CHAPTER 63: CHAPTER 63: BRING TWO STICKS

"What story?"

The little kid was sniffing and hiccuping, but he spoke quite clearly, even a bubble of snot came out of his nose.

Yi Chichi found it amusing, but her face showed nothing as she replied, "Do you know Wang Erxiao?"

"I do!"

He sniffed, and in a loud voice said, "Wang Erxiao is a hero, I’ve read his comic book."

"How about you tell his story to me, so I can also learn about his heroic deeds?"

Her tone was gentle, and her movements treating his wound were equally delicate and swift.

All children like to perform, Liu Ze was no exception. Learning Yi Chichi wanted to hear a story, he completely forgot he was the one supposed to hear a story, transforming into the storyteller, and began chattering away.

Truth be told, the kid had quite the talent for storytelling, his emotions were particularly well managed, and his expressions were spot on.

He didn’t sound flat when he was supposed to be excited, and he wasn’t angry when he should be calm. When he did get angry, even his eyebrows seemed to fume.

His little expressions matched with the emotions in his voice, creating quite an immersive experience.

The brigade leader and others listened by with wide eyes and jaws dropped, Liu the Third and others were even more incredulous. Could their son (nephew) really have this skill?

Soon, Liu Ze’s wound was treated.

"All done!"

"Huh?"

The little kid was quite shocked, "That’s it?"

"Yep."

He couldn’t comprehend, "Uncle Yaozi isn’t this fast."

Yi Chichi, ... there was no good way to respond to this, she couldn’t exactly say Uncle Yaozi wasn’t good at treating external injuries.

"Anyway, you’re all healed now, be good and wait until I’m done treating your brother and the others, then I’ll chat with you, okay?"

In a negotiating tone, Liu Ze felt respected and nodded earnestly, "I’ll be good, sis, you carry on."

"Good boy!"

After praising him, Yi Chichi began to treat Liu Chen and the Liu couple’s wounds.

Half an hour later, having finished treating everyone, she packed up while gently reminding, "Avoid getting the wounds wet for a while, pay attention to hygiene and disinfection, try to keep your diet light and nutritious... During the healing phase, itching might occur, but definitely refrain from scratching with your hands, as it may lead to secondary injury and possibly leave scars... If any seepage or signs of infection occur, come see me at the team clinic immediately. Did everyone get that?"

"Got it!"

The four-member family nodded in unison, their posture more upright and serious by the second, gazing at her with gratitude.

"Yi Zhqing, thank you for coming all this way!"

"No thanks needed, it’ll be noted by the team."

The clinic’s finances were handled by the team, and patients didn’t pay directly, everything was noted down.

At the end of the year, during points calculation and grain distribution, it would be settled uniformly, except for Uncle Yaozi’s hand.

Now Yi Chichi was taking over Uncle Yaozi’s duties, following the same process as before.

Liu Yongbo’s family accepted this well.

After bidding farewell to Liu Yongbo’s family, she left with her medical kit.

Before she stepped out, Liu Ze the little friend saw her to the door, looking reluctant, "Sis, can I come find you to play next time?"

"Of course, but you need to recover your wound first."

"I’ll heal well, make sure you wait for me."

"Definitely!"

He cheerfully extended a little finger, "Then let’s make a pinky promise?"

Yi Chichi laughed and made the pinky promise with him, Liu Ze was now satisfied, reminded her to be careful on the way back, and said not to fall again.

His words prompted the brigade leader and others to burst into laughter.

Yi Chichi blushed with shame, "Alright, alright, I didn’t know the road was so slippery."

Previous snowfalls had been quite substantial but didn’t last long, the clearing was timely, and the road hadn’t been as treacherously slippery as today.

Honestly, if the brigade leader and others hadn’t stepped in to lend a hand, she would have ended up falling face-first.

Thinking back on the difficulties of her journey, she felt a lingering fear, "Uncle, are you heading back?"

If they were, she would go with them, in case she got into trouble, she could find some help.

Plans sounded good, but the harsh reality informed her that the brigade leader and others needed to stay to help Liu Yongbo’s family repair their roof.

Upon learning this, she swallowed hard, "It’s still snowing."

"Even if it’s icing, we have to repair it, otherwise Lao Si and his family have nowhere to live."

Yi Chichi just sighed, and regretfully departed.

On her way back, she was extremely cautious, but it didn’t make any difference, she fell anyway when she was supposed to.

Returning to the Youth Corps Courtyard, she protested, "This road is too hard to walk."

Bai Chen and others were busily shoveling snow, responding without lifting their heads, "And who was it beforehand, clamoring to go to the commune for a bath?"

The implication was: The village roads are hard enough to walk, let alone the further distant commune.

Yi Chichi shrank her neck like a timid quail, muttering, "I didn’t expect it to be so difficult."

"Just bear with it for now."

Wang Nan fetched warm water for her to wash her hands, gazing at the snowflakes leisurely drifting down from the sky, he sighed, "When will this weather ever end?"

Who knows indeed.

Before coming to the Northeast, they thought Northeast winters were just like that.

Only after arriving did they realize, the Northeast winter and their hometown’s winter feel like they’re existing in two entirely different worlds.

It’s terrifying, continuously terrifying.

Going out without hats and gloves, without covering your face, you’ll be chilled numb within minutes.

Ge Sujuan sat wrapped like a bear by the fire, speaking with misty breaths puffing out of her mouth.

She remarked, "For those who choose to get married in this weather, what are they thinking?"

"Who’s getting married?"

They asked in unison, their gossip senses tingling.

Noticing her companions were clueless, Ge Sujuan sighed, "Who else, it’s my fellow townsfolk."

"That Chen Xiuxiu from Qingshan Brigade?"

Wang Nan asked out of curiosity, Ge Sujuan nodded, "The date was fixed early, I have to go attend the wedding at Qingshan Brigade tomorrow."

Yi Chichi calculated the distance between Qingshan Brigade and Kao Shan Village team, sympathetically patted her shoulder, "Remember to bring two sticks to use as crutches when you leave tomorrow."

Otherwise, she was worried Ge Sujuan might tumble before even reaching Qingshan Brigade.

"I don’t want to go."

Her face was full of reluctance, Zhou Qiuyu casually added, "Is it a close relationship? If it is, you should go, if not it doesn’t matter."

At this point, she remembered something, "By the way, is your fellow townsfolk marrying a Youth Corps member, or someone from Qingshan Brigade?"

"Not a Youth Corps member!"

Everyone instantly understood, she’s marrying a local.

Wu Yongfei asked, "What will you gift them when you go?"

"A pair of pillow covers."

At once, everyone recalled the pair of red pillow covers she bought at the department store in the county.

Yi Chichi mused, "You two must have quite a good relationship."

A simple friend wouldn’t give such high-class gifts, especially during these times, giving two dimes is considered generous; some impoverished families without money simply pluck some greens from the vegetable garden to give as a gift.

Pillow covers are typically gifted by close relatives.

She nodded, explaining, "We grew up playing together, and were stationed in the same place, naturally, we ended up becoming closer."