Chapter 41: The Twins' Full-Month Milestone and the Establishment of the Mutual Aid Fund

On the day Lu Qingmiao and Lu Suisui celebrated their full-month milestone, the courtyard of the pharmaceutical factory was packed with people. Su瑶 had set up a simple shed in the yard, underneath which wooden tables were placed, laden with candies, melon seeds, and freshly steamed white flour steamed buns. White flour was a luxury in this era, and she had gone out of her way to ask Director Wang of the supply and marketing cooperative to approve an extra two catties so the fellow villagers could have a treat.

Widow Li walked at the front, carrying a basket of native eggs with specks of dirt still clinging to them, clearly just collected from the hen coop. "Comrade Su, bringing a full-month gift for the little ones!" She placed the basket on the table and gently coaxed Lu Suisui. "This little girl is truly pretty, the spitting image of you when you were little."

"How would you know what I looked like when I was little?" Su瑶 laughed as she accepted the basket and handed Lu Suisui over to Lu Shihahan. "Sit down, please. The buns were just steamed; eat them while they're hot."

Er Zhuzi shouldered half a bag of cornmeal as he walked in. "Director Su, I don't have much to give, but this cornmeal is for the babies to make porridge, good for their stomachs."

Villagers arrived one after another; some brought cloth ration tickets, while others brought home-grown vegetables, filling the small courtyard with laughter and chatter. Lu Zhanye, wearing his military overcoat, busily handed out cigarettes, his smile never fading—this was the first time he was hosting a full-month celebration for his children, and he was happier than anyone.

Just as Su瑶 was holding Lu Qingmiao up for everyone to see, crying suddenly broke out at the courtyard entrance. Looking up, she saw Old Zhou's daughter-in-law running in with a child in her arms, her hair disheveled and face covered in tears. The child in her embrace had a flushed red face from a high fever, struggling for breath.

"Comrade Su, please save my baby!" Old Zhou's daughter-in-law dropped to her knees with a thud, her voice trembling. "The baby has been burning with a fever all day, and the clinic said penicillin is needed, but I don't have the money to buy it. Have mercy!"

Su瑶 hurried forward to help her up, touching the child's forehead, which was frighteningly hot. "Quickly bring him inside, I'll go get the medicine." She turned and ran toward the pharmacy, feeling a rush of anxiety—the child had a severe fever, and any further delay would be dangerous.

Lu Zhanye followed them into the room, helping to lay the child down on the brick kang bed. Su瑶 retrieved two vials of penicillin from the pharmacy along with a syringe. "This medicine requires an intramuscular injection. I'll give it now, you hold his legs steady."

Old Zhou's daughter-in-law hastily pinned the child's legs down, tears still streaming. "Comrade Su, how much does this medicine cost? I will definitely pay you back later."

"Never mind the money for now, saving the child is what matters," Su瑶 said while preparing the medicine. "Each vial is eighty cents; if you're tight on cash, just run a tab for now and pay whenever you have it."

After the injection, the child's crying subsided a little, but the fever persisted. Remembering that pear soup boiled with mountain spring water could reduce fevers, Su瑶 went to the kitchen, poured some spring water into a pot, added a diced pear and a small piece of rock sugar—the rock sugar had been distributed as a welfare gift for military families last time, and she had never had the heart to eat it.

"This is spring water from the mountains, boiled pear soup is soothing, giving some to the child can help break the fever." Su瑶 scooped the pear soup into a small bowl and handed it over. "Feed him a spoonful every half-hour. If the fever continues, take him to the clinic."

Old Zhou's daughter-in-law took the bowl, her tears falling anew. "Comrade Su, you truly are a good person. Without you, I shudder to think what would have happened to my baby."

"Don't mention it, we're all neighbors, helping each other out is only right," Su瑶 patted her shoulder. "Rest here for a while and wait until the child feels better before leaving."

The villagers in the courtyard had all gathered around, gazing at the child on the kang with worried expressions. Widow Li sighed, "Medical care is so hard to come by in this era, and penicillin is so expensive; how could an ordinary family afford to buy it? Last time my old man caught a cold, he stubbornly endured it for half a month before getting better."

"Ain't that the truth," Er Zhuzi chimed in. "My boy had a fever last time, and with no money for medicine, we used white liquor to wipe his body down to lower the temperature. He almost suffered permanent harm."

Listening to this, Su瑶 felt a heavy knot in her heart. In the 1970s, seeking medical treatment in rural areas was difficult, and scarce medicines were entirely unaffordable. If only there were a way to help the villagers solve the problem of buying medicine.

"Mom, I have an idea!" Lu Xingchen had just returned from outside and, hearing the discussion, spoke up. "Doesn't our stationery factory make a profit? Let's take ten percent of it to set up a mutual aid fund. Whenever someone's family falls ill and can't afford medicine, we can help them out. In the future, everyone can chip in a little too, accumulating small amounts into something significant."

Su瑶 paused in surprise, not expecting her son to propose such an idea. The stationery factory mainly produced exercise books and pencils, generating dozens of yuan in profit each month. Taking ten percent out wouldn't be a huge sum, but it could help quite a few people.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Widow Li was the first to voice her approval. "I'll donate fifty cents every month to help villagers in difficulty."

"I'll donate too!" said Er Zhuzi. "A yuan a month. Even if it's not much, it's my sincere contribution."

The villagers responded one after another, all expressing their willingness to donate money. A warm feeling filled Su瑶's chest, and she said to everyone, "Thank you for your support. Let's call this fund the 'Villagers' Mutual Aid Fund.' Yuxuan, design an account book, record every single income and expense clearly, and post it at the brigade headquarters for everyone to see."

Lu宇轩 nodded, pulled a brand-new notebook from his schoolbag, and wrote "Villagers' Mutual Aid Fund Account Book" on the cover with a pencil. Opening to the first page, he wrote: "First expenditure: 5 yuan, used for buying medicine for Old Zhou's child (2 vials of penicillin + 1 liang of rock sugar)," and even drew a small red heart with a red pen to symbolize "helping others."

"The account book will be updated daily, expenditures marked in red ink, income in black ink, with the purpose and donor clearly stated for every entry," Lu宇轩 said. "I'll go post it at the brigade headquarters every day after school so everyone can see it clearly and there won't be any muddled accounts."

Old Zhou's daughter-in-law looked at the account book, too moved for words. "Thank you everyone, thank you Comrade Su. I'll work hard from now on and donate more money to help others."

"No need to rush, take care of the child first," Su瑶 smiled. "This fund exists precisely to help villagers in difficulty; anyone who faces hardship in the future can apply."

After drinking the pear soup and sleeping for a while, the child's fever gradually broke. Old Zhou's daughter-in-law held the child and expressed her gratitude repeatedly before leaving. In the courtyard, the villagers were still discussing the fund, some offering to donate cloth tickets, others grain, creating an atmosphere even livelier than before.

Lu Shihahan held Lu Suisui and whispered, "Mom, in the future I'll donate the money I earn from drawing too, to help the little brothers and sisters buy medicine."

"That's wonderful, Shihahan is truly a loving child," Su瑶 stroked her head, her heart overflowing with satisfaction.

Lu Zhanye walked over and wrapped his arms around Su瑶 from behind. "Look at your children, every single one of them is sensible. Xingchen suggested setting up the fund, Yuxuan manages the ledger, and Shihahan wants to donate money too. Our family is truly getting better and better."

"Indeed," Su瑶 leaned against his shoulder, looking at the bustling scene in the courtyard. "With the support of the villagers and the help of the children, we can overcome any hardship."

At noon, Su瑶 kept the villagers for a meal. The food was simple—corn porridge, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and the remaining white flour steamed buns—yet everyone ate with great joy. During the meal, someone asked, "Comrade Su, how do we apply for this fund in the future? What are the conditions?"

"There are no special conditions; if a family encounters hardship or falls ill and can't afford medicine, they can apply," Su瑶 said. "Just get the brigade secretary's signature and register with Yuxuan to get the money. We won't have complicated procedures; if someone needs help, we help."

"That's the way to do it!" The villagers all nodded, finding the fund practical and genuinely helpful.

After the meal, Lu宇轩 took the account book to post it at the brigade headquarters. The villagers followed along to take a look, gathering around the notice board and discussing animatedly: "First expenditure 5 yuan, bought medicine for Old Zhou's child—crystal clear." "From now on, when I donate money, I'll be able to see my name on it too, which gives peace of mind."

Looking at the account book, Er Zhuzi suddenly declared, "Comrade Su, every time I sell medicinal herbs from now on, I'll donate a yuan to the fund to do my part for the villagers."

"I'll donate too!" Widow Li said. "Fifty cents a month from selling eggs."

More and more villagers expressed their intent to donate money, and Su瑶 felt deeply reassured looking on. She knew the mutual aid fund was small in scale at the start, but with everyone united in heart, it would surely help more villagers in need and resolve the difficulty of seeking medical care in rural areas.

By evening, Old Zhou's daughter-in-law came back again, bringing a basket of home-grown green vegetables. "Comrade Su, the child's fever has broken and his spirits are much better. Please accept these greens, thank you for your help."

"No need to thank me, it was only right," Su瑶 accepted the vegetables. "If you face any difficulties in the future, just speak up."

Old Zhou's daughter-in-law nodded happily and left. Watching her retreating figure, and then glancing at the villagers still discussing by the brigade notice board in the distance, Su瑶 felt a profound sense of happiness. This mutual aid fund would not only help the villagers solve their medical dilemmas but also unite everyone closer together, making the village a warmer place.

When Lu Zhanye came home from work and heard about the fund, he smiled approvingly. "This is a brilliant idea; it helps the villagers and binds everyone's hearts together. From now on, let's take a larger share of the profits from the pharmaceutical factory and the stationery factory to expand the fund and help even more people."

"Agreed," Su瑶 nodded. "From now on, the pharmaceutical factory can contribute five percent of its profits, and the stationery factory ten percent. Coupled with the villagers' donations, the fund will surely grow larger and larger."

Lu Qingmiao and Lu Suisui were fast asleep on the kang, their little cheeks flushed and rosy. Nearby, Lu Shihahan was sketching a picture of a group of people smiling around an account book, on which were written the words: "Villagers' Mutual Aid Fund: Helping You, Me, and Everyone." Lu Xingchen and Lu宇轩 were discussing fund management, earnestly talking about how to record donations and how to publicly announce expenditures.

Su瑶 sat by the edge of the kang, looking at her family, her heart filled with anticipation. This mutual aid fund was merely the beginning; in the future, it could also help impoverished students buy books or assist villagers in purchasing farming tools. With everyone pulling together, life would surely get better and better, and the village would grow ever warmer.

Outside the window, the setting sun dyed the courtyard in a golden hue, and the laughter of villagers drifted in from afar. Su瑶 knew that as long as one held the villagers in their heart and genuinely helped everyone resolve their hardships, there was nothing that could not be accomplished. This mutual aid fund was like a seed taking root and sprouting in the hearts of the villagers, destined to grow into a towering tree that would shelter everyone from wind and rain.

Deep into the night, Su瑶 was still reviewing the fund ledger organized by Lu宇轩. Every expenditure was clear, and every donation recorded by name. This account book was not merely a record of funds; it was a testament to the villagers' trust. Managed well, it would surely become the "life-saving money" for the villagers, helping everyone weather hardship after hardship.