Chapter 375 Qin Jingru's Opportunity
Liu Hai was almost going crazy. He suppressed the nausea and staggered to the faucet. He desperately washed his filthy left foot, vowing to completely wash away the disgusting traces of feces and urine.

"Ugh... Ugh... Damn, I'm so sick..."

Liu Haizhong muttered indignantly: "Good intentions are really not rewarded, Jia Zhangshi, next time I interfere in your family affairs, I will take the same surname as you!" He washed his feet repeatedly, and the indescribable smell of feces and urine seemed to still stubbornly linger on him, making him feel disgusted.

Yan Bugui and Yi Zhonghai covered their mouths and noses, looking unhappy.

They had seen laziness before, but they had never seen laziness this big. Looking at the weight of this shit and urine basin, it was not something that could be accumulated overnight. It was not the coldest time of the year when people could not leave their houses in the middle of the night and had to relieve themselves on the spot.

"Sister-in-law, tell me what we can say about you!"

"In recent years, the government has been promoting health and epidemic prevention knowledge every day, every month, and every year. Why haven't you developed a good habit?"

Jia Zhang was embarrassed and managed a smile. "Well, there are many children at home, and I can't take care of them all by myself. I just let them do whatever they want at home... I promise that I will never do it again."

In fact, Jia Zhang knew that what she did was wrong. The health and epidemic prevention campaign was now a national priority, and the government ordered the people to strictly implement it. She didn't dare to mess with the manager of the courtyard on this matter, as this was their responsibility.

The patriotic health campaign during this period was highly valued by the country from top to bottom. It was also a great initiative of our party to apply the mass line to health and disease prevention work.

Since the founding of New China, under the leadership of the Party, mass health activities such as eradicating the "four pests", "five stresses, four beauties and three loves", "three stresses and one tree", and the creation of sanitary towns have been carried out in depth, greatly improving the health level and civilized and hygienic quality of the whole people.

As early as the founding of New China, epidemics were prevalent in urban and rural areas, and the people lacked medical care and medicine.

For the sake of people's life and health, from February 1950 to early 2, the Ministry of Health and other departments jointly launched a spring epidemic prevention campaign, mobilizing the masses to prevent and catch rats, prevent and kill fleas, and clean up in areas threatened by plague. A campaign to eliminate lice and pay attention to personal hygiene was launched in the old base areas, the Yellow River flood area, and disaster areas such as northern Anhui and northern Jiangsu.

The leader of the Xia Kingdom also wrote an inscription: "Mobilize, pay attention to hygiene, reduce diseases, improve health levels, and crush the enemy's germ warfare."

Subsequently, cities and towns across the country quickly launched an epidemic prevention and sanitation campaign aimed at eliminating disease-carrying insects and animals.

Under the historical conditions at that time, such movements were a political task to defend the motherland and were carried out under the guidance of patriotic ideas, so they were called Patriotic Health Campaigns.

In its "Instructions on Health Work", the Central Committee of the Xia Party put forward the slogan "Take hygiene as honor and unsanitary conditions as shame"; the patriotic health campaign in urban and rural areas focused on "two controls and five changes": controlling water and manure, improving wells, toilets, animal pens, stoves, and the environment.

As the vigorous patriotic health campaign continues, the spread of sudden acute infectious diseases such as plague has been effectively controlled, and the health of the people has been greatly improved.

This shows how important hygiene and epidemic prevention were during this period. For example, people are now used to drinking boiled water, which is actually a good habit developed from this hygiene and patriotic campaign.

Thermos cups filled with boiling water were once a popular symbol for modern Chinese people to mock their "midlife crisis". When asked about their impressions of Chinese tourists, the first thing foreigners would say is that they are looking for hot water everywhere.

All these give people the impression that drinking boiled water is a deep-rooted habit of the Xia people. In fact, the habit of drinking boiled water was developed during the patriotic health campaign and has a short history.

Before liberation, most places in the old capital did not have running water. At first, water was delivered from wells. Later, tap water was available, but there might be only one tap pipe on a street. People carried water to their homes and put it in water tanks.

Those who are a little more particular will make tea, but most of the working people and children will just drink it, gulping it down all at once and leaving when they are done.

What impressed me most, just like drinking raw water, was that “it was easy to get sick at that time” and “too many children had roundworm disease.”

Because the penetration rate of tap water is low, the most common water people drink is unsterilized river water, well water, and lake water. In some places, people even wash rice, vegetables, and flush toilets in the same river.

Therefore, in the long run, one can imagine how many bacteria and parasites will enter the human body through drinking water, and it is not surprising that people with weak resistance will contract intestinal infectious diseases such as dysentery and roundworms.

In order to help common people develop hygienic habits and teach them disease prevention knowledge, health propaganda at that time basically became known to every household.

In addition to government workers, those involved in the publicity are a large number of health activists who voluntarily work without pay.

At that time, in addition to the Patriotic Health Campaign Committees at all levels, health teams were set up in communities and compounds across the country.

Taking the old capital as an example, as early as 1949 when the ancient city was cleaned, the capital began to organize grassroots health organizations among residents. By 1951, there were more than 16 health teams in 11000 districts of the city.

After the Patriotic Health Campaign began, activists in the health teams took the lead in conducting inspections and conducting publicity, thus encouraging the masses to pay attention to hygiene.

For example, in the Longxugou area, almost every street has a health committee, and every ten households have a health team, and health inspections are required to be conducted three times a week.

Under the leadership of the sanitation team leader and activists, the garbage that used to pile up on both sides of the alleys has been cleaned up, and even the most remote and smallest alleys are free of garbage.

Taking Nanluoguxiang as an example, residents, led by activists, have consciously implemented sanitation work in their daily lives. Many slums have set up a rotation system, with each household taking turns to be responsible for cleaning the streets, yards and toilets.

Ahem... the topic has gone a bit off topic. I have said so much, but my real purpose is to emphasize that these days, hygiene and epidemic prevention are as important as Mount Tai.

At that time, no matter which corner of the grassroots, everyone regarded epidemic prevention as the top priority, and held on to it tightly and did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

Even so, in the 1980s, the country went a step further and wrote health and epidemic prevention work into the Constitution.

Therefore, Jia Zhang's behavior is actually against morality and policy, and she needs to be severely criticized and disciplined.

From a subtle perspective, she neglected personal hygiene; from a macro perspective, this undoubtedly provided a breeding ground for disease and endangered everyone's health.

In the courtyard at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, such behavior has not been seen for many years. Jia Zhang's behavior really made Yan Bugui and others dumbfounded and unbelievable.

Yan Bugui pointed at Jia Zhang with a trembling finger, his heart burning with anger, thinking to himself: "If this matter were to be known by outsiders, our courtyard's honor of being a model of hygiene this year would be ruined, and we might even be severely criticized."

Yi Zhonghai frowned, covered his nose with one hand, and said in an unquestionable tone: "Sister Jia, please stop standing here and tidy up the house quickly. This is disgraceful!"

Jia Zhang said awkwardly, "Hey... Hey, okay... okay, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..." She realized that she had lost face, and once again glanced at the neighbors who were pointing fingers at her, and regret surged in her heart. "Alas, the reputation of the old Jia family is really bad now. If I had known earlier, I shouldn't have..."

…………

By the time Jia Zhang had finished cleaning up, it was almost late at night, so Liu Haizhong went straight home in a huff.

The two brothers Yan Bugui and Yi Zhonghai were left behind, sniffing the stench that still lingered in the air, and continued to talk to Jia Zhang about their purpose in a bitter voice.

"Sister Jia, let me tell you straight, for your family's matter, several of us have gone to the factory leaders and the street office several times, but the situation is not optimistic..."

"I believe you also know what Qin Huairu did. I'm afraid she won't be able to come out in a short time..."

"Your family's current situation does require early planning. Life must go on, and we must look forward and consider more future solutions and countermeasures for you and your three children."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhang was so shocked that she sat down on the ground. She started to cry: "What should I do? This damned woman has done us so much harm... Why is my life so miserable..."

Yan Bugui frowned, obviously feeling extremely impatient with Jia Zhang's reaction at this moment. "Sister Jia, the matter is done, there is no point in regretting it, let's focus on the present and think of a solution!"

Jia Zhang's eyes were red, and she choked up and said, "What else can we do? This is the situation in our family. I am old and weak, Banggeng and the other two are still young, the child has lost his father, and Qin Huairu has given... How can we live in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui and Yi Zhonghai glanced at Jia Zhang's fat body and asked, "With your body, you still call yourself weak?"

Yan Bugui suppressed his inner discomfort and continued to persuade patiently: "The factory leaders have learned about your family's difficulties and promised to give appropriate care and help..." "Oh, that's great!" Before Yan Bugui finished speaking, Jia Zhang couldn't contain her joy and interrupted him eagerly, her eyes flashing with anticipation: "So how much child support do the factory leaders plan to give us every month?"

Yan Bugui rolled his eyes at her and said, "What are you thinking? Child support? From what you're saying, Qin Huairu's behavior is not only innocent, but also meritorious?"

Jia Zhang's face darkened when she heard this. It was important to reveal the truth. It was enough for Yan to know it. Why should she tell it out?

"What does the factory leader mean?" Jia Zhang felt that her joy was in vain. Her words unconsciously revealed a bit of boredom, and she asked indifferently.

Yan Bugui didn't bother to argue with her, "The factory leader means that your family can continue to take over Qin Huairu's job."

"I'm telling you, don't be ungrateful. This is your only chance. Normally, Qin Huairu would be fired for her behavior; but considering your family's actual situation, we made an exception and let you take over. This is considered a special favor."

When Jia Zhang heard this, she was stunned and said in surprise: "Take over? Who else in our family can take over? The children are still young, and I am old. How can I do any work!" Her voice was full of helplessness and confusion, as if she was dizzy by the sudden news.

Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but ask in a deep voice: "You are clearly not yet fifty-seven this year, and Qin Huairu's job is also very easy, so why can't you do it when it's your turn?"

Jia Zhang curled her lips slightly and retorted, "I'm already fifty-seven years old, how many more years can I still torment? Besides, I'm really weak and I get pains all the time..."

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai was so angry that he looked up at the beams of the house, cursing in his heart: "Are you sick? You are obviously bored and feel uncomfortable all over!"

Yan Bugui was also very angry and said, "So what? Are you going to give up taking over? I can tell you, if you miss this opportunity, you will never have it again. You only have one chance. Besides, if you don't come out to work, do you plan to starve your family?"

Jia Zhang was stubborn and turned a deaf ear to advice. When she mentioned the idea of ​​going out to work, she felt a layer of worry in her heart, as if a heavy burden was weighing on her heart.

She had never set foot in the workplace in her life, and she never expected that in her old age, she would have to step into the threshold of a factory and become one of its employees. This sudden change made her feel uncomfortable and confused.

"Ouch! I feel pain all over my body after sitting here for so long!"

"No, I really can't do the job. Old Yan, please take a little more effort and help me think of another way!"

When Yan Bugui saw this scene, he was so angry that he gritted his teeth and said, "Mrs. Jia, what good trick can I come up with?" He shrugged helplessly and sighed in his heart that it was really unlucky to have such a neighbor.

Yi Zhonghai pondered for a moment, then said calmly, "It's not that there is no way. Since Sister Jia is not up to the task, why not look for someone else?"

Yan Bugui looked troubled and sighed, "The difficulty lies in the fact that the Jia family has no successor!"

Yi Zhonghai raised his lips slightly, with a gleam in his eyes: "Although there is no one in the Jia family, there are many people in the Qin family."

As soon as these words came out, Jia Zhangshi and Yan Bugui's eyes lit up, and they said in unison: "Yes! Qin Huairu's cousin, Qin Jingru, isn't she the best candidate?"

Qin Huairu's sister Qin Jingru, everyone had met this girl a few years ago and was deeply impressed by her.

As we all know, Qin Jingru is not a good person. In order to gain a firm foothold in the Jia family, she used all means possible, from acting like a spoiled child to various tricks.

However, it was finally thanks to Qin Huairu's clever maneuvering and a combination of soft and hard tactics that this troublesome "big Buddha" was driven out of the Jia family's door.

Now, if she were to take over Qin Huairu's job and get a decent job, she could also become a real city dweller. Even if this meant that she had to support the livelihood of the Jia family alone for several years, she would probably be very happy and willing to do so.

"Yan Bugui nodded slightly, agreeing with the proposal: "I think it's okay, Sister Jia, what do you think?"

Jia Zhang rolled her eyes, showing her shrewdness: "Okay, but you have to tell her clearly that this job was given by our Jia family, and Bang Geng will take over in the future. Also, after she takes over, she will have to bear the responsibility of supporting our family."

Yan Bugui and Yi Zhonghai exchanged a tacit look, then turned to Jia Zhang and said firmly: "Don't worry, we will handle this matter properly. Regarding your request, we will communicate with Qin Jingru as soon as possible to ensure that everything goes smoothly."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhang nodded with satisfaction and responded simply, "That's great. I'll trouble you two to take care of it."

Therefore, the matter of the Jia family taking over the factory was decided after discussion among the three of them.

………………

the next day.

Yan Bugui, as the representative of the Jia family, embarked on a journey to Qin Huairu's mother's home, Qinjiazhuang.

The road was bumpy and the potholes on the road were like obstacles set by nature. Yan Bugui's carriage was bumpy all the way, which was unbearable. He couldn't help but complain: "Oh my! This road is so hard to walk on. It's so bumpy that my bones are almost broken. Why doesn't anyone come to fix it?"

After a difficult journey, Yan Bugui finally arrived at the entrance of Qinjiazhuang Village. He hurriedly stopped the carriage and carefully checked his carriage, fearing that it might be damaged.

"What a loss, what a loss..." Looking at the scratches and dirt on the bicycle, he felt distressed and muttered to himself how difficult this mission was.

At this moment, on the village road, an old farmer slowly came into view. He carried a shiny hoe on his shoulder, walked steadily and powerfully, and wrapped a white towel tightly on his head, as if it could resist all the heat and dust in summer.

Yan Bugui quickly stepped forward and greeted the old farmer cordially: "Hello, brother!"

He immediately got to the point: "I want to ask you for directions."

The old farmer looked Yan Bugui up and down - he was wearing a simple blue short-sleeved shirt on the upper body, plain gray Zhongshan pants on the lower body, a pair of glasses on his nose, and riding a bicycle. He wondered in his heart, could this be a cadre who came to the countryside for inspection?
Thinking of this, the old farmer's smile became even warmer, and he said sincerely: "Hello, comrade, please feel free to ask me anything!"

"Um, how do we get to the houses of the brothers Qin Mantun and Qin Manyin in your village?"

The old farmer heard this and was suspicious. Yan Bugui was not here to look for the village cadres, but for the two brothers Qin Mantun and Qin Manyin, who were nothing. Although he was puzzled, he still responded enthusiastically, "Oh, the place where the two brothers live is indeed a bit remote. Let me show you the way!"

Yan Bugui's face was filled with smiles, and he said cheerfully: "Oh, thank you so much!"

He then took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed it to the other party enthusiastically, "Come on, come on, big brother, have a good cigarette to relieve your fatigue!"

The other party took the cigarette, took a closer look, and couldn't help but exclaimed: "Wow, this is Daqianmen, what a good cigarette! Haha, I have to take advantage of you today!" After that, the two smiled at each other, and the atmosphere suddenly became harmonious.

Along the way, the old farmer tried to ask Yan Bugui about the purpose of his trip, but Yan Bugui evaded him.

After all, Qin Huairu's family probably didn't know much about her situation, so Yan Bugui didn't want to create any more trouble.

"Comrade, this is where the Mantun brothers live. The two houses are next to each other, and it is easy to tell which is the neighbor. The one on the left is Mantun's home, and the one on the right is Manyin's mansion."

The old farmer knocked on the door for Yan Bugui warmly and asked loudly, "Brother Mantun, are you home?"

Soon, the door creaked open, and the person who came into view was Qin Huairu's mother, Qin Zhang. Time had left traces on her face, but Yan Bugui recognized her at a glance as a member of the Qin family who had come to the courtyard many years ago.

"Hey! Are you Teacher Yan?"

(End of this chapter)