations were still just one-mao and five-mao notes or one-yuan bills; roughly calculating, this rolled-up stack of money was only twenty or thirty yuan.
Su Ning took the money and pretended to count the money and ration coupons in her hand, smiling, “Elder Sister Zhu, this is just right. Remember what I said when you go back—don’t apply too much, just a thin layer.”
“Okay, Doctor Su, I’ve remembered—a fingernail’s worth, applied around the belly button!”
She nodded and saw her off to the courtyard gate. Watching the person who now walked with a spring in her step, sweeping away her gloom, she couldn’t help but feel her decision was right.
“All settled?”
“Mm.”
It was always so secretive these few times—what illness did that elder sister have anyway?
Luo Shuangshuang smoothed the braid hanging behind her to the front of her chest and twirled the end with one finger; she just thought about it for a moment and then thought no more.
She brought out two chairs and sat with her in the sunshine, chatting about the group of educated youth from earlier while basking in the sun.
“Those few people came in all noisy, the injured female comrade hadn’t even spoken yet when those several big men started arguing.
Especially that leader, the shifty-eyed one named Zhang Yi—what’s-his-name Zhang, he looked around everywhere upon entering, not knowing what he was looking for; he clearly wasn’t a good person!”
“Knowing they’re not good people, stay far away from them from now on.”
Thinking of that person’s gaze, Su Ning nodded in strong agreement but turned it around to remind her, “Especially that Zhang Yi.”
“Him, I’m too lazy to bother with! If he dares come near me again, I’ll really beat him.”
……
After chatting for a bit and each reading a book for a while, the two had company and didn’t feel bored doing things.
The afternoon passed just like that; they packed up, locked the doors and windows, and walked back together.
When passing through the village center, not far from the Educated Youth Point, Luo Shuangshuang stopped, grabbed her hand, lifted her chin, and pointed ahead.
Following the direction she indicated, Su Ning looked over and slightly narrowed her eyes upon clearly seeing the two people tugging at each other.
If she remembered correctly, the one wearing the army green jacket was Dong Ruolan, the daughter of the village accountant, and that man was the educated youth Zhang Yi.
These two?
“Ning Bao Gai, quick look, they’re heading into the grove!”
This scene straight out of a novel actually appeared in reality; Luo Shuangshuang’s eyes widened involuntarily, both inexplicably excited and full of confusion.
“Ning Bao Gai, should we follow and take a look?”
She really wanted to know what these two were doing going into the grove—would they do bad things?
That spark of gossip instantly made her eyes shine bright.
“You still want to follow and look? Believe me, if Jiaming found out, he’d give you a good talking-to.”
“He dares! I’d be the one educating him. Hehe, come on, come on Ning Bao Gai, just a quick peek and we’ll go!”
“Slow down, don’t push!”
Dragged there by her, Su Ning could only helplessly accompany the gossip fiend, crouching low and tiptoeing into the grove.
By the time they spotted the two again, they were deep in the grove.
Just looking at his face, Zhang Yi really had red lips and white teeth, a bit feminine and effeminate.
Wearing a white shirt and army pants, with the scholarly, literary air unique to educated youth, but from their angle, his shoulders and waist looked unusually thin and weak.
At this moment, Dong Ruolan, with flushed cheeks and misty eyes, was gazing at him in a daze.
Afraid of being discovered, the two kept some distance and couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying.
She only saw Zhang Yi lower his head and say something tenderly, making Dong Ruolan, who was half-leaning on him, blush even more; she shyly lowered her head while taking out two boiled eggs from her arms, holding them preciously to give to him.
He smiled and took them, but when Zhang Yi looked at the woman who had lowered her head again, intense disgust and loathing appeared in his eyes.
That haughty attitude, treating her interaction like charity, was utterly nauseating.
‘I go, this dog thing is really disgusting!’
Turning back, she silently mouthed a complaint to her friend, and Luo Shuangshuang raised her fist, really wishing she could punch him.
That girl’s eyes are clearly bright and clear, blinking away, so how could she have selective blindness?
Grabbing her hand and bringing her out of the grove, just in case she couldn’t hold back and shouted, drawing people over, then Dong Ruolan would truly be ruined.
The village places great importance on a girl’s reputation. Being in the grove with a grown man in broad daylight, regardless of whether anything improper happened, in their eyes it’s all the same as a slut.
Not to mention herself, her whole family would not be able to hold their heads up in the surrounding villages.
“What about Ning Bao Gai? That octopus clearly isn’t genuinely fond of her. Should we intervene or not?”
Only sixteen or seventeen, not much younger than them, just watch her get ruined in the hands of such a scumbag?
“Let me think.”
Patting the back of her hand reassuringly, Su Ning led her back along the original path, while pondering matters about Accountant Dong’s family.
Always well-liked by old folks and children, and no exception here, especially after becoming the village’s Barefoot Doctor, the old man looked at her with even more kindly smiles and the children liked even more to run after her.
Don’t think old folks and children have no labor power, but they know plenty of things.
Old folks know a lot because they’ve lived long and experienced much, knowing the roots of everything, no household’s affairs can hide from their eyes and ears.
Children, of course, are young, and adults rarely avoid them when discussing matters.
Thus Su Ning, whether actively or passively, had heard quite a few things, far beyond just Team One.
Among them was Accountant Dong’s family, said that the Dong family was famously doting on girls, unlike other families hoping for sons, the whole Dong family, old and young, all hoped for daughters.
Said that the Dong family had been yang-dominant yin-weak for generations, all boys with no tender and lovely girl, rarity makes value.
Other families’ girls at five or six years old either help care for even younger siblings or help with indoor and outdoor chores, not mistreated but every girl grows up that way.
Only Dong Ruolan of the Dong family was raised chubby and fair, not allowed to do any work, just like the boys, only needing to carry a schoolbag to go to school and study.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t cut out for it, couldn’t continue after finishing primary school, came home and was persuaded to sit and wait until of age to marry into a good household.
“Ning Bao Gai, what are you thinking so intently? Do you know that female comrade?”
“Heard of her but never spoken, this is only the second time seeing her.”
“I see she’s chubby and fair, whether face or figure it’s the type current old women like most, should not lack matchmakers at the door, so how would her family agree to her being with an educated youth? Unless…”
“Her family doesn’t know yet.”
“I think she must have been deceived by that octopus’s sweet talk!”
Pausing her steps, Su Ning smiled wryly and pinched her hand, “Don’t give nicknames to people you don’t know well.”
“Oh, got it, um Zhang Yi, Zhang Yi!”
“Pretend you didn’t see what just happened, I will…”
“Comrade Su!”
“What are you doing?!”
Zhang Yi, just emerging from the other side of the grove, saw head-on two stunning beauties each with their own charm holding hands and talking, his heart immediately joyful as he hurried over.
Luo Shuangshuang was startled by the person suddenly jumping out, and when she came to her senses saw him like a cat seeing fish or a fly seeing shit… er, pfft pfft!
Anyway, approaching with ill intent, she immediately pulled her friend behind her, clenched her fist and shouted, “Stay away from us!”
“This comrade, I just want to…”
“Don’t even think about it!”
“I…”
“Shut up! Your mouth stinks!”
Even the best-tempered person would darken their face after those two lines, Zhang Yi was both angry and baffled, clearly just met, why did both of them harbor such great hostility toward him?
