Chapter 232: Winter Day
Although Nannan was gone, there was now Xiao Qiu and Ning Ning. Zhang Fu felt that it would be wonderful for the family to have a true reunion year.
As for his son’s work?
Ha, which New Year in the past hadn’t he been busy after just staying for two days?
Leaving the two elders at home to stare at each other, he should put down work for this rare opportunity and properly accompany the family.
Good, this mountain closure is great!
No entering or leaving allowed, hey, no way to run even if you want to!
Thinking of this, Zhang Fu’s face smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum, and his happy hand-rubbing appearance was just like wanting to find his in-laws’ grandfather for another couple of taels.
“What are you saying? Come in quickly and eat!”
“Coming!”
……
A big bowl of tomato and egg noodles went down, delicious and warming the stomach.
He touched Xiao Qiu’s fluffy head, which was full of satisfaction like a kitten, and then petted Little Round Circle twice, who was pawing at her trouser legs at her feet as if competing for attention.
Only then did he get up and clean the bowl and chopsticks with Hu Yingtao, and after finishing the work at hand, Su Ning pulled her back to her own room.
“Godmother, it will be colder than now when the snow melts. I still have some cotton left from quilting last time.
I want to ask a skilled big aunt in the village to make a thick set of clothes for you and godfather each.”
As she spoke, she dragged two thin sacks tied with cotton rope out from the big cabinet against the wall; they were bulging inside.
One contained cotton, which she had grown herself in Peach Blossom Spring Space, and the other sack held fabric that she had bought whenever she saw good ones while shopping at the supply and marketing cooperative department store.
“We have enough clothes, and military overcoats, no need to make more. As for you, no need to find village people to make godmother two thick new cotton-padded jackets for us to swap and wear during the New Year.”
“Godmother, I have plenty of clothes. Look, this wardrobe is full of them. Still, give them to…”
“Alright, alright, godmother will handle it. Don’t you still need to go to the health clinic? Go quickly, leave these to me!”
She was pushed out of the room without a chance to argue, and along the way wrapped several times with a wool scarf. Su Ning suddenly felt both amused and exasperated.
She had taken these out from the space to make new cotton-padded jackets for them, but how did it turn into making them for herself?
Fortunately, besides the ‘surrendered’ cotton and fabric, there was still plenty in Peach Blossom Spring. At most, she could secretly smuggle more out.
She shook her head helplessly and walked out of the yard, but on the way to the health clinic, she kept thinking about who exactly to ask for help.
……
Trudging deep and shallow through the thick accumulated snow to the health clinic, Wu Meng seemed to have just swept the yard, with half-person-high snow piles against the corner walls.
That small room used to hold the wooden rack and drug manufacturing tools had been turned into a bedroom.
With the bed placed against the wall and a double-door wardrobe added, it felt very crowded, but Wu Meng and her mother both felt it was enough and very satisfying.
After coming here, some light slowly returned to Wu Meng’s previously lifeless eyes.
“Wu Meng sister, I was in a rush last night and didn’t have time to ask. Are those two quilts enough? Do you need me to bring another one over?”
“Enough… enough… Su Su.”
“Right, enough, Ning Wa, no need to bring more!”
The new environment was unlike the familiar home ingrained in her bones, so Jin Hua, who couldn’t see, had to adapt and couldn’t move freely, only carefully groping around.
She quickly stepped forward and, with Wu Meng, each supported one of her outstretched arms.
With a few strands of silver hair hanging at her temples, Jin Hua smiled and held her hand. “Ning Wa, have you eaten?”
“Eaten, I came after eating. Big Aunt, what about you all? How’s teaming up with the neighboring Mao family?”
“Good, the Mao family are all good people, very good.”
Thinking of Old Woman Mao’s probing words last night and this morning’s sarcasm, Jin Hua, who had been honest for most of her life, showed some obvious discomfort on her face.
But since she had already caused her quite a bit of trouble, Jin Hua and Wu Meng didn’t want to cause her more issues over such trivial matters that weren’t really hurtful.
“Su, Su… don’t worry.”
Glancing at the expression on her face, Su Ning sensed something was off but chose not to press immediately.
At that time when they moved over, furniture and such were easy—Uncle Carpenter had ready stock—but starting a fire was a bit tricky.
With heavy snow falling, even building a simple shed wasn’t feasible in time, so they thought of teaming up with nearby families for a few days.
While these thoughts turned in her mind, the three had already entered the room.
There was only a small stove inside, which had just been lit, and the somewhat damp wood was still emitting a lot of black smoke.
“Wu Meng sister, I’ve already told Grandfather about your matter. You and Big Aunt’s household registration can be transferred over anytime.”
“When the weather warms up, you can pick a homestead land to build a wooden house, which means truly having a home in Team One.”
“Usually you’ll help at the health clinic, and outwardly we’ll say you’re my apprentice. As for salary, how about I give you ten yuan a month?”
“That won’t do!”
“No… no!”
As soon as the words were out, Jin Hua and Wu Meng mother and daughter spoke up excitedly at the same time.
“Ning Wa, the girl helping you is something she should do willingly. How can we take your salary? That won’t do!”
By her count, this was saving two lives—no, plus her own old life, that was three lives’ worth of kindness.
Even having her daughter help here for a lifetime might not repay it, so how could they take her money?
She’d heard that the barefoot doctor in the brigade didn’t even have a salary, only full work points, yet she was helping and getting paid instead—what kind of sense was that!
“Ning Wa, we have money. Tie Niu—oh, that’s the girl’s younger brother, my son—sends a remittance every month, enough for our two’s rations and some left over.”
Before, without news of her daughter, she as a blind old woman at home feared the money and ration coupons would bring trouble, so she didn’t dare use them easily and pretended to be more miserable, but it wasn’t that she couldn’t survive.
As if afraid Su Ning wouldn’t believe her, Jin Hua hurriedly reached into her inner clothing pocket and pulled out a handkerchief wrapped in a plastic bag.
“Big Aunt, I believe you, I believe you. Keep this money well and don’t open it.”
She firmly grasped Jin Hua’s trembling hand about to pull out the money and ration coupons. Su Ning thought for a moment and decided to change her approach.
“Then how about this? I won’t give salary but convert it directly to rations, like the city’s coming of age subsidy, thirty jin a month.”
“You child…”
“That’s it then—either ten yuan or thirty jin of grain. You can’t have neither, or else I won’t let Wu Meng sister come help.”
How could she let people work for free? That would be taking advantage of kindness.
Seeing her attitude was firm with no room for negotiation, Wu Meng and Jin Hua could only nod helplessly in agreement.
“Su Su… no need… for that much, ten… ten jin.”
Wu Meng’s injury had almost fully healed early thanks to her medicine, but…
The scars left on her body and face—she wouldn’t remove them even knowing she had scar removal medicine.
Especially the one on her face, slashing straight down from the middle of her left eyebrow to the nose wing, disfiguring her originally beautiful face.
She didn’t know if it was trauma fearing this face would cause more trouble if healed, or for other reasons.
At this moment, she frowned, making that scar look somewhat ferocious. “Otherwise… I won’t… come help…”
At most, she’d find another way to repay.
With each side compromising a step, it was a happy resolution for all.
Just as the matters were settled, the courtyard gate was pushed open from outside.
“Ning Ning, are you in?”
Was that Grandfather’s voice?
“Yes.”
She quickly stood up and walked out of the pharmacy. Sure enough, there was Su Qingshan, wearing a straw raincoat, covered in wind and snow.
“Grandfather, why did you come over? With such heavy snow, did something happen?”
“I wasn’t at home, I was at the village office—just a few steps away. Someone called looking for you, said they’d call back in five minutes.”
“Did they say who?”
“No, but the voice sounded like a young fellow not too old.”
A young fellow not too old?
Among those who knew her contact info, it was just a few—Tingzi, Xiao Qiao, or her younger brother Little Copper Coin?
She quickly turned back into the pharmacy, told Wu Meng sister, and then went with Su Qingshan to the village committee office.
It wasn’t far from the health clinic, less than two hundred meters. By the time they arrived at the office, the phone hadn’t rung yet.
About a minute later, the phone rang. Su Ning, waiting right beside it, grabbed the earpiece and held it to her ear. “Hello?”
“Is this Su Ning? This is Jiang Xiaojun.”
“It’s me. Older Brother Jiang, is something wrong?”
“Ning Ning, we’re about to set off. We bought tickets for this afternoon at four.”
