"Third Brother, Third Brother! Wake up."

Yang Xiaole, who was sleeping soundly, felt someone push him.

He woke up and saw his father, Yang Guangzhi, standing by the heated bed. He knew it was time to leave.

But he didn't feel like getting up yet.

"Get up and sleep on the cart!"

"Yeah, I'm getting up."

He reluctantly got up after agreeing.

He put on his worn-out shirt and prepared to put on his straw shoes.

Yang Guangzhi reminded him, "Wear cloth shoes and better clothes. It looks ugly to wear straw shoes in the city! I'll wait for you outside."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Yang Xiaole was speechless after hearing this.

Damn vanity!

He got off the bed to find his cloth shoes.

In the dark, guided by the moonlight outside the window, he found a pair of patched cloth shoes and put on a pair of socks.

"Brother, when you go to the city, can you buy me a headband?"

Yang Xiaole was looking for clothes to wear when he heard a voice at the door.

It was Fifth Brother who woke up.

He saw Fifth Brother standing at the door, blinking his eyes and looking at him hopefully.

He took out a slightly less patched shirt and smiled at Yang Xiaoli, "Alright, I'll buy you one when I go to the city. Go back to sleep!"

Fifth Brother smiled and went back to sleep satisfied after hearing this.

After getting dressed, he groped his way out of the room.

Without brushing his teeth.

He arrived at the door, where Yang Guangzhi was waiting for him!

Seeing him come out, Yang Guangzhi pointed to the handcart and said, "Sleep! I'll drive. When you wake up, we'll be there."

Yang Xiaole looked at the small mattress laid out behind the handcart, which was probably prepared by Wang Qiuju.

He climbed onto it directly.

But as soon as he lay down, he smelled a strong urine odor in front of his head.

It was a wooden bucket used to collect feces.

This thing was precious and couldn't be wasted.

"Are you ready? If you are, let's go."

"Okay, let's go!"

It was a bit uncomfortable, but he could endure it. It was quite comfortable lying flat.

"Alright, let's go! Der~"

Yang Guangzhi saw that his son was lying down, so he sat on the front of the cart behind the donkey and shouted, then they set off.

Yang Xiaole heard the sound of frogs and insects in the rice fields, and he couldn't fall back asleep after being partially awakened.

He crossed his legs.

"Dad, what time is it? When will we arrive?"

"I don't know, it's probably late at night. It's okay, we'll be late if we're late. We can rush back tomorrow night."

"Yeah, that's fine. Did you bring the permit?"

"I did. Otherwise, someone would have to come and claim it!"

Yang Xiaole nodded. It would be troublesome if he got caught. Although someone would come to claim it, it would still be embarrassing.

Watching Yang Guangzhi drive towards the commune, worried that they might take the wrong road, he asked, "Dad, do you know the way? Don't take the wrong road. It's pitch black and we won't be able to find anyone."

It was sixty li away from the city!

If they took the wrong road, who knows where they would end up.

Yang Guangzhi laughed, "Don't worry, I asked around. When we reach the commune, we'll drive another five li. There's a coal road that leads to Fucheng Gate. Just follow the main road and don't take any side roads, and we'll get there."

Hearing this, Yang Xiaole felt relieved.

Mentougou Coal Mine had been the main supplier of coal to the capital since ancient times. He had heard about it when he came here.

Don't underestimate the danger of coal mine workers, they were genuine working-class people, not something you could become just by wanting to.

"Alright, get some rest. It's still early! Cover your stomach with the mattress. Don't freeze your stomach."

After saying that, he patted the donkey and quickly moved forward.

Feeling the bumps beneath him, Yang Xiaole felt like he should get some more sleep.

He rolled up the corner of the mattress and covered his stomach.

Even on a hot day, you shouldn't freeze your stomach. It can cause diarrhea.

It felt like he was back in his childhood, being rocked to sleep by Wang Qiuju. That dizzy feeling.

He was completely rocked to sleep.

And now he had that feeling again.

It's just that there were too many damn mosquitoes.

With the accompaniment of frog sounds and insect chirping, he fell asleep in a daze.

...

"Clang!"

"Ouch~"

In a daze, Yang Xiaole was jolted and hit his head on the cart, instantly waking up.

Yang Guangzhi chuckled, "Was it too bumpy?"

"Yeah, a little. It's okay, you drive, don't mind me! Where are we?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the cart stop. He quickly turned over and pulled the mattress aside.

The cart suddenly stopped while they were driving.

Either someone needed to defecate or urinate.

Although it was a bit far from his butt, it was better to be careful.

Sure enough.

Yang Guangzhi quickly picked up the wooden bucket hanging next to him and placed it directly under his butt.

"Thud! Thud!"

In the darkness, a large object fell with a foul smell.

Lazy donkeys produce a lot of feces and urine.

They had only traveled a few li!

After Yang Guangzhi placed the wooden bucket, he finally had time to say, "Oh, we've reached the road that the coal carts take. The road is in terrible condition. Bear with it, we'll be there soon."

Hearing this, Yang Xiaole looked at the wide road illuminated by the moonlight, but it was full of potholes.

Fortunately, it wasn't raining.

Otherwise, the road would be even more difficult to travel.

"Smack, smack~"

He slapped away the mosquitoes crawling on him and looked at the waking sky.

This time of day was always pleasant to look at.

In the big cities of the future, you could hardly see any stars.

After a while, Yang Guangzhi saw that the donkey was ready and lifted the wooden bucket, hanging it on the side of the cart.

"Alright, lie down, let's go."

After saying that, he sat on the cart and started driving.

Seeing this, Yang Xiaole spread out the rolled-up mattress and lay back on the cart.

Clang...

Clang...

They swayed all the way towards the city.I don't know how many times I was awakened along the way, and I even encountered a coal truck coming from the coal mine.

The mule cart gradually left the farmland area.

"Third Brother, we're almost there."

Yang Guangzhi was delighted when he saw the city gate ahead.

Yang Xiaole had already woken up.

Upon hearing this, he quickly turned his head to look.

In the darkness, a huge city gate could be seen in the distance, with scattered lights.

At this time, there were already some people on the road, either rushing or driving donkey carts.

And there were construction sites everywhere in the darkness.

It was just like the wave of housing reform in the future.

"Honk honk!"

A bright light and the sound of a car horn came from behind.

Yang Guangzhi quickly moved the mule to the side, letting the car pass first and not blocking the road.

"Yang Xiaole?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the car.

Yang Xiaole's scalp tingled when he heard the voice.

Damn it, did I just expose myself?

I just lied yesterday, saying that Luo Jinping was going back to the city and I went there myself, and today I actually ran into him.

"Master, I'll get off here, thank you."

Luo Jinping got off the car and greeted the driver.

He closed the door and the driver drove away.

Luo Jinping then walked over with a smile.

"Teacher Luo!"

Yang Guangzhi and Luo Jinping greeted each other with a smile.

Yang Xiaole also got off the car.

Luo Jinping responded and then smiled, "Xiaole! You..."

When Yang Xiaole saw that he was about to speak and was worried about exposing himself, he quickly said, "Teacher Luo, you came to the city in a special car! My father and I came to the city to see a doctor."

Luo Jinping knew about their trip to the city to see a doctor, so he didn't think too much about it. "Where is it a special car? Going to the county town is too far and troublesome. I waited on the roadside in the middle of the night and happened to catch a ride with a coal truck."

"Oh, why don't you continue riding the car? We haven't reached the city yet!"

"It's okay, this car will turn off at Fucheng Gate, and I'll get off there too. It just happened that I ran into you. Let's go together."

Seeing the two of them stopped there, Luo Jinping smiled and said, "Xiaole's father, let's go! Let's go together."

Yang Guangzhi headed towards the front, since it wasn't too far anyway.

As they walked, Luo Jinping asked them, "Which hospital are you going to?"

"We haven't decided yet! We'll see when we get to the city."

"Oh, then you should go to White Pagoda Temple. It's one of the best hospitals in the capital."

Upon hearing this, Yang Guangzhi smiled honestly and took a puff of dried tobacco. "Teacher Luo, we're going to the hospital, not the temple!"

Luo Jinping finally realized and smiled, "Oh, my mistake. That hospital is called Beijing People's Hospital, but we're used to calling it White Pagoda Temple.

It's very close, enter Fucheng Gate and go straight east for a mile, and you'll be there.

That hospital is one of the best in the city, but it's a bit expensive. However, the medical conditions are very good."

When Yang Guangzhi heard that it was expensive, he hesitated a bit. "Um, Teacher Luo, is it very expensive to see a doctor there? Is 30 yuan enough?"

"It's enough, definitely enough! The price was reduced in July this year. My son had an appendectomy last month, and it only cost 10 yuan, plus the hospitalization fee, it was only a little over 30 yuan."

Luo Jinping explained with a smile.

When Yang Guangzhi heard that the surgery only cost 30 yuan, he felt relieved. A big illness like this should not cost much for Xiaole.

The group walked on the road, thinking it was quite close, but it was actually not that close.

It was three kilometers away.

Worried that he might have slipped up, Yang Xiaole said to Luo Jinping, "Teacher Luo, can you explain to my dad that students in vocational schools and normal schools are given a monthly subsidy of 9 yuan? He doesn't believe it."

Upon hearing this, Yang Guangzhi turned his head and looked over. "Yeah, Teacher Luo, is it true? And how is my daughter Xiaomei's performance? Is there any hope for her to get into a good school?"

And Yang Xiaole, who was beside them, gave him a signal with his eyes.

But after thinking for a moment, Luo Jinping still honestly confessed, "Xiaole's dad, I have taught Xiaomei's class before, although I'm not the homeroom teacher, I still know her grades. Her grades are not good or bad in the grade, they are average."

Yang Guangzhi frowned.

It seemed that there was no hope!

But what Luo Jinping said next made him feel hopeful again.

"Xiaole's dad, you also know that many families nowadays don't want their children to go to junior high school, so many students with good grades have dropped out. Xiaomei's grades are stable in junior high school, and with some effort, she can be in the upper-middle level without any problem. It depends on how hard she works. The vocational school has been expanding and building new teaching buildings. Xiaomei's grades still have great potential."

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiaole finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But what Luo said was also true.

Now whether you can go to junior high school or high school depends on both grades and family conditions.

Many rural children drop out halfway, especially girls. After learning to read for a couple of years, they just stay at home.

In such a big county town, there is barely enough enrollment for a junior high school, and most of the students are from the county town.

Yang Guangzhi hesitated.

He still needed to weigh it when he went back.

He didn't bring up this topic after thinking about it.

During the conversation, the group arrived at the huge city gate.

The city gate displayed a black and gray tone under the dim light, and the bare city tower stood there, looking a bit monotonous.

The nearby city wall had already been demolished.

At this time, it was bustling at the gate, with many horse carriages, cars, tricycles, and shoulder poles rushing towards the city.

Yang Guangzhi looked at the still dark sky and sighed, "It's so lively here!"

Luo Jinping nodded with a smile, "Yes, these are the vegetable farmers nearby. They rush to the vegetable market early in the morning to deliver the vegetables they planted, and then the vegetable market wholesales them to the streets."Upon hearing this, Yang Xiaole had a thought.

He had discussed the situation here with Luo Jinping before.

Thinking of this, he asked Luo Jinping, "Teacher Luo, where are they delivering to?"

"Oh, they are near Xidan, they are delivering to the Xidan Vegetable Market. It is one of the four oldest markets in the Capital and one of the top ten vegetable markets in the country. They do both wholesale and retail, and the prices are cheaper than on the streets."

"Is it far from here?"

"Not far, about six or seven miles."

After Luo Jinping finished speaking, he laughed and said, "If you need anything, you can go there and take a look. From the hospital, walk about a mile forward, then head south when you reach Xisi, and you'll see it."

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiaole's eyes were spinning.

He had inquired before, the Xidan Vegetable Market was the largest market here in the past, so there are still many people gathering nearby in the early morning.

Over time, it has become the largest flea market here.

There are many good things inside!

At any time, the gray area can never be eliminated, it's just hidden deeper.

Entering the city gate, they came to a major intersection in the city.

"Hey, comrade!"

Just after entering the gate, the person checking vehicles nearby came over.

Yang Guangzhi was confused, thinking it was to check the introduction letter.

He hurriedly wanted to take it out.

However, after the other party came over, they didn't ask for the introduction letter, but instructed him:

"When your livestock enters the city, you must clean up its feces in time. You can't leave it in the city, otherwise you'll be fined. If the bucket is full, there is a manure pit over there, you can dump it there! You can also leave it here, we'll watch it for you, register it, and you can come back to get it when you're done!"

While speaking, he pointed to many wooden buckets nearby.

Many of them were already filled with feces.

Upon hearing this, Yang Guangzhi quickly agreed, "Ah, okay, I promise not to leave it on the ground."

Before coming, Zhang Lao Han had already told him that it costs money to keep livestock here, three cents each time.

Seeing this, Yang Xiaole urged him, "Dad, leave it here. Once we go into the hospital, it will be troublesome if you go in with me."

Upon hearing this, Yang Guangzhi thought for a moment and felt that it made sense.

In the end, he agreed and followed the other party to the side.

He took out his proof to register, and received a ticket. When he came to pick up the mule, he needed both the proof and the ticket.

Watching Dad leave.

Yang Xiaole's eyes spun around, and he asked Luo Jinping, "Teacher Luo, where do you live?"

"Oh, I also live in the west of the city, but near the Liuli Factory, close to Tian'anmen (homophonic)."

Yang Xiaole nodded, he knew this place, it was a famous antique street!

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He then asked for the specific address.

While they were talking, Yang Guangzhi came over.

Luo Jinping then laughed and said, "Alright, I won't keep you any longer, I have to go. You can just go straight ahead to get there, but it's only a little past three now, the hospital doesn't open until eight."

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiaole realized that he had gotten up too early today, he hadn't slept at all.

No wonder he couldn't get up.

Seeing Luo Jinping about to leave, Yang Guangzhi warmly smiled and said, "Ah, okay, we know. We'll go over in a bit. Take care, Teacher Luo."

Seeing this, Luo Jinping smiled, waved goodbye, and left.

"Alright, let's go, wait at the hospital entrance."

After Luo Jinping left, Yang Guangzhi called out and led the way straight ahead.

Seeing this, Yang Xiaole quickly followed, "Dad, Teacher Luo just invited me to his house to give me some study materials to choose from. Why don't I go take a look. You wait for me at the hospital entrance."

"You kid, what if you get lost in such a big city?"

Seeing Luo Jinping had already walked far away, Yang Xiaole was anxious, "Ah, Teacher Luo said he would bring me back later, his house is just at the entrance of the lane ahead, otherwise he would definitely have taken the car during the day!"

Yang Guangzhi frowned, then thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll go with you."

"No, his daughter-in-law is at home, what would it look like if you go in the middle of the night! I'll go and let Teacher Luo bring me back later. I won't talk to you anymore, Dad."

After saying this, he lifted his foot and ran.

"Teacher Luo, Teacher Luo!"

Watching him run away, Yang Guangzhi was anxious, worried that he would get lost, and quickly jogged to catch up.

However, halfway there, he stopped.

Because Luo Jinping heard the sound and stopped.