Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 287 Adding a Little Bit of Good Fortune
5 month 3 day.

This day is the day of the militia's spring training. Generally speaking, after each training session, there is a day to rest. It just so happens that there will be a movie screening tomorrow night, so it's a good time to relax.

Today, Chen Fan did not ride a horse, nor did he bring his own leather bag and hunting rifle. Instead, he dressed like the other militiamen, wearing ordinary coarse cloth clothes, with a belt around his neck and a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle slung over his shoulder.

If there's any difference, it's that he now carries a PPK rifle at his waist.

He almost never leaves this thing with him, mainly for "just in case".

After all, one of the memories of this era for later generations is that of "poor public security." If he were to encounter an armed criminal, he could use his small pistol to fight back, and perhaps even earn merit.

Captain Xiao scoffed at his attitude, saying, "The Gufeng County Public Security Bureau hasn't received a single case in three years. Are you trying to break the record by carrying around a small firecracker every day?"

When he heard this, Chen Fan's eyes widened.

Three consecutive years without a single case? Is that true?

Then Zhang Wenliang explained to him, "Under normal circumstances, neighborhood disputes follow the principle of 'learning from the Fengqiao Experience,' meaning minor issues are resolved within the village and major issues within the team. As long as it's not a major case, such as arresting enemy agents or a murder case, we won't bother the police."

Chen Fan understood immediately. Petty theft cases were usually handled internally by the villagers. If a local committed the crime, there was one way to deal with it, such as punishing him with community service or having his father take him back to get a beating. If it was an outsider... well, this outsider wasn't really that far away; they were almost all from this commune or a neighboring commune.

For this kind of person, after catching them, give them a good beating, then hang them up and starve them for two or three days, and then let them get lost.

Call the police?

nonexistent!

Chen Fan was still not convinced and kept pressing Zhang Wenliang for answers, asking, "Aren't there any crimes committed while on the move?"

He still remembers the look in Zhang Wenliang's eyes: "Fleeing? Are you talking about yourself? Do you think you can escape if you come here to commit a crime?"

Then, with a look of regret, he said, "To be honest, if when Zhu Gong arranged the investigation of you, he had discovered that you might be an enemy agent, and that was confirmed, then our Lujiawan would have been able to help solve a major case. Not only would we have broken the record of Gufeng County, but the production team might have been able to get a collective third-class merit, and Old Yang would most likely have gotten an individual second-class merit, and might even have been promoted. What a pity."

Chen Fan was speechless at the time, unable to utter a word after being rebuked.

Seeing that his face was dark, Zhang Wenliang smiled and comforted him, "I'm just giving you an example. You're really easy to tease."

Chen Fan frowned. "Is this how you use chestnuts? Why don't you use a pineapple instead?"

Then Zhang Wenliang said, "Do you know the rule against blind migration? If you dare to enter the city without a letter of introduction, you will be sent back to your place of household registration if you are caught."

Of course, if you don't commit any crimes, no one will bother with you. We ordinary folks are busy making a living, so there's no need to keep an eye on people every day.

But once you commit a crime, all the neighborhood committees and production teams are like an overwhelming net, guaranteeing you no escape!

Chen Fan said with a straight face, "Just give me an example, stop using 'you, you, you' all the time. People who don't know better will think you're talking about me."

However, after hearing his explanation, Chen Fan understood.

At that time, a large number of educated youth returned to the city. Those young people had nothing to do all day. They were disliked for sitting at home, so they went out to cause trouble.

This phenomenon was not suppressed until the mid-90s.

Here, we must mention Fubei.

Their pioneering initiative, "Roadblockers Rewarded by DS," brought a refreshing change to the entire province's social atmosphere, almost swiftly and decisively correcting the province's public order.

As a result, truck and bus drivers traveling north and south, east and west, would rush to Hubei to rest, even if it meant working through the night, and dared not stay in the surrounding provinces.

Later, other parts of the country followed suit, which eventually made this phenomenon a thing of the past.

So, the worst, the worst, and the most difficult times are yet to come!
However, Chen Fan still decided to carry his small pistol with him every day.

Zhang Wenliang asked him, "Why?"

Chen Fan said, "Because he's handsome!"

So today, during the militia's spring training, Zhang Wenliang brought his prized "flower-mouthed pistol," the same kind Chu Yunfei gave to Lao Li, and tucked it into his waistband, waving it around in front of Chen Fan from time to time.

Then his older brother disliked him.

Zhang Juemin, the barefoot doctor and militia medic of Lujiawan, glared impatiently at Zhang Wenliang. "You're a company commander, can't you be a little more careful? Go lead the troops! What are you doing wandering around here all the time?"

Not daring to disobey his cousin, Zhang Wenliang hung his head and ran forward without saying a word.

After shooing away the eyesore Zhang Wenliang, Zhang Juemin pulled Chen Fan to the back of the line and asked in a low voice, "I heard that you also got a barefoot doctor's certificate?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan was taken aback. "Who told you that?"

Zhang Juemin: "Little Li from the health center, he's in charge of logistics and the files. I heard this from him yesterday when I went to the health center to get supplies."

Hearing him say that, Chen Fan knew he couldn't deny it, so he chuckled softly, "It's just a certificate, it doesn't matter what it's for."

Zhang Juemin's eyes lit up, no, he almost burst into tears. "What's the use? How can it be useless? Let me tell you, it's incredibly useful!"

He wiped his face, as if he were giving a grievance meeting, "You know, out of more than 5000 people in the whole brigade, I'm the only barefoot doctor. I'm a self-taught doctor. I only trained at the commune health center for half a year, and it was a part-time job. Although there are two more training sessions every year, each lasting a week, the training is all about how to use new drugs. It's completely useless for improving medical skills."

Do you know how much pressure I was under? Every day I was on edge, afraid that someone in one of the teams would be sick, especially if they knocked on the door in the middle of the night—that definitely meant an emergency. I was running around, going back and forth all over the team, just afraid of making a mistake.

He paused for a moment, then suddenly pointed at Chen Fan, "Putting everything else aside, let's talk about you. That time Old Yang called me over to examine you, your whole body was covered in purple bruises. I was thinking of preparing for your funeral..."

Hearing this, Chen Fan felt completely numb. So, I almost died?
Zhang Juemin didn't notice Chen Fan's expression and continued, "But looking at your face, so small, not much older than my brother's daughter Xiao'e, I couldn't help but feel sorry for you. So I prescribed a strong diaphoretic medicine, just to try anything, and lo and behold, it actually saved your life."

Chen Fan was sweating profusely beside him, while Zhang Juemin was still lamenting to himself, "This is where my medical skills fall short. If I had been able to tell that you could still be saved, I would definitely have given you another injection of gentamicin, just in case."

Chen Fan blurted out, "No way!"

Zhang Juemin turned to look at him, "Huh?"

Chen Fan immediately came to his senses and quickly coughed, "I meant that your medical skills are superb, you don't need an injection. That medicine is so expensive, it's best to leave it for those who need it more."

Zhang Juemin nodded with satisfaction, "You're a pretty good person."

Then he shook his head with a wry smile, "It's only because you got the barefoot doctor's certificate that I dare to tell you the truth. As for your medical skills, that's all just praise from the villagers."

He sighed deeply, lowered his head, and said, "You have no idea, every year there are people I can't save. I watch them die right before my eyes."

Hearing this, Chen Fan fell silent.

The contributions of barefoot doctors to rural healthcare are absolutely undeniable. Without them, farmers back then would have had nowhere to seek medical help when they fell ill; they would either try their luck with folk remedies or simply endure the illness at home.

If you can survive, you've won; if you can't, you'll die.

However, it is an undeniable fact that the skill level of barefoot doctors was generally low. Only a very small number of those who were recruited and had apprenticeships or family traditions possessed higher levels of medical skills. The vast majority of barefoot doctors, like Zhang Juemin, underwent intensive training for a period of time, the longest being a year and the shortest even only three months, before "graduating" and starting their jobs.

The risks of sending them to treat patients are self-evident.

He didn't speak, so Zhang Juemin continued, "Low medical skills, high pressure, and heavy workload are the most direct feelings I have as a barefoot doctor. Many times I think, how wonderful it would be if a doctor with high medical skills and great abilities could come to our Lujiawan!"

He turned to look at Chen Fan, his face full of joy, and said with a smile, "I asked Xiao Li, and almost all the nurses at the clinic praise your medical skills..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Fan quickly interrupted him, saying with a wry smile, "Brother Juemin, I only stayed at the health center for a week. Before that, I only memorized a few medical books. Do you really believe that I have any medical skills?"

Hearing this, Zhang Juemin hesitated. "But Xiao Li said that you're already qualified to prescribe medicine under Doctor Lu's guidance?"

Chen Fan rubbed his face, unsure whether to laugh or cry. "Did he mention that I discussed the prescription with Doctor Lu before writing it?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "I call it a discussion, but actually I'm consulting with Doctor Lu. I can only prescribe medicine after I get his approval!" Upon hearing this, Zhang Juemin immediately fell silent.

The group continued forward, with Chen Fan and Zhang Juemin trailing behind. Xiao Liewen, who was in front, looked back twice, waved to Zhang Wenliang, and pointed behind him, asking, "What does Da Huzi want with Xiao Chen?"

Zhang Wenliang glanced at it, pursed his lips, and shook his head slightly. "I don't know. They never told me."

Xiao Liewen stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes full of curiosity. "What could he possibly want with Xiao Chen?"

After walking for a while, Zhang Juemin suddenly said, "If you don't have the ability, how could Doctor Lu issue you a certificate?"

Hearing him mention this, Chen Fan felt extremely wronged, "Oh my, you have no idea..."

He recounted the situation, then clapped his hands, looking aggrieved, and said, "I was learning my skills so well, and they ruined it all! Where can I complain?!"

Hearing this, Zhang Juemin was speechless.

How could it still be like this?

However, when he looked at Chen Fan's face and thought about how the young women and wives of Lujiawan treated Chen Fan, he actually felt it was quite normal.

It’s so outrageous!
However, no matter what, his initial strong confidence in Chen Fan now deflated.

Xiao Li claimed that Chen Fan had been studying medicine with Doctor Lu since December, but he knew in his heart that Chen Fan had not been to the town in December and was studying veterinary medicine in January. His every move was under the watchful eyes of the villagers of Lujiawan. Therefore, Doctor Lu's statement was clearly just to make it easier to issue a certificate to Chen Fan.

But Dr. Lu is over 80 years old. His character and medical skills are well-known. How could someone like that just casually issue a doctor's certificate to someone?
Zhang Juemin felt extremely conflicted and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

After a long while, he finally steeled himself and decided to trust Dr. Lu's character. He said softly to Chen Fan, "No matter what, you've obtained your barefoot doctor's certificate. If you're willing, when we get back to the brigade headquarters, I'll go to Secretary Yang and count you in for the village doctor position."

Chen Fan quickly refused, "Please don't."

He looked at Zhang Juemin and said seriously, "You at least studied for half a year, while I've only studied for three months at most. Even if I can get a doctor's certificate, it's mostly because I can memorize the texts well. You really dare to let me treat people? Aren't you afraid of making them worse? This is treating people, not animals!"

After he said that, Zhang Juemin hesitated again.

After a moment, she finally changed her mind. "If I encounter something I'm not sure about in the future, I can consult you. Is that alright?"

Chen Fan immediately breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly, smiling, "That's perfect, I couldn't be happier."

He was unwilling to be a barefoot doctor, partly because he was too busy, and partly because he didn't have much confidence in his current medical skills.

Since he has already mastered pulse diagnosis, acupuncture, massage, and bone setting, instead of listening to Dr. Lu and Dr. Dong and relying on clinical experience to improve his skills, he might as well buy more medical books and improve his skills by reading them.

At least it's not zero risk!
Otherwise, if the situation Zhang Juemin faced were to occur, and the treatment were to be worse, aside from anything else, he himself would not be able to get over it in his own mind.

However, when Zhang Juemin encountered difficulties, he would offer advice and encouragement from the sidelines, which Zhang Juemin would readily accept.

After marching for more than half an hour, the militia company finally arrived at the designated training base.

It's still that same little hill from last winter training.

However, when I came here last time, it was desolate with withered branches and fallen leaves. Now, the whole mountain is lush and green, with various branches and leaves covering the entire mountain and the surrounding flat areas.

How can you train under such environmental conditions?

Chen Fan soon learned about the militia's training methods.

Under Zhang Wenliang's command, the militia company was divided into three platoons and carried out formation and tactical training directly on the dike and the slopes on both sides.

Chen Fan stared wide-eyed. So, we're not going into the woods today?

Then Zhang Wenliang walked over, pointed to the small hillock next to him that was covered in lush trees and tall grass, and said with a smile, "How about it, do you dare to have a competition?"

Chen Fan's eyes widened. "Compare? Didn't you say last time that you'd teach me tactical maneuvers during spring training?"

Zhang Wenliang chuckled and said, "I already taught you the tactical maneuvers during the last winter training. As for team combination tactics, you're not part of the militia, so teaching you wouldn't be of any use."

Then he pointed to the mountains and forests, "We don't need any teamwork, just the two of us, let's settle this once and for all."

Chen Fan's eyes darted around, and he looked at him with a hint of hesitation. "What are you plotting?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wenliang's face stiffened slightly, and he coughed lightly, "What conspiracy? Why are you making it sound so unpleasant? We were just exchanging training tips, what conspiracy could there be?"

Chen Fan looked at him with a face full of doubt, "Really? I don't believe it!"

Zhang Wenliang coughed again. "Of course, it would be even more interesting if we could add a prize."

A prize?

Chen Fan snorted lightly, "You still dare to say there's no conspiracy?"

He glanced at Zhang Wenliang and said, "Tell me, what is it about me that you want?"

Zhang Wenliang grinned, "Sure thing, sure thing. I think your leather backpack is pretty nice. If I win..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Fan proudly raised his head and said, "You won, the backpack is yours."

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Well, what if you lose?"

Zhang Wenliang patted his waist and said, "See this? A fancy pistol. Isn't it much better than your little firecracker? If you win, this fancy pistol is yours."

Chen Fan glanced at the pistol at his waist, his eyes full of suspicion. "Isn't this gun your prize? Can you just give it away?"

Zhang Wenliang was displeased upon hearing this. "What are you saying? Since it's my prize, of course I can make the decision."

Seeing Chen Fan's questioning gaze, he muttered to himself, "At worst, when I leave the militia, I'll just pay a few dollars for the gun."

Chen Fan didn't care whether he could really make the decision or not. Since he had already said it, he didn't mince words and immediately rolled up his sleeves and said with a smile, "Okay, then I'll take the bet with you."

At this moment, Xiao Liewen walked over, looked at the two of them, and asked, "A bet? What kind of bet?"

Zhang Wenliang immediately chuckled and said, "I'll bet my fancy-looking pistol on his leather backpack."

He wouldn't dare gamble on a sparring match, but in a one-on-one fight, he refused to believe that his ten years of experience couldn't compare to his opponent's few days of combat!

Xiao Liewen glanced at Zhang Wenliang subtly and chuckled softly, "I mean, what are you two competing in?"

Zhang Wenliang snapped out of his daze and quickly added, "It's about individual combat."

He pointed to the small hill, "Right here in this forest, let's see who wins and who loses."

Xiao Liewen glanced at the forest and nodded. "That works too."

He then put his hands behind his back, puffed on his pipe, and said, "Go ahead, I'll be your referee."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan hesitated for a moment, holding up his rifle and saying, "So, you're going to use real bullets?"

Xiao Liewen frowned slightly. "But the militia company doesn't have blank rounds either."

Chen Fan looked at Zhang Wenliang, thought for a moment, and said, "How about we don't use guns?"

Zhang Wenliang also felt that using a real gun was unsafe, so he nodded and said, "Okay, then we won't use a gun."

The two men simultaneously handed over their guns, then exchanged a smile before disappearing into the woods.

(End of this chapter)