Yu Hai Tang: "What's there to be afraid of? Mobilize the masses, unify the action, old and young, men and women, all show their abilities. Mobilize, pay attention to hygiene, reduce illness, improve health, and crush the enemy's germ warfare.
Sweep away the scourge and benefit future generations for thousands of years. For the sake of our new country's construction, what does it matter if we get a little dirty or smelly?"
Shen Yuan Chao: "....." Heh, truly a future cooking π!
This kid has had a high level of awareness since he was little!
Shen You Tian: "Yeah, what's so scary about it! I dare to go! For my little brother's candy, for my little brother to be white and plump, and to grow up stronger than Bang Geng later!
We must catch even more rats! Yu Shui Jie, let's start!"
He Yu Shui looked at the small Shen Yuan Chao and gritted her teeth: "Okay, let's start! While there are fewer people catching rats now, we have to seize the opportunity!
At least my Mickey Mouse candy wrappers won't be sacrificed in vain!"
Yu Hai Tang: "Yu Shui, you definitely won't lose by trading your Mickey Mouse candy wrappers for my rat-catching methods. I know these kids, they can catch dozens a day!"
Hearing Yu Hai Tang and He Yu Shui's conversation, a warmth spread through Shen Yuan Chao's heart. He knew how much He Yu Shui loved those Mickey Mouse candy wrappers, but she still offered them.
Just to exchange for better rat-catching methods, to catch rats and buy him candy!
For a moment, Shen Yuan Chao's heart felt warm.
Shen You Chu's eyes welled up: "Tian Tian, I... I really can't!"
She actually wanted to help her brother catch rats, but she was naturally timid!
Shen You Tian: "Sister, you watch over Yuan Chao, in case he gets cold or wets himself, help him change his diaper!"
Shen You Chu nodded: "Then be careful, don't get bitten by a rat!"
"Okay!"
Soon, Shen You Chu pushed Shen Yuan Chao along with Shen You Tian, He Yu Shui, and a group of other kids, starting to weave through the alleyways, searching for rat holes!
In the following days, Shen Yuan Chao witnessed the limits of human ingenuity in this era of heightened excitement.
The methods for "eliminating the scourge" were unheard of and unseen. For example, rat extermination: "Digging out nests," "Catching rats in water tanks," "Using ink oil to trap rats," "Double-reed steel wire traps," "Covering rats with bowls, buckets, and basins," etc.
There was also the one Yu Hai Tang mentioned, an elementary school student who invented a "unique trick" for killing rats: Catch the rat, stuff a bean into its anus, sew it shut with thread, and release it back into the nest. It won't be able to poop, and will bite the entire nest of rats to death. Of course, before releasing it, you must cut off the rat's tail, because the tail is used to count the spoils of war.
In just an afternoon, He Yu Shui and Shen You Tian caught thirty rats.
Shen Yuan Chao saw for the first time what it meant to "scurry for cover" and "be a rat everyone wants to kill!"
You have to know, this "eliminating the scourge" campaign wasn't just for kids, even those sixty-or-seventy-year-old women with bound feet joined the ranks!
The entire alleyway was filled with shouts: "Flies, mosquitoes, sparrows, rats, where are you running to? East village, West courtyard, all arranged…"
It wasn't until the sky was about to turn dark that Shen You Tian, holding a bunch of rat tails, went to the epidemic prevention office and handed them over!
Each rat tail was worth 200, which is equivalent to two cents.
Shen You Tian exchanged 6,000 in total, equivalent to sixty cents in the second currency system!
Holding the hard-earned sixty cents, Shen You Tian said happily to Shen Yuan Chao: "Little brother, we'll save this for you, we'll soon have enough money to buy you candy!
I heard people say that seven Mickey Mouse candies are equivalent to a glass of milk. Once you eat your candy, you'll definitely grow up quickly!"
Shen Yuan Chao looked at the sixty cents, his heart stirred. But, sixty cents was still a long way from buying seven Mickey Mouse candies!
Before the public-private partnership of five or six years ago, there was only one production line for Mickey Mouse candy, and the raw materials were imported, so the cost was extremely high. The price of one candy made it something many ordinary families couldn't afford.
Ordinary families couldn't afford it, even during the New Year. The two that Sha Zhu got were from a rich family in the Capital. The host was kind and had plenty of money, so they gave Sha Zhu two!
In fact, ordinary families could hardly afford to buy even one Mickey Mouse candy for their children even during the New Year. But Shen You Chu, Shen You Tian, and He Yu Shui's kindness towards Shen Yuan Chao was something he would always remember!
Shen You Tian and Shen You Chu, along with He Yu Shui, brought Shen Yuan Chao back to the courtyard. After returning home, Shen You Tian washed her hands and face thoroughly, and then eagerly grabbed Shen Yuan Chao's small hand, constantly rubbing it.
Her rosy little mouth would occasionally give him a kiss!
Shen Yuan Chao silently repeated in his heart: "Biological sister, biological sister, I can't be disgusted..."
Liu Hui Zhen and Sun Xiu Ju also returned home happily, each carrying several newspapers.
These were old, expired newspapers. Since Liu Hui Zhen was a good student, the teacher of the literacy class didn't want her to give up learning, so they gave her these to read!
Of course, she still had to go to the literacy class. Liu Hui Zhen also wanted to try learning Russian, to see if she could get a high school diploma.
If she had a high school diploma, she should be able to find a job to support her children, right?
When leaving, the literacy class teacher told Liu Hui Zhen that this year was 1953, the first Five-Year Plan for the new country had begun, and the country had started construction on 156 industrial projects simultaneously. They would definitely need a large number of workers!
As long as Liu Hui Zhen worked hard and studied diligently, she would definitely find a job!
It was this very sentence that gave Liu Hui Zhen great confidence!
"Yuan Chao, why is your face so cold? Did you go out?"
Shen You Chu: "Mom, Yu Shui Jie and I took little brother out to catch rats. We used the good method from Yu Shui Jie's classmate today, and caught thirty!
We got 6,000, I'll save it for you and little brother to buy candy!"
Liu Hui Zhen looked at Shen You Chu and Shen You Tian, her eyes welling up: "Good, Chu Chu and Tian Tian have grown up, you know how to take care of your little brother!"
Liu Hui Zhen took the money, then picked up Shen Yuan Chao and kissed him on the cheek: "Yuan Chao, look, since you've come, not only my life has changed, even Chu Chu and Tian Tian are like little kids again!
They used to be so scared, always huddled by my side. Now, because of you, they've gone out to play!"
The changes in her two daughters filled Liu Hui Zhen with joy, and she felt even more grateful to Shen Yuan Chao!
If Shen Yuan Chao hadn't come, perhaps she wouldn't have awakened from the loss of her husband. Her two daughters would have been like soulless puppets!
Sun Xiu Ju looked enviously at Liu Hui Zhen. Her first half of life was no different from Liu Hui Zhen's in recent years. Because she didn't have children, she was like a living corpse!
She just lived each day!
If she had adopted Shen Yuan Chao back then, would things be different now?
Liu Hui Zhen looked at Sun Xiu Ju, whose expression was gloomy, and pulled her hand: "Xiu Ju, if you like Yuan Chao, once he grows up, you can recognize him as your goddaughter!
We'll raise Yuan Chao together!"
Sun Xiu Ju's eyes lit up, and she immediately hugged Shen Yuan Chao with affection: "Little Yuan Chao, would you like to recognize Auntie Sun as your godmother?"
Little Shen Yuan Chao blinked his eyes, signifying agreement. Having more people to love him, what was there to dislike?
Sun Xiu Ju held Shen Yuan Chao, her eyes red with excitement: "Hui Zhen, I finally understand what you meant by 'life having hope'!
Once I divorce Old Yi, I'll work hard to find a job, do odd jobs. In the future, when Yuan Chao goes to school and gets married, I'll have my share of the responsibility too!
Today I'll help you clean the house and cook!"
Liu Hui Zhen held Sun Xiu Ju back: "No need, you can watch Yuan Chao for me, and learn to read too. Only by learning to read can our lives have hope!"
Sun Xiu Ju: "Okay, I'll definitely learn to read well!"
Sun Xiu Ju held Shen Yuan Chao and started to read the characters in the house. As she read, Shen Yuan Chao also started to look. When Sun Xiu Ju read, he would imitate her with "yi yi ya ya!"
Shen You Tian: "Auntie Sun, little brother seems to be learning to read with you!"
Sun Xiu Ju smiled: "It seems like our little Yuan Chao likes to learn too, then let's learn together!"
Shen Yuan Chao thought to himself, I've been learning since I was a baby, skipping grades, learning faster, I should be able to understand, right?