Chen Lan asked Jiayao to lock his bicycle properly, and then waited with Jiayao and his mother outside the waist-high wooden fence gate of the courtyard. Chen Lan observed that the houses on either side of this yard were also enclosed by similar waist-high wooden fences. She moved closer and saw that there were tables and benches inside the courtyard, and Director Huang's family was eating there.
As soon as Sister Tian pushed open the courtyard gate and entered, the people eating in the courtyard saw her and immediately put down their bowls and stood up to greet her.
The main dishes on the table were cornmeal wotou, a bowl of pickled vegetables stewed with potatoes, a bowl of steamed eggplant, a bowl of large sauce, and a bowl of corn paste for each person.
Two young men in their twenties, while offering their seats, called out, "Aunt Tian, please sit. You're just getting off work? Have you eaten? Why don't you just eat something here."
At this moment, a middle-aged woman about Sister Tian's age called out, "Meizi, just off work? Haven't eaten yet! Why don't you just eat something here."
Sister Tian waved her hands repeatedly and said, "Sister Yingzi, Dayong, Xiaoyong, you don't need to mind me. Sister Yingzi, you and the children should eat quickly. I'll go home and eat later. They always wait for me to get home before eating. I'm here today to see your Old Huang about something. Is your mother-in-law any better?"
The middle-aged woman called Sister Yingzi sighed and lowered her voice, saying, "My mother-in-law is still the same. She's weak and needs tonics, but you know how it is these days, Meizi. The meager grain ration for the whole family isn't enough for just her. But she worries about the grandchildren growing up and eating only coarse grains, saying their bodies can't take it. She absolutely refuses to eat separately, so she got sick again a few days ago. Oh, right, Meizi, is there something at the hospital that you need Old Huang for?"
Sister Tian also lowered her voice and said softly, "I do need to see Old Huang about something, but it's good news. By the way, Sister Yingzi, where is your Old Huang? Isn't he home?"
Sister Yingzi also replied in a low voice, "He's home! A few days ago, I secretly went to the black market and got two jin of rice. Today he's boiling some rice water and feeding it to my mother-in-law in the next room. Come, I'll take you to him." With that, she turned and led Sister Tian into the house.
Chen Lan looked up, admiring the three-story dormitory building that gave Sister Tian such immense satisfaction. She then noticed that these courtyards were all built on the sides of the dormitory building, not the front.
This small courtyard was an additional structure built specifically after converting a window in the side room into a door! This was a good idea, as it invisibly increased the living space at home. On good weather days, the family could eat and chat in the courtyard, and also store household items.
Chen Lan had lived in a dormitory building when she was a child in her previous life, and the experience was indescribable. The characteristic of "dormitory buildings" was that a long corridor connected many single rooms, so many families lived there, and everyone saw each other every day. Because the long corridor was ventilated at both ends and shaped like a cylinder, people called this type of building a "dormitory building."
However, the rooms in these dormitory buildings were generally not large. Each single room was estimated to be only about ten to twenty square meters. A family could get at most two rooms, and some families could only get one room. Even so, the entire family had to squeeze into a very small room;
In dormitory buildings of this structure, bathrooms and shower rooms were usually located at the ends of the corridor and were shared, which was very inconvenient. Every morning, queuing was required for washing and using the toilet, and for showering at night. In the end, when people couldn't stand it anymore, each family prepared a large water vat outside their door.
Furthermore, most families cooked their meals in the corridor. So, when it was mealtime, the corridor and the stairwell would be filled with clamor and flying oil fumes, making the corridor messy. This illustrated how poor the housing conditions were for ordinary people during this period.
Chen Lan and her son did not wait for long before Sister Tian, along with a middle-aged couple, pushed open the fence gate one after another and invited Chen Lan and her son inside to talk.
Seeing that both parties had met, Sister Tian said, "Sister-in-law, this is Director Huang, whom I told you about. If you have any questions or requests, talk to Director Huang directly. I won't disturb your conversation; my family is waiting for me to eat!"
With that, she turned and walked directly out of the fence gate.
Seeing Sister Tian leave without looking back, Director Huang and his wife beckoned Chen Lan and her son inside. As soon as they entered the room, Director Huang warmly invited the mother and son to sit down.
While sitting down, Chen Lan discreetly surveyed the small room. Indeed, it was very narrow. Besides a large bed, the room was filled with old cabinets, old tables, and stools. Chen Lan thought to herself that this room probably served as both the couple's bedroom and the living room for guests.
At this moment, Director Huang's two sons brought a cup of water to each of them and invited them to drink. The mother and son naturally thanked them profusely.
The two young men smiled shyly and left, presumably going to Director Huang's mother's room next door.
While thanking them, Chen Lan gestured for Jiayao to hand over the bag of apples and said, "Director Huang, I apologize for disturbing you during your meal. This is a small token of our appreciation. We hope you will accept it."
Director Huang looked at the mother and son, waved his hands in refusal, and said, "It's alright. Treating the sick is the doctor's duty. You don't need to be so polite. Please take your things back! Please tell me about the patient's specific condition first!"
Chen Lan looked at Jiayao and gestured for him to speak. So, Jiayao explained to Director Huang in detail about Wei Dang's current physical condition and his own treatment methods.
Meanwhile, Chen Lan was also observing Director Huang. He was around fifty years old, thin, with a face full of weariness and exhaustion. A few gray hairs had appeared on both his temples. His pair of not-so-large eyes on his thin face radiated a calm and wise light. There were some crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, but this surprisingly added to his approachability.
After Jiayao finished explaining the treatment plan, Director Huang nodded and said, "Young man, your treatment methods, steps, and medication are all very good. Are you also a medical student?"
Jiayao nodded calmly and replied, "Yes! I studied traditional Chinese medicine with my master for over ten years, and then I studied Western medicine with Dr. Zhong, who was sent down to our valley, for a few years. She taught us how to give injections and care for patients, but I haven't had the opportunity to learn how to perform surgery yet."