Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1315 A Win-Win-Win Situation for the Free Clinic, and the Dialect Family's Weekend Activities (Two Chapters Combined)
Wang Jin has now returned to Singapore, and his father-in-law was discharged from the hospital some time ago.

Now all that's left is the foundation's office in Beijing. Vice Minister Li of the Ministry of Health specially set up an office for them in the Ministry of Health's unit in Xicheng District, right next to Representative Huo's "Dialect Traditional Chinese Medicine Development Foundation Office".

When the fund was established, Wang Jin's father-in-law said that it would achieve tiered coverage by setting up multiple sub-projects, including;
Dialect-based emergency relief, providing financial assistance to patients suffering from sudden serious illnesses who are unable to pay for treatment.

The local dialect-based charity pharmacy subsidizes the price difference of medicines in impoverished areas.

The Dialect Medical Forum aims to popularize traditional Chinese medicine knowledge and train grassroots doctors.

The Dialect-Based Traditional Chinese Medicine Talents Program is a training program for young physicians.

The projects listed here can directly address the needs of the free clinic, such as the expenses for supplies, aid, and training, all of which can be drawn from this resource.

Problems discovered during the free clinics, such as some patients lacking medication, can be addressed through long-term projects funded by the foundation.

This would expand the scope of aid, enhance social reputation through public exposure, consolidate the reputation of traditional Chinese medicine before the upcoming reform and opening up, and even further increase its influence by training barefoot doctors.

To expand the influence of traditional Chinese medicine among the public.

However, before contacting them, Fang Yan first contacted the school, mainly telling Professor Yue Meizhong, who was in charge of three graduate classes, about the matter.

The postgraduate program already has relatively few courses, so splitting the courses among the three classes and conducting free clinics in rural areas near Beijing for a period of time should still be manageable.

So after Fang Yan explained his plan, Professor Yue Meizhong said there was no problem, except for who would pay for the related expenses incurred by the free clinic.

Then Fang Yan explained his plan: part of the funding would come from the company, part from the foundation, and the university would send graduate students.

Fang Yan said to Yue Meizhong on the other end of the phone:

"Look, Mr. Yue, many of the villagers have never seen a TCM doctor who graduated from a proper school in their entire lives. When we go to provide free medical services, we can first help them solve the problem of 'not being able to see a doctor.' The three graduate classes usually study 'Treatise on Febrile Diseases' and 'Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber,' but theoretical knowledge is ultimately superficial. Free medical services are the best practical lesson."

"Moreover, this makes TCM charity visible and tangible. Free clinics can connect several sub-projects of the foundation. For the foundation, it is not just about spending money, but about making every penny worthwhile."

After pausing in his dialect, he said:

"Old Yue, you know better than I do that Western medicine has developed rapidly in recent years. Some people think that traditional Chinese medicine is slow and unscientific. Free clinics are the best advertisements, which can help traditional Chinese medicine to establish a more solid foundation in people's hearts before the reform and opening up."

“Our school can send students without spending a penny, but we can get two benefits: ‘teaching achievements’ and ‘social evaluation’. People will say, ‘The students of Capital University of Traditional Chinese Medicine are so good, they come to the village to see doctors for free.’ This kind of reputation will attract more young people who want to study traditional Chinese medicine to apply. It can also give the school more ‘public welfare contribution’ endorsement from the health department, and make it more advantageous when applying for scientific research projects and teaching resources in the future.”

"Don't the Western medicine doctors at Peking Union Medical College Hospital also go out for a month every year to do free clinics? We should learn from them. Although a month is a bit long, with three shifts going back and forth to see patients, we should be able to stay in this area for half a month without any problems."

“Our company contributes part of the expenses, the foundation contributes part of the expenses, and the school contributes manpower. This ‘three-party collaboration’ model can set an example for other organizations. In the future, more companies may be willing to cooperate with schools on public welfare projects, which can not only help reduce the burden on schools but also create more practical opportunities for students. As you know, there are many companies around Beijing that are invested by overseas Chinese.”

"If we make a name for ourselves this time, future collaborations will go smoothly, and everyone can follow our template."

Upon hearing Fang Yan's words, Professor Yue Meizhong on the other end of the phone paused for two seconds before laughing:
"Hahaha... You're quick-witted and thoughtful! Western medicine's instruments and medicines are indeed convenient these days. Some villagers think that acupuncture and medicine are slow, but that's because they haven't seen a proper traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Once they experience it for themselves, that acupuncture can stop toothache on the spot, and that herbal medicine is cheaper than Western medicine and can cure the root cause, they will naturally believe in and spread traditional Chinese medicine."

"Your idea to involve companies and foundations, and even set an example for other organizations, shows a remarkable vision! In the past, schools relied on government funding or donations for public welfare, which was never sustainable. Now, with your model, the school provides manpower, companies cover expenses, and the foundation provides support. This ensures that students don't have to go hungry to provide medical care, the foundation's money isn't spent in a shady way, and it attracts the attention of overseas Chinese businesses. Excellent! I wholeheartedly support this!"

"I'll go talk to the school's academic affairs office right away and arrange for the three classes to be scheduled differently so that there are students who can go to the free clinic every day. Also, I'll ask a few experienced traditional Chinese medicine doctors to come along!"

After finishing talking about this matter, Fang Yan then told Lao Hu about it.

As the man who loves advertising the most in his dialect, Lao Hu naturally agreed with the suggestion wholeheartedly.

He even suggested something in dialect:

"I think it would be best to print the words 'Our company, foundation and school joint free clinic' on the medical kit, so that people who come for treatment can see it."

"If all else fails, I'll get another batch of enamel mugs, print some words on them, and give them out while I'm out providing free medical consultations."

After hearing this, Fang Yan thought for a moment and said:

"This... is probably useless."

"Why?" Old Hu asked in surprise.

He said in dialect:

"Many people in the countryside don't know how to read, so printing them wouldn't be of much use."

In rural Beijing in 1978, the illiteracy rate was not low, especially among the middle-aged and elderly, for whom illiteracy was very common.

Although a literacy campaign had been underway for many years, and many young adults had learned some common characters through night school literacy classes, most of the villagers over forty or fifty years old in the rural areas surrounding Beijing had never attended a formal school.

Some children were too poor to afford school when they were young, while others were too busy farming and raising livestock to learn to read. Even among the younger ones, most only know their own names and simple numbers. Not many can fully understand words like "joint free clinic" or "foundation".

If you were to print the names of a company, foundation, or school on a medical kit or enamel mug, most villagers wouldn't be able to read them. At most, they would just think, "This mug has words on it, it looks nice," and it wouldn't achieve the desired promotional effect of making people remember it.

After hearing this, Lao Hu paused for a moment, then scratched his head and laughed:

"Hey, I forgot about that! You're so thoughtful. If we print the words and nobody can read them, it'll be a waste of our time and make us seem out of touch with reality."

Fang Yan thought for a moment and said:
"It's not that we can't do publicity at all, but we have to find a way that the villagers can understand. For example, we can have the students and traditional Chinese medicine doctors who come with us chat with the villagers and say that we are from the Capital University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and that we are here with the company and foundation to provide free medical care. It's more effective to say it verbally than to print it. Another example is to casually mention when giving out enamel cups, 'This cup is for you to drink water. If you have a headache or fever in the future, remember that the traditional Chinese medicine doctors from the city can treat you.' This is both practical and will make the villagers remember it."

Upon hearing this in dialect, Old Hu's eyes lit up, and he said:

"Hey, that's a great idea! Talking about it is much more reliable than printing it! I won't use any fancy words then. I'll prepare more practical items. Besides enamel mugs, I'll also get some coarse cloth bags and mugwort patches. These are things that the villagers can use. When we deliver them, we'll clearly tell them who we are and what we're here for. That'll definitely be more memorable than printing it!"

“Let’s do it that way,” Fang Yan nodded.

At this moment, Lao Hu reminded Fang Yan again:
"Hey, but the free clinic can't go too far. It's best if it's one where you can go and come back on the same day. Don't forget, there's a pregnant woman waiting at home!"

He was referring to his wife Zhu Lin, who speaks in dialect, and his own wife Huang Huijie. Although there was still some time before their due dates, things were becoming increasingly uncertain as the time drew closer.

Actually, Zhu Lin is fine, especially for older mothers like Huang Huijie who are already forty years old. Their chances of premature delivery are slightly higher than those of younger mothers.

Actually, the due date isn't a fixed, exact date. It's just a rough estimate that doctors make based on the date of your last menstrual period, a "probable day the baby might be born." It doesn't mean the baby has to be born on that exact day. Clinically, most babies, over 80%, are born within one or two weeks before or after their due date. So even if you're born one or two weeks earlier than your due date, it's still within the normal range. There's no need to panic if you hear that your baby is born early.

However, for older mothers (generally referring to those over 35 years old), it is indeed possible for the due date to come earlier, mainly due to the following reasons:

The first is the change in bodily functions. Mothers over 35 years old may not have the same strength in uterine contractions or as good placental function as younger mothers. If the placenta "ages" prematurely, for example in late pregnancy, and cannot provide the baby with enough nutrients and oxygen, the body may activate a "premature delivery" mechanism to ensure the baby's safety.

The second factor is the impact of pregnancy complications. Older mothers are more prone to pregnancy-related health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes. If these problems are not well managed, doctors may recommend delivering the baby earlier to avoid risks for both the mother and baby.

The third difference is the condition of the cervix. In some older mothers, the cervix may mature and soften earlier in late pregnancy, which means that labor will start earlier than the due date.

Mr. and Mrs. Hu are now basically treating this child as their last chance in this life.

Fang Yan said to Lao Hu:

"Relax first. Let's make all the necessary preparations so that we can handle any situation that arises smoothly."

"I'm worried that my due date will come early," Lao Hu replied.

Dialect explanation:

"It's common for due dates to come earlier than expected, but that doesn't mean there's danger."

"Besides, Peking Union Medical College Hospital is just steps away from here, and we have a group of doctors in our family. We can get there with just one phone call. Even if we give birth at home, it won't be a problem. I'm prepared,"

Lao Hu said:

"I just felt safer with you around!"

He trusts Fang Yan; he feels at ease when Fang Yan is around.

Fang Yan said to her:
"Don't worry, the free clinic isn't far, only about a half-hour drive away. I definitely won't stay out overnight, and I'll check on them every morning. If anyone has any issues, I definitely won't go out."

Hearing this, Lao Hu finally breathed a sigh of relief; his family was still the most important thing.

After things were settled here, Lao Hu started making preparations, such as preparing medicinal herbs and cups. He also contacted the fund in Fangyan. The amount of funds involved for this scale was not too much, so they didn't say much and just started making preparations.

As for project matching, the process involves submitting an application, initial review by the secretariat, approval by the chairman, financial review, and fund disbursement. Dialects are not a concern.

His job is simply to execute the project and then assist with the final reporting, closing, and audit evaluation.

Wang Jin had already optimized the process for utilizing this resource. If it were a proper process, it would definitely take several meetings to get it done.

There might be some wrangling involved, as the use of funds actually requires many review steps, especially to prevent anyone from embezzling funds.

It's like in later generations, it was so fierce, even the censorship could find loopholes.

At this point, Fang Yan has established the free clinic project. Now, all that's needed is for resources and supplies from all parties to be in place before it can begin.

In the evening, Fang Yan reported to Director Liao about what he was doing. Director Liao expressed his approval, but he still reminded Fang Yan that the National Day holiday was approaching and a large wave of overseas Chinese businessmen would be returning to China. He hoped that Fang Yan would be prepared.

Judging from the crowd, it seems quite a few people have come.

No one can replace Fang Yan in this area right now. The main reason is that the difficult cases selected globally are indeed quite challenging. They have all been treated in other places many times without seeing any results, which is why they chose to come back.

Fang Yan nodded and said to Director Liao:
"Don't worry, once they arrive, I definitely won't go out. Besides, my wife's due date is in October, so I'll try my best to stay home and take care of her."

Upon hearing this from the dialect, Director Liao slapped his forehead and said:
"Oh dear, I almost forgot, you're going to be a dad soon!"

He laughed in dialect:

"Hey, you're so busy all day, why are you remembering this?"

Director Liao said:
"Busy as you are, you can't forget this important event in your life! After the baby is born, I have to give the baby a big red envelope to share in the joy."

Fang Yan cupped his hands in greeting:

"Thank you so much!" Director Liao patted him on the shoulder and said.

"You've been busy lately, so don't overwork yourself. You should rest when you need to. I've heard you've been working all weekend. Health is the foundation of everything. You always tell me to balance work and rest, but you can't just keep working. You need to relax so you don't fall behind at crucial moments."

“Okay…” Fang Yan nodded. Tomorrow was the weekend, and there was nothing much to do during the break before the free clinic. The company and research institute were also back on track, so Fang Yan planned to take a break.

Anton has been working himself to the bone lately, not to mention what he himself is going through.

……

That evening, while watching TV after dinner, Fang Yan was thinking about how to spend the weekend.
I haven't had a break in a long time, and suddenly having to rest for a whole day is something I'm not used to.

It's definitely inconvenient to take Zhu Lin out now that she's in her late pregnancy.

Besides, Zhu Lin doesn't need to be with him anymore. The house is very lively on weekends. There are his older sister, his younger sister, Chen Kaige's wife Sun Jialin, and maybe even other guests. There are so many people, and they don't even need to use the local dialect.

The same goes for the children in the family; several of them have their own weekend leisure activities and don't need him to take care of them.

Even my parents at home are like that; when they get together, they only talk about things at work, and I can't get a word in edgewise because of their dialect.

On the contrary, Fang Yan and Lao Hu left their jobs, as if they had nothing to do.

Suddenly, I felt a bit like a lonely old person.

"Have you finished arranging the free clinic?" Fang Yan asked Lao Hu.

Lao Hu said:

"Someone ordered it. What, are you starting the free clinic ahead of schedule?"

Shaking his head in dialect:

"No, I just wanted to ask if you're free tomorrow, it's the weekend?"

Old Hu thought for a moment:
"Let's go to the film set after breakfast, that's all."

"What about you, Lao Cui?" Fang Yan asked the bodyguard, Cui Changshou.

“I’ll go with Mr. Hu,” Old Cui said.

Fang Yan asked the two of them:
"Want to go fishing?"

Old Hu was taken aback and said in surprise:
"Huh? What???"

Old Cui also thought he had misheard.

He asked in dialect:

"Want to go fishing at Shichahai?"

"..." The two looked like they'd seen a ghost.

Dialectal wave:
"It's nothing, I was just asking. I'm resting on the weekend, so I'll skip it. I didn't really want to go anyway..."

“Go!” Old Hu responded immediately.

Then asked:

Do you have fishing gear?

"No!" Fang Yan shook his head.

Old Hu was shocked:

"So what kind of fish do you use to fish?"

He said in dialect:

"Just grab a bamboo pole, buy some fishing line and hooks, dig up some earthworms, and you can fish."

"Wilderness survival?" Old Hu was shocked again.

"..." Fang Yan felt it was too much to say.

Upon hearing this, Huang Huijie suggested to Fang Yan and the others:

"Go to the Overseas Chinese Friendship Store to buy it; they have high-end fishing gear there."

As soon as Huang Huijie said this, Lao Hu's eyes lit up instantly, and he slapped his thigh and said:
"Oh right! How could I forget about the Overseas Chinese Friendship Store! They not only have imported fishing gear, but also fishing rods, the telescopic kind."

He said in dialect:

"No need to make it so complicated, as long as we can catch fish, that's fine. But... since there's a place to buy them ready-made, it saves us the trouble of finding bamboo and digging for earthworms. Tomorrow morning, we'll go to the store first, then go to Shichahai, just in time for the best time before noon."

Huang Huijie smiled and said to Lao Hu in dialect:

"Keep it up, guys. If you catch any fish, make some fish soup when you get back at noon so Linlin and me can have some nourishment."

Old Hu immediately thumped his chest loudly and said:
"No problem, we'll definitely bring back a big one!"

……

The next morning, Fang Yan went to check on the patients early. When she returned, Lao Hu had already gone to the film set. Today, her brother-in-law's family, as well as Director Chen and his wife, had also come over, and the house gradually became lively.

After a while, Lao Hu returned from outside and immediately called Fang Yan to go fishing.

Upon hearing that they were going fishing, Zhu Lang, the brother-in-law, and Director Chen also came over, and even the brother-in-law, who was on holiday today, became interested.

Everyone should go along.

The last time they went out together was when they fought in an underground boxing match.

This time, only Xiao Li was missing, but Anton also joined in. He was supposed to have the day off, but no one was home on the weekend, so he went to a dinner party. Sophia went, but he didn't go.

So the men got together, went out the door, and drove to the store.

The Overseas Chinese Friendship Store is in Dongdan, not far from where they live; it only takes a short drive.

As soon as they arrived at the door, they saw a shop assistant in a navy blue uniform opening the door. Seeing them come in, he knew from their clothes that they were not ordinary people, and asked with a smile, "Are you here to buy something? Do you have any remittance certificates?"

Old Hu quickly took out his wallet and pulled out a few light green remittance certificates. As an overseas Chinese businessman, he definitely had these. He hadn't thought they were useless at the time, but he never expected them to come in handy today.

When everyone entered the store, they found that the shelves were indeed filled with many rare items, from imported chocolates to shiny enamel pots, a dazzling array of goods.

Sure enough, there were several fishing tackle pieces in the innermost counter, including wooden hand rods and telescopic rods, with foreign characters printed on them, and they looked exquisite.

Seeing them eyeing the fishing gear, the shop assistant enthusiastically introduced it to them:

"This telescopic rod is imported from Japan. The lightest one weighs only half a pound, and it's effortless to catch a ten-pound fish. The fishing line is made of nylon, which is ten times stronger than cotton line. It won't break even after being soaked in water for ten days."

"If you don't want Japanese products, are there any from other countries?" Fang Yan asked.

“Yes, we won’t buy from Japan. Are there any other brands? Chinese-made ones are fine, and if there aren’t any, those from Europe and America will do,” Lao Hu said.

The sales clerk paused for a moment, then quickly withdrew his hand from explaining the Japanese fishing rods, smiling as he moved them further into the shelf.
"Yes, yes, yes, look here—these two are fiberglass fishing rods made in Shanghai. Although they are not telescopic, they are sturdy and lightweight, and can easily catch fish weighing seven or eight pounds. And this one is a bamboo fishing rod made in Tianjin. It is handmade by an old craftsman, so it is very resilient. It is a bit heavy, but it has a good feel when you are fishing."

Fang Yan walked over and picked up the fiberglass fishing rod made in Shanghai. He weighed it in his hand and found it to be indeed lightweight. The words "Shanghai Fishing Tackle Factory" were printed on the rod in red on a white background, which looked very familiar.

"How much is this hand pole?" Fang Yan asked.

"One per person, we'll charge you together," Lao Hu said before the clerk could answer.

After saying that, he added:
"Everyone should get a set of fiberglass hand rods from Shanghai, plus two sets of fishing lines and hooks. Also, buy more fish food. I heard you mention shrimp powder balls, right? Get ten packs. And some cornmeal groundbait too, so we can bait the area before fishing and the fish will come faster."

The shop assistant was overjoyed and quickly filled bags with the goods, saying as he did so, "You guys know your stuff! Baiting is really important, especially around Shichahai, where there are lots of fish. It's easy to not catch anything without baiting."

After paying, the group carried their fishing gear out, with Lao Hu carrying a large bag of fish food. They then got back into the car and headed towards Shichahai.

After parking the car, everyone chatted and laughed, ready to get to work.

Before they even reached the riverbank, someone blocked their way:

"Oh, Dr. Fang! What a coincidence!"

Fang Yan looked toward the newcomer, a little old man. He stared intently, trying to make out who it was, and then he recognized him:
"Oh, Uncle Chen!"

This old man was the first patient Fang Yan saw at the Dashilan branch. Fang Yan was deeply impressed by him, especially by his grandson, who was suspected of having bipolar disorder and pica, which Fang Yan still remembers vividly.

Grandpa Chen slapped his thigh:
"Oh, what a coincidence! I was just telling someone that I wanted him to see you for treatment!"

"You'll appear right away as soon as I tell you!"

After he finished speaking, he pointed in a direction:
"That's great! You'd better take a look at my friend right away. That old man's face is half crooked, and he hasn't gone to the hospital yet. He might die!"

Fang Yan was taken aback. Could he have stumbled upon a medical treatment job while fishing this weekend?

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words has been updated.

(End of this chapter)