Chapter 13 chapter Ten

It was only afterwards that I realized how big a disaster I had caused. After I escaped from the hospital, my aunt cut open the artery on the left wrist, dipped her right index finger in the blood, and wrote a bloody book: I hate Wang Xiaoti!I was born a member of the party, and I will die as a ghost of the party! When Huang Qiuya triumphantly returned to the office, blood had already flowed to the door.She screamed and collapsed to the ground.The aunt was rescued, but she was punished by staying in the party for probation.The reason for punishing her was not to suspect that she had a real relationship with Wang Xiaoti, but to demonstrate to the party by committing suicide.

In the autumn of 1962, 30,000 mu of sweet potatoes in Northeast Gaomi Township had an unprecedented bumper harvest.The land, which had been at odds with us for three years and was almost fruitless, had returned to its benevolent and generous nature.The average yield of sweet potatoes that year exceeded 10,000 jin.Recalling the scene of harvesting sweet potatoes, I feel inexplicably excited.Under each sweet potato seedling, there are many fruits.The biggest sweet potato in our village weighs thirty-eight catties.Yang Lin, Secretary of the County Party Committee, took a photo with the big sweet potato in his arms, and it was published on the front page of Dazhong Daily.

Sweet potatoes are good things, sweet potatoes are really good things.The sweet potatoes of that year not only had a high yield, but also had a high starch content, and when boiled, they would turn sandy. They tasted like chestnuts, had a good taste and were rich in nutrition.In Northeast Gaomi Township, sweet potatoes are piled up in the yards of every household, and iron wires are stretched on the walls of every household, and sliced ​​sweet potatoes are hung on the wires.We are full, we are full at last, the days of eating grass roots and bark are over, the days of starving people are gone forever.Our legs are less swollen in no time, our bellies are thicker and smaller.Fat has gradually accumulated under our skin, our eyes are no longer dull, our legs are no longer numb when we walk, and our bodies are growing rapidly.At the same time, the breasts of the women who ate sweet potatoes gradually grew larger, and their periods gradually returned to normal.The waists of those men straightened up again, beards grew on their mouths, and their sexual desire gradually recovered.Two months after eating sweet potatoes, almost all the young women in the village became pregnant. In the early winter of 1963, Northeast Gaomi Township experienced its first birth boom after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. In this year, 2,868 babies were born in our commune alone, in 52 villages.This group of children was named "Sweet Potato Children" by my aunt.The dean of health is a good man with a kind heart.When my aunt attempted suicide and went home to recuperate, he once visited our house.He is my grandma's natal nephew and a Guaman relative in our family.He criticized my aunt for being confused.He hoped that my aunt would let go of her thoughts and work hard.He said that the eyes of the party and the people are bright.A good person will never be wronged, and a bad person will never be spared.He told my aunt to believe in the organization, to prove her innocence with practical actions, and strive to restore her party membership as soon as possible.He whispered to my aunt: You are different from Huang Qiuya.This person's nature is very bad, but your roots are right, although you have taken a few detours, as long as you work hard, your future is still bright.

The dean's words made my aunt burst into tears again. The dean's words also made me cry aloud. My aunt stood up from the pool of blood and went to work with enthusiasm like fire.At that time, although every village had trained midwives, many women were still willing to go to the health center to give birth.Aunt Gu put aside her former suspicions and worked closely with Huang Qiuya, both as a doctor and as a nurse. Sometimes she could not sleep a wink for several days and nights, and saved the lives of many women and babies from the gate of hell. Over five months, they delivered 880 babies, including 18 caesarean sections.At that time, caesarean section was still a very complicated operation. A small commune health center gynecology department with only two people dared to do such a big job, which caused a sensation for a while.Even an arrogant person like my aunt can't help but admire Huang Qiuya's superb medical skills.The reason why my aunt was able to become a famous maternity and infant doctor in Northeast Gaomi with a combination of local and foreign countries is really thanks to her enemy.

Huang Qiuya is an old girl, she probably never even dated in her whole life.Her eccentricity is forgivable.After entering her old age, my aunt told us many times about her old enemy.Huang Qiuya, the daughter of a Shanghai capitalist and a graduate of a prestigious university, was relegated to our Gaomi Northeast Township. It's really "a phoenix in the past is not as good as a chicken"! Who is the chicken?My aunt laughed at herself and said, I was the chicken, the chicken that fought with Fenghuang, she was really scared of being beaten by me later, when she saw me, she sifted chaff all over her body, like a four-legged snake that swallowed smoke.My aunt said with emotion that everyone went crazy at that time, and thinking about it was like a nightmare. My aunt said that Huang Qiuya was a great gynecologist. Still concentrated and calm, even if a stage is set up outside the window to sing a big show, it won't affect her.My aunt said, her hands are really clever, she can embroider on women's bellies... Whenever she says this, my aunt laughs, laughing, and tears come out of her eyes.

My aunt's marriage has become a heart disease in our family. Not only the elderly elders are worried, but even a teenage wild child like me is also very worried.But no one dared to mention this matter in front of her aunt, and she would turn against her when she mentioned it. In the spring of 1966, on the morning of the Ching Ming Festival, my aunt took her apprentice—we only knew her nickname was "Little Lion"—a 18-year-old girl with acne, a bulbous nose, and wide-set eyes A girl with fluffy hair, short stature, and quite plump body came to the village to conduct a physical examination for women of childbearing age.After work, my aunt took the little lion home for dinner.

Pancakes, boiled eggs, scallions, bean paste. We have eaten it a long time ago, watching my aunt and the little lion eat. The little lion looks very shy, lowering his eyes and not daring to look at people, his acne is like red beans. The mother seemed to like this girl very much, and asked questions about the short and long, and it seemed that she was about to ask about marriage.The aunt said: Sister-in-law, stop nagging, do you want someone to be your daughter-in-law? Where, my mother said, how can we dare to climb high as a peasant family? The "little lion" girl is fed by the national treasury. You nephews, which one is worthy of her?

The "Little Lion" lowered his head and couldn't eat anymore. At this time, my classmates Wang Gan and Chen Bi ran over.Wang Gan only looked into the house, and stomped the chicken bowl on the ground to pieces. My mother scolded: You brat, why don't you have eyes when you walk? Wang Gan rubbed his neck with his hands, giggling silly. Wang Gan, how is your sister?The aunt asked, have you grown a little taller? It's still the same... Wang Gan said. Go back and tell your father that my aunt swallowed a mouthful of pancakes, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and said, no matter what, your mother can't reproduce, and her uterus will be dragged to the ground after giving birth.

Don't tell them such womanly things.mother said. What are you afraid of?Auntie said, just to let them know how difficult it is for women!Half of the women in this village suffer from uterine prolapse and half suffer from inflammation.Wang Gan's mother's uterus protruded from the vagina, like a rotten pear, but Wang Leg still wanted a son!Someday I will meet him... and Chen Bi, your mother is also sick... My mother interrupted my aunt and scolded me: Get out, hang out with your cronies, don't be annoying here! Walking into the alley, Wang Gan said: Xiaopao, you want to treat us to fried peanuts!

Why do you want me to treat you to fried peanuts? Because we have a secret to tell you.Chen Bi said. what secret? You invite us to eat peanuts first. I do not have money. Why do you have no money?Chen Bidao, you stole a piece of scrap copper from the mechanical farming team of the state-owned farm and sold it for a dollar and twenty cents, pretending we didn't know? It wasn't stolen, I hurriedly argued, they threw it away and didn't want it. Even if it wasn't stolen, it's true that it was sold for one yuan and twenty cents, right?Treat yourself!Wang Gan pointed to the swing beside the threshing field.Many people gathered there, and the swings rattled.There was an old man there selling fried peanuts.

After I distributed the 30 cents worth of peanuts equally, Wang Gan said solemnly: Xiaopao, your aunt is going to marry the secretary of the county party committee to be the house-filling lady! nonsense!I say. Your aunt has become the wife of the secretary of the county party committee, and your family will be ruined. Chen Bi said, your eldest brother, your second brother, your sister, and you will be transferred to the city soon to arrange work and eat from the state treasury. Grain, go to college, become a cadre, at that time, don't forget about us! That "little lion" is so beautiful!Wang Gan suddenly said something.