She Only Cares About Cultivation-Chapter 841 - 786: Famine Era 27 (First Update)
It doesn’t seem like there’s any problem on the surface, but who can guarantee that his past won’t be brought up in the future?
Especially his experience in hiding, that might become a big problem later on.
Just as Ye Huan was hesitating about whether to accept his proposal, Liang Tian’s voice suddenly sounded in her ear: "Accept it."
Ye Huan: "??? Why?"
"This is a hidden mission line in the system, originally if he hadn’t approached, we would have arranged for you to approach him. Since he’s here, you should agree. As for work, you’re not returning to the field hospital now, but after having children, you’ll still have to go back,"
To avoid mentioning anything she didn’t want to do, "Then let’s discuss it after having children."
Liang Tian chuckled and finally fell silent.
Only then did Ye Huan lift her gaze towards Tong Zhan: "I can agree to marry you, but what sincerity do you have?"
Tong Zhan earnestly replied: "My family has two rooms in Beijing, located in a courtyard in the alley. When I went out to make a living, I entrusted the house to my neighbor next door to watch over. It’s been twenty years now, and I’m not sure if I can reclaim it. But when I left back then, I took all usable things from the house and hid them in a place. If they can still be found, it would count as ancestral property. Besides those two rooms, I’ve saved some jewelry, and as for my allowances, both past and present, I’ve donated them to D."
During the time in hiding, there was a small box of gold bars, but he couldn’t keep any of that wealth. Even the benefits from coming back from the Anti-Korean War battlefield were all donated without keeping a penny. Stability truly might come only after getting married.
Ye Huan understood his words well, that he had no money, and the status of the two rooms was uncertain after twenty years. The only things he could offer were some pieces of jewelry. She nodded, thinking he was honest enough. As for money, she didn’t really care. In this era, food was more precious.
"What kind of house does the army provide you?"
"Adobe house with a yard. Our unit has decent benefits. However, since New China just got established, everyone is coming back from the battlefield, it will take quite some time for repairs, and then they might start building some brick houses."
For a special ops unit, the benefits are indeed much better than other units. Although it’s an adobe house, it at least has a yard where one can plant some vegetables or something.
After asking everything that needed to be asked, Ye Huan stood up: "I’ll report to the dean, let’s proceed concurrently,"
"Then... can you marry me in December?"
Ye Huan thought for a moment, "As long as you can manage everything properly, I have no problem. But let me say in advance, I have no dowry and I don’t mind what you can prepare for me. However, this year you need to accompany me back to my hometown in Henan for the Chinese New Year, it’s time for my mom and the others to meet you too."
"Of course, of course, don’t worry, I’ll do my best to arrange it. Well then, I should head back. The things I brought for you are in the dean’s office, and you don’t need to handle your application. The dean has already given it to me, and I’ll take it back to the unit to process."
Ye Huan: "..." So, my trip here was in vain? Isn’t the dean taking me too lightly?
How could they approve the marriage application just by listening to this guy’s one-sided story?
She had no idea that the dean of the military hospital had also once been undercover in a hospital in Chongqing. They were comrades-in-arms and knew each other’s capabilities and character well. When he heard that Ye Huan’s partner was her, he practically didn’t consider whether she would agree, because who wouldn’t marry such an outstanding man like Tong Zhan?
So... haha, there’s nothing more to say.
Watching Tong Zhan leave, Ye Huan took the luggage Ji Huzi brought for her back to the dormitory. Inside were crimson dried sweet potato slices, sun-dried dandelions, and white wormwood prepared by her brother, worried she wouldn’t have time to drink water, so he specially prepared some herbal tea to reduce heat!
Homemade peanuts, her mom picked them one by one into peanut kernels, and homemade sesame paste; the Chili Sauce was perfect with rice...
There was a wide variety full of mother’s love, and when she opened another small package, there was a lady’s wool scarf which was quite a good gift considering the standards of that time, likely from Ji Huzi. However, alas, their paths were not meant to cross, and she couldn’t accept the scarf. Fortunately, she knew his unit number and could send it back.
Turning around, she noticed another luggage bag on the upper bunk? It was a camouflage green bag with Shanghai labels, very nostalgic with a retro style. Seeing it reminded her that her grandma’s house used to have similar bags.
Opening it, it contained canned goods, Milk Essence, egg cakes, sunflower seeds, peanuts, candy, milk powder, and other nutritious items and snacks. This package must have cost a fair amount; Tong Zhan certainly went all out for her.
Perhaps he gave a lot of good tobacco and wine to the dean too? Otherwise, how could he obtain her application so effortlessly?
She locked most of the things in her cabinet, but she took the sunflower seeds, peanuts, and candies to share with the colleagues in the department.
When she went over, everyone was still discussing her, but when the sunflower seeds, peanuts, and candies were brought over, each of them smiled and gathered around her.
"The dean personally carried the package your partner gave and asked me to bring it to your dorm, who is he? Isn’t he the private we saw at the gate earlier?"
Oh, this dean is really something, so gossipy, even using the term ’partner’?
Ye Huan took a deep breath, calming her emotions a bit: "No, that’s my fellow townsman, my brother and he are comrades-in-arms. He brought me things while visiting home, my partner has already left, and I’ll introduce you to him when there’s a chance."
Since they mentioned a partner, she just let it be, after all, having the label ’already partnered’ could shield her from unnecessary troubles.
"A soldier?"
Ye Huan nodded, "Yes, a soldier, ten years older than me, 33 this year, originally from Beiping, has been on the Korean War battlefield, currently serving in a certain military unit. What else is there to ask?"
In this era, it’s common for older men to marry younger women. Just after the liberation, there were plenty of these age-gap marriages, people got used to it and didn’t see any problem with it.
"Does your partner qualify to bring you with him in the military?" (The qualification to accompany military personnel only started in 1963. Here, Tong Zhan has this honor because of his high rank.)
Their questions were indirectly probing Tong Zhan’s rank, and Ye Huan, being used to low-key behavior, naturally chose to deny it: "No."
"Will your job be transferred in the future?"
These nurses could gossip endlessly, but she also knew that if she didn’t clear it up all at once, it would probably be even more troublesome.
"Not for the time being."
"When are you getting married?" After the Korean War ended, there was a marriage boom, especially for them, the doctors and nurses, who were the top choice for soldiers. Not to mention, this is a military hospital, making them the top choice among top choices. It’s said that quite a few are getting married by the end of this year.
"In December, but it’s not set yet. I’ll let you know once it’s decided."
"Oh, isn’t that soon? Congratulations, Doctor Ye,"
Ye Huan reluctantly pulled a smile. In her view, if reality wasn’t what it is, she really wouldn’t be happy to marry herself off so early. Isn’t being single nice?
But to avoid marrying someone she doesn’t know, isn’t familiar with, or even possibly older than Tong Zhan, she’d better compromise obediently!
That evening, Ye Huan wrote a letter home, naturally reporting about Tong Zhan. When mailing the letter, she also sent a package to Ji Huzi, which included a scarf, apples, and oranges produced by her space. The postage alone cost her over eight thousand yuan.
They were still using the RMB issued at the beginning of the founding of the country, and the second set wouldn’t be issued until March 1955, so the current currency value was still quite substantial.
She didn’t write to him because she didn’t know how to write, and even if she did, he might not understand. Instead of causing hurt, it’s better to let everything remain unsaid.
She mailed chestnuts and apples home, which weren’t afraid of freezing or jostling. The postage cost ten thousand yuan.
So what was the purchasing power of the currency at this time? 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
There’s this news, an Old Lady deposited 50,000 yuan in the bank in 1953, but when she went to withdraw it 15 years later, she could only exchange it for 50 yuan.
Because the 1953 RMB was the first set of RMB, with the largest denomination being 50,000 yuan.
In 1955, the second set of RMB was issued, with an exchange rate of ten thousand to one against the first set.
This means the Old Lady’s deposit of 50,000 yuan was equivalent to 5 yuan in 2015’s RMB.
But the bank interest at that time was very low; the annual rate was only about one or two percent.
According to the bank’s calculations, her deposit plus interest could only be exchanged for a little over 20 yuan.
The bank offered to allow the Old Lady to withdraw 50 yuan, but she disagreed, which is how this matter made the news.
Inflation in the early 1950s was severe. It referred to these first years of the founding of the country when the biggest denomination of the currency issued was 50,000 yuan. By 1953, in Kunming, 50,000 yuan could buy 2 chickens or 20 kilograms of rice. Its purchasing power equaled over 100 yuan today.
At that time, Ye Huan’s salary was 80,000 yuan per month. Haha, if this currency value was placed in later times, she might wake up laughing even in her dreams?
Unfortunately, with this 80,000 yuan, the things she could buy were truly limited. Besides food, daily necessities were not cheap, even more so since she is now just an intern doctor, so she didn’t save up any money from these few months of work.
Given that one person eating fills the whole family’s hunger, if she had to support children, she’d probably starve on this salary.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to buy vegetables and fruits, as the ones produced in her space were enough to eat. Plus, after starting work, she didn’t go out to sell much, being too busy, with no time, day and night shifts alternating, just wanting to sleep when returning to the dormitory, where was there time for idle running around.
Of course, the most important thing is that she ate in the cafeteria, avoiding the hassle of fuel, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea.
