The craze for going to the countryside had already passed and Lin Anning knew that in another couple of years, the trend of returning to the city would emerge.
When she went to sign up at the youth volunteer point, the male comrade tried to persuade her for a long time.
But she was determined to go to the countryside, so he had no choice but to let her sign up.
Perhaps fearing she would regret it later and cause trouble, they specifically instructed her to get a certificate of voluntary relocation to the countryside from the local office.
Lin Anning didn't dare delay and made a beeline for the local office.
As soon as she entered, she saw Director Wang Cuihua from the office, leaning over the desk.
She was covering her head, which was wracked with pain, and next to her was a pool of vomit.
Hearing someone enter, Wang Cuihua gritted her teeth amidst the cold sweat.
"Comrade, I'm sorry, please wait for a moment."
There were usually only two people at the office, and today the other person happened to be absent.
Wang Cuihua's chronic problem had acted up again, and at this moment it felt like neither heaven nor earth could help her.
Seeing this, Lin Anning quickly approached her.
"Director Wang, are you feeling unwell? May I take a look?"
Her head throbbed with intense pain, causing Wang Cuihua to nod with discomfort.
"Did you bump your head recently or eat something bad?"
Lin Anning stepped forward, pried open Wang Cuihua's eyelids to take a look.
She also touched her head to make sure there were no bruises.
Seeing Wang Cuihua shake her head, Lin Anning proceeded to check her pulse.
"Do you suffer from migraines?"
Wang Cuihua groaned, "It's been many years. Painkillers don't work. It gets better after resting for a few days…"
Lin Anning had a plan in mind and retrieved a set of silver needles from the pharmacy, sterilizing them with alcohol.
She inserted them into the acupuncture points of Taiyang and Wai Guan.
After inserting the needles, she went back to the pharmacy to prepare the herbs: two mace of Gentiana, two mace of Weeping Forsythia, two mace of Scutellaria, fried Rhizoma Coptidis with ginger before giving, two mace of Prunella Vulgaris, and three mace of Uncaria Stem.
"Director Wang, do you have a kitchen here? Somewhere to decoct the medicine?"
Wang Cuihua was still in discomfort, with her eyes barely open, and pointed behind her.
Lin Anning entered the kitchen, found a casserole, and began to decoct the medicine.
Fortunately, they used a coal stove here, so there was no need to start a fire.
After the medicine was ready, Lin Anning brought it over for Wang Cuihua to drink.
She then asked her if she felt any numbness or tingling at the tip of her ear or on her middle finger.
Upon receiving a positive response, she finally removed the needles.
Strangely enough, within a short while, Wang Cuihua's headache was gone.
She looked at Lin Anning in surprise, her face filled with disbelief.
"You young comrade, where did you learn such amazing skills?"
She had been plagued by migraines since she was a child, suffering immensely when they occurred, and neither medicine nor injections had been effective.
She had thought that today would be just like before, enduring days of pain.
But this young comrade had cured her in just a few minutes.
Upon closer inspection, Wang Cuihua also recognized her.
"You are the eldest daughter of the Lin Jianguo family?"
Wang Cuihua lived at the entrance of Glory Lane and had also witnessed the incident at the Lin Family yesterday.
Setting aside whether Ma San had been sent by the Lin Family or not,
simply having such a sick daughter at home and leaving her alone to watch the celebration felt extremely unkind.
Lin Anning nodded, and suddenly felt a wave of darkness before her eyes, quickly holding onto the desk to sit down.
She hadn't eaten a thing since yesterday.
Having been busy until now, her body was struggling to hold up.
Wang Cuihua noticed what was happening and helped her to sit comfortably.
"Just wait here a moment…"
She took an enamel mug and stepped outside; shortly after, she returned with a steaming cup of egg tea.
"It has brown sugar and lard in it, drink some first."
Lin Anning accepted the mug of egg tea in a daze and began to sip it.
The egg tea was fragrant and sweet. After drinking it, she felt warm and more energized.
Lin Anning cleaned the enamel mug and returned it to Wang Cuihua with a smile.
"My grandfather practices medicine, and since I was little, I learned from him, gradually picking up the skills."
"Later, I will prescribe you a formula, and you can fetch the medicine accordingly."
"Take it for a few days each month when your period comes, and it should get better after you reach menopause."
Now that the market hasn't opened up, she didn't dare to rashly sell the medicine from her own pharmacy, fearing she might be arrested as a speculator.
After writing the prescription for Wang Cuihua, Lin Anning hesitantly explained her reason for coming.
If it had been someone else, Wang Cuihua would certainly have refused outright.
But Lin Anning had just saved her life, so it was hard for her not to show gratitude.
"Comrade Lin, going down to the countryside is about reaching remote mountain villages to contribute to the construction of the motherland.
Your health, I fear, might not withstand it."
Lin Anning was deadly serious, puffing out her chest.
"Director Wang, I have a red heart, and I'm fully prepared.
To settle down and build a new countryside, to transform the landscape with boundless enthusiasm
Don't judge by my weak health; the strength of my conviction to build our nation's new countryside is anything but weak."
Wang Cuihua was amused by Lin Anning's earnestness and immediately nodded her head.
"Alright, I can't well stand in the way of such a devoted heart.
But the official seal has been taken out; shall I prepare the paperwork later and send it to your home?
Do you have any particular place in mind where you'd like to go?"
Nowadays, the restrictions on youth being sent to the countryside weren't so strict; it was indeed possible to make a request.
"Hongqigou, and could you please not let my parents know about it?"
Having received Wang Cuihua's assurance, Lin Anning was finally able to return home with peace of mind.
Passing through the lane, the look in people's eyes held a bit more sympathy for her.
She responded with a faint smile and a nod, which served as her greeting.
When she got home, the three of them hadn't returned yet.
Exhausted, she went back to her room, locked the door, and barricaded it with a table before she could relax.
Opening the window and looking at the loft opposite, she sighed heavily.
"My betrothed comrade, you'd better come back soon.
Otherwise, I may be gone by then..."
In the middle of the night, as she slept drowsily, she thought she heard someone pushing at the door.
But she couldn't be bothered to respond, just pulled the quilt over herself and continued sleeping deeply.
The next day, when she woke up, she saw that it was already midday outside.
Without yet opening the door, she smelled a savory fragrance of cooking wafting in.
The three of them had returned? Lin Anning didn't expect them to call her to eat.
She got up, flipped the calendar to reveal a hidden compartment, took out a canning jar, and counted the money inside.
A total of forty-five yuan, eight dimes, and five cents, along with a few food stamps.
This was all she had, and she certainly didn't count on the Lin Family to pay for her train ticket.
Dividing the money in two, she secured one part close to her body.
With the other in her pocket, she opened the door, walked downstairs, and saw the family of three gathered around the table.
On the table were braised pork, steamed fish, and egg soup—a truly extravagant meal.
Zhao Hua and Lin Jianguo seemed not to notice her, each eagerly serving food to Su Jiaojiao.
"Jiaojiao, this braised pork is tender and flavorful; your mother made it especially for you."
"Jiaojiao, your father bought the fish early from the market today; it's very fresh. Have a taste?"
Su Jiaojiao looked troubledly at the mountains of food in her bowl and coquettishly said.
"Dad, Mom, if I eat any more, I'll turn into a little pig."
"What's there to fear? Even if you get chubbier, you'll still be the most beautiful daughter in your parents' hearts."
Such a scene of tender paternal love, maternal affection, and family harmony.
When Su Jiaojiao looked up and saw Lin Anning, she called out in surprise.
"Sister? Are you up?
I was going to tell you, Ma San has confessed.
Mom's innocent, and you mustn't misunderstand her again from now on!
Are you hungry?
Come, have some food with us?"
They had expected Lin Anning to feel awkward, but instead, she went into the kitchen, grabbed a bowl and chopsticks, served herself some rice, and started eating heartily.