Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 677 676 Flax is brought

"Come, try it. This is the first crop of shepherd's purse this year. It's very tender!" Tang Zhitong placed the mixed shepherd's purse directly on the dining table without pouring it into a plate.

"Well, it's well mixed and delicious." Zhang Guifang took a bite and was very satisfied with the taste.

Others are in a similar situation.

"If it tastes good, eat more. It's not easy to find green vegetables in this season." Tang Zhitong took a bite and found it tasted okay.

After all, shepherd's purse is a wild vegetable, which is different from vegetables. But fortunately, it is the first harvest, very fresh and tender, and tastes basically not bitter or dry.

Once shepherd's purse grows old, it can still be eaten, but it is bitter and astringent, irritating the throat and difficult to swallow.

After the meal, Zhang Chengping accompanied Zhang Guifang in telling stories of ancient times for a while, then stood up and was about to leave.

"Come on, I'll see you off." It was pitch dark, and although the street lights were still on, the weather was warmer, so there might be people out for a stroll. Zhang Chengping was unfamiliar with the place, so Tang Zhitong had to see him off for his mother's sake.

When her nephew came to Sijiucheng to study, Zhang Guifang, as his aunt, made detailed inquiries about him, including where he would live and how he would eat.

Zhang Guifang originally planned to give her nephew some more pocket money, but Zhang Chengping refused to take it.

"Since you don't want the money and food coupons, it's okay to let your brother send them off." Zhang Chengping wanted to say something more humble, but was stopped by Zhang Guifang.

And so, the two brothers went out.

When they were chatting just now, Tang Zhitong asked about the place where Zhang Chengping received training, the Sijiucheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

This hospital is located on West Street of Dafo Temple, which was later known as the back street of the Art Museum. It is currently the largest traditional Chinese medicine hospital in the city.

In fact, there is a bus from Tieluguluba to Sijiucheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. It is also the only bus that passes through Tieluguluba, which is Route 8.

However, the evening train service was not fixed, and no one knew how long they would have to wait. In addition, Tang Zhitong felt that Zhang Chengping would rather walk than pay for the bus, so he simply rode his bicycle to take him to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

"Brother Xiaoping, go to bed early and get up early, get enough rest, be serious in class and master the basics. If you don't understand something, ask the teacher after class. Don't be shy." Under the dim street lights, Tang Zhitong pedaled his bicycle while giving instructions like a parent.

"Hmm!" Zhang Chengping still feels like he is dreaming. He can't believe that his job was arranged by his cousin. He is younger than him, so how could he have such great ability?
"Whether it's criticism from the teacher or something unpleasant said by your classmates, just bear with it for now and tell me later. We are here to learn skills, so try not to have conflicts. Brother Xiaoping, such learning opportunities are rare, so you must seize them." Tang Zhitong explained everything in detail, and what he said was all from the bottom of his heart.

When I was in college, many students skipped classes and let themselves go, not knowing that some of the teachers of professional courses were the best experts they could ever meet in their lives...

"Yeah!" Zhang Chengping responded solemnly again in the back seat.

"If you've had enough of eating at the Chinese medicine hospital and want to change your taste, just come to my place and ask my mom to make it for you. If you need anything in your life, just ask my mom. If you're embarrassed, just tell me."

"No, we don't need it." Zhang Chengping shook his head in the back seat.

Although Tang Zhitong couldn't see Zhang Chengping in front of him, he could sense Zhang Chengping's restraint from his tone. Although the two were cousins, Tang Zhitong felt that they were like old Runtu and old Mr. Zhou. No matter how much fun they had when they were young, when they met again, the feeling was very different...

The opportunity has been given to Zhang Chengping, I hope he can do his best.

Tang Zhitong sent Zhang Chengping to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he followed him in.

"Anzi, it's enough to just drop you off. I know how to get the rest of the way. It's getting late, you should go back." Zhang Chengping felt very sorry that Tang Zhitong had dropped him off. In his opinion, the footsteps of rural people were worthless, and it was nothing more than just sleeping a little later.

"It's okay. I can go back faster on my bike. We've come this far, so a few more steps won't make a difference. I'll go with you to the dormitory to check it out." Tang Zhitong smiled and held out his hand to let Zhang Chengping go first.

Zhang Chengping couldn't persuade his cousin, so he had to take him to the dormitory.

Tang Zhitong looked at the surrounding scenery with great interest, not at the flowers and plants, but at the houses.

Although Tang Zhitong had never been there, he had heard his colleagues in the editing team talk about the Sijiucheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

This hospital covers a large area. It was originally the residence of Princess Rongshou of the Gulun clan (Note: friendly reminder, do not search for photos of this person).

Tang Zhitong didn't know whose daughter this was at first. After asking around, he found out that her father was Yi, the one who signed the Treaty of Beijing.

The princess had no children. After her death, her stepson quickly squandered the family property and was heavily in debt. He even abandoned the family estate and ran away just like his stepmother, Empress Dowager Cixi.

After liberation, this place became the rear hospital of the Fifth Field Army until 1956, when it became a traditional Chinese medicine hospital.

When the hospital was first established, in addition to the original staff from the rear hospital, more than 70 famous doctors from various schools in the capital were hired.

It is no exaggeration to say that the best Chinese medicine doctors in the city are currently seeing patients here.

Tang Zhitong followed Zhang Chengping back to the temporary dormitory for the students, which was a whole row of several rooms.

Judging from the orientation of the house, this row of rooms should have been the back houses in the former courtyard.

The so-called back house refers to the house facing south and north in the courtyard. This kind of house is prone to dampness, mold, and poor lighting. In the past, in wealthy families, the back house was generally where servants lived.

The room is not big, but it does not have a dormitory. It has six bunk beds, which can barely provide each student with a relatively independent space.

The lights were on in the room, and several young people were chatting excitedly. It seemed that no one was complaining about the accommodation conditions.

There was limited space in the room, so Tang Zhitong didn't go too far inside. He walked two steps inside and stopped. He could smell the distinct scent of pine wood. He looked at the bed and realized that it was newly made for the training of the students.

Tang Zhitong seemed to understand why these young people did not complain. Although it was a bit crowded here, they had electricity, new beds, friends, and they did not have to work. It was better than the conditions in the countryside.

"Chengping, you're back?" A roommate saw Zhang Chengping and raised his hand as a greeting.

Zhang Chengping was not good at speaking, so he just smiled and said "hmm".

Tang Zhitong looked at his cousin and felt that he was not doing well. He took out a box of Wanxiang from his pocket, opened it, and said with a smile: "Hello everyone, I am Zhang Chengping's cousin. Does anyone smoke?"

"Um... can I smoke it?" The young man who greeted Zhang Chengping was a little bolder, staring at the cigarette in Tang Zhitong's hand, a little greedy. "You can smoke it, just be careful not to burn the bedding roll. Come on, take it!" There were legs between the beds, and it was difficult for Tang Zhitong to squeeze through, so he took out the cigarette and threw it through the gap between the beds.

With someone taking the lead, other young people were eager to try. Tang Zhitong was not stingy and passed the ball directly to those who were closest, while those who were separated by others either threw it or asked the young people next to them to pass it to them.

"Hey, do you have a fire?" The young man felt embarrassed after searching his body for a long time but couldn't find any.

"Oh, I forgot about that. Let me throw it to you." It was a bit uncouth for smokers not to bring cigarettes or lights, but some of them couldn't even afford to eat, so what else could they ask for? Tang Zhitong didn't mind and took out a match from his pocket.

"Don't worry, I'll go over there." The young man stood up and slowly moved out.

Tang Zhitong looked at him and recalled his dormitory when he was in high school. It was an eight-person room, but it had seven double beds. The difficulty of getting in and out was tolerable, but the snoring of his roommates at night was unbearable...

"Senior cadres smoke Peony, middle-level cadres smoke Evergrande, the working class smoke Ermao and Sanmao, and the poor and lower-middle peasants smoke Dapao. This cigarette is more smokeable than Dapao." The young man lit a cigarette, took a puff, and the jingle came out along with the smoke.

"It's nice to smoke, but not as strong as a cannon." Other young men lit up their cigarettes, took a puff, and expressed different opinions.

"Cough cough... choke!" There was a young man who had never smoked before. After taking a puff, he coughed so hard that tears came out.

"Oh my god, I'd say you two are wasting things." The young man who boasted about his good cigarettes was deeply distressed by his roommates' behavior.

"What are you doing? Who told you to smoke in the dormitory? What if you burn something?" Criticizing voices came from outside the door. Several young men stood there with cigarettes in their mouths, as if they had done something wrong and were at a loss as to what to do.

"Doctor Xia, this is my fault. I gave cigarettes to the students and chatted with them for a while." Tang Zhitong didn't expect to meet an acquaintance here at this time. Xia Xiangwen, a doctor at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and also a member of the editing team, turned around and quickly took over the responsibility.

"Oh, it's Section Chief Tang. Are you here to inspect the work?" Xia Xiangwen did not expect to meet Tang Zhitong here. Not only did his voice soften, but there was also a smile on his face. As a member of the editorial team, he understood the importance of Tang Zhitong.

"Doctor Xia, you're too polite. I'm a family member of a trainee in this training session. My cousin, Zhang Chengping, was selected by the commune to come here for training. I met him today. There are no buses, so I just took him here." There was limited space in the dormitory, so Xia Xiangwen did not come in, so Tang Zhitong walked out while talking.

Tang Zhitong spoke frankly, but Zhang Chengping listened with trepidation. His family knew his own affairs, so was he really elected by the commune?

As Tang Zhitong went out, several young men started smoking secretly in the dormitory again. At only one cent a cigarette, they were reluctant to throw it away, but they quickened their pace, trying to finish it before finishing their chat outside.

While smoking, they whispered, "How high of an official is the section chief?"

"He must be as important as the head of a commune," someone guessed.

"Oh my god, the boss lit a cigarette for me?"

"Chengping, you did a great job keeping this secret. You didn't let any wind leak out even though there was such a relative at home."

There are several people in the dormitory, and everyone has different concerns. Everyone talks at once, saying all kinds of things.

Facing his roommate's questioning, Zhang Chengping was nervous and embarrassed. He grinned happily, "I didn't know he was an official."

"Hey, what did your relative say when he came in just now? He's your cousin? How old is he?"

"I'm twenty-one this year." It's customary in rural areas to say one's age based on the lunar calendar, so Zhang Chengping reported his age according to the lunar calendar, and it was just right, so as not to give Tang Zhitong away.

"Twenty-one?! Oh my god..." After hearing that Tang Zhitong was only twenty-one years old, all the young men in the dormitory were shocked. It was too fucking beyond their imagination.

The scene outside the dormitory was quite different.

The two people were talking about what happened to them after the meeting. Their personal situations were more or less different from those before the meeting, otherwise wouldn't the meeting be in vain?
Tang Zhitong had originally not planned to contact the training teacher here. Firstly, it would make it more obvious if he asked someone else to take care of Zhang Chengping. Secondly, he didn't know how Ye Zhijuan would handle it, and he was afraid of doing it twice.

Fortunately, Xia Xiangwen was tactful and did not mention how to take care of Zhang Chengping in the future during the conversation.

This kind of thing, in fact, is just right...

Tang Zhitong chatted with Xia Xiangwen for two cigarettes, and when he figured that the young man in the dormitory had finished smoking, he said he wanted to go back.

At this time, the young people in the dormitory had a different attitude towards Tang Zhitong. They were close and warm just now, but now there was a hint of awe.

There was no way to chat any further, so Tang Zhitong simply said hello and didn't ask Zhang Chengping to send him off. He walked to the parking lot in front of the entrance of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, unlocked the car, and rode home.

Compared to when they came, the street lights on the main road were also off. Fortunately, there was a bright half moon hanging in the sky in the first half of the night. Tang Zhitong did not have night blindness, so he could still walk home slowly.

The family left the door open. After Tang Zhitong entered, he bolted the door and went straight back to the side room.

Student Xiao Wang was still awake, reading a book with his left hand on his chin. When he heard the noise, he stood up and greeted her: "Are you cold?"

"It's okay. It's getting late, so why don't we go to bed?" After all this trouble, it was already nearly ten o'clock. Before Tang Zhitong came here, the nightlife had just begun and many people had not yet moved on.

"Okay. My mother asked you to mix some shepherd's purse and send it to Director Ye tomorrow." While busy pouring water for washing, Xiao Wang conveyed his mother-in-law's wishes.

"No problem. I'll talk to mom tomorrow and ask her to make some dumplings. There's a lot of shepherd's purse, so we have to eat it tomorrow. If we leave it out for another day, it'll wilt." Wild vegetables have not been carefully selected by our ancestors. They taste good, but their shelf life is far inferior to that of vegetables.

"You and my mom think the same thing. My mom said shepherd's purse can be used to make pancakes, porridge, and dumplings. She asked me to ask you how you want to eat it." Xiao Wang said with a grin.

"Then let's make dumplings. I'll prepare the filling tomorrow. It's Sunday, so I can take a break." Although he had a good job and was received by the audience, Tang Zhitong still wanted to combine work and rest and relax.

"Okay, you're allowed to sleep in tomorrow morning." Classmate Xiao Wang brought the prepared foot washing water to Tang Zhitong's feet. Her husband had been very busy these days, and he took the time to install a wash basin for her convenience. She was very content.

This time, Tang Zhitong took off his shoes and socks to wash his feet. His eyes twitched as he saw Xiao Wang take out another special basin to collect water. Xiao Wang was so obsessed with having a child that he had to wash his feet almost every night.

But the situation is different tonight. No matter whether it is foot washing water or any other water, it can be directly discharged out of the house through the washbasin. Xiao Wang no longer has to open the door with his long legs covered with cold white skin and suffer the cold.

Washing is healthier. Tang Zhitong calculated that he had quit smoking for a month and a half, and it would be about time for sowing in another month and a half. If he allowed Xiao Wang to continue washing like this, he might not be long before he could take the health supplements that Zhang Ruojian had given him.

(End of this chapter)