Chapter 30

The day before Lu Baiwei was to take the barefoot doctor certification exam, Tang Jinghe came to her house.

“Weiwei, how are you preparing for the barefoot doctor exam?”

“Almost ready.”

Tang Jinghe had a habit of pretending to be deep and serious whenever something was at stake, walking around with his hands behind his back like a big shot.

As soon as he entered the room, he stood in front of Lu Baiwei, his hands behind his back.

Lu Baiwei knew that Tang Jinghe used this gesture to hide any concerns or worries he had.

To reassure him, Lu Baiwei patted her chest and said, “Uncle, He Ting has been helping me with my cultural studies. During this time, I’ve gone through the barefoot doctor manual over and over, and I’ve mastered all the knowledge in it.”

“And for the practical skills, you know, I used to follow my grandfather around to help him with medicines, and I’ve even done acupuncture for people.”

When Lu Baiwei mentioned He Ting’s help, Tang Jinghe secretly relaxed.

“That’s good, that’s good.”

Tang Jinghe then got to the point: “Weiwei, Third Uncle came here to tell you that there has been a change regarding your barefoot doctor certification exam.”

“He Yan, from the Youth League Center, studied nursing before going to the countryside and worked as a temporary worker in a hospital for a few months.”

“I don’t know exactly what happened, but she went to the commune and recommended herself. In addition to your spot, the commune added her as well.”

An unexpected development had occurred, and the commune issued a temporary notice before the exam, challenging the authority of Secretary Liu and Tang Jinghe.

Both of them weren’t too happy about it.

Tang Jinghe was particularly concerned that something might go wrong with Lu Baiwei’s exam, so he came specifically to get a sense of her preparation.

“You’ve prepared well, and Third Uncle is relieved.”

“Don’t carry any psychological burden, just do your best in the exam tomorrow.”

The last time Liu Chunhua had made threats, Lu Baiwei thought she might go to the commune to complain, saying that her moving into the two rooms in the brigade clinic was against the rules.

To avoid causing trouble for Secretary Tang Jinghe and Liu, Lu Baiwei had asked her cousin, Tang Yunling, to help her pay the rent.

One more person going to the county hospital to take the barefoot doctor exam — is that it?

But if He Yan passes and Lu Baiwei fails, she would have to move out of the two rooms in the brigade clinic.

Liu Chunhua and Lu Jiaojiao had found He Yan, who had worked as a nurse, to compete for the position of barefoot doctor in the brigade.

If Lu Jiaojiao had some medical knowledge, Lu Baiwei thought that the spot would never go to the educated youth He Yan.

Lu Baiwei guessed that He Yan getting the spot was connected to Lu Jiaojiao.

And she was right!

Indeed, it was true!

As soon as Tang Jinghe left, Lu Jiaojiao, accompanied by He Yan, came to the door.

“Sis, you’re going to the commune tomorrow to take the barefoot doctor exam, right?”

Lu Jiaojiao hated Lu Baiwei.

If it weren’t for Lu Baiwei’s reminder, she wouldn’t have known about Yin Zhihui’s incompetence.

After Yin Zhihui and she got their marriage certificate, he hadn’t touched her at all.

She thought it was because Yin Zhihui resented her for dragging him into the haystack, causing the whole brigade to gossip about them, which made him uncomfortable.

She thought that since they were already married, things between them would take time.

But after Lu Baiwei casually mentioned it, to confirm her suspicions, she forcibly initiated things with Yin Zhihui.

To her surprise, Yin Zhihui really wasn’t capable.

After all the struggles, she ended up with a castrated rooster.

Lu Jiaojiao almost spat blood in frustration.

Did Lu Baiwei already know Yin Zhihui was incapable and purposely trick her into this?

In her frustration, Lu Jiaojiao took pleasure in seeking revenge on Lu Baiwei.

Liu Chunhua had suggested that if Lu Baiwei couldn’t pass the barefoot doctor exam, she could go to the commune and report it, claiming that Secretary Liu and Tang Jinghe had abused their power for personal gain.

But it turned out that Lu Baiwei had paid rent for the room, and it was a legitimate rental.

Lu Jianguo had also given her some advice, suggesting that if someone with medical knowledge took the exam, it wouldn’t be guaranteed that someone like Lu Baiwei, who only had a middle school education, would pass.

So, Lu Jiaojiao found He Yan, a young educated youth with some nursing experience, thinking she could sabotage Lu Baiwei’s chance of becoming the barefoot doctor for the brigade.

He Yan, who was proud and didn’t want to work in the fields, naturally agreed to join in. She had always resented the fact that He Ting had married a village girl, which she couldn’t accept.

The two women quickly formed an alliance.

Happy to add to Lu Baiwei’s frustrations, Lu Jiaojiao proudly hooked her arm through He Yan’s and boasted, “He Yan is also going to the county hospital to take the barefoot doctor exam tomorrow. I’ve found you a companion.”

“Sis, you don’t have to thank me.”

Lu Jiaojiao watched Lu Baiwei work the sewing machine.

On the sewing machine was a shirt made from floral print cotton fabric that Lu Baiwei had sewn. The fabric was brighter than rough cloth and didn’t wrinkle when worn. She heard that this fabric was hard to get.

Lu Baiwei, who had married He Ting, was actually going to wear clothes made from such fabric?

Looking at the nearly finished garment on the sewing machine, Lu Jiaojiao’s eyes burned with jealousy, as if she were about to spit fire.

Seeing the nearly finished shirt on the sewing machine, with just one more round of stitching to go, Lu Jiaojiao’s eyes burned with envy.

In this life, He Ting treated Lu Baiwei so well, giving her such fine fabric to make clothes.

Meanwhile, Lu Jiaojiao had married Yin Zhihui, thinking she would become a rich wife, but Yin Zhihui was incapable in certain areas.

If she hadn’t chosen Yin Zhihui, the beautiful fabric would have been hers to wear.

The better He Ting treated Lu Baiwei, the more Lu Jiaojiao hated her, her face contorting with jealousy.

“Sis, He Yan worked as a nurse before going to the countryside, and her education level is higher than yours. You better study hard for the exam, or if you don’t pass, you’ll have to move out of the brigade clinic with He Ting.”

“You don’t acknowledge Dad anymore, so where will you live?”

“Sis, even though your uncles dote on you, your cousins will still need to get married and have children. They can’t let you and He Ting keep living there, right?”

“Just think, sis, you might soon be homeless. I’m really worried for you as your sister.”

He Ting had just gone to the backyard to water the vegetables when he saw Lu Jiaojiao, like a fly, leading He Yan to their door.

He set the bucket down in the kitchen and walked in, hearing Lu Jiaojiao’s barking voice.

He Ting was about to speak up and ask them to leave when Lu Baiwei, stepping on the sewing machine, looked up and seemed to finally recognize what Lu Jiaojiao was doing.

“So, it’s Jiaojiao who’s here?”

Lu Jiaojiao’s face was swollen and red, with bloodstains from where she had scratched at the scabs.

Since Lu Jiaojiao had been married for almost a month, the wounds from where Shen Guixiang had scratched her should have healed by now.

Why were the wounds getting worse?

Lu Baiwei, without a hint of politeness, cut the thread ends off the shirt with scissors and slowly said, “Your face is so swollen, you look like a pig’s head. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Lu Jiaojiao: “…”

She was stunned into silence.

She couldn’t boast anymore.

Yin Zhihui was incapable, and she had tried many times to make it work. She even got so angry she kicked him off the bed and called him useless, regretting marrying him.

The noise got so loud that Shen Guixiang had heard it.

Then she faced a combined attack from Yin Zhihui and Shen Guixiang.

Shen Guixiang scratched her, and Yin Zhihui slapped her, leaving her face swollen like a pig’s head, with bloodstains from the scratches all over it.