NABC Chapter 122 It's too late... No...
Chapter 122 It's too late... No...
The bell rang, and Lin Weiwei packed her things, said goodbye to Xiao Zhang and Xiao Wang, and left the office.
Gu Lin was still sitting there revising the manuscript.
Lin Weiwei walked out of the camp and took a deep breath.
The evening wind blew across the Gobi Desert, carrying a chill, but her heart was warm.
My first day at work went pretty well.
My colleagues are great, and I enjoy my job.
She walked briskly towards the family compound, and bumped into Su Wanwan, who was also returning from the cultural troupe.
"How is it?" Su Wanwan asked.
"That's great!" Lin Weiwei took her arm. "The section chief really approves of my paintings. My colleagues are alright too. It's just that Gu Lin... she obviously has connections; she was forced into this position."
Su Wanwan nodded: "I guessed it. But don't worry about her, just focus on your own things."
"I know," Lin Weiwei said. "By the way, isn't there a health education conference tonight? It's hosted by Director Zhao, so we need to get there early."
"Okay, I'll go after I eat."
When the two returned home, Bai Rongbei had already prepared dinner.
After a quick bite, Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan took their notebooks and pens and headed to the hospital.
The presentation was held in a large classroom on the first floor of the hospital, and quite a few people attended.
Besides the women from the residential compound, there were also many women from nearby villages, with their families, carrying children, and helping the elderly.
The classroom was full, and there were quite a few people standing at the back.
Director Zhao stood on the front platform, with two female doctors standing beside him.
Next to the podium stood several large wooden boards with simple pictures and words pasted on them.
Lin Weiwei immediately recognized that several of the drawings were in the style of her afternoon sketches, and that Director Zhao must have had them drawn up and pasted up quickly.
At the start of the conference, Director Zhao gave a speech.
She used the most straightforward language to explain the dangers of women not paying attention to hygiene during menstruation.
"...Sisters, it's not easy being a woman. We have to work in the fields, do housework, take care of the elderly and children, and never get a break. But no matter how busy we are, we have to take care of our own health. During our periods, our bodies are weak and we are most susceptible to illness."
Someone in the audience muttered quietly, "Everyone knows that, but who has the time to be so particular..."
Director Zhao heard this and looked in the direction of the voice: "This lady is right, she doesn't have free time. But if she gets sick, she'll have even less time. Her stomach hurts so much she can't get out of bed, who will do the work in the fields? Who will take care of the children? Going to the doctor and getting medicine will cost money, won't that cause even more trouble?"
These words were true, and the audience quieted down a bit.
Director Zhao then explained how to handle it in a simple way.
Pointing to the drawing on the wooden board, she explained step by step how to fold sanitary napkins from old cloth, how to fill them with clean wood ash or dried soft grass, how to wash them, and how to dry them.
After she finished speaking, she asked two female doctors to come up and demonstrate how to use a boiled, clean cloth to bandage the wound and how to keep it clean.
Some people in the audience watched intently, while others were indifferent and whispered among themselves.
Lin Weiwei listened attentively below, her hands flying across the paper as she took notes.
Su Wanwan was also taking notes, and the two occasionally exchanged glances.
After the demonstration, Director Zhao said, "Today, we've also invited two comrades who are thinking about how to reduce the suffering of the women. Let them come up and share their thoughts with everyone."
Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan were taken aback.
Director Zhao waved to them.
The two had no choice but to stand up and walk to the podium.
With so many eyes watching from below the stage, Lin Weiwei's palms were a little sweaty.
Su Wanwan spoke first, her voice gentle and warm: "Hello, aunties, elder sisters, and sisters. I am Su Wanwan from the cultural troupe."
Our troupe leader said that a woman's health is the foundation of a family's well-being. Our cultural troupe is currently rehearsing a short program about how to take care of one's health and how to prevent illness.
Once everything is arranged, we'll perform it in each village so everyone can watch and remember it.
A few people applauded from the audience, but it was sparse.
Lin Weiwei took a breath and continued, "My name is Lin Weiwei, and I'm from the publicity department. Director Zhao asked me to draw some diagrams so that everyone can understand them at a glance."
I just saw some women in the audience bringing their daughters. As the daughters grow up, they need to know these things too.
This isn't something to be ashamed of; it's the important thing. A mother teaches her daughter, and this teaching is passed down from generation to generation, so that everyone suffers less.
As she spoke, she walked to the wooden board and pointed to a painting on it: "Just like this painting says, a clean old cloth, dried in the sun, is better than a wet rag."
Changing your clothes frequently helps prevent illness. We women need to value ourselves before others will value us.
This was a blunt remark, and there was a moment of silence in the audience before someone shouted, "That's right!"
She was a woman in her thirties, holding a child in her arms: "I used to use tattered rags, and as a result, I always had stomach aches and no energy to do anything. Later, I listened to Director Zhao and switched to clean rags, washing and changing them frequently, and it really helped a lot!"
Once someone started talking, others joined in.
"That makes sense..."
"I didn't know any of this before, and my mother never taught me..."
"My daughter's all grown up now, I should talk to her about it..."
The atmosphere gradually warmed up.
Director Zhao asked the two female doctors, Lin Weiwei, and Su Wanwan to go downstairs to interact with everyone and answer some questions.
Lin Weiwei was surrounded by several young wives who asked her how to fold the cloth more conveniently and what kind of grass was best to use.
Over at Su Wanwan's place, several older women asked her when the performing arts troupe's program would be performed.
They were busy until after 9 p.m. before people gradually dispersed.
Director Zhao called Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan into his office, a smile on his face: "You both did a good job today. You spoke well, especially Comrade Lin Weiwei's last few sentences, which hit the nail on the head."
Lin Weiwei smiled shyly: "I'm just telling the truth."
"The truth works best," Director Zhao said. "We still need to work on the propaganda materials. Make the illustrations more detailed and add some catchy rhymes to make them easier to remember. Comrade Su Wanwan, hurry up and rehearse your performance for the cultural troupe. Once it's ready, come to the hospital for a performance so I can take a look."
They both agreed.
It was completely dark when I left the hospital.
The stars on the Gobi Desert were unusually bright, and the wind was chilly.
"Weiwei," Su Wanwan said softly, "I think we did the right thing."
"Yes." Lin Weiwei nodded. "Even if it's slow, even if it's difficult, we have to do it."
The two walked to the entrance of the family compound and saw that the lights were still on in their own yard.
Pushing open the door, Bai Rongbei and Bai Si'an were sitting on small stools in the courtyard, as if they were waiting for them.
"You're back?" Bai Si'an stood up.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Lin Weiwei asked.
"We're waiting for you," Bai Rongbei said. "How did the meeting go?"
"Great!" Lin Weiwei perked up again and chattered about what happened that evening.
Bai Si listened quietly, and only after she finished speaking did he say, "There's some porridge heating up in the pot, have some before you go to sleep."
The four of them went inside and sat around a small table, where they drank a bowl of hot porridge. The simple millet porridge warmed their stomachs and their hearts.
After finishing their porridge and washing up, they went back to their rooms.
Lin Weiwei lay on the bed, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion, but her mind was still racing.
Thinking about the drawing the publicity department needs to make tomorrow, thinking about the rhyme Director Zhao gave us, thinking about the program Su Wanwan mentioned...
Bai Si'an lay down beside her, stretched out his arm, and pulled her into his embrace.
"It's a pity I didn't get to see it for myself," he said. "I heard from them that you spoke very well on stage, and everyone liked you."
Lin Weiwei smiled smugly, "Of course, don't you know who I am?"
"Yes, you're my wife, how could I not be amazing?" Bai Si'an laughed.
"You're shameless. Who would pat themselves on the back like that?"
Before Lin Weiwei could finish speaking, Bai Si'an kissed her.
"Um... Bai Si'an, stop messing around, I have to go to work tomorrow!"
"Just one kiss, no fuss."