We got on the train back and gradually took off our cumbersome winter clothes. It was almost noon when we arrived at Chuncheng Railway Station. It was a sunny day, the sun was very strong and it was a bit hot. Zhan Aiping and her husband took the child, got on the train and took a few hours' mountain road back.
When getting out of the car, Zhan Aiping felt dizzy and her face was pale. The two children had fallen asleep in the car and had not woken up yet. Gu Sheng carried the children into the house and let them sleep on the bamboo beds.
Finally they were back. It was already night when they got back. Zhan Aiping let out a breath and felt like sauerkraut dug out of an old jar, sour and wrinkled.
After quickly washing her hair and taking a shower, she kept yawning because her hair was not dry. She couldn't sleep and could only hold back her sleepiness.
She also went to check on the children, fearing that they might feel unwell from the exhaustion and the large temperature difference during the journey. She carefully observed the two silly kids who were sleeping soundly. The two little guys had normal body temperatures, and they slept in a surrendered posture, sleeping extremely soundly.
They are really two well-behaved little darlings who don’t need their parents to worry about them.
Even though she is a doctor, Zhan Aiping is afraid that her two children will get sick. Colds and fevers are a trivial matter for ordinary people, but in fact, many people die from colds and fevers in hospitals every year.
Children often have convulsions when they have a high fever. They become confused, twitch and talk nonsense, which can scare adults to death. If the high fever is not treated in time, it is possible that the child will become a fool. In the commune village, many people with brain problems had problems when they had a high fever when they were young.
Zhan Aiping once encountered a case of high fever convulsion. Some people thought the child was possessed by evil spirits. Instead of taking the child to the hospital for treatment, they secretly found a witch to nail nails into the child's limbs to seal out the evil spirit. As a result, the high fever did not cause death, but the child was nailed to death.
She also wrote down these cases and promoted them to the general public.
"Wife, let me wipe your hair."
Gu Sheng helped her dry her hair. The couple ate something casually, closed their eyes and fell asleep on the bed. They slept very soundly. When Zhan Aiping opened her eyes, she felt lazy all over. Yesterday's fatigue was swept away and she felt a lot lighter.
Gu Sheng and the two children had already gotten up. Guo Bao Rou took his sister Xiao Tangyuan to play with cars. They each had a car with "supplies" loaded on the roof, including firewood and Xiao Tangyuan's ethnic doll.
In addition to cars, popular toys in every household now include various simple airplane, cannon and tank models. Children like to strike various poses and imitate the sounds of cannons.
Gu Sheng packed his things while looking after the two children.
Seeing the busy scene at home, Zhan Aiping rubbed her face and asked, "Why am I always the last one to get up at home?"
As an adult, it seems a bit shameful to stay in bed until now.
Gu Sheng smiled and said, "You'll have to ask yourself, the lazy mother of the piglets."
Zhan Aiping stretched out her voice: "Okay, okay, I'm a lazy mother, and our hardworking father Gu has a pile of clothes waiting for you to wash. They are all thick winter clothes, and I can't wring them out."
Gu Sheng's mouth twitched: "Can't turn it? I think you are thick-skinned."
During their trip back and forth, the family had taken off a lot of thick winter clothes, especially those for the two children, and they were piled up there. It was okay in sub-zero weather, but after a few days here, they would easily become smelly.
Zhan Aiping went out to look at the roses in the yard. The flowers were growing very well, almost wildly. They adapted well to this temperature. The seedlings that had been grafted earlier had already sprouted buds and new leaves. Soon Zhan Aiping would have a batch of rose seedlings that were 20 to 30 centimeters tall.
They are planted one after another, and their descendants will be endless.
Zhan Aiping nodded with satisfaction.
"Comrade Gu, you go wash the clothes outside. I'll go in and look after the kids."
Gu Sheng was pulling a rope in the yard. His family had to wash and dry a lot of things today. They had to take out quilts, blankets and sheets to dry. What could be washed should be washed, what could be dried should be dried, and there were also winter clothes that had been taken off... So they had to hang more ropes to be able to dry so many things.
Gu Sheng finished pulling the rope diligently and took out the quilt to dry in the sun. The sun was out now, casting a faint halo of light on the quilt. Gu Sheng used an extra-large children's bathtub to wash clothes.
Zhan Aiping kindly provided the washboard.
Gu Sheng washed a basin of clothes neatly and prepared to hang them up to dry. There was a man standing in the yard of the house next door. That man was Deputy Head Qian from the house next door. Deputy Head Qian glared at Gu Sheng, his eyebrows furrowed so tightly that they could pinch a fly to death.
Deputy Regiment Commander Qian stared at him for a long time, and finally couldn't help it. He walked over and spoke to Gu Sheng: "Chief of Staff Gu, I know you are a good husband, but can you be more of a man in the future and wash clothes less in the yard? It's not a good influence on the people around you."
Gu Sheng hung up the clothes in his hands and asked: "Are you afraid that Sister Zhou will see it?"
Deputy Head Qian said, "She has seen it so many times."
Mrs. Zhou often saw Gu Sheng next door doing laundry and cooking, but she didn't have any special reaction. Mrs. Zhou still did housework and took care of the children at home, thinking that taking care of the family was a woman's job.
She is not like Dr. Zhan around her, the director of a hospital, who is busy with work like men. She is at home, able to do housework, of course she has to do more housework, and with her two daughters to help her, Mrs. Zhou does not have a hard and tiring day.
"My sister-in-law doesn't have any objections, and you still say I have an influence. What influence can I have?"
Deputy Head Qian snorted, "You are affecting my daughters. My eldest and second daughters see you washing clothes here every day. My daughters will never be able to get married."
"Don't hurt my daughter!"
Gu Sheng wrung out a piece of clothing: "I harmed your daughter? I didn't even worry that my daughter wouldn't be able to get married."
Deputy Head Qian said, "Girls should be more diligent at home and learn to do things. You two are living next door to our family and have set a bad example. My eldest daughter and second daughter should follow your wife's example."
Gu Sheng smiled: "Just follow my wife's example. Who says women have to do housework at home? Anyone who can lend a hand can lend a hand. My wife also gets a salary and works."
"Women have to work, get paid, take care of children, and come home to do housework. If they can do this, they are much better than men. Old Qian, if you want to be better than women, you also go to work, get paid, and come back to do housework and take care of children. I admire you for that."
Deputy Head Qian: “…”
Gu Sheng said: "It's good for your daughter to look at me more. I'm saving your daughter. Who says it's natural for women to do housework? Your daughter should be more careful when looking for a partner in the future and don't be fooled by others."
"You—" Deputy Captain Qian was angry at him.
What does this mean? Is it implying that he is not a good partner or husband
Deputy Head Qian returned home and told Mrs. Zhou, "The family next door is back."
"Really?" Mrs. Zhou said in surprise, "I heard some noise from his house yesterday. Is he out now? Did you just see his small pot-fried pork? After the Chinese New Year, our big pork elbows are getting stronger again, but I wonder if their small pot-fried pork has gotten stronger too."
"They've been out for quite a while this time..."
Mrs. Zhou quickly put away the things in her hands and said, "I have to take a chance to check out the situation of his sweet and sour pork."
As a neighbor of Zhan Aiping, the two boys are about the same age. When Mrs. Zhou looks at her own big pork elbow, she can't help but observe the sweet and sour pork next door to compare it with the boy's.
Deputy Head Qian said, "Don't worry about Da Elbow for now. Think about your daughters, Daya and Erya."
"What happened to Daya and Erya?"
Deputy Head Qian said, "How can they get married when they are so wild? They even wanted to be doctors and learn from Dr. Zhan next door. These two girls are just looking for a good role model."
"What's the point of a woman reading so many books? A woman who reads too much will become restless and unwilling to work hard at home. If she is unwilling to work hard, which man will be willing to marry her in the future?"
"I married you because you are virtuous and hardworking."
"Look at Dr. Zhan next door. He never has a peaceful day. His family is always in a mess. It's ok to plant some vegetables in the yard, but now they are talking about flowers. What are those flowers for?"
Mrs. Zhou said, "Flowers can be eaten, too."
"You should take care of your daughter and don't let her learn bad habits. A decent girl should help with housework at home, find a good husband and take good care of her husband and children."
Mrs. Zhou held Dazhuozi in her arms and listened to him sullenly. Although Mrs. Zhou worked hard at home and had two daughters before and later gave birth to a son, in her mind, her sons had an important status, but she also hoped that her first two daughters would live well.
This is how her life will be. Her daughters' lives may not be like this. The two girls said they wanted to study hard to become doctors or nurses, and Mrs. Zhou was very happy.
The uneducated always envy the educated. It is better to work outside than to do housework at home.
Even though she thought so in her heart, Zhou's wife still called Daya and Erya over and told them what their father was thinking: "Your father wants you to behave yourself in the future and go to the neighbor's house less often."
Daya said, "I want to learn medicine from Aunt Zhan next door."
Erya said: "Me too, me too!"
For these two little girls, Aunt Zhan next door is their role model, and they want to live like Aunt Zhan.
When they have time, they will take the initiative to go to the neighbor's house to help weed and catch insects, feed the chickens, and look after the sweet and sour pork and the little Tangyuan siblings. They are very happy. There are many books in the neighbor's house, and Zhan Aiping will give them to them to read.
Deputy Head Qian said, "What are you learning? You are too ambitious. You should just work at home. Why do you go to help other families? The two sisters are looking forward to their return every day. If you don't know, you would think that Aunt Zhan next door is your mother. If you have the guts, change your last name to Zhan."
Daya said: "Aunt Zhan is an aunt, not our mother."
Erya said: "My last name should be Gu, and I want Uncle Gu to be my father!"
"What are you talking about, girl? Are you going to piss your dad off to death?"
Deputy Head Qian was thinking about correcting his daughters' ideas. "Do you think your neighbor Uncle Gu and Aunt Zhan's family can be happy? Since ancient times, men have been the breadwinners and women have been the homemakers. It's not normal for the family next door to do that. Don't copy them. Sooner or later, they will have problems."
Daya and Erya didn't listen to what he said.
Zhan Aiping also started to clean up the house after dinner. Once she started, she couldn't stop and her waist ached from exhaustion. "Old Gu, Old Gu, why do we have so many things in our house?"
It has only been two years, and the house has been filled with things. Before the two children were born, their home was minimalist, with simple and elegant furniture and basically no small items. But now, there are too many miscellaneous small parts.
Zhan Aiping said: "These two little piglets are like two little garbage dumps. Since raising them, it has become increasingly difficult to clean up the house."
With the addition of two little ones, there are countless more things in the house. The things they need alone are too numerous to count.
I accidentally broke a bottle before.
This time when they came back, the two of them brought all kinds of toys again, and the bamboo bed against the wall was piled with toys for the two little ones.
Gu Sheng said: "You two piglets' garbage pile is still on the way."
They came back first, and asked someone to take their other things back. They are still on the way, waiting for someone to take a ride with them.
Zhan Aiping: “…”
"If this continues, even the biggest home will feel small."
Doing housework and taking care of children is indeed hard work. It is not tiring, but it is tedious in daily life. Zhan Aiping hopes that her family will have a washing machine and a refrigerator as soon as possible. If they can develop faster, it would be best to have a dishwasher and a sweeping robot.
"When the two children grow up, it's time to let them do some work. Little ones, you have to put away your own toys, wash them when they get dirty, and mom will help you disinfect them and bask in the sun..."
Captain Jiang, the children in Wang Youli's family have grown a lot. They are over a hundred days old, half a year old, and have grown teeth. Jiang Meihui has also become thinner.
As soon as Jiang Meihui saw Zhan Aiping, she complained to him: "I have had such a miserable New Year, Doctor Zhan. My brother is really a bad guy. He took his sister-in-law to eat delicious food and let me eat coarse food on the side."
Zhan Aiping smiled and said, "Just be patient, the fruits of the revolutionary victory are just ahead."
Jiang Meihui has indeed worked hard. She has lost a lot of weight, looks much more energetic, and her eyes have become bigger. However, when she smiles, her two dimples become more bitter.
"Doctor Zhan, it's really not easy for me."
"During this period, I have been losing a lot of weight, but my little nephew has been gaining a lot of weight. Look at this big plate of chicken. It's quite big, isn't it? But his hair..."
The hair of Captain Jiang's big plate chicken is different from that of ordinary people. This little fat boy's hair is not sparse, but his hair whorl grows naturally in front, on his forehead. This little fat boy eats well, and his hair is hard and prickly. The whorl on his forehead looks like a "little tornado". Anyone who sees it will exclaim.
Zhan Aiping touched the "little tornado" on Dapanji's head and thought it was quite cute, just like wearing a small windmill on its head.
Jiang Meihui said: "It's interesting, just like that big windmill, it can turn when the wind blows."
Zhan Aiping said: "It won't affect anything if you trim your hair better in the future."
For men, if they have a flat head, the whorl is not obvious, and if they shave their head, it is even less obvious.
Ordinary people usually have only one whorl of hair, which grows on the back of the head. Some are on the left, some are on the right, and some are special like Dapanji, where the whorl of hair grows in the front.
Some people may have more than one hair whorl, some may have two or three.
The sweet and sour pork brother and sister from Zhan Aiping's family don't have any special whorl of hair on their heads. There is only one, which grows at the back. The brother and sister have normal hair, and it's not too thick or too thin.
Jiang Meihui looked at the little whirlwind on her nephew's head and said with a smile, "It will be like a broom when it grows up. You didn't see it."
"Doctor Zhan, if I give birth to a child in the future, do you think it will also be a whirlwind?"
Zhan Aiping said: "Little Tornado is great, he is a capable person."
"Your family's big plate chicken is really strong after eating it." Even the big pork elbow from Mrs. Zhou's family would feel inferior when seeing it. The big plate chicken is really a big plate. Let's put it this way, although he is only half a year old, he is stronger than the big pork elbow.
Jiang Meihui said, "With two cooks at home, how can they not grow strong? Doctor Zhan, I suspect that it is easier for our family to grow strong than others."
Zhan Aiping said: "Your sister-in-law is thin."
"Only my sister-in-law is thinner..."
Zhan Aiping wondered why they all raised their children to be so strong. Compared with the big elbow and the big plate of chicken, her little Guobao was a slim little monkey. Although his face was still chubby, it was just chubby. The rest of his body had already started to have layers.
"Don't raise your child too strong."
Zhan Aiping just said it casually. No matter now or in the future, parents will not listen. They always want their children to eat well and drink well. The stronger they grow, the healthier they are.
Of course, this is not without reason. In this era of low food and clothing standards, strong people can live longer. Strong people can withstand risks, resist cold and frost. If they are fat, they don’t have to worry about starving for a few days. They have fat to consume and can hold out longer than thin people when encountering dangerous situations.
It’s better to have sweet and sour pork that is neither too fat nor too thin. Even if you want to gain weight, you still need to exercise to build muscles and give your child more protein.
After visiting Captain Jiang's home, Zhan Aiping went to Shen Liqing's home. If Zhan Aiping's home was a small garbage dump, then Shen Liqing's home had become a large garbage dump with all kinds of things piled up together. It seemed that the couple were troubled by their two children.
Zhan Aiping couldn't help but sigh. She remembered that when they first moved in, both Zhan Aiping's and Shen Liqing's families had a minimalist style. Now, twins were born in each of their families, and the two children's things had made a mess of the house.
Qin Lanfang's family has a big plate of chicken and three adults, but they manage to keep the house tidy. Jiang Meihui, the sister-in-law, is very motivated and keeps herself busy all day long in order to lose weight.
Zhan Aiping said to Shen Liqing: "If your family is too busy, I will find Meihui to help you."
"No, no, no—" Shen Liqing quickly shook her hands, "Doctor Zhan, it's not that I'm too busy at home, I'm just too lazy to clean up. Lao Wang and I are too lazy to clean up. Doesn't it look like a doghouse?"
Zhan Aiping said: "Pay attention to ventilation and clean up."
Shen Liqing sighed: "After cleaning, it quickly becomes a mess. It's really not easy to raise two children at home."
"Did the two kids bother you?"
Shen Liqing pursed her lips, unable to put it into words, "Our daughter is very noisy and lively, and her hands and feet are very strong. As for the boy, he is too lazy to move every day. I suspect that the child is sick. Doctor Zhan, please help take a look."
"Why is this kid so lazy?"
Faced with their son's condition, Shen Liqing and her husband were very anxious and worried, because the child was quiet and silent, in stark contrast to their lively daughter. Shen Liqing and Wang Youli were particularly worried. She was worried that their child might... have something wrong with his brain
"Doctor Zhan, look, Lao Wang and I wanted to take him to the hospital for a checkup, but he was too lazy to move, and he didn't scream or cry. He just... acted like a fool. Do you think he has a brain problem?"
Shen Liqing and his wife were indeed worried that they had given birth to a stupid son. They were extremely worried every day and could not even eat well during the New Year's Day. They were always thinking about this and that and had no mood to clean the house.
Zhan Aiping examined the child and teased her pickled fish. The pickled fish was attracted by the toy in her hand and its eyes followed her. "Isn't your child quite normal?"
Shen Liqing said anxiously, "You don't know, he just lay there motionless all day, his sister can sit and crawl, but he doesn't move at all, letting his sister crawl beside him."
The two children were obviously born at the same time, but their development speeds are very different. The older sister is lively, crying and making noises, while the younger brother is too lazy to even cry. He doesn't turn over, move, or try to explore the world around him.
It is because the two siblings look so different that Shen Liqing is anxious. "I have consulted a doctor before, and he said he couldn't see any problems and asked me to give him more guidance."
Zhan Aiping smiled and said, "Then you should guide him more and make him move."
Zhan Aiping tried to tease the child, to attract him to look up, to guide him to grasp... She found that the child was quite smart and did everything well.
Zhan Aiping said: "You are quite normal, kid."
Shen Liqing said with a dark face: "He is just like a donkey. He only moves when others drive him. He has no subjective initiative at all."
Zhan Aiping smiled and said, "That's not how you use your subjective initiative."
Zhan Aiping guessed that this "Sour Cabbage Fish" was born lazy and didn't like to move. He would only move when he was interested. After teasing him more, she found that this child was actually quite smart.
Such a small baby knows that he will never be cheated if he is cheated. How can he be a fool
"Your child is a smart one. You are very lucky."
He is smart, but a little bit lazy.
There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with saying he is Shen Liqing's son. Like mother, like son.
Shen Liqing's mouth twitched: "He is smart? He is too lazy. Is he really too lazy to move and not stupid? I see that none of the big elbows from Captain Jiang's family, Director Li's family, Xie's family, and Qian's family are like him..."
Zhan Aiping couldn't help but say, "When you first came, you also didn't go out to work for a year."
There is no other female family member in this compound who is as lazy as her.
"Xiao Shen, you are also very smart."
Wang Youli popped his head out from the back and said, "I don't see how she is smart, she is just lazy. My son is not as lazy as her. Fortunately, my daughter is like me and is diligent."
Looking at his lazy son at home, Wang Youli felt that his lively daughter was what he loved most.
The lazy son didn't move at all, just lying there like a lifeless rag doll. It took a lot of effort from the adults to poke him, and he would only move out of courtesy.
It’s tiring the adults to death.
Wang Youli would rather both of his children were as lively and active as his daughter, rather than having one lively and active and the other motionless.
Trying to tease his son is just asking for trouble, as he will look at him with squinted eyes, as if saying that his father is a "fool".
He is like the toad on the lotus pod, jumping up and down when poked.
It takes a lot of effort to find a way to amuse him.
"Doctor Zhan, why is it that when you tease him, he is so obedient?"
Shen Liqing said: "My son is just judging by the situation, he probably doesn't like you."
Zhan Aiping fed the pickled fish some biscuits and found that he was very happy to eat. Shen Liqing got angry when she saw this lazy son, "Look, he is the most enthusiastic about eating."
Wang Youli said: "He is lazy and likes to eat. He is just like you."
Shen Liqing said: "You are the same."
Wang Youli said, "Director Li said my son is well behaved, so I might as well give him to her."
The child born to Director Li at an advanced age was a troublesome little devil who made trouble every day. Director Li was so worried that he lost weight.
She particularly envied the pickled fish at Shen Liqing's house and was planning to change her son's nickname to one containing pickled vegetables, but she hasn't changed it yet.
Zhan Aiping said: "Director Li thinks that you two are born with blessings but don't know how to appreciate them."
Director Li, who has four children, must be extremely envious.
One of Shen Liqing's children is lively and noisy, while the other is not. They feel uncomfortable because the two children are too different. However, they don't know that the child who is not noisy is an angel baby to adults.
—I’m a bit lazy indeed.
Is it because of prenatal education
But if it is prenatal education, two children are listening to the same prenatal education classes, so how come one is lively and active while the other is so lazy
When Shen Liqing was lazy in the past, she was very confident and had her own reasons. But now that it was her son's turn to be lazy, she started to get angry and disliked her son for being too lazy.
In addition to “evil men will be punished by evil men”, there is also “lazy men will be punished by lazy men”.
I really don’t know what these kids will be like when they grow up.
(End of this chapter)