Chapter 322: Expired Goods

"Ah, Student Zhong, you've come. Sit, sit."

After ushering the uneasy Mao Zhong to a seat, Bai Jiabao said to him gently, "Don't be nervous. It's good news."

Sitting on his chair, Mao Zhong swallowed nervously and hurriedly half-rose from his seat. "I am entirely at the Principal's command."

"Heh heh." Bai Jiabao exchanged a glance with the person beside him, then, instead of getting down to business, started making casual small talk with Mao Zhong.

Things like how many were in his family, whether he was adapting to life here, how his son's grades were, whether the pressure of the housing loan was great... in short, just the kind of homely chit-chat that bridges the distance between people.

Though these were ordinary questions, Mao Zhong dared not be careless and answered each one honestly and in full detail.

"Mm, it seems Student Zhong is managing passably well." After chatting a few lines, Bai Jiabao flipped through the file and grade reports on his desk, then looked up again. "But as a person, one must still take a somewhat longer view. Things aren't like before now; the pressures of life are growing greater. In a few years, once rubber comes, there will also be car loans, and second children, and the like."

"Yes, yes, Your Excellency speaks truly." Mao Zhong could not understand what rubber or car loans were, but he did grasp the encouraging intent behind the Principal's words.

Seeing Bai Jiabao flipping through the file on the desk, Mao Zhong knew that the real business was probably about to begin: this kind of "dossier" recording a student's circumstances had existed in ancient times too; he had seen them back in his village school days.

At this point, Bai Jiabao cleared his throat and began the real business: "Student Zhong's chemistry grades are quite excellent!"

"I dare not, I dare not. I have merely learned a smattering of superficial knowledge." This remark from Mao Zhong was not the polite talk of a worldly-wise old hand, but his genuine feeling.

Due to considerations of "leaking secrets" and such factors, the only school currently offering chemistry classes, Chikan Middle School, practiced a "tiered education." The contents of the chemistry booklets issued to students were all selected and very superficial.

Yet even this bit of superficial knowledge had caused a tremendous upheaval in Mao Zhong's worldview. The moment he understood what this booklet was about, Mao Zhong, reacting instantly, was greatly shocked — was this not the legendary art of "Pointing Stone into Gold"?

In truth, no different from the majority of Ming People, Mao Zhong likewise harbored a heart set on "Pointing Stone into Gold." One must know that in ancient times, examples of people addicted to this art, even to the point of being swindled out of their family fortunes by alchemists, were too numerous to count.

Equally formidable was "Alchemy." This ultimate grand technique, having once fooled not a few Emperors into taking drugs and ascending to heaven, thus enjoyed an even more resounding fame: there was no helping it — its spokespersons were simply too powerful.

Therefore, "Alchemy Studies" had always been one of the two great pillar industries of the profession, equally renowned alongside "Alchemy." Once the alchemists had mastered this skill, wealth truly came rolling in.

And then Mao Zhong was dumbfounded. Although many things had impacted his concepts and broadened his mind since coming here, he still found it very hard to accept this act of openly teaching "Alchemy Studies" in the classroom.

So he began to study chemistry knowledge diligently, asking questions whenever he didn't understand, grinding away assiduously, deathly afraid that one day the lords would come to their senses and cancel this course. Consequently, his chemistry grades ranked among the top in his class, and he also came to feel, through this, the vast and profound depths of "Alchemy Studies"... The more he learned, the more he understood his own shallowness.

"Mm, although the content isn't particularly difficult, you have still learned it relatively quickly. No need for modesty." At this point, Bai Jiabao's expression turned serious as he said to Mao Zhong, "There is now a job. Considering your circumstances, the school intends to recommend you for a work-study arrangement."

Without waiting for Mao Zhong to speak, Bai Jiabao continued to explain, "Look, you are now older, you have a child at home to support, and you still have a housing loan to repay, so it's better to come out and work earlier."

"Additionally, the unit we are recommending you to this time is a classified one... you understand what that means. The monthly salary starts at 10 taels... Mm, that is ten Dragon Dollars, to say nothing of the other benefits."

"Lastly." Bai Jiabao smiled and reached out to pat Mao Zhong on the shoulder. "The one who will be your master is a person of exalted status, and also a grandmaster of chemistry. You will be able to seek his instruction."

Mao Zhong walked out of the Office Building in a daze.

Although the Principal had generously given him one day to go home and "discuss it," Mao Zhong's heart was as clear as a mirror: this damned job — whether he was willing to do it or not, he had to do it.

Even though it had only been a few months, the socially experienced Mao Zhong had long since thoroughly grasped the hierarchy of the people here: the so-called "Exalted Ones" was a substitute term for the Transmigrators, roughly referring to those old brothers from when the Cao Clan first rose to prominence — the most untouchable of the great figures.

And the two he had seen in the office today were, without a doubt, "Exalted Ones" — that indescribable bearing and manner were recognizable at a single glance, to say nothing of the strange clothing they wore.

Since matters had already developed to this point, once Mao Zhong had figured out the situation, there was nothing left to hesitate about... That very night, upon returning home, he laid the whole matter out completely before his woman.

Upon hearing this, the woman was overjoyed beyond measure: in these same few months, the new society, like a paradise isolated from the world, had long since brainwashed this weaver's daughter with its safety, fairness, dignity, hygiene, dazzling array of commodities, and vibrant social dynamism.

So as soon as she heard that the "base salary" was the newly popular "10 dollars," the woman, who worked at the Street Office, immediately thought of the housing loan and those exquisite, alluring commodities in the shopping mall — whereupon the woman went mad on the spot, wishing she could grab Mao Zhong by the ear right then and drag him to the new unit to report for duty.

The next day, Mao Zhong obediently went to report to the new unit.

As expected, the person he had seen yesterday sitting in the office without saying a word was an "Exalted One."

When Mao Zhong arrived once more at the Principal's office, he discovered that two other classmates had also accepted this job invitation along with him. Of course, these two brothers were also "old classmates" just like him.

Today's address was not delivered by Principal Bai, but by that portly Exalted One.

Speaking in the standard Mandarin exclusive to the "Exalted Ones," this person first briefly introduced himself: his surname was Mi, called Mi Shuo, responsible for farming.

Next, Mi Shuo first read out a document, the contents of which concerned the authorization to specially recruit three students to serve as researchers at the Improved Seed Base... The signature was that of a certain Xia.

After reading the document, Mi Shuo briefly introduced the content of their future work: due to the current lack of fertilizers and pesticides, the Agriculture Department had decided to do the opposite and, after the turn of the year, intensify the Slash-and-burn efforts, using the quantity of new fields to compensate for quality.

Under these circumstances, the laboratory responsible for providing improved seeds needed several "Apprentices" to assist.

... Upon learning that they would be dealing with grain seeds from now on, the three men were considerably relieved. After all, food is the paramount necessity of the people; dealing with grain and cereals was an honorable trade in the eyes of Ming People, nothing to be ashamed of.

Only Mao Zhong muttered a little in his heart: What connection did this business of manipulating grain seeds have with chemistry? Or was it that the grandmaster he had yet to meet merely refined a bit of gold in his spare time?

In the end, bearing a trace of doubt, Mao Zhong, together with his two schoolmates, went downstairs to bid farewell to the several teachers, then boarded an electric three-wheeler and was transported all the way to the Improved Seed Base.

After delivering the three Apprentices to the grain base and completing the handover, Mi Shuo let out a long breath: relying on the unparalleled importance of the agricultural sector, he and Liang Le had finally prevailed upon Xia Xianze, thereby obtaining these three specially recruited Apprentices.

After all these efforts, theoretically speaking now, the great Slash-and-burn after the turn of the year was without obstacles. And the final thing they needed to do was, at the upcoming Year-End Grand Council, to find a way to raise the output of tractors.

"Never-ending work, never-ending famine to pull through." The moment he thought about having to go tear at each other with those wolves and tigers again, Mi Shuo felt his head swell three sizes larger. "Ah... let's go, back to the office."

The three-wheeler turned its front around and, following the road it had come by, slowly disappeared into the slash-burned black plain.

Noon, Chikan First Hospital, Pediatrics Department.

The director, Dong Qiang, wearing a white lab coat, sat beside the desk and said amiably to the couple before him holding their son, "It's a high fever, but don't you worry. There's a specific medicine recently; take some and he'll be fine."

Having said this, Dong Qiang picked up his pen and wrote the name of the medicine along with his signature on the prescription slip: "Zheng, take this to get the medicine dispensed."

From the row of young medical students standing behind him, a short male student immediately stepped forward to take the prescription slip, then led the profusely grateful couple out the door.

The consultation room was next door. After entering, Zheng handed the prescription slip to the head nurse wearing a white Short Jacket.

The middle-aged female head nurse, after carefully reading the signature on the slip, raised her head and exchanged a glance with Zheng. Only after receiving a confirming look did she turn around, take out a key, and open the door of a medicine cabinet.

What she took out from the medicine cabinet was a melamine jar common in later generations, containing half a jar — roughly several hundred white tablets.

After the head nurse carefully counted out some tablets with a spoon, she first fed one tablet on the spot to the feverish child with warm water, then, after repeatedly instructing the parents to bring the child back for medicine on time, sent the family of three on their way.

After recording the remaining number of tablets on the receipt, Dr. Zheng returned to Dong Qiang and handed the receipt over.

"Oh, it seems we don't have much Amoxicillin left either. It'll probably be used up in about one week." After saying this, Dong Qiang stood up and stretched. "Let's go make rounds in Obstetrics and Gynecology, then have lunch after."

Surrounded by a cluster of intern doctors, Dong Qiang strode out the door.

Today was an utterly ordinary day at Chikan Hospital. What differed from days past was that in recent days, many of the friends coming to the hospital for Medical Treatment had received Antibiotics treatment.

The reason was simple: nearly two years had passed since the Crossing Over, and some medicines were about to expire...

So it wasn't just Antibiotics; including those for lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, even for abortion, and anti-tumor drugs — all of these would successively reach their expiration dates in the coming period.

One must know that when Cao Chuan had brought medicines over to this side back then, he had thrown caution to the wind, found a pharmaceutical sales Company, and wholesale-purchased a complete range of all kinds of medicines in one batch and brought them to the Ming Dynasty.

As a result, a great many of these medicines had not been used up. For instance, Antibiotics, and for another instance, blood pressure medication... The immigrants were all paupers who had to labor every day. If someone truly managed to eat their way to high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol in the Great Ming Dynasty, would such a person even need to travel a thousand miles to a desolate land to struggle for their life?