Forty-six, Hot Blood

  Last semester, the school's Red Cross Society allowed willing first-year students to register in various departments and then uniformly handle the registration procedures. I don't know about other departments, but almost all freshmen in the medical department signed up.

  Since she was a child, whenever Fang Hua saw the medical staff wearing the Red Cross emblem in war movies being respected and protected by both warring parties, she had a strong desire to join the Red Cross. This time, of course, she also signed up.

  Recently, all the classmates who signed up have obtained approval to join the club, and each person received a membership certificate and a small red cross badge. From the moment she got this badge, Fanghua made up her mind to work hard to promote the spirit of the Red Cross Society, "humanity, fraternity, dedication".

  The school called on students to donate blood voluntarily. Every year, it organizes a blood donation event in May or June, and the school gives each student 50 yuan for nutrition expenses and two kilograms of white sugar.

  It looks better than the treatment of voluntary blood donation in a decade or so, because at that time there was no mention of free. Many poor people, especially rural populations who rely on selling blood to make a living or to alleviate urgent needs, are numerous. Most enterprises and institutions organize employees to donate blood voluntarily, mainly to complete the political tasks assigned by their superiors or units, so they usually give a subsidy of 200-300 yuan to those who go to donate blood.

  Until October 1, 1998, when the Blood Donation Law of the People's Republic of China was promulgated and implemented, voluntary blood donation gradually became mainstream. However, even so, some units still have situations where rewards are increased to complete indicators, and rural underground blood selling is still unstoppable. The progress of civilization and the updating of ideas still require the cooperation of legal construction and synchronized economic development to be realized.

  This time, the blood donation didn't have as many sign-ups as the Red Cross Society, but more than half of the students in our class signed up. Fanghua found that all the class cadres had signed up, all the boys had signed up, and all the girls from rural areas had signed up, while several girls from urban areas hadn't signed up. After all, it's voluntary, so it's understandable if someone doesn't want to do it.

  But only Guo Ling and Fang Hua signed up but were rejected. Because both of them are under the age of 10, they cannot donate blood according to regulations.

  Guo Ling saw that the gift-giving didn't work out, but Fang Hua still wouldn't give up. So, on the day when her classmates went to the school hospital for a physical examination, she secretly mixed in with the crowd and followed them.

  Class monitor Zhang Yong and branch secretary Bai Yun stopped her: "Didn't we tell you not to donate blood? How did you end up here?"

  "Hush, keep your voice down! I'll go check if I can sneak in to donate blood. Don't expose me!"

  Bai Yun touched her forehead: "You're fine! I told you that you're not old enough, come back next year!"

  Fang Hua muttered: "Next year I'll still be underage. Can't wait, this year!"

  "How can it still be insufficient next year?"

  "Hey, I don't know why they're so rigid. Guo Ling's birthday is on July 3rd, it's just a month away, but they still won't let me donate blood. If I wait until next year, it'll still be a few days short, who knows if they'll even allow it then! Besides, every time they only notify new students to donate, by next year it'll be the old students' turn again. So, I'd better hurry up and do it this year, or else I won't have another chance."

  Bai Yun said: "No way, you're too young. What if something happens when donating blood and it affects your body? It's not worth the risk!"

  Fang Hua said carelessly: "Nothing will happen, besides today is just a physical examination, not the actual blood donation. As long as my physical examination is fine, I can donate!"

  Bai Yun and Zhang Yong couldn't stop her, so they had to follow her. Fang Hua mixed into the queue for inspection, and when filling out the form, she also changed her age to ten years old. Because there were no instructors or teachers with them, Fang Hua successfully slipped through the checkpoint.

  On Sunday, the blood donation went even more smoothly. The blood collection room called out names one by one according to the list of qualified physical examination reports from the school hospital. Fang Hua lay on the bed as she had wished, stretching out her left hand and waiting for the blood draw.

  Seeing the bright red blood flowing out of her body, along the plastic tube into the blood bag, she felt as if a thread of life was leaving her. Fang Hua smiled lightly: I hope that this insignificant life force of mine can make some contribution to saving someone's life in crisis.

  It's not clear if they thought the students' blood quality was better, but the nurses at the blood bank were really not polite. They took more than 200 milliliters of blood from each student, and Fang Hua estimated that it was over 300 milliliters. But anyway, it was all voluntary, so giving a bit more didn't matter.

  However, in the first few days after donating blood, girls generally have a slight dizziness reaction, while boys basically have no reaction. Fanghua also felt a bit uncomfortable, but she kept encouraging herself to eat more nutritious foods like milk and meat over the next few days, and supplemented her body well. Soon, the feeling of discomfort disappeared.

  Time flies like water, and it's already the end of the semester. Fang Hua and Liang Jiahui have basically stopped going to emergency shifts and started reviewing their lessons seriously.

  One afternoon after class, Fang Hua was walking back to the girls' dormitory with her classmates. From a distance, she saw a PLA lieutenant standing at the entrance of the girls' dormitory, tall and familiar from behind.

  The girl in front has already surrounded and cheered: "Jiang Pailang is great!"

  The officer turned around and greeted everyone. It was indeed Jiang Tao, the strict and majestic platoon leader of the military training team.

  The girls asked in unison, "How have you been lately? What brings you here?" Jiang Tao smiled and answered everyone's questions. It was rare to see him so friendly and approachable during military training.

  Fanghua didn't go over, just waiting in the distance. Because Jiang Tao had mentioned in his last letter to Fanghua that he would be coming to the military district on business recently and would take the opportunity to visit her at school, only he hadn't expected it to be today.

  Finally, Jiang Tao bid farewell to the enthusiastic female students and walked over to Fang Hua. He looked her up and down before saying: "Little Lin, you're doing quite well! It's been a long time since we last met, and you've grown a lot taller!"

  Fang Hua gave a salute and smiled: "Reporting to the platoon leader! After military training, soldier Lin Fang Hua grew two centimeters taller!"

  Jiang Tao slapped down Fang Hua's raised right arm: "Alright, it's not a military training team, what are you saluting for!"

  Fanghua looked around and saw some older students looking over here, so she said: "Baozhen, why don't we go to our dormitory and sit for a while?"

  "Never mind, I just came to see you on my way. I still have to rush back to the troops later. You accompany me to take a walk around your campus, I've long heard that the medical university campus is very beautiful!"

  Then the two of them started walking and talking on the shaded path in the campus.

  Jiang Tao's visit to the military region this time was because his two papers on the Iraq Gulf War were published in the military journal within the military region. Due to their novel views, they were appreciated by several combat staff officers of the military region, who specially invited him for a face-to-face exchange. They praised Jiang Tao's keen sense of smell, as one of his papers was written before the US military operation began, and some of his estimates of the US military action coincided with reality. Originally, they were also surprised that a small platoon leader could be so familiar with foreign military trends, but after reading his personal materials, they were no longer surprised.

  "Actually, many of my ideas were born after reading your letter; as for the understanding of beautiful equipment, some of it was also inspired by you. So, I have to thank you, Little Lin, for being able to publish my paper!"

  Fang Hua shook her head and said: "How would I know so much, it's just bits and pieces that I occasionally hear from my parents' conversations. Your thesis is still something you worked hard to write after researching the materials yourself."

  Jiang Tao said: "I have one to say, your ideas are always very unique, indeed gave me a lot of inspiration. In theory, I should invite you to dinner. However, today is no time. Next time there will be opportunities to make up for it!"

  Fang Hua smiled and said: "Alright, Jiang Pai Chang, you said it yourself!"

  Jiang Tao thought of something again and asked: "Are your parents' work units in Mianyang, called ××× Research Institute?"

  "Yes, that's the external name, but for now only a small part has been moved to Mianyang, and there are still many more to be moved in the next few years. Pai Chang, how did you think of asking this?"

  Nothing much. I have a younger brother who is a graduate student at the National University of Defense Technology, and he told me that next year he will be going to your research institute for an internship, so I just asked casually.

  "What is he studying?"

  "He was originally doing radar work and said he was cooperating on something called laser radar."

  "Oh, it's really possible for me to collaborate with my parents' company."

  "Who knows, maybe one day you'll meet him! My younger brother is the scholar of our Jiang family, not like me who's a martial artist. When we were young, he used his brain and I used my fists to subdue a group of kids in the big courtyard. As we grew older, he excelled in his studies, entering the Youth Science and Technology University at 14 and getting into the National Defense Science and Technology University last year." Jiang Tao couldn't help but talk more about his brother, with an air of pride.

  "Alright, then let's get to know each other. But the research institute is so big, I don't even know if we'll run into each other." Fang Hua smiled.

  The river flows swiftly in and out.

  Fanghua, who was living a regular student life, continued to be accompanied by exams and books.