flstandardbreds Chapter 1091 Old Man Du's Suffering
Chapter 1091 Old Man Du's Suffering
Looking at the plaque above the entrance, Dr. Zhang couldn't help but praise it, saying, "The beauty of this calligraphy lies in its varied forms, its profound meaning, and the rich cultural heritage revealed in its brushstrokes."
Xiao Sun also looked at the plaque with great interest and said, "The calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, flowing like clouds and water. It's so beautiful! This is the first time I've ever seen anything like it!"
Old Zhang said, "It's truly remarkable that someone so young can practice calligraphy so well."
Meanwhile, in a mud house on the outskirts of the city, Old Man Du threw a bundle of firewood into the corner, clapped his hands, and walked into the house, only to be blocked by an old woman inside.
The old lady used a feather duster to help Old Man Du brush the dirt off his body.
The old woman patted the ground as she said, “Old man, we’ve run out of food. If it weren’t for Da Gang helping us out, we probably would have starved to death long ago. Do you want to sell those books that you’ve passed down in your family and get some sweet potatoes in return?”
Old Du glared at him and said, "Nonsense! That was passed down from my ancestors! How can I sell it? I've already sold the set of golden needles, which is already a disgrace to my ancestors. And you want me to sell the medical books too? Are you trying to make me unable to face my ancestors after I die?"
Just then, footsteps sounded outside. Old Du looked out the door and saw his nephew, the village chief, had arrived.
Old Du looked at his nephew and said, "Da Gang, what brings you here?"
Village chief Du Fenggang said cheerfully, "Second Uncle, this is great news!" Old Man Du frowned and asked, "Your wife is pregnant again? She's almost forty. You two shouldn't be doing this anymore. It would be dangerous for her to get pregnant and have another baby."
Du Fenggang choked: "What are you saying, Second Uncle? How could we possibly have another child? I didn't say she has good news, I said you have good news."
Old Du curled his lip: "What good thing could I possibly be doing? Your second aunt is still alive, it's not like she's introducing me to a new partner!"
Du Fenggang stumbled and almost fell. The old lady smacked him on the buttocks with a feather duster and scolded, "You old geezer, I was even trying to introduce you to a companion! You're shameless! Dagang, tell me, what good thing is it? Is it some rich old man who's taken a fancy to me? If so, I'll remarry immediately and not starve with this old geezer!"
Du Fenggang was completely speechless. His second uncle and aunt were truly a pair of clowns.
He quickly said, "Alright, alright, you two, stop interrupting. Here's the thing: I saw on the news last night that a hospital in Beijing is hiring traditional Chinese medicine doctors, offering 300 yuan a month."
The old woman's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly asked, "How much is it a month? Three hundred? Did I hear that right? You can't be lying, can you? Steelworkers only make seventy or eighty yuan a month these days. A doctor is getting three hundred? Are you crazy or am I crazy? You might as well say some old man has taken a fancy to me, then I might believe it."
Du Fenggang pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and said, "Second Aunt, how could something shown on TV be fake? Wouldn't that ruin their own reputation? Here's an address I copied down. Why don't you go and check if it's real?"
Old Du took the slip of paper, looked at the address on it, and fell silent.
The old woman couldn't hold back and scolded, "You old hag, go and check it out right now. What if it's true? Let me tell you, if you let me go hungry again, I'm really going to find an old man. Besides, our son called us a few days ago, asking for money."
Thinking of his son who got married and had children in a rural area of Northeast China after being sent to the countryside, Old Man Du felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He felt it was all his fault that his son had been ruined.
Looking at the note, he said, "Dagang, go get the bicycle and take me there to see. If this is true, then you'll have a rich second uncle in the future."
Du Fenggang quickly replied, "Okay, Second Uncle, I'll go get the bicycle right away, and we'll set off immediately."
Meanwhile, in a rural area of Heilongjiang Province, a family of four squeezed onto a kang (a heated brick bed) in a dilapidated mud-brick house. The temperature in Heilongjiang Province is still below minus twenty degrees Celsius.
After the autumn harvest last year, Du Fengchen was organized by the town to dig irrigation ditches. Because he was often soaked in water, he developed rheumatism, and his legs would ache terribly when the weather changed.