Chapter 11: Notification from the Team

Following a piercing burst of static, Brigade Secretary Gao Jianjun’s uniquely booming voice erupted over the Xiangyang Production Brigade like a thunderclap on a clear day.

"Hello, hello! Attention, members of the Xiangyang Brigade! Attention, members of the Xiangyang Brigade!"

"I am now announcing an important matter!"

Gao Jianjun cleared his throat, his voice projecting through the loudspeaker across the entire village.

"Following a meeting of the brigade branch and with the approval of the commune, in light of the fact that our new educated youth, Comrade Zhou Yichen, possesses superb medical skills and a heart for the masses, he has volunteered to shoulder the responsibility during this difficult time when our brigade lacks medical personnel!"

"It has been decided that, effective immediately, Comrade Zhou Yichen is officially appointed as the health worker for our Xiangyang Brigade!"

"Comrade Zhou Yichen’s new residence will be at the east end of the village, in the vacant courtyard that used to belong to the Wang family."

"From now on, if any of you comrades have a headache, a fever, or any minor ailments, you can go directly to him for treatment!"

"Repeating! The appointment of educated youth Comrade Zhou Yichen as the Xiangyang Brigade health worker..."

Gao Jianjun's voice echoed over the village, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yichen paused slightly, a flicker of imperceptible surprise crossing his face. He had not expected Gao Jianjun to act so quickly; not only had the appointment been finalized, but the news was being broadcast for all to hear, as if the Secretary were terrified that someone in the entire brigade might miss it. It seemed this Brigade Secretary valued him as a technical talent even more than he had anticipated.

"Wow! Yichen, did you hear that?!"

Jiang Xiaoman was even more excited than Zhou Yichen himself. She grabbed his arm, her small face flushed with excitement.

"Health Worker Zhou! My goodness! Now your status is set in stone! Everyone in the brigade knows you're the health worker now!"

She smiled, her eyes curving like a little fox that had successfully raided a henhouse, genuinely happy and proud for him.

The smile on Zhao Weiguo's face stiffened for a fleeting moment when the broadcast began. He pushed up the black-rimmed glasses on his nose, the expression behind the lenses becoming unusually complex. Envy, jealousy, frustration, relief—a whirlwind of emotions churned within him like a spilled spice rack. He was relieved that he had decisively offered to help with the cleaning earlier, finally making a good impression on Zhou Yichen and taking a step toward building a rapport. But this appointment as a health worker, along with that private little courtyard... it was truly enough to make anyone green with envy!

Standing quietly to the side, Lin Xiaoyue kept her gaze on Zhou Yichen. Beyond the unconcealed envy, there was a touch of indescribable admiration and a hint of something else—something strange and undefined.

Just then, from the alleyway not far off, came the heavy, creaking sound of a single-wheeled cart rolling over the dirt path. Everyone turned in unison to look.

They saw the leader of the Fifth Team, Wang Zhenshan, pushing himself to the limit as he maneuvered a heavily loaded cart toward them. The cart was stacked high with neatly arranged, bone-dry firewood; by the look of it, it weighed at least a hundred or two pounds. Wang Zhenshan’s dark, weathered face was covered in glistening sweat, and his coarse cloth jacket was mostly soaked through, yet he was full of energy, as if he possessed inexhaustible strength. Following closely behind him were two boys of about thirteen or fourteen, Er-gou and Tie-dan from the team.

"Doctor Zhou!"

Seeing Zhou Yichen from a distance, Wang Zhenshan grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth, and shouted with great enthusiasm. The title "Doctor Zhou" sounded both natural and loud.

Zhou Yichen was slightly taken aback, then collected himself.

Wang Zhenshan reached them and set the handles of the cart on the ground. Wiping the sweat from his forehead with a rough sleeve, he chuckled, "Doctor Zhou, this is the firewood I promised you. I've brought the first load!"

"Firewood is scarce in the team, and many families are short on fuel for cooking!"

"But your situation is special. Secretary Gao just gave special approval to prioritize your needs! We can't have our health worker without wood to cook or heat his bed!"

Wang Zhenshan gestured toward the courtyard and patted Zhou Yichen on the arm, his tone filled with a subtle sense of pride and satisfaction, as if he had played a part in Zhou Yichen’s success.

"You heard Secretary Gao’s broadcast, didn't you? This is great—your title as health worker is now set in stone!"

"Work hard, Doctor Zhou!" Wang Zhenshan said earnestly. "From now on, the health of all thousand-plus members of our Fifth Team—no, our entire Xiangyang Brigade—depends on you!"

"You’re the treasure of our brigade; you mustn't let anything go wrong!"

With that, he shouted, "Er-gou, Tie-dan, move quickly! Get that firewood unloaded into Doctor Zhou’s courtyard!"

The two boys complied at once, nimbly unloading the entire load of firewood into a corner of the yard, quickly forming a substantial pile.

"There, Doctor Zhou, the firewood is delivered!"

Wang Zhenshan brushed the wood dust from his hands and glanced at the sky. "I need to get back to the team. There’s still a mountain of work waiting in the fields!"

He was a man of action. Once the task was done, he waved to Zhou Yichen and Jiang Xiaoman, called for Er-gou and Tie-dan, and headed back the way they came, pushing the empty cart with vigor.

Zhou Yichen watched the sturdy back of Wang Zhenshan and the two boys fade into the distance, then looked down at the pile of wood in the corner of the yard. A warm, indescribable feeling welled up in his heart. People in this era lived hard lives with scarce resources, yet the simple, earnest warmth they carried in their bones was something many in the future could only dream of.

Jiang Xiaoman nudged Zhou Yichen with her elbow, a teasing smile on her face.

"Doctor Zhou! Listen to that! Even Team Leader Wang is calling you that now. Congratulations!"

"Indeed, Yichen," Zhao Weiguo chimed in immediately, pushing up his glasses with an eager smile. "This is fantastic! The broadcast has announced it, and Team Leader Wang came to deliver the wood himself—this is the brigade's affirmation of you! Congratulations on becoming the health worker!"

Lin Xiaoyue also looked up, a shy blush on her delicate face. Her voice was soft but clear, "Zhou... Comrade Zhou Yichen, congratulations."

Zhou Yichen observed the different reactions of the three and understood everything. He smiled faintly and said in a calm tone, "Thank you, everyone. It’s just luck. Let’s look out for each other in the future."

"Come on, let’s go back and eat. I’m starving!" Jiang Xiaoman brushed the topic aside in her carefree manner, grabbing Lin Xiaoyue and heading toward the educated youth quarters. Zhou Yichen and Zhao Weiguo followed.

Back at the quarters, the others had not yet returned, leaving the place quiet and desolate. Lunch was a simple affair of corn porridge and pickled vegetables.

After the meal, Zhou Yichen said to Jiang Xiaoman, "Xiaoman, would you like to accompany me to the commune supply and marketing cooperative this afternoon? I need to get the essentials for daily living."

"No problem!" Jiang Xiaoman agreed instantly, patting her chest. "It’s not a short walk, and you won’t be able to carry everything alone if you buy a lot. I’ll act as your porter!"

After cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks, Zhou Yichen said goodbye to Zhao Weiguo and Lin Xiaoyue and set off on the dirt road leading to the Qingshan Commune.

The two walked with light steps, side by side, chatting and laughing, making the journey feel anything but tedious. The distance from the Xiangyang Brigade to the Qingshan Commune was about seven or eight *li*. A round trip meant over ten *li*. For Zhou Yichen, this distance was nothing.

Since transmigrating, Zhou Yichen’s greatest reliance had been his "Diligence is the Path to Excellence" talent—as long as he put in the effort, he would progress. Take the Eight Brocades, for example; since he started, he had reached level three, nearing level four.

At level one, he could only complete the sequence of the eight movements independently, with the actions roughly correct and no major errors; practicing it left him only slightly warm, just enough to dispel stiffness—this was the level he had practiced intermittently in his previous life. By level two, his movements had become fluid, and he could consciously coordinate his breathing, clearly feeling the stretching and relaxation of his muscles and tendons, with faster recovery from fatigue.

The current level three was another small leap. His movements were now circular and continuous, and he could initially coordinate them with abdominal breathing. During practice, he could often feel a faint warmth in the relevant areas, occasionally accompanied by a slight tingling sensation. He suspected this was the sensation of *qi*, though he couldn't be sure; after all, *qi* was mysterious and elusive, and ordinary people couldn't grasp it. He simply felt a warm current flowing through his body as he moved.

The benefits, however, were tangible. Most notably, his flexibility, sense of balance, and daily stamina had all seen visible improvements. Perhaps when he reached a higher level, he would know for sure if it was truly *qi*.

With his current physical fitness, this dozen *li* of road was truly insignificant. Jiang Xiaoman’s physical stamina was naturally not a match for Zhou Yichen’s, but perhaps there was a passive bonus for girls when it came to shopping—seeing her spirited demeanor, one couldn't detect a hint of fatigue.

The two chatted and laughed all the way, reaching their destination in less than an hour. Because Jiang Xiaoman had been to the commune to buy things while Zhou Yichen was at the neighboring brigade that morning, she was familiar with the area. Under her expert guidance, they soon arrived at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative.