Hearing the sound, Wang Qingsong felt a surge of joy.

Although his vision was limited to only two or three meters due to malnutrition, he knew exactly who had arrived.

“Auntie, it must be Zhang Mazi. Only he would be out at this time.”

The Zhang Mazi he referred to was the supply and marketing cooperative’s consignment point in the brigade.

He collected local products and sold basic rural necessities like oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, needles, and thread. He usually went to the commune to restock.

Sure enough.

A donkey cart with a lantern hanging from it soon came into view, slowly approaching.

“Whoa~~”

As it drew near, Zhang Mazi stopped without waiting for them to speak and smiled, “What are you all doing here?”

Being from the same brigade, he recognized almost everyone.

Wang Qingsong smiled and said, “Uncle Zhang, we’re planning to go to the city for medical treatment. Can you take us to the main road? We’ll catch the bus there.”

“Sure! Hop on.”

Since they were from the same brigade, it was just a small favor, and he was heading that way anyway.

“Ah, thank you, Uncle Zhang!”

Wang Qingsong quickly expressed his gratitude and helped the two others onto the cart.

“Sit tight, we’re off! Der Giddy up”

Zhang Mazi reminded them, gave a shout, and the donkey cart started moving.

The cart jolted along as it made its way toward the main road.

However, after just a few steps, the donkey stopped.

Zhang Mazi quickly jumped off the cart, skillfully pulled out a wooden bucket from the side, and placed it behind the donkey.

“Plop~ Plop~”

Black dung dropped into the bucket, accompanied by a strong smell of urine.

Zhang Mazi chuckled and scolded, “Lazy donkey, always needing to relieve itself. It hasn’t even been long since we set out, and it’s already dropping dung.”

Being villagers, they weren’t surprised by this.

They all laughed.

Once the donkey finished, it snorted and started moving again. Zhang Mazi hung the bucket on the front right side of the cart and continued driving.

The remaining distance was only about two li, a five-minute journey, and they soon reached the main road.

“Alright, I can only take you this far. I still need to go to the commune.”

“Thank you, Uncle Zhang~”

Wang Qingsong expressed his gratitude once more.

After a brief exchange, Zhang Mazi drove the donkey cart away.

By now, the sky was beginning to lighten.

Wang Qingsong glanced at the sky and smiled, “Auntie, don’t worry. The bus from the county leaves at six and should arrive here around six-thirty. We’ll have to wait a bit.”

He estimated it was just before five.

That meant they had gotten up around three or four in the morning, with Xiao Zao waking up even earlier.

There was no helping it. Watches were too expensive, costing dozens of yuan, and required special tickets. They were a rare luxury.

Auntie Feng smiled and nodded, “It’s fine. We’ll wait a while and rest our feet. It’s just that my body isn’t what it used to be. In the past, I could’ve walked this distance without needing a ride.”

Wang Qingsong chuckled.

Auntie Feng was still as stubborn as ever!

But what could she do? Her body couldn’t keep up anymore.

The three of them stamped their feet and exhaled warm breaths into the chilly night air, waiting quietly.

Wang Qingsong remembered that getting soybeans at the hospital depended on the situation.

He turned to his younger sister and instructed, “Xiao Mai, when we get there, remember to speak softly and act weak, like you’re out of breath with every move. Understand?”

As for Auntie Feng, she didn’t need any coaching.

Her condition was already severe enough.

Xiao Mai was puzzled, “Why? What do you mean by ‘out of breath’?”

“Just do as I say, okay?”

Wang Qingsong explained, “Out of breath means… like this… Oh dear…”

He feigned weakness, his eyes half-closed, looking as if he were on the verge of collapse.

Xiao Mai burst out laughing, “Brother, you look like you’re about to die!”

“Ah, yes, just like that.”

Auntie Feng, watching the scene, also smiled.

Wang Qingsong then began teaching her.

Although Xiao Mai didn’t fully understand, she paid close attention.

The three of them waited for over an hour. By the time the sky was fully lit, a blue-and-white bus slowly approached.

Wang Qingsong waved, and the bus stopped.

The door opened, and the conductor’s voice called out, “Hurry up, hurry up! It’s freezing!”

The three of them quickly boarded.

The bus wasn’t large, seating only about fifteen or sixteen people. At the moment, there were only five or six passengers.

Before they could even sit down properly, the bus started moving.

They found seats close by, and the conductor approached.

“Where to?”

“Fuchengmen.”

“Twenty-eight cents per person. Do you have student IDs? Total of fifty-six cents.”

“Yes, yes.”

Wang Qingsong knew that students got discounted fares. He was surprised that Xiao Mai didn’t need a ticket, as she had never been to the city before.

He handed over the IDs, and the conductor took forty-four cents.

He saved a bit more money.

Feeling pleased, he sat down.

Realizing he didn’t know the way, he asked, “Comrade, could you tell me where the big hospitals near Fuchengmen are?”

“Oh, the White Pagoda Temple Hospital! It’s about two li from the bus stop. One of the best hospitals in the capital.”

Wang Qingsong quickly asked, “How do I get there?”

“When you get off at the bus stop, walk east along Fuchengmen Outer Street. It’s on Fuchengmen Inner Street. You can ask around on the way.”

“Ah, got it. Thank you!”

Wang Qingsong thanked her and returned to his seat.

Looking at the other passengers on the bus, he noticed they all looked pale and thin.

The journey of over thirty li was slow, with frequent stops and bumpy roads.

Along the way, construction sites were everywhere, a sign of the city’s rebuilding efforts.

However, the workers looked exhausted.

They weren’t exactly collapsing, but they weren’t far from it.

Forty minutes later, they finally got off the bus near the bus stop.

“Just go straight ahead, and you’ll find it!”

Before leaving, the conductor reminded him of the directions.

Wang Qingsong had been to his second and eldest brothers’ places before, so he understood what the conductor meant.

Looking at the tall city gate tower in the distance, he said to Auntie Feng, “Auntie, let’s go. It’s about two li ahead. We’ll ask for directions along the way.”

Auntie Feng nodded.

The three of them slowly made their way toward the city gate.

The two-hundred-meter-long gate tower took them about ten minutes to pass.

Many horse and donkey carts passed through the arched gate, all with cloth bags tied behind the animals.

“Brother, what’s that for? Why do the mules have cloth on their backs? Are city mules that precious?”

Xiao Mai pointed at a passing mule cart, curious.

Wang Qingsong glanced over and smiled, “City folks care about cleanliness. They don’t want animals defecating or urinating in the city, so they use these bags to catch the waste. They take it back to use as fertilizer.”

“Oh~”

Xiao Mai nodded in understanding.

Once inside the city, they saw bustling streets filled with people.

“Brother, their clothes are so pretty.”

Xiao Mai gazed enviously at the well-dressed women passing by.

Wang Qingsong glanced at them. He had once admired the clean, white clothes of city dwellers, but after meeting that girl the other day, these people now seemed like ugly ducklings in comparison.

He comforted her, “We’ll wear clothes like that someday too.”

In terms of clothing, their family had once been quite well-off. Not just in their production team, but throughout the entire brigade, they were known for it.

Thanks to his eldest brother.

He had given them many old clothes from the city.

But when their father was alive, the family was large, and the clothes were divided among everyone. During the difficult times, even his eldest brother couldn’t provide much, so they hadn’t received any old clothes for three years.

However, after his second brother got married last year, he brought back more old clothes and shoes.

Naturally, their father distributed them among the family again, citing the need to take care of everyone.

This left Wang Qingsong and Xiao Mai with few “new clothes.”

These “new clothes” were actually second-hand clothes from his second brother. In the city, they were old, but in the countryside, they were considered new.

The cement roads, brightly dressed people, and tall buildings with newly constructed cement shops all captivated Xiao Mai, who was visiting the city for the first time.

“Brother, there are so many cement houses in the city! Even the roads are made of cement! It’s so clean!”

Xiao Mai pointed at the cement buildings and roads, marveling.

Wang Qingsong nodded, “Yes, it’s all cement. When will we ever live in houses like these?”

He, too, felt a mix of envy and admiration.

They walked slowly, asking for directions along the way, until they finally reached the White Pagoda Temple Hospital at a crossroads.

The five-story building, clean and tidy grounds, and surrounding greenery left the three of them standing at the entrance for a while.

Beijing Municipal People’s Hospital

The name wasn’t “White Pagoda Temple,” but since the area was historically known as the White Pagoda Temple, the locals still called it that.

“Let’s go in. Xiao Mai, remember what I told you earlier, okay?”

Before entering, Wang Qingsong reminded his sister.

Xiao Mai quickly nodded, putting on a weak expression, though it looked a bit awkward.

Auntie Feng chuckled at the sight.

“You don’t need to act like that. Just pretend you’re sleepy.”

Hearing this, Xiao Mai thought for a moment and looked at her brother.

Seeing him nod, she changed her expression.

Wang Qingsong smiled, “Ah, that’s better. Just keep that up, and don’t slip up. Whether we can get some good stuff depends on you. If we can get a few pounds of soybeans and some eggs, that’d be great.”

With that, the three of them walked into the hospital.