The summer of 1996 was particularly hot. Fengyang County had not had a single rain for more than two months. The heat was so suffocating that people could not breathe. At the beginning of September, it suddenly rained heavily. After two days of torrential rain, the temperature dropped sharply. People were finally liberated from the hot and stuffy steamer, and they felt relaxed and happy. However, the rain continued for seven days. Liu Junfang, a student from Class A of Year Two of Fengyang County's First Middle School, turned on the radio and listened to the news broadcast. Her brows were tightly knitted, and her face was full of worry as she fell into deep thought. The radio was reporting the news of the flood relief. Her family lived in the countryside. The terrain was low-lying and the house was dilapidated. It could not withstand the heavy rain. Originally, Liu Junfang went home almost every day to help her parents with the housework. Because of the heavy rain, there was a dirt road that was difficult to walk on the way. He did not go home for seven days. Just as she was in a daze with the radio in her hand, the form teacher, Ms. Zhou, came to her.
"Liu Junfang, what are you thinking about?" Teacher Zhou asked.”Liu Junfang put away the radio and put it in her bag. She looked at Ms. Zhou, shook her head, and lowered her head.
Teacher Zhou gently stroked Liu Junfang's shoulder and said,""Student Liu Junfang, if you have any difficulties, we will help you solve them. If you have anything to say, we will talk about it later. Now, go to Principal Gao's office immediately.”
Liu Junfang said goodbye to Teacher Zhou, put on her raincoat, and hurried into Principal Gao's office. Principal Gao was in his fifties. He wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses and a dark blue tunic suit. He was gentle and had the temperament of an old scholar.
Seeing Liu Junfang come in, Principal Gao pointed at the chair beside him and gestured for her to sit down. "Liu Junfang, I have good news for you. You won third place in the provincial Olympic Mathematics Competition. You have brought glory to Shanyang High School. I thank you on behalf of the entire school!”Then, he took out the award certificate from the file cabinet.
Liu Junfang took the award certificate and looked at it with a bright smile on her face. "Thank you, principal, and teachers for your education and training. I will continue to study hard and strive for better results.”
" Liu Junfang," Principal Gao said happily," I have an even more difficult and glorious task for you. I hope you won't let down the hopes of the teachers and students of Shanyang High School." The Provincial Education Committee has recommended you to participate in the Mathematics Olympiad in Shen Zhen on October 25th.”Then, Principal Gao took out a few reference books about the math competition from the drawer and placed them in front of Liu Junfang. "I hope that you will study hard in these 40 days to prepare yourself and strive for better results.”
Just as the principal was talking to Liu Junfang, someone suddenly rushed into Principal Gao's office. The principal saw that this person was about 40 years old and was wearing a raincoat and rain shoes. His hair was messy, and his face and body were covered in mud, as if he had just crawled out of a mud nest.
Just as Principal Gao was about to ask, Liu Junfang hurriedly went up to him and said,""Uncle, why are you here?"
Principal Gao only knew his identity when Liu Junfang called him uncle. He immediately moved a chair and let Liu Junfang's uncle sit down. He introduced himself and said,""I'm the principal of Shanyang High School. Please sit down and talk slowly.”
The uncle nodded at Principal Gao and said to the principal,""Principal, sorry to disturb you. Let me introduce myself. My name is Liu Baohua, Xiaofang's uncle. He had something urgent to look for Xiaofang. Due to the continuous heavy rain, Xiaofang's house collapsed. The beam of the house hurt Xiaofang's father's leg and told Xiaofang to go home immediately.……”
Liu Junfang was shocked when she heard that. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said to the principal,"Principal Gao, I need to take a few days off. Please tell Teacher Zhou.”
The principal put the reference materials for the math competition into Liu Junfang's bag and patted her shoulder gently. He said with concern,""Liu Junfang, you should go back now that such a big thing has happened to your family! If you have any difficulties, you must let me know. We will do our best to help you. He arranged his family matters and returned to school as soon as possible.”Liu Junfang said goodbye to President Gao and rode home with her uncle.
Liu Junfang lived in Kaoshan Village, 15 miles west of Fengyang County. There were more than 50 households in the village and more than 300 people. Most people in the village had the surname Sun, and there were very few people with the surname Liu. It was said that the Liu family was an outsider who had escaped from famine and settled in Kaoshan Village. The houses of the villagers were built against the mountains. The houses of the old households were built on higher ground, while the houses of the new residents were built on the lower slopes. Liu Junfang's house had five rooms, three of which were occupied, one was used to raise cattle, and one was used to cook. The house was built very low, and the tall ones could reach the eaves with their hands. The structure of the house was like an inside and an outside. They were the outer wall bricks and the inner wall adobe. This kind of structure could save half of the bricks. This was a building structure used by people with poor economic conditions to save money. The house had been in use for 20 years. A meter above the foundation of the house had been seriously corroded and could not withstand the weight of the roof. This kind of dilapidated house should have been demolished and rebuilt long ago. However, Liu Junfang's father, Liu Baozhong, raised two girls and one boy. The three children were all in school. Liu Baozhong was an honest farmer. He had no way to earn money except by farming. Therefore, his family was the most difficult family in the village, and their living conditions were the worst. The heavy rain for seven consecutive days soaked the bearing walls of the house. The roof suddenly fell and the beam hit Liu Baozhong's leg. Liu Junfang's uncle, Liu Baohua, heard the sound of the house collapsing and immediately found someone to rescue his brother, Liu Baozhong, from the ruins. Fortunately, his three children were in school and his wife was not at home. After the house collapsed, she could only stay at Liu Baohua's house for the time being. On the third day after the house collapsed, Liu Baohua braved the rain to look for Liu Junfang at school.
The rain had stopped, but the flood had not receded. The endless fields became a vast ocean. The villages were like isolated islands in the water. The crops in the fields were swaying and struggling on the water. The crops that had been watered by a year's hard work were drowned in the boundless ocean of Wang Yang at the critical moment of the harvest. The farmers were not willing to let the fruits of their labor be swallowed by the flood, so they salvaged the food from the fields in the water. The water on both sides of the road filled the ditches and potholes, flowing onto the road and drowning it. Liu Baohua and Liu Junfang rode their bicycles and drew two waterlines on the road. After getting off the highway, there was still a three-mile dirt road. After seven days of heavy rain, there was water everywhere. There was no way to find the way home. Liu Junfang and her uncle struggled in the mud with their bicycles. After more than an hour of struggle, they finally returned home.
Home, where would there be a home! She had lived in this dilapidated and familiar home for 16 years. A heavy rain had instantly turned it into ruins. This place contained the warmth and happiness of childhood, filled with the love of parents and the laughter of younger siblings.
Liu Junfang looked at the ruins, her heart surging with infinite sadness and desolation. She squatted on the ground and sobbed non-stop. Her tears fell on the broken tiles like broken pearls. The dark clouds were still circling overhead, as if they were still showing off their might. The cold wind blew against her wet clothes and she couldn't help but shiver. Uncle Liu Baohua held her hand and said," Your parents are at my house. Go and see them!”
Liu Junfang seemed to wake up from a dream and immediately ran to her uncle's house. His father, Liu Baozhong, was lying on the bed. His mother, Wang Xiuqin, looked at her husband with a worried expression. "Dad!" Liu Junfang shouted as soon as she entered. How's your leg?"
When the mother saw her daughter, she immediately went up to hug her and cried. "The house collapsed and your father's leg was injured. We've caught up with all the bad luck!”
Liu Junfang wiped her tears with her hand, turned around and gently stroked her father's injured leg.""Daddy, can you stand up?"
Dad said,"No, my legs won't listen to me."”
"Does your leg hurt badly?" Liu Junfang asked.”
Dad said,"This leg can't be used hard. It hurts badly when it moves."”
Liu Junfang said," It looks like this leg is fractured. We have to treat it quickly!"”
Hearing someone talking in the courtyard, the mother and daughter stood up and looked into the courtyard. It turned out that the village chief had brought two village officials to investigate the disaster. The village chief, Sun Jiaxiang, was in his fifties. He was forthright and liked to talk and laugh. He had been the village chief for many years. As soon as he entered, he said,"Baozhong! Last year, I told you that your house was very dangerous and should have been repaired long ago, but you didn't listen. Look, the house collapsed and the person was injured. This was a heavy fall!”
Baozhong Liu sighed and said sadly,""Sigh! It's all my fault! I'm too useless."
"Thank you for your concern, Village Chief!" Wang Xiuqin said. Baozhong had long said that he wanted to repair the house, but he didn't have the money! The three kids are going to school…"
"Look!" The village chief interrupted her. I've long advised you to have a family plan, but you didn't listen. No matter how fine you are, you still want to have a son. Now you've tasted the pain! If they wanted to be rich, they would have fewer children and plant more trees. It would add a lot of burden to a child.”
The village chief glanced at Liu Junfang and said embarrassedly,""Of course, these children are all quite cute, especially Xiao Fang, this girl is smart, beautiful, and charming. Ah! Xiaofang, quickly get your uncle here. Let's discuss some serious matters.”
Liu Junfang immediately went out to look for her uncle. His uncle, Liu Baohua, was cleaning up the ruins of the collapsed house. The elder brother's leg was injured, and as the younger brother, it was his duty to worry for the elder brother.
Liu Baohua entered the house and shook hands with the village chief and the village officials. After a round of greetings, the village chief cleared his throat and said to Liu Baozhong,"It's sunny now. It seems that it won't rain again. Hurry up and repair the house! Baozhong, if you have any difficulties, just tell me. I will do my best to help you.”
"I just went to the site to check. There are about 10000 usable old bricks. If the house was still built with raw bricks on the inside and cooked on the outside, he would need to buy another 10000 bricks. If he wanted to build a full brick house, he would need to buy 30000 bricks.”
The village chief hurriedly interjected." What era is it now? How can we still build a house that is familiar with the inside and outside? It's built entirely with bricks!" How much is the difference between the roof tiles and the wood?" Liu Baohua said," Most of the roof tiles are broken. The beams and purlins can be used. It doesn't matter if the wood is a little lacking. I have a few trees that can be used.”
"Baozhong! If you have any difficulties, tell us quickly. We still have to seize the time to investigate the disaster.”
Liu Baozhong sighed and said," I'm too useless. I always cause trouble for the village chief. I'm really sorry."”
"This is a natural disaster. What's there to be embarrassed about?"”
Liu Baohua said,"We can't build a house without bricks!"”
"Baozhong, do you have money?"”
Liu Baozhong said,"Where can I get money?" You can't always pay back the money you owe others."
The village chief said,"I'll borrow it from my relatives and neighbors for the time being and return it later!"”
Liu Baozhong shook his head and said,"I'm already heavily in debt. No one is willing to lend me money."”
The village chief said," You've been living a miserable life these past few years. There's famine every year. When will you be able to live such a miserable life?”
Liu Baozhong said,"Please lend me some money from the village to build the house first!" I can't live without a home!"
The village chief said,"The village committee is an empty shell. They don't have money at all. We should think of another way!"”
Liu Baozhong said,"What can an honest farmer like me do?"”
The village chief thought to himself,"This Liu Baozhong is really pitiful. If he is allowed to wander outside for a long time, I, the village chief, will lose my face." I still have to help him build the house first.”
So he said,"The house needs to be built quickly." Dumbo has 50000 bricks in his yard, so I'll tell him to lend you 30000. As for the roof tiles, Sun Dashan has them at home. I know he doesn't need them recently. I told him that there was no problem. However, there's one thing I want to make clear. The village doesn't have money, so we must return the things we borrowed. It's not difficult to borrow again! If the government's disaster relief funds come, your family will get the first share. Tell me if you have any more difficulties. If not, clean up the old house tomorrow, build the foundation the day after tomorrow, and build the house within five days. Bao Hwa! Mobilize your relatives and friends and get them to help.”
After saying that, the village chief led the two village officials and left in a hurry to check on the disaster.
After sending the village cadre away, Liu Baozhong said,"We have to hurry up with the construction of the house. Baohua, worry about it for me!" It's not a long-term solution for our family to squeeze into your house.”
Bao Hwa said,"Big Brother, don't worry and stay here. We're a family!" You're welcome. I'll help you build a house. You can rest assured and recuperate.”
Liu Junfang said,"I think the most important thing now is Dad's leg. We have to treat it quickly!" It would be troublesome if he became disabled."
"It's getting dark," said his mother."Where can I go to see a doctor?”
"Let's invite Sun Tianxi to take a look first!" Liu Junfang said. Although he can't treat serious illnesses, he knows more than us. Let's see what he has to say.”His father nodded in agreement.
Liu Junfang changed into a clean set of clothes and hurried out. Not long after, Sun Tianxi, the barefoot doctor, arrived. Sun Tianxi asked about the condition and looked at his leg."From the surface, it doesn't look serious, but from the location of the injury, it's very likely a fracture. This was because this part of the body was the easiest to break when the beam hit it.”
Everyone was nervous after hearing Sun Tianxi's diagnosis. "Doctor Sun, what do you think?"”
"Send him to Fengyang County People's Hospital for treatment as soon as possible!" This kind of illness had to be treated at the hospital as soon as possible. It would not be easy to treat it if it took too long.”
"How much does it cost to go to the hospital for treatment?"”
"I reckon that if you don't pay 10,000 yuan, I won't give you surgery." The entire operation would cost at least 20,000 yuan.”
His father sighed and said,"Where can I get twenty thousand yuan?"”
Liu Junfang said," Nothing is more important than your leg. I'll go to my uncle's house to borrow more!"”
His father said," I've borrowed five thousand yuan from your uncle for two years. I haven't returned it yet. How can I ask for it again?!"”
Liu Junfang said,"Dad, Mom, think about those relatives and friends. I'll go and ask them to borrow money."”
Everyone was silent for a long time. Due to the family's financial difficulties, they could not repay the money they borrowed from their relatives and neighbors. This family was already heavily in debt and had nowhere to borrow. No one was willing to lend money to the poor who could not repay it. Moreover, these relatives and friends were all poor and had no money to sponsor them.
Sun Tianxi saw that everyone was in a difficult position, so he said,"If you can't take out this 20,000 yuan, there's another way to try.”
"Tell me what you can do!" His father hurriedly asked.”
"Twenty miles away from our village, there's a famous doctor named Deng Shizong, who has a secret recipe for setting bones." It was said that his great-grandfather was an imperial physician in the Qing Dynasty. He had cured countless patients, and the room was filled with pennants given by the patients. Not only were their medical skills superb, but their service attitude was also good, and their fees were low.”
"How much do you need?" Liu Baozhong asked.”
"The first time I go, I'll charge 1000 yuan for the bone setting fee." In the future, each plaster would cost 100 yuan. I estimate that the entire course of treatment will cost 3000 yuan.”
His father, Liu Baozhong, was so happy that he seemed to have found a life-saving straw. He repeatedly agreed.
Uncle Liu Baohua said,"I can still scrape together 1000 yuan to see a doctor. I'll settle it!"”
Liu Junfang pondered for a long time and asked Sun Tianxi,""How is Deng Shizong's medical skills? Are you confident that he can cure him?”
"I heard it from someone, so you can understand it further." He was a private clinic with limited resources, and no one could guarantee that he would be able to treat patients. Of course, it was best to go to a big hospital for treatment.”
After sending Sun Tianxi away, the Liu family started discussing the issue of Liu Baozhong's treatment. Liu Junfang and her mother advocated going to the county people's hospital for treatment, while the others advocated going to Deng Shizong for treatment. However, in the end, it still came down to the problem of money. Without money, one would lose the right to choose. Helpless, he decided to go to Deng Shizong to see a doctor.
The next morning, the sky was clear and cloudless. The flood that had surrounded the village had receded, revealing the crops and roads in the fields. Liu Junfang packed up the handcart, put the mattress, quilt, and pillow on the handcart, and helped her father onto the handcart.
Mother said to Xiaofang,"Deng Village is 20 miles away from our village. The road is not easy to walk. I'll go with you!"”
Xiaofang said," I'm not a pampered young lady. My family needs people to build a house. I can go by myself."”
Liu Junfang pulled the handcart and hurried on her way. It had just rained heavily, and the road was muddy and difficult to walk on. It took them four hours to reach Deng Village. It was already 11:20 when they arrived at Deng Shizong's house. When he entered the courtyard, he saw many people waiting to be treated. From their clothes, it could be seen that they were farmers from the rural areas. Liu Junfang put the cart away and went into the house to see the doctor. There were three large rooms for patients. The middle room was the treatment room, and the left and right rooms were wards. The consultation room was filled with banners that read," Magical Hands Bring Back Spring,"" Divine Doctor on Earth,"" Hua Tuo Reincarnated," and so on.
Deng Shizong was in his fifties. His face was ruddy and clean, and he wore a pair of delicate glasses. He was checking the pulse of a middle-aged woman. Seeing Liu Junfang enter the room, he nodded and signaled her to sit down and wait. Here, the patients were queued up according to the order of entry. By the time Liu Junfang waited for the first three doctors to finish their treatment, it was already 12:30 pm.
Deng Shizong asked about Liu Baozhong's condition and said,""It's already time. I'll eat and rest for a while. I'll go to work at two o'clock and be the first to treat you.”
After the doctor got off work, Liu Junfang went to the street to buy a few shaobing for lunch. She had been too tired these two days. She helped her father lie down and rest. She also lay down beside her father and fell asleep very quickly.
"The doctor is here. Hurry up and go in!" The father patted his daughter's shoulder and whispered.
Liu Junfang hurriedly packed up her things and helped her father sit on a chair to wait for treatment.
Doctor Deng put on his white coat and began to examine his father's leg. He touched his father again and again, causing him to sweat from the pain. The doctor pondered for a full three minutes and said,""Your leg injury is not light! Comminuted fracture."
"Can it be cured?" asked his father.
Doctor Deng thought to himself,"His calf bone has been shattered, and the possibility of it regrowing back is very small." In such a situation, he should be advised to go to a big hospital for surgery, but it would be a loss to push the money that he had given away. Regardless of whether he could cure his leg or not, regardless of whether he had any sequelae, he just had to earn the money first.”
The doctor pointed at him and said,"I've cured many patients with your condition, but there are still risks. No one can be 100% sure of their treatment." Even Peking Union Medical College Hospital couldn't guarantee that. If I'm cured, you'll increase my treatment fee by 1000 yuan. You can give me this money after half a year. If he couldn't cure her, he wouldn't charge her 1000 yuan. You guys should think about it. I'll treat you immediately after I decide.”With that, the doctor went to treat someone else.
His father was full of melancholy. His face was gloomy as he lowered his head and said nothing. Her heart was in a mess. He thought to himself, If this leg of mine is disabled, who will care about my wife and children? It was definitely safer to go to a big hospital for treatment, but where would the money come from?”
Liu Junfang took her father's hand and looked at his face. She said earnestly,""Your leg is the life of our family! If we end up disabled, we're all finished!”
His father sighed again and looked up at the sky. The dark clouds in the sky covered the sun again, and the heavy air made people feel suffocated and uneasy. The father and daughter lowered their heads and fell into deep thought. No matter when, people's living conditions and medical conditions were not equal. (Of course, it would be equal when people came to the democratic society that people yearned for.）This kind of disparity was caused by income disparity. Honest farmers like Liu Baozhong worked hard in the farmland all year round, but they still couldn't get enough food and clothing. The gap between the rich and the poor between urban and rural areas and between occupations was very prominent. Rich people could enjoy good living conditions and medical conditions. If there was a serious illness, they could go to a big hospital in a big city for treatment. They could even go abroad for treatment. The farmers in the courtyard could only see the doctor here and let the village doctor deal with them.
The father pondered for a long time and wiped his daughter's tears."Deng Shizong's medical skills are still good. If his medical skills were not good, would there be so many people coming to see him?”
Liu Junfang said," This leg of yours has a shattered fracture. Without x-ray, X-ray, or surgery, can you fix the bone?" If he couldn't be cured, he would become disabled. You're the pillar of the family. Without you, we won't be able to survive. It would be difficult to perform a second operation if the leg bones were not reconnected properly.”
Baozhong Liu said," I also want to go to a big hospital to see a doctor, but with our financial conditions, we can only see a doctor here. We have no choice." Please ask the doctor to see you!"
"It's too risky to see a doctor here!" Liu Junfang said.”
Baozhong Liu felt that he was not confident in the treatment here. He did not believe that Deng Shizong could fix the leg bone with a pinch, but there was no way without money. Since there was no way out, he could only take the risk.
In order to comfort her daughter, she said against her will,"There's still a high chance of being cured. Let the doctor treat it!”
Dr. Deng helped Liu Baozhong to the operating table and cleaned the wound on his leg with alcohol. He did not give him any anesthesia and began to set his bones. He used both hands to repeatedly pinch the injured part of his leg from top to bottom. Baozhong Liu was in so much pain that he was sweating profusely. His daughter grabbed his father's hand tightly, and tears dripped onto his father's hand. After about 15 minutes, the doctor stopped. He closed his eyes and said to Liu Baozhong,"The leg bones are fixed. Lie down and don't move!”Then, he applied some ointment and fixed his leg with bamboo boards and bandages. The doctor wiped the sweat off his forehead and said,"Don't move your injured leg for a month. This ointment of mine is used to promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain. I change it once a week. The first three times you came to my place to change your dressing, you can change your dressing yourself in the future. You just need to change the ointment ten times.”Liu Junfang paid the doctor 1100 yuan for the treatment and left Deng Village in a hurry. It was already six o'clock in the afternoon when she arrived home.
Liu Junfang helped her father lie down on the bed and immediately went to her courtyard. There were many people helping to clean up the scene of the collapsed house. The usable old bricks and tiles had been dug out from the ruins and placed neatly on the side. The beams, purlins, and wood were placed on the other side. The useless trash had already been transported out of the gate. The site for building the house had been cleared. When her mother, uncle, aunt, and the people who came to help saw Liu Junfang coming back, they all surrounded her and asked. Xiaofang only briefly introduced the situation of seeing a doctor and told everyone to continue working. Houses in the countryside were built very quickly. The three houses were built in five days. After cleaning up for a day, Liu Baozhong's family moved back to their own home. Even though they were brothers, it was still more convenient for them to stay at home. At that time, it was the season of the autumn harvest. The grains soaked in the rain needed to be collected and dried as soon as possible. If it was moldy, it could not be eaten. Most of the other people's autumn grain had been taken home. Liu Baozhong's family suffered a disaster and was unable to take care of the autumn harvest. Liu Baozhong could not go to the ground, and his mother could not go to the ground to work because of her back pain. The burden of autumn harvest fell on Liu Junfang's shoulders. He could help his younger brother and sister after school. First, he harvested the soybeans and piled them in the yard to dry them. This was because the soybeans would fall to the ground if they were harvested late. Then, he harvested the corn, picked the cobs, and piled them under the eaves. Finally, he went to dig the sweet potatoes. Liu Junfang started working at dawn and didn't rest until 10 o'clock in the evening.
"Xiaofang! The work at home will never be finished. Don't work too hard. If you tire yourself out, there will be no one to support the family!”
His mother said,"Other children don't even have to wash their own clothes or wash the dishes after eating. Our children work when they get home and don't rest before 10 o'clock every day." Xiaofang's life is too bitter!"
Xiaofang said,"Don't worry, Dad and Mom! I'm still young, so it's nothing to suffer a little. It's all our three children's fault for dragging you down. I'm the boss. If I don't work, who will?”
It was a sunny day for a few days in a row, and the sweet potatoes in the field had not been taken back. The work of peeling sweet potatoes used to be done by her parents. Now that her father's leg was broken and her mother's back pain was acting up, the burden suddenly fell on Liu Junfang's shoulders. Sweet potatoes were also the farmers 'rations. If there was not enough food, they would use sweet potatoes to satisfy their hunger. Among all the farm work, digging sweet potatoes was the most tiring. Sweet potatoes grew in the soil, and their roots were very deep. If he wanted to completely harvest the sweet potatoes, he had to turn over the entire land where the sweet potatoes were planted. In the past, it would take Dad and Mom four days to harvest these two mu of sweet potatoes. Liu Junfang planned to take the sweet potatoes home in two days and go to school as soon as possible.
Liu Junfang put the basket of pickaxes and shovels on the handcart and arrived at the sweet potato field at six o'clock in the morning. She looked at the sweet potato field and thought,""I've been home for more than ten days. I have to take the sweet potatoes home within two days and return to school next Monday.”Liu Junfang began to work like crazy. First, he cut off all the sweet potato seedlings and piled them on the ground. Each plant produced about three to five sweet potatoes, and each sweet potato was hanging from the root. When digging sweet potatoes, he first used a pickaxe to loosen the surrounding land, then used a shovel to dig out the soil under the roots. Finally, he used his hands to lift the roots, and the sweet potatoes were pulled out of the ground. However, there were also sweet potatoes that could not be brought out at once. They had to carefully dig through the soil to find them. It was very hard to grow sweet potatoes. Watering, turning the seedlings, weeding, it took a few months to harvest. It was a pity that the sweet potatoes were not harvested cleanly and left in the fields. Liu Junfang dug out the sweet potatoes one by one, put them into a basket, and carried them to the handcart on the ground. Sweat soaked through his underwear and even his outer coat. She had sweated too much and was too tired. She took out a large water bottle from the cart and drank from it. A person's energy was limited. She lay on the ground with her arms and legs spread out. The blood slowly flowed to his limbs, and he felt numb. How comfortable it was to have a temporary relief for her tired body! He had never felt so comfortable before. About ten minutes later, Liu Junfang entered a hazy state. She was too tired. She had been working day and night, so she had too little sleep. A bug crawled onto her face, and she suddenly woke up. She turned over and stood up, and she started working nervously again.
That day, he was busy from six in the morning to seven in the afternoon. In 13 hours, he had collected one mu of sweet potatoes and completed half of the mission.
She had to serve her parents at home. The mother saw her daughter's hair was unkempt, her body was covered in mud, and her clothes were drenched in sweat. She felt a wave of sadness in her heart. She saw that the blisters on her daughter's hands were bleeding and hurriedly looked for cotton and gauze to bandage them.
Her mother said with heartache,"Xiaofang, take it easy. Don't work too hard." How can you write at school with your hand injured like this?”
Liu Junfang said,"I want to finish harvesting the sweet potatoes tomorrow and go back to school the day after tomorrow."”
Liu Baozhong said," You are the pillar of the family. You can't tire yourself out. The whole family is counting on you!"”
Liu Junfang said,"Mom and Dad, don't worry. I won't collapse."”
At the end of the day, Liu Junfang was so tired that her whole body ached. She fell into bed and couldn't get up again. She slept until the next morning. Liu Junfang opened her sleepy eyes and saw that it was already seven o'clock. She was shocked. He thought to himself, There's still an acre of sweet potatoes that haven't been collected today. I have to hurry up and work hard so that I can go to school tomorrow.”Liu Junfang got up from the bed and wanted to wash her face, but her legs didn't listen to her. She lost her balance and almost fell down. She quickly held onto the chair to calm herself down. She rubbed her blurry eyes and walked to the washbasin to wash her face with the cold water in the basin. She grabbed the shovel and walked out.
Seeing her daughter so tired, the mother quickly called out to Liu Junfang,"Xiaofang, rest for a while. Don't tire yourself out!”
Liu Junfang said,"I'm still young. It's not a problem for me to suffer a little." He would definitely take back the sweet potatoes today and strive to go to school tomorrow.”
"Xiaofang, you haven't eaten yet!"”
She grabbed two pieces of cornbread from the pot and stuffed them into her pocket. She picked up her tools and pulled the handcart to run into the field.
Liu Junfang was digging sweet potatoes in the field. When she looked up, she saw a man and a woman walking toward her sweet potato field. Liu Junfang took a closer look. It was Principal Gao and Teacher Zhou. Principal Gao and Ms. Zhou walked to Liu Junfang and carefully looked at the 16-year-old middle school student. They were speechless for a long time. Liu Junfang was wearing a faded, wide, long, and patched old dress.(It was her mother's old dress) Her whole body was covered with mud, and her unkempt hair was covered with weeds. If one didn't look at her face to face, one wouldn't know that she was a young girl. Teacher Zhou held Liu Junfang's hands. Her heart was trembling, and so were her hands. A myriad of thoughts surged through her mind.”
The teacher stroked Liu Junfang's cracked hand and said,""Your hand is bleeding. Why didn't you bandage it? Aren't you in pain?"
Liu Junfang said,"It doesn't matter. Once you work, you won't feel pain."”
Principal Gao picked up Liu Junfang's pickaxe and saw that the handle was covered in blood. He said,""Liu Junfang, I only knew that you were a top student in your studies. I didn't expect you to work so hard in farm work.”
Liu Junfang said," I haven't been to school for more than ten days. I plan to finish my work today and go to school tomorrow." That's why I put in a lot of effort."
Principal Gao glanced at Teacher Zhou and said to Liu Junfang,""Teacher Zhou and I are participating in voluntary labor today to help you collect all the sweet potatoes!”
Liu Junfang said,"This job is too dirty and tiring. You can't do it!"”
Principal Gao said," The students are capable, but we teachers can't. This shows that there is a gap between us. We need to learn and train even more. Today, we must make up for this lesson.”
Principal Gao was also a farmer. When he was young, he did farm work. However, he had not done it for many years and was not used to this kind of physical labor. Ms. Zhou took over Liu Junfang's work, and Principal Gao picked up the shovel. The two teachers began to work nervously. Liu Junfang pulled the sweet potatoes back home in carts. In about two hours, Principal Gao and Teacher Zhou collected a lot of sweet potatoes. Their labor efficiency was very high. Liu Junfang took the pickaxe from Teacher Zhou and held her hand. She saw that there were a few blood blisters on her hand. A blood bubble burst and blood flowed out. Principal Gao's hand was also blistered. Principal Gao and Teacher Zhou's bodies and faces were covered in mud. Her hair was wet with sweat, and a few strands of hair stuck to her face. She did not care about tidying her face. Sweat flowed down from their heads and formed marks. No one cared about wiping their faces. The three of them had become painted cats.
Liu Junfang took out a clean towel from her pocket and handed it to Teacher Zhou, saying,""Teacher Zhou, quickly wipe your face! Your face is smudged."
Teacher Zhou was a modern woman who was particularly particular about her appearance. She would wash up and put on makeup carefully every day when she went out. Today, he had invested in intense physical labor, so he couldn't care less about this. She took the towel and wiped her face carelessly before throwing herself into the intense labor.
Liu Junfang took the towel and wiped the sweat off Principal Gao's forehead. Principal Gao said,""Joining this labor gave us a vivid political lesson, allowing us to personally experience the greatness and glory of the working people. Let us further understand the profound meaning of "Sweat Drops Under the Grass, Every Grain of Soil Is Hard".”
Liu Junfang said,"You have blisters on your hands. Let's divide the work again!" I'm in charge of peeling the sweet potatoes, Teacher Zhou is in charge of inspecting the sweet potatoes, and Principal Gao is in charge of transporting the sweet potatoes home. The three of them were enthusiastic and motivated. They worked until 5 p. m. before taking all the sweet potatoes home. Liu Junfang advised Principal Gao and Teacher Zhou to have dinner before leaving, but they hurriedly left and returned to Fengyang County.
It had been half a month since she went to school. She wore a clean school uniform and rode her bicycle to school at seven in the morning. When they arrived at the student dormitory, the students surrounded them and asked questions. Teacher Zhou also came. Ms. Zhou handed the plan to Liu Junfang. Because he had to attend normal classes during the day and make up classes at night and on Sunday, he had a full schedule seven days a week.
Liu Junfang looked at the schedule and thought about her father's illness. While she was in a dilemma, Principal Gao hurriedly walked over to Liu Junfang and asked with concern,""Did Teacher Zhou arrange for you to have extra lessons?”
"Ms. Zhou has already given me the make-up plan," said Liu Junfang.”
"Is there anything else?" asked Principal Gao. If you have any difficulties, just tell me."
Liu Junfang said," Principal Gao, I will work hard in my studies. It's just that my father is seriously ill, my mother is not in good health, and my family is in financial difficulties.”
"Liu Junfang, we are all very clear about your family's difficulties," said Principal Gao. The school has decided to organize a school-wide donation event to help you solve your financial difficulties.”
Liu Junfang's face immediately turned red. She began to have a fierce mental struggle. 'Poor' was not a glorious word. Although hard work and plain living were recognized as a good quality by everyone, it was only a verbal statement on the surface and did not really enter everyone's ideology. Amongst his classmates, those who did not eat well, dressed well, and had a poor family would be looked down upon. The students were all in their youth and had strong self-esteem. No one wanted to be looked down upon.
Therefore, Liu Junfang said," Principal, I don't want to trouble you. I won't trouble you with this little difficulty."”
Principal Gao said," If one person is in trouble, everyone will support him. It's only right for us to help each other when we're in trouble. Don't have any worries. This matter will be settled immediately. You just have to study hard."”
Since Principal Gao was so enthusiastic, it would not be good if she insisted on refusing. She thought to herself,'It's better to face reality than to pretend to be fat. It's a good thing to have help.'”
Therefore, he bowed deeply to Principal Gao and said,""Thank you, Principal Gao!"
At 7:50 a.m. on September 28, 1996, Teacher Zhou gave a short speech before class ended."During a rainstorm, Liu Junfang's house collapsed and broke her father's leg. She encountered special difficulties. The school decided to mobilize all the teachers and students to donate to Liu Junfang.”
Liu Junfang lowered her head, her forehead touching the desk. Her mood was heavy and her thoughts were complicated. This kind of donation event was a charity event for the teachers and students of the school, and she was very grateful. However, such an event had also seriously damaged her self-esteem. As long as there was a path to take, who would be willing to accept such help? After all,'poverty' was not a word to be proud of. Accepting other people's 'gifts' was just a helpless move.
At 11 o'clock on September 29th, Teacher Zhou posted the advertisement for the student donation on the bulletin board at the gate. There was a table in front of the bulletin board. Teacher Zhou sat at the table to register the names of the donor and the amount of the donation. Soon, people came to watch the advertisement and pay the donation. The table had been placed at the entrance for four hours and had received a donation of 2865 yuan. The person who donated the most was Principal Gao, who donated 300 yuan, followed by Teacher Zhou, who donated 200 yuan. There were quite a few people who donated 30 yuan and 50 yuan, 10 yuan and 8 yuan, and a few people who donated 1 yuan. At four o'clock in the afternoon, Principal Gao called Liu Junfang to his office and handed her the donation registration form and the donation of 2865 yuan.
On the afternoon of September 30th, Liu Junfang happily returned home with her classmates 'donations. On National Day, his younger siblings were on holiday. The whole family gathered together to enjoy the happiness of family. It had been more than a month since they last saw meat, and they were extremely hungry. Every meal was corn porridge, sweet potatoes, and salted vegetables. Liu Junfang bought some vegetables and meat and ate dumplings. The younger siblings were in high spirits, singing and dancing in the courtyard.
Liu Junfang handed the money donated by the school to her mother. "Thanks to the help of the village chief, the construction will be completed soon," said his father. The labor cost of 2000 yuan was borrowed from the village chief. I'll return the money to the village chief first. I'll borrow Bao Hwa's 2000 yuan for treatment later! She had not returned the 4000 yuan she had lent him last year. She had lent him a total of 6000 yuan.”
Liu Junfang had to prepare for the math competition in addition to attending classes. She carefully read the study materials that Principal Gao had given her and did all the typical math problems. Just as she was about to leave for Shen Zhen, something happened at home.
On October 20, 1996, at 5 pm, Liu Junfang's sister, Liu Junxiang, ran to Fengyang County No.1 Middle School in a panic to look for her sister.
Liu Junxiang said,"Sister, our mother is sick. She has been lying in bed for two days."”
"What disease?" Liu Junfang asked.
Liu Junxiang said," My back is hurting again. It's very bad this time. It hurts so much that I can't get out of bed."”
After Liu Junfang applied for leave from Teacher Zhou, she rushed home. Liu Junfang didn't go home for a week because she was preparing for the math competition. When she got home, she saw that her mother was really sick. Looking at her mother's increasingly thin face, Liu Junfang shed tears of sadness. The mother wiped her daughter's tears with her hand and said,"Your dad can't walk anymore, and I've become a cripple. It seems that this family can't leave you.”
"Mom, don't worry!" Liu Junfang said. I will take care of you and support this family. I'll treat you first tomorrow!"
The next morning, Liu Junfang packed up the handcart, put the mattress and quilt on the cart, helped her mother to the car, and took her mother to see a doctor. In Qingyang Town, which was eight miles away from Kaoshan Village, there was a doctor named Zhang Shijie who specialized in treating waist pain. He was a famous village doctor in the vicinity. In the past, her mother had come here to see a doctor. Zhang Shijie's massage skills were very high, and he had a medicinal ointment passed down from his ancestors. Many people came to see the doctor. Of course, one of the most important reasons was that it was cheaper to treat patients here than in a big hospital. Since it could save money and cure diseases, why not? The patients from hundreds of miles away came to see him. Although Qingyang Town was not too far away, most of the roads were uphill and downhill. In the past, Liu Junfang and her father, Liu Baozhong, would take her mother to see a doctor together. With one pushing the cart and the other pulling the cart, there was no need to worry. Her father was sick, and her younger siblings were in school. She had to bring her mother to Qingyang Town alone.
There were two mountains on the road from Kaoshantun to Qingyang Town. They were about 120 meters high and the slopes were steep. It was difficult to go up and down. Liu Junfang stopped at the foot of the hill. Looking at the daunting mountain peak, she felt a chill in her heart. She picked up a water bottle from the car and drank a few mouthfuls of water before mustering up the courage to charge towards the top of the mountain. Halfway up the mountain, she was already panting and covered in sweat. She had really overestimated her abilities. How could a little girl go up such a high hill? However, they were already halfway up the mountain. The slope was steep and the road was slippery. Rolling down would be life-threatening. At this moment, he could not relax for a moment. He could only use all his strength to rush up. When Liu Junfang was exhausted, she quickly pressed the front handle of the handcart to the ground to control it and prevent it from sliding down. This way, he could rest for a while before rushing up. Just like that, they took five breaks before they reached the top of the mountain. She put the car away and panted heavily as she sat beside her mother, unable to say a word. The mother tidied her daughter's wet hair that was stuck to her face and said with concern,"Child! I've made you suffer so much!”
Liu Junfang said,"I'm not afraid of suffering, but I'm afraid of falling down from the mountainside."”She was indeed a little scared. If they couldn't control the cart, it would roll down along with them. Many people rolled down the hill, and one of them was killed by his own car. At the thought of this, she regretted that it was too risky for her to treat her mother alone. However, when her father was sick and her younger siblings were going to school, who should she ask for help?
"Don't panic," said his mother."Rest for a while before you leave.”
Liu Junfang thought to herself, With my own ability, I definitely can't go up the next hill. I need to find someone to help."
She looked around. There was no one on the road. Who could help?
After waiting for about 20 minutes, Liu Junfang saw a donkey pulling a handcart from the foot of the mountain slowly crawling to the top of the slope. It looked like the things on the cart were very heavy. The owner of the cart pushed the cart forward with difficulty from behind. Liu Junfang saw this scene and quickly ran down the slope to help the car owner push the cart. As the two of them pushed the cart, their speed increased significantly. In a short while, they reached the top of the mountain.
The car owner stopped the car and said politely to Liu Junfang,""Thank you, little girl, for helping me push the cart!"
Liu Junfang said,"Uncle, don't thank me. I still have something to ask you for help."”
The car owner looked at the woman lying in the car next to him and thought,"It's already very difficult for my donkey to go up the hill. How can I push her car to the top?”
Just as the car owner was hesitating, Liu Junfang said,""Uncle, I'm taking Mom to Qingyang Town to see a doctor. I really can't cross the next hill.”
"How can I help?" asked the car owner.
"Uncle, what do you think?" Liu Junfang asked. Tell my mom to get in your car first. I'll help you push the cart to the top of the mountain, and then I'll come back to pull my empty car.”
The car owner thought for a moment and said,"Yes, yes." Your idea is great!"
Liu Junfang helped her mother to the donkey cart and helped the cart owner push the cart. When they reached the top of the mountain, Liu Junfang said,"Uncle, thank you!" Let my mother get out of the car. You can go first. Don't delay your work.”
The car owner said," Your mother doesn't need to get out of the car. I'm going to Qingyang Town too. It's easy to walk on the flat ground ahead. Hurry up and get your empty car!
Liu Junfang pulled the empty cart and followed closely behind the donkey cart. Soon, they arrived at Qingyang Town.
They arrived at Zhang Shijie's small clinic. Doctor Zhang looked at Liu Junfang, who was drenched in sweat, and said,"Xiaofang, why did you send your mother here yourself? Where's your father?”
Liu Junfang said," My father's leg is injured. He's lying at home and can't move."”
"There are two hills on the road from Kaoshantun to Qingyang Town. It's very difficult to get there by pulling a cart alone," said Doctor Zhang. Even going up and down the slope was very dangerous. If he didn't grasp it well, it would be over if he rolled down. Don't come alone next time."
Liu Junfang's mother said," There was a heavy rain. The house collapsed. Xiaofang's father broke his leg. It's been hard on Xiaofang. The house and the fields depend on her. She still has to go to school…"”
Doctor Zhang helped his mother to the hospital bed and began to massage her. Liu Junfang watched carefully from the side. After a while, Liu Junfang said earnestly to Doctor Zhang,"It's not easy for us to do this once. Can you teach me how to massage?”
"According to our family rules, the medical skills passed down from our ancestors are not allowed to be passed on to outsiders." It's not easy for you, little girl. I'll teach you a few moves to massage your mother! However, you are only allowed to give massages to your family. You are not allowed to open a clinic.”
"I only give massages to my own family members. I will never spread it to others, let alone open a clinic," Liu Junfang said.”
Doctor Zhang taught her step-by-step for a while and asked her to give her mother a massage herself. As expected, his mother felt very comfortable. The clinic's fees were not high. The massage was 30 yuan, and each plaster was 20 yuan. He would come once every three days. Liu Junfang took her mother to Doctor Zhang's clinic three times and basically mastered the massage technique. The last time, she took three more patches and changed her dressing at home. He didn't go to school for 10 days to treat his mother, and he also gave up on the math competition in Shen Zhen.
By January 1997, Baozhong Liu's leg injury had been more than 100 days old, but it still did not heal. He still couldn't exert any strength on this injured leg, and the pain was unbearable. Liu Junfang took her father to see Dr. Deng Shizong. Baozhong Liu asked Deng seriously," It's been more than three months. This leg hurts so much that I can't get up. What do you think we should do?"”Doctor Deng examined the injured leg carefully for a long time and said helplessly,"Doctors all hope to treat their patients well. However, no doctor could guarantee that he could completely cure the disease. Even the big hospitals in Beijing could not guarantee a 100% cure rate. I'll give you five free patches. If it's not good, I can't do anything about it.”
Baozhong Liu said," We have spent our money and missed the opportunity to cure the disease. What do you think we should do?”
"No matter which hospital you go to, they can't give you a guarantee that you'll be cured." If you don't believe me, you can go to the big hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai and see who can vouch for you.”
Liu Baozhong said,"If you can't cure my illness, you should tell us the truth in advance. We can think of another way." Isn't it too late to speak now?”
"I've already made it clear to you before I treated you," Doctor Deng said with a smile. I've said it before, I've cured many leg injuries like yours, but there's a risk. I told you to consider it carefully before making a decision. In the end, you insisted on treating her here. Can you blame me?”
Liu Baozhong was so angry that his entire body trembled, and his face was ashen. However, he could not do anything to the other party, so he could only leave angrily.
In the blink of an eye, it was almost the Spring Festival. The government's relief funds had been distributed. The village chief, Sun Jiaxiang, handed the 3000 yuan relief fund to Liu Baozhong with a smile and said,""The government cares about us and gave our village a total of 13000 yuan. The village committee has decided to give your family 3000 yuan. Your family is in the most difficult situation, so you will receive the most. The rest were 2000, 1000, and 500 yuan.”Baozhong Liu took the village chief's hand and said excitedly,""Thank you for the government's concern and care for us. Thank you, village chief, for worrying about us!”After sending off the village chief, the whole family was filled with joy. The youngest son, Liu Junbao, said happily,"Now that we have money, we can have a good New Year!"”
News of the government giving Baozhong Liu 3000 yuan in relief money quickly spread throughout the village. The night after the relief money was given out, Dumbo sat at Baozhong Liu's house for two hours, saying that they were going to build a house soon and urgently needed to solve the brick problem. He asked Liu Baozhong to solve the problem of 30000 bricks as soon as possible so that it would not affect his family's construction. On the afternoon of the third day, Sun Youcai sat in Liu Baozhong's house for a long time. He also said that he wanted to build a house and lacked 80000 tiles. On the fourth night, Dumbo and Sun Youcai went to Liu Baozhong's house at the same time and refused to leave, staring at Liu Baozhong's relief money like a tiger eyeing its prey. They all thought that Liu Baozhong's family's financial situation was too poor. If he didn't collect the debt quickly, it would be a long time before he could repay it. The two debt-holders had a misunderstanding when they were talking at Liu Baozhong's house, so they quarreled.
"You've already built two courtyards at home," said Dumbo."You don't need to build another house at all.”
" Your son is only eight years old," Sun Youcai said." What's the point of building a house? Do you want to marry a little girl as your concubine?"”
"Sun Youcai! Don't you dare call me a thief! Who doesn't know that you have a little lover in the county town who comes to the city every two or three days?”
Sun Youcai said angrily,"You fool, you stay at Widow Wang's house every day, and Widow Wang treats you well. Who doesn't know about your romantic stories? Widow Wang got pregnant several times because of you, right?”
Dumbo said,"Don't make up rumors and stir up trouble. If you spout any more nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart!"”
"I'm talking nonsense? The night before yesterday, you snuck into Widow Wang's house at nine o'clock, turned off the lights ten minutes later, and sneaked out of her house at twelve o'clock. Where did you go?"
Dumbo's face flushed red as it cursed,""You son of a b * tch, you're spreading rumors and slandering me. Be careful, I'll kill your son and destroy your entire family. I'll make sure you have no descendants!”
Sun Youcai reached out and slapped Dumbo in exasperation. Dumbo's eyes shone with gold, and it swayed a few times before almost falling over. He steadied himself and punched Sun Youcai in the face, causing blood to flow from his nose.
"Dumbo, do you have the guts?" Sun Youcai shouted. If you have the guts, let's fight in the courtyard!"
"Who's afraid of who?!" Dumbo shouted. I'll put you down immediately."
They rushed out of the room in search of their weapons. Sun Youcai picked up a shovel, while Dumbo picked up a carrying pole and hit each other, making a clanging sound. Dumbo swung its carrying pole at Sun Youcai's head. Sun Youcai didn't expect it to be a feint. Just as Sun Youcai was about to use the shovel to meet it, Dumbo retracted its carrying pole and smashed it at Sun Youcai's butt. This shoulder pole made Sun Youcai scream in pain. Sun Youcai couldn't take this lying down. Enduring the pain, he swung the shovel at Dumbo's head. Dumbo raised its pole to block the shovel. However, Sun Youcai had used too much force and sent Dumbo's carrying pole flying. Seeing Sun Youcai go crazy, Dumbo rushed into the house in a panic and closed the door. Sun Youcai furiously smashed the door. The atmosphere was very tense.
Liu Baozhong saw this scene and shouted,"Stop fighting! Let's sit down and discuss the matter of paying back the money!”
Liu Junfang opened the door, took the shovel from Sun Youcai's hand, and asked him to come in and talk.
When the two debt collectors heard that they had to pay back the money, they immediately stopped the war and sat down obediently to listen to Liu Baozhong.
Liu Baozhong sighed and said,"My family suffered a great disaster and borrowed your bricks to build a new house. I have a place to stay. I would like to express my gratitude to you." However, I don't have the ability to repay it yet. Please give me some time to raise the money. I'll pay you back in full.”
"Didn't the village chief just give you three thousand yuan?" Dumbo asked eagerly. My house is indeed going to be built. You should return it to me first!”
"I want to build a house too, why should I give it to you first, Dumbo?"”
Liu Baozhong saw that the two debt collectors were desperately trying to collect the debt, and his heart was uneasy. He was a man who would rather break than bend. In a moment of hot-headedness, he announced,"I promise to pay off all your debts very soon. Don't fight over it!”
Sun Youcai glanced at Liu Baozhong and chuckled.""Everyone knows how much debt you have borrowed. Even if your leg isn't injured, you won't be able to pay off your debt in three years. Now that you have 3000 yuan in your hands, if you don't pay me back, I can only admit that I'm unlucky.”
Dumbo added fuel to the fire. You don't have the ability to earn money at all! What's the point of a man getting to this point?”
Sun Youcai said," You, Liu Baozhong, look like a tall and burly man. But I don't know that you're a coward with no ability. Which family in the village isn't richer than yours?”
Liu Baozhong was so angry that his entire body trembled when he heard their words. His face was ashen and he could not speak for a long time. Liu Junfang was about to stand up and argue with them when her mother stopped her.
Liu Baozhong suppressed his anger and said righteously,"I'm poor and I don't have the ability, but I'm a man, a man who would rather break than bend! Count how much your bricks are worth! I'll pay you back in five days!"
After some discussion, they decided to pay Dumbo 3500 yuan and Sun Youcai 2100 yuan. When the two creditors heard that they had to pay back the money, they were filled with joy. Seeing that there was hope, they quickly left.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]