CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 76: NO REWARD WITHOUT EFFORT

"Actually, if you follow my standards, you might be able to become tailors in the future."

"The tailoring shop is nationalized, just like the clothing and textile factories, they’re all iron rice bowls, and we can’t get in."

The implication: if they could get in, they wouldn’t have to go down to the countryside for labor.

Yi Chichi... this topic couldn’t continue anymore.

One simply couldn’t tell them that in a few years not only will the college entrance exams be restored, but there will also be reform and opening up.

Too hard to explain; it’s better for her to avoid trouble.

So, the topic ended here.

Work ended past nine at night, and everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Yi Chichi drew some water to wash up, then carefully moisturized her hands and face before lying in her warm bed to sleep deeply.

After breakfast the next day, out of a sense of responsibility, she leisurely headed to the team leader’s house and asked the team leader to check on the old man’s health with her.

When the two arrived, the old man was sweeping snow at the door.

His spirits seemed much better.

Qin Jiu, the young boy, was wearing a patched-up cotton jacket from some child and squatting at the door playing with snowballs.

Seeing Yi Chichi, he darted like a rabbit to hide behind the old man’s back, clutching his clothes and saying, "Great-grandpa, the uncle and sister from yesterday are here."

Yi Chichi screamed in her heart, not sister, it’s maternal cousin.

You’re getting the generation wrong, little Xiao Jiu.

She’d only seen people acknowledging superiors, never anyone lowering their own generation like this.

Moreover, it was being done by a cousin’s child.

Speaking of which, whose child was Qin Jiu?

Pondering this, the team leader patted her, "Miss Yi, go ahead and do the check."

"Huh?"

Yi Chichi, deep in her thoughts, didn’t react and looked somewhat dumbfounded.

"I said, you can examine them now."

"Oh right, examine."

She had come under the guise of doing an examination, and the procedure needed to be followed.

Taking pulses was impossible, she could only observe their faces and ask about sleep, joint pain, night sweats, and such.

The old man and others answered every question.

After the check-up, a well-prepared Yi Chichi took out her medicine pouch, "You need to take two more doses of medicine."

"Still?"

They said in unison, showing identical bitter melon faces.

Originally relaxed Qin Jiu, like a timid snail, withdrew into his shell and hid behind the old man again.

He looked at her warily with his big sparkling eyes.

Yi Chichi’s smile froze on her face, was the medicine she brewed really that hard to drink?

"Yes, still need to drink it."

With a blank expression, the team leader, who initially intended to say something, swallowed his words and instead said—

"Listen to her."

You can’t afford to offend a doctor, even if Yi Chichi adamantly denied knowing any more than half-baked skills, the fact she could do acupuncture, prescribe medicine, and treat illnesses was undeniable.

Better to offend a petty person than a doctor.

With this thought, he said righteously, "It’s all for your health."

The statement was flawless.

The old man and the others could only comply.

So, Yi Chichi took the medicine pouch to prepare the medicine.

The team leader stayed outside chatting with the old man and the others.

Yi Chichi pricked her ears to listen, finding she could only hear murmurings, unable to make out what they were saying.

Thus, she gave up eavesdropping, proficiently lighting the fire, selecting herbs, soaking them according to their efficacy and texture for treatment.

Then she proceeded to boil them.

Suddenly, Xiao Jiu’s voice came from behind her.

"Sister, you didn’t put these in."

He pointed at the herbs in the basin and reminded loudly.

Yi Chichi was startled by him and turned to see the kid blinking his big sparkling eyes at her.

Her face flushed red, "When did you come?"

"When sister was putting the herbs."

The kid answered every question, Yi Chichi looked outside then at him, considering this a good opportunity to gather information.

"Your name is Qin Jiu, right?!"

"Mm."

The kid nodded, "Sister, what’s your name? And thank you for the sugary water yesterday, it was sweet."

He swallowed, as if savoring the memory.

Seeing this, Yi Chichi took out a White Rabbit candy and handed it to him, "Here!"

"No, thank you."

The kid put his hands behind his back, refusing to take her candy, "I can’t accept a reward without merit, sister, you eat it yourself."

"You even know ’no merit, no reward’?"

Yi Chichi feigned surprise, and the kid nodded proudly, "I do, I’ve read the Analects, the Three Character Classic, and..."

He rattled off a list.

Yi Chichi clicked her tongue in amazement, wow, the Qin Family has such depth, training a child in traditional and modern studies so young.

Are they preparing to develop Qin Jiu into an all-rounder?

Yi Chichi deliberately tested him, asking about his understanding of the Analects, the Three Character Classic, and put some math problems to him.

She also gave a couple of brain teasers.

And then, she realized that little Qin Jiu was quite something, a precocious prodigy.

Bending down, she looked into Qin Jiu’s eyes, "Xiao Jiu, how old are you this year?"

"Five and a half."

The kid held up four fingers, "I was born on July 28, 1965."

"Have you attended school?"

Qin Jiu nodded, "I did, but now there’s no school to attend."

The little face showed a hint of sadness, and his droopy look made Yi Chichi’s heart ache.

But there wasn’t much she could say, so she simply comforted him, "There will be schools to attend in the future."

It wouldn’t be long before education was restored, she firmly believed that with the old man’s foresight, even if Qin Jiu couldn’t go to school, they would teach him themselves.

Once education was restored, the kid could return to school.

Then, the two, a young and an elder, sat together watching the fire, chatting at leisure.

As they talked, Qin Jiu suddenly let out an ’ah’, making Yi Chichi think something had happened, causing her to prepare to ask anxiously, only to hear him say, "Sister, what’s your name?"

This term ’sister’ really made her head spin.

"... Yi Chichi."

Let’s give it a try, see if the old man has any recollection of her name.

If so, go with the flow, if not, then keep some distance in the future.

Qin Jiu responded with an ’oh’, feeling the name was somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

He furrowed his little brows, pondering, and a little light bulb in his mind suddenly lit up.

He remembered, he had heard his great-grandmother mention this name.

Could it be the same person?

The uncertain gaze fell on Yi Chichi’s face, he looked tangled for a while, then asked, "Sister, what’s your grandma’s name?"

Yi Chichi turned to look at him, seeing the expectation in the kid’s eyes, she smiled gently.

"Li Changqiu!"

Looks like the old man and the others had mentioned her, otherwise the kid wouldn’t have reacted like this.

Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, the child’s eyes lit up.

The corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably, then he tried hard to press them down, pretending to be serious and said, "Such a coincidence, my great-grandma’s name is Li Changxia."

"It is quite a coincidence."

Yi Chichi couldn’t help but laugh at his little adult-like demeanor.

The kid looked up at her, seeing the soft smile in her eyes, he opened his mouth.

Then suddenly ran out.

Yi Chichi wore a puzzled face, wasn’t, why did he suddenly run?