Chapter 50: Departure
The Propaganda Department in the textile factory is not a very busy department, so many of the old employees in the department are lazy and avoid doing work if they can.
During the busy time before the Chinese New Year, every household is busy, so some people take a few days off today and others take a few days off tomorrow. If you have something to do today, he will have something to do tomorrow.
Chu Xia is not the first one to take leave, nor is she the last one to take leave
After explaining the situation at home to the department head, the department head considered for a while and said, "Two weeks of leave is too long, at most I can give you one week during the Chinese New Year."
Chu Xia looked at the department head with a difficult expression and said, "Department Head, if I only have one week of leave, I won't be able to take my child to his father's place at all. The travel time alone will take up the whole week."
This is the disadvantage of being too far away. Nowadays, transportation is not as developed as in the future, and it takes a long time to travel by train.
If she goes on a long trip now, she will choose to take the train. The distance from Liangzhou to Ganzhou is not close, and with the time the train stops, it will take less than two days to reach the destination.
This is not counting the time it takes to go to the Ganzhou military base after getting off the train.
The department head said, "I can't decide on such a long leave. I have to consult the factory director about a half-month leave. You can go back first, and I will let you know after I ask the factory director."
At this point, Chu Xia had nothing else to say and could only go back and wait for the news.
But she was not very worried. When there is a will, there is a way. If she really can't take the leave, she will think of other solutions.
The most important thing now is her final exams, so Chu Xia spent the next few days studying hard and didn't pay much attention to the leave matter.
She still hadn't finished the questions sent from the capital and the northwest. When she got home from work, she would frantically do the questions, then check the answers and cut out the wrong ones to paste them in her notebook of mistakes.
Copying the wrong questions is a waste of time and may not be useful. After cutting and pasting them, she can still use them for review. The focus of the notebook of mistakes is to ensure that she won't make the same mistakes again in the future.
Chu Xia had the school make copies of the exam papers as soon as she received them, so she didn't have to worry about the impact of cutting and pasting on the students at No. 9 High School.
While Chu Xia was studying, Cen Huai'an welcomed his final exams.
The final exams for preschool were very simple. The papers were inked by the teacher himself, with one paper for Chinese and one for math, printed on both sides after the teacher hand-carved the plates.
During the exams, in order to prevent cheating, all the children sat on stools in the school yard, with one meter of space between each person.
Luckily, it didn't snow that day and the sun came out, but it was still very cold.
In order to avoid being frozen, Cen Huai'an quickly finished writing his exam paper and handed it in.
At this moment, his classmates were either procrastinating on the first question, looking up at the sky, or looking down at the ants on the ground.
The teacher glanced at his paper, made sure it wasn't blank, collected it, and let him go home.
Preschool exams were casual like this, and so were the exams in first grade.
Cen Huai'an stood at the school gate, looking at Brother Bang, who had a bitter and resentful expression as he looked at his exam paper, resembling Moazi or Kuaizi.
At a glance, it was clear that he wouldn't be able to hand in his paper anytime soon. He picked up his school bag, turned around, and left the school without any hesitation.
The elementary school exams were finished in one day. During dinner, Chu Xia asked Cen Huai'an, "How many points do you think you can get?"
Cen Huai'an swallowed the meat in his mouth without any hesitation and confidently said, "Full marks."
For Cen Huai'an, the paper was too simple, just like doing homework as usual. Besides full marks, there was no other possible result.
Chu Xia smiled and said, "You're so confident."
Cen Huai'an nodded with a "Hmm."
A smile appeared on Chu Xia's face. "If you really get full marks, I can fulfill one small wish for you, as long as it's within my ability."
Cen Huai'an's eyes lit up instantly: "Okay."
He started thinking about what he wanted from now on. Should he get a new Go set, or buy a complete set of "Journey to the West" comic books?
He heard that "Seven Heroes and Five Gallants" is also very good. Should he buy this set of books? With only one wish, Cen Huai'an was torn.
The next day, Cen Huai'an didn't have to go to school, but he still woke up early. Children sleep early and can't stay in bed.
It was Chu Xia who dawdled until the last moment, only coming out from under the covers. Cen Huai'an had already bought breakfast, and even her medicine was being brewed in the earthen pot.
Before going to work, Chu Xia envied Cen Huai'an with a glance: "It would be great if I didn't have to go to work."
Cen Huai'an said, "Then Mom, you don't have to go to work, I have a lot of money."
He seriously counted in his heart, it should be enough to support him and his mom for a month. If he had to take it out, he would still feel heartbroken, but if his mom really didn't want to work, then he would still take it out.
Chu Xia felt sweet in her heart and couldn't help but rub Cen Huai'an's hair: "Keep your money for yourself! Stay at home and do your winter vacation homework well, don't go out."
She had already talked to Cen Huai'an last night, finished the winter vacation homework first, and then did other things.
As soon as she stepped out, a cold wind blew, Chu Xia shivered and wrapped her scarf tighter, walking towards the factory.
She had just arrived in the office for a short while when the department head called her to his office.
Chu Xia thought it was about her leave, maybe the factory manager agreed to her request, and she knocked on the department head's office door with a smile on her face.
"Comrade Luo, do you know why I called you here?"
Chu Xia immediately asked, "Did the factory manager approve my leave?"
The department head's expression froze, "Uh, no, he didn't."
Chu Xia looked at him, her face showing confusion. If it wasn't about her leave, then why did the department head call her over?
There didn't seem to be any urgent work in the department recently, and she wasn't the most valued employee in the propaganda department.
The department head cleared his throat and said, "It's like this, someone has reported that you were reading idle books in the office."
Chu Xia furrowed her brows, quickly suspecting who would have reported her to the department head.
The only person she had conflicts with was Huang Tingyue, but Chu Xia thought that if it was Huang Tingyue who reported her, it would be too obvious. She didn't seem like such a foolish person.
Moreover, Huang Tingyue was someone who would openly express her dissatisfaction. She would create obstacles in a straightforward manner. Just like the last time when they were compiling clothing borrowing and returning data, she would openly make things difficult. Reporting something behind someone's back was not her style; she would have done it earlier, not now.
Besides, ever since the last time Huang Tingyue wanted to see what she was reading, Chu Xia hadn't read any high school books or solved any questions in the office. Even when reviewing knowledge points, she only reviewed what she had previously learned. It was purely for the sake of recalling and revising.
Why would someone report her for reading idle books now? She reasonably suspected that she had obstructed someone in some way, and most importantly, the department head believed the person who reported her.
Chu Xia looked at the department head, her brows furrowing. "Department head, did that person say I am currently reading idle books or books I used to read?"
The department head was caught off guard by her question and cleared his throat. "You don't need to ask about that. No matter when you were reading, this behavior is not good. Even if we're not busy in the factory, we should find something to do. We can't read idle books. If the factory director comes to our department and sees it, it will have a negative impact on our department."
"Alright, I understand." In the department head's eyes, she was indeed reading idle books. No matter what she said, it would be seen as making excuses. Chu Xia understood the department head's mindset, so she didn't argue for herself either.
At this moment, it was best to admit her mistake promptly and promise not to repeat it in the future. That's what leaders wanted to hear.
"Department head, what about my leave request? Did the factory director approve it?"
The department head hesitated and said, "It's a bit difficult for you to take leave now. Just wait a little longer."
Chu Xia understood. The department head probably didn't even ask the factory director. A two-week vacation was too long, and he didn't want to approve it.
In addition, someone happened to come and report her, so the department head took this opportunity to not give her leave and not worry that she would feel unfair.
Chu Xia didn't say anything more, nodded and left the department head's office.
Without leave, she wouldn't be able to go to the northwest for Chinese New Year. Chu Xia sighed and had to think of another way.
When she returned to the office, there was no expression on her face, just like usual, and others couldn't tell anything
Chu Xia glanced at the employees in the office with her peripheral vision, they were all busy with their own work, and she couldn't tell who reported her.
It was difficult to find out who did it, but Chu Xia felt uncomfortable.
Just thinking that there was a colleague in the office who was always watching her, and might stab her in the back at any time, she couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine and suspect everyone in the office.
On this day at the factory, Chu Xia felt that her emotions were severely depleted, completely lacking the previous ease, and felt very tired.
"An'an."
When she returned home and saw Cen Huai'an sitting on the chair watching TV, all the exhaustion in her heart suddenly emerged.
Cen Huai'an immediately sensed that something was wrong with his mother, stood up, and ran a few steps to Chu Xia's front, frowning and looking worriedly at her, "Mom..."
Chu Xia squatted down, reached out and hugged Cen Huai'an into her arms, took a long breath and said, "I'm fine, An'an, let Mommy hold you for a while."
Cen Huai'an stretched out his arms, wearing a puffy cotton coat, and his small hands lightly patted her back, just like before, "Mom, I'm here."
After a while, Chu Xia's emotions recovered, and she asked, "An'an, what should I do if I really lose my job?"
"I have money." Cen Huai'an's tone was still so firm, without any hesitation. If it was him half a year ago, he would never say such words to his mother.
Chu Xia suddenly felt warm in her heart, and the exhaustion from earlier disappeared instantly. She made a decision in her heart.
Two days later, Chu Xia went to ask the department head again about her leave.
In two more days, her final exams would be over, and there wouldn't be much time left until the Chinese New Year. She wanted to resolve the matters at the factory as soon as possible before going to the northwest. Chu Xia made a call to Cen Zhengnian.
He didn't answer, but Chu Xia understood that he was too busy with work to answer immediately.
In the evening, Cen Zhengnian called back.
"Zhengnian, I don't want to work at the textile factory anymore." As soon as the call connected, Chu Xia said this.
Cen Zhengnian keenly noticed something wrong with Chu Xia. He furrowed his brows at the other end of the phone and asked, "Chu Xia, what happened?"
Chu Xia didn't tell him what happened at the factory, she only said, "If I quit my job, will you support me?"
Cen Zhengnian didn't hesitate at all and immediately said, "I support you. If you're not happy with your job, then leave the textile factory."
He didn't ask what happened. Chu Xia wasn't an impulsive person, so since she made a decision, she must have thought it through.
"Okay." Chu Xia smiled and felt relieved. She suddenly felt lucky to have a husband like Cen Zhengnian, who would never impose his thoughts on her and would support whatever she wanted to do.
Chu Xia told Cen Zhengnian her plan, "I want to find someone to take over my position at work, but for now, I don't know who to ask."
Finding a replacement naturally wouldn't be free. If someone wanted her job at the textile factory, they would definitely have to pay for it. After all, this job was highly sought after at the moment.
Cen Zhengnian pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you have to do it now?"
Chu Xia replied with a smile, "If no one takes over now, how can I go to Ganzhou with An'an before the Chinese New Year?"
Cen Zhengnian thought he misheard and took a moment to understand what Chu Xia meant. His heart suddenly started beating violently, and he almost couldn't control himself from throwing the phone.
"I have a classmate in Liangzhou. You don't have to worry about finding a replacement. I'll ask my classmate."
Chu Xia immediately let go of this matter in her heart and felt even more relaxed. "Okay. If we can't find anyone, it's fine. I'll go to Ganzhou first and find someone when I come back.
Cen Zhengnian really wanted to say to Chu Xia, "Bring An'an over now."
However, he restrained himself. It was obviously impossible to say such a thing. The fact that Chu Xia agreed to bring An'an to Ganzhou for the New Year was already a delightful thing for him.
After hanging up the phone with Chu Xia, Cen Zhengnian called his mother.
Although Jiang Shengnan was busy, she handled things in her own office, so the phone was quickly answered.
"Mom, Chu Xia will bring An'an to Ganzhou for the New Year."
Just as Cen Zhengnian finished speaking, Jiang Shengnan immediately exclaimed with joy, "Really? This is the best news I've heard in the past few days! Son, you're really amazing. Mom didn't believe in you for nothing!"
Jiang Shengnan kept talking on the phone about what she needed to prepare, what she hadn't bought yet, and how the room needed to be prepared with new bedding for Chu Xia and An'an...
Cen Zhengnian couldn't even get a word in and just listened to Jiang Shengnan's stream of words. She hung up the phone and said she was going home to buy things.
Listening to the "beep beep beep" sound on the phone, he helplessly laughed and called his classmate who worked at Liangzhou University.
After Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian finished their call, they completely let go of work. Chu Xia didn't bother reporting anyone to the factory anymore. Since she was leaving and would no longer have contact with these people, it didn't matter anymore.
Until the final exams at No.9 High School began, Cen Zhengnian hadn't given Chu Xia any news. She thought that finding someone to take over her position couldn't be resolved before the new year, so she fully focused on the exams. After the exams, regardless of whether the factory granted her leave or not, she would take leave and go to Ganzhou.
Last time, Chu Xia was second in the school's exams. She still hadn't surpassed Wang Chaoxi, but the difference in their total scores was very small, only one point.
When she arrived at the exam venue, Wang Chaoxi was already sitting in front of her. She glanced at Chu Xia, her face tense and her lips tightly pursed, looking very nervous.
However, Chu Xia saw from her eyes a refusal to accept defeat. She must have regarded her as a rival.
Chu Xia smiled at her, nodded, and went to her own seat, waiting for the exam to begin.
The first exam was Chinese. Chu Xia received the test paper and, as usual, flipped through it from front to back, left to right, to make sure there were no problems and to get a general impression of the questions. She picked up her pen and focused on answering.
Compared to the previous transfer exam, Chu Xia clearly felt more confident during the final exams. Especially in politics and Chinese, she felt the most obvious improvement.
The final exams still lasted for two days. By the last exam on the second day, English, Chu Xia felt relaxed. After finishing the exam, she could give herself a few days off without having to constantly stress herself out because of studying.
Before the English exam, as Chu Xia was sitting in her seat, Wang Chaoxi suddenly turned her head and looked at her with a complicated expression.
"You..."
She stopped halfway through her sentence and continued to look at her. After a while, she said, "Thank you."
Chu Xia was completely confused. What did she mean? Thank her for what?
She thought about it and the only thing that could make Wang Chaoxi thank her was probably the fact that she shared her test paper with No.9 High School.
Chu Xia didn't ask Wang Chaoxi. Whether she knew or not, it seemed like she didn't plan on saying anything, so early summer didn't have to worry about other students finding out.
The English test paper was still not difficult for Chu Xia. After checking it three times to make sure there were no careless mistakes in the answers and that the composition was fine, she handed in her paper and left early.
The final exam scores in high school will not be released during the holiday, and they will only know them when school starts.
Moreover,Chu Xia is not a time for regular students to attend school. After finishing the final exams, she told her homeroom teacher that she would come back to school for the first exam of the next semester.
When she returned home, Cen Huai'an ran up to her and said, "Mom, dad said to give him a call when you come back."
Chu Xia stopped knitting her scarf and asked him, "When did your dad call?"
Cen Huai'an replied, "Right after you left home."
She fixed her scarf and turned to leave, asking, "An'an, do you still want to talk to your dad?"
"Yes!"
Cen Huai'an quickly followed her.
Cen Zhengnian called to talk about the handover of work. His efficiency is really high. It's only been a few days, and Chu Xia is very surprised."So fast to find a job?"
Cen Zhengnian smiled lightly, "Working at the textile factory is what many young people want."
Chu Xia thought about it and agreed. Even if she had her own plans, if she were really a person from this era, having a job at a factory would be respectable.
Cen Zhengnian continued, "My classmate, Zhou Ancheng, will go to the entrance of the textile factory tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. He will be wearing a gray Zhongshan suit and accompanied by a girl who is about eighteen or nineteen years old."
Chu Xia remembered this information and nodded, saying, "I got it."
The next day happened to be Sunday, so Chu Xia didn't have to go to work. She woke up at eight o'clock, had breakfast and got ready, and arrived at the entrance of the textile factory at half past eight.
She thought Zhou Ancheng wouldn't come so early, but when she arrived, she saw a man wearing a gray Zhongshan suit, about the same age as Cen Zhengnian, standing at the factory gate. Next to him was a young girl with two long braids, looking nervous.
Chu Xia walked over, smiled and asked, "Hello, are you Comrade Zhou Ancheng?"
"Yes, are you Zhengnian's wife?"
"Yes." Chu Xia smiled even more friendly, "Just call me Chu Xia. Let's find a place to talk."
There was a tea house near the textile factory. Chu Xia took Zhou Ancheng and the girl there. At this time, only some elderly people were drinking tea. They found a nearby seat with a screen blocking it where no one was sitting.
Chu Xia didn't know that if she wanted to pass on her job to someone else, it had to be a relative. She only knew that workers in this era could pass on their work to others.
It was Zhou Ancheng who said this to Chu Xia.
But since he came to find Chu Xia, it proved that he had a way to solve this problem.
And indeed, he smiled and asked Chu Xia, "Are you really willing to pass on the job to us?"
"Yes." Chu Xia's answer was decisive, "Otherwise, I wouldn't let Zhengnian go through so much trouble to find someone to take over my position."
"Good, as long as you're willing, I'll take care of the rest. Just cooperate with me."
He handed Chu Xia an envelope and said, "As agreed, this is half of the money. When everything is settled, I'll give you the other half."
After leaving the teahouse, Chu Xia felt that everything was going smoothly. The money was taken care of by Cen Zhengnian and Zhou Ancheng, so she didn't have to worry about it at all.
Moreover, Zhou Ancheng and the little girl were very grateful to her. Especially the little girl, she looked at Chu Xia as if she was looking at a living bodhisattva. It seemed that she had never seen someone so young doing such a good job.
From then on, Chu Xia didn't have to worry about anything. Zhou Ancheng took care of the night shift and all the matters with Director Zhang, as well as the handover at the factory.
At this moment, Chu Xia was truly grateful that she had asked for help from Cen Zhengnian. Otherwise, with so many procedures and complications, and the need for two people's relatives to provide proof, she really didn't know how to handle it, and it might not have been successful.
Zhou Ancheng was a local in Liangzhou and had his own connections. He managed to complete all the tasks in just three days.
Of course, he took a special route, and Chu Xia didn't know what he had done. All she knew was that she successfully completed the handover with the little girl, and she was no longer an employee of the Textile Factory.
That young girl became a new female worker at Textile Mill No. 3. She didn't join the propaganda department. She was very happy to successfully take over the job and was also glad to work in the workshop.
Chu Xia left the Textile Factory quietly, and only the director, personnel, and the department head of the Propaganda Department knew about her departure.
The head of the Propaganda Department told her subordinates that Luo Chu Xia was no longer at the Textile Factory, and that was the end of it.
Chairman Zheng from the labor union had helped Chu Xia, so she went to say goodbye to her personally and gave her a gift for the New Year.
Chairman Zheng expressed her regret, "Chu Xia, your job at the factory was so good. It was hard to get in, why did you quit?"
Chu Xia couldn't tell her about what happened in the Propaganda Department. Those were all the triggers.
Originally, she should have worried about her job after the college entrance examination, but now it was just a few months earlier, and it didn't affect anything. It just gave her more time to study.
In addition to studying high school knowledge, she also needed to pick up her medical knowledge again. She hadn't had time to read medical books in the past six months.
"It's my own decision. I want to go find An'an's father."
Chairman Zheng suddenly realized, "Right, it's not good for a couple to be separated for so long. You are a courageous person. With your education, you will definitely find another job."
After leaving Chairman Zheng's house, Chu Xia felt a bit uneasy as she touched the train ticket that Zhou Ancheng had bought for her in her pocket. She didn't know what it would be like after going to the northwest.
In the letter, Cen Zhengnian's parents were very nice, and she had spent Chinese New Year with them before, so they shouldn't have any unpleasant interactions, right?
Chu Xia sighed and thought, forget it, I shouldn't think about these things. I need to hurry home and pack my things. I will leave for Ganzhou tomorrow.
Cen Huai'an's grades had already been brought back while Chu Xia was busy with her handover work.
As expected, he got full marks, and because he had the most little red flowers, he received a certificate, a pencil, an eraser, and a notebook.
The first-place reward didn't include a notebook, and the second-place reward didn't include an eraser.
There were certificates for the top ten, but after the top three, there were no material rewards, only certificates.
This was still something that made students happy. During the semester, the most desired thing for students was the certificates issued by the school.
When Cen Huai'an came back with his rewards, Chu Xia asked him, "An'an, have you thought about your wish?"
Cen Huai'an nodded without thinking while holding the certificate. "I've thought about it. Mom, I want to go find Dad for Chinese New Year."
Since Chu Xia mentioned it once, she hadn't mentioned going to the northwest again, and she hadn't talked about her work with An'an either.
In Chu Xia's heart, these are the worries of adults. An'an is still a child, happily writing winter vacation homework at home, learning Go with the teacher, selling things with Brother Bang without worrying like adults. Although Cen Huai'an knew that his mom said they would go to the northwest, so she wouldn't break her promise, he was still afraid they wouldn't be able to go, so he placed his most precious wish here.
Hearing his words, Chu Xia felt both heartache for An'an and a bit sour. She was a bit jealous of the position Cen Zhengnian held in An'an's heart at this moment.
But she still touched his head and said, "You don't need to make a wish for this, we will go. I'll give you another chance to think of a wish."
Cen Huai'an shook his head. "Mom, this is what I want to fulfill the most right now."
Chu Xia said, "Great. Don't worry, in a couple of days we can go to the northwest. It's perfect because you can say goodbye to your friends and your teacher, and let them know that you won't be able to come back to study until after the New Year."
Not only did Cen Huai'an himself need to talk about it with Guo Lin, but Chu Xia also spoke to him about the matter of taking Cen Huai'an to the northwest.
Guo Lin readily agreed, "Originally, we should have a holiday for the New Year. I also want to celebrate the New Year. But if you don't come here to study with me, you still have to study on your own and not slack off in your Go practice. It would be best if you can find someone to play against."
Chu Xia couldn't guarantee finding someone to play against, but she could make sure that An'an didn't slack off in his studies.
Cen Huai'an had already said goodbye to Brother Bang and the others. The next morning, Chu Xia locked the door, took her luggage, held An'an's hand, and took the bus to the train station.
Zhou Ancheng had bought Chu Xia and An'an sleeper tickets. It was safer for a woman to travel with a child in a sleeper car.
Following the example of her predecessors, Chu Xia sewed the money inside her padded jacket. There were too many pickpockets at the train station, so she had to be cautious.
As soon as they entered the train station, she firmly held Cen Huai'an's hand and repeatedly told him not to let go of her. It was his first time traveling far, so he was nervous.
Especially last night, Chu Xia had told him many cases of children being abducted on trains, making him even more nervous. Chu Xia told him to hold her hand tightly, and he used a lot of strength to grip it tightly.
When they finally squeezed through the crowd, Chu Xia felt her hand hurt a bit. She looked down and saw that Cen Huai'an's hand, which was holding hers, had turned pale from the force.
She couldn't help but laugh and cry as she patted his small hand, "Relax, doesn't your hand hurt?"
Only then did Cen Huai'an relax his grip a bit, but he still held on tightly, vigilantly looking around.
Chu Xia held him on top of the luggage and now regretted telling him so many stories about children and women being abducted yesterday.
Mainly, she wanted to remind An'an to be cautious of those deceptive methods, so as not to be deceived on the train.
But it's better to be cautious. When you're away from home, you can never be too careful.
Finally, when they got on the train and found their corresponding sleeper car, Chu Xia led Cen Huai'an inside, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
She and An'an share a bunk bed, because children ride for free, she is on the top bunk.
Although it is inconvenient to climb up and down, Chu Xia quite likes the top bunk. Others can't reach there, so relatively speaking, it is safer at night.
At this moment, there are only the two of them in the bunk bed. Chu Xia helps An'an up first, and then she climbs up as well.
They only have one big bag for their luggage. She pats the dirty spot underneath and also takes the bag onto the bed and puts it in the corner.
Inside the bag are the brand new bed sheets and quilt covers that Chu Xia brought. She takes them out and puts them on the outside of the bed on the train.
Just as she finishes making the bed, a middle-aged man comes in carrying a small suitcase. Not long after, an elderly couple also comes in.
After that, no one else enters the bunk bed.
The middle-aged man glances at Chu Xia, puts the suitcase on the floor, and takes out a book to read on the lower bunk. The elderly couple sits on the other lower bunk, and the husband, who doesn't look too well, lies down on the bed soon.
Chu Xia sits on the top bunk with An'an and takes out a comic book for him to read. She also takes out a book for herself to read.
It is the "Compendium of Materia Medica" that she bought at the bookstore these days. She happened to come across a decent version, so she bought it and is now reviewing the Chinese herbs she had memorized before.
In addition to the "Compendium of Materia Medica," Chu Xia also bought books specific to this era for studying traditional Chinese medicine, such as the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon" and the "Newly Revised Treatise on Cold Damage."
Some of these books are out of print in the future, and some versions are no longer available, so she naturally bought them when she saw them.
If someone wants to excel in treating all kinds of diseases in traditional Chinese medicine, it is impossible. People's energy is limited. Of course, there are geniuses who are talented in everything, but Chu Xia knows that she is not one of them and cannot be a jack of all trades.
In her previous life, she was more skilled in gynecology, and she could also do acupuncture.
Of course, everyone understands and can see the symptoms, but for proper treatment, it still requires a doctor specialized in this kind of ailment.
So in this life, she is still preparing to specialize in gynecology, but for now, she mainly picks up her own knowledge. It doesn't hurt to read some traditional Chinese medicine books.
Specializing doesn't mean only studying this subject. Traditional Chinese medicine is vast and profound, and there is too much to learn.
Ordinary people cannot understand it without studying for decades, so it's reasonable why older traditional Chinese medicine doctors are more popular. Of course, geniuses are not included in this category.
The train "clangs" forward. It is winter, but the scenery outside the window is not all desolate.
Liangzhou is a plain, mainly growing wheat. At this time, the wheat in the fields is in full bloom. When passing by the fields and looking out through the window, the endless green fields are particularly pleasing.
After watching for a while, she rested her eyes and continued reading. This is the first time Cen Huai'an has taken a train, so he is quite curious and sits on the bed, constantly looking out of the window below.
***
Northwest Ganzhou Space Research Base
Since receiving a phone call from Chu Xia, Cen Zhengnian hasn't been able to fully concentrate on his work.
He couldn't sleep last night and was worried about the safety of Chu Xia and An'an's trip.
Even though he asked his old classmate Zhou Ancheng to help buy sleeper tickets, he couldn't relax until Chu Xia and An'an arrived safely in Ganzhou.
Yu Tian noticed that Cen Zhengnian was absent-minded, something he had never seen in all the years they worked at the base.
"Zhengnian, you made a mistake in your calculations. What's wrong? This doesn't seem like a mistake you would make."
Cen Zhengnian was very good at mental calculations, and he had never made a mistake in his calculations, let alone such a simple one.
He rubbed his forehead, looked down at the calculations on the paper, crossed out the result, and wrote down the correct answer, saying, "I was distracted."
"You're actually getting distracted?" Yu Tian was shocked and raised his hand to touch Cen Zhengnian's forehead, but he dodged it.
"Are you sick again?" Yu Tian asked with some concern.
Cen Zhengnian shook his head, "I'm fine, it's something else."
He didn't plan to announce Chu Xia and An'an's trip to the northwest. The two of them couldn't come to the base either.
Although the Space Research Base was not as secretive as a nuclear base, it was still a confidential scientific research project. There were no family members here, and no family members had visited here.
After Chu Xia and An'an arrived, they would stay with Cen Zhengnian's parents in the Ganzhou military unit, and he could go to the unit to see them when he had time off.
However, Cen Zhengnian decided to take a day off on the day Chu Xia and An'an arrived to see if he could pick them up at the train station.
He wasn't sure if he could get the day off, as his previous illness had delayed his work and he hadn't caught up with the progress yet.
Cen Zhengnian sighed in his heart, took a sip of water to wake himself up, and tried to focus his attention on his work.
At the same time, in the Ganzhou military unit, Jiang Shengnan and Father Cen were also worried and nervous.
"Old Cen, how do you think these two rooms are decorated? Will Chu Xia and An'an like them?"
Since knowing that Chu Xia was bringing the child to celebrate Chinese New Year, Jiang Shengnan had started decorating the rooms.
The beds in the rooms were newly made, and the bedding was new and fluffy, ensuring that the two of them would sleep comfortably when they arrived.
Knowing that Chu Xia would be studying, a new desk was also set up in the room, along with a matching chair. To prevent it from being cold to sit on, a cotton cushion was placed on the chair.
Of course, there were also wardrobes and other furniture in the room. In addition, to avoid bare walls, Jiang Shengnan hung paintings and calligraphy brought from her parents' home.
The whole room was clean and had a scholarly atmosphere.
Father Cen didn't know, he wasn't Chu Xia and An'an.
But he didn't show it on his face, with his hands behind his back, he calmly nodded and said, "Not bad."