The bookstore manager immediately began to hype up the potential benefits, promising to help secure food stamps and create a compelling story to persuade them.

“I’m telling you, Auntie,” he said, trying to paint a favorable picture of the situation, “if you cooperate, there will be benefits for everyone.”

“You folks are just honest and straightforward, not having seen much of the world beyond your small town. Let me tell you, in the provincial capital, speculation and profiteering are rampant.

I know a guy who has relatives in the liquor and tobacco factories. He resells cigarettes and alcohol, making thousands each year, and no one catches him for speculation and profiteering.

Selling a few eggs and some vegetables from the countryside isn’t considered speculation and profiteering; it’s just making a living.”

Fang Dihua scoffed, “That won’t last forever.”

The bookstore manager paused, then pointed to the old lady selling popsicles by the roadside. “Look at that lady. She’s been selling popsicles there every summer for the past couple of years.

With a bookstore, a state-run restaurant, a cinema, a school, a county guesthouse, and a tailor shop nearby, her business is booming.

She sells a cartful in the morning and another in the afternoon, and no one accuses her of speculation and profiteering.”

Fang Dihua wasn’t stupid.

If she was the only one allowed to sell while others couldn’t, she must be state-run, like the supply and marketing cooperative.

As for how the money was accounted for, that was unknown.

She nodded. “Alright, let’s go have a look.”

The bookstore manager immediately told his staff to keep an eye on the kids at the entrance.

They rode their bicycles straight to the medicine procurement office behind the county hospital to find Manager Yan, whom they knew.

Lin Shu hadn’t expected the county hospital to be a sprawling complex of blue brick and gray tile houses, rather than a two or three-story red brick building.

The precision of the brickwork was impressive.

She suddenly remembered what her sister-in-law had gossiped about: Apparently, the county hospital and the county committee’s large courtyards used to belong to her father-in-law’s grandfather’s family.

Her father-in-law’s grandfather was a famous large landowner in the county, a super miser who allegedly sold opium and collaborated with the Japanese.

Naturally, he was executed.

Fang Dihua walked with a demeanor as if she had nothing to do with the place, showing no signs of anxiety or unease.

Carrying her large cloth bag, she strode purposefully, occasionally glancing back to make sure Lin Shu kept up and didn’t fall behind.

Dr. Yan, in his early fifties, was in good spirits, though his balding head was now prominently visible.

The remaining hair around the sides of his head seemed to naturally form a crown around the sparse top.

His medical skills were inherited from his family.

Originally running his own clinic in the county, he later transitioned to working with the government as part of a cooperative effort.

Eventually, he joined the county hospital, where he handled traditional Chinese medicine, including outpatient services and medicinal procurement.

In this period, doctors often had to juggle multiple roles due to a shortage of medical professionals. Dr. Yan, full of energy, managed to see patients and provide services even after regular working hours, offering medical consultations to neighbors.

He praised Lin Shu’s purple herbal ointment, noting, “It’s authentic and very effective.”

Dr. Yan’s father specialized in gynecology, but in his youth, Dr. Yan considered it beneath him and focused instead on internal medicine and pediatrics.

He excelled at diagnosing pulses, making prescriptions, and utilizing traditional herbs and formulas to treat diseases efficiently with inexpensive medicines.

However, he was not skilled in acupuncture or pharmaceutical preparation, as his initial studies had consumed all his energy, leaving no room to learn about acupoints or needle techniques.

His older brother, who specialized in acupuncture, was killed in an unfortunate incident.

A quack doctor’s malpractice led to a chaotic situation where Dr. Yan’s brother was mistakenly killed in the turmoil.

This tragedy made Dr. Yan less compliant with regulations and less harmonious with those who previously caused trouble at the hospital.

Despite his high medical skills and current position as a department head, even provincial and city leaders sought his medical expertise, which kept him somewhat insulated from criticism.

Others might directly requisition the Lu family’s formulas without providing compensation, using lofty arguments about contributions and development to pressure them.

Dr. Yan preferred to support the hospital’s auxiliary staff instead.

He didn’t ask for the formula details but suggested that Mr. Lu come to the county hospital to discuss cooperation.

The bookstore manager, familiar with Dr. Yan and knowledgeable about local affairs, reassured Fang Dihua, “Auntie, don’t worry. Working here for a day will definitely earn you more than working in the village. We cover transportation, meals, and lodging, plus there’s a service fee. You won’t make less than a yuan a day.”

One yuan a day amounted to thirty yuan a month, which was equivalent to the daily labor points in the countryside.

“Calculating the total, it comes to about thirty or forty cents.”

Fang Dihua was sharp and not easily fooled. She asked Dr. Yan, “Can you provide us with food stamps?”

Farmers in the countryside often lacked food, especially during the transition between seasons when dried sweet potatoes were exhausted, leading to hunger or reliance on wild vegetables for sustenance.

Dr. Yan readily agreed, “Of course, there will be wages and food stamps. Don’t worry. The formula is still yours; the hospital only needs the ointment.”

Fang Dihua replied, “Alright. I’ll go back and discuss it with my husband. He’s not very mobile and doesn’t like to travel far.”

She knew that it wasn’t like the old days where commissions could be negotiated, but if it was easier than farming, that was good enough.

Lin Shu noticed a lot of medicinal herbs here, including a small patch of medicinal chrysanthemums and a few sunflowers by the wall.

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately asked Dr. Yan if she could buy some medicinal chrysanthemums and sunflower seeds.

Dr. Yan laughed, “Those things are not worth much. I’ll dig up two chrysanthemums for you.”

He dug up two medicinal chrysanthemums for Lin Shu to plant at home and, for the sunflowers, he used a trowel to scoop out three or two handfuls of seeds, placing them in a paper bag for her. “When you get home, winnow out the chaff and pick the full seeds.”

Lin Shu quickly thanked him and also mentioned that her father-in-law had a lot of mint and often foraged for medicinal herbs to make his own medicines.

She herself knew how to administer acupuncture and cupping.

Dr. Yan was very interested. “Tell your father-in-law to come to the county soon. I’d like to have a good chat with him.”

---

Since they were from the same county, Dr. Yan was familiar with Mr. Lu.

He had stayed at the Lu family’s large carriage shop before, and when Mr. Lu was younger, he had come to ask for advice on acupuncture techniques.

They had gotten to know each other well, though he would never mention the embarrassing details.

In their younger days, they had frequently met, but after the public-private partnerships came into effect, their interactions had diminished.

After discussing everything, Fang Dihua was ready to leave.

She wanted to take Lin Shu to the county supply and marketing cooperative.

She had brought several coupons for cloth from home and wanted Lin Shu to pick out a few yards to make a summer jacket.

At home, there was no sense of it, as everyone wore patched clothes in the village.

Lin Shu’s appearance didn’t seem problematic to her.

But once she came out, she realized how shabby Lin Shu looked, almost like a beggar.

Though she was clean, the loose jacket had patches on the shoulders and elbows, and the hem was frayed.

The pants were also worn with patches and had become ragged, with the hems hanging loose.

Of course, she wasn’t any better, but she couldn’t see it herself and felt that it didn’t matter for an old woman like her.

Even though the cloth meant for the original owner was taken away, Fang Dihua…

Fang Dihua felt that the Lu family owed her, especially since her son risked his life out there.

She believed they should treat his wife better.

Lin Shu was concerned about Fang Dihua’s eyes, so she asked Dr. Yan about it.

Dr. Yan, who was very friendly, had Fang Dihua sit down and used a small flashlight to examine her eyes. “Oh, young lady, you have some inflammation in your eyes. It’s quite severe.”

Fang Dihua, feeling slightly offended, said, “I look older than you. You should call me ‘big sister’ or ‘sister-in-law.’”

Dr. Yan quickly complied, “Sister, you should get a number and see the ophthalmologist. We got some new machines for eye examinations a few years ago.”

Fang Dihua grumbled about the cost of registration.

She thought that seeing a doctor in the village was much cheaper, costing only a few pennies, while here it was a whole dime just to register!

Despite her complaints, she told Lin Shu to hurry up and go.

The bookstore manager wanted to discuss the purple herbal ointment with Dr. Yan, so he didn’t go with them.

As soon as they left the herbal medicine office, Fang Dihua hurried forward with her large cloth bag, moving quickly as if someone were chasing her for her money.

Lin Shu stood at the entrance to the outpatient clinic, watching Fang Dihua’s tall figure with a sigh. “Mom, this way.”

Fang Dihua, muttering to herself, thought, Why has my daughter-in-law suddenly become so clueless? Let’s hurry.