Chapter 4: The Disgusting Uncle's Family

When Ming Changhe served in the army, he started as an ordinary soldier. By chance, he studied medicine under someone and became a military doctor. After retiring, he worked in the hospital pharmacy. When he died, his foster daughter Ming Dai, though only fourteen, was able to take over his job. The young girl, having long been ill herself, had learned much about medicine and performed her duties with competence.

Before he fell ill, Ming Changhe had even asked someone to look after her. With no accidents, the girl would have no trouble supporting herself. Unfortunately, he underestimated just how shameless his elder brother’s family could be.

When he died, Ming Changjiang hadn’t even come to lend a hand. Only after the burial did he show up, feigning concern, with the real aim of getting his hands on Ming Changhe’s bankbook and job. When Ming Changhe retired, he had received a substantial pension; he also earned a good salary at the hospital, far better than Ming Changjiang, who was just a worker at the soy sauce factory. With only a foster daughter to provide for, he had managed to save quite a bit.

Yet, even after tearing the house apart, the family of four found nothing. Furious, they vented their anger on Ming Dai, beating and berating her. The girl dared not fight back, but stubbornly insisted she didn’t have it. The neighbors, unable to bear the commotion, called the police, which finally drove them away.

But Ming Changjiang wouldn’t give up so easily. Not wanting to be accused of mistreating the orphan of a military family, he and his son stopped coming, but sent his wife and daughter instead, under the pretense of caring for their niece and cousin. They hurled insults, trying to force Ming Dai to hand over the bankbook.

The girl was so frightened she didn’t dare return home, working night shifts for half a month straight. This infuriated Ming Changjiang all the more.

It just so happened that the movement to send educated youth to the countryside was underway, and someone from the Ming Changjiang household had to go. There was no way it would be Ming Yaozu—their precious only son—so it had to be Ming Yanhong.

Yet Ming Yanhong had caught the eye of the youngest son of the director of the meat processing plant, a match too good to lose. Knowing her parents would sacrifice her for her brother, she came up with the idea of having Ming Dai go in her place. This could be arranged behind the scenes, as long as no one found out.

Ming Changjiang readily agreed. Meanwhile, Xing Cuilan, his wife, had received a letter from her hometown. A wealthy family in their commune wanted to find a wife for their simple-minded son, and had asked her to act as a matchmaker. It was the perfect opportunity to send Ming Dai to that commune as an educated youth. Once there, they could simply shove her into the fool’s bed and scare her into submission. The girl, knowing nothing, would surely become his wife without protest.

Once she was married off to the countryside, the house left by Ming Changhe would naturally become theirs. How vicious!

Ming Dai sneered. Though he wasn’t her blood uncle, to plot against an orphan girl this way was utterly despicable. She had to teach them a lesson, to let them know she was no longer the timid child who could only hide and cry!

After breakfast, Ming Dai changed into her freshly washed coarse cotton dress, tied her sun-bleached hair into two braids, and, glancing at her face now glowing with health, she took out some cosmetics and painted herself to look gravely ill.

Satisfied with her own deathly pallor in the mirror, Ming Dai went outside.

It was still dark, and everything was quiet.

She thought for a moment, then dragged out the bamboo bed, squeezed into the corner, lifted a green brick, and retrieved a small box.

This was the inheritance Ming Papa had left her—the very bankbook Xing Cuilan had been searching for all along.

Looking at the deposit of 2,356 yuan, Ming Dai sighed.

Little Ming Dai had been luckier in parental affection than herself, at least having a foster father who loved her. In the 1970s, this was a considerable fortune.

She put the bankbook into her space, pushed the bed back with one hand, clapped the dust from her hands, and, seeing that dawn was breaking, picked up the little military-green backpack the original owner always used and headed out.

There were few people on the street, mostly those emptying chamber pots.

Following her memory, she arrived at the second floor of a large compound and knocked on the door.

“Who is it? So early.”

After a while, the door opened. A disheveled middle-aged woman stared at Ming Dai in surprise.

Ming Dai mustered a smile and called out timidly, “Director Niu, I’m sorry to bother you. I have a matter about a work position I’d like to discuss with you.”

Niu Qin’s eyes immediately lit up. Her own daughter was of age to go to the countryside, but they hadn’t been able to buy a work position, and the thought of her daughter leaving had caused endless strife at home.

Glancing around to be sure no one was watching, she quickly pulled Ming Dai inside.

“Come in, Ming Dai. Do you have news about a work position?”

Niu Qin was the deputy director of the hospital logistics department, and her husband was head of procurement. Both had significant influence at the hospital.

That was why Ming Dai had come to her. Most people, afraid of trouble, wouldn’t dare try to buy a position from her.

Before Ming Dai could speak, her eyes reddened.

“Director Niu, I won’t hide it from you. I want to sell my position. You know I inherited my job from my father, but lately my uncle’s family has been causing a scene at the hospital, and it’s really affecting things. Now, my aunt has secretly arranged for me to be sent to the countryside in her daughter’s place, and she wants me to give my job to my cousin, too. It’s just too much. I can’t swallow this, but it’s already been decided—I have to go. So I want to sell the job instead of letting my aunt’s family have it for free!”

Niu Qin knew about their family’s situation and was sympathetic. Such things weren’t uncommon these days; this girl had just been particularly unlucky, with every misfortune falling on her.

But it was a stroke of luck for her own daughter!

“Good child, you’ve been wronged. Your aunt is too heartless, sending someone so young to the countryside. Don’t worry, I’ll buy your position, and I won’t let your aunt’s family benefit!”

Ming Dai looked at her. “My uncle is rather difficult. If you buy my position, things might get complicated.”

Niu Qin waved her hand. “Don’t worry. My younger brother works for the Revolutionary Committee.”

That was an unexpected bonus. Ming Dai almost hoped her aunt would come make trouble.

Work was hard to come by, especially such an easy pharmacy job. Niu Qin didn’t want any complications. She went straight to the point: “Ming Dai, jobs these days go for about 800 yuan. I’ll give you 850. If that works, we can handle the transfer as soon as we get to work.”

Ming Dai gladly replied, “Director Niu, there’s no need for 850. Just 700 is fine. I’d like to ask another favor though.”

Niu Qin frowned slightly, wary of any excessive request, but kept her smile. “Go ahead. If I can help, I will.”

Implied was that if she couldn’t help, she wouldn’t.

Ming Dai smiled apologetically. “I don’t want to give up the medical skills my father taught me, even after going to the countryside. If possible, I’d like to work as a barefoot doctor. You know I’ve always been sickly and can’t do heavy labor, so I’d like to get some medical equipment and supplies.”

She blushed and looked down, as if ashamed of asking too much.

Ming Dai inwardly applauded herself: I deserve an Oscar!

Director Niu breathed a sigh of relief—this was easy, since her husband worked in the field. She also saw Ming Dai in a new light—the girl was not as weak as she appeared; she had a mind of her own, which was good.

“That’s no trouble at all. My husband has plenty. Let’s handle the transfer first, then I’ll take you to get what you need.”

Surprised and grateful, Ming Dai looked up at Niu Qin with red-rimmed eyes, softening her heart enough to make her decide to give Ming Dai extra supplies.

With the matter settled, Ming Dai politely excused herself, saying she’d wait at the hospital gate, refusing Niu Qin’s invitation to breakfast.

She wasn’t hungry, and went straight to the hospital to wait.

Standing at the entrance, she watched the unique morning rush of this era with curiosity.