Chapter 15: Passions and the Veterinarian

Immersed in his studies, Li Aiguo refused without hesitation when Yan Bugui offered to introduce him to a woman.

Women? Ha... nothing is more joyful than studying.

He had forgotten to add coal again last night; the stove had long since gone out.

Li Aiguo decided to grab breakfast at a small eatery on the street.

He scooped a basin of cold water, squeezed out a dollop of Phoenix toothpaste, and, puffing and blowing, washed his face and brushed his teeth, tidying himself up neatly.

He changed into his school uniform and slung his canvas bag over his shoulder.

Glancing in the mirror, he thought, "Hey, this kid looks exactly like a university student."

He pushed open the door and stepped outside.

The sun shone brightly, birds sang, and flowers bloomed.

It was rush hour; residents of the courtyard were grouped in threes or fives, carrying canvas bags, chatting and laughing as they headed out.

Li Aiguo greeted familiar neighbors and passed through the crescent-shaped gate.

As he was pondering whom to approach at the neighborhood committee for his introduction letter, he suddenly caught sight of a striking figure.

Qin Huairu wore a blue floral blouse with the sleeves rolled high, revealing her snow-white arms as she squatted by the basin, vigorously scrubbing clothes.

The hem of her blouse fluttered with her movements, occasionally exposing a patch of pale skin at her waist, stirring the imagination.

The passing male workers unconsciously slowed their pace, their gazes wandering.

The female workers spat disdainfully and cursed, "Shameless!" while glaring at their own men and pinching their ears as a warning not to go to bed that night.

This had become a well-known scene in the courtyard.

Li Aiguo could not understand why Qin Huairu didn’t realize that in Beijing, there was such a thing as a folding stool—a mǎzhā.

Whenever other residents washed clothes, they sat on these stools, placing the basin on the flowerbed.

It saved effort, avoided bending over, and prevented exposing the lower back.

Qin Huairu seemed unbothered, occasionally tossing her hair, lightly biting her red lips, and looking around coyly with a blush on her face.

Only this time, she happened to see Li Aiguo.

“Aiguo, what’s past is past. You don’t have to hold a grudge against me. From today on, let’s be good neighbors again.”

Qin Huairu smiled warmly, pausing her work and speaking eagerly, “Living alone isn’t easy. If you have any dirty clothes that need washing, just say so—don’t always trouble Third Auntie. I saw yesterday, after she washed your clothes, she pinched off more than half of your soap.”

Her soap pinched off by Third Auntie? Li Aiguo hadn’t noticed that.

“No need. I made it clear the other day—we have no relationship.”

Li Aiguo twitched at the corner of his mouth, gave a perfunctory reply, quickened his steps, and left the courtyard.

Knowing the story well, he had no interest in dealing with a vampire.

Besides, he hadn’t forgotten the boundless hatred that filled him on his deathbed in his past life.

...

Qin Huairu watched Li Aiguo’s retreating figure, her eyes flickering as if she had an idea, then pursed her lips into a charming smile.

In this world, Qin Huairu had no enemies she couldn’t handle.

No matter how great the grievance, she had means to resolve it.

It just depended on whether the person was worth the effort.

...

Arriving at the front courtyard, Li Aiguo greeted Third Auntie who was hanging laundry and then left the courtyard.

Turning the corner past Dongzhimen, he reached the famous Ghost Street.

This well-known food street in the capital was beginning to take shape in this era, lined with small eateries on both sides.

Li Aiguo found a bun shop and bought two buns to fill his stomach; before leaving, he ordered a cup of fermented mung bean juice.

Ugh, that juice smelled sour...

He forced himself to swallow it. Not far ahead, he saw the neighborhood committee office.

The neighborhood committee was also a courtyard house with steps at the entrance, but no heavily armed guards.

Li Aiguo entered the gatehouse and offered a cigarette to the gatekeeper. “Sir, may I ask your surname?”

“No need for formalities, surname Qin.”

Old Qin took the cigarette, smelled it beneath his nose, and tucked it behind his ear.

“Sir Qin, I’m a resident of the courtyard and want to get an introduction letter. What are the procedures?” Li Aiguo asked with a smile.

“Introduction letter?” Old Qin stepped out and pointed to the west wing. “See that room? Go in and find Old Wang.”

“Old Huang?”

“Old Wang!”

“Thank you, sir. See you later.”

Old Wang was a small, patched-up elderly man in his fifties, in charge of household registration.

After understanding the situation, he didn’t ask many questions; he took out a pen and a sheet of draft paper, wrote and drew for a moment.

Then he took out a stamp, exhaled, and pressed a red seal onto the paper.

The whole process took less than two minutes.

Li Aiguo had just stepped out with his introduction letter when he bumped into Yan Jiecheng.

Yan Jiecheng was there to apply for a travel permit.

No surprise—it was to use nationwide grain coupons in the countryside, exchanging them for local ones.

Li Aiguo had some respect for Yan Bugui, the so-called Third Uncle.

Yan Bugui had a high school education, began working in 1934, had 22 years of seniority, and a salary grade of at least six.

His monthly wage was 37.82 yuan.

With Third Auntie unemployed, the family depended entirely on this 37.82 yuan, which was quite difficult.

Yet, through his cunning, Yan Bugui managed to raise several children and acquire a bicycle and a radio.

Later, theirs was the first television set purchased by the working class in the courtyard.

...

At that time, Xu Damou and Liu Haizhong both held leadership positions and didn’t count.

When spring came, Yan Jiecheng and his wife borrowed money from Third Uncle to open a restaurant.

All this money was calculated by Yan Bugui.

He truly was a capable man.

...

After greeting him, Li Aiguo took the introduction letter to the women’s cultural and sports store and successfully obtained a library card.

However, the library card allowed borrowing only three books at a time, far from enough to satisfy Li Aiguo’s thirst for knowledge.

So, as before, he found seven or eight books of similar size and thickness and sat on a bench to read.

Time slipped by as more and more customers arrived.

Li Aiguo looked up and saw Ding Qiunan had arrived too.

The young woman held two medical books in her arms.

An intern doctor’s work really was leisurely.

He greeted her and returned to his studies.

“Postpartum Care for Sows”...

Catching a glimpse of the cover of the book in Li Aiguo’s hand, Ding Qiunan couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth.

This man was indeed a student who loved medicine—though his interest lay in veterinary science.

...

“Thanks for what you did yesterday.”

“It was nothing.”

At noon, Li Aiguo left the cultural and sports store, and Ding Qiunan was already waiting by the roadside.

She bounced over like a little white rabbit and handed him a book.

“Here, I recommend you read this.”

“‘Veterinary Medicine Manual’?” Li Aiguo looked puzzled.

“Aren’t you planning to study veterinary medicine? I don’t know much about it, but Dr. Liu at our hospital is trained in veterinary science, so I asked him about it.”

Ding Qiunan blushed, tugging at her shirt hem, and said softly, “Some books in the store are fringe material. If you want to truly become an independent vet, you can’t aim too high—you have to start with the basics.”

Is that so? I didn’t even know I wanted to be a vet.

Thinking this to himself with a smile, Li Aiguo accepted the manual worth 0.01 skill points.

“Do you live in the back courtyard?”

“Hm?”

Li Aiguo was surprised. “Have we met before?”