Daily Life in the 70s
Chapter 240 Quan

Chapter 240: Chapter 240 Quan

The next morning, when Yang PeiMin went out to fetch hot water, she indeed bumped into Du Juanjuan.

It was awkward.

Of course, it was awkward for Du Juanjuan.

At the sight of Yang PeiMin, Du Juanjuan first froze, then looked uncomfortable and deliberately turned her face away with feigned indifference. Yang PeiMin didn’t intend to revel in her embarrassment and walked past her on her own path.

When she returned after fetching the water, Xiao Xu also arrived, saying he was worried about this and that, and then when he shifted to the side, he saw Political Commissar Zhou and his wife.

The couple had weathered many storms and had no awkwardness in front of Yang PeiMin. They showed no signs of having lied to her the day before.

"Little sister-in-law is back from fetching water," Mrs. Zhou pulled her over. "I’m really sorry about yesterday. Even Old Zhou kept it from me."

Yang PeiMin smiled, "It’s okay, Brother Zhou is quite tender-hearted after all. He told me in the end."

Political Commissar Zhou chuckled twice.

He had come over the previous few days because he had failed to keep a promise he had made to Shen Yiguang, and he wanted to wait two days before coming back. But once his wife found out, she insisted on dragging him over. So here he was, a man who could only smile, no matter what others said.

However, he realized he had worried too much, the kid’s wife had come over, and seeing his kid happy, it seemed like he had actually done a good deed. Thinking this, he straightened his back in an instant and started speaking, "Yiguang, now that your wife is here, you should focus on recovering. Strive to rejoin the unit as soon as possible."

Shen Yiguang nodded, smiling.

Then Mrs. Zhou asked Yang PeiMin, "Where did you sleep last night? It was hard on you. While taking care of him you also need to take care of your own health, and eat well."

Yang PeiMin responded to each question.

Seeing that Shen Yiguang’s attitude was also good, Political Commissar Zhou added a few more words. Mrs. Zhou then pulled at him, "It’s getting late, Ah Guang hasn’t had breakfast yet." They had come over early because there was work later, and none of them had had breakfast yet.

The two of them then left.

Seeing that Yang PeiMin was busy getting water for Shen Yiguang to wash up, Xiao Xu took the initiative to take over the task of preparing breakfast.

The hospital also had a cafeteria and a separate nutritional meal prepared for patients.

When Xiao Xu came back with the food, Yang PeiMin looked at it and thought it was not bad; there were mini dumplings, porridge, eggs, and noodles. He had gotten a little of each saying, "I got this for both of you. I’ve already eaten at the military dining hall."

Yang PeiMin gave him a glare, "Stop being so formal, there are no strangers here, no need for courtesies. Hurry up, sit down and eat with us."

What a joke, it wasn’t even seven in the morning yet, the military base was not close by, at least a two-hour trip, the military region cafeteria wouldn’t be serving breakfast this early. Some people really couldn’t lie to save their lives.

She had heard from Shen Yiguang before that Xiao Xu was also a child from a poor family, with many siblings both young and old, a big bunch of them relying on him to send money home from his salary. Thus, nearly all his monthly wages were spent, and he was reluctant to use his food tickets, sending them home instead. He always said that as a child, his older siblings were very caring and often saved the good food for him. Now that he was capable, he wanted to help them, knowing they had many children and heavy burdens, leading difficult lives.

"Just by what Xiao Xu said, you could tell he was a grateful person."

Whenever she asked for his help, she always stuffed him with food, and he would be quite embarrassed about it, insisting it was his duty to help and that he couldn’t accept anything in return. When he had first joined the army, he received a lot of care from Shen Yiguang and it was also thanks to Shen Yiguang’s efforts that he got the opportunity not to be discharged.

Shen Yiguang couldn’t stand to watch his awkwardness, "Stop beating around the bush, it’s all going cold."

Only then did Xiao Xu sit down, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

After breakfast, Yang PeiMin asked Shen Yiguang if there was a place in the hospital where she could make a fire to cook; she wanted to prepare some medicinal meals for him. When she went to get water, she took the opportunity to speak with Shen Yiguang’s attending doctor and found out that a major reason for his severe injuries was excessive blood loss. Now, she was thinking of making some medicinal meals to replenish his energy and blood, to help him recover faster.

Xiao Xu said, "Sister-in-law, let me ask about this. Even if it’s not possible, I’ll ask them to think of a way. I didn’t expect you could make medicinal meals."

"It’s nothing much. I’ve been in poor health since I was a child, and I’ve eaten a lot of that stuff. I still need to consult with the doctor. If it’s possible, I would like to make it for your elder brother."

But what about the herbal medicine?

An idea flashed in Yang PeiMin’s mind. She thought of Quan. Perhaps she could go and see her.

Shen Yiguang’s condition was relatively stable. Usually, she only needed to help him eat, pass water, assist with toileting, check his IV, and keep him company with some conversation. He didn’t require constant attention. Xiao Xu said that it wasn’t possible initially, as he was comatose and couldn’t be left alone for a moment.

Hearing this, Yang PeiMin felt another pang of concern. Seeing her expression, Xiao Xu quickly stopped talking and didn’t dare to continue.

Yang PeiMin asked Xiao Xu to stay and look after Shen Yiguang while she took a trip back to the town to find Quan.

Finding Quan’s house was a bit difficult. It was located behind a block of residential buildings, next to the foot of a mountain. She had a small courtyard house that stood alone, and even in broad daylight, the front gate was tightly closed. Yang PeiMin knocked on the door for quite some time before someone came to open it.

Quan herself opened the door, looking Yang PeiMin up and down with surprise. "Why is it you? What’s wrong? Were there not enough eggs last time? I’ll tell you now that you didn’t count them properly back then, and you can’t come back now to settle the account. This old lady doesn’t have time to chat with you about nothing."

With that, she was about to close the door when Yang PeiMin quickly reached out to stop the door from shutting. "No, no, it’s not that, Granny. I’ve come to ask about something else."

Quan stopped what she was doing and looked her over again, her expression turning colder. "Ask about what?"

Yang PeiMin saw impatience on her face and decided to explain the purpose of her visit. "It’s like this, last time I heard from Granny that the autumn pear syrup sold at the Cooperative Society was made by you. It piqued my curiosity, so I bought a bottle when I was buying vegetables. After taking it home and checking, I discovered that I could make it myself because I know how to make it, and I recognized that it contains many medicinal ingredients, some of which are not commonly seen. Moreover, Granny, you continue to supply the Cooperative Society with autumn pear syrup. I just wanted to come over and ask where you buy your medicinal herbs."

Quan’s impatience faded, and her demeanor became more serious. She let Yang PeiMin inside, but only just inside the gate, as if worrying about the neighbors seeing. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What? You’re planning to sell autumn pear syrup too?"

Yang PeiMin shook her head with a smile, "No, how could I compete with Granny’s business? I just want to use it to nurse my health. To be honest, and you can probably see, my body is frail, and my husband’s family is worried about me having children."

Quan’s expression was unreadable. "Is that the truth?"

"Of course, if you don’t believe me, I can give you a written promise. My husband is in the local military."

Only then did Quan’s expression soften, "Then come with me inside."