Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1421 November Departure for Inspection in Shanxi: Special Plane Escorts Demonstrate Special Treatment (Two Chapters Combined)
After Tao Guangzheng finished his business, Fang Yan originally wanted to invite them to stay for dinner at his home, but they said they had already eaten. Old Tao had cooked the afternoon meal, so Tao Guangzheng had already eaten as soon as he arrived at the house.

When the dialect heard them say that, they didn't want them to stay any longer.

After seeing the person off, they returned to the main hall and ate dinner again.

Old Tao stewed the meat in a clay pot with just salt. The method wasn't particularly elaborate, but the main point was to highlight the original flavor of the food. These days, the Chinese black pork tastes pretty good, so not a single piece of stew was left.

After dinner, I received a call from the factory looking for me. They said the things I ordered in Hong Kong had arrived at the train station and they wanted to know whether to leave them at the factory or have them delivered to my home.

Old Hu requested that they send a car directly to this location.

About two hours later, around 8:30 pm, the car finally arrived.

He bought a lot of things, the most eye-catching of which were two color televisions, which were specially bought for the two pregnant women who were in confinement in the bedroom.

In addition, there are a lot of children's products and toys. His daughter has them, and his son, who speaks dialect, also has them.

Fortunately, Fang Yan's house is spacious, otherwise there really wouldn't be enough room in the bedroom to store so many things.

It took quite a bit of effort just to move them.

When they finally moved to the very back, Fang Yan discovered that there were even toys for her cats and dogs inside.

It's only because of Lao Hu. These days, no one else would buy these things. These are rare items even among the rich in Hong Kong. They're toys specifically for cats and dogs. No matter where you are, it's considered a luxury.

In other words, he has a strong ability to understand dialects. When others saw it, they were shocked. They were shocked that someone was actually selling such a thing, and that Lao Hu actually bought it.

However, everyone's attention was soon drawn to the two large televisions. There was already a black and white television in the bedroom, but Lao Hu brought back two more.

Moreover, it's a color TV; there aren't many channels with color TV signals these days.

Then there were toys. This time, the toys weren't geared towards one-year-olds, but rather those for babies a few months old. In an era when toys were scarce in China, these things opened the eyes of many people.

However, something even more eye-catching soon appeared: some movie videotapes that Lao Hu had brought back this time, things that were previously only available to internal reports.

Now that Lao Hu has brought it back from Hong Kong, the only downside is... it's the original version and doesn't have Chinese subtitles.

Fortunately, most of my family members are well-educated, so they can understand it.

So that very night, my family put on the movie "The Godfather," which my younger brother had watched and raved about.

This American film, released in 1972, greatly shocked my family.

Perhaps it's part of their habit to watch internal reports, but after watching it, my dad and father-in-law even took the lead in publishing some critical film reviews.

Fang Yan guessed that the two of them were doing this for Peng Chunxia's benefit, since she was an outsider, and given what they had experienced in previous years, especially their father, they were particularly wary of this kind of thing.

They treat these sensitive things just like Mr. and Mrs. Hu treat their own family members.

However, they were overthinking it.

Peng Chunxia is not as complicated as they think.

Moreover, given their dialect and their own identities, it's unlikely anyone would question them if they watched this kind of film now.

……

Several days passed quickly, and November arrived.

All the students have arrived at the pilot hospitals in various provinces one after another. They are currently carrying out training programs and simultaneously promoting liver disease treatment in their local areas.

According to recent reports from Tianjin, Hebei and other places, some people have started to receive treatment at hospitals, and graduate students have begun to follow up on them.

The student from Lingshi County, Shanxi Province, had also arrived. One of them was Bai Xiaochun, a classmate of Fang Yan's.

She used to work at the county hospital, and her parents were cadres in the hospital. It is said that her father was a direct disciple of Yang Tianlin, a famous doctor in Shanxi. In other words, she was in Zhou Zuoyu's faction and was of the same generation as Chu Qiaonan and Ni Haixia.

Li Ke just passed the national unified examination and became a doctor in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Lingshi County People's Hospital. Bai Xiaochun will run into him when she goes there.

Once they got to know each other better and the promotion over there was almost done, Fang Yan decided to go there directly.

……

In November, the weather in Beijing had already turned cold.

Although it's still a few days until the start of winter, the temperature has already dropped below zero at night.

When the sun is out during the day, the temperature is around 13 or 14 degrees Celsius.

Temperatures generally hover around 10 degrees Celsius, and everyone has put on thick clothes. However, the low humidity in the north doesn't feel too bad, and it's not too cold outdoors as long as there's no wind.

As for indoor spaces, most institutions have not yet started providing heating, but Peking Union Medical College Hospital and research institutes have already started.

Therefore, in most cases where people speak in a dialect, there is heating indoors.

The heating in my home is on, so the heating has been turned on.

Zhu Lin has been in postpartum confinement for more than ten days now, and she is gradually getting used to this lifestyle. She can watch TV, read books, and take care of her child at home every day. With Huang Huijie also there and Peng Chunxia taking care of her at any time, she is living a pretty comfortable life.

The people next door have already been cleared out, and Old Hu has already gathered the manpower to start the renovations there.

First, they dismantled the earthquake-resistant shed in the yard.

After clearing out the yard, they started digging the drainage system and rebuilding the spiderweb-like power grid. He directly hired the construction team that had previously repaired the factory, and all the wiring was imported, with the main focus on maximizing the configuration.

The renovation next door is a bit noisy, but thankfully Fang Yan's bedroom isn't on the noisy side, so Zhu Lin is fine living there. It's just that Huang Huijie is a bit difficult to handle.

They often went to stay with Zhu Lin.

They went back that evening.

It has made daily chatting and communication between the two of them more convenient.

In addition, some of the patients with milder symptoms have been discharged one after another after receiving treatment. The more severe cases, such as those with thyroid neck metastasis and idiopathic pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, are also improving.

Especially for those with thyroid neck metastasis, the dense lipomas all over their bodies have almost disappeared. The large lump on their neck is still very noticeable, but its hardness and size are much better than before. People who see it every day don't notice it, but they have taken photos themselves, and now they can clearly see the difference when comparing them.

The only one who was somewhat annoyed was Mr. Wei, who had been driven crazy by his family.

His symptoms have now largely subsided, and he appears to be a normal person in his daily life. However, whenever his family members are mentioned, his entire demeanor becomes very strange, as if he is under stress.

Director Liao had previously communicated with his family, but as the saying goes, adults are very difficult to change. Even if Director Liao intervened and his words made perfect sense, the final effect was still minimal.

So now Mr. Wei seems to have recovered, but he's still in a Schrödinger's cat state.

He goes crazy if we discharge him, but his physical examinations show normal results when he's hospitalized.

They're just stalling for time now.

In addition, the two buildings donated by the Zhou family some time ago have been topped out, and some interior decoration has begun.

Similarly, Peking Union Medical College Hospital also consulted with Fang Yan about expanding the enrollment of the Traditional Chinese Medicine department.

Now that the building is finished, it will definitely be put into use, so expanding recruitment must be put on the agenda. How to recruit people? Where to recruit them? These are all issues that need to be discussed.

Ultimately, the decision was made to adopt the approach of Nantong Zhu Lao Hospital, which recruits people from both universities and the community. Universities recruit new-generation academic TCM practitioners, while the community recruits skilled, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

After Fang Yan proposed the idea of ​​expanding enrollment by "recruiting freshmen from universities and recruiting from the community," the head of the personnel department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital frowned on the spot.
"Director Fang, the political vetting of doctors from the folk tradition is a tough nut to crack. A few years ago, many folk TCM practitioners were labeled as 'feudal and superstitious,' and there are records of this in their files to varying degrees. Now, it will be very difficult for the higher authorities to approve their recruitment into Peking Union Medical College Hospital."

That hit the nail on the head.

Dean Cui Jing, who was present, was in charge of this kind of review. She said:

“I know many people in the martial arts world who have real skills. For example, I know an old Chinese medicine doctor from Hebei who is good at treating bone injuries. However, he was given a demerit in his early years because he treated some people who should not have been treated. In this case, the review will definitely be blocked.”

Fang Yan was silent for a moment, then looked up and said:
"How about we take a two-step approach? First, we can screen those with good reputations and no obvious 'problems,' for example, through recommendations from TCM doctors in various regions. We can have them practice as 'external experts' for six months and observe them. If they perform well, we can then proceed with the formal recruitment process. This way, the review process will be less stressful."

This is also the technique used by Zhu Lao Hospital in Nantong.

Dialects are just copied verbatim.

Upon hearing this, Cui Jingyi's eyes lit up, and after thinking for a moment, she said:
“This approach is feasible! Hiring external doctors avoids the strict staffing review process, which can both retain talent and give higher-level departments a buffer period. Moreover, these doctors from the grassroots level are familiar with the local conditions and can help us train our newly recruited graduate students, teaching them some practical ‘local methods’.”

Section Chief Wang of the Personnel Department also nodded:

“If we hire externally, the personnel department can handle it. However, we need to inform our superiors in advance and explain that it is a ‘pilot recruitment’ to accumulate experience for the subsequent promotion of traditional Chinese medicine. This will increase the probability of approval.”

The matter was settled, and the next step was to send letters and issue notices to various regions.

At that time, the dialects will need to be reviewed and approved by the organization.

……

Then another week passed, and this day was the eighth day of the tenth lunar month, November 8, 1978, the solar term Beginning of Winter.

In the morning, Fang Yan received feedback from various regions at the research institute.

The feedback from the pilot program has been quite positive. Patients who have received treatment are gradually recovering, and the doctors from health stations who came from various communes to learn have also made significant progress after these days of training and are now fully capable of making diagnoses independently.

Fang Yan then realized that he should go to Lingshi County in Shanxi Province.

Fang Yan told Dean Zhao Xiwu that he was going to do an inspection tour. They were a little surprised at first, but eventually agreed. However, they thought Fang Yan was going to pilot areas like Tianjin or Hebei, but Fang Yan told them that he was going to Lingshi County.

Fang Yan told them that she planned to go further afield, though Shanxi wasn't the furthest; the furthest she'd go was to the south. "Then you'll have to talk to Director Liao and the others. We have no objections, but we haven't heard from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office or Peking Union Medical College Hospital about any work arrangements," Zhao Xiwu said to Fang Yan.

Upon hearing their agreement, Fang Yan immediately said:
"No problem, I'll call them right away."

Then Fang Yan called Director Liao from his office and told him about it.

Director Liao didn't ask too many questions, he just asked:
"Approximately how many days will you be gone?"

He said in dialect:

"Including travel time, it will probably take about five days."

Director Liao pondered for a moment and asked:
"How many people are going?"

He said in dialect:

"The current plan is for me to be alone."

As a result, Director Liao said:
"That won't do. I need to find a few people to go with you."

He paused for a moment, then said:
"The three people from Hong Kong last time, I suppose."

Fang Yan was taken aback and asked:

"Li Chong, Deng Cai, Wang Feng?"

Director Liao said:
"Yes, it's them."

Fang Yan thought about it and realized, wow, this team has suddenly grown huge.

My travel arrangements are equivalent to those of a high-ranking official.

he asked:
"Is it too much?"

Director Liao said:
"Not many, just let them come along. Don't bother taking the train, just arrange for them to fly directly to Taiyuan. Once they get there, someone will arrange for a car to take them there."

"..." Fang Yan realized that she had underestimated her status in Director Liao's eyes.

Upon hearing the dialect without speaking, Director Liao said:
"I'm doing this for your safety. You know how many people are watching you. Taking the train would be too conspicuous, and flying is much faster."

Upon hearing this, the person in the dialect immediately responded:
"Okay, it's up to you."

Director Liao said to him:
"Go back and explain things properly to your family, as well as the handover of your work at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Once everything is settled, give me a specific travel date, and I'll have someone make the arrangements."

He said in dialect:

"Okay, I think it would be best to leave tomorrow."

Upon hearing the dialect, Director Liao said:

"Okay, but if it's tomorrow, I might have to leave in the evening, as time is a bit tight."

"I'll be right back," Fang Yan said.

After Director Liao agreed, he hung up the phone.

Everyone listening was dumbfounded.

This means they arranged his flight directly. They might arrange this for important conferences, and it's usually to fly to key cities like Shanghai or Guangzhou. His flight was to Taiyuan.

That's quite impressive.

Fang Yan then said goodbye to Dean Zhao Xiwu and the others, and went to the hospital to tell Cui Jingyi and find Lao Tao to arrange some work.

Old Tao's wife had just arrived in Beijing, and his grandchildren had just finished arranging things at school. When he heard that Fang Yan was going to Shanxi, he immediately said that he would go with her, saying that he had been to Shanxi when he was young and had experience dealing with the locals. Fang Yan was both amused and exasperated, and persuaded Old Tao to stay behind with his master, Lu Donghua.

I will return soon after my inspection there.

Old Tao then agreed.

Then he went home to pack his things and told his wife, Zhu Lin, about his business trip.

In Beijing, there is a custom of eating dumplings on the day of Lidong (the Beginning of Winter). There is an old saying: "If you don't eat dumplings on Lidong, your ears will freeze off and no one will care."

When Fang Yan returned home, Peng Chunxia and the two nurses who had been asked to take care of Huang Huijie were chatting and making dumplings with Zhu Lin and Huang Huijie in the bedroom.

The two children were fast asleep on the bed.

The room was very warm and had a TV on, making it quite lively.

They were puzzled when they saw Fang Yan return.

Then I heard Fang Yan say that he was going on a business trip.

"How long will you be gone?" Zhu Lin asked Fang Yan. Fang Yan had told her before that she might be going to Shanxi on a business trip soon, so she was prepared.

He said in dialect:

"It will take at least three days, and at most five days."

"Director Liao arranged a plane to fly to Taiyuan tomorrow, accompanied by soldiers from three different units."

Zhu Lin hadn't finished kneading the dumpling wrappers when she heard this. She looked up at Fang Yan, her eyes showing reluctance, but she didn't stop him.
"Then you must be careful on your journey. Shanxi is colder than Beijing. I've folded your thick clothes on top of your suitcase, remember to wear them."

Huang Huijie stopped what she was doing and said, "Should we find a few of our own people to go with us?"

Dialectal wave:
“Those three soldiers were responsible for protecting me in Hong Kong before; they were one of our own.”

Huang Huijie then nodded.

Peng Chunxia added, "Director Fang, you're away on a business trip, so don't catch a cold. I wonder what the temperature is like in Shanxi."

"Thank you, I definitely can't get cold," Fang Yan said with a smile.

Then he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the sleeping child, and then at the group of people making dumplings around the table. The room was warm from the heating, and there was a traditional opera playing on the TV, mixed with the laughter of the group, creating a lively atmosphere.

Fang Yan sat down, picked up a dumpling wrapper, and quickly started wrapping dumplings. Everyone was stunned by how fast and well he wrapped them.

"Director Fang, your hands are so skillful!" a nurse exclaimed.

Zhu Lin said, "Don't bother packing all the bags. We all have things to do. Go pack your luggage, we'll handle the packing."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan put down the dumpling wrappers, went to the wardrobe, and began to plan what to bring on her business trip.

Fang Yan opened the wardrobe, selected two sets of clothes to change into, a few pairs of socks, and then, after thinking for a moment, took a few more pairs of socks. He then took some national food coupons and money, as well as various personal documents, and finally packed them all in a common Shanghai brand travel bag.

By lunchtime, the rest of the family had also learned that Fang Yan was going to Lingshi County on a business trip. They all gave him a lot of advice, since Fang Yan hadn't traveled far since returning from Hong Kong. This time, he was going to such a far place as Shanxi. His mother-in-law had been to Shanxi on a business trip before, so she told Fang Yan about the local customs and weather.

At the lunch table, the mother-in-law served Fang Yan food while muttering to herself:
"You really picked a bad day. Shanxi is not like Beijing. After the start of winter, the wind is very strong. Especially since Lingshi County, which you are going to, is in the mountains, the temperature difference between day and night can be more than ten degrees. You must carry your thick cotton-padded coat with you at all times, don't think it's too much trouble."

Fang Yan nodded in agreement.

Then I heard her continue:

"The staple food there is mostly wheat-based, such as noodles, steamed buns, and oat noodles. If you don't like the food, remember to tell the guesthouse in advance so they can cook some rice for you. Also, the water there is hard, so you might get an upset stomach when you first arrive. Make sure to brew and drink plenty of the tea you bring with you, it will help."

Master Lu Donghua then reminded him: "People from Shanxi are honest, but they are also stubborn. When dealing with local doctors and patients, listen more and talk less, respect their habits, and sincerely ask for their advice in order to learn something real."

At this point, my mother added, "I heard that Lingshi County produces coal, so there might be coal dust in the air. Remember to wear a mask when you go out, so you don't choke on it. Also, the roads there are winding in the mountains, so sit tight when you're in the car and don't read books or documents, or you'll get carsick."

Fang Yan was both amused and exasperated. He didn't know where his mother had heard the saying "there's coal floating in the air," but he still agreed to everything.

The dishes on the table on the day of Lidong (the beginning of winter) were plentiful. In addition to stewed pork ribs, there were steamed fish and steamed shrimp sent from Yanjing Hotel. They were all light and nourishing dishes. My mother kept putting food on Fangyan's plate, saying, "Eat more. You can't get such delicious food on the road."

Anton then joined in and said to Fang Yan, "Master! I want to go too!"

He refused in dialect:
"You should just stay at home. You can help your master here. I'm only going for a few days. I don't even know what the weather is like there. What if neither of us is used to it? We'll have to ask someone to take care of us. Besides, it would be too conspicuous for you to go there."

Hearing Fang Yan say this, Anton touched his hair. Although he considered himself Chinese, he couldn't change his appearance.

"Alright then, Master, take care on your journey," Anton said to Fang Yan.

Fang Yan nodded in agreement. That evening, his father, father-in-law, and older sister heard that Fang Yan was going on a business trip, and naturally, they gave him a lot of advice.

When Fang Yan delivered dumplings to Director Liao that evening, he also received news that there would be a flight to Taiyuan at 4 pm the next day. After arriving in Taiyuan and resting for one night, there would be a passenger train to Lingshi County the next day. People from the Taiyuan Health Bureau would accompany Fang Yan and his group.

Director Liao picked up a dumpling, took a bite while it was still hot, and smiled, but quickly suppressed the smile and began to give serious instructions:
"This trip to Lingshi County may seem like a pilot project, but in reality, it carries a significant responsibility. The herbal powder formula and the diagnostic disc you have are crucial for promoting traditional Chinese medicine."

He put down his chopsticks and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips: "Old Zhang from the Taiyuan Health Bureau will accompany you. He's a native of Shanxi and knows the area well. Consult with him about anything. He's also an experienced traditional Chinese medicine doctor, so you should listen to his experience in diagnosis and treatment at the grassroots level."

"There are also safety issues." Director Liao's tone shifted, his eyes becoming more serious. "Lingshi County is in the mountains. Although the situation has stabilized now, we cannot let our guard down. Li Chong and the other two will stay with you. Don't act recklessly, and try not to go out alone at night. When dealing with local people and patients, try to avoid conflicts."

He wiped his mouth and added, "The pilot program has yielded good results, but don't just listen to the good news. You need to investigate to see the whole picture."

Fang Yan nodded, saying that Director Liao was telling the truth.

Finally, Director Liao patted Fang Yan on the shoulder: "Don't worry about things at home. I'll have someone look after your family. When you're away from home, take good care of yourself so you can get things done. Try to come back soon. The review of the expanded enrollment and the renovation of the building are all waiting for your decisions."

(End of this chapter)