《After Rebirth, the Miracle Doctor Wife Is No Longer Humble!》


 Chapter 1

    gunshots


    in the boundless darkness, ye ling¡¯s consciousness slowly became clear, but she felt a heavy weight on her body. she could even hear the heavy and lecherous gasps of a man.


    wasn¡¯t she dead? could one still have consciousness after death?


    ye ling struggled to open her heavy eyes. the moment she opened them, she saw a familiar face.


    the man in front of her was in his thirties, and his skin was covered in a layer of oil. his small, wretched eyes were staring at ye ling¡¯s voluptuous breasts, and he swallowed a mouthful of saliva at the same time.


    ye ling was greatly shocked. how could it be him? she had already died. couldn¡¯t she escape from this d*mn man?


    ¡°lingling, you have a great figure. you are even more beautiful than widow li, who sells tofu in the town. don¡¯t worry, the first time might hurt a bit, but i¡¯ll be gentle¡­¡± the man chuckled disgustingly, reaching out to touch ye ling¡¯s chest.


    the nightmarish memories of her previous life flashed through ye ling¡¯s mind. at that time, she was defiled by this sc*mbag!


    ye ling, who had died once, widened her eyes in anger. despite not knowing where she found the courage, she clenched her fist tightly and fiercely smashed it into the man¡¯s nose.


    ¡°wu de, go to hell!¡±


    taking advantage of the man¡¯s painful wailing, ye ling quickly got up and kicked wu de once more. then, she turned around, intending to leave.


    wu de saw that ye ling wanted to run, so he endured the pain and caught up to her. he grasped ye ling¡¯s wrist tightly, as his strength surpassed hers. ye ling fell to the ground in a miserable state. wu de wiped away the blood from his nose and pressed himself onto ye ling again, saying, ¡°ye ling, be obedient and obey me!¡±


    wu de looked down at ye ling, a sneer on his greasy and repulsive face. ye ling¡¯s resistance only further aroused his desire to conquer her. his eyes flickered with anger and excitement, as he used one hand to restrain ye ling and the other to loosen his belt.


    ye ling gasped weakly, feeling hopeless and powerless. the tragic memories of her previous life resurfaced in her mind.


    it was in this very place that she was violated by wu de. subsequently, wu de exploited public opinion to force her into marriage.


    after the marriage, wu de was lazy all day. not only did he drink and gamble, but he also went out to hook up with women. poor ye ling not only had to wash clothes and cook every day to take care of her family, but she also had to endure wu de¡¯s domestic violence every few days.


    just thinking about those days made ye ling feel suffocated.


    no, even if she had died, she would never allow herself to be trapped in such a miserable fate again!


    ye ling hardened her heart. seeing that wu de¡¯s greasy and ugly face was so close to her, she opened her mouth fiercely and bit down on wu de¡¯s shoulder. her strength was so great that she almost bit off a piece of wu de¡¯s flesh!


    at the same time, a deafening gunshot sounded a few meters away. the bullet landed less than two meters away from the two of them, and the strong smell of gunpowder filled the air.


    wu de trembled violently. he almost ignored the pain in his shoulder and stood up in a sorry state. as he pulled up his pants, he shouted, ¡°who is it? who¡¯s shooting?¡±


    no one replied. wu de regained his composure, finally feeling the intense pain. he was truly infuriated, glaring at ye ling and saying, ¡°b*tch! how dare you bite me?¡±


    wu de grabbed ye ling¡¯s black braids and wanted to drag her up and beat her severely, making this woman realize how powerful he was.


    before wu de could make a move, there was another thunderous gunshot. this time, the bullet landed even closer, grazing past wu de¡¯s body. in that instant, wu de was almost scared out of his wits.


    ye ling rubbed her ears which were hurting from the gunshot and looked toward the depths of the reed marsh.


    was someone helping her?


    the sound of gunshots quickly caught the attention of others. the village captain, wu bai, and wu de¡¯s mother, lin fang, hurried over, followed by several curious villagers.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on? why was there a gunshot? wu de, what are you doing with ye ling?¡± wu bai couldn¡¯t see the person who fired the gun. he assumed it was someone nearby who accidentally fired while hunting. he turned to wu de and then glanced at ye ling, whose hair was messy and clothes were disheveled. a hint of an ambiguous smile appeared in his eyes.


    ye ling¡¯s expression turned even uglier when she saw wu bai.


    she couldn¡¯t forget this person. in her previous life, after wu de raped her, captain wu bai not only failed to bring justice but also advised her to marry wu de and bear him a child.


    ¡°a man, once you bear him a child, he¡¯ll behave! ye ling, you¡¯ve already lost your innocence. if you don¡¯t marry wu de, won¡¯t you become a laughingstock? listen to me, ye ling, it¡¯s your best choice!¡±


    the best choice, what nonsense!


    ye ling looked at wu bai with eyes filled with fiery hatred.


    ¡°ye ling, how shameless can you be? how dare you seduce my son in broad daylight? are you desperate for a man?¡± lin fang stood beside wu de and scornfully shouted as if her son was a golden treasure coveted by ye ling.


    upon hearing lin fang¡¯s words, the villagers who had gathered to watch the commotion started whispering among themselves, casting strange looks at ye ling.


    ye ling glared coldly at her previous life¡¯s mother-in-law. ¡°i seduced him? are you blind? he was trying to violate me! i¡¯m calling the police!¡±


    at this moment, ye ling finally realized that she wasn¡¯t dreaming. the vivid scenery and the lively crowd before her confirmed that she was alive! the heavens had given her another chance!


    this time, she was determined to change her life. she would make sure that everyone who had harmed her would suffer!


    at this moment, calling the police was the best choice. only by blowing this matter up would wu de not dare to continue forcing her.


    after all, in this era, committing acts of hooliganism could lead to imprisonment.

 Chapter 2

    diving


    call the police? wu de looked at ye ling in shock. ¡°ye ling, are you out of your mind? i¡¯m your man. how can i force you?¡±


    behind him, the discussions among the villagers became more intense.


    ¡°did ye ling and wu de already do that? i never expected that.¡±


    ¡°ye ling is a knowledgeable urban youth, and she¡¯s so beautiful. wu de is lucky.¡±


    wu bai also looked at ye ling and assumed the stance of a captain. ¡°since it¡¯s a conflict between a young couple, let¡¯s resolve it privately. ye ling, don¡¯t be too emotional. after all, wu de has never been in a relationship and doesn¡¯t understand women¡¯s thoughts. forgive him! we¡¯re all family, let¡¯s not make things ugly.¡±


    lin fang glanced at ye ling disdainfully, as if she had no regard for ye ling. ¡°since captain wu has said so, i have no objections. find a time to inform your parents and get the marriage arranged as soon as possible. but don¡¯t expect a dowry if you shamelessly seduce my son before marriage! as for the bridal gift, a set of redwood furniture is a must. have your parents arrange for it to be delivered to our house.¡±


    ye ling looked at wu bai and the others with a cold gaze. as expected, the trajectory of fate was the same as in her previous life.


    however, this time she wouldn¡¯t be so weak. reputation was important, but she couldn¡¯t let wu de and the others use it to blackmail her!


    they still wanted her to marry wu de? dream on!


    ye ling¡¯s tone was icy and resolute. ¡°i want to call the police. wu de is behaving like a hooligan, and i want him to go to jail!¡±


    wu bai saw that ye ling didn¡¯t care about her reputation at all and seemed determined to confront wu de. he panicked. ¡°ye ling, stop causing trouble! don¡¯t you care about your reputation? if you don¡¯t marry wu de, no one will want you!¡±


    if ye ling made a big deal out of this, his nephew wu de would surely be taken away for investigation. if he ended up in jail, it would be troublesome! moreover, such an incident in the village he was in charge of would have a significant impact on his political achievements.


    upon hearing wu bai¡¯s words, lin fang added with a malicious tone, ¡°you¡¯re nothing more than a used woman, played with by my son. what audacity do you have?¡±


    ye ling felt relieved seeing wu bai getting anxious. she slowly curled her lips. ¡°captain wu, calling the police is my right. you can choose not to help me, but you can¡¯t stop me, can you? and i am an educated youth from the city. the county government is obligated to protect the personal safety and rights of educated youth during their service in rural areas. if you have anything to say, you can talk to the county government¡¯s officials!¡±


    ye ling raised her head slightly, and the sunlight illuminated her exquisite face, shining with a sharp and radiant beauty.


    wu bai opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t find the words. lin fang¡¯s face turned pale, realizing the possibility of her son ending up in jail.


    with determination, lin fang fiercely rushed toward ye ling and called out to wu de, ¡°son, catch her!¡±


    wu de instantly understood his mother¡¯s meaning.


    ¡°we must not let ye ling call the police!¡±


    ye ling did not expect lin fang to try and grab her. behind her was a small river that ran through the reed marsh of stone village, with dense reeds on both banks. the only pathway was blocked by wu de and the others, leaving her with no way out.


    ye ling clenched her teeth and, before lin fang could grab her, she jumped into the river.


    almost everyone living in stone village knew how to swim, but ye ling was from out of town and had never heard that she knew how to swim. thinking of this, wu bai¡¯s face immediately turned grim. ¡°hurry up and go save her!¡±


    if an educated youth were to die in his village, he would no longer be able to serve as the village captain!


    there was an immediate uproar on the shore as ye ling struggled after falling into the water. however, she couldn¡¯t control her body because she didn¡¯t know how to swim at all!


    the voices of the people became increasingly muffled, and ye ling¡¯s breathing became extremely difficult.


    why was she still so unlucky even after being reborn? did it mean that she would drown if she didn¡¯t marry wu de?


    at this moment, not far away, a girl wearing a light blue silk student dress hastily ran to the edge of the shore. she looked at the rushing river, her expression changing for a moment, and she nervously clenched the hem of her clothes.


    no, ye ling jumping into the river had nothing to do with her. it was ye ling¡¯s own choice to jump into the river. even if she died, she could only blame herself!


    ¡°liu lin.¡± wu bai saw liu lin not far away and hurriedly walked over, his tone filled with urgency. ¡°you¡¯re ye ling¡¯s roommate. do you know if she can swim?¡±


    liu lin had already calmed down at this point, but she put on a show of being worried and flustered. ¡°captain, ye ling doesn¡¯t know how to swim at all. what should we do now?¡±


    under the water, ye ling slowly sank to the bottom. as her consciousness blurred, she suddenly saw a dazzling golden light flash in front of her eyes. soon after, a warm current flowed into her body, making her feel significantly lighter.


    at the same time, her mind was filled with dots of light that gradually coalesced into the figure of a person. this figure gazed down at ye ling from above, and his ethereal voice emitted a faint sigh, ¡°is it still too late¡­¡±


    just as ye ling neared the point of suffocation, she suddenly felt a pair of strong hands grabbing hold of her.


    who was it? was it the person who had fired the shot to help her? ye ling had no basis for guessing, but she could sense that the person pulling her was there to save her. driven by her instinct for survival, she instinctively clung to the man with both arms.


    min nan, being embraced by the unfamiliar girl, felt no discomfort despite his usual aversion to women.


    not good, she couldn¡¯t hold on any longer¡­ observing the girl¡¯s increasingly pallid face, min nan hesitated for two seconds. at that moment, he couldn¡¯t care about anything else. he lowered his head and leaned over, giving the girl a breath of air through the mouth to mouth.


    her lips were incredibly soft¡­ min nan knew that now wasn¡¯t the time for such thoughts, but this was a sensation he couldn¡¯t ignore.

 Chapter 3

    cpr


    a few minutes later, the surface of the water broke open and min nan brought ye ling to the shore.


    without thinking too much, min nan pressed ye ling¡¯s chest and performed cpr on her.


    a moment later, he lowered his head and touched ye ling¡¯s lips to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.


    even though he told himself that it was just a rescue, min nan¡¯s cheeks still felt a burning sensation.


    ye ling coughed up some water, but her eyes remained tightly closed, showing no signs of waking up.


    min nan furrowed his brow as he observed the girl¡¯s complexion, confirming that she was merely unconscious.


    not long ago, min nan had just finished hunting and was resting in this patch of reeds. suddenly, he heard a woman¡¯s scream not far away. it seemed like a man was trying to violate the woman. then, min nan fired two shots at the blurry figure. firstly, he wanted to scare the wretched man, and secondly, he wanted to attract the attention of the people nearby.


    however, he didn¡¯t know what happened next. in front of so many people, the girl who was being violated jumped into the river!


    fortunately, he managed to bring her up in time. otherwise, it could have ended in tragedy. min nan thought to himself with a lingering sense of fear.


    min nan quickly tidied up the firearms and coat placed nearby, then carried ye ling on her back, preparing to take her to the nearby village clinic.


    just as min nan stood up, he suddenly noticed three children, around eight or nine years old, looking at him from a short distance away. their eyes grew wider with each passing moment.


    min nan, who had previously been relieved that there was no one in the deep reeds to witness his administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to ye ling, fell silent instantly.


    these little brats didn¡¯t make a single sound. who knows how long they had been secretly peeping?


    even someone like min nan, who had experienced many obstacles, couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of shame at this moment.


    before min nan could say anything, the three children seemed afraid that min nan, who appeared stern and somber, would eliminate them to keep them quiet. one after another, they said, ¡°i didn¡¯t see anything!¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t say a word!¡±


    ¡°three maltose, i can keep it a secret for you!¡±


    the contradictory words of the three children echoed through the reeds. the children exchanged awkward glances, and one of them couldn¡¯t resist slapping another on the head, annoyed, and said, ¡°you still dare to negotiate with him? didn¡¯t you see the gun in his hand?¡±


    min nan was in a hurry to take ye ling to the clinic and didn¡¯t have time to argue with these kids. after a moment of contemplation, he said, ¡°wait for me under the old locust tree to the west tomorrow at noon. until then, i don¡¯t want this matter to spread.¡±


    the three children nodded hastily.


    after some time passed, ye ling regained consciousness and smelled the scent of disinfectant.


    was she in the clinic?


    she hadn¡¯t died!


    right, there was a man who had saved her. ye ling quickly looked around but only saw an old lady peeling an apple.


    when the old lady noticed ye ling was awake, she smiled kindly and offered the apple in her hand, ¡°would you like to have an apple, little girl?¡±


    ye ling politely declined and then inquired, ¡°grandma, did you see the person who brought me to the clinic?¡±


    the old lady shook her head, and ye ling felt somewhat disappointed. just then, a doctor wearing a white coat walked in. ye ling eagerly asked, ¡°doctor, where is the person who brought me to the clinic?¡±


    the doctor, observing that ye ling¡¯s complexion was normal, felt a bit relieved and pondered for a moment before responding, ¡°he left after paying the emergency and subsequent medical expenses.¡±


    ¡°did he leave?¡± ye ling thought. that person had saved her life, and she wanted to express her gratitude.


    ¡°where¡¯s ye ling? where is she?¡± wu bai¡¯s familiar voice echoed outside the ward, followed by a group of people barging in without even knocking.


    the one leading the group was wu bai, accompanied by wu de and lin fang, while liu lin trailed behind them, looking somewhat surprised.


    seeing that ye ling was fine, wu bai heaved a long sigh of relief. then, a wave of anger surged up. ¡°why couldn¡¯t we have a proper conversation? why did you jump into the river?¡±


    ye ling felt disgusted at the sight of wu bai¡¯s face and sneered, ¡°where were you when wu de and his mother came to arrest me? i jumped into the river because you, as the captain, completely disregarded the interests of the people and only cared about personal favors. do you still have the nerve to question me?¡±


    upon being accused of neglecting the interests of the people and favoritism, wu bai¡¯s expression changed instantly. ¡°what nonsense are you talking about? i advised you to marry wu de for your good!¡±


    wu de, who had long been impatient, shouted, ¡°you little b*tch, which man brought you to the clinic? are you involved with someone else out there?¡±

 Chapter 4

    the evil of human nature


    wu de heard that the person who sent ye ling to the clinic was a man. at this moment, he felt that he was a cuckold, so his expression was especially ferocious and angry.


    wu de¡¯s every word made ye ling¡¯s blood pressure rise. she was so angry that her cheeks turned red.¡±wu de, watch your mouth! you attempted to rape me, and now you¡¯re colluding with your mother to force me to jump into the river. just wait until you end up in jail!¡±


    ¡°prison?¡± wu de sneered, ¡°you little b*tch, you¡¯re ruthless! but i¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to be disappointed. do you want to call the police? don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    wu de lifted the blanket and grabbed ye ling¡¯s wrist. ¡°come back with me!¡±


    the doctor next to him was shocked and hurriedly stopped him, ¡°what are you doing? she¡¯s still a patient!¡±


    ¡°i think she¡¯s doing very well. she even wanted to call the police and apprehend her man!¡± wu de glared at ye ling, wishing he could give her a strong slap.


    this woman deserved a beating. once they got married, he would make her submit through force!


    wu bai naturally didn¡¯t want ye ling to report to the police. he immediately told the doctor, ¡°doctor, these two are the patient¡¯s family members. we¡¯ll take the patient with us to take care of her.¡±


    then, wu bai, wu de, and the others prepared to forcibly take ye ling out of the clinic.


    ye ling struggled. she never expected human nature could be so vile. these people no longer deserved to be called human beings, they were simply beasts!


    ¡°liu lin, help me!¡± when she saw liu lin standing at the door of the ward, ye ling felt as though she had grasped a life-saving straw.


    liu lin was her roommate, and their relationship was still decent. although in their previous lives, liu lin had married a soldier and moved to the provincial capital, gradually drifting apart, when they were in stone village, liu lin and ye ling were good friends.


    liu lin, who was suddenly called out by ye ling, instantly panicked. she stuttered, ¡°ye ling, don¡¯t worry. captain wu won¡¯t do anything to you!¡±


    ye ling felt utterly hopeless. couldn¡¯t liu lin see that wu bai was only trying to help his nephew, wu de?


    and what kind of beast was wu de? what good could come out of being in his hands?


    ¡°liu lin, i¡¯m begging you, call the police for me!¡±


    liu lin gritted her teeth in response to ye ling¡¯s plea for help. she looked to the side and pretended not to hear her.


    no one saw the coldness and relief hidden in the depths of liu lin¡¯s eyes!


    she had just found out that min nan was the one who had saved ye ling.


    in this lifetime, min nan and ye ling unexpectedly crossed paths!


    liu lin didn¡¯t want ye ling to die at first, but now, she wished ye ling would drown in the river.


    seeing that wu bai and wu de were about to take ye ling away, liu lin heaved a sigh of relief.


    as long as ye ling was taken away, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry anymore. everything would follow the trajectory of her previous life. ye ling would marry wu de and repeat her pitiful and tragic fate from her past life.


    and min nan would still be hers!


    a slight smile of relief appeared on liu lin¡¯s lips as she watched wu de and the others roughly dragging ye ling out of the hospital room.


    at that moment¡ª


    ¡°what are you doing!¡± a stern reprimand rang out, and three policemen in uniform hastily approached.


    before the leading officer could say anything, the officer standing behind wu de grabbed him and swung his fist forcefully.


    ¡°min¡­¡± dai wei was startled, almost calling out min nan¡¯s name.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong with this guy? he had never seen him so impulsive!¡±


    about ten minutes ago, min nan had brought ye ling to the clinic. from a nearby nurse, min nan learned that the girl he had saved was named ye ling, a young intellectual who had recently arrived in the village. due to her weak health, she often visited the clinic to get medication. several nurses were familiar with her basic situation.


    after paying for the emergency treatment and subsequent medical expenses, min nan recalled that ye ling had mentioned reporting wu de to the police. coincidentally, min nan had a childhood friend who was a police officer. after considering it, min nan decided to help ye ling file a police report and instructed his friend to punish that b*stard named wu de severely.


    even after making the call, min nan still felt somewhat uneasy. that¡¯s why he borrowed a police uniform and changed into it, intending to come to stone village to see dai wei handle the situation before leaving.


    in fact, min nan had initially planned to do a good deed anonymously. after all, saving ye ling¡¯s life was a small favor, and facing ye ling made him feel quite uncomfortable.


    furthermore, if ye ling were to learn that he had saved her, the young girl might feel obliged to find a way to repay him. min nan didn¡¯t want ye ling to repay him, saving her was just an incidental act.


    however, min nan hadn¡¯t expected to witness such a scene upon arriving at the clinic.


    wu de and wu bai, two big men, were forcibly dragging a frail and petite young girl away!


    could these people be bandits?

 Chapter 5

    accusation


    in an instant, anger overwhelmed rationality. min nan rushed forward and punched wu de until he curled up and rolled on the ground, wailing in pain.


    after that, min nan held onto ye ling. seeing that her face was pale and her hair was disheveled, he felt heartache and guilt for a moment.


    it was all his fault. he should have stayed to protect her. he never expected wu bai and wu de to be so audacious, daring to snatch someone away from the clinic in broad daylight.


    how could this wu bai be a civilian officer who served the people? he was a local tyrant who abused his power!


    min nan looked up and gave dai wei a meaningful look, ¡°i¡¯ll leave this matter to you. make sure you handle this wu bai and wu de properly!¡±


    dai wei¡¯s forehead started to sweat. although min nan was his childhood friend, their current positions were incomparable. min nan exuded an aura of authority that made him feel somewhat nervous.


    dai wei regained his composure and looked at wu bai and wu de. even without min nan overseeing it, he had to enforce the law impartially in his jurisdiction when incidents like this occurred.


    min nan helped ye ling to sit on a hospital bed. she raised her head, glancing at min nan.


    the policeman before her had deep and resolute eyes, and his facial features were sharp. though incredibly handsome, his aloofness emitted an invisible sense of pressure that made ye ling quickly lower her head.


    ye ling had a fearful expression on her face. to min nan, it was because she had been frightened by this incident. he instantly felt even more guilty. if he had not left the clinic, she would not have been bullied by those b*stards!


    ¡°it¡¯s alright now. don¡¯t be afraid.¡± min nan tried to soften his voice, but to ye ling, the man¡¯s tone still sounded very cold and distant.


    ye ling nodded gratefully and clenched her fists, looking up at dai wei. she voiced her complaint loudly and angrily, ¡°officer, as you saw, wu bai, the captain of stone village, and his nephew, wu de, tried to forcibly drag me away and prevent me from calling for help. before that, wu de even attempted to assault me. please punish them severely according to the law!¡±


    min nan initially thought ye ling was already scared, but seeing her fiercely fighting for justice, he sensed the strong determination and courage beneath her petite frame.


    his impression of ye ling shifted, and a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes.


    hearing ye ling¡¯s accusation, dai wei looked coldly at wu bai and wu de. ¡°do you have anything to say?¡±


    ¡°officer, it¡¯s not like that! ye ling and i were freely expressing our love. being intimate in the reeds was just a little fun between lovers. what¡¯s the big deal?¡± wu de shamelessly argued.


    ye ling spat out fiercely. ¡°bullsh*t. with your character, could i ever be interested in you? if it weren¡¯t for you, wu bai, and your mother forcing me, i wouldn¡¯t have jumped into the river! officer, i was almost forced to my death by them!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s true that ye ling jumped into the river. what else do you have to say?¡± dai wei said coldly. ¡°wu de, wu bai, come with me to the police station!¡±


    wu de and wu bai¡¯s faces instantly turned pale, and cold sweat trickled down their foreheads. only then did wu de feel afraid, while wu bai¡¯s body was trembling, afraid that he would lose his position as captain.


    seeing that the situation was not right, lin fang panicked. she immediately fell to the ground and rolled around. ¡°this is outrageous! the police are assaulting innocent people! it was ye ling, that despicable woman, who seduced my son. how can you believe her words? taking away my son, you want my life! i don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡±


    dai wei¡¯s face darkened. he was familiar with the theatrics some rural women employed, but unfortunately, such tactics held no ground in the face of the law.


    ¡°lin fang, i advise you not to obstruct us in carrying out our duties. otherwise, you¡¯ll be taken away as well!¡± dai wei¡¯s voice carried a strong sense of authority.


    lin fang saw that it was useless for her to make a scene. she sat on the floor and cried while scolding ye ling. she said all kinds of vulgarities. every word she said contained words like reproductive organs. min nan frowned when he heard that.


    ¡°take her away!¡± dai wei ordered another police officer.


    after lin fang was dragged away, dai wei and the other officer prepared to take wu de and wu bai to the police station. before leaving, dai wei glanced at min nan and coughed. ¡°you stay here and handle the aftermath.¡±


    dai wei could tell that min nan¡¯s attitude towards ye ling was very unusual!


    he had never seen min nan so concerned about a woman. could it be that he had developed feelings for her?


    no, that couldn¡¯t be. after all, min nan had instructed him to keep the fact that he had saved ye ling a secret. he probably just had a favorable impression of her.

 Chapter 6

    suspicion


    dai wei felt that his judgment was accurate and that his plan was perfect.


    if min nan and ye ling sparked something between them, he would take some credit for it.


    after dai wei and the others left, the doctor also departed, leaving only ye ling and min nan in the hospital room. ye ling didn¡¯t feel uneasy about the situation.


    although min nan appeared cold, the fact that he was a police officer made ye ling trust him completely.


    however, min nan felt very uncomfortable.


    he regretted it a little. if he had known earlier, he would have asked dai wei or another policeman to stay.


    now that he was alone with ye ling, min nan could not help but think of the scene of intimate contact and the soft touch of ye ling¡¯s chest.


    min nan was convinced that he was not a pervert, but at this moment, he felt a shameful thought for the first time in his life about a woman!


    moreover, min nan suddenly realized something important, their lips had touched underwater, and that was his first kiss!


    ¡°officer, do you have any questions for me?¡± ye ling asked when she noticed min nan holding a notebook, unable to resist initiating the conversation.


    min nan snapped out of his daze as soon as he saw ye ling¡¯s clear and beautiful eyes. his heart began to race uncontrollably, prompting him to quickly avert his gaze.


    he needed to do something, or he would be embarrassed beyond measure.


    min nan pondered for a moment, picked up the notebook and pen, and asked, ¡°why were you at the reed marsh?¡±


    ye ling contemplated for a moment, furrowing her brows. ¡°i came out to have fun with my roommate. she suggested visiting the reed marsh. once we arrived, i suddenly felt extremely tired. so, i found a quiet spot and lay down, intending to take a nap.¡±


    min nan sensed that something was off. ¡°what about your roommate?¡±


    if ye ling¡¯s roommate had been present, none of the subsequent events would have occurred.


    ¡°she said she would buy two candied hawthorns and then come back. we planned to return to the dormitory together,¡± ye ling explained. as she recalled liu lin¡¯s indifferent attitude when she sought help, ye ling frowned.


    ye ling remembered that in her previous life, after being violated by wu de, liu lin didn¡¯t return to the reed marsh until it was nearly dark. liu lin explained that she accidentally stepped on corn that an old lady was drying, which led to a prolonged argument. the old lady insisted that liu lin compensate her before allowing her to leave, causing the delay.


    there didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with liu lin¡¯s explanation. in her previous life, she had never doubted it.


    however, after that, liu lin advised her not to call the police and even advised her to marry wu de.


    liu lin said, ¡°after all, wu bai is the captain of the village. you¡¯ve just arrived in stone village, and you¡¯ll be staying here for a long time. if you offend wu de, you¡¯ll also offend wu bai. will you be able to live a good life then? besides, it¡¯s already known in the village that you and wu de have had relations. if you don¡¯t marry him, he will continue to cause trouble. if your family finds out, won¡¯t it be embarrassing for you to be ridiculed in the city?¡±


    in her previous life, ye ling had a weak personality and was completely at a loss when faced with such a situation. liu lin¡¯s persuasion made her dismiss the idea of reporting it and choose to endure it.


    thinking about it now, ye ling gradually started feeling uneasy.


    she used to believe that being raped was solely because of wu de, as well as her bad luck. but now she wondered why she suddenly felt so tired in the reed marsh, why liu lin suddenly wanted to buy candied hawthorns and coincidentally returned so late after encountering the accident.


    was it all just a series of coincidences?


    ye ling bit her lip, not wanting to think too badly of her friend. moreover, liu lin didn¡¯t seem to have any enmity with her, and the two were usually good friends.


    min nan noted down what ye ling had said and then asked, ¡°what¡¯s your roommate¡¯s name?¡±


    he wasn¡¯t a real police officer, so further investigation would likely be handed over to dai wei.


    ¡°liu lin,¡± ye ling replied.


    ¡°liu lin?¡± min nan was taken aback.


    ¡°do you know her?¡± ye ling was surprised.


    min nan fell silent for a few seconds and replied vaguely, ¡°it¡¯s the same name as someone i know, but it¡¯s a common name. it¡¯s probably not the same person.¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t disclose the whole truth. in reality, he was almost certain that ye ling¡¯s roommate was the person he knew!


    after pondering for a moment, min nan asked, ¡°do you have any conflicts with your roommate? how does she usually treat you?¡±


    it seemed that this police officer also had suspicions about liu lin?


    ye ling hesitated for a moment before shaking her head and said, ¡°i don¡¯t have any conflicts with her. she¡¯s usually quite nice to me.¡±


    perhaps she was indeed overthinking things.

 Chapter 7

    ancestor


    min nan also looked doubtful. he had suspected that there was something wrong with ye ling¡¯s roommate, so he subconsciously thought that their relationship wasn¡¯t good.


    however, he didn¡¯t expect ye ling to say that she and liu lin didn¡¯t have any conflicts. this meant that she lacked motive.


    ¡°we will continue investigating, but you must be exhausted today. would you like to rest for a while?¡± min nan observed ye ling¡¯s pale complexion and closed his notebook.


    today, ye ling went through the experience of being reborn and was almost killed by wu de and his companions. she was indeed physically and mentally exhausted, so she nodded slightly.


    ¡°i will instruct the doctor and nurses to be attentive to your needs and ensure no one disturbs you. you can sleep with peace of mind.¡± min nan did not realize that his tone was so gentle that it sounded like he was coaxing her.


    ye ling lay down. before she went to sleep, she suddenly thought of something and said to min nan, ¡°by the way, officer, after i jumped into the river, someone else jumped in to save me. he brought me to the clinic and covered my medical expenses. can you help me find that person so i can express my gratitude?¡±


    upon hearing ye ling¡¯s words, min nan¡¯s body tensed for a moment, though his expression remained mostly unchanged. he nodded and replied, ¡°alright, we will keep an eye out for that person.¡±


    ye ling finally felt at ease and drifted off to sleep.


    as min nan gazed at ye ling¡¯s peaceful sleeping face, his feelings of awkwardness and unease gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of calm. he let out a long sigh of relief.


    it was better this way, that she didn¡¯t remember what had transpired between them. she wouldn¡¯t have to bear any psychological burden.


    in this day and age, societal values were still quite traditional. if ye ling were to know about their intimate encounter, her feelings of gratitude might transform into anger and embarrassment.


    as min nan left the ward, a doctor who was conducting rounds in another ward noticed him and hurried over.


    when min nan and dai wei entered the room together, the doctor recognized min nan as the man who had brought ye ling to the clinic, but he never expected that min nan was a police officer.


    due to the unspoken exchange of glances with min nan at the time, the doctor refrained from revealing min nan¡¯s identity to ye ling.


    the doctor approached min nan and smiled. ¡°didn¡¯t she notice?¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t provide a direct response. he only reminded him, ¡°please help me keep this matter confidential. also, keep an eye on her ward and prevent any strangers from entering. i will return later tonight.¡±


    ¡°no problem.¡±


    after min nan left, ye ling, who had fallen into a deep sleep, entered a peculiar dream.


    she found herself in a space devoid of any material structure. soon, countless points of light appeared before her, gradually coalescing into a vaguely human figure.


    though the figure was hard to discern, ye ling couldn¡¯t shake off a strange sense of familiarity. she racked her brain, and suddenly, a flash of insight burst forth, prompting her to exclaim in astonishment, ¡°ancestor?¡±


    she remembered that the person in front of her was one of the dozen or so ancestors worshiped in the ye family ancestral hall. he was ye xu, the twelfth-generation descendant of the ye family, who had once been hailed as the ¡°divine physician.¡±


    ye xu was surprised that ye ling had recognized him so quickly. a smile appeared on his face, adorned with the creases of age, and he gently stroked the light-formed beard.


    in response, ye ling immediately knelt and paid her respects. ¡°ye ling, daughter of ye zhen, the thirty-eighth successor of the ye family, pays homage to the ancestor.¡±


    ye zhen was ye ling¡¯s mother. due to ye zhen¡¯s premature demise, ye ling had not acquired many of the unique medical skills passed down within the ye family. furthermore, since her father had taken possession of the hundred herb hall, the ancestral medical institution of the ye family, ye ling had never entered the hundred herb hall. consequently, she believed that she couldn¡¯t truly be regarded as the thirty-ninth generation successor of the ye family.


    perhaps the medical lineage that had once enjoyed great splendor was destined to decline in her generation.


    observing the desolate and regretful expression on ye ling¡¯s face, ye xu let out a sigh. ¡°good child, this is not your fault. our ye family has practiced medicine for generations, accumulating merits that have long filled the ledger of good fortune, bestowing blessings and protection upon future generations. your mother, ye zhen, was meant to lead a smooth and long life, reaching the age of one hundred. moreover, you are born under a fortunate star, possessing the destiny of a koi, and your fortune runs deep¡­¡±


    the more ye xu spoke, the more perplexed ye ling became. was he referring to her?


    she was undeniably a completely unlucky soul, as evident from the way wu de¡¯s family had caused her immense suffering in her previous life. the term ¡°good fortune¡± had no connection to her. why would the ancestor claim she was a born fortunate star?


    could it be that the ancestor had made a mistake?


    furthermore, her mother, ye zhen, had not lived to be a centenarian. ye zhen had been plagued by serious illness when ye ling was still a child. ye ling had witnessed her mother¡¯s emaciated body tormented by the disease. it was so unbearable to look at!

 Chapter 8

    small world


    seeing ye ling¡¯s surprised and doubtful expression, ye xu shook his head helplessly, carefully choosing his words as he tried to explain to ye ling, ¡°however, luck is not fixed and unchanging. some people can transfer luck through special rituals and practices¡­ so, the trajectory of your previous life¡¯s fate deviated.¡±


    ye ling was shocked. she felt as if someone had hit her head with a stick, and something gradually became clear.


    if what the ancestor said was correct, did that mean she and her mother were never supposed to have such a tragic life? was it someone who had harmed her mother and even stolen her luck?


    ye ling¡¯s body trembled uncontrollably. even though this was a dream, she could feel her heart pounding fiercely and the anger welling up inside her. she asked loudly, ¡°ancestor, please tell me, who is it?¡±


    ye xu knew that ye ling was a clever child, and by now, she must have guessed something.


    ¡°ye ling, i am merely a lingering soul floating in the mortal realm. the secrets of the heavenly dao are not for me to reveal. i can only tell you this much. you have to explore the truth on your own, and only you can seize control of your destiny. alright, my time is almost up.¡±


    ¡°ancestor¡­¡± ye ling murmured, partly unwilling but mostly bewildered.


    it was only now that she realized her supposedly tragic life was the result of someone forcibly altering it. her mother was never meant to have such a fate either.


    ¡°since you have the opportunity to be reborn as a human, it signifies that the heavenly dao pities you and is willing to grant you another chance. now, i am entrusting you with the small world that the ye family has sealed for a thousand years. i hope you will make good use of it, continue to promote our ye family¡¯s philosophy of healing and saving lives and explore the secrets within the small world for the benefit of future generations of the ye family.¡±


    ¡°i also have a book compiled by the outstanding physicians of the ye family, which i will give to you. once you have mastered it, you can officially become the thirty-ninth generation successor of the ye family and inherit our medical skills.¡±


    the ancestor wanted to give her a medical book?


    a small world? what was that?


    before ye ling could ask any questions, an intensely bright golden light converged in the palm of ye xu¡¯s hand. then, with a wave of his hand, the golden light swiftly flew toward ye ling.


    before ye ling could react, the golden light had already merged into her body, causing a peculiar and scorching sensation.


    soon after, a thick medical book appeared in ye ling¡¯s hand. on the cover of the book was inscribed ¡°the ye family¡¯s medical code¡±.


    ¡°the small world exists as an independent space that goes against the operation of the heavenly dao. it can only be used by those blessed by the heavenly dao, which is why it has remained unopened for thousands of years. ye ling, remember, you must not abuse the small world indiscriminately, and you must be cautious of malicious individuals trying to pry into its secrets. otherwise, great calamity will befall you. alright, i am leaving. ye ling, from now on, you must rely on yourself and never forget your original intentions.¡±


    the light spots on ye xu gradually dissipated, and a few of them floated toward ye ling. ye ling felt a piercing pain in her mind, and then she became aware of the method to open the small world.


    she attempted to clear her mind and let her consciousness sink. after experiencing a weightless descent, she opened her eyes and saw a space shrouded in dense white mist.


    was this the small world?


    apart from the area enveloped by the mist, the visible space in ye ling¡¯s surroundings wasn¡¯t large. roughly estimated, it was only slightly more than fifty square meters. a small stream flowed through the ground, originating from an unknown source and extending indefinitely. the soil on the ground was loose, but no plants were growing on it. however, two saplings slightly taller than an adult had sprouted beside the stream.


    the small world didn¡¯t appear to be particularly remarkable, and ye ling initially thought it might be a hidden treasure¡¯s hiding place, fantasizing about discovering some peerless treasure.


    nonetheless, ye ling wasn¡¯t disappointed and continued to explore the small world patiently.


    she approached the side of the stream, observing its clear water.


    it should be safe since poisonous water wouldn¡¯t harbor small fish.


    the small fish were nearly transparent, with the largest one not even reaching the length of ye ling¡¯s pinky finger. they showed no fear of humans, happily swimming around her finger as she dipped her hand into the stream.


    ye ling scooped a bit of water with her hand and took a sip, finding it sweet and refreshing. after drinking it, her previously weary body suddenly felt much lighter.


    this stream seemed extraordinary! ye ling was pleasantly surprised. although she had initially intended to examine the two saplings, she became concerned about spending too much time in the small world, fearing that something unexpected might occur in the real world.


    after pondering for a moment, she placed the medical book inside the small world, gradually allowing her consciousness to dissipate. when she opened her eyes once more, she found herself in a familiar hospital room.


    the sky outside was already dark.

 Chapter 9

    favorable feeling


    the flow of time in the small world seemed to be different from the outside world. next time, she would have to study it.


    ye ling was lost in her thoughts when a figure appeared at the door. min nan walked in, holding a food box in his hand.


    ¡°are you hungry? have something to eat.¡± min nan opened the food box, and in an instant, the rich aroma of chicken soup filled the ward.


    ye ling didn¡¯t expect the police officer to bring her dinner. she was pleasantly surprised and thought that the police officers here were kind. she decided to write a thank-you letter to the police station another day.


    ye ling wasn¡¯t someone who acted pretentiously, so she didn¡¯t refuse min nan¡¯s kind offer. she took the celadon bowl, had a few sips of the chicken soup, and exclaimed, ¡°it¡¯s delicious!¡±


    a slight smile formed on min nan¡¯s lips.


    in the afternoon, he first returned to the police station. seeing that wu de and wu bai¡¯s statements were nearly completed, dai wei had someone contact the relevant departments in the county. he believed that the notification of wu bai¡¯s punishment would be issued soon.


    as for wu de, it goes without saying that he would have to spend several years in prison.


    min nan had a high opinion of dai wei¡¯s ability to handle things. he reminded dai wei to investigate ye ling¡¯s social connections and find the person who intended to harm her.


    afterward, min nan returned to willow village.


    willow village and stone village were separated by only a river, so they weren¡¯t too far apart. min nan¡¯s godmother lived in willow village, and this time, min nan stayed at her place.


    the bowl of chicken soup that ye ling drank was made by his godmother, sun li.


    upon hearing that min nan had asked her to help make chicken soup, sun li immediately felt that something was amiss. min nan was usually a rough man who would eat whatever was given to him, and she had never seen him actively request anything to eat.


    being scrutinized by sun li¡¯s peculiar gaze, min nan had no choice but to tell the truth, ¡°i have a friend who¡¯s not feeling well and has had a scare. i wanted to nourish her.¡±


    a friend? what kind of friend? a girlfriend?


    seeing min nan¡¯s evasive eyes, sun li¡¯s face instantly lit up with a smile. she wished she could immediately bring that girl over to have a look. for all these years, she had been worried that min nan¡¯s cold and aloof nature would hinder him from finding a wife. yet, unexpectedly, min nan had now become enlightened and even knew how to show concern for others.


    sun li promptly selected the plumpest hen and used her best culinary skills to stew a pot of fragrant chicken soup.


    min nan knew that his godmother had misunderstood. he wanted to take care of ye ling only because he felt guilty. once this matter was resolved, he and ye ling would return to their respective paths in life.


    although min nan could vaguely sense that he had a good impression of ye ling, he felt that it was not love. perhaps it was just a natural impulse for the opposite sex at his age. coupled with his guilt and pity for ye ling, all these feelings mixed to form a complicated good impression.


    but this did not mean anything.


    he was not a proactive person.


    in the ward, ye ling finished her chicken soup and wiped the corner of her mouth. she smiled embarrassedly and said, ¡°officer, i still don¡¯t know your name.¡±


    min nan pursed his lips and neatly put away the bowl and chopsticks. ¡°my name is min nan.¡±


    ye ling earnestly remembered his name.


    min nan picked up the food box and went to the sink to rinse the dishes. as he returned from washing, he overheard ye ling in conversation with the doctor, inquiring about the person who had brought her to the clinic.


    ¡°doctor, it¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t recognize the person who brought me to the clinic. but can you describe what he looks like? what kind of clothes was he wearing?¡± ye ling¡¯s tone was sincere, tinged with anticipation.


    min nan¡¯s body stiffened momentarily. he was just about to push the door open and interrupt their conversation when he heard the doctor say, ¡°that person had small eyes, very dark, and seemed to be around forty years old. he also had a fierce appearance!¡±


    hearing the doctor¡¯s deliberately absurd description, min nan felt speechless.


    he knew that the doctor was intentionally exaggerating to conceal the truth. however, he found it both amusing and exasperating.


    while ye ling was conversing with the doctor, she spotted a figure standing at the door and greeted with a smile, ¡°officer min!¡±


    the doctor turned his head and saw min nan walking into the ward expressionlessly. realizing what he had just said in front of ye ling, the doctor smiled awkwardly and hastily excused himself, saying, ¡°you two continue talking. i¡¯ll take my leave!¡±


    min nan sat on the chair beside the bed and looked at ye ling. ¡°are you still inquiring about that person?¡±


    ye ling nodded, her eyes revealing her regret without concealment. ¡°as the saying goes, one should repay a favor with gratitude. he saved me, yet i didn¡¯t even say thank you. i didn¡¯t even get the chance to repay him.¡±

 Chapter 10

    growth


    after a moment of silence, min nan glanced out of the window. ¡°perhaps he doesn¡¯t care. he does good deeds to have a clear conscience, not seeking your thanks or repayment. it would be better for you to protect yourself and live a good life. that way, you won¡¯t let him down for everything he has done for you.¡±


    ye ling paused for a moment, then nodded, feeling much more relieved. ¡°you¡¯re right.¡±


    since the other person didn¡¯t want to reveal his identity, she didn¡¯t need to be fixated on finding him. instead, she could focus on helping more people. perhaps among the people she helped, she would find her life-saving benefactor!


    ye ling¡¯s eyes brightened again as if the confusion in her heart had dissipated.


    ¡°do you still want to continue living in the educated youth dormitory?¡± min nan changed the topic.


    ye ling nodded. ¡°yes, where else can i go?¡±


    ¡°if you return there, be more careful in the future.¡± min nan didn¡¯t express it too directly. after all, from his perspective, although liu lin had suspicions, there was no evidence to prove that liu lin had framed ye ling. he could only remind ye ling to be more cautious.


    ye ling nodded. after her rebirth, she was no longer as innocent and weak as she was in her previous life. moreover, she had just had a conversation with her ancestor, ye xu, and learned many important things. she felt that she had grown a lot.


    according to her ancestor¡¯s words, her luck had been stolen by someone, and that person might have also harmed her mother. she had to find that person and investigate the truth!


    thinking of her mother, who had died from a serious illness, grief and anger surged within ye ling.


    the next day, ye ling returned to the educated youth dormitory. as soon as she entered, she sensed a change in the atmosphere.


    the dozen or so educated young women who came to the village with her looked at her with complicated gazes.


    disdain, pity, curiosity, indifference¡­ since the incident with wu de, they must have thought that something had happened between her and wu de.


    as for the villagers, it went without saying that they would probably make even more hurtful remarks.


    if she were the ye ling from her previous life, she would have been wounded by the gazes of those around her, feeling ashamed and pained. however, the current ye ling wasn¡¯t as fragile. perhaps it was because she had experienced too much, her heart was calm at this moment.


    ye ling walked into her dormitory. her two roommates, who had been chatting loudly, immediately fell silent and resumed their activities. yet, ye ling could sense their scrutinizing gazes upon her.


    ¡°lingling, are you okay?¡± liu lin¡¯s voice suddenly sounded, tinged with concern and anxiety. then, ye ling felt someone holding her arm.


    liu lin pulled her to sit on the bed and said with guilt and self-blame, ¡°it¡¯s all my fault!¡±


    ye ling remained silent, her gaze fixed on liu lin, assessing her.


    perhaps it was because her mind had matured, but ye ling noticed something different when faced with liu lin¡¯s reaction, which was similar to her previous life.


    for example, when liu lin spoke to her, she didn¡¯t look directly into her eyes. instead, she focused on the middle of her face. however, during their normal conversations, liu lin wouldn¡¯t avoid her gaze.


    why was that? was liu lin truly feeling guilty, or was it because she had a guilty conscience?


    ye ling remained silent for a moment before calmly asking, ¡°why did it take you so long to come back that afternoon?¡±


    liu lin¡¯s body stiffened for a moment, then she nervously ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°that day¡­¡±


    liu lin¡¯s excuse was no different from what it had been in her previous life. she had accidentally stepped on the corn the old lady was drying and was then dragged by her to compensate, which caused the delay.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, lingling¡­¡± liu lin¡¯s eyes became watery. she clenched her fists and forcefully hammered her knee as if reproaching herself.


    ye ling shook her head slowly. ¡°it¡¯s alright, it was just my bad luck.¡±


    because she was currently uncertain whether liu lin had done something wrong, ye ling didn¡¯t plan to confront her and decided to continue observing. however, she was well aware that she would never consider liu lin a true friend again.


    she couldn¡¯t forget liu lin¡¯s indifferent demeanor when she sought her help.


    liu lin let out a long sigh of relief. however, ye ling¡¯s reaction was also within her expectations since ye ling had always been a weak and foolish person, easily deceived.


    liu lin thought of something else, and her tone became more anxious. ¡°what did you tell the police?¡±


    ¡°nothing much, just the truth.¡± ye ling maintained her previous persona, speaking slowly and continuing to feign confusion.

 Chapter 11

    abnormal


    liu lin was becoming anxious. she had originally wanted to ask some questions about min nan, but she was afraid that ye ling would notice something.


    yesterday, liu lin was also at the clinic. at first, she didn¡¯t recognize min nan, who was wearing a police uniform, and min nan didn¡¯t notice her either. it was only when min nan threw a punch at wu de that liu lin recognized him.


    liu lin was shocked because she knew that min nan was not a police officer but a soldier.


    why would min nan impersonate a police officer?


    liu lin was a clever person, and combined with her deep understanding of min nan, she quickly speculated on the reason.


    min nan saved ye ling when she jumped into the river and brought her to the clinic. however, min nan had a reserved personality and didn¡¯t like getting involved in troublesome matters, so he left immediately afterward, not wanting ye ling to know his true identity.


    thinking about this, liu lin felt both relieved and worried. she was relieved that min nan didn¡¯t immediately fall for ye ling¡¯s exceptional beauty, but she was worried because min nan had returned later!


    it was certain that min nan had helped ye ling report to the police, and he might have been concerned and followed her.


    what did this mean? did it mean that min nan was starting to care about ye ling?


    liu lin was almost driven mad by jealousy and resentment. she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. taking advantage of the lack of attention, she quickly left along the hospital corridor, staying out of min nan¡¯s sight.


    she couldn¡¯t let min nan see her!


    later, liu lin heard that wu de and wu bai had been taken away by the police. she had originally wanted to go to the clinic to find out more, but she was afraid of running into min nan who hadn¡¯t left yet. she had no choice but to return to the dormitory and thoroughly erase any traces of her plans.


    there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. even if the police knew that she was ye ling¡¯s roommate and had suspicions, they wouldn¡¯t find any evidence!


    but what about min nan? could it be that he had genuinely developed feelings for ye ling?


    liu lin raised her head and saw ye ling, who was as stunning as a movie star. a sense of crisis continuously rang alarm bells in her heart.


    no, min nan belonged to her. no one could take him away!


    liu lin pretended to console ye ling for a while, and ye ling also pretended to be tired, saying she wanted to freshen up and go to bed.


    walking to her desk, ye ling turned her head and saw that liu lin had already closed the mosquito net and was lying on the bed. feeling at ease, ye ling began to inspect the items on her desk.


    she checked the desk and found nothing out of the ordinary.


    then, she glanced at her water cup.


    the cup was empty, there was nothing inside.


    ye ling furrowed her brow, feeling that something was amiss.


    after ye ling died, she returned to the time when she first arrived in stone village at the age of nineteen. she couldn¡¯t remember many things clearly and couldn¡¯t recall what she had done before going to the reed marsh. however, ye ling knew she had a peculiar habit.


    her habit was that she didn¡¯t like finishing her drinks and would always leave a little bit behind.


    so logically, there should have been some water left in her cup. why was the cup now empty?


    did someone pour out the water from her cup? or was there something wrong with the water she had in the cup?


    ye ling felt a chill run down her spine, and her body trembled.


    she didn¡¯t show any signs of unease and quickly averted her gaze, pretending that nothing had happened, and lay down on her bed.


    in the afternoon, someone knocked on the door of her dormitory. after opening the door, a friendly-looking old man in his sixties appeared, ¡°i¡¯m looking for ye ling!¡±


    ye ling was a little puzzled when she saw the village chief. ¡°village chief, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°there are two things,¡± the village chief said.


    he gestured with his eyes, indicating they should talk somewhere else, and ye ling followed him to a tree outside the educated youth¡¯s dormitory.


    ¡°the first thing is that the village is planning to build a new pharmacy. would you like to be the pharmacy manager? if you¡¯re interested, i can help you fill out the application form and write you a recommendation letter.¡±


    ye ling was surprised. pharmacy manager? that was a great job! if she became the pharmacy manager, she wouldn¡¯t have had to continue working in the production team. she could earn work points by sitting in an office.


    but how could such a good opportunity come to her?


    ye ling remained composed and asked, ¡°what¡¯s the other thing?¡±


    ¡°the other thing is that officer dai came to see me and asked me to temporarily change your place of residence. how about you move out of the educated youth dormitory and live in the dormitory of the publicity department in willow village production team?¡± the village chief explained.


    ye ling was even more surprised. move?


    after contemplating for a moment, she guessed that officer dai wei suspected her accident was related to her roommate, so he made this arrangement.


    officer dai was truly considerate. one officer dai was worth more than a hundred wu bai.

 Chapter 12

    fang ke


    noticing ye ling¡¯s contemplative expression, the village chief coughed. ¡°actually, it would be a good thing if you moved there. after your incident, there have been many rumors in the village. it would be better for you to wait until the rumors settle down before returning. moreover, because you reported the incident to the police, wu de has been arrested and will soon be imprisoned. lin fang has been emotionally unstable lately, and i¡¯m afraid she might do something harmful to you. you should avoid her for now.¡±


    as expected of someone who has been the village chief of stone village for so many years, he had considered various aspects of the situation. ye ling was almost convinced by the village chief¡¯s words.


    besides, this suggestion came from dai wei, so the village chief would cooperate with dai wei to make all the necessary arrangements. she didn¡¯t need to worry about it herself.


    ¡°alright, then i will move there,¡± ye ling agreed.


    ¡°great. pack your things. if everything goes well, i¡¯ll have the person in charge from willow village come to pick you up tonight.¡± the village chief was highly efficient, displaying his value and concern for ye ling.


    ye ling nodded. just as she was about to turn around and go back to her dormitory to pack her belongings, the village chief called out to her.


    ¡°oh, by the way, ye ling,¡± the village chief¡¯s tone softened. ¡°you have suffered unfairly this time. don¡¯t worry, from now on, i will keep an eye on things, and this kind of situation won¡¯t happen again. you can also relax and not pursue the matter any further.¡±


    ye ling blinked, quickly understanding what the village chief meant.


    although the main culprits behind her ordeal were wu de and wu bai, she was a knowledgeable youth from the city, and her status was not ordinary. if she continued to pursue the matter and caused a commotion at the county level, it could potentially damage the village chief¡¯s reputation.


    the village chief seemed to be nearing retirement and certainly didn¡¯t want to deal with anything that would tarnish his reputation before leaving.


    ¡°yes, i understand,¡± ye ling responded, showing a docile smile. ¡°as long as wu de and wu bai receive the appropriate punishment, that will be enough.¡±


    the village chief let out a sigh of relief and didn¡¯t say anything further.


    upon returning to her dormitory, ye ling began packing her things. she didn¡¯t have many personal belongings, and with someone¡¯s help, she could finish moving in a single trip.


    she took out a few old clothes from the wardrobe, folded them, and placed them into a worn-out box with some noticeable damage. she rolled up her blanket and bedsheets, securing them with a rope.


    ye ling¡¯s family background was not bad. before her father, fang ke, married into the ye family, he had been a medicinal herb merchant with a sharp business sense, accumulating a considerable amount of wealth over the years.


    if it weren¡¯t for these conditions, fang ke wouldn¡¯t have received ye ling¡¯s grandfather¡¯s approval back then.


    after ye ling¡¯s mother¡¯s death, the management of the hundred herb hall fell into fang ke¡¯s hands.


    originally, the rightful heir of the hundred herb hall should have been a descendant of the ye family. however, due to ye ling¡¯s young age and the need for capacity management in the various operations of the hundred herb hall, fang ke initially claimed to be taking temporary control. but gradually, he replaced the core personnel of the hundred herb hall with his trusted associates, effectively transforming the hundred herb hall, which originally belonged to the ye family into his own business.


    three years after ye ling¡¯s mother passed away, fang ke began planning to acquire hundred herb hall while also marrying he yue. he brought he yue and he huan to a villa in the city center that originally belonged to the ye family.


    after fang ke and he yue got married, he huan changed her name to fang huan and became ye ling¡¯s sister.


    for some reason, fang ke was not close to his biological daughter, ye ling.


    while ye ling¡¯s mother was still alive, fang ke would pretend to be a loving father. however, ever since ye ling¡¯s grandfather and mother passed away, fang ke¡¯s attitude towards ye ling became extremely cold.


    in contrast, fang ke adored fang huan greatly. he would give her a large sum of pocket money every month, and on fang huan¡¯s birthday, he would set aside his busy schedule to personally celebrate with her.


    on the other hand, ye ling never received such treatment. since her mother¡¯s death, her father had even forgotten her birthday and never gave her any pocket money. at home, she felt like an invisible person.


    when she arrived in the countryside, ye ling boarded the train alone with numerous packages. there was no one to see her off, and fang ke only handed her ten yuan before sending her away.


    ten yuan, which wouldn¡¯t even cover the cost of one of fang huan¡¯s earrings!


    in her past life, ye ling had experienced sadness and anger, unable to understand what she had done wrong to receive such cold treatment from her father.


    now, ye ling opened her wallet and let out a sigh as she gazed at the remaining small bills inside.


    to outsiders, she appeared as a bright and glamorous urban youth.


    but who could know that she was so impoverished, with barely any savings, and hadn¡¯t bought new clothes for several years?


    ye ling carefully put away her wallet and packed the books on the table into a box.

 Chapter 13

    move away


    not long after, liu lin returned to the dormitory and pushed open the door. she saw two boxes next to ye ling¡¯s bed and was taken aback. ¡°lingling, what are you doing?¡±


    ye ling sighed and said helplessly, ¡°the village chief asked me to move to willow village.¡±


    ¡°why?¡± liu lin asked, showing a surprised expression.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± ye ling said, looking puzzled. ¡°the village chief said it¡¯s for my good. i think he wouldn¡¯t harm me.¡±


    of course, ye ling wouldn¡¯t explain the real reason to liu lin. she would let her guess!


    hearing ye ling¡¯s words, the other two roommates couldn¡¯t help but look over and speculated about the village chief¡¯s motives for making ye ling move.


    there was another knock on the door. ye ling knew it was the person from willow village who had come to pick her up. she looked at the empty table and bed and said to her three roommates, ¡°then i¡¯m leaving.¡±


    after ye ling left and closed the door, the other two roommates immediately started discussing.


    ¡°why did the village chief ask ye ling to move?¡±


    ¡°could it be because of her relationship with wu de? maybe the village chief thinks her reputation is too bad and it affects the image of stone village, so he asked her to move.¡±


    ¡°that seems unlikely.¡±


    liu lin sat on the bed, her face pale. she knew that wasn¡¯t the real reason.


    who was the village chief? that old man had so many things to take care of, so why would he go through the trouble of arranging for ye ling to move? someone must have pressured the village chief.


    could it be that the police gave a hint to the village chief? it was very possible!


    liu lin¡¯s heart raced, and her mouth felt dry.


    if the police asked ye ling to move, there was only one possibility, they suspected someone around ye ling might have harmed her!


    did they suspect her? but they didn¡¯t have any evidence, so why would they make ye ling move out?


    could it be that she missed something, and they found out?


    the more liu lin thought about it, the more uneasy she became. she looked at ye ling¡¯s empty bed and clenched her lips tightly.


    ¡­


    ¡°alright, this is where you¡¯ll be staying. it has been cleaned up. the toilet is on the left side of the corridor, and the sink is on the right side. by the way, your situation is a bit special, so you don¡¯t need to register with our village¡¯s production team for now,¡± the person responsible for bringing ye ling to willow village said.


    ye ling nodded and expressed her gratitude.


    she didn¡¯t have much money at the moment, but she wouldn¡¯t starve. so, it wouldn¡¯t have a big impact on her if she didn¡¯t work with the production team for a while.


    these few days would be a good opportunity for her to study the small world and the medical books her ancestors gave her, and to plan her future.


    ye ling had been living in a collective dormitory in stone village, but now she was assigned a single room in willow village. although it was less than seven square meters in size, it was still a single room!


    she was an ordinary intellectual youth. it was already quite good for her to have her own private space here.


    ye ling opened the suitcase and placed the items into the cabinet. then, she made the bed and lay down on it, letting out a long sigh of relief.


    in the evening, min nan crossed the stone bridge over the river and returned to sun li¡¯s house.


    at noon, he went to the old locust tree west of stone village and met those three children. he handed them a bag of candies and once again reminded them to keep the scene they witnessed that day a secret.


    the three children stared at the bag of candies, their eyes widening, and nodded their heads vigorously, resembling little chicks pecking at grains.


    min nan finally breathed a sigh of relief. he then returned the firearms he had borrowed from the local army and went to the town to buy some things.


    when he arrived home, sun li had already prepared dinner. there were four dishes and a soup laid out on the table.


    sun li dried her hands and called her three children and min nan to sit down and eat.


    sun li had four sons, with the eldest, wan shan, already married and moved out. the remaining three still resided in the old house.


    wan hai, the second son, was around the same age as min nan. he currently served as the leader of the inspection team in the production brigade. upon seeing min nan¡¯s return, he smiled and said, ¡°dai wei came by half an hour ago. when he saw you weren¡¯t back, he left.¡±


    min nan took a seat and asked, ¡°what did he come for?¡±


    could it be that ye ling¡¯s investigation had yielded results?


    ¡°he didn¡¯t say. it was quite mysterious, but it seemed like a good thing. he had a radiant face,¡± wan hai replied.


    as they conversed, wan feng, the third son, pulled up a chair and sat down. he grabbed a corn bun from the plate, took a bite, and after slightly easing his hunger, he suddenly remembered something. excitedly, he said, ¡°we have a new intellectual youth in our village! a woman!¡±


    wan hai glanced at wan feng and scoffed, ¡°haven¡¯t you seen a woman before? what¡¯s there to get excited about¡­¡±

 Chapter 14

    impulsiveness


    as wan hai spoke, he suddenly realized something was off. there hadn¡¯t been any recent policy changes, so why would a newly educated youth be sent to the countryside?


    ¡°are you mistaken?¡± wan hai questioned wan feng.


    ¡°don¡¯t doubt me! although i don¡¯t know who she is, li bin told me himself. he brought the educated young woman from stone village. i heard there was an incident in stone village, and she will be staying in our village¡¯s production team¡¯s publicity department dormitory temporarily. li bin also mentioned that she is exceptionally beautiful, like a movie star!¡±


    wan feng grew more excited as he spoke, almost standing up from his stool.


    sun li raised her hand and slapped wan feng. ¡°why are you so excited? she won¡¯t be interested in you!¡±


    ¡°why wouldn¡¯t she be interested in me? am i that terrible? mom, have some faith in your son!¡± wan feng pouted, expressing his dissatisfaction.


    ¡°have you ever seen your lazy and gluttonous behavior? the girl isn¡¯t blind or dumb. how could she be interested in you?¡± sun li rolled her eyes in disdain.


    sun li¡¯s youngest son, wan xue, chimed in, ¡°exactly! if she wanted to date someone, she would choose someone like brother min nan. brother feng just gives up, you don¡¯t stand a chance!¡±


    ¡°you little brat, do you want to be slapped?¡± wan feng and wan xue began their usual squabble.


    upon hearing wan feng¡¯s revelations, min nan, who had been absent-mindedly eating, suddenly remembered something. his actions became rigid, and his usually cold facial expression showed a hint of visible emotional fluctuation.


    min nan put down his utensils and hastily said, ¡°godmother, i just remembered that i have something to attend to. you all continue eating.¡±


    with that, min nan hurriedly left.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong with min nan?¡± sun li held her bowl, staring blankly at min nan¡¯s disappearing figure.


    as min nan stepped outside, he tightly pursed his lips and walked with large strides, his emotions in turmoil.


    was it her?


    the educated young woman who had an incident in stone village was described as beautiful. all signs pointed to ye ling!


    why would ye ling come to willow village?


    min nan, who had sharp thinking, quickly recalled something. wan hai had mentioned that dai wei came looking for him today!


    could it be that dai wei sought him out to inform him about ye ling? did dai wei bring ye ling to willow village?


    min nan had pieced together the facts, but he still needed confirmation.


    when he arrived at li bin¡¯s doorstep, min nan knocked on the door. after seeing li bin¡¯s mother, he straightforwardly said, ¡°auntie, i need to speak with li bin.¡±


    ¡°alright, let me call him.¡± the middle-aged woman yelled into the house, and soon after, li bin came running out.


    li bin was about the same age as min nan. when min nan lived in willow village when he was young, he had even gone down the river to catch crabs with li bin. the two of them were quite familiar with each other.


    min nan straightforwardly asked, ¡°what¡¯s the name of the young woman who recently moved in?¡±


    li bin looked at min nan in surprise, realizing that wan feng must have told him about it.


    li bin wasn¡¯t surprised that wan feng would tell him, but he was taken aback by the fact that min nan had come to his house to ask about this! it was unlike min nan¡¯s usual behavior. over the years, li bin had never seen min nan show interest in any woman.


    ¡°her name is ye ling. why? do you know her, brother nan?¡± li bin asked cautiously.


    min nan had already suspected this, but his emotions still fluctuated when it was confirmed. however, he didn¡¯t show much change in his facial expression.


    seeing li bin¡¯s curious gaze, min nan realized that his behavior of coming to his house was highly unusual and aroused his suspicion.


    ¡°yeah, i know her. don¡¯t talk too much about her to others, and don¡¯t go asking around in stone village. if any rumors spread, don¡¯t get involved,¡± min nan replied, knowing that it was unrealistic to claim that he didn¡¯t know ye ling. li bin wasn¡¯t foolish, so it was better to be upfront.


    ¡°oh, i see¡­¡± li bin¡¯s tone and expression became complex. he seemed like he had something to ask min nan, but ultimately decided against it. instead, he made a promise, ¡°brother nan, don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll take good care of her on your behalf!¡±


    min nan¡¯s indifferent expression almost cracked.


    what did li bin mean by ¡°taking care of ye ling on his behalf¡±? what was he thinking?


    min nan pursed his lips and gave up on defending himself.


    in any case, min nan¡¯s sudden visit to li bin was already abnormal. even if min nan explained, li bin wouldn¡¯t believe it.


    he was too impulsive.


    after hearing wan feng¡¯s words, he was shocked and, in a hurry, to confirm the truth, without considering that his actions would cause others to misunderstand.


    on the way back, min nan gritted his teeth and looked in a specific direction.


    ¡°dai wei!¡±

 Chapter 15

    rules


    this b*stard, could it be that he misunderstood that he liked ye ling, so he forcefully brought her from stone village to willow village? he was really capable!


    today, he even dared to come to his godmother¡¯s house to find him. was he expecting him to praise him?


    the gentle evening breeze blew in, and min nan regained his calmness.


    although dai wei¡¯s intention was wrong, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing for ye ling.


    not to mention whether there were people around ye ling who wanted to harm her, just wu de and wu bai¡¯s family would not let ye ling off. they might even find trouble with ye ling. after coming to willow village, it would not be easy for those people to take revenge on ye ling.


    however, ye ling¡¯s arrival in willow village posed some troubles for him.


    currently, he was staying at his godmother¡¯s house, and both of them were in the same village. even if he intentionally avoided ye ling, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t cross paths. how would he face ye ling then?


    if ye ling found out that he wasn¡¯t a police officer, would she suspect something?


    min nan felt a headache.


    ¡­


    ye ling lay on the bed but wasn¡¯t sleepy. after becoming familiar with her surroundings, she took out an old watch from her pocket with a badly worn strap and cracked lenses to confirm the time.


    then, she cleared her mind of distractions and sank her consciousness. soon, she saw the small world enveloped in white mist.


    she walked to the two small trees and picked up the ¡°ye family¡¯s medical code¡± passed down by her ancestors. she quickly skimmed through it.


    this ¡°ye family¡¯s medical code¡± was incredibly rich in content, consisting of five parts.


    the first part contained many ancient and lost folk remedies, the second part recorded the unique medicinal values of numerous rare plants, the third part focused on the study of the human body¡¯s meridians and acupoints, the fourth part discussed theoretical foundations for diagnosing illnesses, and the fifth part provided a multitude of examples demonstrating specific treatment and saving lives.


    ye ling treasured this book immensely, wishing she could read the thick volume in one go.


    suppressing her impulse, she only perused the section about medicinal herbs for about five minutes before closing the book and standing up. she allowed her consciousness to disperse and left the small world.


    after returning to reality, she glanced at her worn-out watch.


    surprisingly, only a few seconds had passed!


    roughly estimating, the passage of time in the real world was approximately a hundred times faster than in the small world!


    this ratio held significant importance. on one hand, it ensured ye ling¡¯s safety, preventing others from easily detecting her abnormality when she entered the small world.


    on the other hand, she might be extremely occupied in the real world, lacking sufficient time to study medicine. however, the time in the small world flowed slowly, granting her more time for learning!


    ye ling took a deep breath and repeated the previous process, once again entering the small world. this time, she wasn¡¯t as nervous and began to explore slowly.


    she walked to the edge of the fog and reached out her hand to pass through it. however, upon touching the fog, she felt a gel-like resistance.


    it seemed that there was no way to cross over.


    what lay beyond the white fog?


    ye ling couldn¡¯t find an answer, so she decided not to dwell on it. she returned to the trees and studied the two unfamiliar species, which were likely unique to this small world.


    apart from that, the elements within the small world were monotonous, consisting only of streams and soil.


    ye ling had already discovered that certain things from the outside world couldn¡¯t be brought into the small world. when she entered the small world, she had the broken watch in her hand, but once inside, her hand was empty.


    she didn¡¯t know if other objects could be brought in, and whether the items within the small world could be taken out.


    with a thought, ye ling grabbed a handful of soil and plucked a leaf from one of the small trees. she let her consciousness dissipate and returned to the real world.


    she opened her hands. her left hand was empty, but in her right hand lay a leaf.


    after nearly two days of experimentation, ye ling finally discovered several rules of the small world.


    first, each time she entered or left the small world, it would deplete her energy.


    second, plants from the small world could be brought into the real world, and their forms wouldn¡¯t change significantly after leaving the small world.


    third, plants from the real world could also be brought into the small world.


    it appeared that this unique space was not completely isolated from the real world.


    however, there were certain limitations and rules to be followed.

 Chapter 16

    ritual


    gold city, ye family.


    after taking a shower, he yue changed into her silk pajamas and sprayed a bit of perfume on herself. she then sat on the reclining chair in her bedroom and leisurely enjoyed the beautiful night that belonged to the rich lady.


    immersed in the lingering fragrance, he yue was nearly dozing off when the full moon outside cast its glow upon her. suddenly, she remembered something and sat up abruptly.


    she had almost forgotten something¡­


    hurriedly, he yue retrieved four candles from the cabinet and placed them in the four corners of the room. after lighting the candles, she took out a knife and stabbed a wound on her finger. at the same time, he yue muttered something.


    in an instant, the air in the room began to flow rapidly.


    instead of dripping, the blood from he yue¡¯s finger gradually floated upward, transforming into a faint red mist suspended in the air.


    upon completing her chant, he yue abruptly opened her eyes. her black pupils were now tinted with an eerie red glow, and her irises turned completely black.


    before her eyes appeared a blurry image of a rural scene, which then zoomed in to reveal a slightly frail young girl lying on a bed. she seemed to be in a deep slumber, her beautiful face exuding an angelic purity.


    he yue gazed intently at the girl, scrutinizing her. after a moment, the calmness on he yue¡¯s face shattered instantaneously, and her all-black pupils betrayed astonishment and disbelief.


    the intense emotional fluctuations exhibited by he yue disrupted the stability of the ritual in the room. the faint red blood mist in the air churned frenziedly, emanating a malevolent aura. in haste, he yue forcefully terminated the ritual.


    at the moment the four candles were abruptly extinguished, an expression of pain contorted he yue¡¯s face. she expelled a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the floor. even though her eyes had returned to their normal state, they still retained a sense of bewilderment and terror.


    ¡­


    ye ling had been in willow village for two days. she could sense the curiosity of the people around her, yet they refrained from excessively disturbing her. they mostly observed her covertly, which brought her a slight sense of relief.


    after the sun had set in the afternoon, ye ling left her room, carrying a wooden basin containing her soiled clothes. she was preparing to wash them.


    today, the entire building had no water supply, so she could not use the sink. she had to go to the river to wash her clothes.


    being unfamiliar with the village, ye ling inquired along the way, making her way toward the riverbank.


    suddenly, she noticed a large crowd gathered up ahead on the road. the noise could be heard from afar.


    not particularly fond of joining commotions, ye ling was about to quicken her pace and depart. however, amidst the crowd, she heard a cry, ¡°my son! can anyone save my son?¡±


    someone nearby suggested, ¡°hurry up and take him to the clinic to get medical attention!¡±


    another person objected, ¡°the clinic is too far away. by the time he gets there, the child might lose his life!¡±


    ¡°what do you suggest then?¡±


    ye ling was stunned for a moment. she immediately put down the wooden basin and hurriedly walked to the side of the crowd, forcefully pushing them aside.


    the villagers assumed ye ling was just eager to witness the commotion. when life was at stake, they were highly displeased with her behavior.


    a hot-tempered woman extended her foot and tripped ye ling, who was anxiously trying to assess the situation.


    ye ling fell to the ground. her hands were cut by rocks, and her palms were red. her knees were in extreme pain.


    ye ling didn¡¯t care who tripped her. she immediately looked at the middle of the crowd and saw a child lying on the ground. at this moment, the child¡¯s lips were dark purple, and his cheeks were red. he was making urgent sounds from his throat, but he couldn¡¯t call for help.


    in his unbearable suffering, the child resorted to using his own hands to force choke his neck.


    the sobbing woman beside the child, tears streaming down her face, desperately tried patting his back. ¡°xiao hu, spit it out quickly!¡±


    ye ling¡¯s pupils contracted, and she immediately grabbed the woman¡¯s wrist. ¡°you mustn¡¯t pat his back!¡±


    in the case of a foreign object blockage, if she patted his back, it would easily cause the foreign object to slide down and aggravate suffocation.


    the woman looked at ye ling with a mix of belief and doubt. ¡°how do you know? are you a doctor?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not¡­¡± ye ling wasn¡¯t a doctor, but she had witnessed her mother and grandfather treating illnesses and saving lives when she was young. as she grew up, she secretly read some medical books, concealing it from her father.


    ¡°then why are you spouting nonsense here?¡± the woman was furious, feeling that ye ling was delaying her son¡¯s rescue. her gaze seemed to devour ye ling whole.


    at that moment, a middle-aged man squeezed through the crowd and handed a chopstick to the woman. ¡°xiao hu¡¯s mother, try poking his throat with this!¡±


    the woman¡¯s eyes lit up, ready to accept the chopstick, but ye ling firmly grasped it and threw it away. she was infuriated, her face flushed. ¡°who told you that this can save a person?!¡±


    was the child not dying fast enough?

 Chapter 17

    save someone


    ¡°you¡­¡± the woman was about to retort when she saw ye ling picking up xiao hu from the ground. she wrapped her arms around xiao hu¡¯s waist, placing her hands between his belly button and sternum. then, with one hand clenched into a fist and the other hand covering it, she tightly pressed xiao hu¡¯s chest.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± the woman screamed in terror, wanting to intervene and carrying a fist full of force that was about to strike ye ling.


    suddenly, a man¡¯s deep voice sounded as he firmly grabbed the woman¡¯s wrist. ¡°she¡¯s saving a life, don¡¯t interfere!¡±


    at that moment, ye ling paid no attention to the woman who wanted to harm her or the man who prevented her from doing so.


    her heartbeat raced as if she could sense the child in her arms teetering on the edge of life and death.


    this child had already missed the critical window for optimal treatment, and she had no certainty of success.


    but at this moment, ye ling didn¡¯t have time to consider whether she would be hated and blamed by the child¡¯s mother if the child died in the end.


    there was only one thought in her mind, ¡°save the child!¡±


    every second seemed so long. everyone¡¯s hearts were in their throats, and they did not even dare to breathe heavily.


    after an unknown period, something flew out of the child¡¯s mouth and landed on the ground.


    once the foreign object was expelled, the child began coughing violently, his body collapsing weakly. his eyes were empty, seemingly still trapped in the terror of impending death.


    ye ling watched the almond rolling on the ground and let out a long breath, finally realizing that her entire body was drenched in sweat.


    fortunately, she succeeded¡­


    ye ling¡¯s body felt weak. observing the woman hugging the child and weeping a faint smile appeared on her lips. she said nothing and turned to leave the scene.


    she still had laundry to do.


    ¡°who is she? didn¡¯t she say she wasn¡¯t a doctor? how did she manage to save xiao hu?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know. maybe this is just a shot in the dark?¡±


    ¡°that was truly terrifying. i¡¯ll have to keep a close eye on my grandson when he eats from now on!¡±


    the surrounding people whispered among themselves as they sized up ye ling. no one stepped forward to stop her as they watched her leave.


    although ye ling had saved xiao hu, she had said that she wasn¡¯t a doctor. therefore, everyone present still had some doubts about her. they thought that it was very likely a coincidence that she had successfully saved xiao hu.


    ye ling walked over to the wooden basin, lifting it. she felt her arms lacking strength.


    as she was about to leave, a man¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind her. ¡°you¡¯re injured.¡±


    ye ling turned her head, her eyes widening in astonishment as she called out the person¡¯s name. ¡°officer min?¡±


    upon hearing ye ling addressing him as an officer, min nan instinctively wanted to avert his gaze.


    he held back his guilt and walked towards ye ling, looking at her hand. ¡°your hand is injured. you can wash your clothes another day.¡±


    only then did ye ling feel the pain in the palm of her hand. she had forgotten about the injury. it seemed that she had been too nervous just now.


    ¡°thank you for reminding me. i¡¯ll go back now.¡± just as ye ling was about to leave, min nan called out to her again. ¡°i live nearby. i have medicine and bandages at home. why don¡¯t you come to my place to treat your wound?¡±


    min nan blurted out these words almost without thinking. his rationality told him that it wasn¡¯t appropriate, but he couldn¡¯t just let the girl who had just saved a child go back alone.


    she had just moved to willow village and didn¡¯t know anyone. it was highly likely that she didn¡¯t have any medicine or tools to treat her wound at her place.


    there seemed to be another voice in min nan¡¯s heart saying, ¡°she needs your kindness!¡±


    ye ling blinked her eyes and finally reacted. ¡°so, you live in willow village.¡±


    that¡¯s right, officer min appeared in willow village, so he must live here. why did her mind suddenly become so dull?


    seeing that ye ling was completely focused on the wrong point, min nan sighed helplessly in his heart. after hesitating for two seconds, he picked up the wooden basin containing ye ling¡¯s clothes with one hand and pointed in a direction with the other. ¡°that house over there is my home, not far away.¡±


    since min nan had said so, ye ling felt too embarrassed to refuse and could only follow him.


    at sun li¡¯s doorstep, min nan pushed open the gate. upon entering, his eyes met sun li, who was in the middle of the yard hanging clothes.


    sun li¡¯s gaze passed min nan and landed on ye ling, who was behind him. she froze for two seconds before her eyes suddenly turned fiery!


    seeing sun li¡¯s intense gaze, ye ling was so startled that she almost took two steps back.


    min nan observed sun li¡¯s exaggerated expression and knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to explain himself now.

 Chapter 18

    medicine


    ¡°godmother, this is ye ling, a knowledgeable young woman who just moved to our village from the neighboring village.¡± min nan briefly introduced the two of them.


    ¡°hello, auntie,¡± ye ling said politely.


    ¡°hello, hello.¡± sun li couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°please have a seat. lingling, i assume you haven¡¯t had dinner yet. stay and have a meal at auntie¡¯s place. i made steamed meat buns today, they¡¯re delicious!¡±


    in this era, wheat flour was not cheap, and meat was considered a luxury. it wasn¡¯t a special occasion today, yet sun li¡¯s family could afford to eat meat-filled buns. this indicated that their family had good financial conditions.


    ye ling felt a little embarrassed. it was her first time visiting min nan¡¯s house, and she thought it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to stay and eat. ¡°no need, auntie. i¡¯ll go back and have my meal.¡±


    upon hearing this, sun li became anxious instantly. she turned her head and gave min nan a meaningful look, urging him to persuade ye ling.


    ¡°it¡¯s fine, stay at our place for dinner. today, you saved someone in our village, and this meal is our village¡¯s way of expressing gratitude to you.¡± under sun li¡¯s urging gaze, min nan quickly found an excuse.


    ¡°saved someone? what happened?¡± sun li looked at min nan in confusion, then at ye ling.


    ¡°godmother, please bring out the first aid kit. ye ling injured her hand, and i¡¯ll explain to you later.¡±


    sun li immediately nodded. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go get it.¡±


    since sun li had three sons, each mischievous in their way, it was common for them to get injured. that¡¯s why they always kept some medicine at home.


    after retrieving the first aid kit, ye ling noticed that min nan had opened a medicine bottle and was seemingly about to apply the medicine to her personally. she quickly said, ¡°i can do it myself!¡±


    min nan hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit embarrassed. he rarely had conversations with people of the opposite sex, let alone physical contact with girls.


    ¡°no need, let min nan apply the medicine for you. both of your hands have injuries, so it¡¯s not convenient,¡± sun li suddenly chimed in, pushing min nan lightly. ¡°hurry up, can¡¯t you see how deep lingling¡¯s wound is?¡±


    min nan realized that his godmother must have done it intentionally. she knew very well that ye ling could handle the simple task of treating the wound, yet she deliberately didn¡¯t mention it.


    min nan looked at ye ling awkwardly. ¡°i¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ye ling was too embarrassed to say anything else at this moment. if she continued to insist, it would only make her seem pretentious. she could only stretch out her hands.


    ye ling¡¯s hand was very beautiful. it was fair and supple, and her knuckles were long and slender, but her joints were not obvious. at first glance, it was very soft, making one think of some kind of fragrant and soft pastry.


    min nan glanced at her hands. his heart, which had just calmed down, started to waver again.


    ¡°why is the wound so deep?¡± sun li exclaimed from the side.


    as min nan tended to ye ling¡¯s injury, he explained to sun li how ye ling had saved someone.


    after listening, sun li looked at ye ling in astonishment. ¡°lingling, thanks to you, otherwise xiao hu might not have been saved! are you a doctor?¡±


    ye ling shyly smiled, ¡°i¡¯m not a doctor. i¡¯ve just always watched my grandfather and mother treat illnesses and save people.¡±


    ¡°what do you call that¡­ it¡¯s called cultivation!¡± sun li pondered for a moment, then proudly came up with a cultured word. after feeling pleased for a while, she suddenly slapped her forehead. ¡°i almost forgot, i haven¡¯t cooked the millet porridge yet. you two continue talking, the meal will be ready soon!¡±


    as sun li left, min nan instantly felt a sense of nervousness and unease.


    when there were three people, he didn¡¯t have to face ye ling alone. now that sun li had left, it was just the two of them. what should he say?


    sun li went to the kitchen, washed the millet, and put it in a pot, then covered it with a lid.


    afterward, she fetched a small stool and sat in a rather tricky position that allowed her to have a clear view of min nan.


    sun li¡¯s eyes sparkled as she observed min nan, and various thoughts sprang up in her mind.


    how far had their relationship progressed? it seemed they weren¡¯t very familiar with each other.


    sun li also recalled how min nan hurriedly left after hearing wan feng¡¯s words yesterday. now that she thought about it, she immediately understood what was going on.


    just as min nan was treating the wound on ye ling¡¯s hand, two tall men and a shorter boy walked in. they were sun li¡¯s three sons.


    as the three of them were about to enter, sun li pulled them aside into the corridor. she made a gesture for them to remain silent, then pointed mysteriously at the room and whispered, ¡°you can go in later.¡±


    the three of them were extremely puzzled. wan feng immediately leaned against the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the scene inside through the gap.


    wan xue, who was curious but not tall enough, couldn¡¯t see what was happening inside even if he jumped up. he anxiously tugged at his older brother¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°brother, what did you see?¡±

 Chapter 19

    sister-in-law


    wan feng¡¯s eyes widened the moment he saw ye ling.


    the young girl sitting opposite min nan had snow-white skin and delicate features like a doll. her clear eyes seemed to be able to speak.


    ¡°who is she?¡± wan feng turned to his mother in shock. ¡°is she brother min nan¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    wan hai and wan xue were momentarily stunned by wan feng¡¯s words.


    girlfriend?


    sun li covered her mouth and chuckled. ¡°not yet. she¡¯s the intellectual young woman you mentioned yesterday! it seems min nan has known her for a while.¡±


    sun li briefly explained how ye ling had just saved xiao hu, and then added, ¡°this girl is kind-hearted, capable, and beautiful. no wonder even someone like min nan has fallen for her.¡±


    the three brothers of the wan family recalled min nan¡¯s abnormal behavior yesterday and suddenly realized that min nan had suddenly acted so abnormally when he heard that ye ling had come to willow village!


    wan hai suddenly had the urge to do what wan feng did. he wanted to sneak a peek at the woman who had caused min nan to behave strangely. however, he was the most mature man in the family, so he suppressed his curiosity.


    ¡°looks like we¡¯ll be able to attend min nan¡¯s wedding soon,¡± wan hai jokingly remarked. after a moment of contemplation, he added, ¡°i¡¯ll inquire about this girl¡¯s family background in a few days.¡±


    sun li remained silent. she knew it wasn¡¯t appropriate to secretly investigate the girl¡¯s family situation, but min nan¡¯s family background was unique. if the girl¡¯s family circumstances were unsuitable, the two couldn¡¯t be together.


    wan hai¡¯s advanced investigation could help avoid future troubles.


    inside the house, min nan quickly treated ye ling¡¯s wound and said, ¡°try to keep it dry.¡±


    suddenly, he remembered that ye ling seemed to possess some medical knowledge, making him feel like he had stated the obvious.


    ye ling nodded obediently. ¡°thank you, officer min. i understand.¡±


    ¡°no need to be so formal with me. just call me min nan from now on,¡± min nan said hesitantly.


    ye ling blinked her big, watery eyes. ¡°then i¡¯ll call you big brother min nan. by the way, big brother min nan, the village chief asked me to come to willow village. was it arranged by your police station?¡±


    this¡­ this was indeed the work of that b*stard dai wei! min nan controlled his expression and replied solemnly, ¡°yes, it was also arranged for your safety. you can settle down in our village without worries. if you need anything, you can come to me. when i¡¯m not available, you can also look for my godmother.¡±


    after he finished speaking, min nan looked out of the window and keenly sensed wan feng¡¯s gaze. he immediately raised his voice and said, ¡°wan feng, what are you doing in secret? come in!¡±


    wan feng, who was lying on the windowsill, was shocked. he walked in with wan hai and wan xue. when he saw ye ling, wan feng smiled warmly and shouted, ¡°hello, sister-in-law!¡±


    ye ling was taken aback, her face turning red instantly. she hurriedly explained, ¡°comrade, you¡¯ve misunderstood. brother min nan and i don¡¯t have that kind of relationship.¡±


    ¡°oh, is that so? i thought brother min nan, this steadfast comrade, had finally found love. he has never brought a girl home before!¡± wan feng smirked, clearly aiming to tease min nan.


    wan hai and ye ling exchanged polite greetings, while wan hai secretly observed ye ling¡¯s words and actions, forming his judgment.


    meanwhile, wan xue was completely captivated by ye ling¡¯s beauty. he thought to himself, ¡°brother min nan¡¯s girlfriend is so beautiful, just like a fairy!¡±


    feeling the attention of the wan brothers, ye ling became somewhat nervous and involuntarily glanced at min nan, her eyes carrying a hint of helplessness.


    seeing ye ling¡¯s anxious and helpless appearance, min nan¡¯s heart softened. he reassured ye ling with his eyes and then turned his head to glare at wan feng, saying, ¡°if you don¡¯t speak, nobody will mistake you for a mute!¡± he then looked at wan xue and added, ¡°don¡¯t just stand there dumbfounded. go and help with serving the food.¡±


    just then, sun li came in with plates of soft buns. wan hai helped clean up the debris on the table, wan xue went to scoop the millet porridge and wan feng moved the stools over.


    ye ling heaved a sigh of relief when she was no longer being watched by everyone.


    during the meal, ye ling picked up a bun that sun li handed to her and took a bite. the juicy filling instantly burst out, stimulating her taste buds, while a rich aroma wafted around her nose.


    ¡°lingling, do you like the buns? if you do, have some more. you¡¯re so thin, and you must be finding it hard to adapt to our rural life!¡± sun li affectionately looked at ye ling, wishing she could stuff all the biggest buns into ye ling¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 20

    transplantation


    ¡°it¡¯s not like that, auntie. i¡¯ve had poor health since i was young, so i can¡¯t gain weight,¡± ye ling said as she ate another bun and quickly felt full.


    once sun li¡¯s family finished eating, ye ling prepared to leave. sun li initially wanted min nan to accompany ye ling home, but ye ling hastily refused, saying, ¡°it¡¯s not necessary, auntie. i know the way, and big brother min nan doesn¡¯t need to send me.¡±


    in reality, ye ling was worried about people gossiping if they saw min nan accompanying her home.


    wan hai whispered to sun li, ¡°mom, don¡¯t worry. they haven¡¯t confirmed their relationship yet. let¡¯s not give the villagers anything to talk about.¡±


    ¡°then how about asking wan xue to escort lingling back? it¡¯s already dark outside, and lingling would surely be afraid to go alone,¡± sun li frowned and suggested.


    wan hai found it amusing. ¡°how is that any different from having min nan send ye ling home? here¡¯s what we can do, i¡¯ll ask wan xue to follow ye ling from a distance without drawing attention.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a good idea.¡± sun li finally felt relieved.


    after leaving sun li¡¯s house, when ye ling saw wan xue trailing behind her, she felt somewhat helpless. auntie sun was truly concerned about her. she wasn¡¯t a child, yet she still had to be escorted by wan xue from a distance for such a short distance.


    did auntie sun think that her relationship with min nan was something special? this was a major misunderstanding.


    as ye ling walked back to the dormitory along the small path, she suddenly noticed a plant with grayish-white leaves growing out of a crevice in a rock.


    ye ling walked closer to examine it carefully and realized that it was a rare plant recorded in the ye family medical code. it was called the silver grass. this grass looked very similar to weeds and had no obvious medicinal effects. the growth conditions were also very harsh, and it was rarely seen in the wild.


    the ye family¡¯s medical code naturally did not record useless plants. according to the book, when silver grass was mixed with several other common herbs, it could be used to create an exceptionally effective hemostatic medicine, surpassing regular hemostatic drugs by four to five times in efficacy.


    ye ling¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. she carefully placed the wooden basin on the ground and climbed onto the rock. she used her fingers to dig out the soil next to the silver grass, then uprooted the silver grass and carefully placed it in the wooden basin.


    ye ling turned her head and noticed wan xue still following behind her. she waved her hand from afar and said, ¡°wan xue, i¡¯m almost at the dormitory. you can go back now!¡±


    wan xue hesitated for a couple of seconds but seeing that ye ling was indeed close to reaching the dormitory, he left with a sense of relief.


    upon returning to the dormitory, ye ling locked the door and held the silver grass in her palm. concentrating her focus, she entered the small world.


    after planting the silver grass next to the stream, ye ling spent nearly two hours studying the ye family¡¯s medical code and memorizing over ten rare prescriptions before leaving the small world.


    before departing the small world, she noticed that the silver grass had grown a little taller.


    over the next few days, ye ling visited the valleys and fields near willow village to search for herbs. once she found them, she uprooted them and transplanted them into the small world when she returned home.


    within the small world, she created a large herbal field. the environment in the small world seemed to have a magical catalytic effect on plants. in just a few days, some herbs with shorter growth cycles matured rapidly and grew much larger than their real-world counterparts.


    on the other hand, ye ling also established an ¡°orchard¡± where she planted fruit pits. she speculated that the special environment of the small world could enhance the size and sweetness of the fruits, providing her with an abundance of them.


    while ye ling was busy developing her ¡°herbal field¡± and ¡°orchard¡± in the small world, the village chief came to willow village to look for her.


    this time, the village chief informed her about participating in training.


    ¡°ye ling, if you want to become the pharmacy manager, you have to pass an exam. they will select two out of thirteen candidates. starting tomorrow, we will organize a week-long training, and i expect you to attend.¡±


    after conveying the message, the village chief added, ¡°by the way, liu lin heard about your enrollment and signed up as well.¡±


    ¡°liu lin also signed up?¡± ye ling pressed her lips together, not revealing any signs of surprise, and expressed her gratitude to the village chief for the information.


    once the village chief left, ye ling began to contemplate the situation.


    why did liu lin also sign up? could it be that since ye ling arrived in willow village, liu lin had no opportunity to interact with her, prompting her to sign up together?


    the next day, ye ling woke up early, dressed in slightly worn clothes, and walked for over two hours along the mountain road to reach the training venue, renyi medicine store in town.


    as soon as she entered the entrance of renyi medicine store, ye ling spotted a familiar figure.


    liu lin¡¯s face lit up with surprise. she walked over and held ye ling¡¯s arm. ¡°lingling, i¡¯ve missed you so much since you left. when are you coming back?¡±

 Chapter 21

    training


    ye ling¡¯s expression remained unchanged, as she forced a timid smile just like before. ¡°i don¡¯t know either. by the way, why did you also run for the position of pharmacy administrator?¡±


    ¡°are you afraid of competing against me?¡± liu lin smiled brightly. ¡°how can i compare to you? your family has a medical background, and you were personally recommended by the village chief. i¡¯m just here for the excitement and thought it would be nice to have a chance to see you.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s eyes darkened.


    why would she want to see her?


    the two of them didn¡¯t chat for long before a middle-aged man in a long gown and a refined demeanor walked in. ¡°is everyone here? follow me.¡±


    the group followed the middle-aged man and arrived at the pharmaceutical area behind the pharmacy. they saw a courtyard filled with large bamboo mats, on which various herbs were spread out. the sun-drenched herbs emitted a strong and pungent aroma.


    liu lin immediately wrinkled her brows. ¡°it smells terrible!¡±


    unlike liu lin¡¯s reaction, ye ling¡¯s eyes lit up with delight.


    she had grown up in the hundred herb hall and was most familiar with the aromas of different herbs. even after her father forbade her from going to the hundred herb hall, she had never forgotten the smell of those herbs in her memory.


    at this moment, ye ling smelled all kinds of familiar herbs. she felt a sense of familiarity as if she had returned to the hundred herb hall.


    the middle-aged man walked through the mats, introducing the names, values, effects, and usage methods of the herbs to the people behind him.


    this training session wasn¡¯t only attended by people from stone village but also by people from several surrounding villages. at this moment, upon hearing the middle-aged man¡¯s rapid introductions of the herbs, some people were puzzled while others displayed expressions of already knowing about them.


    halfway through, someone requested the middle-aged man to slow down. ¡°you¡¯re speaking too fast. how are we supposed to remember all this?¡±


    the middle-aged man turned his head, revealing a cold smile. ¡°if you can¡¯t remember, then what kind of pharmacy administrator will you be? will you need a whole day to find a prescription?¡±


    ye ling pressed her lips together, remaining silent.


    it seemed that this training was merely a formality. those who lacked an understanding of pharmacology and herbal medicine would surely be unable to pass the exam, even if they participated in this week-long training.


    at noon, the pharmacy provided a meal. in the afternoon, a fresh batch of herbs arrived from the northeast. the middle-aged man instructed ye ling¡¯s group, along with the pharmacy staff, to begin processing the herbs.


    ¡°he doesn¡¯t pay us. isn¡¯t he treating us like laborers? ye ling, don¡¯t you think so?¡± liu lin said discontentedly, then turned her head to look at ye ling.


    she had originally expected ye ling to agree with her just like before, but she was surprised to see ye ling completely ignoring her as if she hadn¡¯t heard and had already started processing the herbs assigned to her.


    ye ling¡¯s serious appearance made liu lin look a little silly.


    why did this ye ling become even more foolish than before? liu lin felt frustrated and scornful, but she let her guard down a little and began contemplating how to proceed with her plan.


    while everyone was processing the medicinal herbs, the middle-aged man responsible for the training approached and saw ye ling¡¯s skilled and efficient movements. he couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°not bad, have you done this before?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve seen my family members handle medicinal herbs,¡± ye ling answered honestly.


    the middle-aged man pointed at ye ling and turned to the others. ¡°you should learn from this young girl. being a pharmacy administrator is not only about identifying different herbs and determining their quality but also about being proficient in the various methods of handling them. do you think it¡¯s an easy job?¡±


    the others directed their gazes toward ye ling. some showed admiration and envy, while others displayed jealousy and wariness, secretly considering ye ling as a formidable competitor.


    seeing ye ling being praised by the middle-aged man, liu lin felt increasingly uncomfortable. in her view, ye ling was just a pretty face. witnessing someone she looked down upon gaining attention in front of everyone, liu lin felt an antsy irritation creeping up within her.


    ¡°lingling, you¡¯re impressive. if i were as capable as you, i would become a pharmacy administrator and never have to work in the production team again,¡± liu lin approached ye ling, seemingly praising her but with a hint of sourness. however, she was confident that ye ling, with her emotional intelligence, wouldn¡¯t be able to sense it.


    ye ling glanced at liu lin and smiled foolishly. ¡°being a pharmacy administrator is also challenging. if you make a mistake, like giving a patient the wrong medicine, it could be a matter of life and death. the consequences would be much more severe.¡±


    liu lin¡¯s expression grew darker. she nodded in agreement outwardly but smiled maliciously in her heart. ¡°you think things will work out so beautifully? do you believe i would let you become a pharmacy administrator?¡±

 Chapter 22

    rainstorm


    after a day of training, liu lin and ye ling walked back together. on the way, liu lin subtly asked ye ling if she had met anyone new recently.


    seeing ye ling¡¯s puzzled expression, liu lin quickly explained, ¡°i¡¯m just concerned that you might be deceived by some ill-intentioned people. lingling, you have a simple nature and you¡¯re so beautiful. now that you¡¯re going to willow village alone, it could be troublesome if some bad people target you. in order to avoid a situation like wu de¡¯s, you need to be vigilant and avoid unnecessary interactions with others.¡±


    ye ling felt a moment of confusion upon hearing liu lin¡¯s explanation. why was liu lin telling her all this?


    furthermore, liu lin seemed a bit nervous, and ye ling wondered what she was worried about.


    after her initial confusion, ye ling couldn¡¯t help but internally complain, ¡°it seems that you¡¯re the person i should avoid the most.¡±


    although ye ling didn¡¯t believe liu lin¡¯s words at all, she still put on a nervous yet convinced expression and nodded earnestly. ¡°liu lin, thank you for reminding me. i will be cautious.¡±


    upon hearing ye ling¡¯s response, liu lin let out a long breath of relief.


    since the previous incident, ye ling probably hadn¡¯t continued to contact min nan. otherwise, when liu lin inquired earlier, ye ling would have told her.


    liu lin had said those things to scare ye ling. knowing that ye ling was timid and usually disliked interacting with strangers, liu lin figured that after being scared by her, ye ling wouldn¡¯t dare to actively seek out min nan.


    as for min nan, since he hadn¡¯t let ye ling know that he was the one who had saved her, he probably wouldn¡¯t actively approach ye ling either.


    although the current situation didn¡¯t seem bad, liu lin still felt a sense of crisis. she had to get ye ling far away from this place as soon as possible. it would be best if she never appeared by min nan¡¯s side. that was the safest way!


    back at home, ye ling entered the small world and saw that a batch of herbs with a relatively short growth cycle was almost ready for harvest. she pondered how to handle this batch of herbs.


    while the small world could accelerate the growth of herbs and make them flourish, many herbs couldn¡¯t be used directly. harvested herbs needed to undergo a series of processing steps, such as drying, threshing, and removing impurities.


    if ye ling were to process the herbs at the residence of the production team in willow village, it would be easily discovered, making it difficult to explain.


    it seemed she had to find a discreet location to secretly process the herbs before selling them.


    additionally, after the training was over, ye ling planned to make a trip to the deep mountains to search for rarer herbs. currently, the herbs in the small world were most common ones, and even if processed, they wouldn¡¯t fetch a high price. she needed more precious herbs!


    two days later, ye ling was supposed to continue with her training, but the weather suddenly turned unfavorable. thunderstorms, which were common in summer, made the mountain roads muddy.


    the pharmacy trainer had already mentioned that training sessions wouldn¡¯t be held in case of rain or strong winds, as safety came first.


    ye ling stared at the pouring rain outside, and memories of the past flooded her mind.


    in her previous life, after she married wu de, he would spend his days gambling, squandering all the family¡¯s money. he even took away the little money ye ling had managed to save.


    on rainy days, when wu de couldn¡¯t go out, he would drink heavily at home. when drunk, he turned into a raging lunatic. if he was in a bad mood, ye ling would suffer even more.


    when wu de was in a bad mood, everything irritated him, especially ye ling. without any reason, he would often lash out at her, pulling her hair and smashing her head against the wall, or viciously kicking and slapping her.


    those days, even the memory of them made ye ling tremble and her heart quiver with fear.


    it was all in the past. it would never happen again¡­ ye ling repeatedly comforted herself in her mind, finally managing to suppress the painful and restless emotions.


    ¡°knock, knock.¡± someone suddenly knocked on the door. ye ling was stunned for a moment. who would be looking for her?


    ¡°who is it?¡± ye ling remained cautious and didn¡¯t open the door immediately, asking loudly.


    ¡°it¡¯s me, sister lingling.¡± a child¡¯s voice came from outside.


    ¡°wan xue?¡± ye ling breathed a sigh of relief and quickly opened the door.


    upon opening the door, ye ling saw wan xue, drenched in rain and wearing a raincoat, his face filled with deep concern.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong, wan xue?¡±


    ¡°sister lingling, do you know what to do if a pregnant woman has heavy bleeding?¡± wan xue wiped off the rainwater from his face, his voice trembling with panic.

 Chapter 23

    help


    ye ling was taken aback and quickly asked, ¡°what happened?¡±


    ¡°our neighbor, aunt hua, suddenly went into labor today. my mother went over to help early in the morning, but aunt hua started bleeding heavily. it¡¯s raining heavily today, and we don¡¯t know when the midwife will arrive. my mother is worried that aunt hua won¡¯t be able to hold on, so she thought of you, sister lingling, who knows medicine. that¡¯s why she asked me to come and ask you.¡± wan xue panted heavily as he quickly explained the basic situation.


    ye ling immediately said, ¡°wait for me, we¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡±


    ye ling returned to her room and pulled out a set of silver needles from her suitcase, carefully tucking them into her clothes.


    this set of silver needles was used by her mother. before her mother passed away, she entrusted them to ye ling. ye ling had been keeping it secret from her father.


    soon after, ye ling and wan xue dashed into the pouring rain. their figures quickly blurred, as if being swallowed by the storm.


    they hurriedly arrived at aunt hua¡¯s house, where a young girl about the same age as wan xue stood at the door. as soon as she saw wan xue and ye ling, she immediately exclaimed, ¡°they¡¯re here!¡±


    sun li opened the door anxiously, her hands and clothes stained with blood. when she saw ye ling, sun li hurriedly asked, ¡°lingling, do you know how to treat severe bleeding in a pregnant woman? it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t trust you, but this is a matter of life and death. don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    ye ling calmly replied, ¡°auntie, let me first assess aunt hua¡¯s condition.¡±


    ¡°okay, come in quickly.¡±


    upon entering the house, ye ling immediately detected the strong smell of blood.


    aunt hua¡¯s cries of pain sounded weak, indicating her depleted strength. it was not a good sign.


    ye ling pulled out aunt hua¡¯s wrist and pressed her finger on her pulse, her expression serious and focused as she conducted a preliminary diagnosis.


    ¡°how is she? do you have a solution?¡± sun li asked nervously.


    ye ling released her hand, her expression much calmer now. she tucked aunt hua¡¯s hand back under the blanket and said simply, ¡°i have a way to address the bleeding issue, but i don¡¯t know how to deliver a baby. auntie, we need to find a midwife as soon as possible.¡±


    hearing ye ling¡¯s words, sun li was both surprised and relieved. she nodded hastily, ¡°the midwife should be here soon.¡±


    outside the door, aunt hua¡¯s husband, filled with worry and doubt, questioned sun li, ¡°sister sun, can this young girl handle it? she can¡¯t treat my wife casually!¡±


    sun li¡¯s emotions were also in turmoil. aunt hua had been her close friend for many years, and she was more concerned about her well-being than anyone else. as for ye ling¡¯s medical skills, sun li didn¡¯t know much, but she believed that ye ling must be capable. otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have had the courage to save xiao hu in front of everyone.


    ¡°shut up! if you think you can handle it, then come and do it yourself!¡± in this critical situation, sun li decided to trust ye ling and retorted against aunt hua¡¯s husband. she then turned to ye ling and said, ¡°lingling, i believe in you!¡±


    ye ling already presented the silver needles and said to sun li, ¡°auntie, i¡¯ll begin now. you should leave first. try not to let the people outside make loud noises. it can make the pregnant woman anxious.¡±


    sun li complied and left. ye ling took a deep breath and picked up the silver needles.


    acupuncture was one of the ye family¡¯s most proficient methods of treating illnesses and saving lives. since she was young, ye ling had often witnessed her grandfather and mother using acupuncture to heal others. as she grew older, her grandfather taught her some basic acupuncture techniques. with an elderly person and a young child frequently using acupuncture on each other, ye ling overcame her fear of needles and gained a preliminary understanding of several hundred vital acupuncture points in the human body.


    although ye ling had not performed acupuncture on a patient before, she remained calm and composed. she knew precisely which acupuncture points to stimulate for treatment. she had already mastered the art of acupuncture.


    the silver needles swiftly pierced specific acupuncture points, and soon aunt hua¡¯s pained expression eased considerably.


    ye ling removed the silver needles and gently massaged a few acupuncture points, providing aunt hua with some relief. she then advised, ¡°auntie hua, the bleeding has stopped. the midwife will arrive soon. for now, please refrain from exerting yourself and conserve your energy.¡±


    aunt hua, her face covered in sweat, nodded and hoarsely expressed her gratitude, saying, ¡°thank you.¡±


    ye ling pushed open the door and saw the crowd gathered outside. she announced, ¡°the bleeding has stopped. i can¡¯t handle anything beyond this.¡±


    sun li was overjoyed and held an even greater admiration for ye ling. she knew just how dangerous the situation had been, yet ye ling resolved the issue so quickly.


    aunt hua¡¯s husband let out a long sigh of relief and promptly thanked ye ling.

 Chapter 24

    gratitude


    not long after, the midwife finally arrived. sun li followed the midwife into the room and began to prepare for labor. aunt hua¡¯s painful cries suddenly sounded, and ye ling could not bear to hear them.


    it was too difficult and dangerous for a woman to give birth. fortunately, she was still far away from giving birth¡­


    ye ling¡¯s mind wandered. after some time, she finally heard the cry of a baby.


    the child was born!


    the midwife emerged from the room, cradling the baby in her arms, and congratulated aunt hua¡¯s husband. ¡°both mother and child are safe. it¡¯s a boy. it wasn¡¯t an easy delivery!¡±


    aunt hua¡¯s husband beamed with joy.


    the midwife then turned her gaze to ye ling, her expression filled with admiration. ¡°young girl, did you help stop aunt hua¡¯s bleeding? you¡¯re truly skilled. thanks to you, aunt hua and her child are safe.¡±


    the midwife noticed the large bloodstain on the bedsheets and realized just how perilous the situation had been before she arrived.


    ye ling shyly smiled and didn¡¯t say much.


    sun li cleaned her hands and placed the baby on the bed. she walked over to ye ling, her face beaming, and said, ¡°lingling, why don¡¯t you take a look at aunt hua and advise her on what medicine to take and how to nourish her body? we¡¯ll follow your guidance!¡±


    ye ling nodded in agreement. ¡°okay, let me take a look.¡±


    once ye ling entered the room, sun li turned to aunt hua¡¯s husband, glaring at him. ¡°you were doubting lingling earlier. thanks to her, you¡¯ve saved a substantial amount on medical expenses. you should express your gratitude to her later!¡±


    aunt hua¡¯s husband quickly nodded in agreement. ¡°of course. sister sun, thank you as well. if it weren¡¯t for your acquaintance with doctor ye, my wife, and child would have been in danger.¡±


    ¡°you still have a conscience,¡± sun li remarked, her voice filled with pride. ¡°but this time, lingling deserves most of the credit.¡±


    hearing this, aunt hua¡¯s husband looked puzzled. ¡°sister sun, isn¡¯t this doctor ye a knowledgeable young person from the city? how do you know her?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s our min nan who knows her. they¡­¡± sun li paused for a moment, considering her words. ¡°they are good friends.¡±


    ¡°oh, i see.¡±


    at noon, sun li prepared the meal, and ye ling had lunch at aunt hua¡¯s house.


    after the meal, aunt hua¡¯s husband handed ye ling a bag of white flour, a bag of cornmeal, and a stack of food exchange tickets, expressing his gratitude. ¡°doctor ye, thank you for saving my wife and child. please accept this as a token of appreciation.¡±


    ye ling hurriedly waved her hand and was about to refuse when sun li immediately interjected, ¡°lingling, just accept it. otherwise, he won¡¯t be able to sleep well at night.¡±


    ye ling hesitated for a moment, then took a few food exchange tickets without asking for anything else.


    aunt hua¡¯s husband grew a bit anxious, about to persuade ye ling to accept the other items, but ye ling spoke up, ¡°uncle, i won¡¯t accept anything else, but i have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°what favor?¡± aunt hua¡¯s husband looked bewildered and asked.


    ¡°uncle, i suppose you often go up the mountain, don¡¯t you?¡± ye ling asked, receiving an affirmative response. she continued, ¡°could you keep an eye out for any precious herbs on the mountain? or if you have any channels to acquire rare herbs, please let me know. oh, and i don¡¯t want them already processed, i prefer fresh ones.¡±


    willow village was surrounded by mountains, and besides their agricultural work, the villagers often went hunting or sought out valuable herbs to supplement their income.


    aunt hua¡¯s husband was no exception, he was considered a semi-professional hunter and also knew people who sold herbs.


    ¡°no problem. if i hear anything, i¡¯ll inform sister sun, and she can pass on the message to you, doctor ye,¡± aunt hua¡¯s husband replied, seeing it as a way to repay ye ling for her help.


    ¡°thank you,¡± ye ling nodded. she then added, ¡°you don¡¯t need to address me as doctor ye. i don¡¯t have a medical license, so i can¡¯t be called a doctor. just call me lingling, uncle.¡±


    seeing ye ling¡¯s friendly demeanor, aunt hua¡¯s husband smiled warmly, ¡°alright, lingling. if there¡¯s anything else you need help with, just let me know!¡±


    that night, when min nan returned home, he learned from sun li about ye ling¡¯s efforts in saving aunt hua. though he hadn¡¯t witnessed it firsthand, sun li¡¯s account conveyed the urgency of the situation.


    ye ling¡¯s performance surprised min nan, yet at the same time, it seemed fitting. he had long known that this young girl was remarkable.

 Chapter 25

    black market


    ¡°this time, it¡¯s thanks to lingling. i think in the future, if anyone in our village falls ill, instead of going to the clinic or the town hospital, they can directly seek medical help from lingling,¡± sun li exclaimed.


    hearing this, min nan shook his head and said, ¡°that won¡¯t do. ye ling is not yet a doctor. if everyone starts relying on her for treatment, it might cause her trouble. besides, she already has a lot on her plate, and if everyone seeks her help, she might become overwhelmed.¡±


    sun li teased with a smile, ¡°oh, you haven¡¯t even married her yet, and you¡¯re already feeling heartache? are you worried that she¡¯ll be tired?¡±


    min nan responded helplessly, ¡°godmother, you¡¯re not understanding it correctly. it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°okay, i¡¯ll follow your suggestion. for now, we won¡¯t publicize lingling¡¯s medical skills. if there¡¯s an emergency, i¡¯ll ask her for help.¡± sun li agreed, thinking that min nan¡¯s point made sense.


    after all, in their village, the common ailments were mostly fevers and colds. there was no need for ye ling to intervene in minor issues.


    sun li then remembered something and mentioned, ¡°by the way, i heard that lingling is running for the position of pharmacy administrator in the village. she will be going to town for training in the next few days. she also mentioned her plan to obtain a medical license. it seems like she¡¯s preparing to become a doctor.¡±


    min nan was taken aback by this information. if it weren¡¯t for sun li¡¯s update, he wouldn¡¯t have known.


    ¡°that¡¯s good. in the city, doctors have good prospects. after completing her rural support mission, it would be great for her to become a doctor,¡± min nan expressed, thinking it was a positive thing for ye ling to have aspirations. he believed she was stronger than women who solely focused on marrying well without knowing the true purpose of their lives.


    sun li responded discontentedly, ¡°look at what you¡¯re saying. shouldn¡¯t you try to find a way to make lingling stay? what will you do if she leaves?¡±


    min nan was unsure how to reply. he and ye ling were merely acquaintances at this point. why did his godmother make such ambiguous remarks?


    what ye ling chose to do was beyond his control. as a friend, his role was to support and encourage her pursuit of the life she desired.


    realizing it would be difficult to explain to his godmother, min nan decided not to say more.


    after the stormy weather subsided, ye ling continued to attend the training at the town¡¯s pharmacy.


    over the past few days, ye ling had been drinking water from the small world. she discovered that the water was very magical. after drinking it, not only did she feel refreshed, but her body also became healthier and stronger day by day.


    previously, the two-hour walk to town would leave her breathless, but now she found it effortless. she sensed her body growing stronger, and her vision and hearing seemed to have improved.


    indeed, small worlds were remarkable!


    additionally, there was another matter that caught ye ling¡¯s attention.


    one day, she suddenly noticed that the thick white fog at the edge seemed to have faded slightly. although she still couldn¡¯t enter the fog, there was a subtle change happening.


    why?


    ye ling made a mental note of this and planned to continue observing it in the future.


    during her lunch break at the pharmacy, ye ling informed the training coordinator and left to buy things in town.


    she purchased a clay stove, which would be practical for cooking meals and brewing medicine.


    after buying the stove, ye ling looked towards a secluded entrance nearby.


    that should be the black market.


    in her previous life, ye ling had never been to the black market, but she had heard about it from wu de. due to certain political reasons, the market economy of this era was mostly controlled by the state. the purchase and exchange of goods were not free, and most daily necessities had to be obtained through exchange tickets. in less developed areas, the trading system became even more restricted.


    in such circumstances, the black market emerged as a place for private transactions and illegal activities. wu de had once shared stories about the black market, including his own experiences seeking prostitutes.


    all of this information came from wu de¡¯s drunken ramblings. otherwise, ye ling would not have known about the existence of the black market.


    ye ling wondered if there might be someone selling medicinal herbs on the black market. she felt a slight temptation to go and take a look.


    perhaps due to her rebirth, ye ling now possessed more courage than before. even though she was aware that the black market was illegal, she still felt the urge to take risks.


    however, she realized that she didn¡¯t have much money with her at the moment. even if she found the herbs she desired inside, she wouldn¡¯t be able to afford them.


    ye ling hesitated for a moment and decided to come back and explore the black market another time.

 Chapter 26

    thief


    back at the medical shop, the afternoon training focused on simple illnesses and their corresponding formulas. while ye ling was listening, her mind wandered, ¡°the training was almost over, but why hadn¡¯t liu lin shown any unusual behavior?¡±


    just as ye ling was lost in thought, someone tapped her arm.


    she looked up and saw a pale-faced girl with delicate features looking at her as if she had something to ask.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ye ling looked at her in confusion. she recognized the girl as yun jie, another intellectual youth from stone village, although they weren¡¯t acquainted and had never spoken before.


    yun jie handed ye ling a notebook containing a record of a prescription that had just been discussed. ¡°is it necessary to use these two herbs in this prescription? i don¡¯t think they are needed.¡±


    so, she had a question for ye ling. ye ling quickly glanced at the prescription recorded in the notebook.


    ¡°you¡¯re right. these two herbs don¡¯t seem to have much effect. even if they are omitted, it won¡¯t make much difference. however, in cases where the patient¡¯s body is weak, it¡¯s difficult for them to absorb tonics. these two herbs help moderate the properties of other herbs and facilitate better absorption for the patient. however, if the patient is in good health, these two herbs can be omitted,¡± ye ling patiently explained.


    yun jie nodded, quickly looked at ye ling, and said, ¡°thank you.¡±


    ¡°no problem.¡±


    after their brief exchange, yun jie turned and left, leaving ye ling with a petite figure.


    ye ling felt that yun jie was a diligent learner. compared to others participating in the training, yun jie had a better foundation and wasn¡¯t trying to rush through medical studies within a few days. she genuinely approached the training with a learning attitude.


    if it weren¡¯t for this, yun jie wouldn¡¯t have overcome her reserved and aloof nature to approach ye ling with a question. ye ling had received compliments from the middle-aged man several times, not only for her ability to identify medicinal herbs but also for her skill in handling them. yun jie probably avoided asking the middle-aged man due to his bad temper and sought ye ling¡¯s advice instead.


    the next day marked the end of the training.


    after ye ling entered the medicine shop, she was about to head to the backyard when she bumped into someone when she passed by the counter.


    it was a young woman in her thirties. after she bumped into ye ling, she revealed a dissatisfied and irritated expression. she glared at ye ling and then left.


    ye ling frowned, feeling that something was amiss.


    upon reaching the backyard, ye ling joined the other trainees to process the medicinal herbs in batches as usual. however, before long, they all heard a commotion coming from the medical shop counter.


    not long after, the owner of the medicine shop and the young woman who had bumped into ye ling walked towards the backyard. when the young woman saw ye ling, she angrily pointed at her and said, ¡°it¡¯s her! she must have stolen my things!¡±


    ye ling was puzzled. when did she steal something?


    all eyes were now focused on ye ling.


    the young woman placed her hands on her waist and looked at ye ling with contempt. in a sarcastic tone, she said, ¡°boss, i can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a thief in your medicine shop. what are you going to do about this?¡±


    before the medical shop owner could respond, the middle-aged man responsible for training ye ling and the others stepped forward, furrowing his brow as he looked at the woman. he asked, ¡°do you have any evidence to support your claim that she stole something?¡±


    ¡°when i left the medicine shop, she intentionally bumped into me. after that, my belongings went missing. who else could it be if not her? my possession was made of pure gold and quite expensive. you have quite the eye for quality, you thief!¡± the young woman glared at ye ling with malice.


    the confusion in ye ling¡¯s eyes slowly dissipated, and then gradually became profound and restrained.


    so, this young woman had targeted her. no wonder she had felt that something was amiss.


    ye ling reached into her pockets and indeed felt something that didn¡¯t belong to her in one of them. it was a thin, lightweight item that she hadn¡¯t noticed when it entered her pocket.


    the young woman stared at ye ling for a moment before abruptly rushing towards her. she quickly searched ye ling¡¯s pockets and immediately pulled out the thin gold leaf. ¡°it was on you! no wonder you were discreetly checking your pockets just now!¡±


    the young woman looked at ye ling with malevolence and showed the golden leaf to everyone present. she declared, ¡°you all saw it, right? she stole my belongings! boss, why haven¡¯t you called the police yet?¡±


    even the medical shop owner was taken aback. he hadn¡¯t expected to find a golden leaf on ye ling.


    at that moment, the gazes of many people toward ye ling underwent a noticeable change.

 Chapter 27

    mine


    ye ling glanced at liu lin from the corner of her eyes. at this moment, liu lin also revealed a shocked expression, as if she found it hard to believe that ye ling would steal something.


    ye ling didn¡¯t have the time to care about liu lin at this time, because under the urging of the young woman, the owner of the medical shop was already prepared to send his staff to the nearby police station to report to the police.


    within ten minutes, the police arrived. the young woman grew even more arrogant, pointing at ye ling and hurling more insults before demanding that the police take ye ling away immediately.


    the police officer looked at ye ling, unable to believe that such a beautiful and composed young girl would steal. however, judging from the reactions of the people at the scene, it seemed that what the young woman said was true.


    the police officer sighed inwardly, feeling a deep sense of pity for ye ling. in this day and age, once someone had a criminal record, it became a lifelong stain. ye ling was young and beautiful, so why would she choose to steal?


    the police officer took out his handcuffs and turned his gaze to ye ling. ¡°let¡¯s go to the police station.¡±


    upon hearing this, liu lin, who had been observing from the sidelines, couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips into a slight smile, feeling extremely pleased.


    once ye ling entered the police station, she would no longer be able to continue her life as an educated youth and would undoubtedly be sent back to the city. then, liu lin would no longer have to worry.


    liu lin and the young woman who had accused ye ling of stealing exchanged a glance. then, both of them averted their gazes, pretending not to know each other.


    as the police officer prepared to place the cold handcuffs on ye ling, she suddenly let out a soft laugh. the peculiar laughter was jarring, and everyone¡¯s attention turned to ye ling.


    ¡°what are you laughing at? do you regret it now? it¡¯s too late!¡± upon hearing ye ling¡¯s laughter, the young woman felt a shiver run down her spine.


    she suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and looked at ye ling with a knife-like gaze, appearing with a strong sense of confidence.


    ye ling appeared unperturbed. she slowly placed the golden leaf in her open palm and calmly met the young woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°who said this golden leaf was yours?¡±


    everyone, including the young woman, was stunned. she opened her mouth, but her mind hadn¡¯t yet processed ye ling¡¯s words. seven or eight seconds later, her voice filled with anger, she asked, ¡°what did you say?¡±


    ye ling¡¯s lips curled up slowly, her tone still calm and unruffled. ¡°this golden leaf is mine.¡±


    the young woman was on the verge of exploding with anger. ¡°what nonsense are you spouting? you stole my things, and now you claim they¡¯re yours? police officer not only is this woman a thief, but she¡¯s also insane! take her away!¡±


    even the police officer sensed that something was amiss and looked at ye ling with confusion. ¡°do you realize what you¡¯re saying? how could this golden leaf possibly belong to you?¡±


    ye ling slowly turned her head to the police officer. ¡°this golden leaf originally belonged to me. i accidentally dropped it on the ground, and this woman saw it and wanted to extort it from me.¡±


    the young woman was stunned, completely unable to believe that ye ling would be so shameless. she was so angry that she almost spat blood.


    ¡°what are you talking about? this golden leaf is mine! you¡¯re a thief!¡± the young woman shouted in a state of fury, her voice sharp, and her cheeks flushed.


    ye ling smiled, ¡°do you have any evidence to prove that this golden leaf is yours? where did you buy it? what about the purchase records?¡±


    the infuriated young woman was momentarily at a loss as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. her mouth moved, but she couldn¡¯t produce any sound.


    when the police saw the young woman¡¯s reaction, they suddenly felt that this matter was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.


    liu lin had initially thought that ye ling being taken away by the police was a sure thing. she had never expected such a turn of events.


    was ye ling insane? how could this golden leaf possibly be hers?!


    ye ling looked at the speechless young woman and casually played with the thin golden leaf between her fingers. ¡°if you can prove that this golden leaf is yours, then you can accuse me of being a thief. but for now, it seems you¡¯re unable to provide any evidence. can i then say that you are framing me?¡±


    the young woman stared at ye ling, finally regaining her voice and shouting somewhat crazily, ¡°this golden leaf is mine. it has always been mine!¡±


    however, at this moment, the woman¡¯s voice lacked the initial arrogance and firmness, instead sounding panicked.


    the police officer didn¡¯t know who to believe and felt a throbbing headache. he turned to ye ling and asked, ¡°do you have any evidence to prove that this golden leaf is yours?¡±

 Chapter 28

    interrogation


    ye ling slowly shook her head. ¡°no, but this gold leaf is mine.¡±


    this¡­ wasn¡¯t this acting shamelessly? many people present had such thoughts.


    however, upon careful consideration, ye ling¡¯s logic seemed peculiar but completely reasonable.


    since the young woman couldn¡¯t prove that the gold leaf was hers, how was she qualified to accuse ye ling of stealing it?


    the police officer took a deep breath and massaged his temples, which were throbbing with pain. ¡°alright, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. both of you, come with me to the police station!¡±


    ye ling had no objections. but before leaving, she secretly pulled yun jie and whispered, ¡°yun jie, do me a favor.¡±


    not long after, ye ling and the young woman arrived at the police station. after a brief recording of their statements, ye ling learned that the young woman¡¯s name was du juan, and she lived in lotus village, not far from stone village.


    after understanding the situation, the police officers at the station found themselves in a dilemma. they couldn¡¯t determine who was telling the truth.


    a seasoned police officer pondered for a moment and said, ¡°the key is to find out the origin of this gold leaf.¡±


    ¡°should we continue questioning ye ling or du juan?¡± another officer asked.


    ¡°we should question both of them, but focus on du juan. she claims that ye ling stole her belongings. if she hadn¡¯t made that accusation, this whole situation wouldn¡¯t have escalated. in any case, we will believe whoever provides information about the origin of the gold leaf first.¡±


    soon enough, the police brought du juan into the interrogation room and asked her where she obtained the gold leaf. du juan stammered and couldn¡¯t come up with a proper explanation.


    ¡°yes, my deceased husband gave it to me,¡± du juan said. being a widow, she quickly came up with that excuse.


    in the other interrogation room, ye ling responded, ¡°my deceased grandmother left it to me.¡±


    the police officers were speechless. how could these two people give the same answer? moreover, the person who gave them the gold leaf was already dead. how could they investigate further?


    for a moment, the interrogation reached a stalemate.


    not long after, a round-faced policewoman entered the room. ¡°officer li, someone is here claiming to be a friend of ye ling.¡±


    then, dai wei appeared at the door.


    dai wei showed a smile upon seeing a familiar face. after entering the room, he patted officer li¡¯s shoulder. ¡°old li, long time no see. what¡¯s wrong? have you encountered a problem that can¡¯t be solved?¡±


    officer li swatted away dai wei¡¯s hand and rolled his eyes. ¡°this problem can¡¯t be solved even if people from the provincial office come.¡±


    officer li briefly explained the situation, and upon hearing it, dai wei furrowed his brows. after a moment of contemplation, his brow relaxed. ¡°since both of them are unable to provide evidence, let¡¯s not worry about it. release ye ling for now.¡±


    officer li¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°how can we do that?¡±


    ¡°why not? let me tell you, i know ye ling. she¡¯s a knowledgeable youth from the city. i¡¯ve heard that her family is very wealthy. as for du juan, she¡¯s from lotus village. i don¡¯t need to explain where lotus village is, right? each family is poorer than the other, and they struggle to have enough to eat. how could her deceased husband give her a gold leaf? is romance more important than food?¡±


    dai wei¡¯s intention was clear, and officer li found his analysis to be reasonable but still hesitated.


    ¡°furthermore, ye ling is my friend. i can vouch for her character, and so can min nan.¡± dai wei felt that his words lacked weight and immediately mentioned min nan.


    officer li was taken aback and lowered his voice. ¡°ye ling is also a friend of min nan?¡±


    ¡°they are not just friends.¡± dai wei ambiguously winked and gave a ¡°you know what i mean¡± expression.


    officer li no longer hesitated and immediately turned to his subordinates. ¡°release ye ling.¡±


    ¡°what about du juan?¡± one of the subordinates asked.


    officer li pondered for a few seconds. ¡°release her too.¡±


    ¡°wait.¡± dai wei stopped officer li. ¡°i think du juan is a bit suspicious. after you release her, you can have someone follow her and see if she shows any unusual behavior. as for the gold leaf, you can say that you want to investigate its craftsmanship to determine its origin and observe the reactions of du juan and ye ling.¡±


    ¡°you know how to handle things.¡± officer li¡¯s mind became clear, and he immediately instructed his subordinates to follow dai wei¡¯s plan.


    when ye ling heard that the police officer would investigate the origin of the gold leaf, her expression remained unchanged as if she had no worries. however, a flicker of panic crossed du juan¡¯s face.


    subsequently, the two of them left the police station. ye ling left with dai wei. after stepping out of the police station, ye ling looked at dai wei with gratitude. ¡°officer dai, thank you for helping me.¡±

 Chapter 29

    guess


    ¡°it¡¯s okay,¡± dai wei waved his hand. ¡°i believe you¡¯re not that kind of person. as for that du juan, i think there¡¯s something suspicious about her.¡±


    ye ling nodded, her gaze deep and her tone resolute. ¡°she wanted to frame me, but she¡¯s not the mastermind.¡±


    ¡°do you have any guesses? is this incident related to the previous one with wu de?¡± dai wei asked, referring to the previous incident where ye ling was raped by wu de.


    ¡°we can¡¯t be certain at the moment. it would be great if we can find something from du juan,¡± ye ling replied. she had a suspicion in her mind, but without evidence, she didn¡¯t plan to share it directly with dai wei.


    she noticed that the woman named du juan had sunken cheeks, pale lips, and loose skin. it was a clear sign of long-term malnutrition.


    how could a malnourished woman possess a gold leaf? it didn¡¯t belong to her.


    ¡°i¡¯ve asked officer li to have someone follow du juan and observe if she exhibits any unusual behavior,¡± dai wei immediately said.


    ¡°officer dai, you think things through,¡± ye ling said with a hint of joy, her eyes shining brighter.


    dai wei felt a bit uneasy and shifted his gaze away. despite considering ye ling as his good brother¡¯s woman, the gaze of a beautiful woman always made a man¡¯s heart race.


    he coughed twice to conceal his discomfort and then asked, ¡°why didn¡¯t you ask yun jie to seek min nan¡¯s help?¡±


    ye ling pursed her lips and lowered her head, unsure how to explain.


    min nan¡¯s godmother and her brothers seemed to have misunderstood her relationship with min nan. at that time, she thought of two people who could help her. one was dai wei and the other was min nan.


    although she was more familiar with min nan, ye ling still didn¡¯t want to trouble min nan to avoid confirming the misunderstanding.


    seeing that ye ling didn¡¯t seem to want to answer, dai wei felt a little uneasy. did ye ling and min nan quarrel?


    he didn¡¯t dare to ask again and hurriedly said, ¡°then i¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    when they reached the bridge by the river in willow village, the two of them waved goodbye.


    however, neither of them noticed the tall and handsome figure under the willow tree not far away.


    seeing ye ling walking toward the production team¡¯s dormitory, min nan¡¯s calm heart stirred.


    ever since ye ling arrived at sun li¡¯s house, sun li and her children had perceived that there was something more than friendship between ye ling and min nan. consequently, sun li instructed them to pay more attention to ye ling¡¯s activities.


    wan xue, who often played with a group of children in the village, naturally observed the times when ye ling left and returned.


    today, wan xue noticed that ye ling, who typically returned to the village around six o¡¯clock, hadn¡¯t come back even after it got dark. he informed sun li about it, and later, sun li mentioned it to min nan when he returned home.


    hearing his godmother¡¯s remark that ye ling hadn¡¯t returned on time today, min nan felt a hint of unease.


    he knew about ye ling¡¯s previous experience in stone village. in his opinion, not only was someone secretly trying to harm ye ling, but wu de¡¯s mother was also a hidden threat. could it be that something had happened to ye ling again?


    min nan reassured sun li, who was worried and quickly finished his meal. first, he went to the production team to inquire about ye ling¡¯s situation and discovered that she still hadn¡¯t returned.


    min nan grew even more uneasy. he initially thought about going to town to inquire about where ye ling had gone after her training. however, considering the long journey from willow village to town, he contemplated for a moment and decided to visit stone village to gather information. to his surprise, wu de¡¯s mother, lin fang, hadn¡¯t left the house all day. this brought him some relief, and he decided to wait near the bridge in willow village.


    if ye ling didn¡¯t return after a while, he would report to the police and search for her together with dai wei.


    however, what min nan didn¡¯t expect was that ye ling returned with dai wei!


    as the two of them went their separate ways at the bridge, they didn¡¯t notice min nan, who was not far away.


    watching their figures, min nan¡¯s mind filled with various speculations. he tried to convince himself that perhaps something had happened, which was why dai wei had accompanied ye ling back.


    but he couldn¡¯t suppress the sour feeling that rose in his heart, ¡°why didn¡¯t he know if something had happened? why did ye ling seek help from dai wei and not him?¡±


    ¡°or maybe ye ling had developed some sort of romantic interest in dai wei, which was why they came back together today?¡±


    at the thought of the second possibility, min nan initially believed that it wouldn¡¯t affect him much.


    after all, dai wei was his good friend, and he didn¡¯t think he had romantic feelings for ye ling. if there were any potential for them to be together, he should be happy for his friend and ye ling.


    however, min nan felt a sense of suffocation and discontent deep within his heart. it was as if there was a trapped breath in his chest that he couldn¡¯t swallow or release.

 Chapter 30

    rumors


    the next morning, ye ling woke up and went to the small world to read medical books for a while.


    two hours later, ye ling came out from the small world and took out the small stove she had bought in town. she cooked herself a bowl of cornmeal soup.


    after satisfying her hunger, ye ling hesitated whether to report to the production team and receive tasks or venture deeper into the mountains to search for more valuable herbs.


    it wasn¡¯t that she wanted to slack off or avoid work, but no one from the production team had urged her yet.


    the production team in willow village was surprisingly lenient towards her. she hadn¡¯t received such treatment in stone village before.


    could it be that the village chief had given prior instructions?


    well, when she next saw li bin, she could ask him indirectly. if li bin said there was no rush, then she didn¡¯t need to be overly proactive. as long as she still had some free time, it was better to gather more herbs, which was the real priority!


    with these thoughts in mind, ye ling decided not to report to the production team. she picked up her bamboo basket and small hoe and set off to explore the mountains to the west of willow village.


    ¡­


    at noon, the production team¡¯s canteen was bustling with people coming and going, creating a lively atmosphere.


    li bin had just finished his meal and was searching for a seat when he overheard two young women nearby discussing something, mentioning a name he was familiar with.


    ¡°hey, isn¡¯t the new educated youth named ye ling? has she still not reported to the production team for work? this is outrageous! does she think of herself as a princess?¡±


    ¡°i heard her reputation in stone village wasn¡¯t good. i guess she couldn¡¯t make it there, which is why she came to our village. i wonder if she¡¯s gotten involved with someone from the production team. she doesn¡¯t even have to do any work¡­¡±


    ¡°we don¡¯t lead such pampered lives. we don¡¯t rely on men, and we can¡¯t afford such luxury.¡±


    their tone grew increasingly scornful, attracting the attention of several people nearby who also wanted to inquire about ye ling.


    li bin¡¯s face immediately darkened. he walked over to the two women, forcefully placing his bowl down, and cast a stern gaze at them, causing them to fall silent.


    li bin was well aware that rumors couldn¡¯t be easily quelled. he sighed inwardly, refrained from saying anything further, and began eating his meal.


    initially, it was his responsibility to notify ye ling about reporting to the production team, but ever since he learned about ye ling¡¯s special relationship with min nan, he hadn¡¯t rushed her. he thought it wouldn¡¯t be good to leave a negative impression on his future sister-in-law.


    moreover, during their previous conversation, wan feng mentioned that ye ling intended to run for the position of medical shop administrator and had been undergoing training in town every day. after hearing this, li bin decided not to pressure ye ling further. he silently supported his future sister-in-law¡¯s career.


    however, he hadn¡¯t expected these people to come up with such repugnant speculations! it was ye ling¡¯s own business whether she earned production points or not. these people were unnecessarily meddling in her affairs.


    nevertheless, in a few days, he would still have to inform ye ling to report to the production team. otherwise, the gossipmongers would only increase, and rumors could be quite dangerous.


    at noon, ye ling came down from the mountain and sat under a tree at the foot of the mountain to rest. she took out the prepared coarse grain bread for lunch.


    the bamboo basket beside her was empty, without a single herb.


    she had stored all the herbs in the small world. if she carried a large basket of herbs back to the dormitory, it would attract the attention of others, so she decided to deal with this batch of herbs on the mountain.


    she had indeed gained a lot of herbs from this trip up the mountain. she had found many highly valuable herbs, and her collection in the small world was now quite substantial. she could begin preparing some simple ointments.


    after finishing the coarse grain bread, ye ling dusted off the crumbs on her hands and stood up. she placed the bamboo basket behind a rock and covered it with the leaves of a shrub.


    she planned to go directly to find dai wei later and inquire about any progress in the investigation of du juan. when she returned, she would pick up the basket, saving herself an extra trip.


    dai wei¡¯s police station was responsible for overseeing five or six villages to the north of lan river, situated between willow village and apricot blossom village. it wasn¡¯t too far away.


    at two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, it was the police station¡¯s lunch break.


    dai wei¡¯s parents had moved to town several years ago. since no one resided in the old house in willow village, dai wei chose to live at the police station. he only visited his parents in town during holidays.


    after finishing his lunch, dai wei took a short nap. as soon as he rose from the narrow bamboo bed, he noticed someone sitting on the chair across from him. the person¡¯s dark and profound eyes were fixed on him.


    dai wei screamed in fear and clutched his heart. ¡°min nan! are you trying to scare me to death?¡±


    min nan cast a faint glance at dai wei but remained silent.


    dai wei regained his composure, his gaze filled with suspicion as he looked at min nan. ¡°why are you staring at me like that? it¡¯s frightening.¡±

 Chapter 31

    inquire


    ¡°i have something to ask you,¡± min nan said calmly.


    ¡°alright, i also have something to tell you. just wait for me a moment.¡± dai wei put on his shoes and walked to the police station¡¯s courtyard. he washed his face with the cold water from the well before returning to the office. ¡°who wants to go first, you or me?¡±


    after a brief moment of contemplation, min nan replied, ¡°i¡¯ll go first.¡±


    after a two-second pause, min nan asked, ¡°did ye ling come to you yesterday?¡±


    dai wei¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°how did you know? that¡¯s exactly what i wanted to talk to you about!¡±


    min nan carefully observed dai wei¡¯s expression and quickly made a judgment. since dai wei had something to say, it indicated that ye ling¡¯s visit to him had a valid reason and wasn¡¯t related to any progress in their relationship.


    in an instant, min nan felt a cool breeze blowing into his chest, dispersing some of the negative emotions that had been bothering him.


    ¡°alright, you go ahead,¡± min nan leaned back against the chair and her tone became slightly more relaxed.


    dai wei recounted what happened to ye ling yesterday from beginning to end. then he sighed and said, ¡°i mean, who could be plotting against ye ling? that woman, du juan, is suspicious!¡±


    as min nan listened to dai wei¡¯s account, his eyebrows furrowed at times. when he heard dai wei¡¯s conclusion, he nodded in agreement, expressing his concurrence.


    however, min nan didn¡¯t want to dwell on this matter for the time being. he planned to personally investigate the woman named du juan again. at the moment, he was more concerned about another issue.


    dai wei noticed min nan¡¯s dark and profound gaze once again fixed upon him, and he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.


    why was min nan looking at him like that? did he say something wrong? it didn¡¯t seem like it.


    dai wei¡¯s mind raced, and he suddenly realized a serious problem. he hurriedly explained, ¡°hey, i have no idea why ye ling came to me first. i¡¯m also wondering about it. did you two quarrel? otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t she ask you for help?¡±


    min nan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed again. a quarrel? how could he have quarreled with her?


    the two men locked eyes, and silence filled the air.


    after a moment of hesitation, dai wei asked tentatively, ¡°so, how far have things progressed between you two?¡±


    min nan fell silent for a moment before replying, ¡°there hasn¡¯t been any progress.¡±


    ¡°no progress?¡± dai wei¡¯s expression turned into one of frustration. ¡°you¡¯ve wasted such a good opportunity! it has been so many days, and i¡¯ve put in so much effort to create favorable conditions for you. the publicity department¡¯s dormitory at the production team is just a 20-minute walk from your place. and yet, you¡¯re telling me that there¡¯s been no progress between you and her?¡±


    as min nan looked at dai wei¡¯s disappointed expression, he found himself at a loss for words. dai wei had taken the liberty to bring ye ling to willow village, and min nan had yet to settle that score with him.


    however, at this moment, min nan decided not to argue with dai wei about this matter.


    ¡°but¡­¡± min nan suddenly thought of something, ¡°my godmother and wan hai have all misunderstood the relationship between ye ling and me. could it be that she asked for your help because of this?¡±


    after contemplating for a moment, dai wei nodded. ¡°although you¡¯re inefficient in relationships, you¡¯re not stupid. i think that¡¯s the reason! you haven¡¯t even expressed your feelings to ye ling. she is unsure about your intentions and probably doesn¡¯t want to further complicate the situation or make you think that she is presumptuous. that¡¯s why she hesitated to ask for your help.¡±


    after dai wei finished his analysis, he sighed. ¡°now, when she faces a problem, her first thought is to come to me.¡±


    after speaking, dai wei noticed min nan¡¯s dangerous gaze and quickly defended himself, ¡°what i meant was, in the future, you should take the initiative so that the young girl doesn¡¯t think you have no feelings for her.¡±


    ¡°i never had any feelings for her,¡± min nan corrected dai wei, feeling that his statement was somewhat inappropriate.


    dai wei widened his eyes and stared at min nan. ¡°really? don¡¯t lie to me. why did you come and ask me about what happened to her yesterday? come on, min nan, there¡¯s no need to be embarrassed about it!¡±


    min nan fell silent and glanced at dai wei, signaling that he didn¡¯t want to discuss it any further.


    just as min nan was about to leave, a police officer on duty entered and informed them, ¡°old dai, there¡¯s a young girl looking for you. she¡¯s quite beautiful. is something going on?¡±


    the police officer on duty smiled with a hint of mischief.


    dai wei instantly knew that it was ye ling who had come to find him. with min nan right beside him, dai wei¡¯s heart nearly stopped, and he quickly glared at the police officer, saying, ¡°what nonsense are you spouting? she¡¯s my relative!¡±


    ¡°relative? when did you have such a beautiful relative?¡± the officer muttered to himself. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll let her in.¡±

 Chapter 32

    relatives


    dai wei turned to min nan and showed a pleasing smile. ¡°you see, you¡¯re my brother, and ye ling is like a sister-in-law to me. she¡¯s practically my relative!¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t want to pay much attention to dai wei¡¯s flattering smile, but his words stirred something in his heart, causing a slight upward curve of his lips.


    afterward, min nan set aside various thoughts in his mind and started contemplating what he should say when ye ling entered.


    when ye ling walked in, she noticed min nan standing beside dai wei. she paused for a moment and then smiled. ¡°brother min nan is here too.¡±


    dai wei knew that ye ling still believed min nan was a police officer at the station, so he took the lead in continuing the conversation. ¡°yes, he was on a mission today and returned early. ye ling, are you here to inquire about du juan?¡±


    upon hearing dai wei mention du juan, ye ling noticed that min nan didn¡¯t display any signs of confusion, leading her to speculate that dai wei must have informed min nan about the situation.


    considering their close friendship and shared workplace, it was only natural for dai wei to share this information with min nan.


    ye ling felt somewhat concerned that min nan might think she didn¡¯t trust him, which was why she didn¡¯t seek his help. with this thought in mind, she discreetly glanced at min nan, only to find her expression perfectly normal.


    she heaved a sigh of relief and turned to look at dai wei. she replied, ¡°yes, that¡¯s the reason i¡¯m here. officer dai, have you obtained any results from investigating du juan?¡±


    hearing ye ling¡¯s words, min nan couldn¡¯t help but have a strange thought, ¡°ye ling still referred to dai wei as officer dai, but she called min nan ¡°big brother min nan.¡± clearly, in ye ling¡¯s heart, she felt closer to him.


    with this realization, min nan¡¯s mood instantly brightened, and the previous feelings of frustration dissipated.


    dai wei shook his head slowly. ¡°officer li informed me that they followed du juan yesterday and confirmed that her behavior was indeed unusual. however, they didn¡¯t see anyone else.¡±


    ye ling nodded, as this investigation outcome was within her expectations. however, ye ling knew very well that it wasn¡¯t that du juan didn¡¯t want to find that person, but that she couldn¡¯t.


    the person who instigated du juan to frame ye ling was also in the medicine shop yesterday. when that person saw that ye ling wasn¡¯t wearing the label of a thief, she must have had a bad feeling. she must be even more afraid that her identity would be discovered, so she naturally didn¡¯t dare to casually look for du juan.


    dai wei continued, ¡°regarding the gold leaf, we also conducted an investigation. it doesn¡¯t belong to anyone here. people from our side rarely turn gold into gold leaf.¡±


    in other words, the ongoing investigation yielded no results.


    ye ling wasn¡¯t disappointed. after thanking dai wei, she said, ¡°if that¡¯s the case, then i¡¯ll head back first.¡±


    dai wei nodded and suddenly remembered something. ¡°by the way, ye ling, i¡¯m guessing the gold leaf isn¡¯t yours, is it?¡±


    before ye ling came in, he and min nan had also talked about this.


    both of them agreed that the gold leaf didn¡¯t belong to ye ling. she had only claimed it to avoid being framed.


    ye ling smiled sheepishly. ¡°it seems nothing can escape officer dai¡¯s attention. you won¡¯t report it to the local police station, will you?¡±


    dai wei hurriedly reassured her, ¡°of course not.¡±


    min nan, who had been standing aside, noticed that since ye ling arrived, she had been mostly conversing with dai wei. this made him feel a bit uncomfortable. now that ye ling was about to leave, min nan cast a cold gaze at dai wei.


    dai wei felt a chill in his heart upon meeting min nan¡¯s gaze. he suddenly realized that he hadn¡¯t given ye ling and min nan a chance to communicate. his eyes darted around, and he said to ye ling, ¡°let min nan accompany you back.¡±


    ye ling hesitated for a moment and immediately waved her hand. ¡°there¡¯s no need. don¡¯t let me interfere with your work.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s alright. min nan happens to be going back to willow village to fetch something. based on what we know so far, it seems that someone is trying to set you up. having min nan accompany you back will ensure your safety. it¡¯s settled then,¡± dai wei quickly responded, not giving ye ling a chance to react.


    ye ling sneakily glanced at min nan, feeling somewhat embarrassed. seeing that min nan had already stood up and was prepared to accompany her back, ye ling said with a hint of guilt, ¡°then i¡¯ll trouble you, big brother min nan.¡±


    she hoped that min nan wouldn¡¯t suddenly inquire about why she didn¡¯t seek his help first.


    however, perhaps she was overthinking, or maybe min nan hadn¡¯t even considered such a question.


    the two of them left the police station and turned from the main road onto a rugged path.


    at this moment, the sun was shining brightly and the temperature was high. after walking for a while, ye ling was covered in a layer of sweat. her cheeks were also dyed red, making her skin appear even fairer.

 Chapter 33

    shock


    min nan was much taller than ye ling, and at this moment, he lowered his head slightly and had a perfect view of two glistening droplets of sweat slowly trickling down ye ling¡¯s delicate collarbone. the beads followed the curve of her collarbone, creating an indescribably enchanting scene.


    particularly with ye ling¡¯s loose collar slightly undone, min nan could faintly discern the subtle contours of her chest.


    min nan¡¯s heart almost stopped. he quickly looked away and felt that the sun had become hotter in an instant. his throat was so dry that it felt like it was about to smoke.


    ¡°big brother min nan, it¡¯s so hot. would you like to take a break?¡± ye ling wiped away her sweat and finally couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, taking the initiative to suggest.


    although her body was much stronger now, it was only compared to her previous self.


    moreover, the temperature was high, and the ground was emitting heat from the sun. after walking for more than half an hour, she really couldn¡¯t take it.


    ¡°alright,¡± min nan immediately agreed. at the same time, he blamed himself for not asking to rest earlier.


    he had been immersed in the atmosphere of being alone with ye ling the entire time. his mind had been tensed the whole time and he hadn¡¯t thought of anything else.


    there was a hill next to them. the two of them climbed up and walked under a big tree. ye ling was about to sit down when min nan had already taken off her thin coat and laid it on the ground.


    ¡°have a seat.¡± min nan said naturally.


    ye ling sat down in embarrassment.


    throughout their journey, most of the conversation was initiated by ye ling. on one hand, she feared the awkwardness of silence, and on the other hand, she felt guilty. after all, dai wei was the one who informed min nan about du juan, even though she was closer to min nan and hadn¡¯t shared anything with him.


    under the tree now, ye ling realized they had exhausted most of the conversational topics. she didn¡¯t know what else to talk about!


    silence permeated the air, interrupted only by the distant chirping of cicadas and other insects, accentuating the awkward atmosphere between them.


    ¡°it¡¯s really hot today.¡± ye ling grasped at straws to find a topic.


    ¡°yes, it¡¯s quite hot.¡± min nan nodded in agreement.


    the awkwardness grew even more palpable.


    in truth, min nan could sense ye ling¡¯s discomfort. he also wanted to say something to ease the tension, but he was not one to engage in lengthy conversations, especially with women. he had no idea how to casually chat with a girl!


    for the first time, min nan felt that his lack of words was a serious shortcoming.


    why did dai wei have no problem chatting with any woman?


    meanwhile, ye ling searched her mind for any possible topic. suddenly, she heard a faint sound coming from beside her. she turned her head instinctively, and in an instant, her pupils contracted as she let out a scream.


    ¡°ah! snake!¡± ye ling was so scared that she nearly lost her composure. in an instant, she became incapable of thinking, and driven by instinct, she lunged toward min nan.


    min nan smelled the faint scent of a young girl. ye ling was caught off guard and threw herself into his arms. he almost fell to the ground.


    min nan managed to place his hand on the ground in time to support himself, while his other hand instinctively protected ye ling. he quickly scanned the ground and indeed spotted a brown-striped snake that had already slithered away.


    min nan wasn¡¯t afraid of snakes. during his childhood, he often accompanied adults to the mountains or fields to catch snakes, and consuming snake meat or drinking snake wine was a local culinary tradition.


    ¡°it¡¯s alright, it¡¯s gone now.¡± sensing that ye ling¡¯s body was still trembling, min nan tried to console her.


    ye ling buried her head in min nan¡¯s chest, her voice strained as if her vocal cords were on the verge of snapping, ¡°it¡¯s still nearby!¡±


    who knew if the snake would return?


    ye ling¡¯s mind still retained the image of the snake, the long body, dazzling brown stripes, and slightly enlarged head¡­ it was truly terrifying!


    ye ling, whose heart was filled with fear, did not notice min nan¡¯s increasingly rapid heartbeat.


    min nan had never even touched a woman¡¯s hand in his entire life. who would have thought that he would be hugging a girl today?


    his emotions were very complicated at the moment. confusion, excitement, panic, and other emotions made his body stiffen. he did not even dare to breathe too hard.


    other than that, min nan had the urge to hug ye ling with both arms deep inside his heart. this urge came from a man¡¯s primitive impulse, but it also came from the desire to face the person he liked.


    min nan suppressed those urges. he refrained from making any unnecessary movements and simply lightly patted ye ling¡¯s back, speaking softly, ¡°should i go look for it and catch it?¡±


    ye ling abruptly lifted her head and stared at min nan in astonishment. her gaze seemed to ask, ¡°are you a devil?¡±

 Chapter 34

    nightmare


    catching snakes? it was too terrifying!


    for ye ling, who grew up in the city, just thinking about catching the snake made her scalp tingle.


    however, after exchanging a few words with min nan, ye ling¡¯s stress response gradually weakened. in a moment of clarity, she suddenly realized that she was hugging min nan!


    ye ling felt her hands around min nan¡¯s waist go numb, and her cheeks, pressed against min nan¡¯s chest, turned as red as apples.


    ye ling almost completely forgot about the scary snake. her mind was now filled with embarrassment and shame. she quickly pretended to be composed, distancing herself from min nan and swiftly pulling her hands back.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, big brother min nan. i acted inappropriately just now,¡± ye ling said, apologizing once again.


    ¡°it¡¯s alright,¡± min nan naturally didn¡¯t mind at all. in fact, he felt a tinge of pleasure and contentment.


    as ye ling¡¯s soft body moved away from him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a shameful attachment and reluctance deep inside.


    ye ling didn¡¯t dare to linger in that place any longer. she immediately stood up, cautiously scanning her surroundings for the appearance of the snake, and said, ¡°big brother min nan, let¡¯s go.¡±


    the two of them descended the hill and soon arrived at the foot of the large mountain on the west side of willow village.


    ¡°i left the basket over there,¡± ye ling pointed to a nearby location and explained.


    min nan nodded in understanding but had a hint of confusion. ¡°what are you doing here? there are quite a few snakes and insects around, and deeper into the mountains, there might even be wild animals¡­¡±


    as soon as min nan finished speaking, he saw ye ling¡¯s face visibly turn pale.


    he immediately regretted his words and quickly clarified, ¡°however, there won¡¯t be any highly aggressive wild animals, and besides, the nearby villagers often go hunting in the mountains. the wild animals are usually scared of humans, so there shouldn¡¯t be any danger.¡±


    however, even with min nan¡¯s explanation, ye ling¡¯s fear didn¡¯t diminish much. she was now too afraid to even retrieve the basket, as she had a lingering feeling that there might be a snake hiding behind the bushes.


    min nan noticed ye ling¡¯s gaze fixed on the spot where the basket was hidden, yet she didn¡¯t make a move. he immediately realized that she must be frightened. feeling guilty, he took the initiative and said, ¡°let me get the basket for you.¡±


    min nan walked over and quickly retrieved the basket. he had initially expected it to contain something, but to his surprise, it was empty.


    ye ling took the basket, though her complexion still looked unpleasant, she had regained some composure. ¡°thank you.¡±


    min nan pursed her lips, feeling somewhat regretful for scaring ye ling.


    as the two walked back, min nan tried to find topics to talk about, attempting to divert ye ling¡¯s attention and make her forget the silly thing he had just said.


    ¡°what were you doing on the mountain?¡±


    ye ling felt it was fine to tell min nan about her herb picking, so she replied, ¡°i wanted to find some herbs and try to make ointments.¡±


    min nan nodded. ¡°what kind of herbs do you need? i can help you find them.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m interested in various kinds of herbs, but¡­¡± ye ling hesitated and glanced at the large mountain to the west. in her past life, she had never encountered wild snakes, so being scared this time made her uncertain if she would dare to go up the mountain again.


    observing ye ling¡¯s lingering fear and anxiety, min nan felt sorry and blamed himself. he quickly said, ¡°how about this? if you ever need to go up the mountain, find me, and i¡¯ll accompany you.¡±


    ye ling didn¡¯t expect min nan to be so considerate.


    she mustered a smile and said, ¡°alright, let¡¯s discuss it later.¡± however, she thought that she could not trouble min nan anymore. they were just ordinary friends. she could not let min nan do so many things for her.


    when they arrived at ye ling¡¯s residence, the two of them parted ways.


    that night, as ye ling slept, she had a nightmare. in her dream, she was being chased by a terrifying snake and was crying in fear. suddenly, a man dressed in knight¡¯s attire appeared on a white horse, holding a sharp sword. he thrust the sword fiercely at the snake, which struggled briefly before dying.


    the man in the knight¡¯s attire rode his white horse to ye ling¡¯s side and extended his hand, saying, ¡°don¡¯t be afraid, i¡¯m here.¡±


    ye ling, with teary eyes, looked up and saw the extraordinarily handsome face of the man, whose features were identical to min nan¡¯s!


    in the morning, ye ling woke up. she still remembered the details of her dream clearly. she found it somewhat amusing and perplexing.


    when she was young, her mother told her the story of prince charming. now, the plot of prince charming saving the princess had appeared in her dream, and the main characters had become her and min nan.


    ye ling knew that dreams were not real, but when she thought of how she had hugged min nan tightly on the hillside, her cheeks still felt a little hot.

 Chapter 35

    gratitude


    although she was extremely embarrassed at the time, she couldn¡¯t deny that the man¡¯s embrace was solid and reassuring, giving her a strong sense of security. at that moment, ye ling did feel a sense of dependency.


    ye ling patted her cheeks, forcing herself to dismiss those unwarranted thoughts.


    since she didn¡¯t dare to go back to the mountain for now, ye ling decided to visit stone village to express her gratitude to yun jie.


    if it wasn¡¯t for yun jie notifying dai wei, she might not have been able to leave the police station so easily after being falsely accused by du juan.


    ye ling brought a bag of fresh fruit and arrived back at stone village. as she saw the familiar roads and houses on both sides, ye ling felt a slight wave of depression.


    her memories of stone village were far from pleasant, and her mind immediately developed a sense of aversion.


    ye ling took a deep breath, calming her emotions, and proceeded to inquire until she reached yun jie¡¯s residence.


    yun jie lived near the pig farm in stone village. two years ago, in response to the government¡¯s call, stone village purchased a large number of piglets from outside the village. they chanted slogans such as ¡°raising pigs for progress¡± and ¡°raising pigs to overcome poverty¡±. a group of educated youth was assigned to manage the pig-raising affairs.


    ¡°yun jie, i want to thank you for your help last time. this is a small token of my appreciation. i hope you¡¯ll accept it.¡± upon seeing yun jie, ye ling handed over the bag of fruit.


    yun jie looked at the fruit and then at ye ling. she accepted the fruit and turned around to enter the dormitory.


    after about a minute, yun jie came out with two washed apples in her hand. she handed one to ye ling and pointed at a haystack outside the pig farm.


    yun jie had something to say to her? ye ling¡¯s instinct told her that yun jie might bring up the matter concerning du juan.


    the two of them walked over to the haystack and sat on the dry straw.


    yun jie took a bite of her apple and asked, ¡°what did the police station say?¡±


    ye ling briefly shared the outcome of the police station¡¯s investigation into du juan. yun jie nodded in response and, with her grape-like eyes fixed on ye ling, asked straightforwardly, ¡°who do you think might want to harm you?¡±


    ye ling¡¯s gaze flickered, meeting yun jie¡¯s. ¡°i¡¯m not sure yet. did you notice something?¡±


    ¡°not really, but sometimes i feel that your friend doesn¡¯t look too friendly when she gazes at you,¡± yun jie voiced her observations. she added, ¡°although there¡¯s no evidence at the moment, it¡¯s still better to be cautious.¡±


    given that ye ling was often praised by the middle-aged man during her training, yun jie paid more attention to her and couldn¡¯t help but notice liu lin, who often hovered around ye ling.


    ¡°thank you for your reminder. i¡¯ll be careful,¡± ye ling replied with a friendly smile, expressing her gratitude.


    after bidding farewell to yun jie, ye ling returned to willow village and spotted a middle-aged man with an average build and a slight paunch at the entrance of the dormitory building. as soon as the man saw ye ling, his eyes lit up, and he approached her.


    ¡°you must be little ye?¡± as soon as the man spoke, he gave ye ling the feeling of a leader.


    ye ling nodded. ¡°and you are?¡±


    ¡°oh, my name is wang gang. i¡¯m in charge of the production team of all the forest farms in willow village.¡±


    when he introduced his position, the man¡¯s tone was a little proud and boastful.


    seeing ye ling¡¯s gaze on him, wang gang straightened his beer belly and said with an even brighter smile, ¡°i came to ask you if you want to work at our forest farm. i can arrange for you to do a more relaxed job. you don¡¯t have to go out all day. look at the weather now. it¡¯s so sunny. the young girl¡¯s skin is fair and tender. it won¡¯t be good if she gets tanned.¡±


    as he spoke, wang gang¡¯s gaze fell on ye ling¡¯s skin that wasn¡¯t covered by clothes. his eyes were sticky.


    ye ling felt a wave of uneasiness and immediately became vigilant. she forced a smile and said, ¡°thank you, but i can¡¯t decide where i go to work. i¡¯ll listen to the production team¡¯s arrangements.¡±


    ¡°no need, no need. i have a good relationship with the captain, and he often listens to me during meetings. you can trust me on this matter.¡± wang gang thought that ye ling was questioning his authority within the production team, so his tone became more authoritative.


    ye ling was at a loss for words, unsure of how to reject him.


    considering the man¡¯s high position, she couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. she couldn¡¯t directly say that she didn¡¯t want to go, right?


    ¡°well, you see, i have no knowledge or experience in working at a forest farm. i¡¯m afraid i wouldn¡¯t be competent for such a role.¡± ye ling tried to express her refusal in a manner that wouldn¡¯t irritate wang gang.

 Chapter 36

    unlucky


    ¡°it¡¯s alright. everyone has a first time. don¡¯t worry. there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do, and i can teach you. even if you make a mistake, it doesn¡¯t matter. as long as i¡¯m here, who dares to say anything about you?¡±


    wang gang patted his chest confidently. ¡°in any case, you don¡¯t need to worry. come to the forest farm to work tomorrow. if you¡¯re not familiar with the route, i¡¯ll pick you up.¡±


    ye ling stared blankly at wang gang. she now realized that wang gang wasn¡¯t here to discuss with her. his attitude was so strong that he didn¡¯t care about her opinion or thoughts.


    after wang gang finished talking about his business, he thought about how ye ling would be working at his forest farm from tomorrow onwards. he was very satisfied and a little excited.


    wang gang had only recently learned that ye ling had come to willow village. he usually resided on the forest farm and wasn¡¯t well-informed. it was only a few days ago when some people who were delivering supplies up the mountain mentioned ye ling.


    they said that ye ling had been violated by a man in stone village and couldn¡¯t stay there anymore, which forced her to come to willow village. they also mentioned that since ye ling arrived in willow village, she hadn¡¯t been working in the production team. they speculated that she might have gotten involved with some minor official.


    apart from that, those individuals excitedly discussed ye ling¡¯s beauty and physique. one older bachelor exclaimed, ¡°i want to ask her how much she charges for a night. although i¡¯m not a member of the production team, i still have money.¡±


    another person sarcastically remarked, ¡°come on, give it up. do you even know who her protector is? what if it¡¯s someone you can¡¯t afford to mess with? besides, with your character, do you think someone as beautiful and educated as her would be interested in you?¡±


    everyone teased and laughed. wang gang, who happened to overhear their conversation, suddenly became interested in ye ling.


    was this intellectual really that beautiful?


    the next day, wang gang set aside some work-related matters. he waited in front of ye ling¡¯s dormitory for the entire morning until he finally saw her leaving.


    the moment he laid eyes on ye ling, wang gang was completely captivated. he couldn¡¯t take his gaze away from her and only snapped out of his trance once ye ling disappeared from his sight.


    those people weren¡¯t exaggerating. ye ling was indeed beautiful, even more so than the movie stars!


    this sparked an idea in wang gang¡¯s mind.


    while others were concerned about the powerful backing behind ye ling, wang gang wasn¡¯t bothered. he held a high position in the production team, and except for the captain, no one could control him.


    initially, wang gang suspected that ye ling might have gotten involved with the captain of willow village. however, he quickly dismissed that thought.


    the captain of willow village was already married, and his wife was a formidable woman. no matter how beautiful ye ling was, the captain wouldn¡¯t dare to cheat on her.


    as long as it wasn¡¯t the captain, everything would be manageable.


    wang gang made up his mind to take action promptly and directly recruit ye ling to his forest farm. with his position, no matter who ye ling was involved with, that person wouldn¡¯t dare to oppose him.


    moreover, the forest farm was far away from the village, and there weren¡¯t many staff members. when the time came, he would have many opportunities to spend time alone with ye ling and slowly devour her.


    wang gang¡¯s mind was filled with explicit and inappropriate images. looking at ye ling¡¯s innocent eyes, he could barely contain himself and wanted to embrace her and kiss her.


    wang gang suppressed the restlessness in his heart, his voice becoming husky. with a burning gaze, he said to ye ling, ¡°that¡¯s settled, lingling. from now on, you belong to me. don¡¯t worry. with me around, no one in willow village would dare to bully you.¡±


    as some people who had finished work approached the dormitory building, wang gang coughed and gave a few additional instructions before turning away.


    ye ling watched wang gang¡¯s disappearing figure, her fists still clenched tightly even after returning to the dormitory. the slimy and lecherous look in wang gang¡¯s eyes made her feel nauseous.


    what should she do now?


    she couldn¡¯t possibly go to the forest farm. the forest farm office was located on the mountain, and if she went up there and something unexpected happened, she wouldn¡¯t be able to call for help!


    ye ling felt panicked and her hands on her knees trembled slightly.


    after getting rid of wu de, her life had just calmed down, but now she had met wang gang, this pervert! wasn¡¯t she too unlucky?


    at this moment, ye ling despised the person who had stolen her good fortune.


    who could she turn to for help? the first person that came to mind was min nan, but upon careful consideration, she quickly dismissed that option.


    min nan was a police officer and not part of the production team. he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to help her with this situation.


    ye ling¡¯s mind raced, and soon, she thought of someone else.

 Chapter 37

    help


    the night cast a shadow over the seemingly peaceful village. li bin¡¯s mother checked the chicken coop and cleaned the pig trough before preparing to go back inside and sleep. however, she suddenly heard a knock on the door.


    li bin¡¯s mother walked to the door in confusion. when she opened the door, she saw a beautiful girl standing at the door. li bin¡¯s mother did not react for a moment and almost thought that she was dreaming.


    ¡°hello, auntie. i¡¯m looking for li bin,¡± ye ling said with some unease.


    she knew it was inappropriate to come looking for li bin late at night, but wang gang had instructed her to go to the forest farm the next day. he even warned her that if she didn¡¯t go, he would come and personally fetch her.


    feeling the urgency of the situation, she couldn¡¯t consider other factors. as soon as it got dark, she hurriedly came to find li bin.


    people in rural areas usually went to bed early, and ye ling was worried that everyone in the li family might already be asleep. seeing li bin¡¯s mother open the door, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°oh, alright. i¡¯ll call him.¡± li bin¡¯s mother nodded immediately.


    she then turned around to fetch li bin, her mind speculating on the relationship between ye ling and her son.


    could it be that her son had done something wrong to this young girl, and now she had come at night to confront him?


    after entering li bin¡¯s bedroom, li bin¡¯s mother slapped his son on the back. li bin, who was still half asleep, was jolted awake. before he could react, he heard his mother questioning him, ¡°you little b*stard, what trouble have you been up to outside?¡±


    li bin groggily sat up, furrowing his brows. ¡°mom, what are you talking about? when did i do something wrong?¡±


    his mother glared at him. ¡°if you haven¡¯t done anything wrong, why would a young girl come looking for you so late at night? look at yourself, how could such a beautiful girl possibly be interested in you?¡±


    li bin, whose self-esteem had been wounded by his mother¡¯s words, was about to retort when he suddenly realized that something was amiss.


    a beautiful young girl? could it be ye ling?


    li bin¡¯s senses fully awakened, and without even putting on his shoes, he rushed outside.


    seeing ye ling standing at the door, li bin¡¯s initial reaction was a sense of trepidation. if min nan found out that ye ling had come to see him so late at night, would he directly kill him?


    li bin approached ye ling and managed to force a friendly smile, suppressing his inner unease. he asked, ¡°ye ling, what brings you here?¡±


    ye ling looked at li bin¡¯s disheveled appearance and felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°i¡¯m sorry for coming so late. did i disturb your rest?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not disturbing me. i¡¯m always ready to serve the community.¡±


    ye ling hesitated for a moment before telling li bin about wang gang¡¯s visit.


    when li bin heard the news, he was momentarily stunned, then his eyes filled with anger and his thick eyebrows almost stood up. ¡°that old b*stard dares to have designs on you. is he tired of living? d*mn it!¡±


    he dared to make advances on min nan¡¯s woman? he must be audacious!


    fortunately, ye ling came to him today. if wang gang tried to take ye ling to the forest farm, li bin would rather go directly to min nan and beg for forgiveness with his life.


    ye ling didn¡¯t expect such a strong reaction from li bin. she was unaware of li bin¡¯s relationship with min nan and had sought his help because he was responsible for handling her affairs since she arrived in willow village.


    seeing li bin¡¯s angry expression, ye ling felt deeply moved. she thought to herself, ¡°li bin is truly a good person.¡± she had been worried that li bin would fear wang gang¡¯s influence and refuse to intervene in the matter.


    ¡°what should i do tomorrow then?¡± ye ling asked anxiously.


    li bin suppressed his anger and pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°you should stay in the dormitory tomorrow. i will send someone to guard the entrance. i don¡¯t believe that wang gang would dare to snatch you away.¡±


    upon hearing li bin¡¯s plan, ye ling breathed a sigh of relief. after a brief hesitation, she asked with concern, ¡°but won¡¯t he cause trouble for you?¡±


    li bin smiled slightly. ¡°don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    if wang gang had targeted someone other than ye ling, li bin might not have dared to confront him directly. but now, since it was ye ling who was being harassed, the situation was entirely different.


    li bin firmly believed that min nan would not sit idly by when ye ling was harassed and forced by wang gang. as long as he and min nan stood on the same side, even ten wang gang¡¯s would not be able to touch him.


    seeing li bin¡¯s composed expression, ye ling felt a sense of relief and expressed her gratitude. ¡°thank you so much. i¡¯ll stay in the dormitory tomorrow. it¡¯s getting late, brother li. you should go and rest, and i¡¯ll also head back.¡±


    after ye ling left, li bin didn¡¯t return to his room to sleep. he grabbed a flashlight, bid farewell to his mother, and left.

 Chapter 38

    depressed


    not long after, li bin arrived at sun li¡¯s house. he looked through the crack in the door and saw a light inside. he knocked on the door with force.


    it was wan hai who opened the door. he looked surprised when he saw li bin and asked, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    li bin glanced inside the house and replied, ¡°is min nan still awake? i need to talk to him about something.¡±


    after a while, li bin entered min nan¡¯s bedroom and instinctively closed the door behind him.


    after listening to li bin¡¯s account, min nan¡¯s previously relaxed expression gradually turned serious.


    although min nan didn¡¯t say anything, li bin felt a significant drop in the temperature in the room. he almost couldn¡¯t help but shudder.


    oh my god, min nan was angry. it was terrifying.


    ¡°wang gang¡­¡± min nan¡¯s tone carried a hint of a death sentence. then, min nan looked at li bin and said, ¡°thank you for coming to inform me about this. tomorrow, send someone to guard the dormitory building. i¡¯ll handle wang gang.¡±


    li bin nodded vigorously, feeling relieved. ¡°alright, i can rest easy now. well, i¡¯ll leave then.¡±


    as li bin walked toward the door, he suddenly paused, sensing that something was amiss. he grew uneasy.


    ¡°this doesn¡¯t seem right¡­ why did li bin come to inform min nan about ye ling¡¯s situation?¡±


    ¡°why didn¡¯t ye ling go directly to min nan?¡±


    inside the room, wan hai opened min nan¡¯s door and saw min nan sitting on a wooden single-seater sofa, staring at the candle¡¯s flame. he appeared unusually silent.


    ¡°what happened? what did li bin tell you?¡± wan hai asked with concern.


    min nan looked at wan hai and replied calmly, ¡°it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°oh, then get some rest,¡± wan hai said, realizing that min nan didn¡¯t want to share further. he closed the door without pressing for more information.


    min nan continued to gaze quietly at the candle flame. the candlelight flickered in his pupils.


    min nan¡¯s emotions were complicated at this moment.


    wang gang¡¯s despicable and audacious behavior naturally filled him with anger. he decided to address this scum tomorrow to prevent any further trouble for ye ling.


    however, another matter weighed heavily on min nan¡¯s mind.


    this was the second time!


    why did ye ling turn to someone else instead of him whenever she needed help?


    did she truly consider him so untrustworthy?


    or was it that she never valued him or wanted any involvement with him, thus avoiding any entanglement at present?


    at the thought of this, min nan felt an unprecedented sense of frustration and discomfort, mixed with a hint of anger.


    but the object of his anger was not ye ling, it was himself.


    perhaps he hadn¡¯t done enough to earn ye ling¡¯s trust.


    or maybe he was too silent, lacking the allure of a man, causing ye ling to not have any feelings towards him.


    after a long while, the candle was extinguished, and the room fell into darkness.


    late at night, in the educated youth dormitory in stone village, liu lin slowly got up from the bed.


    ¡°liu lin, where are you going?¡± a roommate, who was a light sleeper, asked groggily upon seeing liu lin getting dressed and preparing to leave.


    ¡°i¡¯m going to the restroom,¡± liu lin replied calmly.


    after opening the dormitory door, liu lin walked out of the courtyard and onto a small path. after a five-minute walk, she saw a slender woman standing by the roadside.


    du juan spotted liu lin¡¯s arrival and immediately approached her. just as she was about to speak, liu lin looked around warily and interrupted her, ¡°did anyone notice you coming to find me?¡±


    du juan quickly shook her head and said, ¡°no, after you had someone deliver the message to me, i was very cautious. today, i crawled out of a dog hole in my house, so i¡¯m sure no one saw me.¡±


    liu lin breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at du juan coldly. ¡°what did you tell the police officer?¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t say anything! i insisted that the gold leaf was given to me by my husband. they can¡¯t do anything to me. but now, the gold leaf is in the police station, and it seems they won¡¯t give it back until they investigate further,¡± du juan said with deep sadness.


    the gold leaf was originally meant to be du juan¡¯s reward given by liu lin. once the task was completed, the gold leaf would be hers. but now, since the task hadn¡¯t been completed, she had lost the gold leaf.


    upon hearing du juan¡¯s words, liu lin felt relieved.


    in fact, she had already suspected that the police officer wouldn¡¯t be able to find out anything. as long as du juan didn¡¯t reveal anything about her, they wouldn¡¯t be able to trace the gold leaf back to her.


    moreover, du juan wasn¡¯t foolish. she knew very well that there was no advantage in telling the police officer about her involvement.


    in addition, liu lin had du juan¡¯s address. if du juan dared to speak the truth to the police officer, she had ways to retaliate against her.


    today, liu lin met with du juan just to confirm the situation.

 Chapter 39

    resentment


    liu lin didn¡¯t feel sorry for the valuable gold leaf. the only thing she regretted was that it had allowed ye ling to escape this calamity.


    liu lin sighed with regret in her heart and was about to give du juan some instructions when du juan suddenly remembered something. a look of nervousness and fear appeared on her face. ¡°by the way, someone else came looking for me¡­¡±


    ¡°who?¡± liu lin asked.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know him. he was a young man who looked quite intimidating. i felt like he saw through all the lies i told him.¡± du juan¡¯s voice was filled with fear and unease.


    liu lin paused for a moment, a sense of foreboding creeping over her. ¡°what did you say to him? and what did he look like?¡±


    ¡°of course, i didn¡¯t say anything!¡± du juan quickly denied it. then she hesitated and said, ¡°but when he left, it seemed like he already knew something¡­ oh, and he was about two heads taller than me with a shallow mole under his right eye.¡±


    in an instant, liu lin¡¯s blood seemed to freeze. her body felt as if it had fallen into an icy cellar. her eyes widened, revealing a mix of panic and terror.


    min nan!


    why would min nan go to see du juan? did that b*tch ye ling tell him?


    liu lin felt both scared and furious. after hurriedly giving some money to du juan and sending her away, she returned to her dormitory. she tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.


    according to du juan¡¯s words, min nan probably suspected something.


    did he suspect her involvement?


    if ye ling had sought min nan¡¯s help, she might have revealed more to him, such as the fact that liu lin was ye ling¡¯s roommate.


    would min nan make any connections? although she hadn¡¯t left any evidence of her involvement in wu de¡¯s case, she was indeed a suspect.


    liu lin felt anxious and restless. at this moment, she despised ye ling with every fiber of her being.


    if it weren¡¯t for ye ling, she would have been able to control min nan completely in this lifetime and make him fall head over heels in love with her!


    but now, that b*tch ye ling shamelessly approached min nan. did she become paralyzed whenever she saw a man? how despicable!


    wu de was also a useless piece of garbage. he couldn¡¯t even handle a woman. he deserved to rot in jail!


    liu lin cursed angrily, then began to contemplate her next move.


    she had been avoiding min nan, afraid that he would suspect her. but now, it seemed that she couldn¡¯t continue like this.


    she had to take the initiative and find min nan. she couldn¡¯t let min nan gradually fall in love with ye ling.


    liu lin¡¯s gaze fell upon a bamboo box placed beside her bed.


    inside the box were the things she had prepared after her rebirth. her original plan was not to use them unless everything went smoothly.


    but now, ye ling hadn¡¯t been assaulted by wu de, and du juan hadn¡¯t succeeded in sending her to the police station.


    what was worse was that min nan not only didn¡¯t fall in love with her, but he even started to suspect her.


    the situation was even worse than in her previous life!


    this was the only way¡­liu lin hurriedly opened the bamboo box. under the dim light, a white dress and a porcelain bottle lay quietly in the box.


    the white gauze dress was embellished with tiny sequins, making the entire dress look divine and holy.


    liu lin looked at the white dress with a tinge of disgust and anger in her eyes. she wished she could tear it to shreds, but after a few seconds, she forcibly suppressed her inner emotions and took out the white dress.


    the next day, when liu lin¡¯s two roommates woke up, they looked at her in astonishment. one of them leaned on the edge of the bed and playfully remarked, ¡°liu lin, why are you so beautifully dressed today? have you set your sights on some intellectual youth?¡±


    ¡°this white dress is gorgeous. those filthy men have probably never seen such a beautiful white dress in their lives. you¡¯ll drive them crazy, won¡¯t you?¡±


    liu lin was fixing her hair in front of the mirror when she heard her roommates¡¯ comments. she shyly replied, ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    liu lin asked her two roommates to apply for leave for her. then, she looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath. a ruthless look flashed across her eyes.


    as she stepped outside, the sky was overcast. it was a cloudy day.


    liu lin carefully contemplated the details of her plan as she made her way. she made sure nothing was overlooked.


    upon reaching sun li¡¯s house in willow village, liu lin took a deep breath and knocked on the door.


    with the memories from her previous life, liu lin was well aware of min nan¡¯s daily routines. since it was morning, if he had no important matters to attend to, he should be at home.


    wan hai and wan feng were about to head out to the production team. upon hearing the knock on the door, wan hai couldn¡¯t help but mumble to himself, ¡°our house has been quite lively these past few days. i bet this person has come to look for min nan again.¡±

 Chapter 40

    abnormal


    sun li dried her hands on her apron and went to open the door. when she saw liu lin in a white dress outside, sun li paused for a moment before asking coldly, ¡°are you here to find min nan?¡±


    sun li was min nan¡¯s godmother, so liu lin didn¡¯t dare to show any disrespect. she quickly put on a warm smile and greeted, ¡°hello, auntie. i came to bring something for min nan.¡±


    sun li glanced at liu lin¡¯s white dress with a mocking smile and remarked, ¡°if you¡¯re here to bring something, then bring it. why dress like this? people might think you¡¯re going to get married in a church.¡±


    liu lin¡¯s smile instantly froze, and she tightly clenched her fists. she composed herself and entered the courtyard, where she saw min nan sitting at the table having breakfast.


    liu lin adjusted her facial muscles and wore her most natural and sweet smile as she called out, ¡°min nan, long time no see.¡±


    as min nan ate, he was thinking about finding wang gang later. when he suddenly saw liu lin, there was no surprise on his face. he only nodded lightly. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    then, his gaze stopped on liu lin¡¯s white dress for two seconds, and for a moment, he seemed to be a little absent-minded.


    seeing min nan¡¯s expression, liu lin felt a wave of joy. she walked into the house and handed the two books she brought to min nan. ¡°these are high school textbooks i found at the bookstore in town. it took me a month to find these two. i¡¯ve already finished reading them and thought you might need them.¡±


    min nan looked at the two high school textbooks with some hesitation.


    in the past, min nan would have accepted the books without hesitation. but now, he felt it was not quite appropriate to do so.


    liu lin, sensing his hesitation, placed the textbooks on the table and spoke softly, ¡°min nan, i believe uncle must have reminded you that the college entrance examination will resume. although the news hasn¡¯t spread yet, he has connections on the inside. if you prepare well now, you¡¯ll have a significant advantage over others. just think about it, when the college entrance examination resumes, the competition for the capital military academy will be intense!¡±


    min nan glanced at the textbooks and pondered for a moment. ¡°thank you, but it¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    if it were before, min nan would have accepted the textbooks. but now, he felt it was inappropriate.


    liu lin already had a good impression of him. now that he already had someone he liked, he should be stricter with himself and keep a distance from other women.


    liu lin was taken aback for a moment. then, she nervously gripped the end of her braid, she said, ¡°min nan, the reason i came here this time is not just to bring you books. i also wanted to borrow some money from you¡­¡±


    ¡°borrow money? are you in need of money?¡± min nan was somewhat surprised. his father, min song, treated liu lin better than him. he had never mistreated her before. how could she be short of money?


    ¡°in any case, will you lend me some? if you agree, please accept these two textbooks as well. otherwise, i¡¯ll feel embarrassed taking your money.¡± liu lin appeared quite ashamed, and her face turned red, making her radiant cheeks even more charming.


    min nan deliberated for a few seconds before finally nodding. ¡°i¡¯ll give you the money. i¡¯ll return the textbooks to you after i¡¯m done with them.¡±


    he suddenly thought of ye ling. ye ling was an intellectual youth and might take the college entrance examination in the future. these two textbooks might be very useful for her.


    furthermore, liu lin was here to borrow money, so the exchange of textbooks seemed reasonable. it should be fine for him to accept them.


    as min nan handed the money to liu lin, wan hai, and wan feng had already left home.


    wan xue had gone to the mountains early in the morning with his good friends to pick peaches.


    sun li was currently sitting at the kitchen door, watching liu lin and min nan with a vigilant and impatient expression.


    liu lin glanced at sun li and sighed. she smiled bitterly and said, ¡°i don¡¯t understand why auntie sun has such a negative impression of me.¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t know what to say and remained silent.


    liu lin looked at the watch on her wrist.


    it was almost time.


    she stood up and said, ¡°well, i¡¯ll be leaving then. min nan¡­ how about you walk me out? it¡¯s been a long time since we took a walk together.¡±


    min nan initially wanted to refuse, but for some reason, when he saw liu lin¡¯s eyes filled with grievance, he nodded.


    min nan felt that something was wrong with him. he seemed to have gradually developed a consciousness that did not belong to him. that consciousness made decisions that went against his heart for him.


    liu lin smiled, seemingly delighted. she ignored sun li¡¯s dark expression and left with min nan.


    ¡°min nan, it¡¯s still early. let¡¯s go to your old house and take a look,¡± liu lin said, walking by min nan¡¯s side and gently linking her arm with his.


    min nan wanted to push liu lin away, but his thoughts seemed to be rusted, and he couldn¡¯t react immediately.


    what was happening to him?

 Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Nowhere to Go

    chapter 41: nowhere to go


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    not long after, liu lin led min nan to a spot near an old house.


    this was the min family¡¯s ancestral home. since min nan¡¯s father left willow village, this old house had remained unoccupied. after min nan returned from the city, he had been staying at sun li¡¯s house and had not been near the old house.


    liu lin produced a bunch of keys and opened the door to the old house.


    the key to the old house had been given to liu lin by min nan¡¯s father. before liu lin came to the village, min nan¡¯s father had asked her to retrieve some old items from the old house. when liu lin was devising today¡¯s plan, this location immediately came to mind.


    liu lin linked her arm with min nan¡¯s, and they entered the old house together. min nan¡¯s inner turmoil urged him to turn and leave, yet his legs seemed to defy his will, rendering him immobile.


    min nan never could have imagined that liu lin would scheme against him like this.


    what was even more terrifying was that min nan felt her body temperature rising rapidly. it was as if there was a ball of fire burning in her heart.


    when liu lin tightly held onto his arm and allowed their bodies to touch intimately, the snow-white dress stimulated his nerves. min nan was like a wild beast that had lost its mind and only wanted to tear the dress apart.


    liu lin guided min nan into a bedroom adjacent to the living room, assisting him to sit on the bed. then, she extended her hand, tenderly caressing his chest.


    with a hint of sadness in her voice, liu lin murmured, ¡°min nan, i understand that you might blame me, but this was also uncle min¡¯s idea. you¡¯re aware that uncle min is growing older and is about to retire from the military. he hopes to witness you settle down and build a future¡­¡±


    although liu lin acknowledged the impulsivity of her actions today, she saw no alternative. if she did nothing, she could only helplessly watch min nan fall in love with another woman.


    before min nan¡¯s relationship with ye ling escalated further, she needed to sever their connection.


    min nan¡¯s father adhered to traditional values. liu lin believed that if she became min nan¡¯s woman, his father would likely permit min nan to marry her.


    liu lin understood that her actions today would make min nan resent and detest her, but she felt cornered.


    liu lin, with frustration, realized that even after her rebirth, min nan had not fallen in love with her. she couldn¡¯t fathom the root of the problem.


    in that case, she thought, it would be better for min nan to marry her sooner. after marriage, she could gradually work on melting his cold heart. as the woman who understood min nan best in this world, she retained a degree of confidence.


    liu lin lifted her gaze, fixating on min nan¡¯s handsome jaw with an infatuated


    gaze.


    she had been looking at this face for years, yet every time she neared min nan, she felt like an adolescent girl with newly awakened emotions.


    she wanted to marry min nan partly due to his background, but she unquestionably loved him. at his mere word, she¡¯d surrender everything.


    liu lin¡¯s hand slowly moved down and touched min nan¡¯s belt. her breath grew hurried as she rested her head on his chest and softly reassured, ¡± min nan, don¡¯t be so tense. you¡¯ll feel comfortable soon¡­¡±


    liu lin was no naive girl anymore. she possessed confidence in her skills in bed.


    currently, min nan was a pure virgin, who had never even held a woman¡¯s hand. after she let him enjoy the ultimate pleasure, he might be completely infatuated with her.


    after all, weren¡¯t men driven by their lower instincts? how many could truly escape worldly desires?


    min nan glared at liu lin with disdain. his gaze held no desire, only intense aversion, and scorn.


    he hadn¡¯t anticipated that liu lin, who had grown up with him, would stoop so low.


    what should he do now? he had lost control over his body. if this continued, liu lin¡¯s scheme would succeed.


    seeing the hatred in min nan¡¯s eyes, liu lin felt both uncomfortable and irritated.


    was min nan still a man? he didn¡¯t respond at all to her teasing.


    it must be because min nan was still a virgin. once he experienced the pleasures of sex, his attitude would likely change. liu lin reassured herself.


    liu lin¡¯s patience was wearing thin. she shed her clothing and forcefully pushed min nan onto the bed.


    min nan hastily shut his eyes as liu lin undressed.


    liu lin¡¯s breathing grew increasingly ragged. as she removed min nan¡¯s shirt and leaned down to kiss him, min nan suddenly pushed her away with force. at the same time, the air was filled with the thick smell of blood..

 Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Ridiculous

    chapter 42: ridiculous


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    a few bolts of lightning streaked across the cloudy sky. the thunder was like drumsticks hitting the surface of a drum, making one¡¯s eardrums numb.


    soon, the heavy rain came, and the heavy curtain of rain almost blocked people¡¯s vision.


    a man suddenly dashed into the rain, his steps unsteady, his body swaying. as he ran forward, blood from his left arm dripped down, quickly washed away by the rain.


    liu lin rushed out of the old house, her clothes not fully worn, the snow-white dress clinging to her, making her look disheveled. watching min nan¡¯s retreating figure, liu lin grew frustrated and exasperated, unable to fathom how things had gone awry today.


    just two minutes ago, min nan had deliberately leaned his body to the side. on the other side of the bed lay an old pair of scissors. in an instant, the scissors pierced through min nan¡¯s arm, blood splattering out. the gory scene left liu lin in shock.


    did min nan want to end his life? did he despise her so much that he would rather hurt himself than be with her? something seemed to have collapsed inside liu lin, shattering her already broken heart.


    by the time she reacted, min nan had already fled. as liu lin hastily donned her clothes and caught up, min nan¡¯s figure was almost out of sight.


    liu lin sat on the ground with a pale face. the mud that had been soaked by the rain splashed on the edge of liu lin¡¯s dress. the dirty mud seemed to be mocking her ridiculousness.


    in the production team¡¯s dormitory, ye ling stared at the heavy rain outside, feeling a sense of unease.


    today, she hadn¡¯t followed wang gang¡¯s request to report to the forest farm. she wasn¡¯t sure if wang gang would come looking for her.


    although li bin was willing to help her, wang gang held a much higher position than li bin. if they clashed because of her, she wasn¡¯t sure if li bin could win.


    her worries quickly turned into reality.


    suddenly, there was a commotion downstairs. the sound of quarrels and the storm intertwined, like gunpowder that would ignite at the slightest touch. the quiet dormitory building was instantly enveloped in a tense atmosphere.


    ye ling didn¡¯t dare to show her face, so she could only walk to the stairs on the second floor. she heard li bin¡¯s furious voice. ¡°what are you doing? this is the production team¡¯s dormitory. do you want to snatch someone away right in front of me?¡±


    then, wang gang¡¯s cold voice with a hint of mockery sounded. ¡°i thought ye ling was getting close to someone from the production team. so, it¡¯s you. who do you think you are? how dare you stop me? when your grandfather was wandering all over the place, you were still in your mother¡¯s arms!¡±


    the quarreling and insults escalated, and soon, a physical confrontation began.


    ye ling¡¯s heart sank when she heard li bin¡¯s painful screams from the second floor.


    no, this couldn¡¯t go on. something bad would happen!


    li bin had gotten into a conflict with wang gang because of her. she couldn¡¯t let anything happen to him.


    ¡°stop!¡±


    ye ling rushed down from the second floor, pulling apart the brawling men. she then assisted li bin and quickly checked his injuries. seeing that li bin wasn¡¯t severely hurt, she turned to wang gang, her anger blazing. ¡°how could you resort to violence?¡±


    when ye ling was angry, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes widened. in wang gang¡¯s eyes, this expression was even more captivating than ye ling¡¯s smile.


    he gazed fixedly at ye ling, his smile turning radiant. ¡°1 didn¡¯t strike first. tell me, who initiated the conflict?¡±


    the few men in forest farm uniforms who had come with wang gang immediately chimed in, ¡°it was this kid who attacked first!¡±


    ¡°sister-in-law, you can¡¯t wrong brother wang.¡±


    ¡°sister-in-law, when brother wang saw that you hadn¡¯t come to the forest farm, he thought something had happened to you. look at how concerned he is. i¡¯ve never seen him care so much about a woman.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right. sister-in-law, are you touched? if you are, then marry him!¡±


    these people¡¯s shameless teasing almost angered ye ling to death. she bit her lip and looked angrily at the group of people surrounding her and li bin.


    wang gang approached ye ling, forcing a smile he thought appeared gentle. ¡°lingling, come with me. what happiness can you find following a poor guy like li bin? honestly, i could break this men¡¯s legs today, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to have any resistance. be a good girl, go upstairs, and pack your things. i¡¯ll wait for you here. i¡¯ve already arranged your room. after you come to the forest farm, you won¡¯t have to do anything. whatever you want, i¡¯ll provide¡­.¡±

 Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Group Beaten

    chapter 43: group beaten


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    as wang gang spoke, he saw ye ling glaring at him angrily, and his heart became even more itchy. he wanted to hug ye ling and kiss her immediately. he raised his hand, wanting to hold ye ling¡¯s white and soft hand.


    ¡°lingling, don¡¯t be mad, alright? getting angry will harm your health, and who would feel bad for you other than me? if you had just obediently come to the forest farm, i wouldn¡¯t have brought so many people here. how about i apologize to you tonight? you can do whatever you want to me, hit or scold me¡­¡±


    ye ling watched as wang gang¡¯s rough, dark hand reached towards her, and a sense of despair filled her heart.


    after being reborn, she had managed to avoid wu de, but now she found herself once again in wang gang¡¯s clutches.


    could this be the result of having terrible luck?


    however, after a few seconds, the scene that ye ling had imagined didn¡¯t unfold. wang gang didn¡¯t grab her. instead, she witnessed wang gang being dragged by someone. the person¡¯s face was extremely grim as they grabbed wang gang¡¯s arm. with a crisp sound of dislocated joints, wang gang let out a scream reminiscent of a slaughtered pig.


    ye ling stared in disbelief at the drenched man before her. after a moment, she managed to utter the man¡¯s name, her voice full of incredulity, ¡°min nan?¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t turn around. he lifted wang gang, who had fallen to the ground and delivered precise punches to wang gang¡¯s ribcage. even before wang gang could let out a cry, min nan bent his knee, viciously driving it into wang gang¡¯s abdomen.


    seeing wang gang being beaten up, the people who came with wang gang immediately shouted and rushed toward min nan. they wanted to use the advantage of numbers to quickly subdue him.


    ye ling gasped, seeing the large group that had followed wang gang. faced with this situation, wasn¡¯t min nan in grave danger?


    however, what shocked ye ling was that min nan did not panic at all despite being surrounded by so many people. after dodging a few people¡¯s attacks, he raised his leg and kicked one of the people¡¯s knees. that person screamed and immediately knelt on the ground.


    although they outnumbered him, their brawl lacked coordination. yet, min


    nan fought like a seasoned warrior. his dodging and counterattacks were executed with calm precision. his reaction speed was remarkable, and his mastery of combat techniques was astonishing.


    in a matter of minutes, over half of wang gangs companions lay on the ground, writhing in pain. the remaining few didn¡¯t dare to advance further, their fear of min nan evident in their eyes.


    min nan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, exuding a ferocious aura. although he hadn¡¯t emerged unscathed from the brawl, his injuries were less severe than those of his fallen adversaries.


    his gaze swept over the remaining individuals, and they immediately felt as though they were prey being hunted by a relentless wolf. some even found their legs trembling.


    ¡°you¡­just you wait!¡± one of them threw out a vicious sentence without any confidence. then, he helped wang gang who was like a dead pig up from the ground and gave his companion who was still standing there a look. ¡®what are you staring at? let¡¯s go!¡±


    wang gang¡¯s entourage quickly departed, and the dormitory returned to silence.


    ye ling looked at min nan in a daze. after a few seconds, she suddenly felt that something was wrong with min nan. he looked especially pale. ye ling felt uneasy and hurriedly walked towards her.


    min nan watched as ye ling, who was wearing a slightly worn floral shirt with ruffled edges, walked towards him. his agitated heart instantly calmed down. he opened his mouth, wanting to tell ye ling that he was fine.


    however, before min nan could utter a word, his vision darkened, and he lost consciousness completely.


    ye ling was shocked when she saw min nan¡¯s body fall to the ground. she rushed forward to help min nan up. the man¡¯s heavy body pressed against her body. she smelled the strong smell of blood, and her light-colored shirt was instantly stained with blood.


    ¡°big brother min nan? are you okay?¡± ye ling called out twice, receiving no response.


    li bin, whose injuries were less severe, approached hurriedly. ¡°what should we do? we need to get him to the village clinic right away!¡±


    ye ling glanced at the torrential rain outside, her brows furrowing. how could they manage to get min nan to the clinic in this downpour?


    ¡°big brother li bin, let¡¯s support him together and take him to my room first. i¡¯ll assess his injuries. don¡¯t worry, i know some basic medical skills, and i¡¯ll ensure nothing happens to him.¡± ye ling looked at the pale min nan and said firmly.


    li bin nodded vigorously, placing complete trust in ye ling¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°alright, quickly take a look at him! he fought as if he didn¡¯t care about his life just now. just make sure not to injure any vital areas¡­¡±


    li bin walked forward and carefully supported min nan. after entering ye ling¡¯s dormitory, li bin and ye ling helped min nan onto the bed..

 Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Awakening

    chapter 44: awakening


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    subsequently, ye ling sat by the bedside, monitoring min nan¡¯s pulse.


    li bin was taken aback by ye ling¡¯s sudden change in expression. he anxiously inquired, ¡°are the injuries severe?¡±


    ye ling shook her head slowly and hesitated before saying, ¡°it seems like he¡¯s been poisoned. ¡±


    min nan¡¯s pulse was in disarray, and the energies within his body clashed. in traditional chinese medicine, this was typically indicative of poisoning.


    ¡°poisoned?¡± li bin struggled to comprehend. ¡°what should we do then? is he at risk of dying?


    ¡°he won¡¯t die. although i don¡¯t know what poison he¡¯s been poisoned with, it¡¯s not strong. after he was poisoned, he fought with so many people. he was in a state of panic, which was why he suddenly fainted. brother li bin, please go out for a while. i have to treat him.¡±


    ye ling thought that she would need to retrieve the herbs from the small world later. she hastened li bin¡¯s departure. however, before li bin left, she couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°by the way, do you know brother min nan?¡±


    li bin grinned. ¡°of course. min nan and i have been childhood friends.¡± ye ling¡¯s lingering doubts gradually dissipated.


    at first, she was very surprised that min nan would suddenly appear. now, it seemed that when she asked li bin for help, li bin must have told min nan about her. min nan knew that wang gang might want to cause trouble for her today, so he rushed over in time.


    ye ling turned to look at min nan on the bed. she initially wished to avoid further burdening him, fearing their entanglement might grow. but now, circumstances had reversed, and he was the one aiding her.


    after li bin left, ye ling retrieved a silver needle and prepared to administer acupuncture to min nan.


    suddenlv. ye ling recognized a foolish oversight.


    she swiftly rushed out of the room but failed to locate li bin. she remained unaware of his whereabouts.


    upon returning to the room, ye ling stood by the bedside, observing min nan¡¯s hesitation. finally, she seemed resolute. gritting her teeth, she reached for min nan¡¯s collar.


    while gender should not affect a doctor¡¯s treatment, ye ling still felt slightly uncomfortable.


    she removed min nan¡¯s clothes and noticed a deep wound on his left arm. the wound seemed to have been soaked by rain for an extended period, with the flesh around the edges appearing pale.


    ye ling was momentarily stunned, urgently examining the wound.


    during the previous pulse assessment, ye ling had only given a cursory glance at min nan¡¯s condition. she had assumed his weakness was related to poisoning.


    she did not expect that part of the reason for min nan¡¯s weakness was due to excessive blood loss.


    ye ling picked up a silver needle, inserting it into several key points to prevent the poison from spreading. subsequently, she retrieved alcohol, meticulously disinfecting min nan¡¯s wound.


    the unconscious min nan experienced a surge of pain, furrowing his brow. ye ling immediately murmured, ¡°it¡¯ll be alright soon, it¡¯ll be alright¡­¡±


    min nan seemed to have heard ye ling¡¯s words, and his tightly knitted brows relaxed slightly.


    after tending to the wound, ye ling noticed min nan remained unconscious. she placed a piece of gauze over his eyes. swiftly entering the small world, she gathered herbs and fetched water from the stream.


    min nan found himself in a hazy state. he suddenly detected a pungent odor, the intense and bitter scent of herbs arousing his senses. he gradually opened his eyes, only to find his vision obscured.


    after a while, min nan realized his eyes were covered. while he found this odd, he temporarily ignored the gauze over his eyes.


    min nan recalled his state before losing consciousness, deducing that ye ling had likely brought him to her dorm to tend to his injuries.


    was he now lying on ye ling¡¯s bed? min nan felt a sense of oddity. considering this, he carefully sniffed. indeed, he detected a faint fragrance, a sweet milk scent, delicate and subtle.


    this scent belonged to ye ling.


    with this realization, min nan¡¯s mind sparked with fireworks. his skin against the blanket and sheets felt as if it were being scalded, and his body temperature gradually rose.


    not far away, ye ling was holding a cattail leaf fan and slowly shaking it. there was medicine boiling on the stove. she looked up from time to time to glance at min nan on the bed.


    what if min nan still did not wake up at night? she couldn¡¯t possibly let him sleep on her bed, right?


    ye ling was troubled for a while. when she saw that the medicine was ready, she filtered the medicine out and walked to the bed with the medicine bowl..

 Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Beauty

    chapter 45: beauty


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    when ye ling entered the small world earlier, she had covered min nan¡¯s eyes, and she had forgotten to remove the gauze afterward. seeing the white gauze still on min nan¡¯s face, ye ling reached out and took it off.


    as ye ling approached, min nan had already sensed her presence.


    for a brief moment, he hesitated whether he should wake up.


    as ye ling drew closer, the faint fragrance grew stronger, and min nan¡¯s heart raced even faster.


    ye ling put the gauze aside. seeing that min nan¡¯s eyes were still closed, she held the medicine bowl, feeling a bit uncertain.


    how was she going to administer the medicine if he hadn¡¯t woken up yet?


    looking at min nan¡¯s exhausted face, ye ling¡¯s sense of guilt deepened.


    min nan¡¯s current state was all because he had helped her deal with wang gang. now that min nan was unconscious, what was there to hesitate about? in other words, min nan could be considered her benefactor.


    moreover, she was a doctor now. why was she overthinking this? the patient¡¯s health was the priority.


    with this mindset, ye ling surmounted the hesitation in her heart. she set the medicine bowl on the table and then sat beside min nan. placing her hands on his shoulders, she lifted his upper body. since min nan wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes, ye ling kept her gaze averted. her hands on his shoulders trembled slightly.


    carefully, she helped min nan lean against the headboard.


    thankfully, her physical condition had improved considerably after her rebirth, allowing her to handle a strong man like him.


    meanwhile, min nan, with his eyes closed, berated himself for pretending to be unconscious and deceiving ye ling. he speculated whether ye ling was going to feed him the medicine.


    with this thought in mind, a rather audacious idea crossed min nan¡¯s mind.


    after assisting min nan to sit up, ye ling reached for the medicine bowl. however, she caught sight of min nan¡¯s upper body slowly tilting sideways from the corner of her eye.


    startled, ye ling quickly extended her hand to support min nan.


    although min nan¡¯s head drooped, he wasn¡¯t leaning against ye ling. yet, his warm breath brushed against her neck, sending shivers down her spine.


    ye ling¡¯s brow furrowed with distress.


    min nan, in his unconscious state, couldn¡¯t even sit properly. how was she supposed to give him the medicine?


    after contemplating for a moment, ye ling placed her hand on min nan¡¯s forehead, gently guiding his head to rest on her shoulder.


    ye ling was in a state of despair. after all, she was the one who took off min nan¡¯s clothes. in her opinion, this little intimate contact was no longer a big deal.


    in any case, min nan was currently unconscious. as long as she didn¡¯t feel awkward, this situation would remain unawkward.


    their current position was incredibly intimate. ye ling suddenly grew concerned about what would happen if li bin suddenly walked in.


    even though ye ling had repeated the words in her mind, ¡°i¡¯m a doctor, and min nan is a patient.¡± ye ling still felt a twinge of guilt.


    forget it, she should focus on administering the medicine to min nan. ye ling took a deep breath, picked up the medicine bowl, and used her other hand to maneuver around min nan¡¯s shoulder, bringing the bowl to his lips. this position made it easier for ye ling to give min nan the medicine, though it did look as if she were cradling him.


    with a spoon in her right hand, ye ling brought the medicine to min nan¡¯s mouth. after prying his mouth open, she gently poured the medicine in.


    ye ling had initially thought that it would be challenging for an unconscious person to drink medicine, but min nan seemed to have some awareness and drank the medicine smoothly.


    ye ling sighed in relief and continued feeding him.


    after a few more spoonfuls, ye ling suddenly noticed that min nan¡¯s body had grown slightly rigid, and his body temperature appeared to have risen.


    perplexed, ye ling turned her head to observe min nan¡¯s expression. however, she had forgotten that they were very close. as she turned her head, her lips almost brushed against min nan¡¯s cheek.


    ye ling was so frightened that she almost threw the bowl of medicine away. after she calmed down, she looked down at min nan¡¯s side profile, but she could not see anything unusual about min nan¡¯s expression.


    min nan¡¯s profile was handsome, with smooth and sharp lines that resembled a work of art. ye ling was even more envious of his long and thick eyelashes, which seemed to surpass even those of most girls. when his eyelashes drooped, min nan appeared serene and docile, a complete contrast to his usual demeanor.


    after a while, ye ling realized that she had been gazing at min nan for an extended period. she quickly averted her eyes and continued administering the medicine. all the while, she chided herself for being captivated by a man¡¯s appearance.


    ye ling forced herself to focus on other matters..

 Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Regret

    chapter 46: regret


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    why did min nan¡¯s body suddenly show signs of abnormality? could it be that the herbs in the small world took effect too quickly, causing min nan to feel feverish due to the medicinal influence?


    after feeding him the medicine, ye ling helped min nan lie down and observed him for a while. seeing that min nan¡¯s expression was normal, she felt much relieved and took the bowl to wash it.


    as soon as the dormitory door closed, min nan, who was lying on the bed, immediately opened his eyes. his eyes gleamed like obsidian, with a hint of unusual redness at the corners.


    min nan deeply regretted his actions at this moment.


    if he had known earlier, he would not have pretended to be unconscious. he had practically set himself up for trouble!


    when he deliberately tilted his body earlier, ye ling supported him, allowing him to rest against her shoulder. their closeness allowed min nan to catch a whiff of ye ling¡¯s sweet milk fragrance, and due to ye ling¡¯s arm around him, he could faintly sense a soft and tender touch.


    min nan¡¯s breathing became erratic in that instant. it felt as if he was enveloped in a soft cotton cloud, his head spinning and heart racing.


    min nan struggled to suppress the sensations welling up within him, trying to extinguish the fiery blaze in his chest.


    but what made min nan a little flustered was that he could not control his emotions and thoughts. his body temperature rose bit by bit, and his heartbeat was frighteningly fast. what was even more terrifying was that a strong impulse suddenly appeared between his legs. a few seconds later, a certain organ underwent a shameful change!


    at that moment, cold sweat was almost dripping down min nan¡¯s forehead. his body was extremely stiff, and it was extremely difficult for him to breathe.


    fortunately, ye ling didn¡¯t notice anything and left after feeding him the medicine.


    guessing that ye ling wouldn¡¯t be back for the time being, min nan sat up and lifted the blanket. he saw that he was only wearing a pair of shorts.


    since he had come in soaked from the rain, when ye ling and li bin had helped him in, he had been completely drenched.


    of course, min nan didn¡¯t believe ye ling had removed his pants. a young girl wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. ye ling must have enlisted li bin¡¯s help.


    staring at the bulge between his legs, min nan felt both embarrassed and ashamed. simultaneously, he was perplexed.


    he wasn¡¯t the type of person to lose control of his desires.


    even when liu lin had teased him, he hadn¡¯t experienced any desire. min nan was a resolute soldier, and for more than twenty years, he had been confident in his ability to maintain full control over his body.


    could it be that the change in partner triggered these unfamiliar sensations?


    min nan felt that this was probably not the reason.


    although he liked ye ling, his love was pure. even if he was nervous because of ye ling¡¯s approach, he wouldn¡¯t have any evil thoughts.


    at most, he had allowed himself to fantasize about holding hands or embracing ye ling.


    after pondering for a moment, min nan suddenly realized the root cause of the issue.


    it was the poison he had been administered!


    the poison liu lin had given him was exceedingly peculiar. not only did it have aphrodisiac effects, but it also weakened one¡¯s will and affect behavior.


    in the old house, he had intentionally harmed himself, using the intense pain to temporarily regain his senses. afterward, he fought with wang gang and others, losing significant blood and exhausting himself to the point of unconsciousness.


    after he fainted, even if a portion of the drug had been taken away, there would still be some residue. the residual drug had affected him, causing him to lose control of himself when he got close to ye ling and develop a primitive impulse.


    so, that was the reason.


    min nan understood the cause, yet he couldn¡¯t excuse himself using this explanation. he still loathed himself.


    regardless of the reason, the reality was undeniable.


    he had restrained himself in front of liu lin, but in ye ling¡¯s presence, he had allowed himself to devolve into this state. he had let ye ling down! even if he had feelings for ye ling, he couldn¡¯t engage in such behavior on her bed!


    as min nan thought about lying on ye ling¡¯s bed in only his shorts, the organs between his legs seemed to intensify. he quickly banished his thoughts and pulled the blanket over himself.


    ye ling soon entered. she walked over to min nan and placed her hand on his forehead, muttering to herself, ¡°no fever.¡±


    outside, ye ling suddenly remembered that min nan had been soaked by the rain. she wondered if min nan¡¯s elevated body temperature might be due to a fever, but it appeared that wasn¡¯t the case.


    perhaps it was the effect of the poison? ye ling was uncertain. she pulled min nan¡¯s wrist from under the blanket and conducted another assessment.


    min nan¡¯s breathing had become much steadier. this indicated that the herbs in the small world were highly effective for detoxification.


    however, ye ling was puzzled by min nan¡¯s evident emotional fluctuations..


    what was going on? had he experienced a nightmare while unconscious?

 Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Taking Off Her Clothes

    chapter 47: taking off her clothes


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling tucked min nan¡¯s wrist under the blanket, observing the sheets and blanket that min nan had pulled up. she couldn¡¯t help but wonder, how was she going to sleep tonight.


    it wasn¡¯t that ye ling disliked min nan. however, min nan was a man, lying on her bed nearly naked and covered with her blanket. given the situation, ye ling couldn¡¯t imagine sleeping on the same bed without washing the sheets and blanket.


    maybe she should wash them before sleeping?


    just as ye ling was lost in thought, min nan, who had been lying still on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes and sat up slowly. ye ling asked anxiously, ¡°big brother min nan, how do you feel now? do you feel any discomfort?¡±


    looking at ye ling¡¯s clear eyes that were filled with concern, min nan despised himself even more. he held his forehead and pretended that he had just woken up and was still a little dazed. after a while, he replied, ¡°i¡¯m fine¡­¡± ye ling breathed a sigh of relief.


    then, she noticed min nan glancing around the bed as if searching for something. her nerves tensed up. nervously, she said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, big brother min nan. i took your clothes to wash. li bin will bring them over soon. please lie down for a bit longer.¡±


    min nan nodded. before lying back down, he glanced down at the wound on his left arm.


    the wound was covered with gauze, and he couldn¡¯t feel any pain anymore.


    however, after taking it, not only did his mind become clearer, but his arm no longer hurt.


    while min nan was focused on examining his wound, ye ling interpreted it differently.


    for a moment, she thought he might be looking at his bare upper body.


    oh my god, could min nan be thinking that she undressed him? ye ling wished she could just faint like min nan had a few minutes ago.


    after a brief hesitation, ye ling explained with difficulty, ¡°by the way, brother min nan, i¡¯m the one who undressed you. doctors don¡¯t differentiate between genders. you don¡¯t have to worry about it. and i closed my eyes the entire time.¡±


    hearing ye ling¡¯s words, min nan was taken aback.


    what? ye ling undressed him? where was li bin? how could that jerk let ye ling undress him?


    thinking about being in his underwear, min nan felt like he was suffocating. he took a deep breath and looked at ye ling with a glimmer of hope, ¡°then down there¡­¡±


    li bin must have been the one to remove his lower garments, right?


    hearing min nan¡¯s words, ye ling¡¯s fair cheeks instantly turned red. hearing min nan¡¯s hesitant and uncomfortable tone, she felt as if she had tarnished min nan¡¯s innocence.


    even though to her, there was no distinction between male and female patients, she understood that min nan didn¡¯t think that way!


    ye ling lowered her head like a vulnerable quail. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, big brother min nan. please don¡¯t mind me. i truly didn¡¯t see anything¡­¡±


    it was as if a bolt of lightning struck min nan¡¯s mind.


    oh my god, ye ling was the one who took off all his clothes? when he thought of the scene of ye ling taking off his clothes, min nan felt all the blood in his body rush to his head. his face quickly flushed red.


    not even his father had seen his body like this. now, when he was unconscious, the girl he liked¡­


    for a moment, min nan didn¡¯t know whether to feel happy or to laugh bitterly.


    seeing the increasingly awkward atmosphere, min nan mustered a calm expression. ¡°it¡¯s alright. i want to thank you for helping me with the wounds and detoxification.¡±


    ¡°no, i should be thanking you,¡± ye ling hurriedly responded. ¡°if you hadn¡¯t come in time, i would have been taken to the forest farm by wang gang.¡±


    upon hearing wang gang¡¯s name, min nan furrowed his brows. he reassured ye ling, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t let him bully you. also, if you ever need anything, just come find me. don¡¯t face it alone.¡±


    ye ling recalled that she hadn¡¯t asked min nan for help twice. his words seemed to carry a hint. she raised her head, bit her lip, and said, ¡°big brother min nan, i¡¯m unlucky. trouble seems to follow me wherever i go. we¡¯re not related, yet you¡¯ve helped me so many times. i truly don¡¯t know how to repay you, and i don¡¯t want to bother you anymore.¡±


    min nan was taken aback. why would ye ling think like that?


    after pondering for a moment, min nan spoke, ¡°i¡¯ve never found you troublesome. don¡¯t think you bring trouble to others. helping you makes me happy¡­.¡±

 Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Worried

    chapter 48: worried


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    min nan suddenly relt tnat ms worcls nugnt nave sounaecl a dit suggestive, so he quickly added an explanation, ¡°now that you¡¯re here in our village, you¡¯re like one of us. helping you is like helping our own family. and besides, i¡¯m a police officer. serving the people is part of my duty.¡±


    talking about being a police officer made min nan feel a bit uneasy. he realized that one lie often leads to more lies. while he didn¡¯t want to deceive ye ling, he also couldn¡¯t reveal the truth to her at this moment, so he had to continue down this path of deception.


    though police officers and soldiers have different roles, their fundamental purpose is to serve the people. at least, this point wasn¡¯t a fabrication.


    min nan consoled himself with this thought.


    upon hearing min nan¡¯s explanation, ye ling felt a sense of admiration and relief. she looked at min nan with a hint of respect in her eyes and said, ¡°big brother min nan, thank you so much. you¡¯re truly the best police officer i¡¯ve ever known!¡±


    seeing the admiration and gratitude in the young girl¡¯s eyes, min nan felt uncomfortable.


    just a while ago, he had experienced an inappropriate reaction because of ye ling, but she had no idea about his true intentions. she believed him to be a righteous police officer¡­ min nan felt an overwhelming sense of shame. his skin seemed to prickle and heat up as it touched the bedsheet.


    ye ling then asked about his poisoning and injuries, which made min nan fall silent. he didn¡¯t know how to explain it to her. after a few seconds, he forced out a stiff response, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s not convenient for me to tell you about that.¡±


    ye ling blinked her bright eyes, suddenly realizing.


    min nan was a police officer, often on missions where injuries were possible. as for the poisoning, it was likely due to someone trying to harm him!


    this thought made ye ling even more remorseful. min nan had been injured while helping her, and she had to remember this. she looked at min nan with concern and asked, ¡°big brother min nan if you fought with wang gang, will he try to get revenge?¡±


    before min nan could answer, footsteps sounded outside the door. li bin walked in, visibly relieved to see min nan awake. he then turned his gaze to ye ling and admired her. ¡°sister ye ling, i never knew you had such amazing medical skills.¡±


    every time min nan saw li bin, he felt anger rising within him. he wished he could pin li bin to the ground and give him a beating. how could that guy let ye ling undress him?


    however, li bin was unaware of min nan¡¯s resentment towards him. he placed the things in his hands on the table. ye ling saw li bin bring clean clothes and handed them to min nan, saying, ¡°big brother min nan, when you¡¯re feeling better, please change into these clothes. i¡¯ll leave for now.¡±


    with that, ye ling hurriedly exited without looking back, fearing min nan might recall the incident of her undressing him.


    li bin¡¯s response was a bit delayed. he looked at min nan, who was shirtless, and only understood after a few seconds. ¡°min nan, your clothes¡­¡±


    li bin¡¯s eyes widened, and he covered his mouth in realization. he had already seen the murderous look in min nan¡¯s eyes. he instantly regretted bringing up the embarrassing matter.


    min nan coldly glared at li bin. ¡°do you want me to escort you out?¡±


    li bin hastily shook his head. ¡°no need, no need. you can change first. we can talk about other matters later.¡±


    after min nan changed into clean clothes, ye ling and li bin reentered the room. li bin saw that min nan¡¯s injuries had improved, and he had regained some color on his face. li bin then said, ¡°sister ye ling, when i went to auntie sun¡¯s house to get clothes, she heard about your situation. she¡¯s inviting you for dinner tonight and suggests you stay at her place for a few days.¡±


    ye ling hesitated for a moment. her initial reaction was to decline, but li bin seemed to anticipate her thoughts. he continued, ¡°here¡¯s the situation, when you were helping min nan, i reported today¡¯s events to the village committee. however, many people on the committee have close ties with wang gang.


    there are also some vested interests involved, but i won¡¯t go into details. in short, this matter might not be resolved in the end.¡±


    ye ling was taken aback by the extent of wang gang¡¯s influence.. she suppressed her unease and turned to min nan, asking with concern, ¡°big brother min nan, if you confronted wang gang, will he try to retaliate?¡±

 Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Innocence

    chapter 49: innocence


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    li bin revealed a relaxed smile. ¡°of course not. min nan is¡­¡±


    just as li bin was about to mention that min nan was a formally enlisted soldier and that wang gang wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke him, he stopped himself.


    not to mention min nan¡¯s identity, but also the fact that min nan¡¯s father held a certain position.


    in short, there wasn¡¯t a single person in the min family that wang gang could afford to offend. wang gang might not have known who min nan was before, but he could easily find out. and if it came down to a show of strength, there were individuals tougher than wang gang who could handle him!


    before li bin could continue, min nan slapped him on the shoulder and turned to ye ling, saying, ¡°i¡¯m a police officer. wang gang won¡¯t dare to retaliate against me. you can rest assured.¡±


    li bin¡¯s shoulder almost felt like it was about to shatter under min nan¡¯s forceful slap. he looked at min nan with wide eyes, his expression full of confusion, when did min nan become a police officer?


    although he was puzzled, li bin didn¡¯t dare to ask further. seeing ye ling visibly relax, li bin went on, ¡°min nan is fine, but the same might not be true for you. you¡¯re a young woman without the means to protect yourself. neither min nan nor i can be by your side all the time. if wang gang remains persistent, your situation could be dangerous.¡±


    after li bin spoke, ye ling¡¯s face turned paler.


    min nan furrowed his brow and shot li bin a sharp glance. ¡°don¡¯t scare her!¡±


    li bin shrunk back under min nan¡¯s gaze, trying to explain, ¡°i¡¯m just analyzing! but ye ling, don¡¯t worry. as long as you stay with auntie sun, wang gang won¡¯t dare to touch you. don¡¯t let auntie sun¡¯s appearance fool you, she¡¯s got a combat strength surpassing many men. a while back, two strong thieves broke into auntie sun¡¯s house at night and she beat them up so badly they ended up battered and bruised. moreover, auntie sun is a relative of a martyr. if wang gang dares to offend the family of a martyr, no matter how influential he is, nobody will be able to protect him!¡±


    at this point, ye ling understood why li bin suggested she stay at auntie sun¡¯s place. it also surprised her to learn that auntie sun was related to a martyr.


    seeing ye ling¡¯s silence, li bin asked tentatively, ¡°sister ye ling, what do you think? if you¡¯re fine with it, pack your things and come with min nan and me to auntie sun¡¯s place. when i left auntie sun¡¯s place, i saw her preparing minced meat. she¡¯s planning to make something delicious for you.¡±


    upon hearing li bin¡¯s words, ye ling felt the warmth of being cared for. even though she had been through a rebirth, she still had the misfortune to encounter, but she had also encountered many kind-hearted people.


    in her past life, ye ling barely had anyone close to her, so after her rebirth, she always hesitated to trouble others


    now it seemed that she should change her way of thinking. since everyone was treating her well, she might as well accept it. later, when they encountered difficulties, she could help them in return. after all, she now had a small world and was gradually inheriting the remarkable medical skills of the ye family. this gave her some confidence and standing.


    with this in mind, ye ling no longer hesitated. she nodded and said, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll pack my things. ¡±


    ye ling also considered that if she refused auntie sun¡¯s kindness now when she encountered wang gang again, she might end up helpless. at that point, she might have to trouble li bin and min nan again. instead of reaching that stage, it was better to heed li bin¡¯s advice, which would help her avoid further complications.


    hearing ye ling¡¯s agreement, li bin¡¯s eyes lit up. he involuntarily glanced at


    min nan. li bin had expected min nan to be pleased by the news that ye ling was coming to stay at auntie sun¡¯s, but min nan¡¯s expression remained calm.


    he was acting! after all, with the extent of the injuries he suffered for her, how could he remain so calm now? li bin mentally scoffed.


    li bin and min nan walked to the door to wait for ye ling.


    soon enough, ye ling finished packing her things, and the three of them headed to auntie sun¡¯s house.


    the rain had stopped outside. the road, washed by the rain, was now challenging to traverse. min nan and li bin took care to assist ye ling and slowed their pace.


    after a few minutes of walking, li bin remembered something and said, ¡°by the way, sister ye ling, min nan was in your dorm for a while today. although i¡¯ve spread the word that you were only treating his injuries, rumors may still circulate. if you happen to hear anything, don¡¯t let it bother you.¡±


    upon hearing this, ye ling felt her ears burn. then she shook her head and replied, ¡°why would i mind? big brother min nan got injured helping me.


    what¡¯s a little gossip? as long as big brother min nan and i know the truth, i¡¯m not concerned about what others say.¡±


    min nan fell silent upon hearing ye ling¡¯s earnest words.


    indeed, he was not afraid of what others would say, but¡­his thoughts about her were not pure..

 Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Girl

    chapter 50: girl


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the three of them walked for more than ten minutes and passed by the door of a house. they saw a young girl wearing a floral blouse and gray coarse shorts standing beside the well, fetching water.


    hearing the footsteps, the girl turned her head and saw the three of them. a smile appeared on her round face, like a sunflower blooming in the sun.


    after they walked past the house, li bin whispered to ye ling, ¡°if i remember correctly, this young lady was bought by aunt mei as a wife for her second son. it cost quite a bit of money, but i don¡¯t think this girl is very old¡­¡¯


    ye ling had initially thought that the girl she had just seen was the daughter or granddaughter of that household. after hearing li bin¡¯s words, she realized that this young girl had already become someone¡¯s wife.


    ye ling¡¯s brows furrowed tightly as she said in a low voice, ¡°she should only be fifteen or sixteen years old.¡±


    traditional chinese medicine can reveal a lot of important information based on a person¡¯s facial features. thinking about how this young girl was married at such a young age, ye ling felt a mix of emotions, including heaviness and sadness.


    li bin raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°so young? but i heard my mom say that aunt mei has been eager for a grandchild for a long time. is it appropriate for her to find such a young daughter-in-law?¡±


    ¡°of course not!¡± ye ling gritted her teeth and said angrily, ¡°what era is this? is human trafficking still happening? doesn¡¯t the village committee do anything about it?¡±


    li bin didn¡¯t expect the usually gentle ye ling to be so angry. he felt a bit flustered for a moment and regretted bringing up the topic. he explained helplessly, ¡°this kind of thing is voluntary. although it¡¯s a transaction, if the village committee sends someone to ask, they will say that the money is a betrothal gift. who can control this?¡±


    as they spoke, the three of them had already arrived at sun li¡¯s house. although ye ling was still a little angry, she was more helpless. she also knew that the poorer and more backward the area, the more likely this kind of human trafficking would happen.


    however, that lively young girl they had just seen looked like she had a lot of spirit. ye ling hoped that the family treating her better¡­


    min nan noticed that ye ling seemed lost in thought and exchanged a glance with li bin.


    once ye ling had entered the house, li bin lowered his voice and said to min


    nan, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i shouldn¡¯t have brought that up.¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t intend to reprimand li bin. he simply said lightly, ¡°let¡¯s eat first. ¡±


    seeing that min nan wasn¡¯t bothered, li bin felt relieved. he then commented with emotion, ¡°sister ye ling is incredibly kind-hearted. is this the compassion of a healer?¡±


    sun li, who was busy in the kitchen, was pleased to see min nan returning with ye ling. her kneading movements became even more joyful.


    li bin rushed into the kitchen and lifted the lid of a pot. sun li playfully swatted at li bin¡¯s restless hands, saying, ¡°what¡¯s the rush? it¡¯s like you haven¡¯t eaten in three days.¡±


    li bin chuckled. ¡°isn¡¯t it because i¡¯m craving your cooking, auntie sun?¡±


    sun li shot li bin a playful glare. seeing that ye ling and min nan had gone into the living room, she asked, ¡°did they make any progress?¡±


    ¡°progress?¡± li bin pondered for a moment and then nodded. ¡°i suppose there has been some progress.¡±


    ¡°tell me about it,¡± sun li said excitedly.


    li bin shook his head, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, auntie sun. i can¡¯t share that with you.¡±


    if min nan found out that he had told others about ye ling taking off his clothes, he would be done for.


    sun li glared at li bin with annoyance. ¡°you mean i can¡¯t even know about this? do you still want to eat meat pies?¡±


    li bin looked troubled. ¡°auntie sun, i really can¡¯t share it with you. please don¡¯t ask. besides, now that both of them are living in your house, can you be kept in the dark about their situation in the future?¡±


    after a moment of consideration, sun li couldn¡¯t help but break into a smile. she patted li bin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°you did well today. convincing lingling to move into our house. when lingling and min nan¡¯s relationship is solidified, you¡¯ll be the main contributor.¡±


    on the other hand, min nan led ye ling into an empty room and explained, ¡°this is the room i used to stay in when i was young. the only thing is, this room is a bit small, and a large bed won¡¯t fit. after i reached my teens, i couldn¡¯t fit on this bed anymore, so i moved to the room my older brother wan shan used to occupy.¡±


    upon hearing that this was the same room min nan had used before, ye ling¡¯s feelings were a bit complex for a moment. however, she quickly brushed it aside.


    she came to other people¡¯s houses to freeload food and drink and seek protection from others.. what was there to be picky about? it was already good enough to have a bed!

 Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Dinner

    chapter 51: dinner


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling smiled. ¡°i find this room quite nice. i¡¯m sorry for inconveniencing you.¡±


    min nan was surprised that ye ling didn¡¯t mind sleeping in the bed he had used before. this sent a ripple through his heart as if a feather were softly brushing against it.


    ye ling set her belongings down and noticed the clean table and neatly made bed with old-fashioned floral sheets adorned with red peonies on the deep pink fabric.


    ¡°if you need anything, just let me know, or you can tell my godmother. don¡¯t worry about bothering us. as you can see, my godmother had four sons and she always wished for a daughter. i can tell she likes you. just consider her as treating you like a daughter, so you don¡¯t have to be so formal around her,¡± min nan looked at ye ling¡¯s fair profile and spoke softly.


    ye ling nodded and smiled. ¡°i also get along well with auntie sun. alright, i¡¯ll go check the kitchen and see if there¡¯s anything i can help with. ¡±


    soon, wan hai and wan feng returned from work. wan xue, who had been playing at his friend¡¯s house, also came back. ye ling brought out stacked bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen, while min nan carried a plate of meat pies, following behind ye ling.


    wan hai and wan feng, standing at the living room door, looked at them with knowing expressions.


    ¡°what¡¯s the meaning of this? why is she staying in our house? is it that serious? brother min nan is so efficient!¡± wan feng whispered.


    wan hai glanced disdainfully at wan feng. ¡°what are you thinking? ye ling is a girl who respects traditions. how could she move in with her boyfriend just because they¡¯re dating? i¡¯m guessing she must have run into some trouble.¡±


    wan hai and wan feng had just returned and were unaware of ye ling¡¯s encounter with wang gang. it wasn¡¯t until the family gathered for dinner that sun li officially announced that ye ling would be staying with them for a while. she briefly mentioned wang gang¡¯s attempt to force himself ye ling and min nan to intervene.


    after hearing sun li¡¯s words, wan feng almost flipped the table. ¡°that old b*stard, wang gang! doesn¡¯t he know what he looks like? how dare he have eyes for sister lingling? i¡¯ll gather some guys and teach him a lesson!¡±


    wan hai looked at wan feng helplessly. ¡°leave lingling¡¯s situation to min nan. why are you getting involved? min nan has a unique status. wang gang can¡¯t touch him. he¡¯s the best person to handle this. don¡¯t worry. would min nan let anything happen to lingling?


    though wan hai¡¯s words were grounded in reality, they left ye ling feeling uneasy, as if min nan was taking care of everything for her, creating an unexpectedly ambiguous feeling.


    having consumed a couple of meat pies, wan xue¡¯s lips were greasy. he glanced at ye ling and said, ¡°sister lingling, why don¡¯t you stay with us a few more days? whenever you¡¯re around, my mom always cooks delicious food¡­¡±


    before wan xue could finish, sun li playfully smacked him on the head. ¡°why are you making it sound like i mistreat you regularly?¡±


    everyone at the dining table burst into laughter.


    with wan feng and li bin around, dinner was filled with lively conversation. ye ling soaked up the cheerful atmosphere of the sun family, feeling warm and content. it was as if she was already a part of this wonderful extended family.


    since her mother¡¯s passing, ye ling had never experienced the warmth of a normal family. her father was indifferent, and her stepmother and stepsister treated her poorly. she felt like an invisible presence at home.


    but now, in the sun family, ye ling sensed that everyone had embraced her and made her feel cherished.


    sun li would serve her the crispiest meat pies, wan hai would engage her in conversation to ease her nerves, wan feng and wan hai addressed her as ¡°sister lingling¡±, and li bin always included her in discussions, helping her blend into the lively atmosphere.


    though min nan spoke less, ye ling knew he cared deeply for her as well.


    after dinner, sun li stopped ye ling from helping with the dishes. ¡°you¡¯ll have plenty of household chores to do when you get married. for now, be a good girl and go play with wan xue and the others.¡±


    after li bin finished eating, he exchanged a few words with min nan before leaving.


    wan hai usually took a post-dinner walk, but the rain today had made the path muddy. unable to go for a walk, he instead performed a set of radio gymnastics in the yard.


    observing his brother¡¯s graceful moves, wan feng chuckled while clutching his stomach. ¡®what kind of normal person does radio exercises at home? second brother, i might just laugh to death!¡±


    wan hai was full of the temperament of an old cadre. he was calm and indifferent. he did not care about wan feng¡¯s mockery at all and elegantly completed a set of radio gymnastics..

 Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Chess

    chapter 52: chess


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    after the exercise, wan hai took out his cherished wooden chessboard and looked at wan feng and min nan. ¡°who wants to play a few rounds of chess with me?¡±


    wan feng quickly waved his hand. ¡°no, no, i¡¯ve never beaten you. i don¡¯t want to embarrass myself with sister lingling here.¡±


    ¡°haha, no spirit for a challenge at all.¡± wan hai teased wan feng, then turned to min nan. ¡°how about you?¡±


    min nan¡¯s gaze flicked toward ye ling. seeing her keen interest in wan hail s chessboard, he nodded. ¡°sure, let¡¯s play a couple of games.¡±


    wan hai set up the chessboard, and the two sat on opposite sides. wan hai made the first move.


    when playing chess, wan hai was very immersed. he would always place a


    piece after careful consideration. sometimes, he would frown, and sometimes,


    he would show a frustrated expression when he made the wrong move.


    on the other hand, min nan¡¯s expression did not change much. no one could tell what he was thinking. at the same time, min nan¡¯s chess speed was also relatively fast. he usually did not think for too long, and his movements were very casual. he was not as serious as wan hai.


    their skill levels appeared to be evenly matched, as they played for a long time without a clear winner.


    wan feng was already impatient and ran to the bedroom for some unknown reason. wan xue had just returned from playing outside and was squatting beside ye ling to watch her two brothers play chess.


    a few minutes later, wan hai rested his hands on his knees and chuckled.


    ¡°you¡¯ve lost.¡±


    min nan nodded, seemingly unperturbed by the loss. ¡°you¡¯ve improved a lot since last year. ¡±


    wan hai smiled and shook his head. with a subtle meaning in his words, he remarked, ¡°because your mind isn¡¯t calm, chess requires concentration.¡±


    min nan understood the implication of wan hai¡¯s words. during the game, he had indeed been less focused and hadn¡¯t put much thought into his moves, as his attention was often drawn to discreetly glancing at ye ling.


    watched both chessboards intently, her adorable expression revealing


    her contemplation. min nan¡¯s heart tingled, as though something was on the verge of emerging.


    wan hai turned his gaze to ye ling and suggested, ¡°although he lost this round, he¡¯s better than me. i see you¡¯re interested in chess too. why not play a game against min nan?¡±


    ye ling hesitated for a moment, not expecting to be mentioned. she glanced at min nan, who was also looking at her.


    quickly, she shook her head. ¡°no, my skills are lacking! i¡¯m certain i¡¯ll lose!¡±


    wan hai chuckled and continued, ¡°why are you like wan feng? if a chess player feels inferior to their opponent and refrains from playing, how will they ever become skilled? in my opinion, losing is where the interest lies. it fuels determination and hidden motivation, a desire to overcome the person who defeated you.¡±


    ye ling acknowledged the truth in wan hai¡¯s words. nonetheless, she truly didn¡¯t want to play chess with min nan. the main reason was that min nan¡¯s presence during chess felt overwhelmingly intense. despite his casual appearance, his aura diminished the surrounding atmosphere.


    she felt that if she were to sit across from min nan, she might want to escape before even beginning the game. she admitted, in matters of chess, she might be more like wan feng.


    seeing ye ling¡¯s reluctance, wan hai couldn¡¯t help but smile, his eyes holding a teasing glint as if saying, ¡°see, she doesn¡¯t even want to play with you.¡±


    ¡°then, how about playing against wan xue? he knows chess too, but he¡¯s fond of retracting moves and playing tricks, so i don¡¯t enjoy playing with him. if you can accept that, the two of you can have a few rounds.¡± wan hai turned to ye ling and suggested.


    upon hearing wan hai¡¯s proposal, wan xue¡¯s face flushed. ¡°i don¡¯t play tricks! don¡¯t slander me!¡± that annoying second brother, he doesn¡¯t even spare me any dignity in front of sister lingling!


    wan hai ignored wan xue¡¯s outburst and reassured ye ling, ¡°don¡¯t worry, wan xue¡¯s skills are subpar. beating him shouldn¡¯t pose a challenge for you. no pressure.¡±


    wan xue was nearly infuriated. he roared angrily, ¡°wan hai!¡±


    seeing his younger brother¡¯s reaction, wan hai chuckled, raising his hand disarmingly. ¡°alright, alright, i won¡¯t say anything more.¡±


    with that settled, the four of them swapped positions. ye ling and wan xue occupied opposite sides of the chessboard, while min nan and wan hai watched from the sidelines.


    ye ling and wan xue began their chess match.


    ye ling was well aware of her abilities and didn¡¯t underestimate wan xue. she pondered each move carefully.


    wan xue had the weakest chess skills in the family. even sun li, who rarely played chess, could defeat him. consequently, whenever anyone played chess against wan xue, it was often accompanied by snacking on sunflower seeds, sipping tea, chatting, and even dozing off. very few treated him as a serious


    ¡°opponent¡±..

 Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Shameful

    chapter 53: shameful


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling¡¯s seriousness and dedication made wan xue feel respected, and he was deeply moved. he had come to regard ye ling as the best sister-in-law in the world. simultaneously, wan xue also took the game seriously.


    both of them were intensely focused, though their chess skills were rather average. to wan hai, watching them play was somewhat comical. he observed every flawed move they made, struggling to hold back the urge to comment.


    wan hai turned to look at min nan and realized that he was looking at them quite seriously. he immediately felt a little ashamed. in the world of chess, each game and opponent should be treated equally. in terms of mindset, he found himself falling short compared to min nan.


    in truth, min nan wasn¡¯t paying much attention to the evolving chess situation. although it appeared he was observing their game, his gaze was unswervingly fixed on ye ling.


    he didn¡¯t expect ye ling to be so serious when she was playing chess. that serious look was simply too cute.


    ¡°wan xue, you¡¯re about to lose again.¡± wan hai assessed the chessboard and declared the outcome.


    wan xue snorted, ¡°losing to sister lingling makes me happy!¡±


    concerned that wan xue¡¯s pride might be wounded, ye ling hurriedly reassured, ¡°i¡¯ve been learning chess from my grandfather since i was young. given that you¡¯re so much younger than me, wan xue, you¡¯re already quite impressive.¡±


    hearing ye ling¡¯s explanation, wan hai fell silent.


    she had been playing chess with her grandfather since she was young. how could her skills be at this level?


    moreover, ye ling was earnestly comforting wan xue. it felt like the second-to-last reassuring the last. ¡°it¡¯s okay, you¡¯re already doing great!¡±


    wan hai covered his mouth, struggling to contain his laughter as his facial muscles twitched.


    wan xue neatly put away the chessboard. suddenly, an enlightening thought struck him. he blinked and turned to ye ling, suggesting, ¡°sister lingling, how about you play a game with brother min nan? he¡¯s skilled, and he¡¯s not as devious as my second brother, plus he won¡¯t mind undoing moves.¡±


    although wan xue was young, his perception was astute. he had noticed that ye ling and min nan hadn¡¯t interacted much after dinner, and immediately knew what was needed.


    ye ling didn¡¯t expect wan xue to ask her to play chess with min nan. she bit her lip and felt a little awkward.


    if she declined to play with min nan, would he interpret it as her disliking him?


    ye ling hesitated but eventually nodded, her voice laced with difficulty,


    ¡°alright, big brother min nan, let¡¯s play the next round.¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t want to play chess with ye ling. he was already very satisfied to be able to watch her from the side. however, since ye ling had agreed, he naturally didn¡¯t mind playing chess with her.


    min nan and wan xue switched places, and the game between min nan and ye ling began.


    ye ling managed to remain composed while facing wan xue. yet, when she was opposite min nan, she found it hard to even raise her head.


    when she placed the chess piece down, her mind was filled with doubt. ¡°did i make a foolish move? will min nan laugh at me? given the gap between our skills, will this game end in just three minutes? oh my, it¡¯s so embarrassing!¡±


    min nan noticed ye ling¡¯s unease and wondered why she was confident while playing against wan xue but nervous around him.


    he slowly placed his chess piece down and occasionally looked up, taking advantage of the chess game to look at ye ling openly.


    throughout this, ye ling hadn¡¯t looked at min nan. however, as time passed, her nervousness started to fade. she began earnestly considering the board¡¯s situation. after a while, she realized something peculiar. ¡°why hadn¡¯t she lost yet?¡±


    min nan¡¯s skills were on par with wan hai¡¯s, but ye ling was essentially devoid of any chess skills. given min nan¡¯s abilities, he could¡¯ve won against her within three minutes.


    yet, they had been playing for over ten minutes.


    was min nan deliberately losing to her?


    felt even more embarrassed when she thought about how min nan was


    imitating her playing skills! seriously, could he please just let her lose already?


    ye ling raised her head, wanting to observe min nan¡¯s expression, but she didn¡¯t expect min nan to be looking at her too.


    their eyes met, and time seemed to stand still.


    wan hai was so bored that he was about to fall asleep. he could see that min nan was intentionally letting ye ling win. this guy was truly patient with his future wife!


    no, with their pace, this game could last until midnight.


    ¡°alright, you two can continue another time. the hot water is ready. lingling, why don¡¯t you take a shower first? you must be exhausted. it¡¯s better to rest early.¡± wan hai¡¯s words came to ye ling¡¯s rescue. she finally didn¡¯t have to wait to lose. she nodded hastily. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll shower first. big brother min nan, let¡¯s play chess another time.¡±


    saying ¡°another time¡± proved challenging for ye ling.


    there definitely wouldn¡¯t be another time!

 Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Teaching Materials

    chapter 54: teaching materials


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling went to take a shower. wan hai leaned closer to min nan and said with a smile, ¡°how are you playing chess? those who don¡¯t know better might think that the two of you are flirting.¡±


    min nan glanced at wan hai indifferently and ignored him.


    ye ling and sun li walked to the open space next to the vegetable field in the backyard. sun li had already set up two iron wires on the open space, with two pieces of gray-white cloth hanging from them. sun li said somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°lingling, the conditions in the village are a bit rough, so please bear with it for now. if you¡¯re afraid of showering here, i¡¯ll stand in front of you and accompany you.¡±


    ye ling quickly waved her hand. ¡°it¡¯s alright, auntie sun. i¡¯m not afraid. i think it¡¯s quite nice and refreshing.¡±


    ye ling signaled sun li to go about her business and not worry about her.


    after sun li left, she found min nan in the front yard and said, ¡°take some time to build a small structure in the backyard. lingling is a city girl, and it¡¯s not appropriate to have her showering out in the open like this.¡±


    min nan nodded. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go to the building materials store to get bricks and cement.¡±


    wan hai¡¯s gaze shifted back and forth between his mother and min nan. he had a sneaking suspicion that his mother had already accepted ye ling as a daughter-in-law!


    despite them, the brothers, having bathed outdoors for so many years, their mother had never shown them such care. sigh, it was truly disheartening.


    ye ling emerged from her shower with damp hair, clad in a thin, old pajama.


    min nan saw that ye ling¡¯s eyelashes were wet, and she looked like a little bun that had just come out of the oven. she was white and soft. an itch surged within min nan¡¯s heart, reminding him of the feeling of resting his head on ye ling¡¯s shoulder.


    ye ling noticed min nan and said, ¡°big brother min nan, there¡¯s still hot water in the pot. you should take a shower.¡±


    min nan nodded. ¡°then you go inside and sit for a while. i have a feeling it might rain again later.¡±


    ye ling glanced at the dark, moonless sky outside. how did min nan know it was going to rain?


    ¡°alright,¡± obediently said, drying her hair with a towel.


    min nan carried a basin of hot water to the backyard. as expected, he saw two iron wires set up in front of the space, with two pieces of cloth hanging from them. ye ling must have showered there earlier.


    min nan undressed his broad shoulders and slim waist exuding strength and vitality. his chest and abdominal muscles displayed defined and smooth lines as if each muscle had been meticulously sculpted.


    min nan picked up a damp towel, about to dry himself when he hesitated. he then walked slowly to the two pieces of cloth hanging from the wires and gently pulled them apart.


    as the breeze blew, min nan seemed to have caught a faint sweet fragrance. that fragrance lingered around his sense of smell, causing min nan¡¯s heart to tremble uncontrollably. that sweet fragrance instantly reminded him of the pure girl bathing here.


    warm water cascaded over the girl¡¯s fair skin, her long hair sticking to her body, and her thick eyelashes collecting a touch of moisture¡­


    min nan abruptly dropped the curtain and steadied his slightly disheveled breath.


    what was he doing?


    in the living room, ye ling sat on a wooden chair, her gaze casually wandering over the furnishings. suddenly, her attention was drawn to a few books. she approached and found that they were high school textbooks.


    ye ling looked at them with keen interest, generating a stream of thoughts in her mind.


    after her rebirth, wu de¡¯s plot failed, sparing her from being forever trapped in the countryside like her past life.


    currently, two main ideas occupied ye ling¡¯s mind.


    first, she wanted to study medicine diligently. after returning to the city, she wanted to open a traditional chinese medicine clinic, gradually building a reputation and promoting the medical expertise of the ye family.


    the second idea was to prepare thoroughly before the country resumed the college entrance examination. when the time came, she intended to participate and strive to secure a spot in a reputable medical university for further studies.


    the status of the first batch of university students after the resumption of the national college entrance examination was quite prestigious. some universities not only covered full tuition but also provided job placement after graduation, relieving the graduates of employment concerns.


    opening a clinic was a definite plan. since ye ling had inherited the ye family medical code, she had a duty to follow in the footsteps of her predecessors and employ the ye family¡¯s medical expertise to assist more people.


    however, opening the clinic could happen at any time. ye ling¡¯s current hesitation revolved around whether she should prepare for the college entrance examination. if she chose to do so, she would need to begin gathering study materials, reviewing the exam syllabus, and devising a study plan..

 Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Small Temper

    chapter 55: small temper


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    however, searching for teaching materials was not an easy task. the rural areas were underdeveloped, and information flow was restricted. when the city reinstated the college entrance examination, it took another two years for people in rural areas to gradually start participating. the delay in information hindered the educational progress in rural areas compared to urban areas.


    considering the challenges involved in taking the college entrance examination, ye ling¡¯s thoughts were still in the preliminary stage. she hadn¡¯t fully made up her mind.


    however, as she gazed at the high school textbooks before her, her eyes brightened, and her determination grew stronger.


    she had initially assumed that finding teaching materials would be difficult, yet she unexpectedly found high school textbooks at auntie sun¡¯s house.


    were these textbooks min nan¡¯s, wan hai¡¯s, or wan feng¡¯s? she wondered if she could borrow them to take a look¡­


    as various thoughts raced through ye ling¡¯s mind, someone entered the room. ye ling looked up and saw min nan with a perplexed expression. she quickly waved at min nan and inquired, ¡°big brother min nan, are these high school textbooks yours?¡±


    observing the books in ye ling¡¯s hands, min nan¡¯s mind instantly flashed back to the repulsive events involving liu lin earlier in the day, causing his expression to darken.


    ¡°consider them mine,¡± min nan responded with a somber tone.


    ye ling hesitated for a moment. why did it feel like min nan wasn¡¯t very pleased? could it be that he was upset about her touching his books?


    with this thought in mind, ye ling refrained from mentioning borrowing the books any further.


    she bit her lip, contemplating her options. ultimately, she decided that her tuture was more important. summoning her courage, she spoke, ¡°in that case, big brother min nan, could you lend me these books for a few days? don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll return them to you promptly. i just want to take a look.¡±


    min nan¡¯s expression grew darker at her words, and he responded, ¡°i¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible. these books¡­¡±


    min nan wanted to throw these books away immediately. when he thought about how those books had been touched by that disgusting woman, liu lin, he felt that these books were an eyesore, so there was no way he would lend them to ye ling.


    however, min nan realized that his tone was a little stiff, so he added, ¡°if you¡¯re interested in high school textbooks, i¡¯ll help you find them in the future.¡±


    upon hearing min nan¡¯s words, ye ling couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of disappointment.


    since these books were min nan¡¯s, why couldn¡¯t he lend them to her?


    in ye ling¡¯s view, min nan¡¯s promise to help her find the textbooks seemed like an excuse. he probably didn¡¯t want to lend her the books and used that statement to spare her feelings.


    setting the books down, ye ling mustered a strained smile. ¡°it¡¯s okay, big brother min nan. you don¡¯t need to go out of your way to help me find textbooks. i was just mentioning it casually. it¡¯s getting late now, so i¡¯ll head inside and rest. see you tomorrow!¡±


    after her words, ye ling turned and retreated into her room, leaving min nan with a fleeting glimpse of her petite figure.


    min nan paused, feeling that ye ling¡¯s demeanor seemed off.


    was it because of his tone earlier? but hadn¡¯t he already explained himself? he had assured her that he would find the textbooks for her. could it be that she misunderstood him?


    min nan experienced a mix of self-blame and urgency.


    while he could tolerate others¡¯ misconceptions about him, the idea that ye ling had misunderstood him and was distressed because of his words was unbearable. he felt the urge to give himself a couple of punches.


    as ye ling entered her room and closed the door, she leaned against it, sorting out her emotions.


    in reality, she had already regretted her actions when she turned back to her room. her display of grievance was too evident. what was she doing? was she throwing a tantrum at min nan?


    after all, min nan was her benefactor. he had helped her numerous times and had been exceedingly kind. was she dissatisfied just because he didn¡¯t agree with her this one time? oh, ye ling, how could you be like this?


    ye ling regained her composure, feeling ashamed. she realized that she shouldn¡¯t take min nan¡¯s kindness for granted. she shouldn¡¯t let herself become ¡°spoiled¡± by min nan.


    as ye ling lay on her bed, she felt a tinge of regret and annoyance. she tossed and turned for over ten minutes but couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    in another room, min nan also struggled to sleep. ye ling was upset. what should he do?


    considering ye ling¡¯s personality, she wouldn¡¯t overtly express her inner feelings. she would likely interact normally the next day. however, min nan couldn¡¯t tolerate any distance between them. it wasnt about his obsession, but rather his fear of ye ling growing distant due to this incident.


    their relationship had finally gotten a little closer.. how could he let her continue to stay away from him?

 Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Discussion

    chapter 56: discussion


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the next morning, ye ling woke up early due to her biological clock. after folding her blanket, she went to the courtyard to wash up.


    she planned to return to the dormitory today to wash the blanket and bedsheets on the bed.


    as ye ling was washing up, she suddenly felt someone¡¯s gaze on her. she turned her head and met min nan¡¯s gaze. at first, neither of them spoke.


    after a few seconds, just as ye ling was about to say something, min nan spoke, ¡°are you going out today? i¡¯ll accompany you.¡±


    observing that ye ling had changed into outdoor shoes, min nan guessed that she might be going out.


    ye ling nodded and said, ¡°i¡¯m going back to the dormitory. big brother min


    nan, you can go back to work. i¡¯ll go by myself.¡±


    while the morning streets weren¡¯t crowded, it was still possible to encounter some villagers. however, ye ling wasn¡¯t concerned about gossip.


    she had stated before that as long as her relationship with min nan was innocent, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid of rumors. having already experienced death once, she cared less about others¡¯ opinions compared to her previous life.


    the reason she didn¡¯t want min nan to accompany her was that she felt embarrassed about her tantrum toward him the previous day.


    min nan¡¯s expression darkened. was ye ling still upset?


    ¡°then, let wan xue accompany you. i worry about you going alone.¡± with that, min nan turned around and called wan xue over. he gave wan xue a few words of advice.


    wan xue was also aware of wang gang¡¯s situation and reassured, ¡°brother min


    nan, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll make sure to protect sister lingling!¡±


    after breakfast, ye ling and wan xue set off for the dormitory together.


    arriving at the dormitory building, just as ye ling was about to climb the stairs, she overheard conversations from upstairs.


    ¡°did ye ling return to the dormitory yesterday?¡±


    ¡°no, i heard she brought a package and left with min nan and li bin. could she have gone to stay at min nan¡¯s place?¡±


    ¡°unbelievable, she¡¯s shameless. she¡¯s only been in willow village for a few days and she¡¯s already caused three men to fight over her. is she the legendary femme fatale? we don¡¯t have such charm.¡±


    ¡°she looks innocent, but who knows how many men she¡¯s secretly involved with. no wonder her reputation was bad back in stone village.¡±


    soon, a group of young female scholars who were conversing appeared at the staircase. when they noticed ye ling, a hint of panic flashed in their eyes.


    however, they quickly composed themselves and walked past ye ling without acknowledging her.


    wan xue glared at them. if it weren¡¯t for ye ling holding his arm, he would have confronted them.


    ye ling smiled calmly and told wan xue, ¡°it¡¯s alright. people have their own opinions, and we can¡¯t control their thoughts. let them talk. i¡¯m not bothered.¡±


    wan xue couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°sister lingling, you¡¯re too easygoing. are you going to let them bully you like this?¡±


    ye ling chuckled. ¡°they¡¯re just talking behind my back. they haven¡¯t done anything too extreme. if they provoke me, i won¡¯t let it slide.¡±


    ye ling and wan xue went upstairs together. ye ling took out a can of homemade mint candy from the drawer and offered it to wan xue, who initially hesitated to accept, thinking that ye ling had bought it.


    ¡°i made these myself. try them and see if they¡¯re delicious. if you like them, i¡¯ll make other flavors for you in the future.¡± ye ling explained with a smile.


    wan xue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®wow, sister lingling, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    he liked this sister-in-law.


    at that moment, wan xue even found min nan too slow in progressing their relationship. they hadn¡¯t officially become a couple yet.


    while wan xue enjoyed the candy, ye ling placed the bedding into a wooden basin and took it outside to wash. afterward, she hung it on a bamboo pole in the corridor.


    after washing the bedsheets and blankets, ye ling and wan xue prepared to go back.


    as they descended the stairs, ye ling noticed a petite young female scholar struggling to climb the stairs. however, the young woman¡¯s face was pale, and her expression worsened with each step.


    ye ling¡¯s lips moved. she wanted to step forward to help, but she remembered that the young female scholar in this building might not have a good impression of her. after hesitating for a moment, she decided against intervening.


    however, what ye ling and wan xue didn¡¯t anticipate was that she would collapse and faint halfway up the stairs..

 Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: Yu Huan

    chapter 57: yu huan


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling was startled and quickly reached out to support the other person, narrowly avoiding both of them falling.


    wan xue looked at the young female scholar leaning on ye ling with concern and asked, ¡°what happened? is she alright?¡±


    explaining this was somewhat complicated. ye ling was a practitioner of traditional chinese medicine. by observing the person¡¯s complexion, she could make a rough guess about his physical condition. moreover, ye ling was also a woman. when she saw the young female scholar clutching her stomach while going upstairs, she realized that she might be experiencing her menstrual period.


    the slender young female scholar leaned against ye ling. after a moment of consideration, ye ling said simply, ¡°she doesn¡¯t have any major issues, but we can¡¯t just leave her here. let¡¯s help her to my room.¡±


    wan xue nodded, and the two of them assisted the unconscious young female scholar upstairs.


    upon opening the dormitory door, ye ling took out silver needles and said to wan xue, ¡°wan xue, could you step out for a moment? i want to take off her clothes.¡±


    ¡°sure.¡±


    after wan xue left, ye ling unfastened the clothing of the thin young female scholar and used silver needles to stimulate a few key acupuncture points.


    by taking her pulse, ye ling determined that the young female scholar didn¡¯t have any major issues with her body. however, she lacked vitality and had a cold constitution. she might have caught a cold earlier, resulting in symptoms of a cold in the uterus, which was also the primary cause of her menstrual cramps.


    after the acupuncture session, ye ling helped the young female scholar put her clothes back on. seeing that she was still asleep, ye ling took out a piece of paper and jotted down a few lines before placing it on the bedside table.


    wan xue was waiting at the door. when she saw ye ling close the door and prepare to go downstairs, he hesitated, ¡°sister lingling, how is she?¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing serious. she should wake up by the afternoon.¡±


    wan xue, who was following ye ling, said uneasily, ¡°aren¡¯t you worried she might take your belongings?¡±


    ye ling smiled and said, ¡°there¡¯s nothing valuable in my dormitory, and¡­ she seems to be from a wealthy family.¡±


    although the young female scholar who had just fainted was not dressed extravagantly, ye ling saw that she was wearing a watch with a genuine leather strap on her wrist. in this era, anyone who could afford to wear such a watch must have a good family background.


    ye ling and wan xue left shortly after. not long after their departure, the young female scholar who had been sleeping on ye ling¡¯s bed woke up.


    yu huan sat up, feeling something slip off her body. she looked down and saw a piece of clothing, appeared to be a girl¡¯s outfit.


    yu huan quickly realized that she was in someone else¡¯s dormitory. she recalled fainting while going upstairs and couldn¡¯t remember anything after that.


    at the time, her stomach had been hurting badly, and she urgently climbed upstairs to her dormitory to rest. she hadn¡¯t noticed who had helped her up. could it have been the person who brought her here?


    yu huan looked around the dormitory room.


    the room was very simply furnished, with not much in it. yu huan soon noticed a note placed on the table.


    she picked up the note, which read, ¡°i¡¯m ye ling. i saw you faint, so i brought you to my dormitory. i need to go out. if you wake up, please help me lock the door on your way out. thank you.¡±


    yu huan put the note away, her expression thoughtful.


    ye ling¡­ she had heard other young female scholars talking about this person last night, saying negative things about her. it sounded like ye ling was a very unconventional woman.


    yu huan didn¡¯t pay much attention to others¡¯ affairs, so she didn¡¯t know who ye ling was.


    however, no matter what kind of person ye ling was, she couldn¡¯t just pretend nothing had happened after ye ling¡¯s help today.


    yu huan planned to find an opportunity to treat ye ling to a meal or buy her something as a gesture of gratitude.


    after lying on the bed for a while, yu huan got up to leave. as soon as her feet touched the ground, she sensed something unusual.


    why wasn¡¯t her stomach hurting as much? she only felt a slight bloating sensation.


    yu huan also felt that her body was much more relaxed than before, and her energy had improved significantly.


    she had felt completely drained earlier, but now, her strength seemed to have returned.


    yu huan couldn¡¯t believe that such a miraculous change could happen after a nap after fainting. could it be that ye ling had done something to her?


    ye ling and wan xue retraced their steps. as the sun slowly rose, ye ling¡¯s nose turned slightly red from the heat.


    as the two walked, a black, slender woman in her fifties suddenly approached. ye ling noticed that she was carrying a bag of feed.


    just as ye ling was observing the bag, it suddenly moved, as if something inside was squirming. startled, ye ling let out a short exclamation..

 Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Taking the Exam

    chapter 58: taking the exam


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the dark and thin woman looked up at ye ling, her face expressionless.


    ¡°auntie tan, it¡¯s such a hot day. are you going to town?¡± wan xue greeted the tanned and skinny woman before turning to ye ling. ¡°sister lingling, don¡¯t be afraid. there are snakes in the bag.¡±


    what was that? snake?


    the color drained from ye ling¡¯s face, leaving her pale.


    perhaps wan xue shouldn¡¯t have told her what was in the bag!


    auntie tan glanced at wan xue and nodded without saying anything. she walked past the two of them and quickly moved away.


    seeing ye ling¡¯s pale face, wan xue apologized. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, sister lingling. i didn¡¯t know you were afraid of snakes.¡±


    ye ling managed a weak smile. ¡°it¡¯s alright.¡±


    as they walked back, ye ling thought about the recent incident and felt a bit embarrassed. she hadn¡¯t seen the snake, yet she had reacted so strongly.


    she furrowed her brows, contemplating how she would gather medicinal herbs on the mountain in the future. ever since she saw the snake, she had been too scared to even consider it.


    now that ye ling had the small world, it was a good way to earn money by quickly finding precious herbs and transplanting them into the small world.


    she didn¡¯t have much money on hand, and her father wouldn¡¯t even care if she lived or died. if she wanted to take the college entrance examination and go to university in the future, she needed to find a way to prepare for travel and tuition expenses.


    after some hesitation, ye ling looked at wan xue and asked, ¡°wan xue, did that auntie catch the snake just now to sell it in town?


    wan xue nodded and replied, ¡°yes, auntie tan is quite remarkable. most people would only dare to catch non-poisonous snakes, but she catches all kinds of venomous ones. after her husband passed away, she supported herself and her daughter by catching and selling snakes. she¡¯s really impressive.¡±


    ye ling also admired auntie tan¡¯s courage. after chatting with wan xue for a bit longer, the two of them returned home.


    after spending another two days at sun li¡¯s house, it was time for the pharmacy administrator selection exam.


    early in the morning, sun li prepared a bowl of noodles and two eggs for ye ling. this combination was believed to bring good luck and success.


    ye ling didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. the pharmacy administrator selection exam was quite different from a primary school test.


    but sun li¡¯s encouragement moved ye ling, and she finished the meal, feeling a bit full.


    after eating, min nan accompanied ye ling to the exam venue. sun li gave ye ling a military water bottle and hung it over her shoulder. she spoke softly,


    ¡°don¡¯t be nervous. auntie believes in your abilities.¡±


    after ye ling and min nan left, wan feng walked up to sun li, pouting unhappily, ¡°mom, i want noodles and eggs too.¡±


    sun li glanced at wan feng disdainfully. ¡®you? you can go eat air!¡± with that, sun li went into the kitchen without looking back.


    wan feng felt extremely dejected. ¡°mom, you only care about your future daughter-in-law. you don¡¯t even care about your poor son anymore!¡±


    meanwhile, ye ling and min nan arrived at the exam venue. since people from several villages were taking the exam, it was held at a central location, an ancestral hall.


    several middle-aged men stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall, looking more imposing than ordinary villagers. ye ling recognized stone village¡¯s village chief among them.


    the village chief smiled at ye ling and exchanged greetings. he then looked at min nan, who stood beside ye ling, and his murky eyes revealed a hint of contemplation.


    ye ling turned to min nan and said, ¡°big brother min nan, you should head back first. the exam will take nearly three hours, and the sun will be high soon.


    min nan was unemployed now and didn¡¯t need to go to work at all. however,


    ye ling had no choice. she thought that he was a police officer like dai wei, so min nan could only nod. ¡°then you go take the exam. when you¡¯re done, i¡¯ll come pick you up.¡±


    ye ling had initially wanted to decline, but she was worried that wang gang would find out that she was taking the exam and stop her on the way. so she nodded and said, ¡°alright, but big brother min nan, you don¡¯t have to come so early. if you¡¯re a bit late, i¡¯ll wait for you at the entrance of the ancestral hall.¡±


    seeing ye ling¡¯s consideration, min nan¡¯s heart warmed. ¡°alright, you focus on your exam. i wish you success.¡±


    ¡°thank you! ¡±


    after watching min nan walk away, ye ling turned and headed into the examination hall.


    suddenly, at the entrance, ye ling spotted liu lin. she was wearing a slightly fitted khaki shirt with knee-length black cotton pants. in contrast, ye ling was dressed in old clothes, looking a bit frail and thinner. she was also shorter than liu lin, which made her seem a bit less imposing in front of her..

 Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: The Clown

    chapter 59: the clown


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling looked at liu lin with a calm gaze. she could sense that there was a sharp, poisonous thorn in liu lin¡¯s eyes directed at her.


    liu lin¡¯s lips curled into a smile, and she raised her chin, looking down at ye ling arrogantly. ¡®you¡¯ve already found a new man so quickly?¡±


    ye ling was momentarily taken aback.


    was liu lin not planning to put on an act?


    after hesitating for a moment, ye ling decided to maintain her original persona in case liu lin noticed anything amiss.


    ye ling widened her eyes slightly and pretended to be surprised and confused. ¡°liu lin, what do you mean by that?¡±


    liu lin, observing ye ling¡¯s innocent appearance, was so infuriated that her anger was about to explode.


    she had always believed ye ling to be foolish, but it seemed she had been mistaken. this woman must be a cunning b*tch, to have charmed min nan in such a short time!


    shortly after liu lin returned from the old house that day, she heard the news that min nan had been in a fight with someone. the matter had escalated significantly, and the opponent was the director of the willow village forest farm and the vice chairman of the willow village committee, a person of high status.


    as for the reason behind the fight, it was over a young female scholar who had recently arrived at willow village.


    though liu lin wasn¡¯t aware of the specifics, the information she gathered was enough to drive her to the brink of madness with jealousy.


    on the day of the torrential rain, min nan had not hesitated to injure himself to avoid being intimate with her. this alone had left her feeling desperate and seething with anger.


    what she hadn¡¯t anticipated was that, despite being injured, min nan had fought with someone over ye ling, that b*tch!


    in contrast, she felt like a clown!


    liu lin couldn¡¯t fathom why things had taken a turn for the worse in this lifetime. with her reborn memories, she believed she could shape the course of destiny, but the reality had veered far from her expectations.


    liu lin didn¡¯t even know when ye ling had seduced min nan.


    perhaps ye ling¡¯s visit to willow village had nothing to do with the village chief¡¯s intentions. maybe, it was ye ling who had specially asked the village chief to arrange it to seduce min nan.


    thinking of this, liu lin gritted her teeth in hatred.


    in her previous life, she had drugged ye ling and orchestrated a situation where wu de raped her in the reeds. eventually, she persuaded ye ling to marry wu de, leading to a miserable existence. but in this life, something had gone awry. wu de had failed to rape ye ling.


    ye ling hadn¡¯t fallen victim to wu de¡¯s assault. instead, she had become infatuated with min nan.


    liu lin chastised herself for being too careless. she shouldn¡¯t have been so overconfident. her rebirth had led her to believe she could control everyone¡¯s destiny, yet many aspects of this life had deviated from her initial expectations.


    furthermore, liu lin had also made the wrong decision. she wanted to seduce min nan into sleeping with her. it was almost impossible for her to fail. how could a normal man endure such a situation? but who knew that min nan had such strong self-control?


    the situation was spiraling out of control. just now, min nan had even sent ye ling to take an exam. liu lin was in the dark about the current state of their relationship. after all, she didn¡¯t reside in willow village, and thus couldn¡¯t ascertain the specifics.


    liu lin glared at ye ling coldly. ¡°do you think min nan would be interested in you? do you even know who his father is? and as for you, look at the ragged clothes you¡¯re wearing. you don¡¯t even have a decent outfit. even if an ordinary bird dreams of soaring to great heights and becoming a majestic phoenix, it should first consider whether it¡¯s capable of bearing such fortune. don¡¯t end up becoming the laughingstock of others! ¡±


    listening to liu lin¡¯s words, ye ling realized she was trying to belittle her.


    in her previous life, ye ling would have been timid and self-conscious, likely shedding tears from such comments. but at this moment, her heart remained unperturbed.


    she even gleaned some critical information from liu lin¡¯s words. liu lin was acquainted with min nan and had a deep understanding of his family circumstances.


    when min nan had mentioned a person named liu lin before, ye ling had assumed it was merely a coincidental name. but now, it appeared that the liu lin min nan had referred to was indeed liu lin.


    considering this, ye ling felt like she had touched upon a portion of the truth.


    as the saying goes, ¡°there¡¯s no love or hatred without reason in this world.¡± ye ling had no prior animosity toward liu lin, yet liu lin consistently schemed against her. could it be that her presence had encroached upon liu lin¡¯s interests? could this be related to min nan?


    such thoughts crossed ye ling¡¯s mind, but she didn¡¯t reveal a hint on her face.. confronting liu lin¡¯s mockery, she smiled faintly and responded, ¡°are you implying that you want that kind of fortune?¡±

 Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Puzzled

    chapter 60: puzzled


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    liu lin didn¡¯t anticipate that ye ling would respond with a counter-question. after a brief moment of stunned silence, her face quickly flushed red, revealing her inner thoughts. there was a hint of panic in liu lin¡¯s eyes.


    ye ling had spoken casually, yet liu lin¡¯s reaction caught her off guard.


    could it be true? did liu lin have feelings for min nan?


    however, whether liu lin liked min nan or not was her own business. after all, they had already known each other for a while. what did it have to do with ye ling?


    ye ling was a bit puzzled. she had only recently met min nan, but liu lin had already targeted her even before that.


    yet, ye ling didn¡¯t dwell on this matter. her life was gradually improving, and with the small world in her hands, she wasn¡¯t too concerned about liu lin¡¯s potential schemes.


    seeing liu lin about to speak again, ye ling interjected, ¡°to be honest, i¡¯m not very interested in your affairs. i¡¯m here for the exam today, so i won¡¯t engage further. goodbye.¡±


    with that, ye ling didn¡¯t spare a glance at liu lin. she walked past her and entered the examination hall.


    liu lin¡¯s eyes widened, her fists clenched.


    when did ye ling become so audacious? look at how smug she looks!


    could it be that min nan boosted her confidence? had they already become intimate?


    thinking of this, liu lin was extremely furious. her beautiful features were twisted. she took two deep breaths and tried to calm her breathing.


    she couldn¡¯t rush. things hadn¡¯t reached the worst stage yet. even if ye ling and min nan had indeed become intimate, she absolutely couldn¡¯t allow them to be together!


    if she couldn¡¯t have it, she would destroy it rather than let others have it.


    liu lin glared coldly in the direction ye ling had vanished, her eyes as chilling as a snake¡¯s.


    after ye ling walked into the examination hall, she saw that there were already many people sitting inside. after a careful count, there were almost thirty people.


    when the village chief and ye ling initially discussed running for the pharmacy administrator position, there weren¡¯t as many people. perhaps more individuals heard the news later and joined the running team at the last moment.


    ye ling casually scanned the room and took an empty seat. she saw that the table was stocked with rudimentary pencils and sharpeners.


    before long, two village officials in charge of supervising the exam entered the hall, carrying a stack of exam papers.


    they distributed the papers and announced, ¡°the exam begins. all forms of cheating are prohibited. violators will be immediately disqualified and criticized.¡±


    after the papers were distributed, ye ling quickly glanced at them.


    due to the village¡¯s limited resources, the test papers were handwritten, yet the handwriting was quite legible and neat.


    the paper featured twenty multiple-choice questions, eight short-answer questions, and three essay questions.


    ye ling picked up her pencil and began answering without much hesitation.


    as time ticked away, the sun moved overhead. in the distance, the calls of cicadas, frogs, and birds filled the air. the temperature slowly rose.


    ¡°alright, time¡¯s up. start collecting the papers. don¡¯t write anymore if you haven¡¯t finished them.¡±


    the two exam supervisors began collecting papers from both sides of the hall. after ye ling turned in her paper, she stood up and left. just as she was exiting, she noticed that most of liu lin¡¯s papers were blank.


    as expected, liu lin had signed up for the pharmacy administrator election only to cause trouble for her, rather than genuinely aiming to pass.


    walking thoughtfully outside the hall, ye ling still felt a bit puzzled.


    judging from liu lin¡¯s attitude towards her today, liu lin no longer intended to continue pretending in front of her. however, it was such a hot day, and liu lin came to take the exam. could it be that she only wanted to say those two mocking and humiliating words to her?


    even if liu lin had nothing better to do, she should have left after saying those words.


    regardless, liu lin wasn¡¯t genuinely here to take the exam.


    why did liu lin spend over two hours in the exam room?


    as ye ling stepped outside the ancestral hall, she noticed min nan hadn¡¯t arrived yet. she planned to find a shady place to wait for him. she was taken aback when a familiar voice spoke behind her.


    ¡°hey, why aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± she turned around to see yun jie.


    ¡°i¡¯m waiting for someone.¡± ye ling smiled.


    yun jie nodded. ¡°alright, then i¡¯ll head out.¡±


    with fewer and fewer people remaining in the ancestral hall, ye ling waited for a while longer. seeing min nan hadn¡¯t shown up, she felt a bit perplexed.. suddenly, a seven or eight-year-old child approached her from the back, looking at her and asking, ¡°are you ye ling?¡±

 Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Attack

    chapter 61: attack


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling nodded, and the child said, ¡°a big brother asked me to come over and tell you that he had something to do at the last minute and asked you to go back by yourself.¡±


    did something happen to min nan? was he too busy with work?


    ye ling slowly stood up and patted her legs, which were sore from squatting for so long. she said to the child, ¡°okay, i understand. thank you.¡±


    after the child left, ye ling looked at the now empty ancestral hall and turned to leave.


    walking along the mountain path, ye ling hummed a tune softly. she planned to take out some of the herbs from the small world in a few days and sell them in town to buyers or medicine shops. then, she would buy some essential items and get a few things for sun li, the three wan brothers, and min nan.


    ye ling lived at sun li¡¯s house and getting free meals might not bother sun li, but she couldn¡¯t feel at ease. people needed to know gratitude.


    as ye ling pondered over these matters, she suddenly sensed that something was amiss.


    before ye ling could react, a person suddenly jumped out from the nearby bushes. the person was holding a stick and struck her head forcefully.


    a sharp pain shot through ye ling¡¯s head, and her surroundings seemed to spin. she let out a scream and tried to struggle forward, but with her injuries, she had no chance of outrunning her attacker. the person struck her leg with the stick again, and the sound of her leg bones breaking reached ye ling¡¯s ears.


    after that, ye ling lost consciousness.


    in a haze, she felt her body suspended in the air before plummeting downward. the pain that followed felt as though every bone in her body was shattering.


    the night grew late.


    min nan¡¯s face turned pale, and his eyes were bloodshot.


    sun li held a torch in her hand and said anxiously, ¡°where could this person have gone? why can¡¯t we find her anywhere?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± min nan¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°i should have come earlier.¡±


    wan hai had never seen min nan lose control of his emotions like this. he looked at him with concern.


    initially, wan hai had thought that min nan merely had a strong liking for ye ling. but now, it appeared that min nan¡¯s feelings for ye ling were much deeper than he had imagined.


    sun li stamped her foot in frustration. ¡°that liu lin, she chose the worst possible time to look for you! why did she appear when you were on your way to pick up lingling?


    wan hai was also aware of liu lin¡¯s identity. hearing his mother¡¯s words, he sighed and said, ¡°liu lin is also participating in the selection exam, so it¡¯s not too surprising that she encountered min nan on the way. since we haven¡¯t found lingling yet, let¡¯s not jump to conclusions.¡±


    min nan clenched his fists tightly.


    it wasn¡¯t that min nan hadn¡¯t suspected liu lin, but as wan hai pointed out, there was no evidence linking ye ling¡¯s disappearance to liu lin.


    when ye ling went missing, liu lin had already left the ancestral hall and even encountered him on the way.


    in the afternoon, min nan had estimated it to be nearly noon, so he set off for the ancestral hall to pick up ye ling. however, he encountered liu lin not far from the ancestral hall.


    seeing liu lin, min nan continued walking without stopping or even acknowledging her. but liu lin called out to him.


    ¡°min nan, are you still mad at me?¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t want to engage with liu lin, but liu lin approached and blocked her path. ¡°i apologize to you. i acted impulsively back then, but i didn¡¯t intend to hurt you!¡±


    min nan couldn¡¯t fathom how liu lin could say something so shameless.


    after all the vile things she had done, did she truly expect an apology to erase it all?


    had min nan not taken the risk of tetanus by piercing his arm with a pair of scissors that day, he might have¡­ what happened that day was the darkest shadow cast over min nan¡¯s life.


    ¡°from now on, i don¡¯t want to see you. get lost.¡± min nan¡¯s sharp gaze fixed upon liu lin with unwavering disgust in her eyes.


    liu lin¡¯s face turned ashen, and there was a tinge of bitterness in her tone. ¡°because of ye ling, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    min nan abruptly turned her head. ¡°what do you want with her?¡±


    liu lin hadn¡¯t anticipated that just mentioning ye ling¡¯s name would cause


    min nan to react so nervously. to what extent did min nan care about ye ling?


    overwhelming jealousy and resentment nearly drove liu lin to lose her composure. gritting her teeth, she retorted, ¡°min nan, why? i¡¯ve known you for over a decade, but you¡¯ve only known her for a few days? what about me is inferior to her?¡±


    min nan looked at liu lin sarcastically. ¡°how can you compare to her? with all the disgusting things you¡¯ve done, are you even worthy of being compared to


    min nan¡¯s words pierced deeply into liu lin.. min nan had stated that he wasn¡¯t even worth being compared to ye ling!

 Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Search

    chapter 62: search


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    seeing liu lin¡¯s pale face, min nan¡¯s tone grew even colder. ¡°you¡¯re well aware of what you did to her back in stone village. but now that ye ling is in willow village, let me warn you, you better rein in all those sick thoughts of yours.¡± liu lin stared at min nan in disbelief. ¡°you think she was raped by wu de because of me?¡±


    min nan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°watch your language.¡±


    liu lin sneered. ¡°did i say something wrong? even if wu de didn¡¯t rape her, he must have touched, hugged, and kissed her¡­¡±


    ¡°shut up!¡± min nan¡¯s eyes blazed with a reddish hue, exuding a sharp, threatening aura. liu lin felt the hair on her body stand on end, and the warning system in her body frantically sounded the warning signal.


    min nan was genuinely angry.


    liu lin spread her hands. ¡°alright, i won¡¯t say anymore.¡± liu lin checked her watch. it was almost time.


    ¡°min nan, you¡¯ll never see your ye ling again!¡±


    with one final glance at min nan, liu lin turned and left.


    min nan¡¯s brows furrowed, holding back his anger, he turned and headed back to the ancestral hall.


    however, upon reaching the ancestral hall, ye ling was nowhere to be found.


    initially, min nan thought ye ling might have returned early, not waiting for him.


    while he felt ye ling wouldn¡¯t do that, he couldn¡¯t dismiss the possibility. after returning home without finding her, min nan discovered ye ling hadn¡¯t rptllrnpd pithpr onlv thpn did ho rpnli7p thnt enrnpthincr hnd hnnnpnpd tn vp


    ling.


    several members of the wan family searched near the ancestral hall. failing to find her, min nan immediately sent wan xue to find dai wei, while the rest continued to expand the search.


    dai wei arrived shortly after, seeing min nan and the others looking grim, he hesitated and asked, ¡°haven¡¯t you found her yet?¡±


    min nan raised his head abruptly, his reddened eyes fixed on dai wei. ¡°go get a police dog. ¡±


    dai wei chuckled wryly. ¡°do you think we¡¯re in the city? where am i supposed to find a police dog?¡±


    as dai wei finished speaking, he noticed min nan¡¯s expression grow even darker. his aura turned ominously heavy. he hurriedly added, ¡°i can apply for one from the city. don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll head there now.¡±


    wan feng¡¯s panic escalated at dai wei¡¯s words. ¡°by the time you get back, lingling might be in a life-threatening situation!¡±


    dai wei fell silent at wan feng¡¯s words.


    amid the intense and oppressive atmosphere, wan xue, who had accompanied


    dai wei, whispered, ¡°why not let big yellow give it a try?¡±


    sun li¡¯s eyes brightened, and she nodded eagerly. ¡°yes, big yellow is quite clever. maybe big yellow can find lingling. ¡±


    big yellow was a stray dog adopted by aunt hua. it was remarkably intelligent and even seemed to ¡°understand¡± many commands.


    a glimmer of hope lit up min nan¡¯s somber eyes.


    following that, sun li and wan xue went to borrow the dog from aunt hua, while min nan and the others continued their search.


    late at night, aunt hua and her husband, tie niu, arrived. a somewhat scraggly-haired yellow dog followed them.


    aunt hua fretted, ¡°still no sign? how could a well-behaved person just vanish like that?¡±


    tie niu¡¯s voice trembled with concern, ¡°could it be human traffickers¡­¡±


    before tie niu could finish, aunt hua stomped on his foot. ¡°shut up if you can¡¯t say anything sensible!¡±


    tie niu winced in pain and covered his mouth.


    ¡°hurry up, let big yellow smell lingling¡¯s clothes,¡± aunt hua urged anxiously.


    sun li hurriedly fetched ye ling¡¯s clothes and presented them to the yellow dog.


    big yellow was indeed sharp-witted. it seemed to understand the group¡¯s intention and carefully sniffed ye ling¡¯s clothes. then, wagging its tail, it turned and dashed off in a direction.


    ¡°hurry up, let¡¯s follow!¡± wan hai urged.


    pain.


    searing pain.


    ye ling was brought back to consciousness by the excruciating agony. as she opened her eyes and attempted to catch her breath, a spurt of blood gushed from her mouth. the sensation of her bones nearly breaking overwhelmed her, and tears streamed down her face.


    after a moment, ye ling forced herself to shift her gaze. she realized she was suspended from a tree growing on the cliff¡¯s edge. lowering her head, she saw a broken branch embedded in her calf, the wound a gruesome mess of blood and flesh.


    seeing that the tree below her was still sturdy, ye ling endured the risk of fainting from the pain again and pulled out the branch.


    the intense pain caused her facial features to twist and her entire body to tremble.


    following that, ye ling endured the pain and covered her bleeding wound. her consciousness sank and entered the small world.


    the moment she entered the small world, ye ling collapsed onto the ground..

 Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Bloodstain

    chapter 63: bloodstain


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling couldn¡¯t stand up at all. she could only lie on the ground and use her extremely sore arms to support herself as she slowly crawled forward.


    finally, she reached the herbal field. with great effort, ye ling plucked the leaves of a well-grown herb, put them into her mouth, chewed a few times, and then spat them out. she pressed the juicy herbal powder onto her leg.


    the moment she pressed it, ye ling was in so much pain that she broke out in a sweat, and her whole body trembled.


    time flowed slowly in the small world. ye ling checked her pulse and confirmed that her life was not in danger for the time being. then, she lay down on the ground and slept for a while.


    when she woke up again, ye ling checked her wound. it had stopped bleeding, and a scab would form in a few hours.


    feeling her strength returning, ye ling didn¡¯t attempt to stand. she continued to crawl to the stream.


    ye ling still had a military water bottle hanging from her. she emptied the water bottle, filled it with stream water, and then drank half of it.


    after drinking, ye ling felt her broken body recovering faster. she waited for another two hours to ensure her safety before leaving the small world. in the blink of an eye, she was hanging on the tree at the bottom of the cliff again.


    ye ling estimated the height of the cliff and concluded that although it wasn¡¯t very high, it was still high enough for a fatal fall.


    whoever attacked her seemed determined to kill her.


    if it weren¡¯t for this tree, ye ling would have fallen to her death. she wouldn¡¯t even have had the chance to enter the small world to treat her injuries. ye ling sighed. she raised her weak arm and patted the tree below her. ¡°thank you.¡±


    she felt a slight touch of luck in the face of life and death. she thanked god, her ancestors, her grandfather, and her mother for protecting her.


    ye ling lay on the tree and waited for a while, but no one came to find her.


    she guessed that the cliff was still far from the ancestral hall, so min nan and the others hadn¡¯t arrived yet.


    ye ling hesitated about entering the small world, but she wanted to be found quickly. time passed too slowly there.


    her injuries weren¡¯t severe at the moment. she decided to enter the small world when she got hungry or tired.


    with that in mind, ye ling checked the sturdiness of the tree trunk again. after confirming it wouldn¡¯t break and cause her to fall, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    min nan and the others followed the yellow dog for a while. soon, they saw the yellow dog standing in the middle of a small road, barking loudly.


    ¡°isn¡¯t this the path home?¡± sun li said, raising a torch and pushing aside the grass.


    suddenly, sun li screamed. everyone looked over, and sun li pointed at the grass with a pale face.¡±there¡¯s blood here! ¡±


    everyone gathered around and saw that the grass was indeed stained with blood. the blood had dried, and its color was a dark reddish-black.


    silence filled the air for a moment. no one spoke.


    big yellow didn¡¯t know what was happening. it walked over to aunt hua and wagged its tail, as if awaiting praise from its owner.


    auntie hua¡¯s lips trembled, and she almost lost her balance. tie niu steadied her in time. auntie hua leaned against tie niu, her voice trembling. ¡°could lingling be¡­¡±


    tie niu quickly reassured her, ¡°that won¡¯t happen. i can tell lingling is a fortunate child. don¡¯t worry. we haven¡¯t found her yet, right? big yellow, keep searching. go!¡±


    the big yellow dog wagged its tail and continued sniffing around the bloodstains.


    wan hai noticed that min nan was still staring at the bloodstain in a daze, as though he were lost. he felt a little worried and walked over, patting min nan on the shoulder. ¡°min nan, i know you¡¯re feeling upset, but don¡¯t lose hope¡­¡±


    wan hai comforted min nan, although he couldn¡¯t quite believe his own words. after seeing the bloodstains, he also feared that ye ling might have encountered something terrible.


    there was blood, indicating a struggle had occurred. ye ling was likely attacked.


    min nan took a deep breath and looked ahead, his voice revealing a hint of obsession and madness. ¡°she¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    wan hai felt a mixture of worry and fear.


    if they found ye ling in a dire situation, would min nan lose his sanity?

 Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Not Dead

    chapter 64: not dead


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    wan hai had a good understanding of min nan. outwardly, min nan seemed tough, but in reality, once someone entered his heart, that person became more important to him than his own life.


    ye ling could be considered the first woman min nan ever had feelings for. given min nan¡¯s personality, it was likely he would only love one person in his lifetime.


    witnessing the death of someone he cared for deeply might drive him to madness.


    min nan¡¯s gaze turned toward the searching big yellow dog. he walked slowly, his steps heavy.


    to everyone¡¯s astonishment, before long, the big yellow dog found another clue and dashed into the depths of the forest.


    hope ignited in everyone¡¯s hearts as they followed.


    after about half an hour, the mountain path grew steeper. an uneasy feeling crept over everyone. why would ye ling be in a place like this?


    they were now deep within the mountains. other than some hunters and people looking for precious herbs, almost no one would come here.


    the hope in everyone¡¯s hearts was slowly wavering.


    after a while, big yellow¡¯s footsteps halted, and it barked loudly.


    min nan looked up, his face turning incredibly pale as he focused on the direction ahead.


    when sun li spotted the cliff ahead, she froze for two seconds before collapsing to the ground, her limbs going limp.


    wan hai was taken aback. for a moment, he even doubted big yellow¡¯s judgment. how could ye ling¡¯s last known location be a cliff?


    an eerie silence fell over the surroundings.


    a few seconds later, wan hai saw min nan move. min nan lifted a leg and began walking towards the cliff.


    wan hai was shocked. afraid that min nan would do something crazy, he immediately grabbed his arm. ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    min nan paid no attention to wan hai and continued forward.


    wan hai pulled min nan back. ¡°are you out of your mind?¡±


    min nan seemed to have only just heard wan hails words. he was silent for a few seconds and said, ¡°i¡¯m going to check.¡±


    wan hai looked at min nan¡¯s expression, feeling his heartache. he took a deep breath. ¡°don¡¯t go. this cliff is¡­ very high.¡±


    hearing wan hai¡¯s words, min nan¡¯s eyes seemed to flicker. after a moment, he said, ¡°i¡¯m going to check.¡±


    wan hai couldn¡¯t bear to hear more. he wanted to say something, but min nan broke free and approached the cliff. he knelt on the ground and a few seconds later, min nan shouted, ¡°ye ling, ye ling!¡±


    his voice reverberated through the forest, sounding hollow and desolate.


    not far away, sun li leaned against wan feng, tears streaming down her face.


    aunt hua choked up as well. filled with anger, she said, ¡°is god blind? why do good people die while the bad¡­¡±


    before aunt hua could finish, min nan¡¯s frenzied voice, tinged with elation, cut her off.


    min nan stared down the cliff, shouting, ¡°ye ling, is that you? can you hear


    aunt hua was bewildered, looking at her husband. ¡°is min nan out of his mind?¡±


    wan hai thought min nan might be hallucinating. he approached the cliff, intending to pull min nan back. ¡°min nan, i know you¡¯re hurting. none of us expected this to happen, but since it has¡­¡±


    before wan hai could finish, min nan interrupted him. ¡°go get a long rope!¡± wan hai opened his mouth, but his words got stuck in his throat.


    in the early morning, when the sky began to brighten, sun li¡¯s family and aunt hua¡¯s family gathered at the cliff¡¯s edge.


    dai wei and wan hai held the rope tightly, wrapping it around their arms twice. wan feng stood behind them, ready to prevent any mishaps.


    the other end of the rope was secured around min nan¡¯s waist and tied with a knot.


    at first, when min nan claimed to hear ye ling¡¯s voice, no one believed him.


    ye ling¡¯s last known location was a cliff. it was far too high for someone to survive a fall. yet, min nan¡¯s conviction was unwavering. dai wei and wan hai, swayed by min nan¡¯s certainty, leaned over the cliff. wan hai shouted twice more and sure enough, they heard a faint response from below.


    ye ling was indeed alive!


    at that moment, sun li watched as min nan prepared to descend the cliff to rescue ye ling. she felt anxious and uneasy, repeatedly advising, ¡°be careful, go slowly, and if anything seems off, call wan hai and dai wei.¡±


    min nan reassured sun li with a few words, then glanced at wan hai and dai wei, signaling that he was ready to go down.


    wan hai and dai wei gripped the rope firmly. on the other end of the rope, min nan positioned his feet against the cliff wall and slowly began his descent..

 Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Hug Me Close

    chapter 65: hug me close


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    min nan held a short knife in his right hand. when he encountered a wall that was difficult to navigate, he would insert the short knife into the crevices of the wall to maintain his balance.


    min nan wasn¡¯t particularly skilled at rock climbing, especially in such treacherous cliff conditions, an experience he had never encountered before.


    however, at this moment, min nan felt no fear. his thoughts were entirely consumed by ye ling¡¯s well-being.


    ye ling must have been injured. how severe were her injuries? she must have been terrified when she fell off the cliff¡­ just thinking about these things sent a sharp pang through min nan¡¯s heart.


    he took a deep breath, pushing aside any distractions from his mind.


    before long, min nan had descended to the midpoint of the cliff. he surveyed his surroundings and spotted a pine tree growing from the cliff face. simultaneously, ye ling caught sight of min nan.


    in the instant she saw min nan, ye ling was so startled that she nearly let out a scream.


    since she was quite a distance away from min nan, she initially failed to notice the rope. all she saw was a man moving almost vertically on the cliff wall. the scene was incredibly thrilling.


    as min nan approached, ye ling finally saw the rope tied around his waist.


    min nan drew nearer to ye ling, and as soon as he got a clear view of her, his heart sank, and his pulse quickened.


    ye ling¡¯s clothing was mostly stained red with blood, and her forehead appeared to be injured. blood had caused her hair to stick together, and the red of the blood mixed with the brown of the earth, creating a jarring contrast that was deeply unsettling.


    min nan was a soldier, accustomed to injuries from training and missions. he had developed some expertise in assessing the severity of injuries. seeing ye ling in this state, he knew her injuries were serious.


    min nan¡¯s heart twisted into a tight knot, his chest felt heavy, and he berated himself for failing to protect ye ling.


    ¡°big brother min nan, are you alright?¡± ye ling asked with a hint of unease, noticing min nan lost in thought.


    min nan snapped back to reality. upon hearing ye ling¡¯s voice, he felt an elation akin to regaining the most vital part of his life. furthermore, ye ling¡¯s voice sounded steady, indicating that she wasn¡¯t in immediate danger.


    suppressing his complex emotions, min nan extended his arm toward ye ling. ¡°i¡¯m sorry i arrived late. come here, i¡¯ll help you up now.¡±


    ye ling slowly straightened her posture, gripping the pine tree branch below her with nervous hands.


    she glanced downward briefly and was immediately overcome with dizziness. they were on a cliff!


    ye ling hadn¡¯t been afraid of heights, but in this middle-of-the-cliff position, even she began to feel the onset of acrophobia.


    observing ye ling¡¯s growing pallor, min nan recognized her fear. he moved closer and advised, ¡°don¡¯t look down. i¡¯ll hold you firmly. trust me.¡±


    ye ling lifted her head, meeting min nan¡¯s calm, resolute gaze. her fear dissipated significantly.


    after a brief pause, ye ling extended her hand. min nan promptly clasped it and pulled her into his embrace. then he said, ¡°given the circumstances, you need to hold onto me tightly.¡±


    at ye ling¡¯s words, her heart rate quickened. she was now leaning against min nan¡¯s chest, enveloped in his presence, and he had asked her to hold him tightly¡­


    the morning air in the woods was chilly. a gust of wind blew by, sending a shiver through ye ling¡¯s body, snapping her back to reality.


    this was not the time for such thoughts. they were still stranded on a cliff!


    any scattered thoughts in ye ling¡¯s mind instantly dissipated. she immediately embraced min nan tightly with both arms.


    min nan breathed a sigh of relief, confirming ye ling¡¯s arms were secure.


    after a brief pause, min nan looped an arm around ye ling¡¯s waist, holding her close.


    ye ling felt the strength of min nan¡¯s arm, pressing their bodies together. she could even sense the resilience of his chest muscles against her.


    though her mind was no longer clouded by strange thoughts, ye ling¡¯s cheeks still flushed naturally due to the intimate contact.


    anticipating ye ling¡¯s potential fear during their ascent, min nan issued a reminder, ¡°close your eyes and don¡¯t look down.¡±


    ye ling readily agreed. ¡°alright.¡±


    min nan gave the rope a shake and shouted again, signaling to wan hai and dai wei that they could start reeling in the rope.


    ye ling felt a sway in her body as min nan gradually began to ascend the cliff, bringing her along..

 Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: Minor Injury

    chapter 66: minor injury


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    on the cliff, dai wei, wan hai, and wan feng exerted their strength to pull the rope back, while sun li and the others anxiously waited on the side.


    ¡°i see them!¡± aunt hua exclaimed with delight. she patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief, ¡°you scared me! i knew lingling would be alright.¡±


    by the cliff¡¯s edge, min nan was holding ye ling in his arms. their footsteps finally touched the ground.


    ye ling was tightly embraced by min nan. as they ascended, the eyes of the people on the cliff were fixed on them. ye ling¡¯s cheeks immediately flushed.


    in this era, societal norms were not as liberal, and even holding hands between a man and a woman was considered overly intimate. but now, she and min nan were in such close contact¡­


    upon seeing that ye ling, who was brought up by min nan, was covered in blood, sun li¡¯s heart skipped a beat, fearing the worst. only when she saw that ye ling¡¯s life was not in danger did she heave a sigh of relief. she hurried over and asked, ¡°lingling, where are you injured? hurry up, let min nan carry you to the clinic!¡±


    ye ling¡¯s injuries were quite severe, and if not for the small world¡¯s medicinal herbs, she might have died from excessive blood loss. however, the herbs in the small world were three to four times more potent, and the stream¡¯s water had miraculous healing properties. ye ling was now confident that her life was not in peril.


    she reassured sun li, ¡°auntie sun when i fell off the cliff, i was caught by a pine tree growing on the cliff¡¯s wall, so i didn¡¯t sustain too serious injuries.


    don¡¯t worry.¡±


    everyone was amazed to see that while ye ling appeared weakened, her tone remained normal. surviving such a fall with only minor injuries was truly astonishing.


    tie niu chuckled and said, ¡°i always said that lingling is a lucky child. it seems the heavens are watching over her.¡±


    min nan observed the bloodstains on ye ling¡¯s clothes and found them puzzling. based on his assessment, her injuries should have been severe. why did she seem fine?


    ¡°alright, let¡¯s head back first.¡± min nan intervened, ¡°she¡¯s a bit weak right now.


    we can discuss things further when we¡¯re back.¡±


    wan hai nodded in agreement, ¡°okay, min nan, you carry lingling back.¡±


    upon hearing this, ye ling¡¯s heart skipped a beat. she was about to decline, but then she realized that she was an injured person who had just been rescued from a cliff. how could she descend the mountain on her own?


    min nan didn¡¯t say anything, walking straight over to ye ling. he bent down, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, ye ling leaned against his back.


    min nan straightened up, and ye ling suddenly felt a broader field of view. min nan was tall, and his shoulders were broad and sturdy, providing a reassuring sensation.


    wan hai exchanged glances with the others and cleared his throat. ¡°the mountain path isn¡¯t easy to traverse. min nan, take it slow with lingling. we¡¯ll head home and make breakfast.¡±


    sun li immediately added, ¡°i¡¯ll go slaughter a chicken to nourish lingling. ¡±


    in this era, slaughtering a chicken was no small task. for some impoverished families, it was a luxury reserved for special occasions like the new year. ye ling was about to decline, but min nan softly said, ¡°it¡¯s fine. your health comes first. don¡¯t be frugal when it¡¯s unnecessary.¡±


    as sun li and the others moved farther away, ye ling hesitated and said, slightly embarrassed, ¡°my injuries aren¡¯t that serious.¡±


    upon hearing this, min nan furrowed his brows in doubt. after a moment¡¯s contemplation, he inquired, ¡°why did you return alone? were you attacked on the way?¡±


    ye ling nodded, then realized her position on min nan¡¯s back. since he couldn¡¯t see her reaction, she replied, ¡°yes. a child came over and said that you asked him to tell me that you couldn¡¯t come at the last minute. i was going to go back alone. on the way, someone hid in the grass and attacked me. then, i fainted¡­¡±


    min nan¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and cold sweat trickled down his back.


    if the assailant had been more ruthless, ye ling might not have made it.


    ye ling was unaware of min nan¡¯s sudden tension.


    ¡°later on, that person seemed to have brought me to the cliff¡­¡± ye ling continued. at this point, a shiver of fear ran down her spine. she had come dangerously close to losing her life without even realizing it.


    if the pine tree did not grow on the cliff, she would probably have become a corpse by now..

 Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Killing Intent

    chapter 67: killing intent


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    upon returning home, wan feng and wan hai had already left. sun li had prepared nutritious shredded chicken porridge and vegetable cakes. a pot of chicken soup was simmering on the stove.


    ¡°lingling, are you sure you don¡¯t want to go to the clinic? you¡¯re covered in blood,¡± sun li said with concern as she watched ye ling sip her porridge.


    ¡°it¡¯s alright, auntie sun. although i¡¯m bleeding, i didn¡¯t injure any vital areas. please don¡¯t worry,¡± ye ling replied with a small lie. she didn¡¯t want to visit the clinic.


    visiting the clinic, getting a diagnosis, and receiving medication all cost money.


    furthermore, ye ling was a doctor herself, and the small world was an excellent place for treating and recuperating. going to the clinic wasn¡¯t necessary.


    after a simple breakfast, sun li urged ye ling to rest in bed. ye ling looked at min nan, who had been silent in his chair, and asked, ¡°big brother min nan, aren¡¯t you going to work?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry about him.¡± sun li explained on min nan¡¯s behalf, ¡°dai wei will handle his leave.¡±


    ye ling felt a little embarrassed. ¡°i¡¯ve caused you trouble again. but i am fine.


    you can go about your own business. please don¡¯t concern yourselves with me.¡±


    sun li smiled reassuringly. ¡°how can you call it trouble? we live under the same roof, so we¡¯re like family. don¡¯t say such things. just remember that.¡±


    ye ling went inside to rest. sun li sat beside min nan and asked, ¡°who attacked lingling?¡±


    min nan shook his head. ¡°she didn¡¯t see what that person looked like.¡±


    sun li¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°who could want to harm lingling like this? to be so vicious!¡±


    min nan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°it¡¯s someone who holds a grudge against her.¡± ¡°who do you think it might be?¡± sun li inquired anxiously.


    ¡°i need to verify further. godmother, i¡¯ll need your help taking care of her for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t even need to ask. even if you and lingling didn¡¯t get together, i already consider her my daughter. i¡¯ll look after her well, so please don¡¯t worry.¡± sun li continued, her expression turning somber as she recalled something.


    ¡°are you certain that this incident has nothing to do with liu lin? it¡¯s not that i dislike liu lin, but something just doesnt sit right. lingling got into trouble because you couldn¡¯t pick her up on time. but you weren¡¯t able to pick her up on time because liu lin intercepted you on the way.¡±


    ¡°certainly not.¡± min nan silently answered sun li¡¯s question in his mind.


    however, min nan also understood that the matter wasn¡¯t entirely resolved. if he were to confront liu lin now, she wouldn¡¯t reveal the truth.


    seeing min nan¡¯s troubled expression, sun li assumed he was still blaming himself and consoled him, ¡°don¡¯t blame yourself too much. nobody could have predicted this. lingling doesn¡¯t hold you responsible, so don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. ¡±


    min nan nodded, standing up from his chair. ¡°godmother, if i¡¯m late tonight, please don¡¯t wait for me for dinner.¡±


    ¡°okay, you want to go out? be careful on the road.¡±


    after ye ling returned to her room, the faint voices from outside gradually faded away.


    she was tired for the whole day and was not in a good mood. she lay on the bed and slept for a while. after waking up, she went to the small world and picked a few herbs to make an ointment.


    staring at her bruised leg, ye ling recalled the excruciating pain of treating her broken bone beneath the cliff. a shiver ran down her spine.


    who could want her dead so badly? if she were to discover the person¡¯s identity, she wouldn¡¯t let them go.


    ye ling¡¯s eyes darkened as she gazed at the two trees beside the stream.


    after several days, one of the trees produced small, pale-green fruits. ye ling had studied these fruits and found them to be highly toxic.


    at that moment, ye ling felt a surge of murderous intent.


    doctors were meant to heal and save lives. however, as someone who understood human anatomy and various medications, causing harm was simple for them.


    ye ling was confident. if she wanted someone dead, she had dozens of methods at her disposal, each of which would leave no trace.


    yet, in an instant, ye ling remembered the ancestral teachings of the ye family. she had the sense that her grandfather and mother were watching her from above. if she were to commit such harm, would they be deeply disappointed in her?


    ye ling found herself lost in contemplation.


    the ye family¡¯s ancestral teachings emphasized that harming others wasn¡¯t just an offense against them. it was also self-destructive.


    when you chose to harm another, you had truly abandoned your moral compass. once you embraced evil, its stains would mark you forever, and your soul would never find peace..

 Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Pharmaceutical Production

    chapter 68: pharmaceutical production


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed the complex emotions within her.


    she wouldn¡¯t resort to the worst methods for revenge, but she wasn¡¯t a saint either. she couldn¡¯t forgive those who had harmed her.


    ye ling walked over to a small tree in the middle of the small world and plucked the small bluish-white fruits from its branches. she put these fruits into a bowl and crushed them.


    then, she gathered some other herbs from the herbal field and mixed them in certain proportions.


    after several attempts, ye ling finally concocted the three types of medicine she desired.


    due to the addition of the bluish-white fruits, all these medicines were toxic, though to varying degrees.


    among them, the most abundant was a light red powder. this powder was highly volatile, dissolved in water, colorless, and odorless. it had anesthetic and hallucinogenic effects, with toxicity far surpassing that of common sleeping drugs in the real world. upon entering the human body, it would render certain sensory organs dysfunctional for an extended period.


    the other two medicines had special effects. they wouldn¡¯t threaten lives but come with significant side effects.


    ye ling poured these three medicines into small bottles of different colors.


    in the past, she had been ignorant of danger, but now she understood the importance of vigilance. this world concealed too many malicious intentions.


    she had to protect herself properly. when the time was right, she would investigate the people who had harmed her and her mother.


    upon returning to the real world, it was already noon. when she woke up, sun li brought her a bowl of fragrant chicken soup.


    ¡°eat more, child. why aren¡¯t you gaining weight?¡± sun li mumbled, her eyes expressing gentleness and care.


    ye ling smiled. ¡°auntie sun, i¡¯ve gained a lot of weight already. if i keep staying here, i¡¯ll turn into a little chubby.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s good to be a little chubby. chubbiness brings blessings.¡±


    the two chatted for a while. seeing ye ling finish the chicken soup, sun li urged her to rest.


    in the evening, the entire family gathered for dinner. noticing that min nan hadn¡¯t returned yet, ye ling asked in confusion, ¡®where¡¯s big brother min


    nan?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry about him. he might be busy with something.¡± sun li finished speaking and then inquired about ye ling¡¯s injuries. ¡°lingling, how are your injuries?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine, auntie sun. my injuries aren¡¯t severe. resting for a few days will be enough.¡±


    ¡°alright, then don¡¯t wander around for a few days. i¡¯ve already informed li bin and the captain of the production team. since you¡¯re not from our willow village and you¡¯re injured now, it¡¯s fine not to go for the time being. by the way, when will the results of the pharmacy administrator election be announced?¡± sun li asked.


    ye ling pondered for a moment. ¡°it should take a little over two weeks.¡±


    after dinner, sun li cleaned up the dishes. it was already past eight o¡¯clock in the evening when min nan finally returned. after his return, he and wan hai talked for a long time in the room. ye ling didn¡¯t know what they talked about, but she guessed it might be related to her.


    after min nan and wan hai finished talking and saw ye ling standing across the door, min nan fully opened the door and said to ye ling, ¡°come in.¡±


    ye ling walked into the room and asked somewhat bashfully, ¡°big brother min nan, what were you talking about?¡±


    min nan and wan hai exchanged a glance.


    wan hai cleared his throat and said, ¡°we¡¯re still talking about your matter. today, min nan went to investigate a bit, and he suspects that the person who attacked you might be wu de¡¯s mother, lin fang.¡±


    hearing the name lin fang, ye ling was briefly stunned, and after a moment, many of her doubts were resolved.


    lin fang indeed had a motive to attack her. after all, from lin fang¡¯s perspective, ye ling was responsible for wu de¡¯s imprisonment and wu bai¡¯s job loss.


    when wu bai was the captain of stone village, both lin fang and wu de enjoyed various benefits. but because of ye ling, the good times for the wu


    family had come to an end.


    ye ling lowered her head, her gaze turning cold. she reached into her pocket and touched several small bottles.


    seeing that ye ling didn¡¯t say anything, wan hai thought she might be contemplating what happened yesterday, causing fear and anger. he said,


    ¡°lingling, don¡¯t worry. min nan and dai wei are already gathering evidence. they¡¯ll make that wicked old woman pay.¡±


    ye ling raised her head. the darkness in her eyes had dissipated. she smiled faintly. ¡°alright, then i¡¯ll trouble big brother min nan.¡±


    min nan sensed that ye ling¡¯s demeanor was a bit off, but he also understood that after experiencing something as terrifying as what happened yesterday, emotional fluctuations were normal. min nan didn¡¯t delve into it further..

 Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Autumn Tea

    chapter 69: autumn tea


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    in the following days, ye ling didn¡¯t receive any new updates from lin fang¡¯s side.


    she knew that min nan wouldn¡¯t be able to find any evidence.


    the opponent¡¯s plan this time was extremely well-executed, leaving no obvious traces. even if min nan and dai wei knew that lin fang was behind the attack, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to her.


    ye ling took a few days to rest, and her injuries were mostly healed. however, the wound on her leg was more severe, and she would sometimes experience pain if she stood for too long.


    on this day, aunt hua from next door came to visit the wan family. seeing that ye ling¡¯s injuries were almost invisible, she exclaimed, ¡°lingling truly lives up to being a doctor. in just a few days, your injuries are completely healed.¡±


    the big yellow dog had also come with auntie hua. it was probably because it had participated in the search for ye ling that day and was very familiar with ye ling¡¯s scent. therefore, when it saw ye ling, it ran to ye ling¡¯s leg and rubbed against it.


    ye ling had already learned about the events of that day from wan xue¡¯s account. in a way, she had to thank the big yellow dog for aiding in her rescue. otherwise, she didn¡¯t know when she would have been found.


    she rubbed the big yellow dog¡¯s head. the dog closed its eyes contentedly, appearing to have grown fonder of ye ling. it then lay down comfortably at her feet, staying still.


    sun li brought aunt hua a glass of water, and they both sat down. while chatting, aunt hua remembered something and asked, ¡°sister li, in a few days, the team for the autumn tea leaves harvest will come to the village to recruit workers. are you planning to join?¡±


    sun li shook her head. ¡°no, you can go with them this year.¡±


    upon hearing this, ye ling was briefly taken aback.


    she had lived in the countryside for many years in her previous life, so she was no stranger to picking autumn tea leaves.


    every spring and autumn, when tea leaves in the southern regions matured, a large workforce was needed to pick them. local workers were often insufficient, leading to the recruitment of individuals from other areas. typically, these workers were provided with meals, accommodations, and even transportation expenses. the nimble woman could earn a substantial amount of money from such trips.


    in her past life, ye ling had also considered joining the autumn tea leaves picking to earn money. however, numerous household responsibilities prevented her from doing so. her mother-in-law, lin fang, shirked all responsibilities, leaving ye ling to handle cooking, laundry, cleaning, and other chores. she scarcely had any free time throughout the day.


    hearing sun li decline the invitation to join aunt hua in autumn tea leaves picking, ye ling was concerned that sun li might be declining because of her. she promptly interjected, ¡°auntie sun, you used to go autumn tea leaves picking with auntie hua, right? why aren¡¯t you going this year? you don¡¯t have to worry about me. my injuries are completely healed. i can cook too. if you¡¯re going to autumn tea leaves picking, then i¡¯ll take care of brother wanhai and the others¡¯ meals during this time. please go without any concerns.¡±


    sun li hastened to reply, ¡°what are you talking about? i¡¯m just not in the mood to go this year. it¡¯s exhausting, especially during this season with the harsh sun¡­¡±


    ye ling blinked and persisted, ¡°auntie sun, i know you¡¯re worried about me, but i really can take care of myself!¡±


    after a while, sun li sighed and smiled helplessly at aunt hua, ¡°this child is really considerate.¡±


    aunt hua chuckled. ¡°then come with me. when you come back, buy some beautiful floral fabric for lingling and make her some lovely clothes.¡±


    under ye ling¡¯s persuasion, sun li dropped her resistance and decided to accompany aunt hua to the south for the autumn tea leaves harvest.


    a few days later, sun li departed with the recruitment team. before leaving, she specifically advised ye ling, ¡°lingling, you don¡¯t have to cook anything good for them. they are just rough men, you can just fool them. don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡±


    ye ling found this quite amusing. auntie sun was quite dismissive of her boys.


    ¡°it¡¯s alright, auntie sun. i need to eat too. don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t overexert myself. ¡±


    when sun li heard this, she felt that it made sense, so she didn¡¯t say anything more. she turned around and instructed wan hai and the others to take care of all the housework in the house. they must not let ye ling do chores like sweeping the floor and washing the dishes. if they dared to let ye ling do housework or suffer any grievances, she would come back and beat them to death.


    though wan feng hadn¡¯t planned on letting ye ling do housework, he still felt a bit wrong when he heard his mother¡¯s fierce words toward his brothers. he complained, ¡°mom, who¡¯s your biological child?¡±


    sun li paid no attention to wan feng and left with her bag.


    in the evening, when min nan returned, he saw ye ling bustling around in the kitchen..

 Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Wild Boar

    chapter 70: wild boar


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    min nan also knew that since sun li had lett today, ye ling would be in charge of their three meals from now on.


    min nan entered the kitchen and saw ye ling preparing vegetable paste soup. the steam from the pot enveloped ye ling¡¯s petite figure. due to the warmth of the kitchen, ye ling¡¯s cheeks were flushed red, like a ripe apple. she was extremely cute.


    ¡°do you need help?¡± min nan¡¯s tall frame made the compact kitchen feel even more crowded. ye ling looked up and smiled, saying, ¡°no need. dinner will be ready soon.¡±


    min nan was taken aback.


    he wasn¡¯t there to remind her about dinner!


    ¡°i¡¯m not hungry. take your time. let me help you with the fire.¡± min nan quickly realized his role. without waiting for ye ling to respond, he sat on a low stool, picked up the fire tongs, and adjusted the burning firewood inside the stove.


    soon, ye ling finished cooking dinner. this was the first time she cooked since she came to sun li¡¯s house. because she was grateful to sun li¡¯s family for taking care of her, ye ling took even the simplest ingredients very seriously.


    dinner consisted of stir-fried vegetables, tangy cucumber salad, loofah scrambled eggs, and vegetable paste soup.


    as ye ling placed the dishes on the table, she noticed the three wan brothers waiting expectantly. their gaze fixed on the dishes she carried, and even wan xue appeared to be salivating.


    after serving the dishes, ye ling said, ¡°give it a try. i hope it suits your tastes.¡±


    ¡°wow, this is so sumptuous! lingling, you¡¯re amazing!¡± wan feng exclaimed in astonishment.


    wan feng had assumed that ye ling, a city girl, wouldn¡¯t know how to cook. however, he was taken aback by her cooking skills. it seemed she was quite adept.


    wan feng looked at min nan with jealousy.


    this guy was going to have a good meal in the future!


    min nan didn¡¯t notice wan feng¡¯s envious gaze. he was also quite surprised. ye ling was only eighteen this year. why was she so skilled at cooking? she was almost as agile as his godmother.


    min nan realized that he knew very little about ye ling.


    wan xue¡¯s eyes gleamed as he surveyed the table of food. he thought, ¡°my sister- in-law was truly versatile! ¡±


    each person picked up their chopsticks and tried the dishes that ye ling had made.


    the stir-fried vegetables were refreshing, the tangy cucumber salad was appetizing, and the loofah scrambled eggs carried a rich aroma. although the dishes weren¡¯t heavily seasoned, they magnified the natural flavors of the ingredients to the extreme.


    after sipping the fragrant vegetable paste soup, their happiness surged.


    wan xue raised his thumb and said, ¡°sister lingling, your cooking is amazingly delicious!¡±


    initially, everyone expected to face a tough time after sun li left, so they hadn¡¯t set high hopes for ye ling¡¯s cooking. as long as they could eat, they would be content.


    however, who would have thought that ye ling¡¯s culinary skills could rival those of a professional chef?


    more than ten minutes later, the dishes on the table had mostly disappeared, leaving behind only a few empty plates.


    after dinner, wan hai cleared the tableware and headed to the kitchen to wash them. before leaving, he reminded wan feng, ¡°you¡¯re washing the dishes for the next meal.¡±


    wan feng was satisfied with the food and was in a good mood. when he heard that he was washing the dishes, he did not resist as much and replied loudly, ¡°i¡¯m such a diligent person. do i need you to remind me?¡±


    the next day, just as ye ling was about to cook, the courtyard door suddenly burst open. min nan and wan feng entered, carrying a wild boar with them. they deposited the boar in the middle of the courtyard.


    ye ling was stunned for a moment. seeing that the wild boar seemed to be dead, she looked up at min nan with some confusion.


    min nan explained, ¡°we set up some traps on the mountain. when wan xue went to check today, he found this wild boar injured in one of the traps. he called us over to capture it.¡±


    wan xue, following min nan inside, chimed in eagerly, ¡°this wild boar is still quite small, so it should taste good. old wild boars are terrible to eat. i wouldn¡¯t want to eat it even if you gave it to me.¡±


    min nan turned to ye ling and asked, ¡°how should we handle this wild boar?¡±


    among the wan brothers, none of them were good cooks. they tended to overseason their dishes with salt. min nan was slightly better. he didn¡¯t know how to stir-fry, but he could cook some boiled food.


    though the taste was not great, it was edible.


    previously, when sun li had to leave, it was min nan who prepared meals for his brothers.


    but now that ye ling was here, min nan had no intention of showcasing his cooking skills.


    ye ling looked at the boar, pondering for a moment before suggesting, ¡°how about¡­¡±


    before she could finish her sentence, li bin rushed in from outside, panting.. ¡°where¡¯s auntie sun? where¡¯s auntie sun?¡±

 Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: Help

    chapter 71: help


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    everyone in the courtyard turned to look at li bin.


    ¡°wan feng, my mom has been gone for a long time. she went to the south to pick tea leaves. what do you need from her?¡± wan feng said.


    hearing wan feng¡¯s words, li bin¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°never mind, it¡¯s okay. if there¡¯s nothing, i¡¯ll leave.¡± li bin waved his hand and turned to leave.


    wan feng quickly grabbed li bin. curiosity compelled him to seek clarity. ¡°hey, don¡¯t just drop a hint and stop. what¡¯s going on?¡±


    li bin, already under considerable pressure, sighed upon hearing wan feng¡¯s question. he quipped, ¡°today, county officials came to inspect our village. after the inspection, they¡¯ll have lunch at the production team¡¯s canteen. it wasn¡¯t a big deal, except that this morning, the cook from the canteen, master li, suddenly fell ill and had to be taken to the clinic. i¡¯m in a hurry to find a replacement!¡±


    wan feng rolled his eyes and suggested, ¡°why don¡¯t you just find someone who can cook? we have plenty of housewives in our village, right?¡±


    li bin gave wan feng a sharp look. ¡°if only it were that simple. those women in our village hardly use oil or salt in their cooking. how could they serve the leaders with their culinary skills? let alone find someone better than master li, we can¡¯t settle for someone too inexperienced. some of those leaders have been to our village before. if we serve them poor food this time, what do you think they will think?¡±


    wan feng finally understood. ¡°they¡¯ll think we¡¯re disrespecting them this time. they might even withhold future recognition and rewards. these leaders, i know them well, they¡¯re more narrow-minded than a needle¡¯s eye.¡±


    li bin nodded in agreement. ¡°that¡¯s why i came looking for auntie sun. before auntie sun married uncle wan, her family ran a restaurant. her cooking skills are exceptional. there should be no problem with her cooking for the leaders.¡±


    li bin¡¯s expression became pained again. ¡°but why did auntie sun leave? how can we handle this now? the squad leader tasked me with this, and if i can¡¯t find a good cook, they¡¯ll blame me.¡±


    hearing li bin¡¯s words, the wan brothers and min nan instantly turned their gaze to ye ling.


    li bin was worrying about this when he noticed that no one was consoling him. he looked up and saw everyone¡¯s gaze on ye ling. he was a bit puzzled.


    however, he didn¡¯t ponder over it much. he still had his problem to solve. li bin waved his hand. ¡°i won¡¯t talk about it anymore. i¡¯ll leave now and see if there¡¯s any other solution.¡±


    as li bin was about to leave, wan feng pulled him back again. wan feng had a smug grin on his face. ¡°i¡¯ve helped you today. how are you going to thank me?¡±


    ¡°helped me? with your cooking skills, you¡¯d be poisoning the leaders if you cooked. i¡¯m young, and i don¡¯t want my future ruined because of you. don¡¯t waste my time, i¡¯m busy.¡± li bin said irritably, trying to push wan feng away. wan feng slapped li bin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°who said i¡¯m going to cook? other than my mom, we also have a professional chef at home. look, haven¡¯t you seen her? quickly call out sister ling.¡±


    li bin widened his eyes, looking at ye ling, who stood in the courtyard looking a bit uneasy.


    the girl before him was petite, with fair skin. two soft braids hung on either side of her shoulders. she seemed like a city girl.


    she could cook? and she was a professional chef?


    ¡°wan feng, if you¡¯re joking again, i¡¯ll punch you. do you believe me?¡± li bin said through gritted teeth.


    wan feng opened his mouth to speak, but min nan pulled him aside.


    min nan looked at li bin and said calmly, ¡°wan feng is right. ye ling¡¯s cooking skills are indeed impressive.¡±


    li bin was stunned for two seconds before his eyes lit up suddenly.


    while wan feng¡¯s words were often like nonsense, min nan¡¯s words were worth believing without hesitation.


    that was the difference between people.


    ¡°sister ye ling, you can cook? i couldn¡¯t tell at all! i mean, you look like a refined young lady, hehe.¡± li bin put on a flattering smile. ¡°sister ye ling, no, my dear sister, i¡¯m really in a tight spot today. can you help me out?¡±


    facing li bin¡¯s earnest request, ye ling couldn¡¯t resist. she quickly said, ¡°if i can help, i¡¯ll do my best. but i¡¯m not sure about the leader¡¯s taste¡­¡±


    li bin was so elated that he almost jumped up.. ¡°let me tell you! we can talk while we walk!¡±

 Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Stir-Frying

    chapter 72: stir-frying


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling saw that the matter was indeed urgent, so she stopped being humble and nodded. ¡°alright, let¡¯s go to the production team¡¯s canteen first.¡±


    seeing that ye ling was going to the production team canteen, min nan followed behind li bin and ye ling.


    wan feng was also about to follow, but when he saw the wild boar on the ground, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed loudly, ¡°how about using some wild boar meat? let those city leaders have a taste of the wild.¡±


    li bin finally noticed the wild boar in the courtyard. no wonder he had felt an odd smell in the air earlier.


    li bin nodded enthusiastically, ¡°i think that¡¯s a good idea. this wild boar doesn¡¯t seem too big, and the meat should be decent.¡± he turned to ye ling. ¡°good sister, can you cook wild boar meat?¡±


    ye ling was getting tired of li bin¡¯s constant use of ¡°good sister¡±. she responded with a nod and turned to wan feng, ¡°third brother, you can take care of the wild boar meat. bring it to the production team¡¯s canteen later.¡±


    then, ye ling looked at li bin again and said firmly, ¡°don¡¯t call me good sister. just call me by my name!¡±


    with time being of the essence, ye ling and the others quickly followed li bin to the production team¡¯s canteen.


    the production team¡¯s captain saw li bin returning and quickly approached, asking, ¡°did you find a chef?¡±


    li bin nodded eagerly. ¡°yes!¡±


    the captain looked around but didn¡¯t see anyone coming into the canteen. he asked in confusion, ¡°where is her?¡±


    li bin pointed at ye ling, saying, ¡°her!¡±


    the captain was taken aback. he looked at the delicate and quiet girl in front of him for a few seconds before glaring at li bin and yelling, ¡°you little brat, are you playing with me?¡±


    li bin knew that the captain was probably as skeptical as he had been earlier about ye ling¡¯s cooking abilities. he hurriedly defended, ¡°it¡¯s true! ye ling is a skilled chef, right, min nan?¡±


    li bin understood that his words might not be very persuasive, so he brought up min nan again.


    ¡°min nan, always reliable,¡± li bin thought to himself.


    as expected, when the captain saw min nan, his anger visibly subsided, replaced by a hint of doubt. he looked at ye ling and asked once again, ¡°you can cook? can you make braised pork balls in brown sauce? braised pork?


    chopped pepper fish?¡±


    ye ling nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°alright, then hurry up and get to the kitchen to prepare. the leaders will be arriving soon.¡±


    soon, ye ling and the group arrived at the kitchen.


    the production team¡¯s kitchen was spacious, equipped with three large pots, oversized chopping boards, and kitchen knives.


    ¡°sister ye ling, what should we do? just tell us,¡± li bin asked.


    ye ling nodded. ¡°let¡¯s start by preparing the ingredients. later, i¡¯ll take care of the cooking.¡±


    ¡°alright! i¡¯ll go slaughter the fish first,¡± li bin said. he immediately fetched a large fish that he had prepared a couple of days ago and took a knife to kill it.


    min nan, who had intended to wash the vegetables, turned around and saw ye ling using a large knife almost as long as her arm to cut meat. he hurriedly said, ¡°let me do it!¡±


    indeed, the large knife was quite heavy for ye ling. she handed it to min nan and demonstrated how to cut the meat by gesturing. ¡°not too thin, about this thickness. yes, that¡¯s good¡­¡±


    while min nan was cutting the meat, ye ling stood nearby, guiding him on how to cut. as min nan bent down, he caught a whiff of the faint fragrance emanating from ye ling. suddenly, he felt his body warming up.


    once the meat was awkvvardly cut on the chopping board, wan feng also brought over a basket of processed wild boar meat.


    after preparing all the ingredients, min nan sat down in front of the stove and started the fire.


    the temperature in the large iron pot quickly rose.


    during the cooking process, li bin came in periodically and said in a hurry,


    ¡°the leaders have arrived, and the captain is urging me.¡±


    wan feng retorted, ¡°why the rush? if they¡¯re hungry, they can eat the air first!¡± ye ling had already cooked seven dishes, and the final dish was the wild boar.


    however, as she looked at the pile of wild boar meat, ye ling started thinking.


    wild boar meat had low-fat content and a rich aroma, but it had a strong gamey taste. even though the wild boar meat in front of her had been soaking for a while and most of the blood had been removed, it would still retain some gamey flavor after being cooked.


    after contemplating for a moment, ye ling¡¯s eyes brightened.


    she turned to wan feng and said, ¡®wan feng, come clean the pot. there¡¯s only one dish left. i¡¯ll go to the restroom first.¡± ¡°alright.¡± wan feng nodded..

 Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Wild Boar Meat

    chapter 73: wild boar meat


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling left the kitchen and found a corner. she quickly entered the small world and picked a handful of herbs from the herbal field.


    after that, ye ling returned to the kitchen.


    in the kitchen, min nan was tending to the fire, and after wan feng finished washing the pot, he went to peer at the fish inside the water tank. the kitchen was smoky, and due to that, no one noticed she had a bunch of herbs hidden under her sleeve.


    once the iron pot was heated, ye ling added oil, scallions, ginger, and chili for flavor. then, she added the wild boar meat and stir-fried it. just before taking the wild boar meat out of the pot, she crushed the herbs in her hand and dripped their juice onto the meat. she then stirred it twice with a spatula.


    the final dish was ready.


    li bin and the team leader took the prepared dishes out. ye ling fetched a clean plate and put the excess wild boar meat on it.


    during the cooking process, ye ling made extra portions for each dish. these dishes would serve as lunch for her, min nan, and the others.


    in this era, rural people rarely had opportunities to eat meat. today, thanks to the visiting leaders, ye ling and the others could enjoy a lavish meal.


    min nan had already set up the folded wooden table, and ye ling placed the plates of food on it.


    subsequently, min nan, wan feng, wan xue, li bin, and the team leader entered the room. everyone gathered around the table and began their meal.


    the team leader picked up a meatball and took a bite, exclaiming, ¡°this is delicious! it¡¯s just as good as old li¡¯s!¡±


    as they tasted each dish, they all praised it. when they got to the wild boar meat, wan feng was astonished, nearly dropping his chopsticks. ¡°wow, is this wild boar meat? it¡¯s incredibly tasty! can wild boar meat even taste this good?¡±


    initially, the team leader had thought that wild boar meat would always have a gamey flavor no matter how it was prepared. thus, he hadn¡¯t been in a hurry to taste it. but upon hearing wan feng¡¯s reaction, he immediately picked up a


    piece of wild boar meat and put it in his mouth.


    his subsequent expression mirrored wan feng¡¯s shock. ¡°of all these dishes, this wild boar meat is the most delicious!¡±


    the continuous praises were starting to feel surreal for ye ling. she could only offer modest smiles and quietly finish her meal.


    ye ling didn¡¯t have a big appetite and only ate one bowl of rice, while the others had two or three bowls. if it weren¡¯t for ye ling reminding them to leave some wild boar meat for wan hai, they would have finished all the dishes.


    after the meal, while li bin was tidying up, the deputy team leader of the production team came over. his face was oily from the meal, and upon entering the dining hall, he asked, ¡°li bin, where did you find this cook? the leaders were highly satisfied with the meal. they¡¯re even discussing how the wild boar meat was prepared. it¡¯s so fragrant!¡±


    li bin¡¯s emotions had taken a rollercoaster ride today. from initial worry and despair to the present sense of pride and joy after the deputy team leader¡¯s compliments. all these transformations were thanks to ye lings help.


    li bin gestured towards ye ling and told the deputy team leader, ¡°it was ye ling who cooked the meal. she¡¯s the one who prepared the wild boar meat. i¡¯ve never tasted such delicious wild boar meat in my life. i might even dream about its flavor when i go back home.¡±


    the deputy team leader looked at ye ling in surprise and nodded in approval. ¡°impressive, young lady. you¡¯ve outdone yourself this time. you¡¯ve been a tremendous help to our entire production team. i¡¯ll award you seven labor points!¡±


    ¡°thank you, deputy team leader, ¡± ye ling replied with gratitude.


    after the meal, the production team members were tasked with cleaning up the kitchen. ye ling and the others planned to take the remaining wild boar meat and a few braised lion¡¯s heads back home.


    wan feng took the bamboo basket filled with food, and he and wan xue left ahead of the others.


    these two brothers were very considerate, understanding the importance of giving min nan and ye ling some alone time.


    when ye ling stepped out of the kitchen, she saw that wan feng and wan xue had already left, leaving only min nan waiting for her in the courtyard.


    she felt a little uneasy. the idea of walking back home with min nan gave her a peculiar sensation.


    just as ye ling was about to descend the stone steps, her right leg twitched just as her left leg was hanging in the air. ye ling felt a faint pain emanating from her leg wound.


    she bit her lip and endured the pricking sensation that felt like needles. she continued down the stone steps.


    her leg hadn¡¯t fully healed, yet she had walked a fair distance today. additionally, the extended period she stood in front of the stove while cooking had resulted in less-than-optimal blood circulation in her leg, causing the wound to ache.


    ye ling didn¡¯t want min nan to worry, so she pretended that nothing had happened. she wanted to rest well when she reached home, but her face was a little pale, and min nan immediately noticed that something was wrong.


    ¡°are you feeling unwell somewhere? or could it be the exhaustion from cooking for so many people?¡± min nan inquired, genuinely concerned.


    ye ling managed a smile. ¡°i¡¯m okay. don¡¯t worry..¡±

 Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: Wound

    chapter 74: wound


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the two of them walked along the small path. ye ling felt her calf hurting more and more, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.


    when they reached a steep slope, ye ling couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. her legs gave out, and she fell to the ground.


    min nan was momentarily stunned, then quickly approached and anxiously asked, ¡®you said you were fine. what¡¯s happening? did you hurt yourself?¡±


    min nan had already sensed that something was off with ye ling¡¯s condition, but since she had insisted that she was fine, he hadn¡¯t pressed further.


    additionally, he suspected that ye ling might be experiencing her monthly period, and he had heard that girls often felt unwell during that time. with this thought, he felt even more awkward about prying.


    after ye ling fell, she instinctively placed her hand on her leg. seeing this, min nan frowned and said, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with your leg?¡±


    ye ling hastily replied, ¡°it¡¯s nothing, just that i¡¯ve been walking a lot today, and my legs are a bit sore.¡±


    ¡°let me take a look.¡± min nan¡¯s skepticism was evident. without waiting for ye ling to respond, he rolled up her pant leg. he then noticed a dark red scar on ye ling¡¯s calf, and at that moment, the scar was faintly oozing blood.


    min nan¡¯s brows furrowed. based on his experience, this wound seemed like a puncture wound.


    could it be that ye ling¡¯s calf had been pierced by something sharp when she fell off the cliff?


    the thought of that searing pain made min nan¡¯s heart twist, and he said in a somber tone, ¡°why didn¡¯t you mention being injured? this wound is quite deep.


    it¡¯s not something to take lightly.¡±


    even he, a man, felt a pang of pain just looking at such a wound. not to mention ye ling, a young girl in her teens. how did she manage to endure it?


    ye ling hadn¡¯t anticipated that min nan would notice her leg wound. her leg wound wasn¡¯t a big deal anymore. it just looked a bit alarming. seeing min


    nan¡¯s slightly angry expression, she hesitated and said softly, ¡°big brother min nan, it¡¯s not a big deal. you know i¡¯m a doctor, and i can handle an injury like this on my own.¡±


    ¡°i only know that you¡¯re in pain!¡± min nan¡¯s voice carried a hint of anger, but he regretted it the moment the words left his mouth. he quickly lowered his voice, and he explained with a bit of confusion, ¡°i¡¯m not blaming you, but now that you¡¯re living with us, there are many things you don¡¯t have to face alone. we¡¯re more than willing to help. so, in the future, don¡¯t hide things like this, okay?¡±


    it was rare for ye ling to witness min nan¡¯s emotional agitation, and she was taken aback by his anger just now.


    but miraculously, ye ling didn¡¯t feel afraid when faced with min nan¡¯s anger. she could feel that min nan was angry because she cared about her.


    ye ling took a deep breath and spoke softly, ¡°alright, i understand, big brother


    min nan. from now on, i¡¯ll let you know if anything happens.¡±


    only then did min nan release a sigh of relief? at the same time, he blamed himself for using that tone to speak with ye ling. what if he scared ye ling?


    min nan lowered his head, inspecting the wound on ye ling¡¯s leg. to his relief, the wound didn¡¯t show any signs of infection. its healing progress seemed normal, and there was no indication of it worsening. min nan let out another sigh of relief.


    as the worry in his heart gradually dispersed, min nan suddenly felt that something was amiss.


    he realized that his right hand was gripping ye ling¡¯s delicate and fair ankle.


    her skin, fair and tender, occupied his entire field of vision.


    min nan¡¯s mind went blank for a moment, and the hand that touched ye ling¡¯s skin felt as if it were scalded.


    ye ling finally felt that something was wrong. she lowered her head and saw min nan¡¯s hand holding her ankle. the man¡¯s palm was wide and there was a thin layer of calluses on his knuckles. when he rubbed against her delicate skin, it brought about a ticklish feeling.


    as if an electric current flowed from her ankle throughout her entire body, ye ling¡¯s face turned red in an instant. she twisted her leg and struggled slightly, then said, ¡°big brother min nan, let¡¯s hurry back. we shouldn¡¯t make wan feng and the others worry.¡±


    ye ling had initially wanted to pretend that nothing had happened, but she didn¡¯t expect min nan to be so sincere and apologize to her. her face turned even redder, and she hurriedly said, ¡°it¡¯s alright. i know you¡¯re just concerned about me.¡±


    after a few awkvvard moments, min nan noticed that the sun had turned ye ling¡¯s face even redder. he then suggested, ¡°let me carry you back. you shouldn¡¯t keep walking.¡±


    ye ling felt a bit embarrassed, but since min nan had seen the wound on her leg, she had no reason to insist on walking. after a brief hesitation, she nodded and said, ¡°okay..¡±

 Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Soaking Feet

    chapter 75: soaking feet


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling lay on min nan¡¯s back. though it wasn¡¯t her first time being carried by min nan, she still felt a bit nervous. along the way, she looked around cautiously, afraid of being seen by others.


    fortunately, it was noon and the sun was shining brightly, so there weren¡¯t many people walking on the main road. soon, min nan and ye ling arrived at the entrance of the house.


    just as ye ling was about to hop down from min nan¡¯s back, he pushed open the courtyard gate and carried her inside.


    wan hai had already returned home and was sitting at the table, eating the wild boar meat that wan feng had brought back. wan feng and wan xue were seated nearby. the three brothers had been chatting when they suddenly heard the sound of the courtyard gate being pushed open. they looked up and saw min nan walking in with ye ling on his back.


    for a moment, all three brothers were taken aback.


    wan hai swallowed the mouthful of wild boar meat he was chewing and exchanged a glance with wan feng. wan feng whispered, ¡°is min nan this fond of his wife? can¡¯t bear to let lingling walk?¡±


    wan hai chided wan feng, ¡°look at how considerate min nan is. no wonder he has a wife. you should learn from him.¡±


    wan feng rolled his eyes. ¡°are you talking about me? do you even have a girlfriend? i¡¯m younger than you. you should focus on your matters!¡± as the two brothers bantered, min nan had already entered the house and set ye ling down.


    min nan motioned for ye ling to sit in a chair, then left to fetch a wooden basin. he poured warm water into the basin and suggested to ye ling, ¡°why don¡¯t you soak your feet? it¡¯ll be more comfortable.¡±


    sensing the curious gazes of the wan brothers on her and min nan, ye ling felt too embarrassed to look up.


    min nan also picked up on the attention from wan hai and the others. he glanced at them and responded coldly, ¡°what are you staring at?¡±


    the wan brothers redirected their gazes.


    ye ling let out a sigh of relief, silently grateful for min nan¡¯s thoughtfulness. turning her back to the others, she removed her shoes and dipped her slightly sore feet into the pleasantly warm water. the moment the warmth enveloped her feet, every pore in her body felt a sense of contentment, causing her to squint her eyes in comfort.


    min nan casually looked around, catching sight of ye ling¡¯s dainty and fair feet submerged in the water.


    his heart skipped a beat, prompting him to quickly avert his gaze. he also pulled out a chair and positioned himself between ye ling and the wan brothers, ensuring the wan brothers couldn¡¯t see ye ling¡¯s feet in the basin.


    despite ye ling being quite far from the wan brothers, min nan thought it wise to be cautious.


    ye ling suddenly remembered that when she entered the door, she saw that


    wan hai was eating cold rice and wild boar meat. she couldn¡¯t help but say,


    ¡°second brother, let me reheat your food later.¡±


    wan hai hadn¡¯t expected ye ling to be so considerate. he smiled and replied, ¡°it¡¯s alright. it¡¯s so hot outside. eating it this way is more refreshing. after soaking your feet, you should take a short nap. we¡¯ll head to the production team afterward.¡±


    when wan hai came back at noon, he saw that there was no one at home. he thought that ye ling and the others might have gone out for something, so he waited patiently. it wasn¡¯t long before wan feng and wan xue returned. wan feng had brought back some fragrant wild boar meat and a bit of rice. he then gave wan hai a brief rundown of what had happened at noon.


    wan hai was surprised as he listened. at the time, he had been wondering just how much wild boar meat they could have eaten.


    after all, the wild boar they captured in the mountains, regardless of size, usually had a trace of earthy smell in the meat. he wasn¡¯t quite accustomed to eating it.


    however, wan hai still had to work in the afternoon, so he still had to eat lunch. he poured the food onto the plate and casually picked up a piece of wild boar meat and put it in his mouth.


    after chewing for a couple of seconds, wan hai was stunned.


    the tender wild boar meat did not have a trace of an earthy smell. it even emitted a faint fragrance. it was even more delicious than the most tender chicken.


    ¡°how is it? unfortunately, the wild boar meat was cold. it was even more delicious when it was just out of the pot.¡± wan feng looked at the plate of wild boar meat and thought of the happiness of eating wild boar meat an hour ago. his mouth was full of saliva and he even wanted to steal two more pieces.


    wan hai saw through wan feng¡¯s intentions and swiftly shifted the plate closer to himself. he fixed wan feng with a warning gaze. ¡°you two went out to eat something delicious without telling me. this plate of wild boar meat is mine. sit farther away.¡±


    by this point, wan hai had nearly finished all the wild boar meat on his plate. he couldn¡¯t help but ask ye ling, ¡°lingling, how did you make this wild boar meat? my mom usually cooks wild boar meat with lots of oil, chili, and salt to mask the earthy smell. but the wild boar meat you made has no peculiar scent at all. furthermore, there¡¯s an indescribable fragrance..¡±

 Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Bacon

    chapter 76: bacon


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling didn¡¯t know how to explain this to wan hai.


    when she was cooking, she suddenly had an inspiration. she thought of several herbs that had a special fragrance.


    in the ¡°ye family¡¯s medical code¡±, the author mentioned in passing while describing these herbs, ¡°among herbs with distinct fragrances, some have the effect of removing gamey odors, while others enhance the aroma. herbs can be used not only for healing but also for various other purposes. users can expand their thinking and explore additional applications.¡±


    thinking about this, ye ling came up with the idea of using herbs to eliminate the gaminess of wild boar meat. she had harvested fresh herbs from the small world and extracted their juices to mix with the wild boar meat.


    due to the robust growth of plants in the small world, the fragrance was much richer, and the effect of removing the gamy smell was excellent. furthermore, it added a unique fragrance to the wild boar meat.


    of course, ye ling couldn¡¯t reveal the existence of her small world to wan hai. she could only vaguely reply, ¡°i used some special methods to remove the gamy smell.¡±


    wan hai had asked casually, and since he wasn¡¯t knowledgeable about cooking techniques, he didn¡¯t pursue it further.


    after wan hai finished his meal, he went to the production team with wan


    feng. wan xue was called out by a few children who came to play with him.


    after the three wan brothers left, min nan was about to leave as well. he told ye ling to lie down and rest well and not walk or stand for a long time.


    ye ling was the only one left in the house. she lay on the bed and slept for a while. when she woke up, she felt that her legs were much better, so she went to the kitchen.


    wan feng had already chopped the remaining wild boar meat into smaller pieces and stored them in a water tank.


    the water in the tank came from a deep well and was very cold. the cold temperature would help preserve the wild boar meat¡¯s freshness, but due to the hot weather, it was essential to consume it quickly, or it would spoil


    looking at the pile of wild boar meat, ye ling realized she wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it quickly. moreover, in rural households, meat was a rare indulgence. eating it every week would be wasteful and might lead to boredom. it was better to have meat just once or twice a week.


    taking the wild boar meat out, ye ling planned to marinate it.


    after her experiment with using herbs to aid cooking during lunch, ye ling felt like she had opened the door to a new world. her mind suddenly expanded. she took out three different herbs from her small world and crushed them. then, she heated coarse salt and sichuan pepper in an iron pot, releasing their fragrances.


    the wild boar meat had been cleaned, and the surface moisture quickly evaporated at the slightly elevated room temperature. ye ling applied a layer of white wine on the meat¡¯s surface, followed by a layer of stir-fried salt, and finally, she brushed on the herbal juice.


    with this initial treatment done, the wild boar meat needed to be marinated for a day or two. after that, it would need to be taken out and dried. during the drying process, if she wanted to enhance the meat¡¯s fragrance, she could spray a bit of white vinegar or other flavor-enhancing substances on its surface.


    in the evening, min nan returned home and found that ye ling had already finished processing the wild boar meat. he was a little depressed and said, ¡°i told you to rest. i was planning to come back tonight to help you with the wild boar meat.¡±


    ye ling explained, ¡°my leg is much better now. i had free time in the afternoon, and besides, big brother min nan, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±


    seeing that ye ling still intended to cook, min nan intervened, ¡°i¡¯ll cook tonight. you go rest.¡±


    ye ling didn¡¯t expect min nan to offer to cook. just as she was about to speak, wan feng burst into the room and exclaimed loudly, ¡°no way, lingling, i don¡¯t want to eat anything min nan cooks. i¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t let him cook. he only knows how to boil everything and add a bit of salt. it¡¯s like a caveman¡¯s way of cooking. if min nan cooks, i¡¯d rather go hungry tonight!¡±


    min nan felt a bit awkward under wan feng¡¯s scathing critique of his culinary skills. he shot wan feng a glare and retorted, ¡°didn¡¯t you used to eat just fine?


    is your appetite now becoming more refined?¡±


    wan feng gave min nan a gloomy look. ¡°you¡¯re protective of lingling, but can¡¯t you also be considerate of us? please spare us from your cooking torture.¡±


    ye ling smiled when she heard that. in the end, she said helplessly, ¡°alright, alright, stop arguing. how about this, big brother min nan? i¡¯ll guide you from the side while you cook. i won¡¯t cook personally, so you won¡¯t get tired. how does that sound?¡±


    wan feng¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°i think that¡¯s a good idea!¡±


    after a moment¡¯s hesitation, min nan nodded. ¡°okay, then i¡¯ll get you a chair..¡±

 Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: Guidance

    chapter 77: guidance


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    a moment later, min nan placed the stool at the door. it was cooler because the door was more airy.


    seeing ye ling supervising min nan¡¯s cooking, wan feng felt much more at ease and left contentedly.


    ye ling sat on the stool and suggested, ¡°let¡¯s have boiled noodles for dinner tonight.¡±


    although making noodles required kneading and mixing, it was still much simpler than preparing several dishes.


    min nan nodded and opened the flour bag in the cupboard. just as he was about to take out the flour, he hesitated for a moment. then, he looked at ye ling with a puzzled expression in his eyes.


    ye ling found this amusing and stifled her laughter with her hand, speaking gently, ¡°four bowls of flour.¡±


    min nan poured four bowls of flour into the basin. ye ling continued, ¡°about two bowls of water. slowly add it to the flour while stirring.¡±


    ye ling had initially thought about suggesting the use of warm water, but she decided against it. after all, min nan was cooking tonight, so she didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for him. she thought it best to keep it simple.


    after the water was added to the flour, it was time for kneading. for someone as strong as min nan, kneading the dough was a relatively simple task.


    once the dough was kneaded, ye ling instructed min nan to heat the pot, pour in some peanut oil, and fry an egg for each person.


    when it was time to flip the eggs, ye ling reminded min nan to do so.


    inside the cramped kitchen, the sizzling sound of eggs meeting hot oil filled the air. a subtle aroma wafted through the kitchen, carrying the essence of everyday life.


    min nan followed ye ling¡¯s instructions word for word without hesitation. whatever she said, he did. their coordination was so seamless that he managed to fry five perfectly golden eggs, both sides included. he felt a sense of achievement welling up within him.


    in the midst of this harmonious atmosphere, as he listened to ye ling¡¯s sweet and gentle voice, he suddenly found himself lost in a fantasy. he imagined that they were a married couple, with her teaching him how to cook in the kitchen while smiling affectionately at him as he worked at the stove.


    this illusory daydream left min nan feeling blissfully dizzy with happiness.


    he discreetly stole a glance at ye ling. when their eyes met, it felt as if the air around them thickened.


    meanwhile, ye ling had also been sizing up min nan. she thought that min nan, with his tall and robust physique, looked a bit out of place yet amusingly charming while busy around the stove.


    she hadn¡¯t anticipated min nan suddenly looking up at her. feeling somewhat awkward, she hastened to speak in order to cover up her inner turmoil, ¡°the water is almost boiling. you can divide the dough into pieces and drop them in. ¡±


    min nan retracted his gaze and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up. he reached out and plucked a small piece of dough. he raised it and asked ye ling, ¡°is this size okay?¡±


    ¡°just a little smaller would be fine.¡±


    once the noodles were in the pot, ye ling directed min nan to add seasonings. she used precise measurements, such as ¡°two spoonfuls of salt,¡± ¡°one spoonful of dark soy sauce,¡± and ¡°two spoonfuls of sesame oil.¡±


    for the first time in his life, min nan felt that adding seasonings was no longer a mysterious and dreadful task.


    with their perfect coordination, dinner was soon ready.


    min nan gazed at the pot of cooked noodles with normal color and a delightful aroma. he found it hard to believe. had he made this? it was truly remarkable.


    turning to ye ling with a smile, he said, ¡°we could cook like this from now on. i¡¯ll take care of it, so you won¡¯t get tired.¡±


    ye ling felt that it was more exhausting to direct someone else like this than to cook herself. she was always concerned that min nan might make a mistake or get splattered with hot oil. she wished she could just step in and do it herself.


    ye ling smiled and encouraged min nan, ¡°you¡¯ve done a fantastic job with this meal. it¡¯s really great.¡±


    hearing ye ling¡¯s straightforward praise, min nan¡¯s heart warmed, and he felt a sweet sensation. he hadn¡¯t felt this elated even when he achieved first place in a training competition in the military and received a commendation from his superiors.


    the two of them scooped the noodles into bowls and then placed a fried egg with golden sides in each bowl. a simple and delicious dinner was ready.


    during the meal, wan feng still couldn¡¯t believe that min nan was capable o cooking such a meal. he looked at min nan with a mischievous expression a said, ¡°min nan, did you hide your skills in the past and deliberately perfunct us? does your cooking suddenly become competent when lingling is around?¡±


    wan hai glanced at wan feng and retorted, ¡°what do you know? lingling taught me well. lingling, you should teach me next time. i suddenly feel like my cooking skills are salvageable.¡±


    upon hearing wan hails words, before ye ling could say anything, min nan promptly objected, ¡°no!¡±


    how could he let the warmth and beauty of the atmosphere in the kitchen be duplicated with ye ling and others?!

 Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Teaching Materials

    chapter 78: teaching materials


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    min nan¡¯s tone was a little forceful and anxious. ye ling turned her head and looked at him in confusion. wan hai was also stunned for a moment.


    min nan realized his reaction was a bit too intense and quickly provided an explanation, ¡°i already knew how to cook. it¡¯s just that you can¡¯t even distinguish between sugar and salt. it¡¯s better not to trouble ye ling. you won¡¯t understand.¡¯


    wan hai rolled his eyes. he had initially intended to argue with min nan, but he seemed to discern something in min nan¡¯s words and chose to remain silent, casting a meaningful glance toward him instead.


    after dinner, wan feng cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, while ye ling boiled some hot water and went to the backyard to take a bath.


    a simple hut had been constructed in the backyard. the materials were brought back by min nan, and he had built the hut himself.


    while min nan wasn¡¯t a professional mason, the hut was beautifully built. sun li later added a few potted plants to the rooftop, lending the cottage an even more charming appearance.


    ye ling looked at the hut. before she entered, she suddenly remembered that she had already lived in sun li¡¯s house for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t stay here forever.


    when the results of the pharmacy administrator selection were announced, and if she were to pass, it would likely mark the end of her stay at sun li¡¯s.


    at this thought, a pang of sadness and reluctance gripped ye ling¡¯s heart. throughout these days, she had come to feel a sense of belonging here, treating sun li, the three wan brothers, and min nan as her own family.


    ye ling stared at the swaying flowers atop the roof, a tinge of melancholy surfacing within her.


    no matter how good the times were, they would end eventually. she would still return to her days alone.


    she was already very lucky to be able to have such a good time. she should not ask for too much, nor should she indulge in short-term happiness. she still had many important things to do.


    ye ling was about to return to her room to rest after her shower when min nan walked out of her room and called out to her.


    ye ling turned her gaze toward min nan, a quizzical expression etched upon her face. min nan handed her a book and spoke softly, ¡°this is a high school textbook i found. i haven¡¯t managed to locate other subjects yet. you can use this for now. no need to hurry and return it to me.¡±


    ye ling was taken aback. when had min nan managed to find high school textbooks for her?


    observing ye ling¡¯s baffled countenance, min nan clarified, ¡°those two textbooks from earlier¡­ they weren¡¯t originally mine. that¡¯s why i hesitated to lend them to you. i hope you¡¯re not holding a grudge against me.¡±


    ye ling hadn¡¯t anticipated min nan to apologize for this matter. she had long forgotten about it. she had even reproached herself for not keeping her temper in check. and now, min nan, who bore no responsibility, was apologizing for the incident.


    in that instant, ye ling felt that she had been quite childish. she also realized the sincerity and tenderness emanating from min nan. never before had she encountered such a genuinely good person across her two lifetimes.


    looking at the book in her hands, ye ling hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°you can keep it for now. i¡¯m not in a hurry. also, i wasn¡¯t mad at you.¡± upon hearing ye ling¡¯s words, min nan heaved a sigh of relief. the weight in his heart was finally lifted. he placed the book on the table beside him. ¡°it¡¯s alright. you can take it and read it. i might make a trip home in a while. i should be able to find more teaching materials then.¡±


    ye ling truly didn¡¯t know how to express her gratitude to min nan. she offered her thanks sincerely, ¡°thank you, big brother min nan.¡±


    min nan chuckled. ¡°it¡¯s getting late. you should head back to your room and rest.¡±


    ye ling took the textbook back to her room and skimmed through it.


    for someone who hadn¡¯t had the chance to sit for the college entrance exam in her past life, the contents of the book were quite challenging. she found herself struggling with even the first chapter.


    ye ling sighed, muttering to herself, ¡°this is much tougher than learning medicine.¡±


    ye ling read the book for a while. as she couldn¡¯t understand it, she soon felt sleepy and fell asleep in a daze.


    when ye ling woke up the next day, she got up and prepared breakfast. after breakfast, she was left alone at home again. she took out her teaching materials and was about to continue studying with difficulty when she suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.


    who could it be?


    ye ling stood up and walked into the courtyard. she stood behind the door and asked cautiously, ¡°who¡¯s there?¡±


    the knocking paused momentarily, followed by a girl¡¯s voice coming through, ¡°is this ye ling?¡±


    a girl? ye ling grew even more puzzled. she didn¡¯t recognize the voice.


    however, upon hearing that it was a girl, ye ling relaxed a bit. after a moment¡¯s hesitation, she opened the door and saw a petite, slightly pale-faced girl standing outside..

 Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Visit

    chapter 79: visit


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    as soon as she saw her, ye ling remembered. wasn¡¯t she the girl who fainted in the dormitory building?


    the two of them looked at each other for a few seconds before ye ling politely said, ¡°come in first.¡±


    after yu huan entered, she looked around casually and followed ye ling into the living room. ye ling poured yu huan a cup of hot water and picked up a jar of dried honeysuckles. she asked, ¡°do you drink tea?¡±


    yu huan had never had flower tea before, so she nodded. ¡°sure.¡±


    ye ling placed the dried honeysuckles into the hot water and placed the cup in front of yu huan. she then sat opposite yu huan and asked, ¡°why are you looking for me?¡±


    yu huan sat up straight and said with a serious expression, ¡°thank you for helping me last time. my name is yu huan. i¡¯m a young intellectual from gold city who came to willow village a year ago.¡±


    ye ling was taken aback. so the other party was here to thank her. she smiled faintly and said, ¡°it¡¯s okay. i didn¡¯t help you with anything. i just helped you to the bed and let you rest for a while.¡±


    yu huan pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose. ¡°no, you must have done something else. after i woke up, my stomach didn¡¯t hurt at all, and my body felt much more relaxed. what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ye ling did not expect her acupuncture to be so effective. she explained, ¡°i know some medical skills, so i did acupuncture for you. i¡¯m sorry, i didn¡¯t ask for your permission.¡±


    yu huan shook her head. ¡°why would i blame you? you helped me.¡± yu huan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®your medical skills are amazing. after my period, i have menstrual cramps every month. it¡¯s so uncomfortable. i¡¯ve seen many doctors and taken a lot ot medicine, but there¡¯s no ettect. can you help me take a look again! don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll pay for it!¡±


    looking at yu huan¡¯s expectant eyes, ye ling felt that this was a very straightforward girl. she thought for two seconds and said, ¡°give me your hand. ¡±


    yu huan obediently reached out her hand. ye ling pressed her finger on yu huan¡¯s pulse and performed a detailed diagnosis.


    after a moment, ye ling released her hand. ¡°the reason for your menstrual cramps is because your body is weak in both qi and blood. there are innate factors as well as acquired factors that cause improper conditioning. i can prescribe some medicine for you. try it first. if the effect is good, come and find me. oh right, don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    yu huan had originally wanted to publicize ye ling¡¯s medical skills and change the impression of those people who spoke ill of ye ling in the dormitory building. however, ye ling asked her not to publicize it too much. she asked with some doubt, ¡°why?¡±


    ye ling smiled. ¡°because i don¡¯t have a medical license yet.¡±


    she did not have a medical license. once she was reported to have secretly prescribed medicine for someone¡¯s treatment, the consequences would be very serious.


    yu huan finally understood and nodded. ¡®tokay, i¡¯ll keep it a secret. you¡¯re a good person. you¡¯re completely different from what those people say.¡± yu huan immediately added, ¡°but i¡¯ve never said anything bad about you!¡±


    ye ling couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°alright, i understand.¡±


    when ye ling smiled, her eyes curved into the shape of a crescent moon, and there were shallow dimples at the corner of her lips. she looked extremely cute. even yu huan, a woman, was touched by her sweetness. her eyes could not help but drift toward ye ling.


    seeing yu huan staring at her, ye ling thought that she had something else to say, so she asked, ¡°any other questions?¡±


    yu huan shook her head. ¡°no, i just like to look at beautiful women.¡±


    after saying that, yu huan hurriedly added, ¡°i¡¯m not a pervert. you¡¯re too beautiful. you¡¯re even more beautiful than a movie star. by the way, judging from your accent, are you from the south?¡±


    this was the first time ye ling had been praised so bluntly by a girl. she blushed and nodded. ¡°yes, i¡¯m from shanghai.¡±


    yu huan had been to shanghai before. just as she was about to talk to ye ling about shanghai, she suddenly saw a book on the table. she glanced at it and realized that it was a high school textbook.


    ¡°you have high school textbooks?¡± yu huan asked in surprise. are you planning to take the college entrance examination?


    the news of the college entrance examination¡¯s restoration had not been publicly circulated in society for the time being, so not many people knew the inside story. since yu huan knew about this news, it meant that yu huan¡¯s family was not ordinary. ye ling did not hide it and nodded.. ¡°yes, do you also want to take the college entrance examination?¡±

 Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Going to the Black Market

    chapter 80: going to the black market


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    yu huan held her chin and slowly shook her head. ¡°the college entrance examination is not attractive to me. but if my dad insists, i might give it a try.¡±


    yu huan¡¯s response left ye ling somewhat surprised. she had initially wanted to ask her why she wasn¡¯t interested in the college entrance examination, but considering that they had just met, prying into personal matters didn¡¯t seem appropriate, so she didn¡¯t press turther.


    noticing that ye ling was preparing for the college entrance examination, yu huan took the initiative to speak up. ¡°i have a few current affairs newspapers that i subscribed to when i was in gold city. my family sends them to me every month. if you¡¯re interested, i can lend them to you. it would help you stay updated on current events, which could be useful for the politics section of the exam.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing this offer. feeling a bit shy, she replied,


    ¡°thank you. i¡¯ll make sure to return them after reading.¡±


    yu huan chuckled amiably. ¡°no problem. it¡¯s just a small favor. i live in the second dormitory on the third floor. come and find me during your break time, and i¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ye ling nodded. when she saw that yu huan had finished her glass of water, she was about to get up to refill yu huan¡¯s glass when yu huan waved her hand. ¡°no need, i¡¯m about to head back. by the way, when are you planning to return to the dormitory?¡±


    ¡°after the results of the pharmacy administrator exam are out, i¡¯ll likely head back. i got into some trouble before, so i came here to lay low,¡± ye ling explained briefly.


    ¡°oh, i see. it¡¯s that b*stard wang gang, right? he has a terrible reputation. i heard that he even forced a young female scholar to get pregnant. in the end, the young female scholar was punished. she had an abortion the night before and was sent back to the city the next day. her identity as a young scholar was also revoked. her life could be said to be ruined. but wang gang was fine¡­forget it, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore.¡± yu huan saw ye ling¡¯s ugly expression and quickly shut up.


    yu huan stood up and prepared to leave. ye ling retrieved two jars of flower tea from inside the room and handed them to yu huan. ¡°these are for you. brewing and drinking them is good for your health.¡±


    ¡°great, i¡¯ll follow the doctor¡¯s orders!¡± yu huan said with a cheerful smile, waving at ye ling. ¡°i¡¯ll head back now. i¡¯ll go play with you when you get back to the dormitory.¡±


    after sending yu huan off, ye ling sat down and thought about what yu huan had said about wang gang. she felt uneasy.


    although wang gang had been beaten up by min nan and hadn¡¯t come looking for trouble with her for the time being, he might not have given up. she still had to be careful. as for lin fang, she should find time to go and take a look.


    ye ling¡¯s gaze turned contemplative. she reached for the medicine bottle by her side, feeling a bit more at ease.


    the next day, the wan brothers and min nan all left. ye ling set out for town, dressed in a bamboo hat and a coarse gray linen cloak. she had even applied herbal juice to her chin to change her skin color. she looked nothing like a young girl.


    upon arriving in town, ye ling hesitated between visiting the pharmacy and the black market. ultimately, she chose the latter.


    with her rebirth and her near-death experience in her previous life, ye ling¡¯s courage had grown significantly. in her past life, she would have never dared to enter a place like the black market.


    the entrance to the black market seemed inconspicuous. there was a noodle shop and a locksmith¡¯s shop on either side.


    upon entering, ye ling noticed many people squatting on both sides of the path.


    some were in disguise, while others weren¡¯t. some seemed cautious and watchful, while others appeared relaxed.


    most of these individuals were either buyers or sellers.


    there were also some people who did not sell or buy anything. when they saw someone enter the black market, they took the initiative to ask if they needed them to lead the way or introduce them to the business.


    after ye ling entered, a thin man in his thirties walked towards her and asked with a smile, ¡°sir, are you here to buy or sell? are you looking for buyers or sellers


    ye ling pondered for a moment but did not immediately chase this person away. it was her first time coming to the black market and she knew nothing. it was necessary to have someone to guide her and introduce her to the situation. moreover, she had self-defense medicine with her now, so she was not afraid that this person would have any bad intentions.


    ye ling¡¯s hand emerged from beneath her cloak. her hand, stained with herbal liquid, held a stalk of herb.


    the thin man quickly understood. ¡°you¡¯re looking to sell herbs, right? you¡¯re in luck. my cousin works as an assistant at a medicinal herb buyer¡¯s place. follow


    me..¡±

 Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Purchasing Price

    chapter 81: purchasing price


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the thin man led the way, and ye ling followed.


    on the way, the thin man probably wanted to leave a good impression on ye ling, so he introduced a lot of things about the black market. of course, he didn¡¯t go into depth and only introduced some basic information. these people earned money from information disparities, so they naturally couldn¡¯t tell ye ling all the information.


    through the thin man¡¯s introduction, ye ling got a basic understanding of the black market.


    the black market had many types of transactions. some of the transactions involving large sums of money were strictly prohibited by the country. if caught, the consequences ranged from jail time to even being shot.


    the most common and relatively safer transactions were daily necessities. if caught, the punishment would be relatively light, usually imprisonment for education or a few days of labor reform.


    of course, for government officials, being caught was a grave matter. they would lose their jobs, and the punishment would be severe.


    ye ling was an educated youth. although she wasn¡¯t considered a civil servant in the government, if she was caught, the situation would still be quite serious.


    thinking this, ye ling became even more cautious and was thankful for her thorough disguise.


    the thin man talked for a while. seeing that ye ling wasn¡¯t talking much, he couldn¡¯t figure out if she was mute or just didn¡¯t feel like talking.


    after about twenty minutes of wandering through winding alleys, the two finally reached a wooden door.


    the thin man imocked on the door, and when it opened, a youth with a pockmarked face poked his head out and shouted, ¡°cousin.¡±


    the thin man introduced ye ling, ¡°this is my cousin. if you want to sell any herbs, just tell him. don¡¯t worry, with him around, he will not lower your price. if you were dealing with someone else today, it wouldn¡¯t be as smooth.¡±


    ye ling knew that the thin man was hinting that he had been a great help to her. ye ling did not say anything and crossed the threshold to enter the door.


    as soon as she entered, ye ling could smell the rich fragrance of herbs. she continued to walk in and saw medicinal herbs being processed on both sides of the courtyard. most of them were relatively common, and she could occasionally see precious medicinal herbs.


    entering the front hall, the pockmarked youth wiped the stool beside the table and said, ¡°please sit.¡±


    ye ling sat down, and the pockmarked youth asked, ¡°what kind of herbs are you selling?¡±


    ye ling took out three black cloth bags from her bosom and placed them on the table. the pockmarked youth adeptly opened the bags.


    once the herbs were poured out, the pockmarked youth was stunned.


    the thin man knew nothing about herbs. seeing his cousin¡¯s blank expression, he was puzzled and asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? aren¡¯t these herbs good?¡±


    the pockmarked youth snapped out of it and rolled his eyes at the thin man.


    ¡°do you think these herbs are not good? i¡¯ve never seen such a big golden lotus¡­¡±


    he suddenly shut up.


    he was so surprised that he forgot the rules of doing business.


    he had praised ye ling¡¯s herbs so much. how could he negotiate the price down later?


    ye ling watched as the pockmarked youth kept touching the herbs he had taken from the small world, pretending to be impatient, she knocked on the table, rubbing her index finger and thumb together, signaling ¡°money¡±.


    the pockmarked youth coughed and said, ¡°these herbs indeed look good, but they¡¯re not considered precious herbs. moreover¡­¡±


    upon hearing this, ye ling immediately stuffed the herbs back into the black cloth bags, as if she was about to leave.


    the pockmarked youth was shocked. he immediately grabbed ye ling¡¯s arm. ¡°hey, don¡¯t take them away! the price is negotiable. why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    the thin man also realized ye ling¡¯s herbs were quite valuable. he nudged the pockmarked youth, ¡°stop blabbering. just quote a price.¡±


    the pockmarked youth opened his mouth, intending to give a number, but upon seeing the herbs on the table, he quickly thought of something and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°do you have other herbs? are they all of such high quality?¡±


    ye ling thought this kid wasn¡¯t stupid and nodded slightly. her bamboo hat swayed a bit.


    the pockmarked youth¡¯s eyes lit up. after hesitating for a few seconds, he named a price and immediately added, ¡°other herb merchants in the black market won¡¯t offer a higher buying price. if you¡¯re okay with it, i can buy your herbs at this price in the future. however, you can only trade with us and no other herb merchants..¡±

 Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Renting a House

    chapter 82: renting a house


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    when the pockmarked youth mentioned the price, ye ling¡¯s heart also quivered slightly. the price was indeed quite good. it seemed that they intended to monopolize all the herbs she had.


    as long as she refrained from trading with other herbal merchants, they could comfortably raise the price after processing the herbs.


    ye ling remained silent, giving the impression that she was contemplating and considering. then, she nodded slowly.


    the pockmarked youth¡¯s eyes brightened, and he slapped the table. ¡°alright, wait a moment. i¡¯ll get you the money. oh, by the way, do you want money or tickets? if you want tickets, there will be a discount.¡±


    in this era, exchange tickets were more valuable than money, as money wasn¡¯t universally accepted everyvvhere. it had lost much of its value.


    ye ling rubbed her thumb against her index finger once again, indicating that she wanted money.


    the pockmarked youth nodded in agreement. ¡°alright.¡±


    after a while, the pockmarked youth returned with a bundle of bills. he handed the stack of money to ye ling with a hint of reluctance and said, ¡°i¡¯ve deducted a portion. it¡¯s my cousin¡¯s reward. of course, if you come back to trade next time, you won¡¯t need to deduct anything. unless you¡¯re directionally challenged and need my cousin to guide you, then he¡¯ll still charge you for that service.¡±


    ye ling felt that although the brothers were somewhat self-interested, they were still honest. they weren¡¯t trying to deceive her just because she was a newcomer to the black market. they calculated every transaction. that was good. that¡¯s how business should be conducted.


    ye ling nodded, signifying her understanding.


    seeing that ye ling seemed to be mute, the pockmarked youth fell silent for a moment, then tentatively inquired, ¡°my boss¡¯s surname is hei. if you mention second master hei, everyone in the black market will know. you can also inquire about our reputation in the market.¡±


    ye ling nodded again without saying a word.


    the pockmarked youth felt somewhat helpless.


    it seemed this person in front of him was truly mute.


    afterward, the pockmarked youth went behind a cabinet, retrieved paper and a pen from a drawer, placed them on the table, and asked, ¡°can you write? do you have any other requests? my cousin can¡¯t read, so if you need anything, just tell me. what other medicinal herbs do you have?¡±


    ye ling was somewhat surprised to learn that the pockmarked youth could read. in this era, literate individuals in rural areas were quite rare. no wonder this youth could make decisions about purchasing herbs. it was probably why he had gained the attention of the black market boss.


    ye ling ignored the pockmarked youth¡¯s other questions and wrote a line on the paper.


    the pockmarked youth frowned upon reading it.


    the thin man curiously asked his cousin, ¡°what did she write?¡±


    the pockmarked youth responded, ¡°she wants to rent a house, something more remote and with a yard.¡± his tone carried a hint of frustration, likely decause ye ling naan¡¯t addressed ms previous question.


    the thin man contemplated for a moment, then said, ¡°i can help you find such a house. moreover, the rent will be very affordable. however, there was a death in that house before. if that bothers you¡­¡±


    upon hearing this, ye ling thought, ¡°is this a good thing?¡± she nodded immediately.


    after all, she had died once. why would she be afraid of a house where someone had died? saving money was more important.


    the thin man nodded. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll take you there later.¡±


    seeing that ye ling was about to leave, the pockmarked youth said, ¡°my name is mai zi, and my cousin is yang zi. i hope we can have a pleasant cooperation in the future.¡± he extended his hand, adopting the mature demeanor of an adult and offering a friendly handshake to ye ling.


    ye ling glanced at the pockmarked youth¡¯s outstretched hand and simply turned and left.


    the pockmarked youth was speechless.


    why was this person so arrogant? he rarely attempted to be friendly with others!


    yang zi followed ye ling and led her to the rental house.


    ¡°see? this is it,¡± yang zi said.


    ye ling looked up. the place was located beside a pond on the western side of the town. a total of three houses surrounded the pond, and yang zi was pointing at the largest one among them.


    ¡°the one on the left is the landlord. the row on the right is the rental houses. the house with a yard is at the back of the row. there¡¯s nothing wrong with the house, just a bit worn. if you give the landlord some extra money, he might fix it up for you.¡±


    ye ling didn¡¯t say anything and walked straight into the room on the left.


    yang zi followed her. after they entered, yang zi shouted energetically,


    ¡°master bai, i¡¯ve found a tenant for you!¡±


    the old and somewhat dirty curtains were lifted, revealing a tall and thin old man who walked out. behind him was a little girl with two braids, looking to be about six or seven years old..

 Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Borrowing the Paper

    chapter 83: borrowing the paper


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi- bo studio


    master bai glanced at ye ling and with a voice that carried both weariness and age, he asked yang zi, ¡°have you explained everything to her?¡±


    yang zi nodded vigorously, confirming, ¡°yes, i¡¯ve explained everything.¡±


    master bai sat on a round chair made of pear blossom wood with a walking stick. ¡°alright, let me add a few points. renting my house doesn¡¯t require a contract. you pay the rent for two months in advance. if you can¡¯t afford it, let me know beforehand. if you move out within a month, considering the history of death in the house, i¡¯ll only charge half of the original rent.¡± hearing this, ye ling felt that master bai was truly a kind person.


    he also seemed to be well-off financially.


    ye ling paid the rent for two months and paid yang zi for the intermediary services.


    after selling the batch of herbs, ye ling was now in possession of a considerable sum of 17 yuan. this was equivalent to the monthly salary of a young urban worker. after deducting the rent and other expenses, she was left with 13 yuan.


    yang zi took the money and left happily. before he left, he told ye ling to look


    for him if she needed anything in the future.


    after yang zi left, ye ling went to her new house.


    the house indeed showed signs of age. it seemed to have been unoccupied for a long time. a thick layer of dust covered the table, and spider webs had formed in the corners.


    the house had an area of about 40 square meters. against the wall, there was a bed, a table, and a half-doorless cabinet.


    behind the house lay a courtyard, relatively spacious. beside it, a makeshift stove was set up with a straw canopy. firewood was stacked nearby. beyond the courtyard, a vast expanse of rolling green hills could be seen, providing a picturesque view.


    just as ye ling was surveying the premises, a child¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind her, ¡°oh, by the way, grandpa said that someone will come to tidy this place up. when are you planning to move in?¡±


    ye ling turned her head and saw master bails granddaughter. she fell silent for a moment.


    her current persona was a mute, so she naturally couldn¡¯t speak.


    she nodded, signifying her understanding, but she didn¡¯t answer the little girl¡¯s query.


    after exchanging gazes for a few seconds, the little girl turned and ran off.


    having secured the rental, ye ling prepared to head back. she currently had no immediate use for the place. she rented it first as a stronghold for future matters.


    after returning to willow village, the time was already quite late. by a secluded stream, ye ling washed off the herbal residue from her body, restoring her skin to its fair and smooth state.


    back home, the wan brothers had already returned. spotting ye ling¡¯s arrival,


    wan hai inquired casually, ¡°lingling, where have you been?¡±


    ye ling naturally couldn¡¯t tell the truth, so she made up an excuse guiltily. ¡°i went to the dormitory to pick up something.¡±


    min nan emerged from the kitchen, his hands sticky with blood. ye ling was startled.


    min nan explained hastily, ¡°i caught two fish from the river and prepared them. they¡¯re on the cutting board.¡±


    ye ling heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°then let¡¯s have fish soup tonight. we¡¯ll save one for braised fish tomorrow. or if you all prefer, we can have steamed fish.¡±


    following a vote from the wan brothers, they settled on braised fish. ¡°who wants to go out and buy some fresh tofu?¡± ye ling inquired again.


    ¡°i¡¯ll go!¡±


    given the rare opportunity to fulfill a request, wan xue hurriedly volunteered, enthusiastic to assist his sister-in-law.


    ¡°buy half a block. if they¡¯re sold out, it¡¯s fine.¡± with ye ling¡¯s reminder, wan xue dashed out and quickly returned with half a block of tofu.


    ye ling had already placed the fried fish in the pot. adding water, the fish soup swiftly turned a milky white.


    subsequently, ye ling diced the tender tofu and added it to the fish soup. she also included some crushed herbs and green onions. the tofu fish soup was now ready.


    that evening, the wan brothers marveled at never having tasted such delectable fish soup in their lives. they finished the entire pot and devoured the fish meat as well.


    after dinner, ye ling returned to her room and entered the small world. she harvested some mint and intended to make mint candies.


    she had previously thought of making candies for wan xue. mint candies could provide a cooling effect, soothe the nerves, and aid digestion. she would make more and give them to the wan brothers and min nan as a token of appreciation for their care over this period seemed fitting.


    the ingredients for the mint candies were all sourced from the small world.


    the mint fragrance was more potent, and the effects were significant. the small world¡¯s water source was capable of purifying impurities and promoting healing. turning these ingredients into mint candies not only produced a snack but also conferred health benefits.


    after completing a batch of mint candies, ye ling exited the small world and settled down for a nap. the next day, she planned to borrow newspapers from


    yu huan..

 Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Health Training

    chapter 84: health training


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    upon arriving at the dormitory building, ye ling found yu huan¡¯s room and knocked on the door. the girl who answered the door looked at ye ling in surprise for a moment.


    ¡°i am looking for yu huan,¡± ye ling politely stated.


    the girl¡¯s expression seemed complex as she glanced at ye ling and then called out loudly from inside the room, ¡°yu huan, someone is looking for you!¡±


    ye ling saw the look in the young woman¡¯s eyes and knew that she might have misunderstood her.


    when yu huan came out, he handed a shoulder bag made of blue cloth to ye ling. there was a stack of newspapers in the shoulder bag.


    after expressing her gratitude, ye ling hesitated for a moment and asked,


    ¡°since we are close, would people have any opinions about us?¡±


    ye ling wasn¡¯t concerned about others¡¯ opinions herself, but she didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for yu huan or attract gossip.


    yu huan chuckled casually, ¡°don¡¯t worry about that. i don¡¯t usually interact much with them. we have a generation gap. i couldn¡¯t care less about their opinions. besides, they probably knew about my family¡¯s situation and wouldn¡¯t dare to offend me. just relax.¡±


    ye ling felt relieved. as yu huan was about to go back inside, she held his arm and inquired, ¡°do you usually not go out?¡±


    yu huan nodded. ¡°can you tell that, doctor ye?¡±


    thinking about yu huan¡¯s physical condition, ye ling kindly suggested, ¡°i recommend that you exercise more when you have time.¡±


    yu huan shook her head. ¡°no, i don¡¯t enjoy going out.¡±


    ¡°how about this? i can teach you a set of health exercises. you can do them in the dormitory, and they will also offer some fitness benefits. would you like to learn?¡± ye ling recalled that the ¡°ye family¡¯s medical code¡± included several sets of health exercises suitable for different body types, so she made the suggestion.


    yu huan hesitated for a moment. as someone quite lethargic, even eating was a bit of a hassle, let alone doing health exercises.


    however, yu huan considered that ye ling was now her ¡°attending doctor¡±. she had to heed the doctor¡¯s advice, or else her health might decline further in the future.


    yu huan finally nodded. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll learn. let¡¯s go to your room.¡±


    as they reached ye ling¡¯s room, yu huan commented, ¡°your room is quite hot. being on the top floor, it¡¯s uncomfortable in the summer. i suddenly think, maybe you shouldn¡¯t come back. just stay there. at least until summer is over.¡±


    ¡°how could that work? it¡¯s not suitable,¡± ye ling said. she wasn¡¯t bothered by the heat. after enduring so much in her previous life, she was no longer the delicate girl who had just arrived from the city to the countryside. rebirth had altered her mindset. to her, environmental hardships were trivial matters.


    ¡°well then, let¡¯s learn quickly,¡± ye ling reminded. ¡°i don¡¯t want to see you faint from the heat in mv room.¡±


    the movements of the health exercises weren¡¯t complex. after teaching her twice, yu huan had pretty much learned them. ye ling instructed, ¡°since you¡¯ve learned them, make sure to do them every day. if you stick with these exercises, your physique will improve. don¡¯t give up halfway.¡±


    yu huan nodded. she knew ye ling was doing this for her good, so she didn¡¯t mind ye ling¡¯s thoroughness. instead, she felt a warmth inside. ¡°don¡¯t worry, doctor ye. i¡¯ll keep at it.¡±


    ¡°great, now you should head back. i¡¯ll leave as well. once i¡¯m done reading these newspapers, i¡¯ll return them to you.¡±


    after leaving the dormitory building, ye ling retraced her steps. it was still early, so it wasn¡¯t time for dinner yet. ye ling walked leisurely.


    on a ridge, ye ling suddenly noticed a slightly thin rural woman not too far away. she felt the woman looked familiar. after recalling for a moment, she remembered that she was auntie tan, the single mother who earned a living by catching snakes.


    was she about to go catch a snake?


    the moment the word ¡°snake¡± crossed ye ling¡¯s mind, she felt a shiver run down her spine. numerous terrifying images flashed through her mind.


    just as she was about to leave, she unexpectedly paused.


    ye ling realized that she hadn¡¯t gone up the mountain to find new herbs for a long time. she had been avoiding this task due to her fear of encountering snakes.


    but did she want to live in fear forever?


    if ye ling didn¡¯t have her small world, or if she wasn¡¯t a doctor, it wouldn¡¯t matter if she feared snakes. but now, her small world was her only trump card. its most valuable function was producing various precious herbs..

 Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: Catching Snakes

    chapter 85: catching snakes


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    as the owner of the small world, she couldn¡¯t wait for others to bring various precious herbs to her. some of the rare herbs recorded in the ye family medical code might not have been recognized by anyone. if she hadn¡¯t looked for them, those herbs would forever have been mere words and pictures recorded in the book.


    while ye ling was contemplating these matters, auntie tan had already walked quite a distance. ye ling hesitated for a few seconds, bit her lip hard, and hastened to catch up with auntie tan.


    auntie tan heard footsteps behind her. she turned around and saw a beautiful girl with fair skin and delicate features like a doll. the girl was looking at her with a conflicted and determined expression.


    auntie tan frowned and didn¡¯t say anything. instead, she gazed directly at the young girl with a questioning look in her eyes.


    ye ling took a deep breath and said, ¡°auntie tan, we met last time. do you remember? i¡¯m ye ling, an educated youth from stone village. are you going to catch a snake now?¡±


    ye ling¡¯s voice was soft and gentle, carrying the warmth typical of southerners. upon hearing ye ling¡¯s voice, the resistance and wariness in auntie tan¡¯s heart faded considerably.


    however, auntie tan¡¯s gaze remained cold and distant.


    auntie tan stayed silent for a moment before nodding. ¡°what do you want?¡±


    ye ling stuttered, ¡°i¡­ i want to follow you and see how you catch snakes¡­¡±


    saying those words seemed quite challenging for ye ling. auntie tan could sense ye ling¡¯s fear.


    was this young girl a little out of her mind? she was terrified of snakes, yet she still wanted to follow her and watch her catch them.


    understanding the thoughts of city people was beyond her.


    auntie tan looked at ye ling with a peculiar expression. then, her lips curled up coldly in a mocking manner as she said, ¡°it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    after uttering that, auntie tan turned around and departed. she didn¡¯t wish to waste more time with ye ling to avoid missing the prime time for snake-catching.


    ye ling observed auntie tan¡¯s retreating figure and hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow her.


    twenty minutes later, ye ling observed from a distance as auntie tan adeptly used her homemade snake-catching tool to immobilize a wriggling snake on the ground. then, she used a snake clamp to secure the snake¡¯s head and placed it into a sack.


    cold sweat formed on ye ling¡¯s back. fear made her feel nauseated. she even had a feeling that a snake might leap out of the nearby grass at any moment.


    after auntie tan caught a snake, she turned around and inspected the people behind her. she sensed that ye ling, who stood not far away, was almost petrified with fear.


    auntie tan wasn¡¯t skilled at offering comfort. moreover, she believed that ye ling¡¯s behavior was simply nonsensical, so she ignored ye ling and resumed her hunt for snakes.


    ye ling shuffled her stiff legs and trailed after auntie tan.


    before nightfall, auntie tan captured three snakes. to auntie tan¡¯s surprise, even though ye ling¡¯s face was pallid with fright, she didn¡¯t turn and flee. on the contrary, she drew closer with each snake caught.


    auntie tan tied up the sack and placed it atop her homemade snake-catching tool. then, she shouldered the tool and prepared to head home.


    ye ling quickly caught up. when they were about to reach the main road, ye ling inquired, ¡°auntie tan, where are you planning to catch snakes tomorrow?¡±


    auntie tan was left speechless. could it be that this girl also intended to earn money by catching snakes? she was an educated young woman from the city. could her thoughts be this extreme and degraded?


    auntie tan wasn¡¯t concerned about ye ling stealing her business. after all, there were plenty of snakes in the rural forests and fields. even if ten more people came to catch them, they wouldn¡¯t manage to catch them all. auntie tan simply couldn¡¯t fathom ye ling¡¯s thinking.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure,¡± auntie tan replied in a cold tone.


    ¡°can i come to your house to find you?¡± ye ling asked after a moment of hesitation.


    auntie tan was rendered speechless.


    seeing that auntie tan¡¯s attitude towards her wasn¡¯t the friendliest, but she also hadn¡¯t rejected her, ye ling whispered, ¡°then, auntie tan, i¡¯ll wait for you at your doorstep tomorrow afternoon?¡±


    auntie tan was utterly at a loss for words. she cast a cold gaze at the young girl who seemed a bit off.


    ¡°up to you.¡±


    after parting ways with auntie tan, ye ling walked home. the images of aunt tan catching the snakes were still playing in her mind. it was as if the snakes would rush at her from afar in the next second and open their mouths with fangs.


    ye ling¡¯s legs grew weak. she warily surveyed both sides of the road, fearing that a snake might suddenly emerge.


    ye ling only felt a sense of relief when she saw the entrance of the wan family¡¯s residence.


    she heaved a sigh of relief and entered the house. after entering the house, she went to the vegetable field next to the fence in the backyard to pick up two loofahs and prepared to make dinner..

 Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: You Catch

    chapter 86: you catch


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    however, perhaps because of the deep emotional scars, ye ling felt that the loofah vine resembled a twisting snake.


    during dinner, min nan vaguely sensed that ye ling¡¯s demeanor was off. her expression seemed distant, and her complexion was paler than usual.


    but apart from that, he didn¡¯t detect anything out of the ordinary.


    for the following days, ye ling went to auntie tan¡¯s doorstep every afternoon, accompanying her to the fields and watching her catch snakes.


    to avoid auntie tan¡¯s disapproval, ye ling even sent some fresh vegetables to her. auntie tan neither accepted nor declined them, so ye ling left the vegetables at auntie tan¡¯s kitchen entrance.


    during these days, ye ling noticed that most of the snakes auntie tan caught were nonvenomous. however, occasionally, auntie tan would also catch venomous snakes. when dealing with the venomous ones, auntie tan became more serious and cautioned ye ling to keep her distance.


    on this particular day, after capturing a venomous snake, the two of them continued walking ahead. suddenly, auntie tan looked at ye ling and inquired, ¡°have you learned?¡±


    ye ling paused, asking, ¡°learned what?¡±


    auntie tan¡¯s impatience was evident as she responded, ¡°you¡¯ve been following me for days. haven¡¯t you grasped how i catch snakes?¡±


    it was only then that ye ling realized auntie tan¡¯s misconception. she believed ye ling wanted to catch snakes for profit.


    ¡°auntie tan, i don¡¯t intend to learn snake catching. i¡¯m simply afraid of snakes. i thought that by watching you, i might overcome my fear,¡± ye ling clarified.


    upon hearing this, auntie tan¡¯s furrowed brows deepened.


    while auntie tan could understand ye ling¡¯s behavior if she thought ye ling was following her to make money, it was harder for her to grasp ye ling¡¯s pure intention of conquering her fear.


    ¡°afraid of snakes? what¡¯s wrong with that? many people are afraid of snakes.


    why must you overcome your fear? fear exists to help people avoid danger. you¡¯re not in a life-threatening situation, so why torment yourself?¡± auntie tan continued walking, expressing her thoughts.


    having spent these days with ye ling, auntie tan¡¯s opinion of her had improved significantly.


    according to auntie tan, even though this young girl had some issues, her character was acceptable. she spoke politely and courteously, embodying the qualities of an educated urban youth.


    with her improved impression, auntie tan¡¯s demeanor had softened. occasionally, she exchanged words with ye ling, and auntie tan shared insights about the snakes commonly found in the mountains and fields.


    initially, when ye ling heard the names of different snakes, her face would turn pale. gradually, her reaction became less intense.


    hearing auntie tan¡¯s words, ye ling smiled helplessly. ¡°i had no choice. otherwise, i wouldn¡¯t be subjecting myself to this torment.¡±


    though uncertain of ye ling¡¯s reasons, auntie tan related to her own experiences and began to understand ye ling¡¯s choice.


    hadn¡¯t auntie tan also chosen to learn snake catching out of necessity? back then, she overcame her fear through sheer willpower, eventually mastering the skill better than many.


    suddenly, auntie tan halted her steps. ye ling hesitated, thinking auntie tan had spotted a snake. she tensed up and carefully scanned the surroundings.


    however, auntie tan had no intention of catching a snake. instead, she turned to ye ling and gestured for her to come closer, saying, ¡°come here.¡±


    ye ling was perplexed, but she approached auntie tan.


    auntie tan handed over the snake fork and pliers, instructing, ¡°you¡¯ll catch the next snake.¡±


    ye ling was taken aback, wanting to speak but being interrupted by auntie tan.


    ¡°i know you¡¯re not here to catch snakes for profit, but if you genuinely want to conquer your fear, you must catch a snake yourself. otherwise, even if your fear diminishes, it will still linger. only by catching a snake will you realize that it might be afraid of you.¡± auntie tan¡¯s voice remained composed as she explained.


    ye ling immediately shook her head and responded anxiously, ¡°i can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°what are you afraid of? i¡¯ll find a nonvenomous snake for you. even if you get bitten, there won¡¯t be any harm. plus, i¡¯ll be right there beside you. just grab it confidently.¡± auntie tan sounded relaxed as if discussing today¡¯s weather.


    ye ling clutched the snake fork and pliers tightly. despite her fear and resistance, she acknowledged auntie tan¡¯s wisdom. if she didn¡¯t catch a snake herself, her fear would continue to linger.


    taking a deep breath, ye ling¡¯s voice trembled as she agreed, ¡°alright¡­ auntie


    tan, please help me find a nonvenomous one.¡±


    auntie tan revealed a satisfied smile and nodded approvingly. ¡°that¡¯s the spirit..¡±

 Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: Comforting

    chapter 87: comforting


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the two of them continued walking along the narrow path in the fields. soon enough, auntie tan spotted a plump cauliflower snake, a slower-moving species that was ideal for beginners to practice catching.


    auntie tan came to a halt and swiftly repeated the snake-catching steps to ye ling. she then patted ye ling¡¯s shoulder and encouraged her. ¡°go on, i¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    ye ling looked towards the snake not far away, her legs feeling somewhat weak. slowly, she approached the snake while taking deep breaths and exhales. she recalled auntie tan¡¯s snake-catching movements in her mind.


    ¡°i can do this!¡± ye ling thought.


    ye ling gritted her teeth and stared at the snake without moving her eyes. she raised her pitchfork and quickly stabbed it into the snake¡¯s body.


    ye ling¡¯s arms went numb from the intense struggle of the cauliflower snake. auntie tan¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°catch it!¡±


    she had used a tool to catch the snake earlier, but now, ye ling had to pick up the snake with her hands.


    for a brief moment, she felt an urge to cry and flee. however, she had come this far, and giving up now would be a waste.


    ye ling comforted herself that the snake wasn¡¯t poisonous anyway.


    at worst, she might get bitten.


    ye ling took a deep breath and felt her hands trembling. she pinched her thigh hard. the pain calmed her down a lot. she imitated auntie tan and tried her best to stabilize the snake¡¯s body. taking advantage of the snake¡¯s weak struggle, she quickly caught it.


    the sensation of holding the snake almost made ye ling scream. as she held the snake firmly, she found herself shedding tears.


    auntie tan walked over to ye ling. with a mix of emotions, she said, ¡°you¡¯ve already caught him. why are you crying?


    she then opened another bag meant for the non-venomous snake and instructed ye ling, ¡°put it in.¡±


    ye ling cried as she gently placed the snake inside, preparing herself for the worst.


    luckily, the snake¡¯s reaction was slow, and as soon as it was in the bag, it simply slithered down without resistance.


    auntie tan closed the bag and noticed ye ling sitting on the ground, crying even louder.


    approaching ye ling, auntie tan couldn¡¯t find words to comfort her. instead, she encouraged her. ¡°you¡¯ve got a knack for catching snakes. if you ever find yourself in dire straits, you could make a living catching snakes. stop crying and be proud.¡±


    ye ling found herself on the verge of both tears and laughter at auntie tan¡¯s words.


    ¡°auntie tan, who comforts people like this!¡± ye ling thought.


    after crying for a while, ye ling wiped her tears with her hand. however, she hesitated as she realized her hand had recently handled a snake. she was so frightened that she felt tempted to fling her hand away.


    after a few seconds, ye ling consoled herself, ¡°oh well, i¡¯ve caught it, so what¡¯s left to fear?¡±


    with determination, she wiped away the tears from her face.


    auntie tan extended her hand, momentarily surprising ye ling. she placed her hand in auntie tan¡¯s palm and felt the warmth of her rough, dry skin. this warmth instantly calmed ye ling¡¯s emotions.


    auntie tan helped ye ling up and patted off the dirt from her pants. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    leaving the fields, they reached the main road. on the way, they would go to their respective homes. just as ye ling turned around, auntie tan called out, handing her one of the sacks. ¡°this is what you caught. take it back with you.¡±


    ye ling mustered a faint smile. ¡°no need, auntie tan. you¡¯ve taught me so much today. you can keep this snake.¡±


    auntie tan grinned mischievously. ¡°i don¡¯t need this snake from you. take it back yourself. if you¡¯re not brave enough to kill it, ask your min nan to do it. snake meat is delicious. if you eat snake meat, you won¡¯t be afraid of snakes in your dreams at night. that¡¯s how you¡¯ll truly conquer the fear they bring.¡±


    ye ling stood there, at a loss for words. after a while, she slowly accepted the sack containing the non-venomous snake from auntie tan.


    the heavy sack occasionally gave off a struggling sensation. ye ling felt her heart race. after bidding farewell to auntie tan, she hastened her pace towards home.


    upon reaching the doorstep, the fragility she had suppressed earlier surged back. she even felt the impulse to toss the sack to the ground and run away.


    as she pushed open the courtyard gate, min nan, who was washing beans near the kitchen, noticed ye ling¡¯s return. just as he was about to say something, he saw ye ling holding a gunny sack in her hand.


    meanwhile, ye ling¡¯s expression was extremely pained, as if she was about to cry the next second.


    min nan quickly approached ye ling. ¡°what happened? what¡¯s that?¡±


    when ye ling saw min nan¡¯s concerned gaze, her strong and brave facade immediately shattered.


    she abruptly dropped the gunny sack and let out the tears she had been holding back for so long. ¡°it¡¯s a cauliflower snake..¡±

 Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Overcoming Fear

    chapter 88: overcoming fear


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    in the living room, the wan brothers heard ye ling¡¯s crying and rushed out.


    hearing that there was a snake in the sack, wan xue was momentarily stunned before asking, ¡°sister lingling, a couple of days ago you asked me about auntie tan¡¯s whereabouts. did you buy this snake from her or did she give it to you?¡±


    ye ling wiped her tears and stuttered, ¡°i caught it¡­¡±


    the courtyard fell into a deep silence.


    after a moment, wan feng¡¯s voice was dry as he asked, ¡°lingling, what did you say? you caught it?¡±


    while wan feng wasn¡¯t particularly afraid of snakes, he certainly wouldn¡¯t dare to catch one himself. for ye ling, a delicate city girl, to have caught a snake herself was unbelievable.


    min nan¡¯s shock was even more profound.


    he knew just how afraid ye ling was of snakes. so why did she suddenly decide to catch one?


    seeing ye ling still crying, min nan felt both anxious and heartbroken. he hurriedly told wan hai, ¡°take that sack away.¡±


    wan hai had no choice but to gather his courage and take up the sack containing the snake, throwing it into a corner of the courtyard.


    ¡°alright, it¡¯s fine now. wan hai has thrown that sack far away. don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡± min nan tried his best to comfort ye ling in a gentle tone.


    ye ling wiped her tears and looked at the sack. after a moment of hesitation, she hoarsely said, ¡°i¡¯m not scared. i also don¡¯t know what came over me¡­¡±


    ¡°okay, if you¡¯re not scared, then you¡¯re not scared. go inside and rest for a while. i¡¯ll prepare dinner. are braised beans acceptable? i know how to make this dish,¡± min nan spoke softly as if coaxing a child.


    ye ling shook her head. ¡°no, auntie tan wants me to eat snake meat tonight.¡± the room fell silent once more.


    after a long while, wan feng¡¯s voice trembled as he said, ¡°lingling, i think you¡¯re on your way to becoming the second auntie tan in our village. you¡¯re too terrifying.¡±


    wan hai managed a stiff smile too, then turned to min nan, saying, ¡°well then,


    min nan, go deal with that snake.¡±


    min nan glanced at ye ling a few times to make sure she had calmed down before saying, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go deal with it. you go rest inside for a bit.¡±


    that night, after min nan finished preparing the snake meat, ye ling went to the kitchen and turned the snake meat into a dish. looking at the plate emitting a rich aroma, ye ling finally felt that she was no longer afraid of snakes.


    this feeling, this experience, was extraordinary.


    at dinner, wan hai and wan feng watched ye ling calmly eat a piece of snake meat. they exchanged glances and saw fear and disbelief in each other¡¯s eyes.


    was this a woman? this was too frightening!


    ¡°sister lingling, weren¡¯t you scared of snakes?¡± wan xue whispered.


    ye ling nodded. ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°then why did you learn how to catch snakes from auntie tan?¡± wan xue was thoroughly puzzled.


    ye ling didn¡¯t know how to explain, so she could only put on a serious expression and say, ¡°i just wanted to overcome myself!¡±


    at this moment, the others¡¯ feelings toward ye ling were similar to those auntie tan had initially held.


    was this girl¡¯s mind alright?


    min nan ate the snake meat in silence, occasionally glancing at ye ling.


    after dinner, wan hai went to wash the dishes. ye ling heated water for a bath before going to sleep. as she was about to carry the basin to the backyard, she saw min nan walking over, his gaze profound as he looked at her.


    ye ling paused. ¡°big brother min nan, is there something you want to talk about?¡±


    min nan remained silent for a moment, then finally asked, ¡°why are you forcing yourself to do things you don¡¯t want to do?¡±


    in an instant, ye ling understood what min nan wanted to ask. she blinked, then relaxed into a smile. ¡°there are some things that people just have to do.¡± though ye ling¡¯s smile was carefree, min nan felt a weight settle in his heart.


    he realized that he didn¡¯t truly understand ye ling.


    he had always thought of ye ling as a delicate and adorable flower.


    however, min nan would rather have ye ling be that delicate flower. he didn¡¯t want her to bear the things she feared and worried about. he wanted to see her face life happily and easily, and he would do his best to shield her from storms, protect her innocence, and provide her with a sense of security.


    but now, it seemed that ye ling had never thought of relying on him, or anyone else for that matter.


    ¡°ye ling, what stories do you have that i¡¯m unaware of?¡± min nan thought.


    as he watched ye ling¡¯s figure gradually fade away, min nan¡¯s eyes grew deep and his expression became melancholic.


    after her shower, ye ling lay on the bed and slept soundly, not even dreaming.


    the next day, ye ling woke up refreshed. she picked up the little basket from the corner of the room and headed up the mountain to collect herbs..

 Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: Pregnant

    chapter 89: pregnant


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the air in the forest was very fresh in the early morning, occasionally accompanied by the sound of a bird¡¯s chirp.


    after ye ling had climbed up the mountain, she was uncertain about which direction to take.


    originally, she had planned to wander around, hoping to find some rare herbs.


    however, when ye ling reached halfway up the mountain, a strange feeling suddenly emerged within her, it was as if an unseen force was gently guiding her, urging her to head westward.


    could it be a sign of the small world? ye ling quickly entertained this thought.


    after a moment¡¯s hesitation, and after confirming that there were no dangerous animals nearby, ye ling followed her inner intuition and began walking towards the western part of the forest.


    around twenty minutes later, ye ling¡¯s peculiar sensation grew stronger. simultaneously, the path she was on became more difficult to navigate. this region was quite remote, and very few people ventured here. ye ling pushed through dense undergrowth and branches. some plants had small thorns on their stems, frequently snagging her clothes.


    ye ling wiped the sweat off her forehead and continued to move forward with difficulty.


    after overcoming her fear of snakes, ye ling became much bolder. even ordinary hunters didn¡¯t dare to enter the depths of the forest for fear of encountering ferocious wild beasts, poisonous insects, or snakes, but ye ling didn¡¯t panic at all.


    she had already prepared several types of antidote pills, kept close in the inner pockets of her garments. even if she accidentally got bitten by a venomous creature, she could temporarily suppress the poison and then treat herself within the confines of the small world.


    the antidote pills, derived from herbs within the small world, were five to six times more effective than ordinary ones. moreover, the stream water within the small world possessed the mystical ability to detoxify and cleanse the body of impurities. this was why ye ling had the confidence to venture into the mountains alone.


    continuing with difficulty for another five to six minutes, ye ling¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. she noticed a cluster of plants not far away.


    it was silverleaf grass!


    according to the records in the ¡°ye family¡¯s medical code¡±, this was an extremely rare plant. its growth requirements were highly demanding. its leaves possessed hemostatic and detoxifying properties, while its roots could clear heat and dampness. it could also be combined with other herbs to create potent medicines. for individuals suffering from acute illnesses, it was akin to a life-saving treasure during critical moments.


    ye ling squatted down cautiously, retrieving a small shovel from her basket. she carefully excavated the soil surrounding the silverleaf grass.


    if not for the small world, ye ling would never have dared to undertake such an action. the survival rate of transplanted silverleaf grass was incredibly low due to its challenging growth conditions.


    carefully uprooting the silverleaf grass, ye ling¡¯s resolve didn¡¯t waver. without hesitation, she transported the plant into the small world and transplanted it into an empty herbal field.


    this herbal field was designated explicitly by ye ling for cultivating rare herbs. before this, she had diligently tilled the soil, removing any stones, and ensuring optimal conditions for plant growth.


    having successfully transplanted the silverleaf grass, ye ling felt satisfied. after assessing the growth of other herbs, she left the small world.


    descending the mountain was much quicker than ascending. along the way, ye ling collected numerous ripe wild red berries, stuffing her basket to capacity.


    ten minutes later, ye ling could already see the narrow mountain path. she intended to quicken her pace to return and prepare lunch when she suddenly heard an unfamiliar sound in the distance.


    ye ling paused for a moment, instinctively slowing her steps.


    initially, she hadn¡¯t intended to intrude on anyone¡¯s privacy and had planned to leave immediately. however, she quickly realized that the source of the sound was directly in her path down the mountain, rendering it impossible to avoid.


    ye ling hesitated for a moment before deciding to wait until the people ahead had moved on before proceeding.


    with this in mind, ye ling aimed to find a secluded hiding spot, anticipating any potential trouble if discovered.


    after taking a couple of steps, ye ling crouched behind a low shrub.


    however, to her bewilderment, ye ling found herself even closer to the individuals in front of her. she could practically hear their conversation.


    initially, the woman¡¯s breath was soft, but it gradually grew more fervent. in a matter of moments, the air was thick with an atmosphere of desire.


    feeling awkward, ye ling released her basket and raised a hand to cover her ears.


    before she could fully cover her ears, she overheard the woman¡¯s exasperated voice again. ¡°be gentle. i¡¯m nearly five months pregnant!¡±


    ye ling was taken aback.. the woman was five months pregnant? then why would she choose to engage in such activity in this location?

 Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Cheating

    chapter 90: cheating


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    just as ye ling was feeling a bit dazed, she heard the slightly husky voice of the man again, ¡°is the child mine? you¡¯re not fooling me, right? it¡¯s not that fool¡¯s, is it?¡±


    the woman responded in a coquettish tone, ¡°during the time he was in the county for medical treatment, i was with you for consecutive three days. how could the child not be yours? if you doubt me, then don¡¯t ever come looking for me again!¡±


    ¡°good sister, i was wrong. i didn¡¯t doubt you. i was just so surprised,¡± the man said, followed by more intimate sounds.


    ye ling was left in shock. had she stumbled upon an affair in progress?


    were the consequences of having one¡¯s good luck stolen this dire? she couldn¡¯t believe she ended up witnessing an illicit affair while out collecting herbs.


    feeling utterly helpless, ye ling found the behavior of the man and woman repulsive. after hesitating for a moment, she remained squatting on the ground, motionless.


    though ye ling possessed a strong sense of justice, she also knew that many things were beyond her control. upholding justice often depended on the right timing.


    if she were to confront these two cheaters and expose their affair, they might resort to violence to silence her. having recently faced a life-and-death situation, ye ling had no desire to take such risks again.


    originally, she had thought to cover her ears and avoid listening to the disgusting noises, but upon learning about the affair, she endured the revulsion and continued to listen.


    if she could somehow learn their identities, perhaps she could help the husband who was being deceived by his wife.


    however, to ye ling¡¯s dismay, their conversation failed to reveal their identities.


    after about thirty minutes, the woman weakly said, ¡°i don¡¯t have the energy anymore. let¡¯s end it here for today. when will you come to see me next?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll come whenever i miss you, ¡± the man replied, his voice carrying a deep affection.


    ¡°who are you kidding? you¡¯re always like this, appearing and disappearing suddenly. can¡¯t you take me away with you? i used to never ask that of you, but now that i¡¯m carrying your child, are you really that indifferent?¡± the woman¡¯s tone dripped with anger and accusation.


    after a brief silence, the man said, ¡°i can¡¯t take you away now. can you wait a little longer? how could i not care about you and the child? i want both of you. but it¡¯s not the right time now. give me some time. besides, that fool doesn¡¯t even know the child isn¡¯t his. you just need to take good care of yourself and the child during this time.¡±


    the woman grumbled a bit more but eventually fell silent.


    once the two had left, ye ling stood up from her hiding spot behind the bushes.


    having squatted for too long, her legs felt somewhat numb. she stamped her feet a bit to regain sensation and lifted her basket, all the while analyzing their conversation in her mind.


    from the snippets of information, she gathered from their dialogue, the man was not a local. he visited occasionally to rendezvous with the woman.


    the woman seemed to be from willow village, and she was five months pregnant. her identity should be relatively easy to ascertain.


    ye ling also recalled the man¡¯s repeated use of the term ¡°fool¡± when referring to the woman¡¯s husband.


    was this term meant as an insult? or did it imply that the woman¡¯s husband was indeed somewhat simple-minded?


    pondering this, ye ling continued her descent down the mountain.


    at noon, ye ling prepared lunch. during the meal, she casually asked, ¡°are there any intellectually challenged individuals in our village?¡±


    the actions of wan hai and the others briefly paused.


    ¡°lingling, did you hear something from the village kids?¡± wan feng looked at ye ling and inquired. ¡°uncle hu did suffer from a fever when he was young, damaging his brain. but he¡¯s a good person. by the way, lingling, aren¡¯t you a doctor? could you take a look at uncle hu ts condition?¡±


    uncle hu? ye ling wasn¡¯t certain whether the person wan feng mentioned was the husband of the woman.


    after a moment of hesitation, ye ling replied, ¡°i¡¯m not sure, but i can certainly take a look.¡±


    thinking that visiting uncle hu¡¯s house might provide a chance to confirm the facts, ye ling pondered the situation.


    upon hearing this, wan feng slammed the table in excitement. ¡°great, let¡¯s go visit uncle hu in a couple of days. if we can treat his condition, that would be amazing! ¡±


    min nan quietly ate his meal, occasionally casting subtle glances at ye ling.


    although the conversation between ye ling and wan feng had seemed unremarkable, min nan couldn¡¯t shake an odd feeling.


    however, he considered that he might be overthinking things due to the impact of yesterday¡¯s incident. he worried that ye ling would embark on another risky endeavor alone. when he thought about how ye ling, who was so afraid of snakes, actually went to catch snakes, min nan¡¯s heart twisted into a ball. her heart ached, but at the same time, he did not understand..

 Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: Treat

    chapter 91: treat


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    after dinner, min nan took the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them. ye ling was about to go back to her room to rest when she suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.


    ye ling was about to open the door when wan hai, who was about to leave, opened the door.


    wan hai looked at the petite girl with delicate features standing outside the door and was momentarily surprised. ¡°who are you looking for?¡±


    yu huan didn¡¯t look at wan hai. she tilted her head and looked into the courtyard. ¡°i¡¯m looking for ye ling.¡±


    ¡°big brother, this is yu huan, my friend,¡± ye ling walked over and introduced them.


    wan hai smiled warmly and was about to extend his hand to greet ye ling¡¯s friend when yu huan walked past him without even acknowledging him.


    wan hai¡¯s outstretched hand hung in the air. ye ling felt a bit awkward and quickly came up with an excuse for yu huan. ¡°my friend is a bit reserved.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine. you guys chat, i need to head to work.¡± wan hai retracted his hand and smiled graciously.


    after wan hai left, ye ling returned to the living room and poured a glass of water for yu huan. she asked, ¡°what brought you here all of a sudden?¡±


    yu huan grinned, revealing her neat, white teeth. ¡°i found your health exercises effective! i used to have trouble sleeping at night, sometimes not falling asleep until the middle of the night. but after doing your health exercises, i¡¯d fall asleep within minutes. it¡¯s amazing!¡±


    ye ling also took a seat and replied happily, ¡°i¡¯m glad they¡¯re working. with the exercises and medication, your health should improve within a year.¡±


    yu huan leaned closer, her hand grabbing ye ling¡¯s arm. ¡°you¡¯re a lifesaver. thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not that dramatic.¡± ye ling smiled. ¡°you were just a bit physically weak before, not in any life-threatening danger.¡±


    ¡°i had such a weak constitution. if i hadn¡¯t met you, i might have died in my thirties. now that you¡¯ve helped me improve my health, i can live many more years.¡± yu huan mischievously blinked her eyes.


    after a moment, she shifted to the reason she came to see ye ling today. ¡°by the way, i came to invite you for a meal. do you have time?¡±


    treating someone to a meal was a common way of expressing gratitude in this era. ye ling understood that yu huan genuinely wanted to show her appreciation, so she didn¡¯t intend to decline. she nodded and agreed, ¡°sure.¡±


    ¡°great, let¡¯s do it tomorrow. we¡¯ll head to the nearby chen county. i¡¯ll cover the transportation costs, we¡¯ll go in the morning and be back by night.¡±


    ye ling hesitated for a moment upon hearing the destination. ¡°do we need to go so far?¡±


    ¡°the salted chicken in chen county is delicious. since i¡¯m treating my benefactor, i can¡¯t be stingy. plus, chen county has a famous fabric market. i can also get you a few clothes¡­¡± yu huan¡¯s voice was cheerful.


    ye ling quickly interrupted her, ¡°hold on, do you need to buy me clothes? i understand your gratitude, so clothes aren¡¯t necessary. i agree to join you for a meal in chen county. let¡¯s meet by the bridge tomorrow.¡±


    after finalizing the plan, yu huan prepared to leave. ye ling walked her to the door. yu huan¡¯s gaze fell upon min nan, who was organizing the kitchen cabinets, and she whispered to ye ling, ¡°be cautious around that guy. he was glancing at you several times, acting suspicious. he¡¯s up to no good.¡±


    ye ling was taken aback. had min nan been looking at her? why didn¡¯t she notice it?


    even if min nan had been looking at her, was there anything wrong? after all, this was the first time min nan had seen her friend, so being surprised and curious was quite natural.


    ¡°you¡¯re overthinking it. big brother min nan treats me very well.¡± ye ling


    smiled, trying to reassure yu huan.


    yu huan rolled her eyes. ¡°you¡¯re so attractive. of course, guys would treat you well. but they usually have ulterior motives. don¡¯t let them deceive you!¡±


    ye ling felt that yu huan had a negative view of all men, but she understood that yu huan was looking out for her. so, ye ling responded, ¡°alright, i understand. i¡¯ll be careful. thank you for the warning.¡±


    yu huan nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°okay, see you tomorrow. i¡¯m heading out now.¡±


    after yu huan left, min nan emerged from the kitchen. he looked at ye ling and asked, ¡°are you going out with your friend tomorrow?¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t hide the fact that he had overheard their conversation. the house wasn¡¯t that big, so it was natural to overhear things..

 Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Chen County

    chapter 92: chen county


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling nodded and asked, ¡°do you know chen county? yu huan said the salted chicken in chen county is very delicious.¡±


    ¡°yes, it¡¯s a famous local specialty in our province,¡± min nan replied absentmindedly. after hesitating for a while, min nan couldn¡¯t help but express her concern, ¡°you two girls are going so far, would it be safe?¡±


    in the past, ye ling might have hesitated to travel to such a distant place. however, she had developed some self-defense skills and realized that she couldn¡¯t always rely on min nan for protection. she needed to become more independent.


    ye ling gave a faint smile and said, ¡°it¡¯s alright, big brother min nan. we¡¯ll be cautious, and traveling together should be safer. we¡¯ll try to stay in crowded places.¡±


    min nan pursed his lips, wanting to say more but eventually nodded. ¡°okay, then just be careful.¡±


    the next day, ye ling woke up early, cooked millet pumpkin porridge for the family, and fried coarse grain bread. after breakfast, she took two extra coarse-grain bread as snacks for the journey.


    ¡°just wait a moment.¡± just as ye ling was about to leave, min nan suddenly called her back.


    ye ling turned to look at min nan, puzzled, ¡°big brother min nan, is there something else?¡±


    min nan raised his hand and said, ¡°take this with you.¡±


    ye ling saw a delicate silver whistle in min nan¡¯s palm. the whistle shimmered brightly and looked quite exquisite.


    ¡°what¡¯s this?¡± ye ling hesitated, wondering why min nan was giving her a whistle.


    ¡°in case you encounter any emergencies, blow this whistle with force. it might be of help,¡± min nan said calmly.


    after saying that, min nan felt like he was jinxing ye ling, so he quickly clarified, ¡°i mean, just in case. it¡¯s always good to have an extra layer of security when you¡¯re out.¡±


    ye ling looked at min nan in surprise, realizing that min nan was genuinely concerned about her safety.


    ye ling felt a strange emotion in her heart. after a moment of silence, she accepted the silver whistle from min nan with a bright smile. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll take this whistle with me. thank you for caring so much, big brother min nan.


    don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be back tonight.¡±


    seeing ye ling accepting the whistle, min nan felt relieved.


    after learning that ye ling was going to chen county with her friend, min nan hadn¡¯t slept well that night. although he wasn¡¯t usually overly cautious, the recent accidents involving ye ling had left her somewhat anxious.


    as a grown man, min nan couldn¡¯t accompany two girls on their trip. after some thought, he retrieved the silver whistle from his belongings.


    this silver whistle was something min nan¡¯s mother had left him. min nan used to enjoy playing with it as a child. however, as he grew older, it didn¡¯t seem fitting for a burly man to play with a whistle all the time, so he put it away.


    now, it seemed that the whistle could serve a purpose.


    min nan opened the courtyard gate and saw ye ling off for a bit. then, he said,


    ¡°i¡¯ll come to pick you up at the bridge later.¡±


    after bidding farewell to min nan, ye ling met up with yu huan. the two of them walked to a wide road outside the town and got onto a truck carrying several passengers.


    during the journey, they changed vehicles twice and finally arrived at chen county around noon.


    chen county was a small county. although it was more bustling than a small town, the buildings on the roadside appeared somewhat aged. pedestrians wore simple clothes, quite different from the fashionable attire seen in shanghai.


    yu huan led ye ling to a somewhat run-down shop. a few locals were sitting inside, and the shop owner and his wife stood by a steaming pot, fishing out whole chickens from the boiling water.


    yu huan found seats and sat down. she loudly called out, ¡°boss, three portions of salted chicken!¡±


    ye ling was taken aback. ¡°three portions? we can¡¯t finish them, can we?¡±


    yu huan nodded. ¡°of course we can¡¯t. we¡¯ll eat one, and you can take the other two back for those people to enjoy.¡±


    ye ling quickly understood that by ¡°those people¡±, yu huan meant the three wan brothers and min nan.


    ye ling was staying at the wan family¡¯s residence, so bringing back some food would be appropriate after their outing.


    although yu huan didn¡¯t have a positive opinion about men, she had considerately thought about ye ling¡¯s situation. this touched ye ling deeply..

 Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Author

    chapter 93: author


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling felt a bit embarrassed to let yu huan pay, so she said, ¡°i¡¯ll buy those two chickens myself.¡±


    yu huan stopped ye ling, who was about to get up and pay and pouted. ¡°what? are you underestimating my financial strength? i haven¡¯t even paid the consultation fee for you to treat my body. keep your wallet well today and don¡¯t worry about anything.¡±


    yu huan¡¯s tone was confident, and ye ling didn¡¯t insist any further. they sat and waited for a while until the boss brought a plate of sliced salted chicken.


    yu huan pointed at the plate of salted chicken with her chopsticks and said, ¡°the reason why chen county¡¯s salted chicken is famous is because they use local chickens. while there are imitations in other places, they don¡¯t use chickens raised in chen county, so the taste isn¡¯t authentic.¡±


    the boss, who hadn¡¯t gone far, heard yu huan¡¯s words and turned to them with a smile. ¡°young girl, you know a lot. do you know why the chickens in chen county are different from those in other places?¡±


    yu huan put down her chopsticks, placed her hands on her hids, and with a hint of pride, said she wasn¡¯t stumped by the boss¡¯s question.


    ¡°because the chickens in chen county like to eat a special kind of millet that¡¯s rare elsewhere. i checked some information, and a few hundred years ago, chen county often suffered from famines. ordinary grains were susceptible to bad weather, so the county magistrate encouraged farmers to grow a type of unappetizing millet. though unpalatable, this millet was hardy and could survive.¡±


    the boss looked surprised at yu huan¡¯s knowledge. he nodded and said, ¡°that¡¯s true. later, although famines were rare, planting this millet became a local habit. since the millet was unappetizing for people, it was used to feed the chickens. who would have thought that the chickens raised on this millet would be exceptionally tender and flavorful? that¡¯s why chen county¡¯s chickens are famous.¡±


    ye ling listened to their conversation and learned something new. she picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of the salted chicken, and indeed found the meat to be tender and fragrant.


    the boss went back to serving other customers. as ye ling enjoyed the tasty salted chicken, she looked at yu huan curiously. ¡°how do you know so much?¡±


    yu huan continued eating, answering, ¡°how can a local literature writer not imow about the events on the land?¡±


    ye ling was momentarily surprised. a local literature writer?


    seeing her puzzled expression, yu huan explained, ¡°oh, i forgot to tell you. i¡¯m a writer. ¡±


    ye ling¡¯s eyes lit up, and she praised, ¡°impressive!¡±


    yu huan grinned, ¡°not really, i don¡¯t have any major works or fame yet, but that¡¯s temporary. you should know that good works require time to mature. we can¡¯t rush it.¡±


    ye ling wasn¡¯t well-versed in literature, but her mother, ye zhen, enjoyed reading. she remembered her mother¡¯s room with two tall bookshelves full of various books. among them were even some rare ancient texts.


    after her mother passed away, her father, fang ke, sold all the books, and the bookshelves were dismantled.


    thinking of this, ye ling¡¯s expression dimmed a little.


    after finishing their meal, ye ling and yu huan were extremely full. yu huan wiped her mouth contentedly. ¡°salted chicken is delicious, but it tastes even better when shared with a good friend.¡± ye ling savored yu huan¡¯s words.


    friend, it truly was a wonderful term.


    yu huan initially wanted to go to the fabric market, but on the way, they heard that the market was undergoing government regulation, leading many fabric merchants to temporarily close.


    yu huan was a bit disappointed, ¡°then let¡¯s skip it and head home directly.¡±


    ye ling consoled her, ¡°next time we can go.¡±


    they retraced their steps, changed vehicles, and got off the main road near the town. after walking for over an hour, they could almost see the rooftops of willow village.


    panting, yu huan said, ¡°in the past, i used to go on the first day and return the next. today, i ended up walking twice on the mountain road! if it were the old me, i¡¯d have already collapsed from exhaustion. but now, i can persevere. it seems my body has truly become stronger.¡±


    ye ling wiped the sweat off her forehead and said, ¡°if you can go for a run every day, your health will improve.¡±


    as they were chatting, ye ling¡¯s voice suddenly vanished, and yu huan noticed


    ye ling¡¯s expression stiffen.. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±

 Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: Forest Farm

    chapter 94: forest farm


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    before yu huan could react, ye ling suddenly grabbed yu huan¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°run!¡±


    yu huan was taken aback. before she could ask, ye ling pulled her and they started running ahead.


    at the same time, voices suddenly emerged from both sides of the previously quiet road.


    ¡°they¡¯ve run away, catch up quickly!¡±


    only then did yu huan realize that someone had been hiding on both sides of the road, spying on them.


    ¡®who are those people? perverts? bandits?¡± yu huan asked in an anxious tone.


    ye ling frowned, feeling deeply perplexed.


    she had suddenly become aware that something was amiss, probably a result of the aftermath of lin fang¡¯s attack. ye ling seemed to have developed a heightened sense of danger.


    after realizing that things were off, ye ling carefully identified the surroundings and noticed a faint, unpleasant sweat odor in the air.


    undoubtedly, it wasn¡¯t their scents. this meant that there were other people hiding in the vicinity!


    as yu huan and ye ling continued running, they could see several men behind them. a glance by ye ling made some of them seem vaguely familiar.


    they were wang gang¡¯s men!


    ye ling clenched her teeth and said to yu huan, who was slowing down, ¡°i¡¯ll stop them. you go and get help!¡±


    ¡°are you out of your mind? how can you, a young girl, stop those bandits?¡± yu huan was surprised.


    yu huan didn¡¯t know who these people were, so she labeled them as bandits.


    in broad daylight, these people were hiding and spying on two girls. a single glance revealed they were not up to any good!


    ¡°i have a plan, now go!¡± ye ling urged with a sense of urgency.


    yu huan¡¯s physical condition wasn¡¯t great. if they both ran together, they¡¯d inevitably be caught by those people.


    those people were after ye ling. she didn¡¯t want to involve yu huan, and she had some self-defense skills. sending yu huan for help was the best course of action.


    ye ling¡¯s tone was determined, and after a moment of hesitation, yu huan gritted her teeth and agreed, ¡°alright, wait for me!¡±


    ye ling abruptly stopped, turned to face the group of people behind her, and held a vial of powder that she had already taken out.


    meanwhile, yu huan continued running forward, her breathing ragged.


    ye ling coldly confronted the men before her, sneering, ¡°a bunch of men bullying two girls. you guys have no shame.¡±


    one man at the front seemed ashamed by ye ling¡¯s words and awkwardly spoke, ¡°we have no choice. min nan is protecting you, and we can¡¯t find an opportunity. young girl, our boss likes you. just come with us. we promise not to harm you.¡±


    ye ling felt nauseated and disgusted. how could wang gang, that despicable man, still be pursuing her?


    ye ling twisted her wrist and, not wanting to waste time, prepared to throw the vial containing poisonous powder. but just then, a cry of ¡°ouch!¡± came from not far behind her.


    it turned out that yu huan had tripped over a stone while running.


    ye ling hesitated for a moment before her heart sank.


    the person who had gone to catch yu huan slung her over his shoulder and returned. he said to the man in front, ¡°brother ding, this is a buy one get one


    free deal.¡±


    the man named brother ding nodded. ¡°let¡¯s bring them back together. we¡¯ll see how the boss arranges this.¡±


    a few men attempted to approach ye ling, but she grimaced. ¡°don¡¯t touch me, i¡¯ll walk on my own!¡±


    at the moment yu huan tripped, ye ling had already thought of several plans, but ultimately decided to give up resisting.


    the group was scattered and numerous. even if she initiated an attack, the potions wouldn¡¯t affect them all. furthermore, with yu huan¡¯s leg injured, even if she could escape, yu huan wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    the group was after her. if they caught her, they probably wouldn¡¯t harm yu huan. but if she managed to flee, they¡¯d be concerned she¡¯d report to the police, and they might resort to something terrible against yu huan.


    after careful consideration, ye ling decided to temporarily abandon resistance and conserve her strength.


    if she and yu huan didn¡¯t return on time, min nan would undoubtedly notice soon. he might even link this situation to wang gang.


    ye ling sighed inwardly, feeling extremely unlucky.


    if she could get through this crisis, she vowed to uncover the person who had stolen her luck!


    the group of people wang gang had sent took ye ling and yu huan along a side path up the mountain. by the time they reached the forest farm, the sky had already darkened.


    ye ling saw a row of red brick houses on the mountainside. there was also a tall wooden watchtower beside them, and a red flag was planted in the open space in front of the red brick houses..

 Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Breaking the Law

    chapter 95: breaking the law


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    a group of people brought ye ling and yu huan to the forest farm and temporarily locked them in a warehouse used to store miscellaneous items. then, they locked the metal door.


    ye ling walked over to yu huan and asked with concern, ¡°how are you feeling?


    does it still hurt? let me take a look.¡±


    after saying that, ye ling lifted yu huan¡¯s pants to examine her injuries.


    ¡°it¡¯s alright, just a scratch. i¡¯m not that fragile. oh, my back hurts even more. that darn guy carried me like a sack, and i was swaying like i was going to throw up. he reeked of sweat, i can¡¯t stand it!¡± yu huan complained with a disgusted expression.


    after venting, yu huan looked at ye ling, and her expression immediately turned gloomy. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. it¡¯s my fault. i¡¯m so clumsy. how could i fall while trying to escape?¡± yu huan said, hitting her leg in frustration.


    ye ling quickly grabbed yu huan¡¯s hand and reassured her, ¡°you can¡¯t blame yourself. those people came for me. i¡¯m the one who got you involved.¡±


    ¡°forget it. we¡¯re both victims here. let¡¯s not dwell on whose fault it is. it¡¯s all


    wang gang¡¯s fault! that guy is audacious. his actions will land him in trouble!¡± after arriving at the forest farm, yu huan had also figured out who had captured them. he spoke angrily.


    the two of them waited in the warehouse for over an hour when suddenly they heard footsteps approaching from outside.


    the metal door was opened, and ye ling saw wang gang¡¯s disgusting face. wang gang had probably just returned from the mountain. he was still wearing nis work c10tnes ancl rudder doots, wmcn were cakec1 witn mud.


    his oily skin combined with the dripping sweat made his face look like it was waxed, covered in an extremely uncomfortable layer of grease.


    upon seeing ye ling, wang gang¡¯s face broke into a creepy smile.


    wang gang¡¯s gaze was fixated on ye ling, and he had a lustful glint in his eyes. ¡°boss, what should we do with that girl?¡± a person behind wang gang asked.


    wang gang only noticed the girl next to ye ling at that moment. after assessing her briefly, he said disdainfully, ¡°lock her up for now. i¡¯m going to take a shower. you guys take ye ling to my room.¡±


    ¡°hey, brother wang, you¡¯re even taking a shower? afraid your lady won¡¯t like you?¡± some men beside wang gang teased.


    wang gang laughed smugly and playfully glared at the person teasing him.


    then he turned to ye ling and said, ¡°lingling, wait for me. i¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s expression darkened. yu huan, on the other hand, was fuming, and she scolded wang gang, ¡°wang gang, do you realize that what you¡¯re doing is illegal? ye ling is an educated young woman protected by the country¡¯s laws and policies. let us go now, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡±


    yu huan¡¯s family was well-off, so she couldn¡¯t help but flare up in such a situation. she didn¡¯t consider that they were currently in an extremely vulnerable position.


    upon hearing yu huan¡¯s words, wang gang¡¯s expression turned grim, and he sneered, ¡°oh, you¡¯re daring to threaten me? looks like you don¡¯t know whose territory you¡¯re in. coincidentally, the brothers on the mountain haven¡¯t had a woman in years¡­¡±


    realizing that something was amiss, ye ling immediately stood in front of yu huan and declared in a cold voice, ¡°you can¡¯t touch her. if you want anything, come through me!¡±


    for some reason, wang gang enjoyed seeing ye ling angry. his legs went weak at her glare, and he quickly put on a fawning smile. ¡°alright, alright, alright. i won¡¯t touch her. lingling, you see how well i treat you, right?¡±


    ye ling was seething, her chest heaving. she turned her head to the side, ignoring wang gang.


    wang gang continued to leer at ye ling for a while, then instructed his subordinates to take ye ling to his room and prepare food. soon, ye ling was escorted by two men to wang gang¡¯s room. before long, plates of food were brought in.


    perhaps because ye ling hadn¡¯t put up a strong resistance when she was captured, wang gang¡¯s subordinates weren¡¯t very cautious around her. they closed the door after serving the food, not bothering to keep an eye on her.


    seeing the door closed, ye ling¡¯s gaze turned icy and ruthless. she took out a vial of powder and quickly sprinkled it onto several dishes, using her chopsticks to stir it in.


    in less than ten minutes, the door was pushed open again. wang gang, now in clean clothes, walked in.


    ¡°lingling, why haven¡¯t you eaten? were you waiting for me?¡±


    wang gang had originally intended to sit opposite ye ling, but after a moment¡¯s thought, he walked towards her, apparently intending to sit beside her.


    ye ling shot wang gang a fierce glare.. ¡°stay away, just sit over there!¡±

 Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Disgusting

    chapter 96: disgusting


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    wang gang smiled awkwardly, and he didn¡¯t press on further. instead, he sat back across from ye ling.


    in wang gang¡¯s opinion, ye ling would become his woman today. to make things more harmonious in bed later, it was fine for him to go along with ye ling now.


    if he completely angered ye ling, he might have to resort to more forceful methods.


    unless he had no other choice, he didn¡¯t want to go to that step. that would be no fun at all.


    ¡°lingling, try this wild rabbit. the rabbits on the mountain are quite plump. you won¡¯t have a chance to taste such delicious rabbit meat back down the mountain. ¡± wang gang kindly picked up two pieces of rabbit meat and placed them in ye ling¡¯s bowl.


    ye ling paid no attention to the rabbit meat. instead, she used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of vegetable and put it in her mouth.


    ye ling¡¯s stubborn behavior made wang gang¡¯s itch to tease her even stronger. he had lost his appetite for food and his mind was filled with images of the two of them together in bed.


    ye ling had a couple of dishes that weren¡¯t seasoned with medicinal powder.


    then, she looked at wang gang and asked impatiently, ¡°are you eating or not?¡±


    wang gang hadn¡¯t expected ye ling to care about whether he was eating or not. he smiled ambiguously and responded, ¡°lingling, can¡¯t you wait?¡±


    rolling her eyes in response, ye ling showed her disdain.


    wang gang didn¡¯t mind ye ling¡¯s sour attitude. he picked up a piece of rabbit meat and took a bite. as he chewed, he said, ¡°lingling, i know you don¡¯t think much of me right now. you probably find min nan more attractive, right? but let me tell you, you can¡¯t just judge a man by his looks. you need to see if he¡¯s good in bed. that young min nan hasn¡¯t even fully matured. what does he imow? i¡¯m different. i¡¯m not just boasting, but with my skills, no woman who¡¯s experienced them has ever been unsatisfied¡­¡±


    wang gang clarified, ¡°of course, those were all women i¡¯d been with before i met you. don¡¯t worry, now that i have you, i won¡¯t even look at other women!¡±


    listening to this made ye ling feel nauseous, and she almost vomited the food she had just eaten.


    ¡°you¡¯ll forget all about min nan after tonight. i¡¯ll make you experience the greatest pleasure a woman can have¡­¡± wang gang continued boastfully.


    finally reaching her limit, ye ling slammed the table, exclaiming, ¡°are you done? can you please shut up and eat?¡±


    ¡°alright, alright, i won¡¯t say anything more,¡± wang gang quickly acquiesced.


    wang gang ate a couple more pieces of ribs. seeing that ye ling was only eating vegetables, he picked up two pieces of ribs and offered them to her, saying, ¡°lingling, try some ribs. they¡¯re tasty as well.¡±


    ¡°i follow a vegetarian diet due to my buddhist beliefs,¡± ye ling impatiently stated.


    wang gang smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°i didn¡¯t realize you were a buddhist¡­ do buddhists usually have such tempers?¡±


    after a two-second silence, wang gang put down his chopsticks and cautiously inquired, ¡°lingling, even though i don¡¯t have any fixation on virginity, i still want to ask if you and min nan have been intimate¡­¡±


    upon hearing this, ye ling finally lost her patience. she grabbed the glass next to her rice bowl and poured the white wine it contained onto wang gang¡¯s face.


    wang gang hadn¡¯t anticipated ye ling¡¯s fiery temper. he wiped his face with his hand, and when the white wine entered his eyes, they stung with pain.


    wang gang¡¯s anger began to smolder. he exclaimed in frustration, ¡°you must have slept with that brat, haven¡¯t you? how can such a young girl have such low self-respect and dignity? you¡¯ve slept with someone without even being engaged. do you realize you¡¯ve become damaged goods? if i didn¡¯t like you, who would want a used woman¡­¡±


    despite wang gang¡¯s experiences with numerous married women and his lack of concern for a woman¡¯s virginity, he felt irritated when he thought about ye ling, whom he valued highly, being with another man.


    wang gang had a glass of wine before dinner, and now that he was drunk and agitated, ne nad no patience to continue acting witn ye ling.


    he reached out and grabbed ye ling¡¯s arm, attempting to drag her towards the bed, saying, ¡°you¡¯ve already lost your innocence, so why are you pretending otherwise? let me warn you, i¡¯ve already given you a lot of leeway. don¡¯t test my patience!¡±


    wang gang¡¯s grip was strong, almost causing ye ling to lose her balance. she gritted her teeth and felt a growing sense of urgency.


    why hadn¡¯t the effects of the medicine kicked in yet?


    just as wang gang was about to pull ye ling onto the bed, he suddenly released his grip. he placed his hand against his temple, a pained expression crossing his face as his body began to sway slightly.


    ye ling¡¯s eyes lit up.


    the effects of the medicine were finally taking hold!


    ye ling was worried that wang gang would ask for help from the people outside after he reacted. she immediately grabbed the dirty rag stuffed in the wooden grid under the table and stuffed it into wang gang¡¯s mouth..

 Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: Coughing

    chapter 97: coughing


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    wang gang¡¯s eyes widened as he angrily reached out to grab ye ling. however, in his vision, ye ling¡¯s figure split into two, then four¡­ eventually, he blacked out.


    ye ling looked at wang gang, who was lying on the ground, and heaved a long sigh of relief. she kicked wang gang hard twice and then thought about how to leave this place.


    quietly, she cracked open wang gang¡¯s door and observed the situation outside.


    outside was a courtyard with a red flag. the row of houses opposite was still illuminated. occasionally, a few employees from the forest farm would emerge.


    it seemed that escaping right now wasn¡¯t possible, as it would surely arouse suspicion.


    however, what somewhat comforted ye ling was that no one seemed to notice what had occurred in wang gang¡¯s room.


    perhaps wang gang had warned these people, or maybe they couldn¡¯t fathom that the robust wang gang couldn¡¯t handle a slender, weak ye ling.


    ye ling shut the door and decided to wait until midnight.


    as night deepened, every second seemed unbearable to ye ling. being in the same room with the repugnant wang gang was a mental torment. she took wang gang¡¯s bedsheet and draped it over his bulky body to temporarily shield her from this repulsive man.


    after observing the outside situation for a while, ye ling hurriedly exited wang gang¡¯s room and ran to the warehouse where yu huan was held captive.


    ye ling wasn¡¯t sure if yu huan had been relocated elsewhere, so she had to lower her voice and press against the iron door, calling out, ¡°yu huan, yu


    huan¡­ ¡±


    in the warehouse, yu huan was dozing off. today, she had walked quite a distance and was also startled. exhaustion gripped both her body and mind. even though she was in a perilous environment, her sleepiness couldn¡¯t be restrained.


    in a daze, she heard someone calling her name. she rubbed her eyes and woke up, realizing that the voice was coming from outside the door.


    was it ye ling calling her?


    yu huan snapped to attention.


    she rapidly crawled behind the iron gate and exclaimed with excitement, ¡°ye


    ling, is that you? are you okay?¡±


    upon hearing yu huan¡¯s voice, ye ling let out a sigh of relief. ¡°i¡¯m fine. i managed to escape.¡±


    after uttering these words, she gazed at the locked iron door, her brows furrowing.


    the iron door was securely locked. what to do?


    yu huan, being perceptive, quickly grasped the situation. she fell silent for two seconds, then spoke rapidly, ¡°ye ling, you should go first. head downhill and find help.¡±


    ¡°but¡­¡± ye ling hesitated for a moment.


    tomorrow, the people at the forest farm would discover that something had happened to wang gang. if she escaped now, would these people possibly harm yu huan?


    sensing ye ling¡¯s dilemma, yu huan urged, ¡°you don¡¯t have the key. if you don¡¯t leave, it¡¯ll be problematic if someone finds out. don¡¯t waste time. hurry!¡±


    gritting her teeth, ye ling realized that there was no better option. she spoke resolutely, ¡°wait for me. i¡¯ll come back to rescue you!¡±


    a moment later, yu huan heard silence beyond the door and sighed in relief. she leaned against the iron door, her exhaustion evident. she murmured to herself, ¡°this experience is quite thrilling. it could be turned into material for a novel¡­¡±


    after leaving the forest farm, ye ling sprinted without stopping.


    she hadn¡¯t eaten anything at night, and now she was tired and hungry. but she didn¡¯t dare to halt. she feared that if she delayed, something might happen to


    yu huan.


    the night cast the woods in darkness. were it not for the moonlight, ye ling wouldn¡¯t have been able to make out the path.


    due to her haste, ye ling stumbled several times, injuring her knees.


    she was afraid that rushing too recklessly might cause even worse injuries, so she was forced to slow down. yet, her anxiety pushed her to run downhill as quickly as possible. this mixture of conflicting emotions made her feel like a taut string, her mood heavy and oppressed.


    just as ye ling was anxiously descending the mountain, she suddenly heard a faint cough.


    the sound sent shivers down her spine.


    in the dead of night, the abrupt coughing in the dark forest was nearly as terrifying as encountering a ghost.


    ye ling was almost too terrified to breathe or move.


    a moment later, she heard another cough. although it was suppressed, it was audible in the stillness of the environment.


    however, what surprised ye ling was that the person coughing seemed to be in pain.


    goosebumps covered ye ling¡¯s skin as she slowly retreated, preparing to turn around and escape in the opposite direction.


    just as ye ling was about to flee, she saw a figure rushing toward her.


    simultaneously, she caught a whiff of a strong smell of blood..

 Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: Mine

    chapter 98: mine


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling was startled and immediately dodged to the side, avoiding the attacker. the injured person fell to the ground, and ye ling felt a mixture of anger and fear. just as she was about to counterattack, she heard the person on the ground painfully cry out, ¡°help¡­¡±


    ye ling was left speechless. this person attacked her and was now asking for help. could there be someone so shameless?


    while ye ling was feeling a mix of anger and bewilderment, she suddenly noticed something unusual.


    a strong scent of blood reached her nose, and she paused for a moment. cautiously bending down, illuminated by the dim moonlight, she saw that the person on the ground was covered in blood. his clothes were stained dark as if he had come from a crime scene.


    an unsettling feeling crept over ye ling. suspicion and worry raced through her mind, and she instinctively took a step back, her intention to leave intensifying.


    the man on the ground struggled to turn his head, and upon seeing a young girl before him, a strange light flickered in his eyes. his voice, hoarse and strained, pleaded, ¡°miss, please, save us¡­ ¡±


    ye ling had initially thought this person was a threat, but upon hearing his plea, she hesitated. what did he mean by ¡°save us¡±?


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± ye ling asked her guard still up.


    the injured man slowly managed to get up. he raised his hand with difficulty and pointed towards a direction. his voice was labored as he spoke, ¡°there¡¯s a mine over there. it collapsed, and there are many people trapped underneath¡­¡±


    due to his extensive blood loss, his tone grew more tired and heavy, and his body seemed on the verge of collapse.


    ye ling blinked in confusion. a mine? weren¡¯t they on a forest farm? where did a mine come from?


    ye ling wasn¡¯t entirely convinced by the man¡¯s words. she pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°do you know wang gang?¡±


    upon hearing wang gang¡¯s name, the man¡¯s eyes ignited with a fiery hatred. his voice turned hoarse and furious as he uttered, ¡°that b*stard. if he hadn¡¯t refused to save us¡­¡±


    the man abruptly stopped speaking, his gaze growing cautious as he observed ye ling. ¡°are you wang gang¡¯s woman?¡±


    initially, the injured man attacked ye ling suspecting she was associated with wang gang from the forest farm. however, upon realizing ye ling was a woman, he temporarily dismissed this notion.


    yet, now he seemed to reconsider, pondering if ye ling was indeed wang gang¡¯s woman. was she planning a secret rendezvous with wang gang on the mountain? why else would a pretty girl be out on the mountain so late at night?


    ye ling had never been humiliated in such a manner. annoyed, she retorted, ¡°what¡¯s with that look? how could i have anything to do with wang gang? i was captured by him and brought up the mountain. i only just managed to escape. ¡±


    seeing the man¡¯s genuine animosity towards wang gang, ye ling decided not to withhold information. however, she was equally suspicious of him. her vigilance somewhat diminished.


    with the man now knowing she wasn¡¯t wang gang¡¯s lover, he sighed in relief. his guard dropped, and he slumped tiredly against a tree trunk.


    ye ling observed the man and, after a brief hesitation, said, ¡°wait here for a moment. ¡±


    ye ling walked several meters away and entered the small world.


    on a simple wooden table beside the small world¡¯s medicinal field lay various pre-made pills. ye ling selected two types and quickly returned to the real world.


    approaching the injured man, she handed him two pills. ¡°if you trust me, take these. otherwise, given your condition, you won¡¯t last more than two hours.¡±


    ye ling had deduced that while the man¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t fatal, he had lost too much blood and was in poor shape. so in the small world, she grabbed the most potent pills.


    the man examined the pill in his hand, then sniffed it, detecting a refreshing herbal aroma.


    after a brief hesitation, he took a deep breath and swallowed the pill.


    the herbs in the pill quickly took effect. the man felt a significant reduction in pain as if his exhausted body had been revitalized by rain, gradually regaining strength.


    ¡°thank you,¡± the man expressed his gratitude. ¡°this medicine is amazing!¡±


    ye ling skipped pleasantries and got straight to the point. ¡°explain the situation. i¡¯m pressed for time too and don¡¯t want to waste any.¡± the man coughed, composed his thoughts, and quickly summarized the events..

 Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: Descending the Mountain

    chapter 99: descending the mountain


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    it turned out that the man was a worker wang gang had hired from outside.


    in the forest farm, there were more than a dozen workers like the man.


    wang gang used the forest farm as a cover. after recruiting workers, he arranged for these workers to mine in the mountains behind the forest farm. after the mines were dug out, wang gang would then find a way to transport the minerals to other places to sell.


    ¡°we all suspected that wang gang was secretly mining, but everyone was short of money. wang gang paid us, so we pretended not to know. many of us thought about quitting after the new year. after all, this was a violation of national policy. if we were caught, we might even be executed. however, some wanted to continue working with wang gang because he paid well.¡±


    the man leaned against a tree trunk. while speaking, his tone held a hint of helplessness mixed with bitterness. after clearing his throat, he continued his narrative.


    however, what no one anticipated was that after a heavy rain, the mine tunnel collapsed.


    since the workers wang gang recruited for mining lacked professional imowledge, the mine tunnel that they had dug out already had many safety hazards. coupled with the overnight heavy rain, the existing problems of the mine tunnel became even more serious, ultimately leading to its collapse.


    ¡°even though the mine tunnel collapsed, the workers below were not immediately crushed to death. after all, there were still some support structures within the tunnel. however, some workers suffered severe injuries,¡± the man said, his eyes now tinged with a mixture of hatred and anger.


    ¡°but who could have imagined that wang gang, that b*stard, out of fear that the mining operation would be exposed, actually inspected the vicinity of the mine tunnel after the rain and didn¡¯t take any rescue action!¡± listening to the man¡¯s account, ye ling¡¯s mood gradually grew heavier.


    it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess wang gang¡¯s intentions.


    he probably knew that the workers below were still alive. yet, if he were to take rescue measures, there would be no way to cover up the incident. not to mention whether the surviving workers could be kept silent, there might even be those who would threaten him for compensation.


    if this matter escalated, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if wang gang couldn¡¯t continue as the forest farm manager, and his own life might be at stake.


    moreover, it was quite evident that wang gang wasn¡¯t a kind-hearted boss. therefore, he chose to completely ignore the workers trapped below, effectively leaving them to die slowly in the mine tunnel.


    ye ling recalled the sight of wang gang the day before, wearing his work clothes and his rubber boots still covered in wet mud.


    perhaps at that time, wang gang had just returned from the mine tunnel.


    after the man finished his story, he felt some strength returning to his body. he used his hands to support himself on the ground and made an effort to stand up.


    once the man stood up, he turned to ye ling and said, ¡°miss, thank you for saving me. i initially wanted to quickly descend the mountain, spread the word about this incident, and then find people to rescue those workers trapped under the mine. however, i was afraid that i would collapse on the way down. i never expected to run into you. i¡¯m truly fortunate. now, i feel like i can make it down the mountain. i won¡¯t detain you any longer. don¡¯t you have something urgent to attend to? where are you headed?¡±


    originally, the man had intended to seek help from ye ling. however, after she gave him the medicine and he felt his strength returning, he didn¡¯t want to impose further. he had decided to seek help on his own.


    ¡°i¡¯m also heading down the mountain,¡± ye ling replied calmly. ¡°my friend is still locked up in the warehouse at the forest farm by wang gang. let¡¯s go together.¡±


    the man¡¯s eyes lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically. ¡°alright, let¡¯s expose the vile deeds wang gang has done together!¡±


    guided by the dim moonlight, the two of them swiftly descended the mountain.


    when they reached the foot of the mountain, their view became clearer. ye ling noticed that the man was limping as he walked.


    ¡°your leg¡­¡± ye ling expressed her concern.


    the man smiled indifferently. ¡°it¡¯s fine. we manual laborers can handle a bit of pain. young girl, do you know where your village chief or village cadre lives?¡±


    ye ling pondered for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°i don¡¯t know either. come with me to my home. my family will know.¡±


    the man didn¡¯t object. along the path, they soon arrived at the wan family¡¯s doorstep.


    ye ling pushed open the courtyard gate, and she saw that the lights inside the house were on. she called out, ¡°i¡¯m back!¡±


    soon, wan xue rushed out of the house. the young boy¡¯s eyes were red from staying up late. when wan xue spotted ye ling, his eyes grew even redder, and he rushed over excitedly to hug her. ¡°sister lingling, where were you?¡±


    ye ling patted wan xue¡¯s head and inquired, ¡°where are your second brother and the others? what about min nan?¡±

 Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: Climbing the Mountain

    chapter 100: climbing the mountain


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi- bo studio


    ¡°second brother and third brother went to chen county to find out about you. brother min nan and dai wei searched around the village. brother min nan said that you might be on the mountain near the forest farm, so he went up the mountain with brother dai wei and two policemen.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± ye ling was stunned. ¡°when did they come up the mountain?¡± she asked hurriedly.


    ¡°about an hour ago.¡±


    ye ling didn¡¯t know what to say. she had missed out perfectly with min nan!


    if she had stayed in the forest, she would have met min nan and brought yu


    huan out.


    however, if she hadn¡¯t gone down the mountain, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have met the injured man.


    without her help, the other party probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold on for so long. at that time, no one would have known about the workers buried under the mine.


    ¡°wan xue.¡± ye ling said to wan xue in a serious tone, ¡°quickly bring us to the village chief. i have something very important to tell him.¡±


    wan xue had already noticed that there was a man covered in blood who entered with ye ling.


    wan xue was still a little afraid when he first saw the man, but he felt that since ye ling had brought him back, he shouldn¡¯t be a bad person.


    ten minutes later, wan xue brought ye ling and the man to the village chief¡¯s house.


    wan xue knocked hard on the door and woke up the village chief¡¯s family. ye ling asked the man to tell the village chief about the mine.


    the village chief¡¯s expression changed when he heard that. he looked at the man in shock. ¡°is what you said true?¡±


    the man was extremely anxious. ¡°what good will i get if i lie? can you quickly send someone to save the workers trapped in the mine? some of them were seriously injured and the situation was urgent!¡±


    ¡°wait a moment, let me think about it¡­¡± after hearing the man¡¯s words, the village chief did not immediately go to find someone to help. instead, he revealed a thoughtful and troubled expression.


    ye ling¡¯s heart sank. she immediately guessed the village chief¡¯s concerns.


    if this matter were to blow up in the end, the village cadre of willow village would have to bear the final responsibility.


    ye ling had heard that wang gang had a good relationship with many people in the production team. now, it seemed that these relationships were very likely maintained with money. those people might know that wang gang was secretly mining.


    if something happened to wang gang, those people would be affected.


    ye ling didn¡¯t know how close the village chief of willow village was to wang gang, but even if the village chief hadn¡¯t been bribed by wang gang, he was worried that his status would be affected if this matter blew up.


    ye ling took a deep breath and said softly, ¡°village chief, don¡¯t hesitate. that¡¯s more than ten lives. if you don¡¯t save them, you¡¯ll go to hell after you die.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s voice was cold and ethereal. in such a quiet night, it sounded like a ghost. when the village chief heard the words ¡°go to hell¡±, his pupils constricted, and the hesitation in his heart immediately disappeared by half.


    ¡°alright, alright, come with me. let¡¯s go find old zhao first. he used to dig tunnels with the county engineering team. he¡¯s considered a semi-professional.¡± the village chief put on a thin coat and said as he walked out.


    ye ling followed him and said in a serious tone, ¡°also, call the people from the health center over. those workers are seriously injured and need a lot of disinfectant and hemostatic drugs.¡±


    the village chief hurriedly nodded. ¡°yes. i¡¯m so anxious that i¡¯m confused. i¡¯ll get someone to look for the people from the health center now.¡± after the village chief called every one, the group prepared to go up the mountain.


    at this moment, the village chief inadvertently turned his head and saw that ye


    ling was still following behind the crowd. he could not help but reprimand,


    ¡°it¡¯s none of your business. why don¡¯t you go back? don¡¯t join in the fun!¡±


    ¡°village chief, i have something to tell you. come here for a moment.¡± ye ling¡¯s eyes flickered.


    the village chief had been sleeping well at night. after being woken up by wan xue and ye ling in the middle of the night, he heard about such a bad thing. now, he was very displeased with ye ling.


    initially, he did not want to hear what ye ling had to say, but when he saw the surrounding group of people looking at ye ling, he could not ignore the reports of the crowd as the village chief. he could only helplessly say, ¡°alright, you guys go up the mountain first. ye ling, come with me!¡±


    the two of them walked to the side of the path.


    the village chief looked at the group of people holding torches and asked absent-mindedly, ¡°what do you want? tell me quickly..¡±

 Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Threats

    chapter 101: threats


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling had already organized her words in her mind and calmly began, ¡°village chief, have you ever wondered why i would come to you with that worker who came out of the mine?¡±


    caught off guard by the shocking and confusing situation, the village chief hadn¡¯t considered this question. he looked at ye ling with suspicion and stammered, ¡°you¡­¡¯


    ye ling smiled faintly and continued, ¡°today, i went to chen county with a young female scholar from the village, yu huan. on our way back, we were captured by wang gang¡¯s men on the small road to the west of the village. they took us to the forest farm. i managed to escape and encountered the injured man on the way.¡±


    the village chief was completely astonished by all that had happened to ye


    ling. he opened his mouth to say something, but ye ling went on, ¡°so, village chief, you need to send someone to rescue yu huan. this matter must also be kept secret. ¡±


    ye ling¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t one of negotiation with the village chief. it was resolute.


    the village chief didn¡¯t seem pleased by this and waved his hand casually, saying, ¡°i will have them bring back the young female scholar. as for keeping it a secret, we will do our best.¡±


    ¡°we will do our best?¡± ye ling¡¯s gaze grew deeper.


    both she and yu huan were innocent unmarried young women. if the villagers found out that they had been forcibly taken to the forest farm by wang gang, who knows what kind of rumors would spread.


    ye ling wasn¡¯t afraid of being gossiped about, but yu huan hadn¡¯t experienced a rebirth after death. she didn¡¯t want to drag yu huan into this and subject her to rumors.


    as the village chief was about to leave, ye ling spoke coldly, ¡°village chief, i don¡¯t care how you handle the mine incident, but yu huan and i are educated youth here to support rural development. we were forcibly taken to the mountains in your jurisdiction. don¡¯t you think our rights have been violated? shouldn¡¯t i write a letter to the county government leaders and inform them of the significant security loopholes in this area?¡±


    ye ling¡¯s words brought the village chief to a sudden stop, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him from head to toe. he turned and spoke with a stiff tone, ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    ye ling smiled faintly and said, ¡°village chief, i¡¯m not threatening you. i¡¯m just discussing with you. as long as you keep our matter confidential, i won¡¯t cause any trouble for you.¡±


    ye ling looked calmly at the village chief and could see the panic and nervousness in his eyes.


    while the status of educated youth like her was not high in politics, they were talent resources relocated by the government. if something happened to educated youth, the government could intervene.


    once the willow village under the village chief¡¯s jurisdiction was defined as a ¡°chaotic region with worrisome public security,¡± he would undoubtedly be held responsible. the extent of his accountability was something only he knew better than ye ling.


    the village chief took a deep breath, dropping his dismissive attitude towards ye ling. he looked at her seriously and said, ¡°alright, i promise you that i won¡¯t disclose your encounter.¡±


    ye ling confirmed once again, ¡°village chief, you¡¯ll keep your word, right?¡±


    the village chief, no longer wanting to appear impatient, had no choice but to assure her, ¡°i am the village chief of willow village. i can handle such a small matter.¡±


    satisfied, ye ling nodded and said, ¡°okay, let¡¯s head up the mountain then.¡±


    ¡°do you still want to go up the mountain? you¡¯re just a young girl. you¡¯ve run so far today. how about going back and resting?¡± the village chief didn¡¯t want to see ye ling hanging around him anymore. he had lived for so many years and had never been threatened by a young girl before. the thought of it was embarrassing.


    ¡°it¡¯s alright, i¡¯m not tired. i have some knowledge in medical and health matters. it will take some time for the clinic staff to arrive, so after the workers are rescued, i can help with some basic wound treatment.¡± ye ling explained.


    ¡°are you sure you can handle it?¡± the village chief had just expressed his doubts but quickly shut his mouth, fearing that ye ling might threaten him again. he changed his tone and said, ¡°when it comes to matters of life and death, please don¡¯t take any risks. if you can help, help. if not, don¡¯t push yourself.¡±


    ye ling smiled gently and replied, ¡°i understand my limits. thank you, village chief. ¡±


    the village chief was somewhat intimidated by ye ling¡¯s gentle smile..

 Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: Scum

    chapter 102: scum


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ¡°subsequently, the two of them went up the mountain together. along the way, ye ling¡¯s legs were a bit sore, so she found a wooden root to support herself as they climbed the mountain.


    finally, they saw the faint lights of the forest farm, and the group of people quickened their pace.


    when they arrived at the open space in front of the forest farm¡¯s buildings, the village chief shouted loudly, ¡®where is wang gang? wang gang, come out!¡¯


    the door of a house opened, but the person who walked out wasn¡¯t wang gang; it was min nan and others.


    min nan was somewhat surprised when he saw the group of people in front of him. he furrowed his brows in confusion and was about to inquire when he noticed the petite and fragile figure behind the village chief.


    min nan paused for a moment and immediately took a few steps forward.


    the village chief thought that min nan was about to report the situation to him. he straightened his chest and prepared himself. however, he watched as min nan pushed past him, showing deep concern as he looked at ye ling. min nan¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse as he said, ¡®are you okay?¡¯


    ye ling looked at min nan¡¯s concerned and anxious expression and felt a bit apologetic. she said, ¡®i¡¯m sorry, big brother min nan. i made you worry again. i managed to escape from the forest farm in the middle of the night, so i missed you¡­¡¯


    ye ling briefly explained the situation in the mine and pointed to the group of people next to her, saying, ¡®these people were brought here by the village chief. the situation is urgent, so we need to rescue those workers quickly.¡¯


    min nan, upon learning about the mine incident, was surprised as well and angrily exclaimed, ¡®wang gang is too audacious. this is an antisocial act!¡¯


    during this era, the punishment for acts of betrayal and pursuing personal gain at the expense of the collective was severe. however, in the face of enormous profits, some were still willing to take risks.


    min nan¡¯s anger subsided, and he quickly realized that wang gang¡¯s ability to conceal the mine¡¯s situation likely involved the support and assistance of certain village officials.


    at that moment, min nan¡¯s mood became exceptionally heavy. he looked at dai wei, who shook his head slowly, cautioning him not to act rashly.


    as the saying went, the law wouldn¡¯t hold the masses collectively responsible. even if this incident were to escalate, it would likely result in wang gang facing the harshest punishment alone.


    dragging the entire village into this would bring no benefits whatsoever. the village chief might even protect the village officials who helped wang gang conceal the mine¡¯s existence.


    if min nan were to try and expose those village officials who assisted wang gang in hiding the truth, he would essentially be making enemies with the entire village leadership.


    under the village chief¡¯s command, the group of people began following the injured man¡¯s guidance, heading towards the direction of the mine.


    dai wei walked up to min nan and reiterated, ¡°don¡¯t worry too much about this matter.¡±


    min nan clenched his teeth, his tone a mixture of disappointment and anger, ¡°these so-called public servants are a disgrace!¡±


    ye ling¡¯s mood also grew heavy.


    she had originally thought that matters concerning the leadership were distant from her, but now it seemed that the actions of those in power directly affected the fate of the people. without those village officials who had lost their moral compass assisting wang gang, the mine would never have been allowed to operate.


    wang gang, as a mere forest farm manager, could not have wielded such authority and acted so high-handedly in the village.


    ye ling took a deep breath and asked min nan about another matter, ¡°big


    brother min nan, have you seen yu huan?¡±


    min nan snapped out of his deep thoughts, nodded, and pointed towards the forest farm office building where he and dai wei had come from, saying, ¡°after we arrived, we searched the entire forest farm and found yu huan. she¡¯s currently sleeping on the office desk.¡±


    ye ling breathed a sigh of relief.


    she also felt that it was quite audacious for min nan and dai wei to bring two police officers up the mountain. last time, there had been a clash between min nan and wang gang¡¯s men, and now he was on their turf. what if they sought revenge?


    perhaps sensing ye ling¡¯s concerns, min nan explained, ¡°don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no one in this forest farm who can harm me. i even taught those two police officers martial arts. if it comes to a fight, despite us being only four people, we might not necessarily lose.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s heart raced upon hearing this. why was min nan talking so lightly about fighting? fighting could result in injuries. couldn¡¯t he think more about his own safety?


    thinking about it, ye ling suddenly realized that min nan had come up the mountain because of her. if she hadn¡¯t gone missing, min nan would never have clashed with anvone.


    in an instant, ye ling felt a bit annoyed with herself.. why had she been causing trouble for min nan all along?

 Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Confidential

    chapter 103: confidential


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    min nan noticed that ye ling had lowered her head and appeared somewhat downcast, thinking he might have said something wrong. he felt uneasy and asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? are you too tired? how about coming into the office and resting for a while?¡±


    ye ling shook her head slowly, biting her lip, and said, ¡°big brother min nan,


    i¡¯m really a troublemaker. i always make you worry.¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t expect that what was bothering ye ling was this. he immediately replied, ¡°this is not your fault. every time, it¡¯s others trying to harm you. you¡¯re the victim, why should you blame yourself? you mustn¡¯t think that way. besides, you¡¯re quite capable. you managed to deal with wang gang and escaped from the forest farm all by yourself.¡±


    hearing min nan¡¯s words, dai wei, who was nearby, chimed in, ¡°yeah,


    lingling, how did you do it? wang gang is still unconscious!¡±


    ye ling knew that she couldn¡¯t hide the truth about the medicinal powder anymore and explained, ¡°after i was attacked last time, i was worried about encountering a dangerous situation again. so, i made some medicinal powder from various herbs. these powders have a paralyzing effect on muscles and nerves. before having a meal with wang gang, i secretly added them to the food. ¡±


    upon hearing ye ling¡¯s explanation, min nan¡¯s face darkened for a moment. he asked, ¡°did wang gang touch you?¡±


    ye ling hurriedly replied, ¡°no.¡±


    min nan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say something when ye ling looked in the direction where the village chief and others had left and said, ¡°big brother min nan, you and dai wei should stay here to take care of yu huan. i¡¯ll go check on the mine. the rescued workers are likely to be injured,


    hearing ye ling¡¯s words, min nan said, ¡°i¡¯ll go with you.¡± then he turned to advise dai wei, ¡°you stay here. if something has happened to wang gang, some people in the forest farm might exhibit abnormal behavior. be cautious.¡±


    wang gang wasn¡¯t the only one who knew about the mine. some people in the forest farm should know about it as well.


    when they saw the village chief and others arrive at the forest farm and then head towards the mine, they must have guessed something. they might be panicking, and there could be individuals who acted irrationally due to their emotional turmoil.


    dai wei nodded, saying, ¡°don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ye ling and min nan proceeded towards the mine together. along the way, ye ling couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°big brother min nan, how did you negotiate with the forest farm people?¡±


    min nan chuckled mockingly and replied, ¡°negotiate? we are police officers. would they dare to assault the police? besides, probably because of the mine and your situation, they were quite uneasy. they let us into the office right away, but they told us wang gang was resting. that was clearly an attempt to delay us. we were in a hurry to find you and yu huan, so we pressured them to take us to wang gang. that¡¯s when we found wang gang lying on the floor in his room, looking like he was about to die.¡±


    there were also two dusty footprints on his body. min nan did not mention this.


    at that time, when min nan saw the footprints on wang gang¡¯s body, he guessed they were left by ye ling. although he didn¡¯t know how ye ling had managed to escape, he believed that she was safe now.


    min nan felt much relieved and wondered if ye ling might be hiding elsewhere in the forest farm. he instructed dai wei and others to search the area and they found yu huan.


    from yu huan, min nan learned that ye ling had indeed escaped and reported the situation.


    hearing min nan¡¯s account, ye ling breathed a sigh of relief.


    fortunately, min nan didn¡¯t engage in a fight with the forest farm people.


    ye ling thought for a moment and added, ¡°by the way, big brother min nan, regarding the fact that yu huan and i were captured by the forest farm, please don¡¯t let dai wei and the others spread the word. i¡¯ve already spoken to the village chief about it, and he will do his best to keep it confidential for both me and yu huan.¡±


    min nan was a clever person and immediately understood what ye ling was concerned about.


    ye ling and yu huan were both unmarried young girls. if the villagers found out they had been captured by the forest farm, the gossiping villagers might create all sorts of stories.


    ¡°alright, don¡¯t worry. i will ensure that dai wei and the others keep it confidential.¡±


    as they were talking, they arrived near the mine entrance. the people brought by the village chief had already started surveying the situation inside the collapsed mine. with the guidance of the injured man, they quickly formulated a series of plans to enter the mine and rescue the trapped workers.


    while waiting for the rescue operation to begin, ye ling sat down and leaned against a tree trunk to rest.


    after a day of walking, her legs were almost numb, and she was relying solely on willpower to keep going.


    on the other side, min nan walked over to the village chief and patted him on the shoulder.


    the village chief turned to him, looking somewhat puzzled.


    min nan spoke softly, ¡°uncle dong, you know what to do about ye ling and yu huan¡¯s situation, right? it wouldn¡¯t be good if news of this incident involving educated youth in our village were to spread..¡±

 Chapter 104 - Chapter 104: Saving Someone

    chapter 104: saving someone


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ¡°the village chief was stunned for a moment, and it took him a few seconds to realize that min nan was implying something!


    to put it nicely, it was called implication, but to be blunt, wasn¡¯t this similar to what ye ling had told him? both were essentially threats, weren¡¯t they?


    the village chief was momentarily at a loss for words.


    had he, the village chief, failed so miserably that he was being threatened one after the other by these two youngsters? moreover, how did they manage to be so synchronized? wasn¡¯t one person¡¯s threat enough? did they need double insurance?


    seeing the village chief remaining silent, min nan thought the village chief might not fully grasp the importance of the matter and slightly raised his voice, saying, ¡°uncle dong¡­¡±


    the village chief, li dong, was extremely frustrated and impatiently replied, ¡°i get it, i get it! i don¡¯t want to be dismissed yet, you don¡¯t need to remind me anymore!¡±


    min nan finally put his mind at ease and left satisfied.


    min nan returned to ye ling¡¯s side and saw her massaging the outer side of her thigh. it was evident that ye ling must be very tired. her arm movements were feeble, indicating her fatigue.


    min nan asked with concern, ¡°is your leg hurting?¡±


    ye ling nodded, ¡°a little.¡±


    min nan looked at ye ling¡¯s leg and, after a moment, gently touched a certain spot, saying, ¡°massage here, it should feel better.¡±


    ye ling was momentarily surprised but followed min nan¡¯s advice and indeed felt somewhat relieved after massaging the spot.


    as the two rested and waited for the results of the rescue effort on the other side, after more than an hour, cries of alarm came from the direction of the mine.


    ¡°hurry up, hurry up, get the person out!¡±


    ¡°is this person alive or dead?¡±


    ¡°it seems like there¡¯s still some breath left! did someone from the clinic arrive?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s late at night, and the clinic staff have all gone home. the village chief has sent someone to notify them, but they haven¡¯t arrived yet.¡±


    ¡®what should we do? i don¡¯t think this person¡¯s condition looks good. we shouldn¡¯t wait until they die. if they die, it won¡¯t be our responsibility. after all, we¡¯ve already rescued the person.¡±


    ¡°after hearing the noisy discussions, ye ling immediately pressed her palm against the ground and managed to stand up with min nan¡¯s assistance. due to the intense soreness in her legs, as she stood up, her feet felt like they were stepping on cotton, and her body almost tilted over, nearly causing her to fall. min nan promptly caught her arm and said, ¡°be careful.¡±


    ¡°thank you, big brother min nan. i¡¯ll go over there to see what¡¯s happening,¡± ye ling expressed her gratitude and didn¡¯t waste any more time. she went with min nan to the side of the mine.


    one of the rescued workers was placed on the ground nearby. since no one present had medical expertise, no one dared to approach and check the worker¡¯s injuries.


    ye ling approached the worker, intending to lift their arm to examine their condition, when a man in his thirties shouted at her, ¡°where did this young girl come from? this person is severely injured. and might die soon. what are you doing here? is this a time for you to join the commotion? hurry up and chase her away!¡±


    ye ling was surprised that her attempt to help had led to being scolded. she was somewhat speechless and was about to say something when village chief li dong walked over and glared at the villager. he said, ¡°this is an educated youth from stone village, and she knows medicine. she came here late at night to help rescue people!¡±


    ye ling didn¡¯t expect the village chief to speak up for her after she had threatened him. she felt somewhat embarrassed for a moment.


    upon hearing the village chief¡¯s words, the man who had scolded ye ling was taken aback and then bowed his head in shame. he stammered an apology to ye ling, saying, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i didn¡¯t know you were a doctor¡­¡±


    ye ling had initially wanted to explain that she wasn¡¯t a doctor yet, but upon seeing the seriousness of the patient¡¯s injuries on the ground, she decided not to waste any more words.


    she took out a pouch containing silver needles from her pocket and carefully examined the patient¡¯s injuries. afterward, she used the silver needles to stimulate key acupuncture points cautiously.


    during ye ling¡¯s efforts to save the person, min nan stood by, holding a torch to provide light. the village chief also called over two people to stand guard nearby in case of any unexpected situations.


    after about fifteen minutes, ye ling removed the silver needles and sighed with relief, saying, ¡°alright, we can carry him down the mountain in two hours. are there any other injured workers?¡±


    someone immediately replied, ¡°yes, there are. they¡¯re all over there, and some of them are quite seriously injured.¡±


    ye ling struggled to stand up, swaying slightly. the person who had spoken tried to assist her, but before they could reach her, min nan had already supported ye ling¡¯s arm. he spoke calmly, ¡°take it easy, i¡¯ve got you..¡±

 Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: Shock

    chapter 105: shock


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the man who extended his arm felt somewhat embarrassed, and his eyes shifted back and forth between ye ling and min nan.


    during the course of over an hour, ye ling successively administered acupuncture treatment to five workers with relatively severe injuries.


    of course, if it were just a simple acupuncture treatment, the effect might not be as significant. however, the silver needles used by ye ling had been soaked in medicinal solution in advance, a solution concentrated from herbs in the small world, with extremely potent medicinal effects. coupled with ye ling¡¯s excellent acupuncture skills from the ye family, reviving critically ill patients was a piece of cake.


    after finishing her work, ye ling rested briefly by leaning against a tree trunk. just then, the personnel from the clinic arrived.


    the clinic staff carried first aid kits on their shoulders, and after climbing the mountain, they were panting heavily. they shouted from a distance, ¡°make way, hurry up and bring the patients over! hey, i¡¯m talking to you, why are you just standing there?¡±


    the man pointed to by the clinic staff hesitated for a moment, saying, ¡°but doctor ye said we should wait for two hours before carrying him.¡±


    ¡°doctor ye?¡± the clinic staff frowned. ¡°where did this doctor ye come from? why haven¡¯t i heard of a doctor ye in our village? you quickly bring that person over. his leg is covered in blood, and if we delay the optimal treatment time, are you going to compensate him for his leg?¡±


    hearing the conversation from the other side, ye ling struggled to stand with the support of the tree trunk, ready to explain to the clinic staff. min nan held ye ling¡¯s arm and said, ¡°you rest, i¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    ye ling watched as min nan walked briskly to the other side.


    after a couple of sentences from min nan, doubt appeared on the clinic staff¡¯s faces. min nan didn¡¯t bother explaining further and brought village chief li dong over.


    seeing that the clinic staff had arrived, li dong hurriedly said, ¡°so you¡¯ve arrived. ye ling mentioned that what¡¯s left is some disinfection and bandaging work. please get to it quickly.¡±


    ye ling? the clinic staff were all taken aback. so-called doctor ye was ye ling?


    that name sounded somewhat familiar.


    the clinic staff had been awakened from their homes in the middle of the night and then rushed to the clinic. they gathered various medications and bandages, expecting a fierce battle for saving lives on the mountain. however, now they were tasked with disinfection and bandaging?


    the young nurse from the clinic suddenly recalled who ye ling was. she leaned close to the chief doctor of the clinic and whispered, ¡°dr. xu, ye ling seems to be that educated youth who moved here from stone village. do you remember the incident when wang gang was injured and came to the clinic for treatment? i heard it was because of her, but i never heard that this woman knows medicine.¡±


    dr. xu furrowed his brow, feeling somewhat skeptical. could it be that village chief li and the others had been deceived by ye ling? these workers brought up from the mine were all severely injured. even he couldn¡¯t guarantee that he could cure their life-threatening injuries. how could a young female scholar with knowledge alone possibly heal these people¡¯s injuries?


    dr. xu snorted, ¡°i¡¯d like to see if this ye ling is just trying to steal the limelight. this is a matter of life and death. if she¡¯s causing trouble and deceiving people at a time like this, i will teach her a lesson!¡±


    dr. xu didn¡¯t care about the people around him. he quickly crouched down and examined the injuries of the first worker whom ye ling had treated.


    dr. xu opened the worker¡¯s clothes and saw a gruesome wound. after his examination, he confirmed that the worker¡¯s injuries were almost at a life-threatening level.


    then, dr. xu checked the worker¡¯s vital signs. he was surprised to find that despite the severity of the injuries, all vital signs were within a safe range, maintaining basic stability.


    this was simply unbelievable!


    dr. xu stood up, pondered for a moment with hesitation, and then turned to the young nurse behind him, saying, ¡°disinfect and bandage his wounds.¡±


    ¡°alright, dr. xu!¡±


    after examining the first worker, dr. xu moved to a nearby location to check the injuries of the other injured workers. he discovered that all the severely injured workers had already been removed from life-threatening conditions.


    dr. xu was utterly shocked.


    if one severely injured worker had escaped danger, he could reluctantly understand. if the worker¡¯s injuries didn¡¯t affect vital organs, stopping the bleeding at critical points with the correct methods could prevent the injuries from worsening.


    however, the fact that all the severely injured workers were no longer in life-threatening danger was simply astounding. these once life-threatening injuries now seemed like toothless predators, entirely devoid of any threat..

 Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Apologize

    chapter 106: apologize


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    dr. xu¡¯s emotions were quite complex. after a moment, he asked the tired-looking, pale-faced worker in front of him, ¡°who treated your injuries just now?¡±


    the worker, in a weak tone, replied, ¡°it was a young girl.¡±


    only then did dr. xu truly believe that the young knowledgeable woman named ye ling had provided emergency treatment to all the severely injured workers. without ye ling, by the time they had arrived on the mountain, many workers¡¯ injuries might have worsened.


    after a brief silence, dr. xu arranged for the clinic staff who had come with him to disinfect and provide basic treatment for the workers¡¯ wounds while he scanned the surroundings with his gaze.


    soon, dr. xu spotted the young girl sitting not far away under a tree.


    after hesitating for a few seconds, dr. xu approached ye ling.


    min nan had already returned to ye ling¡¯s side, and when he saw dr. xu coming over, he was somewhat puzzled. he wondered if this person was coming to criticize ye ling again.


    when he explained to the clinic staff earlier, they had displayed skepticism, as if ye ling treating patients was a joke. they even complained that an unprofessional like ye ling had treated the patients so casually, saying, ¡°if anything happens to the patients, she should take full responsibility. it has nothing to do with us.¡±


    min nan had felt angered by their words. ye ling had been through a long and exhausting day, and she had even been frightened by wang gang earlier, yet she had still insisted on treating the workers. without ye ling, who imew if the workers¡¯ lives would have been in danger by the time the clinic staff arrived?


    but now, seeing dr. xu approaching, min nan¡¯s expression turned cold, and he was about to stand up to confront the doctor. however, ye ling held onto his arm and said, ¡°big brother min nan, maybe he¡¯s just here to inquire about the workers¡¯ conditions. i¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    upon hearing ye ling¡¯s words, min nan stopped his movements and merely looked at dr. xu with a cold expression.


    dr. xu, after seeing ye ling¡¯s face up close, was even more astonished. the young girl before him looked even younger than his own daughter. how could she possess such remarkable medical skills?


    after his initial shock, dr. xu slightly bowed and said to ye ling, ¡°comrade ye, thank you for saving those workers.¡±


    ye ling was taken aback when dr. xu bowed to her upon approaching. she quickly leaned against the tree trunk and stood up, saying, ¡°you¡¯re too kind. i just did my best to help a little. the subsequent treatment for the workers will still depend on all of you.¡±


    her humble attitude made dr. xu feel even more embarrassed, and he sincerely said, ¡°i really didn¡¯t expect your medical skills to be so excellent at first, so i


    spoke impolitely. i hope you and your friend can forgive me.¡±


    after apologizing, dr. xu glanced at min nan.


    min nan¡¯s tone remained cold as he said, ¡°i¡¯m not the one who saved them, so there¡¯s no need to say this to me.¡±


    dr. xu awkwardly smiled and apologized to ye ling once again.


    ye ling also felt a bit embarrassed. in fact, she didn¡¯t have a medical license, and treating patients was against the rules. if the situation hadn¡¯t been so urgent, she wouldn¡¯t have taken matters into her own hands.


    dr. xu had questioned her because he cared about the patients, and that was understandable.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, we¡¯re all saving lives here. we don¡¯t need to be so polite. as long as the patients are not in life-threatening situations, that¡¯s what matters,¡± ye ling said with a gentle smile.


    dr. xu¡¯s attitude toward ye ling had completely changed by this point. at first, he had thought she was just a vain young girl seeking attention, casually playing with people¡¯s lives because of her limited medical knowledge. back then, he had regarded her with disdain mixed with anger.


    however, now dr. xu believed that ye ling¡¯s medical skills were definitely superior to his own. furthermore, she appeared to be a gentle and tolerant person, which made him feel more favorably towards her.


    after hesitating for a moment, dr. xu cautiously asked, ¡°comrade ye, does your family have a background in medicine?¡±


    given ye ling¡¯s young age, she couldn¡¯t have undergone formal medical training or become a nurse. she also couldn¡¯t be a barefoot doctor practicing medicine based on personal experience in rural areas. so, dr. xu speculated that her family might have a background in medicine.


    ye ling nodded and admired, ¡°dr. xu, you guessed it right. i learned what little medical knowledge i learned from my grandfather and mother. i dare not claim to be highly skilled, but i would never treat patients recklessly to harm them..¡±

 Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: Sense of Achievement

    chapter 107: sense of achievement


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    dr. xu quickly said, ¡°comrade ye, you¡¯re being too modest!¡±


    min nan, who had been listening to their polite conversation, was growing impatient. ye ling was already very tired, and this doctor just kept talking without any regard for her exhaustion.


    min nan interrupted dr. xu with a cold tone, saying, ¡°do you have any other business here? there are still many injured workers over there. if you have nothing else, please go about your work.¡±


    dr. xu was taken aback by min nan¡¯s words and felt somewhat embarrassed. dr. xu had sensed that the relationship between the two of them was unusual when min nan had explained on ye ling¡¯s behalf earlier.


    however, he didn¡¯t dare to speculate and suppressed his curiosity. he then turned to ye ling and said, ¡°one more thing, comrade ye. you have made a great contribution to this rescue operation at the mine. you can rest assured that i will report it truthfully to the village committee¡­¡±


    upon hearing this, ye ling hurriedly said, ¡°no need! you see, dr. xu, i haven¡¯t obtained a medical license yet, so treating the workers without authorization was already against the rules. besides¡­ i don¡¯t want too many people to know that i came to the mountain today. so, i hope you can keep it as confidential as possible. just say that the workers were treated by your clinic.¡±


    ¡°this¡­¡± dr. xu was completely surprised by ye ling¡¯s refusal to take credit. it was a significant honor.


    reporting to the village committee might earn her recognition on the list of accomplishments for educated youth supporting construction. in the future, such achievements would be very useful when selecting outstanding individuals.


    dr. xu suddenly felt a bit ashamed of himself.


    as a doctor, he knew that medical professionals shouldn¡¯t seek fame or fortune. however, he was also an ordinary person who needed to feed his family. how could he not consider financial matters?


    before coming to find ye ling, he had even entertained some dark thoughts. he had initially believed that after their rescue operation on the mountain today, the clinic would gain significant recognition. however, ye ling¡¯s appearance had overshadowed their clinic¡¯s efforts. if all the credit went to ye ling, it would mean that their clinic had come all this way for nothing, and the medicines and bandages they brought wouldn¡¯t yield much gain.


    in dr. xu¡¯s view, there was no one without ulterior motives, as everyone had their own selfish desires. this was entirely normal.


    however, after seeing ye ling, dr. xu realized that his view was too lame!


    in this world, there were truly pure-hearted angels in white coats, and ye ling was one of them!


    now, ye ling even wanted to give away her credit to the clinic. dr. xu felt a mix


    of excitement and shame.


    after a moment of contemplation, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°alright, since comrade ye wants it to be kept secret, i will shamelessly let the clinic take the credit for saving lives. but comrade ye, rest assured, even if others don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done, i know. if you ever need help from me or the clinic in the future, don¡¯t hesitate to come find me. i will do my best to assist you!¡±


    dr. xu, after finishing his statement, felt that his words might have been misunderstood and hurriedly added, ¡°of course, i¡¯m not cursing you to get sick! ¡±


    ye ling found this somewhat amusing and nodded, saying, ¡°that¡¯s good then. thank you, dr. xu. if there¡¯s ever anything i need your help with in the future, i¡¯ll come and trouble you.¡±


    after a brief exchange, dr. xu turned and left.


    watching dr. xu¡¯s departing figure, min nan¡¯s gaze shifted to ye ling, and he sighed, ¡®you gave so much tonight, but in the end, you got nothing.¡±


    ye ling smiled and replied, ¡°it can¡¯t be put that way. healing and saving lives are a doctor¡¯s duty. being able to help those workers teetering on the brink of life and death made me very happy. the look in their eyes was filled with the joy and gratitude of a second chance at life. in that moment, the sense of accomplishment in my heart is something that can¡¯t be traded for any material reward.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s eyes sparkled, and min nan, looking at the petite girl in front of him, couldn¡¯t help but feel that at this moment, she exuded a sacred radiance, like an angel of mercy and kindness descended to the mortal world.


    min nan¡¯s tone carried a hint of self-reproach as he said, ¡°i had overly materialistic thoughts.¡±


    as the dawn broke, the villagers and clinic staff, who had been busy all night, were utterly exhausted. later, some people brought stretchers up the mountain and carried the injured workers down.


    ye ling had not left until all the workers were brought out of the mine. however, she was too tired. at one point, she leaned against a tree trunk and fell into a light doze. when she woke up, she felt a piece of clothing draped over her.


    ye ling was momentarily puzzled, so she reached out and caught the garment that had slipped down from her shoulder..

 Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: Going Home

    chapter 108: going home


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    this is min nan¡¯s clothes,¡± ye ling realized, feeling her cheeks flush. she couldn¡¯t recall when she had fallen asleep.


    subsequently, ye ling looked around to find min nan¡¯s whereabouts. he appeared from the other end of the small path, carrying a water bottle and offering her a piece of bread.


    ¡°it¡¯s from the forest farm kitchen. i tasted it, not very delicious, but you must be starving after so long. have a bit to fill your stomach for now. when we get back, i¡¯ll ask aunt hua to cook you a proper meal,¡± min nan said softly.


    after expressing her gratitude, ye ling accepted the water bottle and the bread. she took a bite of the hard bread and drank some water, feeling her stomach, which had been cramping from hunger, finally getting some relief.


    ¡°ye ling! are you okay?¡± yu huan¡¯s voice suddenly rang out.


    ye ling turned her head to see yu huan running over from the path.


    yu huan rushed up to ye ling, grabbed her arm, and carefully examined her.


    once she confirmed that ye ling was not injured, she let out a sigh of relief.


    yu huan¡¯s words carried a hint of reprimand, and ye ling quickly explained,


    ¡°big brother min nan was just worried that i was starving.¡±


    ¡°hmph, when men act all chivalrous, they usually have ulterior motives. ye ling, don¡¯t be easily moved!¡± yu huan warned ye ling cautiously.


    min nan, who was standing on the side, felt somewhat troubled. why did ye ling have such a friend? he hadn¡¯t done anything to her, yet she seemed to be constantly badmouthing him in front of ye ling. it was as if she suspected him of having ill intentions towards ye ling.


    however, min nan had to admit that his feelings towards ye ling weren¡¯t entirely innocent either. he fell silent for a moment.


    seeing the bloodshot eyes in ye ling¡¯s eyes, yu huan couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken. ¡°have you not slept at all? i heard you¡¯ve been rescuing injured workers all night. you must be exhausted. let¡¯s go to the forest farm office and get some rest.¡±


    ye ling saw that there were almost no people left near the mine, and her worries had completely dissipated. she was overwhelmed with fatigue as a result. she shook her head slowly and replied, ¡°no, i¡¯d rather go downhill. i don¡¯t want to go to the forest farm.¡±


    whenever ye ling thought about the forest farm, it reminded her of wang gang, that disgusting person. if it weren¡¯t for her small world, she might have already encountered some misfortune. she was afraid that if she went to the forest farm office to sleep, she might have nightmares.


    ¡°okay, let¡¯s go then¡­¡± yu huan supported ye ling, and the two of them slowly walked toward the path.


    min nan hesitated for a moment but quickly followed.


    although the way downhill was much easier, ye ling hadn¡¯t rested all night and had been frightened. her mental state was not great. as they walked along a rugged mountain path, she suddenly saw numerous golden stars flash before her eyes. then, her vision went dark, and her body fell to the ground.


    yu huan was startled and hurried to reach for ye ling, but before she could, min nan had already embraced ye ling.


    yu huan stared intently at min nan¡¯s hand and said sternly, ¡°don¡¯t touch her without permission!¡±


    min nan glanced at yu huan without saying a word, paid her no attention, and held ye ling. after letting ye ling lean against a tree trunk, he crouched down and lifted ye ling onto his back.


    yu huan found the scene before her very unsettling, causing her great discomfort. she was about to reprimand min nan when she suddenly realized that ye ling had fainted, and there was no way she could carry ye ling down the mountain herself. apart from allowing min nan to carry ye ling, there were no better options.


    yu huan swallowed her words and remained silent, but her gaze remained sharp, as if ready to pounce on min nan at the slightest hint of any unusual behavior.


    min nan paid no mind to yu huan¡¯s watchful eyes and steadily carried ye ling down the mountain.


    upon returning home, wan hai and wan feng had not yet returned. aunt hua and tie niu, upon hearing what had happened on the mountain, had come to min nan¡¯s house. after learning that ye ling had saved people, aunt hua clasped her hands together and said, ¡°oh dear lord, please be kind to ye ling in the future. she¡¯s just a young girl, why does she always get into these terrible situations?¡±


    min nan turned to aunt hua and said, ¡°aunt hua, could you please prepare some food? ye ling only had a little from the forest farm, and she¡¯ll likely be very hungry when she wakes up.¡±


    aunt hua immediately nodded and replied, ¡°of course. you wait here. i¡¯ll go home and get some shrimp that tie niu caught from the river yesterday. i¡¯ll make her some shrimp porridge..¡±

 Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Address

    chapter 109: address


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    after aunt hua left, min nan turned to tie niu and said, ¡°uncle tie niu, wan hai and wan feng haven¡¯t returned yet. if you happen to meet them on your way to the production team, please let them know that ye ling is already home.¡±


    because the two families had a good relationship, min nan didn¡¯t feel embarrassed asking this favor. he planned to go to the village committee later to inquire about the developments regarding the mine incident, so he had to rely on aunt hua¡¯s family to take care of ye ling.


    before leaving, min nan entered ye ling¡¯s room. he saw that wan xue had prepared hot water and was soaking a towel, getting ready to wipe ye ling¡¯s face.


    last night, before ye ling went up the mountain, she had asked wan xue to go home and get a good night¡¯s sleep. however, wan xue had a premonition that something big had happened on the mountain, so she hadn¡¯t slept all night. her eyes were now red, making her look like a tired little rabbit.


    min nan walked over to the basin, gently patted wan xue¡¯s head, and spoke softly, ¡°you should get some rest now. there¡¯s nothing to worry about. wan hai and wan feng will be back soon. as for your sister lingling, she¡¯s just tired and fell asleep.¡±


    wan xue trusted min nan a lot, and upon hearing his words, she felt much relieved. she nodded and said, ¡°okay, i¡¯ll go rest for a while. min nan, you should take a break too.¡±


    after wan xue left, min nan re-dipped the now-cool towel into the water. after wringing it out, he sat down by the bed. after a moment of hesitation, he gently wiped ye ling¡¯s cheeks with the damp cloth.


    when ye ling had fainted, min nan had been startled, but his years of military experience had given him some basic knowledge of assessing a person¡¯s physical condition. he guessed that ye ling was likely just suffering from exhaustion, so he hadn¡¯t taken her to the clinic.


    as min nan wiped ye ling¡¯s face, he noticed a strand of hair had fallen onto her lips. he reached out to brush it away. however, as his fingers accidentally touched ye ling¡¯s soft, pink lips, a sudden jolt coursed through him. his hand trembled for a moment.


    in that instant, the memory of the day when they had shared a kiss underwater resurfaced vividly in min nan¡¯s mind. he took a deep breath, forcing himself


    to banish that image from his thoughts.


    just as min nan¡¯s mind was in disarray, ye ling¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, as if she were about to wake up. min nan hesitated for a moment, then immediately withdrew his hand, wanting to see if ye ling was indeed starting to regain consciousness.


    however, as min nan was about to call out to ye ling, he suddenly realized something.


    everyone else in the family referred to ye ling as ¡°lingling,¡± but because he couldn¡¯t bring himself to use that intimate name, he usually skipped addressing her directly and went straight to the content of their conversation.


    with this realization, min nan felt a pang of jealousy towards the other members of the family.


    they treated ye ling as family and could casually and affectionately call her by her name. yet, because of his complicated feelings, he felt reluctant to address her in the same way.


    min nan regretted not having been more straightforward. if he had just called her ¡°lingling¡± from the beginning and thickened his skin a bit, there would have been nothing to be embarrassed about.


    but then he wondered if, by calling her ¡°lingling¡± like everyone else, ye ling would begin to see him as just another family member, like wan hai and wan feng.


    min nan couldn¡¯t understand why he was suddenly having these strange thoughts. these delicate considerations were completely at odds with his personality. he was never one to dwell on details. yet now, over a mere term of address, he was entertaining so many embarrassing thoughts.


    sighing, min nan looked back at ye ling, who hadn¡¯t awakened and seemed to be having a nightmare.


    the girl¡¯s lovely eyebrows were knitted, and her chubby cheeks, which made her look even sweeter while she slept, now displayed an anxious and fearful expression. this tugged at min nan¡¯s heartstrings.


    after hesitating for a moment, min nan gently patted the hand resting on the blanket and softly reassured, ¡°it¡¯s alright, ling¡¯er, it¡¯s okay¡­¡±


    the unfamiliar address slipped out naturally, like a breath, and it took him a second to realize what he had said.


    in that instant, his heart was flooded with a sweet wave of emotion. the secret pleasure of having this exclusive nickname for her, hidden from everyone, even from ye ling herself, made his breath quicken.


    yes, even if he couldn¡¯t openly and intimately call her by that name, he could secretly call her in his heart.


    this was their exclusive way of addressing each other, known to no one, not even to ye ling herself.


    min nan¡¯s lips curled slightly as if he had discovered a new world. he looked at ye ling and noticed that her expression seemed to have calmed down a lot. perhaps his soothing had worked..

 Chapter 110 - Chapter 110: Chest

    chapter 110: chest


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ¡°ling¡¯er, ling¡¯er?¡± min nan called softly once again, his tone tinged with a careful sweetness.


    ye ling didn¡¯t wake up, but she also didn¡¯t appear to be having any more nightmares. she simply lay there with her eyes closed.


    after watching for a while, min nan, feeling somewhat reluctant, stood up and carried the basin as he left the room.


    ye ling had collapsed due to an all-nighter, excessive physical exertion, and emotional stress. after a good night¡¯s sleep, she soon woke up.


    upon getting out of bed, ye ling caught a whiff of the rich aroma of food. she headed to the kitchen, where aunt hua was busy chopping white radishes.


    aunt hua¡¯s eyes brightened when she saw ye ling and immediately said, ¡°ling


    ling, you¡¯re awake? i¡¯ve cooked shrimp congee for you. come and have some.¡±


    ye ling hadn¡¯t eaten much the entire previous night, and by now, she was starving. she didn¡¯t hesitate to serve herself a generous bowl of shrimp congee, along with the peanuts aunt hua had fried and a plate of dried small fish, which she savored.


    not long after finishing her meal, yu huan came over.


    after descending the mountain, yu huan saw that ye ling was being looked after by min nan, so she decided to return to the educated youth dormitory to make up for her absence.


    she had been missing for a whole night, and she was sure that her absence was noted down by the dormitory¡¯s management. she needed to find a way to have her name removed, or else this matter would be difficult to explain. it might even be reported to higher-level authorities.


    before heading down the mountain, ye ling had reminded yu huan that the incident of the two of them being abducted by wang gang¡¯s men must remain a secret. otherwise, the villagers would surely gossip about it. so yu huan didn¡¯t dare to delay and immediately returned to the dormitory. she brought some precious local specialties from her hometown, packed them, and handed them over to the dormitory¡¯s management. finally, they removed her name from the records.


    yu huan spent the night in the forest farm¡¯s office, and after coming down from the mountain, she wasn¡¯t at all tired. after sorting out her own affairs, she still felt uneasy about ye ling¡¯s situation. that¡¯s why she brought along the remaining special gifts and came to the wan family¡¯s home.


    ye ling looked at yu huan placing two bottles of liquor and a box of donkey-hide gelatin on the table and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit helpless. ¡°you came just to visit, why did you bring so many precious items?¡±


    pouting, yu huan replied, ¡°the donkey-hide gelatin is for your health, and as for the liquor, consider it an expression of my gratitude. even though i¡¯m not too fond of that min nan, if he hadn¡¯t arrived in time, i might have spent a restless night worrying. i¡¯m not someone who likes to owe others, especially men!¡±


    ye ling smiled and explained, ¡®my body is fine, just a bit tired.¡±


    ¡°looking at how thin you are, where¡¯s the ¡®fine¡¯ in that?¡± yu huan remarked, her eyes suddenly stopping in their tracks, fixated on ye ling¡¯s chest.


    ye ling felt a bit embarrassed under yu huan¡¯s gaze and shot her a coquettish glare. ¡°what are you looking at? no peeking!¡±


    yu huan looked at ye ling in surprise. ¡°lingling, you¡¯re so slender, why is that part so well-developed?¡± she lowered her gaze, looking at her own flat chest with a puzzled expression.


    ye ling¡¯s face was practically burning with embarrassment. she wished she could cover yu huan¡¯s mouth. this girl, why did she have to say everything so straightforwardly? fortunately, there were no men around, or it would have been incredibly awkward!


    coughing awkwardly, ye ling said, ¡°it¡¯s related to one¡¯s physical constitution. actually, mine is¡­ average. i could prescribe something for you that might promote development.¡±


    hearing this, yu huan quickly waved her hand. ¡°no need, no need. i was just commenting. i have no plans to get married and have kids, so it¡¯s perfectly fine for things not to develop in that department. there¡¯s a girl in my dorm who¡¯s very well-endowed. when she goes out, guys always sneak glances at her chest. i don¡¯t want that kind of trouble!¡±


    hearing yu huan¡¯s words, ye ling didn¡¯t say anything more.


    after chatting for a while, wan hai and wan feng returned. they both looked tired from their journey.


    ye ling felt guilty because her disappearance had caused wan hai and wan feng to go all the way to chen county to look for her and yu huan, which not only involved a long trip but also disrupted their work.


    seeing ye ling¡¯s apologetic expression, wan hai immediately guessed that she was about to apologize. he quickly spoke up, ¡°lingling, take a look at what we¡¯ve brought back! ¡±


    saying that, wan hai raised the item wrapped in oil paper in his hand.


    yu huan, standing next to ye ling, exclaimed, ¡°salted chicken!¡±


    ¡°exactly!¡± wan feng chimed in cheerfully. ¡°we went to chen county, couldn¡¯t find you, and thought that you might have already returned home by the time we got back. so, we bought chen county¡¯s famous salted chicken. oh, and this too..¡±

 Chapter 111 - Chapter 111: Celebration

    chapter 111: celebration


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    wan feng opened the cloth bag he was holding, and yu huan saw it was filled with small fruits she didn¡¯t recognize. she turned to ye ling and asked, ¡°what are these?¡±


    ye ling explained, ¡°these are ice jelly fruits, also known as wooden mantou. have you ever had ice jelly before?¡±


    yu huan suddenly understood, ¡°ice jelly is made from these?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s made from the seeds of these fruits.¡±


    wan hai nodded and said with a smile, ¡°when we were heading home, wan feng had sharp eyes and spotted a patch of ice jelly fruits in the distance. so, we picked some to bring back.¡±


    at that time, wan hai was worried about ye ling¡¯s situation, and he didn¡¯t have the mood to think about ice jelly. however, wan feng felt that when they returned, ye ling must have already safely arrived home. so, they brought some delicious things to celebrate.


    wan hai didn¡¯t know where wan feng¡¯s premonition came from, but surprisingly, ye ling indeed had no major issues.


    ye ling took the ice jelly fruits from wan feng and said with a smile, ¡°let¡¯s have salted chicken and ice jelly for dinner tonight! let¡¯s also invite aunt hua and her family from next door.¡±


    since there would be quite a few people for dinner in the evening, ye ling started preparing in advance.


    there was still a lot of wild boar meat that had been marinating, hanging to dry. ye ling took a large piece from under the eaves, washed it with rice water, soaked it for half an hour, and then sliced the wild boar meat thinly. she stir-fried it with green and red chili peppers over high heat.


    since the marinated wild boar meat was already rich in various spices and herbs, ye ling didn¡¯t add anything else. a simple and flavorful plate of spicy stir-fried pork was ready.


    while ye ling was cooking, yu huan entered the kitchen, looking left and right, trying to find something she could help with.


    seeing yu huan¡¯s clear yet bewildered eyes, ye ling quickly shooed her away.


    after stir-frying the vegetables and eggplant, ye ling noticed there were some dried red dates in the cupboard. she boiled a pot of water, mixed glutinous rice flour with water, and rolled them into small balls. after putting the glutinous rice balls into the boiling water, they quickly floated to the surface. ye ling then added sliced red dates and red sugar.


    a nourishing dessert suitable for girls, glutinous rice balls with red dates sweet soup, was ready.


    ¡°lingling, the ice jelly juice is almost set,¡± wan feng called from the kitchen doorway.


    to make ice jelly juice, they wrapped the ice jelly fruits in gauze, kneaded them


    in cold boiled water, and the resulting juice would be used for making ice jelly. this juice was very sticky and smooth, and it would solidify after a while.


    ye ling replied loudly, ¡°alright!¡±


    ye ling didn¡¯t rush to check if the ice jelly juice had fully solidified. she sliced the cucumber into thin strips, cut the watermelon into small cubes, crushed the roasted peanuts with a rolling pin, and shelled a handful of sunflower seeds.


    afterward, ye ling placed all the prepared ingredients on plates.


    when eating ice jelly, each person could choose their own toppings. they would mix the toppings with the ice jelly and enjoy it.


    ye ling then looked at the salted chicken that wan hai and wan feng had bought. while it might not be as tender as the salted chicken she and yu huan had at the other restaurant, it still had a rich aroma. she sliced the salted chicken into thin pieces and neatly arranged them on a plate. she also carved a simple carrot flower as decoration.


    when min nan returned home and saw the table filled with a sumptuous feast, he was momentarily surprised.


    ye ling untied her apron, hung it behind the kitchen door, and smiled, saying, ¡°tonight, yu huan and aunt hua¡¯s family will be eating here. wan hai and wan feng brought the salted chicken, and oh, we also have ice jelly.¡±


    min nan¡¯s gaze scanned ye ling before he asked, ¡°did you make all of this?¡±


    ¡°no, wan feng made the ice jelly juice. i didn¡¯t tire myself out, big brother min nan, don¡¯t worry,¡± ye ling replied, knowing without a doubt that min nan was concerned she might have exhausted herself. she hurriedly explained.


    min nan understood that even if ye ling was tired, she wouldn¡¯t show it in front of him. seeing the sparkle in her eyes, he guessed that she had recovered her energy after a nap, so he didn¡¯t say anything more.


    once aunt hua¡¯s family had arrived, everyone gathered around the table. wan feng raised his voice and said, ¡°to celebrate lingling and miss yu¡¯s safe return, cheers!¡±


    the men raised their glasses, filled with the white wine yu huan had brought, while the women held cups filled with water. after toasting, everyone began to enjoy their dinner.


    ¡°this marinated wild boar meat seems even more flavorful than fresh wild boar meat. it¡¯s so spicy and addictive!¡± wan feng exclaimed as he ate three pieces of wild boar meat in a row..

 Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: Sleep Together

    chapter 112: sleep together


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    aunt hua looked at the lavish spread on the table, her eyes squinting with delight as she commented while eating, ¡°our lingling is skilled in medicine, cooks delicious food, and is so beautiful. i wonder which lucky young man will have the privilege of marrying you in the future! ¡±


    at that moment, several pairs of eyes around the dining table turned toward min nan.


    min nan¡¯s hand holding the chopsticks stiffened for a moment. although he imew aunt hua¡¯s direct implication was to help their relationship, he still felt quite embarrassed.


    wan hai noticed a faint blush on ye ling¡¯s cheeks and knew that aunt hua¡¯s blunt remarks had startled a city girl like ye ling. he quickly said, ¡°lingling is still young, why rush things? aunt hua, you should be more concerned about my marriage. look at me. i¡¯m this old, and you haven¡¯t introduced me to a girlfriend yet. ¡±


    aunt hua huffed in a haughty manner and after a few seconds, her expression turned serious. ¡°by the way, i remember that the youngest daughter of li the butcher in lotus village is already of marriageable age¡­¡±


    her husband, tie niu, chuckled helplessly and cast a sympathetic glance toward wan hai.


    after finishing the meal, most of the dishes on the table were empty. there was hardly any leftover food. ye ling was about to start clearing the plates when a large hand suddenly reached for a plate next to her. a deep, magnetic voice sounded, ¡°i¡¯ll take care of it. you go rest.¡±


    ye ling turned her head and almost bumped into the man¡¯s chest. she caught a whiff of alcohol on his breath.


    she quickly took a step back, a bit concerned. ¡°you¡¯ve had quite a bit to drink too. are you sure you¡¯re not drunk? i can wash these few dishes. it won¡¯t take long.¡±


    min nan didn¡¯t say anything. he simply gathered the plates and chopsticks from the table and headed into the kitchen.


    the sound of washing dishes soon emanated from the kitchen.


    ye ling smiled helplessly and felt a warm sensation in her heart. she saw yu huan and wan xue sitting in the yard, looking at the stars. she fetched a chair and joined them.


    yu huan and wan xue were discussing whether a bright star in the sky was part of the cygnus constellation.


    seeing ye ling approaching, yu huan said, ¡°lingling, it¡¯s so dark outside, and i don¡¯t dare to go back alone.¡±


    ye ling was about to suggest finding someone to escort yu huan back when she suddenly felt her arm being embraced by yu huan. yu huan shook ye ling¡¯s arm and said, ¡°can i sleep with you tonight?¡±


    ye ling hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°but what about the dormitory manager¡­ ¡±


    yu huan gritted her teeth and said, ¡°she received so many gifts from me. i have to stay outside for at least three nights to make it worthwhile!¡±


    ye ling smiled helplessly and said, ¡°alright, you can stay here. it¡¯s not cold right now, and one blanket is enough. i¡¯ll heat up some water, and you can freshen up in the backyard later.¡±


    ye ling stood up and walked into the kitchen, where she saw min nan putting away the cleaned dishes and chopsticks.


    ¡°by the way, yu huan is going to sleep with me tonight. big brother min nan, i¡¯ve already heated up the water. do you want to help wan hai and wan feng wash their faces?¡± after updating min nan about yu huan, she asked.


    wan hai and wan feng were both drunk and had been carried to their bedroom by tie niu after dinner.


    min nan, seemingly indifferent, replied, ¡°no need to bother with them.¡±


    ¡°alright then. big brother min nan, do you want to take a bath now?¡± ye ling asked.


    ¡°you two go ahead.¡±


    ye ling carried a basin of water to the backyard, quickly finished her bath, and then called yu huan to do the same. afterward, they returned to the room and lay side by side on the bed.


    in the living room, min nan sat in a chair, supporting his forehead, lost in thought about the events of the day.


    after he arrived at the village committee, he found that wang gang and his men had been detained. he initially thought the village committee would immediately report the mine incident to the county government. however, to his surprise, the village committee did not send anyone to report the specific situation to higher authorities.


    min nan immediately approached the village chief, li dong, to inquire about the situation.


    after a moment of silence, li dong lowered his voice and said, ¡°i don¡¯t have the authority to decide on this matter. what i can tell you is that both the village committee secretary and the captain want to keep this matter under wraps. you know, if this is reported to the county government, who knows how many people might lose their jobs, and the reputation would be ruined too¡­.¡±

 Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Anger

    chapter 113: anger


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    min nan became increasingly angry as he listened, and he gritted his teeth, saying, ¡°you want to cover up such a significant incident? do you realize that if it weren¡¯t for ye ling and the injured miner going down to report it, those over ten workers would have surely died in the mine. those are human lives! are certain people¡¯s official positions more important than human lives?¡±


    as min nan finished speaking, a stern and cold voice came from behind him, ¡°those workers are fine, aren¡¯t they? the village committee can pay them the appropriate compensation.¡±


    min nan turned around and saw ma kang, the village committee secretary of willow village.


    ¡°secretary ma,¡± li dong nodded politely, then frantically signaled min nan to leave.


    ignoring li dong¡¯s signals, min nan continued with an icy tone, ¡°is secretary ma sending someone to negotiate compensation with those workers? as long as the workers agree not to make a big deal out of this, you can treat it as if nothing happened?¡±


    min nan¡¯s probing attitude irritated ma kang, but he knew min nan¡¯s identity, so he suppressed his impatience and forced a fake smile. he said, ¡°young man, those workers are the victims. as long as the final result satisfies them, isn¡¯t that enough? what right do you have to make decisions on their behalf? i know you got involved in this because of a young girl. young people, don¡¯t just focus on your love life. there are things you shouldn¡¯t meddle in. just stay out of it.¡±


    ma kang¡¯s last two sentences carried a veiled threat, and min nan could sense it.


    seeing that the situation was getting tense, li dong immediately grabbed min


    nan¡¯s arm and smiled at ma kang, saying, ¡°my nephew is young and impulsive, secretary ma. don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    then, li dong pulled min nan out of the office.


    ¡°uncle li, do you also think that this is the right way to handle this?¡±


    li dong took out a pipe from his pocket, stuffed rough tobacco into the hole, lit it, and took a deep drag. his voice was slightly hoarse as he said, ¡°min nan, in this world, many things are not black and white. have you ever thought that if this matter becomes a big scandal, those workers may be deemed participants in illegal labor. they won¡¯t receive any compensation or restitution and may even face punishment.¡±


    min nan knew that li dong had a point, but he couldn¡¯t accept using a seemingly justifiable reason to cover up an ugly truth.


    ¡°the person with the greatest responsibility for the mine incident is wang gang and his subordinates, isn¡¯t it? you can rest assured, after this incident, the forest farm will undergo a major clean-up, and you won¡¯t see wang gang anymore. if you¡¯re still angry, you can find someone to beat him up thoroughly. even if you break his legs, no one will say anything,¡± li dong patted min nan on the shoulder, trying to comfort him.


    min nan looked gloomy, feeling that everything was incredibly absurd.


    wang gang, who once held such high status in willow village, had been abandoned like trash after the incident was exposed. meanwhile, those involved in mining, huddled together, shouting slogans of justice, and found hypocritical excuses to continue their corruption within the ranks of national officials.


    min nan pressed his forehead, feeling tired and nauseous.


    during dinner, wan hai and the others had been urging him to drink. not wanting to spoil the mood and because he did feel a bit down, he had a few more drinks. although he didn¡¯t end up as drunk as wan hai and wan feng, he did feel a bit lightheaded.


    min nan checked the time. it was already late. he stood up, planning to take a quick shower and go to bed.


    just as min nan stood up, he suddenly heard a woman¡¯s exclamation, ¡°yu huan, what are you doing?¡±


    ye ling? min nan immediately grew nervous and walked to the door of ye ling¡¯s room.


    just as he was about to knock and inquire, he heard yu huan¡¯s playful voice, ¡°lingling, we¡¯re all women, what¡¯s wrong with me touching you? you¡¯ve developed so well, what¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    inside the room, ye ling tightly gripped the blanket, covering her chest. her fair cheeks turned rosy. ¡°yu huan, you¡¯re so scary! anyway, i won¡¯t agree, so give up on this idea!¡±


    ye ling had almost fallen asleep, but suddenly, yu huan leaned in and, with a coaxing tone, said, ¡°lingling, are you asleep?


    ye ling, half-asleep, mumbled, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°lingling, can you let me touch you?¡±

 Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: No, You Can I t

    chapter 114: no, you can i t


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    yu huan¡¯s words abruptly jolted ye ling awake, and she opened her eyes wide.


    ye ling suddenly recalled that before going to sleep, yu huan had been glancing at her chest from time to time, with a curious expression on her face.


    at the time, although ye ling felt a bit shy, she thought yu huan might just be curious, so she didn¡¯t say much. but who would have thought that yu huan actually wanted to touch!


    yu huan earnestly explained, ¡°lingling, i¡¯m really not a pervert, i¡¯m just curious, you see, do i look like a bad person to you?¡± glanced at yu huan. her eyes were very clear, and there was no sign of


    any evil or lewdness.


    ye ling remained firm, saying, ¡®you¡¯re not a bad person, but you still can¡¯t touch!¡±


    yu huan looked pitiful and said, ¡°all your future boyfriends can touch, so why can¡¯t i? if men can touch, why can¡¯t i, as a woman, touch?¡±


    what kind of logic was this? it seemed that a writer¡¯s thought process was indeed different from that of a normal person!


    ye ling felt a severe headache coming on and patiently explained, ¡°there¡¯s really nothing special about it. it¡¯s just two lumps of flesh, similar to buttocks!¡±


    in the room, the two continued to debate and tug at each other, while outside the door, min nan was left dumbfounded.


    did yu huan want to touch there?


    in min nan¡¯s mind, he could visualize ye ling¡¯s slightly open collar and fair skin, and then¡­ min nan¡¯s brain went blank in an instant, and his body tensed up.


    yu huan¡¯s words from earlier echoed in min nan¡¯s ears, ¡°all your future boyfriends can touch, so why can¡¯t i?¡±


    min nan¡¯s throat bobbed, and his chest felt like it was pressing against a scorching hot stone.


    soon, there was no more sound in the room, likely because yu huan hadn¡¯t received ye ling¡¯s permission, and she went to sleep feeling frustrated and disappointed.


    min nan listened for a while longer, confirming that both of them had indeed fallen asleep. he let out a small sigh of relief.


    fortunately, ye ling hadn¡¯t agreed to yu huan¡¯s terrifying and bizarre request. just thinking about it made min nan¡¯s body feel hot, and his mind began to conjure up strange images.


    min nan didn¡¯t dare to linger any longer at ye ling¡¯s room door. he quickly left, went to the kitchen, filled a wooden basin with cold water, rinsed his overheated body briefly, and then lay down in bed. he tossed and turned for dozens of minutes before drifting off to sleep.


    the first thing ye ling did when she woke up the next day was check her chest. thankfully, she had slept with her back to yu huan, and her chest was still covered by the blanket.


    ye ling breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that yu huan was still fast asleep. she thought about entering her small world for a quick check.


    ever since she gained access to the small world, ye ling had developed a habit of visiting her herbal field almost every night. sometimes, when she had nothing else to do, she would stand in the middle of the herbal field, gently touching the leaves of the herbs and watching them thrive, which always filled her heart with joy.


    it was similar to how a wealthy old miser would count his gold coins in the warehouse every night before bed. ye ling¡¯s habit was quite akin to that.


    ever since she was brought to the mountains by wang gang¡¯s men, she hadn¡¯t checked her herbal field for a long time. this made her feel even more uncomfortable than going a day without food.


    ye ling slowly got up and put on her clothes.


    she still didn¡¯t dare to enter the small world in the presence of others, just in case yu huan suddenly woke up.


    ye ling pushed open the door, and it was just dawn. the sky was still gray, and the laborers in the village were probably still asleep.


    ye ling planned to enter the small world after going to the backyard to check on the situation.


    however, to her surprise, as she walked to the living room door, the adjacent room¡¯s door creaked open. min nan walked out, holding a set of clothes that seemed to be dirty from use.


    both of them were momentarily startled.


    ye ling quickly said, ¡°big brother min nan, did you wake up so early? are those the clothes you just took off? let me wash them for you.¡±


    as was about to reach for the clothes min nan was holding, he reacted as if he had been shocked and immediately stepped back, his tone stiff, ¡°no need, i can do it myself.¡±


    before ye ling could respond, min nan, as if he were being pursued by something dreadful, quickly retreated and left.


    ye ling looked at min nan¡¯s retreating figure with confusion.


    a moment later, min nan tossed the clothes into the basin, and his heart was still pounding. he glanced behind him, and ye ling had already gone to the backyard.


    min nan closed his eyes slightly, bit his thin lips, and in his mind, there seemed to be lingering traces of an ambiguous and wild dream..

 Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: Injuries

    chapter 115: injuries


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi- bo studio


    ye ling entered the backyard and, once she was sure that no one would come over for the moment, quickly entered the small world.


    as soon as she entered the small world, ye ling felt a slight change. the air became even fresher, and it seemed to contain something that instantly replenished one¡¯s energy.


    ye ling headed toward her herbal field and was about to check the growth of her herbs when she suddenly noticed that the impenetrable white mist in the small world appeared to have become thinner!


    ye ling was stunned.


    could this be the reason for the change in the atmosphere inside the small world? because the mist had become thinner?


    but why did the mist become thinner? ye ling remembered that there had been another occasion when the mist had seemed to thin out, but that time it wasn¡¯t very pronounced, so she thought it might have been her imagination.


    now, however, the change was more obvious.


    ye ling thought about what had happened during these two instances of mist thinning and finally found a common factor: both times, she had used her medical skills to help and treat people.


    the first time, she had assisted aunt hua through a difficult childbirth, and the second time, she had provided medical aid to many injured workers.


    could it be that the condition for the mist in the small world to change is to use medical skills to help and treat more people?


    ye ling¡¯s thoughts became clearer, but a question followed: what lay beyond the mist? was it another, broader world, or were there many rare treasures hidden within?


    such speculations didn¡¯t greatly affect ye ling¡¯s emotions. as someone who had already experienced death once, she didn¡¯t have a strong desire for wealth. in this life, all she wanted was to take control of her own destiny and lead a happy life with her own hands.


    after checking the herbs in her herbal field, ye ling left the small world.


    not long after, the results of the pharmacy administrator election were announced. ye ling passed the exam with high marks, and once the pharmacy was finally completed and furnished, she could officially start working.


    after informing wan hai and the others about this news, they all felt happy for her. however, wan xue furrowed her brow and pouted, ¡°sister lingling, do you really have to go? can¡¯t you continue living with us?¡±


    wan xue voiced the sentiments of wan hai and the others. although they were all delighted that ye ling had passed the pharmacy administrator exam, during this time, they had already come to regard her as family. the thought of ye ling leaving willow village and not knowing when they would see her again made them feel uncomfortable.


    min nan patted wan xue¡¯s head and said, ¡°don¡¯t be naughty.¡±


    wan xue turned her head away in discontent, thinking to herself, ¡°you¡¯re the one who can¡¯t bear to part with sister lingling the most, and yet you¡¯re telling me not to be upset!¡±


    ye ling¡¯s mood was also somewhat melancholic, and she was about to say something when there was a hurried knocking at the door. everyone paused, and wan hai walked over to open the door, saying, ¡°could it be that mom¡¯s back¡­¡±


    sun li should be returning soon after picking tea leaves.


    however, when the front door opened, the person standing outside was not sun li but dr. xu.


    ye ling knew that dr. xu must be looking for her, and his personal visit meant that it was something important. she asked, ¡°dr. xu, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    dr. xu had a slightly anxious look on his face, and he seemed out of breath, clearly having rushed over. when he saw ye ling, he spoke urgently, ¡°here¡¯s the situation, comrade ye. the condition of the worker who went down the mountain to deliver the message has suddenly worsened, despite using a lot of medication, and nothing seems to be working. if this continues, he¡¯ll likely need an amputation. i thought you might have a way to help, so¡­¡±


    ye ling paused for a moment, and the man¡¯s face who had gone down the mountain with her came to her mind. because he had insisted that he was fine, ye ling hadn¡¯t checked his wound. but who would have thought that his condition would worsen?


    in a way, that man was a hero who had saved more than a dozen workers in the mine. ye ling didn¡¯t want to see him lose a limb due to the worsening of his injuries. she immediately said to dr. xu, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll come with you to take a look. ¡±


    without wasting any time, the two of them quickly set off for willow village¡¯s clinic. after min nan and wan hai gave them a few words of advice, they followed along.


    upon reaching the clinic and entering the high-risk ward, the man lying on the bed looked at ye ling and was momentarily stunned.. then, he revealed a


    hearty and rugged smile, saying, ¡°comrade ye, why have you come?¡±

 Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Surgery

    chapter 116: surgery


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling walked over to the bedside and said, ¡°let me take a look at your wound.¡±


    dr. xu stood beside her and said, ¡°comrade ye¡¯s medical skills are much better than mine. maybe there¡¯s hope for your leg. you, why didn¡¯t you let comrade ye take a look at your leg when you went down the mountain with her in the first place?¡±


    after saying that, dr. xu turned to ye ling and said, ¡°dr. ye, chen si¡¯s wound looks quite severe. be prepared mentally.¡±


    with that, dr. xu uncovered the blanket.


    ye ling saw that chen sits leg was a mess of flesh and blood, with everything below the knee covered in shades of purple, and the skin had taken on a sickly pale color.


    ye ling¡¯s brows furrowed tightly.


    afraid that his wound would shock ye ling, chen si quickly said to dr. xu, ¡°dr. xu, put it down. i know the condition of my leg. if it needs to be amputated, i¡¯m mentally prepared. you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±


    dr. xu slowly put down the blanket and looked at ye ling. ¡°comrade ye, is there any hope for chen sits leg?¡±


    taking a deep breath and contemplating the treatment options in her mind, ye ling replied seriously after a moment, ¡°i can give it a try, but i can¡¯t guarantee absolute success. also, i hope this matter can be kept confidential.¡±


    dr. xu understood ye ling¡¯s concern about not having a medical license. he quickly nodded and said, ¡°comrade ye, focus on treating chen si¡¯s leg. don¡¯t worry about the rest. if you need any medications, feel free to get them from the storage room.¡±


    ye ling nodded in acknowledgment. since the upcoming surgical procedure would likely take a long time, she turned to min nan and said, ¡°big brother min nan, i might be returning very late. you should go back first.¡±


    min nan thought for a moment and said, ¡°i¡¯ll go back first and come to pick you up when you¡¯re done.¡±


    after min nan left, doctor xu asked everyone else to leave the room and, as per ye ling¡¯s instructions, placed disinfectants, anesthetics, and other items on the table. then, he closed the door.


    ye ling took out an anesthetic and said to chen si, ¡°the anesthetic may not be sufficient, so i can only numb a local area. you might still feel some pain.¡±


    chen si chuckled and didn¡¯t seem to mind, ¡°if i were afraid of pain, i wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure it when we descended the mountain earlier. comrade ye, even if you were to amputate my leg right now, i wouldn¡¯t cry out.¡±


    ye ling praised him, ¡°you¡¯re truly a tough guy.¡±


    she also handed chen si a piece of clean gauze. chen si hesitated for a moment, then stuffed it into his mouth.


    ye ling took out silver needles from the pouch used for storage.


    the ¡°ye family¡¯s medical code¡± was likely compiled over three hundred years ago, containing a wealth of medical knowledge passed down through the generations of the ye family.


    during this era, western medicine was gradually displacing traditional chinese medicine, with many people believing that only western medicine could perform major surgeries involving dissections. this belief was based on the misconception that traditional chinese medicine practitioners lacked knowledge of human anatomy, which limited their capabilities.


    however, this perception was incorrect.


    some years ago, at an archaeological site, ancient human skulls dating back two thousand years were discovered. one of the skulls displayed a smooth, elliptical defect approximately 31x25mm in size. this defect indicated a successful surgical procedure, as the individual had survived long after the surgery. this was evidence of the earliest successful cranial surgery in the history of traditional chinese medicine.


    as for cesarean section surgeries, there were records in the ye family¡¯s medical books detailing several cases performed centuries ago.


    these examples didn¡¯t prove whether traditional chinese medicine or western medicine was superior. rather, they demonstrated that traditional chinese medicine had matured surgical expertise.


    ye ling sealed several key acupuncture points on chen sits body with silver needles. afterward, she took out a surgical knife from a stainless steel tray.


    although ye ling had never performed surgery before today, she had frequently witnessed her mother and grandfather conducting surgeries on patients during her childhood. their actions and demeanor were vivid in her memory. after inheriting the ¡°ye family¡¯s medical code,¡± she often mentally rehearsed the steps and precautions for surgical procedures.


    if the situation weren¡¯t so urgent, ye ling wouldn¡¯t have wanted to use chen si¡¯s leg as her first attempt at human surgery. however, chen si¡¯s leg was at risk of amputation, and no one else here could save it. she had to suppress her inner fear and take the risk..

 Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Lying

    chapter 117: lying


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling couldn¡¯t guarantee her success with absolute certainty. every surgery carried inherent risks. however, what ye ling could guarantee was that even if the surgery failed, chen si wouldn¡¯t be in a life-threatening situation.


    it was the confidence she gained from her family¡¯s medical expertise that allowed ye ling to take this risk.


    the anesthesia had already been administered, and chen si stared straight at the ceiling, showing a hint of nervousness and confusion. this was probably to prevent ye ling from feeling any psychological pressure. he didn¡¯t look at ye ling and prepared himself for the impending pain.


    ye ling took a deep breath and raised the surgical knife, gradually removing the necrotic tissue and rotten flesh from chen si¡¯s leg.


    chen si¡¯s brows suddenly furrowed as a sudden and intense pain surged through him like a tidal wave.


    ye ling alternated between various surgical instruments, and although she had no assistants, her movements were calm and resolute. she remained composed in the face of unexpected situations during the surgery. she took out a pill from the small world she carried with her and handed it to chen si, saying, ¡°swallow this directly. ¡±


    previously, on the mountain, chen si had endured because ye ling had given him a few pills. therefore, he didn¡¯t hesitate and swallowed the pill directly.


    outside the operating room, dr. xu brought a chair and stood guard at the door with a nervous and anxious expression.


    originally, he had approached ye ling with a trial-and-error mindset when he asked her to come over. but he never expected that ye ling would actually perform surgery on chen si.


    ye ling appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen years old!


    typically, only doctors with qualifications of practicing physicians could serve as the lead surgeon. dr. xu was almost forty years old, and he dared not perform major surgeries. he only handled minor procedures like suturing wounds.


    yet ye ling, so young, had the audacity to perform this surgery!


    of course, surgical competence was not related to age but to skill. dr. xu believed that it was ye ling¡¯s medical expertise that gave her the confidence.


    while dr. xu was pondering various complex thoughts, there was a commotion at the entrance of the clinic. several village leaders and officials walked in, with village committee secretary ma kang leading the way.


    dr. xu immediately stood up and greeted them with a smile. ¡°it¡¯s quite late. secretary ma, what brings you here?¡±


    secretary ma glanced at the door of a certain ward and asked, ¡°i heard that


    chen si¡¯s condition isn¡¯t good. is there any risk to his life?¡±


    after chen si was brought to the clinic, secretary ma had visited him once and had a private conversation. however, the conversation didn¡¯t seem to go smoothly, and the outcome left secretary ma dissatisfied. when secretary ma walked out of the ward, his face was flushed with anger.


    before leaving, ma kang instructed the clinic staff to provide him with detailed information on chen sits changing condition.


    dr. xu was just a physician, and he wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey the orders of a official. he had already informed ma kang about the worsening condition of chen si¡¯s leg earlier that morning.


    however, dr. xu was somewhat puzzled. ma kang had so many matters to attend to, and in his eyes, chen si¡¯s injury should have been a minor issue. why did he come specifically to inquire about chen sits condition?


    at this moment, ye ling was performing surgery in the ward, and she had emphasized that the surgery should remain confidential. so, dr.


    ¡°he fell asleep so early?¡± ma kang raised an eyebrow, suddenly noticing that dr. xu¡¯s eyes were evasive. his suspicion was aroused, and he raised his voice several decibels, saying, ¡°dr. xu, are you lying? what exactly happened to chen


    dr. xu didn¡¯t expect ma kang to see through his lie so quickly, and he was completely flustered.


    ma kang gave dr. xu a stern look and walked quickly towards chen si¡¯s ward, seemingly intent on pushing the door open to check the situation directly.


    dr. xu was startled and immediately blocked ma kang¡¯s path, his voice trembling but firm, ¡°secretary ma, you can¡¯t go in right now!¡±


    ma kang was on the verge of laughing out loud. was there anywhere in willow village he couldn¡¯t go?


    ¡°why can¡¯t i go in? do you even know what you¡¯re saying, dr. xu? do you still want to continue working at the clinic? get out of my way!¡± ma kang narrowed his eyes, his tone turning somewhat menacing.


    dr. xu¡¯s face turned pale, but he still didn¡¯t move. he hesitated, ¡°secretary ma¡­.

 Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Suspicion

    chapter 118: suspicion


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ma kang didn¡¯t expect xu lun, who had a timid personality, to be so stubborn. he glanced around, didn¡¯t continue threatening xu lun, and instead waved to summon a young nurse from the clinic. in a cold tone, he said, ¡°tell me, what happened to chen si?¡±


    at this moment, ma kang was worried that chen si might have already died. therefore, he didn¡¯t dare to enter the ward, fearing that if he found chen si dead, it might cause trouble when the police came to investigate later.


    the young nurse shrugged, casting a cautious glance at xu lun before looking back at ma kang. she seemed to think that offending ma kang would likely result in worse consequences than offending xu lun. after hesitating for a moment, she told the truth, ¡°chen si is undergoing surgery.¡±


    ma kang furrowed his brow, ¡°surgery? who is performing surgery on him?¡±


    as the village committee secretary of willow village, ma kang was quite familiar with the clinic¡¯s situation. the most skilled medical practitioner there was xu lun. but xu lun was currently standing right in front of him. who else could be performing surgery on chen si? this couldn¡¯t be a joke, could it?


    the young nurse bit her lip, and her voice grew almost inaudible as she said, ¡°it¡¯s comrade ye ling¡­¡±


    ma kang found the name somewhat familiar.


    wait a minute, wasn¡¯t this the woman min nan went to the forest farm to find?


    because the incident at the forest farm¡¯s mine had caused quite a stir, ma kang had gone to see li dong to clarify every detail of the matter. ma kang held a higher position than li dong, so li dong was obligated to report to him. initially, li dong had wanted to conceal ye ling¡¯s involvement, but when he mentioned that min nan had gone to the forest farm, ma kang sensed that something was amiss. he asked, ¡°why did min nan take some police officers to the forest farm? did he already know about the mine? if so, why didn¡¯t he inform either you or me?¡±


    li dong hesitated and thought that it might be impossible to hide ye ling¡¯s involvement any longer. considering that ma kang was just a village committee secretary and probably wouldn¡¯t spread this information about a young girl, li dong hesitated for a moment before explaining ye ling¡¯s situation. he concluded urgently, ¡°secretary ma, ye ling is also a victim in this matter. wang gang insisted on taking ner ana ner mena up tne mountain. ¡®i¡¯ms little ye is not even twenty years old yet, and she¡¯ll have to talk about boyfriends in the future. please don¡¯t spread this story, secretary ma.¡±


    ma kang was relieved to learn that min nan had gone to the forest farm for the sake of a young educated youth. he stared at li dong wordlessly and said, ¡°do you think i¡¯m like those village women who can¡¯t stop gossiping? you should reflect on yourself when you get back. how could you think of hiding something like this from me!¡±


    hearing ye ling¡¯s name once again at this moment surprised ma kang. what surprised him even more was that ye ling was performing surgery on chen si?


    according to xu lun¡¯s report, chen sits leg had deteriorated to the point where amputation was the only option. the severity of the situation was quite apparent. however, ye ling, a young female scholar of not even twenty, how could she possibly perform surgery?


    ma kang found this situation more absurd than a fairy tale. yet, the young nurse¡¯s trembling demeanor indicated that she didn¡¯t dare to lie to the village committee secretary. therefore, ye ling was indeed performing surgery on chen si.


    ma kang fell silent for a couple of seconds and then turned to xu lun. ¡°did you approve of this?¡±


    xu lun, with a pale face, hesitated for a moment as he realized that the situation was already exposed. he nodded slightly and hastily said, ¡°secretary ma, this was my own decision. it has nothing to do with comrade ye. if you need to take action, please deal with me¡­¡±


    ma kang shot a glare at xu lun. ¡°you have quite the audacity. if this situation leads to loss of life, who will be responsible, you or me? this is sheer nonsense, letting a young girl treat someone who needs an amputation. what were you thinking?¡±


    xu lun weakly explained, ¡°it¡¯s not like that, secretary ma. comrade ye¡¯s medical skills are far superior to mine. she can perform surgeries that i can¡¯t. i¡¯m not lying to you.¡±


    logically, ma kang didn¡¯t believe xu lun at all. it was hard to fathom how a young girl under the age of twenty, who might not even be qualified to work as a nurse, could possess the ability to perform surgeries. however, xu lun¡¯s resolute expression left ma kang somewhat uncertain.


    he looked at xu lun with suspicion, wondering if xu lun might have been deceived by this ye ling..

 Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Reprimand

    chapter 119: reprimand


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ma kang looked towards the room¡¯s entrance and furrowed his brows. after a few seconds, he suddenly walked towards the room.


    xu lun was taken aback and hurriedly asked, ¡°secretary ma, what are you doing?¡±


    ma kang turned around and sneered, ¡°why would i need to report my actions to you? this ye ling might be making a mess of things. i want to see for myself if she¡¯s really capable of performing surgery. chen si is a crucial figure in the mine incident. you handed him over to a girl who¡¯s not even twenty, unsupervised. if anything goes wrong, are you going to take responsibility?


    fortunately, i arrived in time!¡±


    xu lun was at a loss for words. ma kang, who had no medical knowledge, seemed to lack common sense. surgery requires intense concentration, so why was he disturbing ye ling at this critical moment?


    in fact, ma kang didn¡¯t care about chen si¡¯s life or death at all. he even secretly hoped that chen si would die on the operating table. in his view, everyone had their own fate, and if chen si accidentally died, it was his destiny, completely unrelated to his dark thoughts.


    ma kang¡¯s hand was just about to turn the doorknob when the door to the room suddenly opened from the inside. ye ling¡¯s beautiful face appeared before ma kang, but her eyes were exceptionally cold as she looked at him.


    ¡°secretary ma, isn¡¯t it? please come in. i¡¯m still in the middle of surgery. if you want to observe, please be quiet later,¡± ye ling said without even glancing at ma kang, then turned and went back to the operating table.


    ma kang was taken aback. in all his years as a leading cadre, he had never experienced such a cold reception. the indifference and mild disdain in ye ling¡¯s eyes seemed to have reversed their positions of authority.


    it should have been him supervising and judging ye ling, but just now, it felt as if ye ling were reprimanding him for not being sensible!


    ¡°humph, young people these days have no manners!¡± ma kang felt both annoyed and indignant. however, he also felt that arguing with an inexperienced young girl would lower his own dignity.


    ma kang snorted and walked slowly into the room, drawing out his words deliberately. ¡°comrade ye, i understand that you have good intentions when it comes to saving lives. but as a young girl, you lack the ability. allow me to give you some advice. before taking on tasks, you should assess your own capabilities¡­¡±


    xu lun, who followed ma kang into the room, was infuriated by ma kang¡¯s arrogant and self-important reprimand to ye ling. his face turned red with anger.


    didn¡¯t ye ling just ask him to stay quiet? couldn¡¯t he hold back his words for a while?


    chen si, lying on the hospital bed, also didn¡¯t expect ma kang to come over. he looked at ma kang with a mix of disgust and anger. if he wasn¡¯t in the middle of surgery right now, he would have given ma kang a piece of his mind.


    ma kang might be the secretary of willow village, but he was a member of this village. others might be afraid of ma kang, but he wasn¡¯t!


    ye ling sensed that chen si¡¯s emotions fluctuated due to ma kang¡¯s arrival and suspected that these two had conflicts over something else.


    chen si, being a miner, wouldn¡¯t have known ma kang before the mine incident, at most he might have heard of ma kang¡¯s name.


    their conflict had to be related to the mine incident.


    chen si and his friends nearly lost their lives because of wang gang¡¯s illegal mining. they certainly wanted to seek justice.


    as for ma kang, being the secretary of willow village, if the mine incident were to escalate, he would definitely bear some responsibility. so, he must have wished to handle the matter quietly.


    could it be that ma kang wanted to resolve the matter privately without reporting it to higher authorities?


    ye ling paused for a moment, realizing she might have guessed the real reason.


    after coming down from the mountain, she had been busy with her own affairs and hadn¡¯t thought much about it. at that time, she thought that with the severity of wang gang¡¯s actions, the village committee would surely report it to the county government for a serious investigation..

 Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Vomiting

    chapter 120: vomiting


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    however, now it seemed that the village committee might not have had any intention of reporting the incident. if they had reported it promptly, chen si would have been sent to a better-equipped hospital. how could he still be waiting in willow village¡¯s clinic?


    thinking of this, ye ling furrowed her brows. she took a deep breath and continued to work on chen si¡¯s wound slowly.


    if she finished the surgery now, ma kang would definitely want to talk to her. she really didn¡¯t want to face this selfish village leader.


    ye ling felt that ma kang was similar to wu bai, who covered for wu de. both of them were officials who didn¡¯t care about the people¡¯s interests and only thought about their own benefits.


    ma kang stood behind ye ling and said a lot of words, but ye ling completely ignored him, as if she hadn¡¯t heard a word. chen si, lying on the operating table, regarded him with the same disdain one would give to trash.


    xu lun and the others also didn¡¯t show any agreement with ma kang. this made ma kang, who was used to hearing compliments and flattery everywhere he went, very uncomfortable.


    he furrowed his brow, took a few more steps forward, and stood beside the operating table. ¡°comrade ye, do you still not accept my words? don¡¯t think that just because min nan supports you, i won¡¯t dare to punish you. even if your relationship is not public, i will still act fairly and impartially. i will never condone such callous behavior that disregards human life¡­¡±


    ma kang was in the middle of a passionate speech, spouting words left and right, when suddenly, his voice stopped. his eyes became stiff, his face turned almost as white as chen si¡¯s.


    ma kang saw that ye ling was using a surgical needle to suture chen sits leg wound. her hands were covered in fresh blood, and she was pulling and manipulating chen si¡¯s flesh and skin with a natural and skilled ease, as if she were a rural woman repairing clothes.


    but this wasn¡¯t about fixing clothes. the bloody scene was even more terrifying than seeing a ghost!


    at the same time, ma kang also saw a stainless steel surgical tray nearby, filled with decaying flesh. the meat had a near-black, dark red color, like rotting meat that had been left on a butcher¡¯s stand for many days.


    as he approached, ma kang could even faintly smell a foul odor mixed with the strong smell of blood. the stench made him, who had always valued cleanliness and tidiness, feel a strong urge to vomit.


    xu lun and the nurse saw ma kang suddenly turn and rush out of the room. he stood by a trash can in the corridor, bent over, and began to vomit. the agonizing sounds he made were quite pitiful.


    xu lun finally realized that ma kang had been frightened by the scene of ye ling performing surgery on chen si.


    indeed, for laypeople, the sight of blood and wounds can be nerve-wracking, let alone a bloody surgical scene. although xu lun was a doctor, watching ye ling¡¯s red hands moving amidst the blood and flesh made his scalp tingle.


    seeing ma kang vomit and then lean against the wall, gasping for breath, xu lun felt a sense of disdain in his heart. he thought, ¡°serves you right; no one forced you to come in!¡±


    ye ling had successfully treated the wound, and she breathed a sigh of relief. while she wasn¡¯t entirely confident, the surgery had gone relatively smoothly without any major complications.


    however, ye ling hesitated for a moment before saying to chen si, ¡°you don¡¯t need an amputation, but due to the severity of the injury, even after recovery, you might walk with a slight limp. be mentally prepared for that.¡±


    chen si had originally thought his leg was lost for good, but now, not only had ye ling saved his leg, but she had also ensured he could walk normally, with only a slight limp as a minor consequence.


    could there be anyone luckier than him in this world?


    chen si showed a grateful and cheerful smile, saying, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i don¡¯t mind at all. comrade ye, thank you so much. you¡¯re my savior. if you ever need me to do something, just tell me. even if you ask me to go through fire and water, i, chen si, won¡¯t frown!¡±


    ye ling smiled helplessly and replied, ¡°i won¡¯t ask you to go through fire and water for me. taking care of your own life and health is the best way to repay me.¡±


    after a brief conversation, ye ling said, ¡°i¡¯ll have the nurse tidy up here in a bit.


    get some rest. i¡¯ll go talk to ma kang.¡±


    chen si glanced outside and hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice and saying to ye ling, ¡°comrade ye, be careful. that guy is not a good person. he wants to use a small amount of compensation to keep us quiet and bury the mine incident..¡±

 Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Unlucky

    chapter 121: unlucky


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling nodded. ¡°i think so too.¡±


    chen si clenched his fists. ¡°i suspect he was also involved in unauthorized mining. moreover, i¡¯m afraid that even if we suppress this matter, they¡¯ll continue such activities. that¡¯s why i didn¡¯t agree. but it¡¯s uncertain how the other workers will react. most of them believe that getting some compensation would be good. if things escalate, they might not get a single cent.¡±


    hearing this, ye ling¡¯s mood turned heavy.


    she had initially thought this matter would be resolved quickly, but she didn¡¯t expect so many hidden aspects to it.


    come to think of it, min nan had seemed troubled these past few days. could it be that he was worried and upset because he knew about these developments?


    ye ling walked out of the ward at a slow pace.


    ma kang had been helped to sit on a chair. after witnessing ye ling¡¯s surgery, he was no longer inclined to enter the ward, as if stepping inside would only remind him of the gruesome scene.


    as soon as ye ling appeared, ma kang stood up, ready to say something. however, he noticed ye ling¡¯s hands stained with blood.


    ma kang¡¯s face turned pale, and he felt nauseated.


    ye ling smiled politely, ¡°sorry, secretary ma. i¡¯ll wash my hands first. please wait for me.¡±


    ma kang turned his head and waved his hand, ¡°hurry up! ¡±


    ye ling turned around, and her smile vanished. she walked to the clinic¡¯s restroom and thoroughly washed her hands. then, she leaned against the wall, contemplating how to deal with ma kang.


    there was no doubt that she was now in a precarious situation. even though she had successfully treated chen sits leg, she didn¡¯t possess a medical license. if ma kang decided not to let her off the hook, he could report the situation to the authorities, which might result in her packing her bags and being deported.


    ye ling gritted her teeth, unwilling to concede.


    she had just begun to find her footing here, and her life was gradually improving. but who could have foreseen that ma kang¡¯s arrival would shatter it all?


    ye ling didn¡¯t want to blame everything on luck, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel that her misfortune was related to her stolen luck.


    she was merely providing regular medical treatment, and yet, ma kang had to show up at this precise moment!


    ye ling sighed. she knew that escaping was futile. she stood up straight and returned to the clinic¡¯s lobby.


    upon seeing her approach, ma kang seemed somewhat traumatized, and his expression appeared unnatural.


    xu lun stood beside ma kang, already aware of ye ling¡¯s successful surgery. he admired her greatly. when he saw ye ling approaching, he didn¡¯t think twice, quickly pulled out a chair, and said to ye ling, ¡°comrade ye, please take a seat. you¡¯ve been performing surgery for so long. you must be exhausted, right?¡±


    initially, ye ling didn¡¯t plan to sit down. however, when she observed ma kang¡¯s expression, which filled her with disgust, she decided to pretend she didn¡¯t understand the nuances of the situation. so, she sat down. she gazed at ma kang and asked, ¡°secretary ma, is there something you want to discuss?¡±


    upically, even ordinary village cadres would respond respectfully when ma kang was present. not to mention someone like ye ling, who was an educated youth.


    ma kang was seated while ye ling should have been standing, yet she chose to sit down. ma kang¡¯s expression briefly darkened. he wanted to say something but ultimately restrained himself.


    he wasn¡¯t in the mood to fixate on these minor details now. he simply wanted to finish the conversation and go home for a shower.


    the smell of decaying flesh still lingered on his body.


    ¡°is chen si¡¯s leg okay?¡± ma kang asked coldly.


    ¡°yes, after it heals, he might have a slight limp when walking, but there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues,¡± ye ling responded indifferently.


    before ma kang could continue speaking, xu lun immediately clapped and showered ye ling with praise, saying, ¡°comrade ye, your surgical skills are on par with the chief surgeon at the county hospital. i just examined chen sits wound, and the sutures are exceptionally neat and tight, almost like a work of art.¡±


    upon hearing this, ma kang recalled the image of ye ling suturing the wound, which made his expression even uglier. he even suspected that xu lun was intentionally provoking him with such remarks, but he lacked concrete evidence.


    ¡°enough! why are you interrupting me when i¡¯m talking? are you the secretary or am i the secretary?¡± ma kang angrily bellowed.


    ¡°i apologize, i apologize. i got too carried away when i saw how skilled comrade ye was,¡± xu lun said without a hint of apology. however, he didn¡¯t dare offend ma kang too much, so he didn¡¯t push the matter further..¡±

 Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Deception

    chapter 122: deception


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ma kang suppressed his anger and turned his gaze towards ye ling.


    although he still found it hard to believe, ma kang no longer doubted that the young girl in front of him possessed remarkable medical skills.


    after a brief moment of silence, ma kang suddenly inquired, ¡°when did you and min nan meet?¡±


    ye ling hesitated for a moment. she had expected ma kang to continue questioning her about performing surgery on chen si without authorization, so she was surprised by his inquiry about min nan.


    ¡°about a month ago,¡± ye ling replied, her brow furrowing slightly.


    there was no need to hide this information. ma kang could easily verify it if he chose to.


    ma kang nodded and then asked, ¡°then you guys are developing quite quickly. you¡¯re already living in his house.¡±


    the undertone of ma kang¡¯s words made ye ling feel uncomfortable, and she could sense the peculiar look in his eyes.


    ye ling immediately knew that ma kang was thinking the wrong thing. did he think that she and min nan had only known each other for more than a month and had already had sex? was that why she was staying at min nan¡¯s house?


    ma kang¡¯s question about ye ling¡¯s private affairs had already made ye ling a little unhappy. now that ma kang had such a guess, ye ling¡¯s anger immediately rose. she sneered and said, ¡°what does secretary ma mean by this? don¡¯t you know why i moved into auntie sun¡¯s house? back then, wang gang came looking for trouble with me because the leaders of the village committee did not care at all. i was alone and helpless, so i had no choice but to listen to auntie sun¡¯s suggestion and move to her house.¡±


    ma kang was also a little unhappy. he felt that the two were talking about two different things. he wanted to know how close ye ling and min nan were. ye ling was talking about what wang gang had done to her in the past.


    ¡°then why did you move to min nan¡¯s house and not someone else¡¯s? i even suspected that wang gang was part of your plan to move into min nan¡¯s house. anyway, stop pretending, young girl. i guess you must have heard who min nan¡¯s father is. let¡¯s not talk about who min nan¡¯s father is. min nan is the captain of a special mission team in the 4th military region at such a young age. his future is limitless. you have good taste. there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about.¡±


    hearing ma kang¡¯s words, ye ling was stunned.


    min nan was the captain of the special mission squad in the military region. what did he mean? wasn¡¯t min nan a police officer?


    ye ling remembered that she had once gone to dai wei¡¯s police station to deliver something to min nan. she had even seen min nan training a few police officers.


    ye ling had never suspected that min nan was not a police officer.


    but now, this basic understanding seemed to be wrong. ye ling didn¡¯t know if ma kang was talking nonsense or if min nan had lied to her.


    ye ling knew that ma kang had no reason to lie to her, but she was even more unwilling to believe that min nan had lied to her.


    why would min nan lie to her?


    ma kang looked at ye ling¡¯s dazed expression as if it was the first time she had heard this information. the corners of his mouth curled up in mockery.


    ¡°pretend, continue pretending.¡± ma kang thought.


    ma kang suddenly felt that ye ling was not a simple young girl. not only was she able to seduce a man like min nan at such a young age, but she was also able to remain calm in front of him without any flaws. it seemed that he would have to find someone to investigate her identity and background.


    ye ling was stunned for a moment before she quickly regained her composure. she looked at ma kang coldly and said, ¡°secretary ma, i don¡¯t admit that you¡¯re the victim. i moved into the wan family because i had just arrived at willow village and didn¡¯t know anyone. later, i helped auntie sun, so she was willing to help me. is this a reason for you to imagine me seducing a man?¡±


    ma kang was speechless for a moment. ye ling didn¡¯t seem to be lying. could it ha that hie excuse. her main goal was still to make things difficult for min nan.


    ma kang smiled mysteriously with an expression that said, ¡°i understand, you don¡¯t have to explain.¡±


    ye ling was speechless and didn¡¯t bother to argue with ma kang.


    it was simply talking to a brick wall!


    ma kang patted the non-existent dust on his knees and slowly stood up. he looked down at ye ling from top to bottom and said, ¡°comrade ye, although you helped chen si by operating on him, rules are rules. you didn¡¯t have a medical license. this was an extremely irresponsible practice for the lives of the people! go back and reflect on your actions. hand me a two-thousand-word handwritten reflection.¡±


    ma kang was about to leave when he finished speaking. he walked towards the door, but when he was about to leave, he saw min nan walking towards the health center..

 Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Weakness

    chapter 123: weakness


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    min nan didn¡¯t expect to encounter ma kang at the entrance of the clinic, and for a moment, he had a bad feeling.


    however, ma kang was somewhat pleased.


    if it had been before today, ma kang would have seen min nan and just felt a headache.


    to be honest, he wasn¡¯t afraid of the workers who had been rescued from the mine causing trouble. he was afraid of min nan.


    though ma kang was the village committee secretary of willow village, his authority was limited to this small area. on the other hand, min nan was different. his father held a high position in the entire east district army, and min nan¡¯s future achievements were likely to be on par with his father¡¯s.


    therefore, even though ma kang didn¡¯t like min nan, he didn¡¯t dare to provoke him.


    however, if min nan took issue with his actions and insisted on opposing him, there was nothing ma kang could do about it. he could threaten the workers, but he couldn¡¯t do that with min nan.


    nevertheless, ma kang had never imagined that, just when he was troubled, fate would unexpectedly place min nan¡¯s vulnerability right before him.


    even though ye ling didn¡¯t acknowledge her relationship with min nan, ma kang knew that ye ling held a significant place in min nan¡¯s heart the moment he saw min nan heading toward the clinic.


    considering the late hour, min nan had come specifically to fetch ye ling. he was willing to make this journey to pick up ye ling, and wasn¡¯t that evidence of his feelings for her?


    if it had been ma kang, he would, at most, remind his wife if she returned home late, but he certainly wouldn¡¯t personally pick her up.


    ¡°ah, young people, they just can¡¯t resist the rush of hormones! ¡± ma kang thought.


    a brilliant smile appeared on ma kang¡¯s face. he waved at min nan, approached him with a leisurely pace, examined him from head to toe, patted his shoulder, and said, ¡°even heroes have a weakness for the charms of a beautiful woman. but, young man, you certainly have good taste! i, old ma, will eagerly await the day when i attend vour wedding!¡±


    after ma kang had said these words, he walked past min nan.


    min nan stared at ma kang¡¯s departing figure in bewilderment.


    was this guy crazy?


    however, after careful consideration of ma kang¡¯s words, min nan felt that something was amiss. he briskly entered the clinic and found ye ling and xu lun sitting in chairs, both looking uneasy.


    min nan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, thinking that chen sits surgery had failed. after a moment¡¯s hesitation, he said to ye ling, ¡°you¡¯ve done your best. some things are beyond your control. don¡¯t blame yourself too much.¡±


    upon seeing min nan, ye ling was briefly stunned and then quickly explained, ¡°no, the surgery was very successful. chen si¡¯s leg doesn¡¯t need amputation anymore. at most, he might walk with a slight limp in the future.¡±


    it turned out the operation had been successful, and min nan heaved a sigh of relief. however, he soon realized the crux of the matter and looked at xu lun and ye ling, inquiring, ¡°when did ma kang arrive? did he see who performed chen sit s surgery?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry,¡± xu lun said with a bitter smile. ¡°i didn¡¯t stop him, and i didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly show up. however, when he left, he didn¡¯t make things too difficult for comrade ye. he only asked comrade ye to write two thousand words of self-reflection.¡±


    min nan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he almost furrowed his brow.


    as the village committee secretary, ma kang had no reason to make things difficult for ye ling. after all, he was the one who intended to cause trouble for ye ling!


    when min nan learned that the village committee planned to cover up the mine incident, he wrote a report letter with his real name and intended to deliver it to the county.


    in the letter, min nan also spoke on behalf of the mine workers, hoping that when the matter was eventually resolved, they wouldn¡¯t be unduly burdened.


    most of these workers were poorly educated, and their families were impoverished. if it weren¡¯t for their struggle to put food on the table, they wouldn¡¯t have gone to such a distant and perilous place to work.


    min nan also sympathized with the workers, but he understood that such incidents needed to be stopped immediately upon discovery. if they weren¡¯t halted now, who could guarantee that a second mine wouldn¡¯t appear near willow village? what if there was another mine collapse?


    even if an accident did occur, it might go unnoticed because those seeking profit would become more cautious due to the experience of the mine incident.


    min nan knew he was the only one who could handle this.


    among those who knew the details of the mine incident near willow village, no one would dare to defy ma kang¡¯s authority.


    even for li dong, whether he could be re-elected as village chief in the next term would depend on ma kang¡¯s attitude toward him.


    as for the workers, even if some disagreed, they would be unable to bypass ma kang¡¯s surveillance to report the matter to higher authorities..

 Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Threats

    chapter 124: threats


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    min nan guessed that ma kang had also sensed that he might not cooperate obediently and hide the matter of the mine. that was why he had that smug expression on his face when he found out that ye ling had secretly operated on chen si.


    because ma kang felt that he had something on min nan.


    min nan finally understood why ma kang was looking at him with a hint of lewdness in his eyes.


    he hadn¡¯t realized what that look meant just now, but now that he thought about it, he probably thought that ye ling was staying at his house because they had already had sex!


    thinking of this, min nan¡¯s heart sank. he hated people threatening him, but this time, he couldn¡¯t do what he wanted to do regardless of the consequences because ye ling was very important to him.


    xu lun, who was simple-minded, did not think so much. he thought that ma kang was making things difficult for ye ling purely because ma kang liked to be cheap. after all, in his opinion, ma kang was a rigid person with many rules. he hated it when others did not obey his will. he and ye ling had privately operated on chen si, which had already violated ma kang¡¯s taboos.


    seeing min nan and ye ling¡¯s gloomy expressions, xu lun gritted his teeth and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry. if ma kang insists on finding trouble with comrade ye, i¡¯ll write a letter of apology and admit all my mistakes. i was the one who asked comrade ye for help in the first place. how can i let comrade ye take responsibility? ma kang has no conscience, but i have a conscience!¡±


    ye ling was somewhat helpless. she knew that this matter had little to do with xu lun.


    judging from the information ma kang had leaked, min nan and his father¡¯s identities were not ordinary. ma kang was afraid that min nan would insist on going against him, so he probably wanted to use ye ling to deal with min nan.


    ye ling had never expected that one day, she would become someone¡¯s leverage to threaten min nan.


    she once again cursed the person who stole her fortune in her heart.


    ye ling sighed and comforted xu lun. ¡°things aren¡¯t that bad yet, doctor xu, you don¡¯t have to worry so much for the time being. just work hard at the clinic. the other workers¡¯ injuries are also very serious, and they still need you to continue with the follow-up treatment. ma kang won¡¯t do anything to you for the time being.¡±


    ¡°big brother min nan, let¡¯s go home first, ¡± ye ling said to min nan after comforting xu lun.


    min nan nodded. the two of them bid xu lun farewell and left the clinic. they walked home along the flat road.


    on the way, ye ling was conflicted about whether she should ask min nan why he had lied to her. however, she suddenly remembered that she was also hiding a lot of things from min nan.


    the matter of the small world, the matter of going to the black market¡­


    ye ling suddenly realized that everyone had their little secrets, and as long as they didn¡¯t hurt others, there was no need to reveal them.


    she couldn¡¯t even tell others about her affairs, so why did she have to worry about min nan not telling her the truth?


    could it be that min nan¡¯s act of concealing his identity had hurt her? no, not at all. instead, min nan used his identity as a police officer to help her a lot.


    perhaps it was because min nan was on a special mission¡­ ye ling knew that she was trying to find an excuse for min nan, but she felt much more relaxed when she thought about it.


    min nan still didn¡¯t know that ye ling already knew that he wasn¡¯t a police officer. seeing that ye ling kept silent, he thought that ye ling was worried that ma kang would hold her accountable.


    ¡°then don¡¯t write a self-reflection. if you do, you¡¯ll leave behind written evidence, ¡± min nan said.


    ye ling came back to her senses and nodded. ¡°it¡¯s fine. i didn¡¯t plan to write it anyway.¡±


    to write a self-reflection letter for someone like ma kang? how was this possible?


    would ma kang let her off so easily after she wrote a self-reflection?


    ¡°although you hadn¡¯t obtained your medical license yet, you had already passed the pharmacy administrator¡¯s exam.


    he seriously thought about how to prevent them from being threatened by ma kang, but he couldn¡¯t think of a good way.


    he wasn¡¯t afraid of ma kang at all, but ye ling was different. ye ling had no power and was just a weak young girl. moreover, ye ling was an educated youth. if she had been sent back, not only would her experience of helping the countryside have become entirely useless, but her life would have also left a disgraceful mark. it would have greatly affected her future job search in the city.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, big brother min nan. you don¡¯t have to worry about me. you can do whatever you want to do. i believe that what you are doing is right. i don¡¯t want to be a reason for others to threaten you.¡± ye ling raised her head and gave min nan a gentle and calm smile..

 Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Believe Me

    chapter 125: believe me


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    min nan was stunned. he hadn¡¯t told ye ling about the subsequent developments of the mine incident, and ye ling had already guessed it?


    after the initial shock, min nan felt that it was normal for ye ling to be able to guess it since she was so smart.


    what shocked min nan even more was ye ling¡¯s attitude. at that moment, ye ling looked at him with calm and gentle eyes, without any resentment or fear, as if she didn¡¯t care if she would become a victim in this incident.


    however, the calmer ye ling was, the more uncomfortable min nan felt. at the same time, he hated ma kang even more.


    in this incident, ye ling was the most innocent victim.


    on her way home, she was kidnapped by wang gang¡¯s men. she was almost bullied by wang gang in the forest farm. after she escaped with great difficulty, she ignored her physical and mental fatigue and went up the mountain to treat the seriously injured workers.


    today, ye ling met ma kang because she was performing chen si¡¯s surgery, and she had gotten into trouble.


    doctors were benevolent, and ye ling had a clear conscience towards everyone. but in the end, she still had to endure ma kang¡¯s shameless threats. how could there be such an unfair thing in this world?


    min nan took a deep breath and looked at ye ling with a determined gaze. he said in a steady voice, ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. i won¡¯t let anything happen to you.


    trust me.¡±


    ye ling was taken aback. for a moment, she thought that min nan had decided to give up on opposing ma kang. just as she was about to continue persuading min nan, min nan interrupted her, saying, ¡°i have a way. don¡¯t worry. i won¡¯t give in to ma kang¡¯s threats. but you¡¯re innocent, and i have to protect you.¡± ye ling was silent for a moment, but in the end, she didn¡¯t say anything.


    ye ling was already prepared to be sent back.


    although it was a little disgraceful to be sent back, it did not affect her too much.


    compared to the ending in her previous life, the consequences of being sent back were not as serious.


    she was a doctor. as long as her medical skills were good, she did not have to worry about not being famous. even if she could not open a clinic, for the time being, she could first accumulate experience and reputation. when the situation improved in the future, she could officially start her own business.


    as someone who had been reborn, ye ling knew that the policies would gradually relax in the future. a person¡¯s background and resume would no longer be so important. countless self-employed people had seized the opportunity and changed their lives under the reform. why couldn¡¯t she? of course, if possible, ye ling still hoped to continue staying here.


    she was still young and had not accumulated enough wealth. if she was sent back, she would face the disdain and criticism of her father and stepmother. at that time, she might not even have a place to live, and her life would only be more difficult than it was now.


    maybe min nan could think of a good idea.


    he had always been a reliable person.


    thinking of this, ye ling felt a little relieved.


    she had already considered the worst-case scenario, so she was not afraid that something worse would happen.


    ye ling was supposed to return to stone village to take over the pharmacy, but due to ma kang, she had no choice but to stay in willow village.


    because she had not written a self-reflection at all, ma kang had sent people to ask her several times. ye ling would always brush them off coldly, saying that she was not aware enough and had not finished writing.


    after asking a few times, ma kang knew that ye ling had no intention of cooperating at all, so he made a trip to the wan family.


    coincidentally, the day ma kang came to the wan family was also the day sun li returned.


    after ma kang entered the courtyard, he frowned when he saw ye ling. the strong aura formed by being a cadre for many years had a strong sense of oppression.


    ¡°comrade ye! i¡¯ve already given you many chances! do you know that i¡¯m very busy? you¡¯re wasting my working time, do you understand? don¡¯t think that you can be arrogant just because min nan is backing you up. you made a mistake. this is the truth. do you think that min nan can protect you? believe it or not, i can send your educated youth file back to shanghai right now!¡±


    ma kang¡¯s words were like a machine gun firing. there was no pause between the two sentences, giving people a sense of breathlessness and fear.


    if ye ling was a young girl, she would have been completely flustered by now. however, she had died once, so how could she be frightened by ma kang¡¯s threats?


    her file was still in stone village. if ma kang wanted to send her back to shanghai, he would have to go through the procedures of stone village¡¯s village committee. however, ma kang¡¯s tone sounded as if he could decide her life and death immediately..

 Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Terrifying Woman

    chapter 126: terrifying woman


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ¡°secretary ma, you¡¯re a cadre from willow village, and i¡¯m just a humble educated youth. if you want to deal with me, you don¡¯t need so many excuses or resort to threats. don¡¯t you understand your reasons for wanting to threaten me?¡± ye ling didn¡¯t even look at ma kang as she spoke with a cold tone.


    ma kang hadn¡¯t anticipated that ye ling would remain so composed in his presence and even engage in a rebuttal. this woman was truly remarkable!


    ¡°ye ling, i¡¯m simply following the rules. what do you mean by this? i¡¯m not the one who broke the rules. have you ever considered that if the surgery you performed on chen si had failed, you¡¯d be in jail right now? if i hadn¡¯t provided you with protection, do you think you¡¯d still be standing here speaking to me?¡±


    ¡°secretary ma.¡± ye ling was fed up with ma kang¡¯s hypocritical and shameless demeanor, and she couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to his nonsense any longer. ¡°your words are pointless. i¡¯m not the key figure in this matter, and the decision isn¡¯t up to me. you may want to threaten me, but have you ever thought that i¡¯m just a woman? even if i don¡¯t land a good job in the future, i can always find a decent man to marry. my family background isn¡¯t bad either. do you think i care about being an educated youth or not?¡±


    although ye ling¡¯s words had nothing to do with her true thoughts, she sounded like she was being completely honest. her tone carried a hint of mockery and indifference as if she genuinely didn¡¯t care about ma kang¡¯s intentions.


    ye ling had finally realized that she couldn¡¯t be too straightforward when dealing with people like ma kang. thus, she changed her approach, pretending to be nonchalant. while it might not intimidate ma kang, it would certainly deflate his arrogance.


    as expected, ma kang was taken aback when ye ling displayed her indifferent attitude.


    he stared at her, attempting to detect any signs of vulnerability in her expression. unfortunately, he came up empty.


    ma kang¡¯s expression stiffened. he opened his mouth, and his thoughts stalled for a couple of seconds before he continued, ¡°but you¡¯re already together with min nan, and you¡¯re even living together. even if you wanted to find another man, no one would want an ¡®unclean¡¯ woman like you.¡±


    ye ling gave a cold smile, her attitude highly disdainful.


    ¡°is that so? secretary ma, not only does min nan like me a lot right now, but if i were to be sent back because of the mine incident, he would undoubtedly feel even more guilty. perhaps his feelings for me would grow even stronger. if he can keep liking me, wouldn¡¯t it be better for me to marry him? after marrying him, i could be a housewife who doesn¡¯t have to worry about anything. don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a good thing for me?¡±


    ye ling tilted her head and smiled. ¡°of course, men¡¯s hearts are fickle. maybe min nan and i won¡¯t end up together. but think about it. since i can make min nan like me, why couldn¡¯t i make other men fall for me? there are so many men in the world, and i have plenty of options.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s words contradicted her true thoughts, and it made her feel somewhat embarrassed. however, upon seeing ma kang¡¯s even paler expression, she felt her words had a significant impact.


    ma kang had realized he had misjudged ye ling. this woman wasn¡¯t simple. she was terrifying! how could there be such a manipulative woman in the world? she treated men¡¯s emotions as if they were mere toys!


    no wonder min nan had fallen for her. this woman was so cunning, she must have bewitched min nan!


    for a moment, ma kang looked at ye ling with shock and vigilance.


    inwardly, ye ling rolled her eyes.


    what are you being vigilant about? i won¡¯t be attracted to you!


    ma kang¡¯s lips moved, and just as he was about to say something, a woman¡¯s voice suddenly came from the doorway. ¡°secretary ma? what brought you to our house?¡±


    sun li walked into the house, removed her straw hat, placed her heavy baggage on the ground, and glanced at ma kang indifferently before eyeing the table. ye ling was such an obedient and considerate girl, yet she hadn¡¯t poured ma kang any water.


    sun li¡¯s reaction was swift, and she instantly deduced that ma kang¡¯s visit to her house was likely not for a good reason. could he be looking for trouble? sun li hadn¡¯t held a favorable view of ma kang to begin with, and when she noticed ye ling¡¯s frosty attitude toward him, she immediately taunted him, ¡°secretary ma, you¡¯re nearly fifty years old. why couldn¡¯t you wait for me to return before talking? why are you bothering a child like lingling? lingling is timid. if you have anything to say, you can tell me. lingling, go rest inside..¡±

 Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: Thoughts

    chapter 127: thoughts


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ma kang was left speechless when he heard sun li¡¯s words.


    was he causing trouble for ye ling?


    was ye ling timid?


    ¡°what?¡± ma kang wanted to shout in anger, ¡°sun li, your whole family has been deceived by this terrifying woman!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s alright, auntie sun. you must be tired since you just returned from your trip. there¡¯s hot water in the kitchen. when secretary ma leaves, i¡¯ll bring you a basin of hot water to soak your feet. you can rest in the house. i¡¯ll take care of secretary ma,¡± ye ling said gently.


    sun li immediately shook her head and said, ¡°it¡¯s alright, dear. i¡¯m not tired. adult matters should be handled by adults. since secretary ma has come to my house, he can tell me what he needs. you can go rest in your room. by the way, i¡¯ve bought several types of popular fabric from the south. we can go to town later to have them tailored into new clothes for you once secretary ma leaves. you can choose the designs you like in my room.¡±


    ma kang stood there dumbfounded, watching the two women exchanging words as if they were ignoring him like an invisible person, not bothering to conceal their disdain.


    ma kang had been a village cadre for over twenty years, a symbol of authority wherever he went. he had never experienced such a situation before.


    he was so angry that his face turned red. his nose, with its large pores, slightly contracted, and his lips trembled. ¡°both of you! alright, i¡¯ve noted this. ye ling, you¡¯ve truly opened my eyes. i now understand what kind of person you are, and i¡¯ve underestimated you!¡±


    without giving ye ling and sun li a chance to continue mocking him, ma kang flung his sleeves and left the wan family.


    although ma kang tried to maintain his composure, his body trembled slightly due to his anger, making him appear somewhat comical and disheveled.


    seeing ma kang leave, ye ling heaved a sigh of relief and thanked sun li,


    ¡°thank you, auntie sun, for helping me just now.¡±


    sun li must have realized that ma kang was here to cause trouble for ye ling, so she told ye ling to return to her room to protect her.


    sun li chuckled. ¡°i didn¡¯t do much. we¡¯ve certainly upset ma kang. i doubt he¡¯ll have much of an appetite when he gets back.¡±


    ye ling couldn¡¯t help but smile when she thought of the two of them taunting ma kang.


    she affectionately held sun li¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°auntie sun, why did you return so late? the other tea pickers have already come back.¡±


    if it weren¡¯t for aunt hua assuring the wan family that sun li was doing well in the tea garden, wan hai and the others might have thought something had happened to sun li.


    sun li unpacked her belongings while explaining, ¡°i should have returned earlier, but the tea garden owner noticed i was quick at work and asked me to stay and help with the tea leaves. he paid me well, so i decided to stay longer. i figured i¡¯d return early, but i also thought min nan and the others were annoyed when i saw them. i thought it was better to stay a few more days.¡± ye ling asked with concern, ¡°auntie sun, how did your hand get burned? and it looks like there are sunburn marks on your face.¡±


    sun li quickly reassured her, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. we rural folks work under the sun and on the land. injuries are unavoidable. the wounds will heal quickly. don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ye ling sighed and made a mental note to gather some suitable herbs from her small world later to make an ointment for sun li¡¯s burn wounds. she also had some flowers in her herbal field that could be used to make moisturizing flower soap.


    sun li sat down and unpacked her items, mentioning, ¡°you must have had a hard time feeding those ¡®pigs,¡¯ right? i noticed there was marinated meat under the eaves. you¡¯re indulging their appetites!¡±


    ye ling laughed and said, ¡°not at all. i¡¯m only responsible for cooking. they do the dishwashing. i¡¯m not tired at all.¡±


    sun li continued, ¡°hmph, that¡¯s good. lingling, take a look at what i bought for you. there is snowflake cream, hair oil, fabrics, and some bracelets. choose what you like.¡±


    ye ling was surprised by the pile of gifts sun li had brought. she replied,


    ¡°auntie sun, i don¡¯t need so many things.¡±


    sun li insisted, ¡°lingling, girls your age should dress beautifully, like flowers. don¡¯t hesitate to accept. you¡¯ve been taking care of min nan and the others while i was away, and i want to thank you. these items aren¡¯t expensive, they¡¯re just a small token of auntie sun¡¯s appreciation. as long as you like them, i¡¯ll be very happy..¡±

 Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: Awkward

    chapter 128: awkward


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    upon hearing sun li¡¯s words, ye ling felt too awkward to refuse. she pointed to the two types of fabric and said, ¡°then i¡¯ll take these two. i like them both.¡±


    a radiant smile immediately appeared on sun li¡¯s face. ¡°alright, in a few days, we¡¯ll go to town to find a tailor to make clothes!¡±


    in the evening, when wan hai and the others returned home and saw that sun li had come back, they were also very pleased.


    however, when they noticed that sun li hadn¡¯t bought them anything but had purchased a bunch of perfumes and jewelry for ye ling, they all wore wry smiles.


    wan feng murmured to wan hai in a low voice, ¡°mom is so biased! lingling hasn¡¯t even married min nan yet, and she already treats her like a daughter-in-law?¡±


    in comparison, they, her biological children, seemed like cheap gifts.


    as sun li had been on the road the entire day, ye ling offered to prepare dinner. initially, sun li declined, but wan hai chimed in, ¡°mom, lingling is a fantastic cook. her culinary skills are on par with the chefs in county restaurants. you haven¡¯t tasted lingling¡¯s cooking yet, have you? you should give it a try today.¡±


    sun li, upon hearing wan hails words, became curious. she turned to min nan and said, ¡°then go to the kitchen and help lingling with the vegetables and lighting the fire. don¡¯t let her tire herself out.¡±


    once ye ling and min nan entered the kitchen, sun li looked at wan hai and wan feng and said, ¡°alright, tell me, what happened while i was away? why did that scoundrel ma kang come to our house today? is he here to cause trouble for lingling?¡±


    wan hai and wan feng exchanged glances.


    after sun li¡¯s departure, a lot of things had occurred.


    wan hai organized his thoughts and briefly recounted everything that had transpired after ye ling assisted in cooking and entertaining the leader of the production team, as well as the incident where she was abducted en route to the forest farm from chen county.


    sun li¡¯s expression shifted from anger to concern. she slapped the table in fury, exclaiming, ¡°lingling saved so many workers. has ma kang completely lost his conscience? how dare he threaten lingling?¡±


    wan hai sighed. ¡°ma kang is primarily afraid that min nan will report the mine incident to the county, so he thought of using lingling to threaten him.¡±


    sun li furrowed her brow. ¡°i¡¯ll talk to min nan later about what to do. while this matter should be reported, lingling is innocent. how can we allow her to become a scapegoat?¡±


    while sun li and the others were chatting, ye ling and min nan were still cooking in the kitchen ye ling observed that min nan appeared to be deep in thought and highly focused, so she refrained from initiating a conversation.


    for a while, the only sounds in the kitchen were the sizzling of ingredients.


    ¡°ling¡¯er, i¡¯ve thought of a plan!¡± min nan¡¯s low, magnetic voice suddenly rang out.


    ye ling was taken aback, not by min nan¡¯s abrupt words, but by how min nan addressed her.


    how did min nan address her?


    ling¡¯er¡­ could she have misheard it? this form of address seemed exceedingly intimate.


    ye ling gazed at min nan and observed that her eyes were bright, and the previously furrowed brows had relaxed. ¡°it¡¯s like this, i believe we can¡­¡±


    min nan articulated his proposed plan in one breath. after he finished, he noticed ye ling staring at him in astonishment, her cheeks still flushed. for a moment, he assumed that ye ling believed his plan was unworkable. after a brief pause, he asked, ¡°what do you think?¡±


    ye ling snapped out of her stupor and saw that min nan¡¯s expression was normal. she understood that min nan was probably so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn¡¯t realized how he addressed her just now¡­


    thus, she was the only one feeling awkward.


    nonetheless, it was better to experience awkwardness alone than with two people.


    ye ling mustered a smile. ¡°i think it¡¯s a good idea. we can give it a try.¡±


    min nan nodded. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll make the necessary arrangements, and i¡¯ll also consult with chen si¡­ are the dishes ready? i¡¯ll bring the dishes over. you can wash your hands.¡±


    min nan adeptly and naturally brought the stir-fried dishes to the living room. ye ling observed min nan¡¯s back and a trace of doubt flickered through her mind.


    even if min nan had been deeply absorbed in his thoughts just now, he shouldn¡¯t have addressed her in that manner. could it be¡­ ye ling entertained a rather ambiguous conjecture but immediately shook her head vigorously.


    no, it was probably just a slip of the tongue on min nan¡¯s part. it was merely a casual form of address. why was she overthinking it?


    min nan typically didn¡¯t address her as ¡°lingling¡± like wan hai and the others. how could he use a more intimate form of address in his heart?


    ye ling washed her hands and returned to the living room. the family sat down to enjoy their meal..

 Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: Dreaming

    chapter 129: dreaming


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi- bo studio


    sun li took a bite of the bacon stir-fried by ye ling and widened her eyes in shock. she turned to ye ling and asked, ¡°lingling, did you marinate this bacon? this should be wild boar meat. how could wild boar meat be so delicious? let me guess, did you use a special spice to remove the earthy smell of the wild boar meat?¡±


    sun li¡¯s culinary skills were indeed superb. she immediately discovered the key. ye ling smiled and nodded. ¡°yes, i added some herbs with a special fragrance.¡±


    sun li gave her a thumbs up. ¡°lingling, you¡¯re really smart. your cooking skills are much better than mine. i never knew that we have a hidden chef in our family.¡±


    the whole family laughed. after dinner, wan hai packed up the bowls and chopsticks and went to the kitchen to wash them. sun li had worked hard all day. after dinner, she boiled water and prepared to wash up and go to bed.


    after the water in the kitchen boiled, ye ling poured the water into a wooden basin and added a little cold water. after testing the temperature of the water, she put a few herbs into the wooden basin.


    ye ling walked into sun li¡¯s room with a wooden basin. she put it down and said, ¡°auntie sun, i added some herbs to the water. it can relieve fatigue and promote sleep. you should rest after soaking your feet.¡±


    sun li immediately smiled until the wrinkles on her face smoothed out.


    ¡°look, it¡¯s better to raise a daughter. she¡¯s so considerate. how could wan hai and the other brats think of such details?¡± auntie sun thought.


    ¡°alright, then you should rest early too, lingling. you don¡¯t have to worry about ma kang. with auntie sun around, he won¡¯t dare to lay a finger on you.¡± ye ling smiled and nodded.


    after taking a shower, ye ling returned to her room. after entering the small world, she inspected the herbal field and carefully selected the best herbs to make an ointment for sun li¡¯s burns.


    the process of making the ointment was rather complicated, and the materials in the small world were not sufficient. ye ling planned to go to town tomorrow to buy the remaining herbs, and it should be ready the day after tomorrow.


    ye ling left the small world after she finished processing the herbs. she lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly.


    ¡°ling¡¯er¡­¡± a familiar voice called out to her, causing ye ling¡¯s eyelashes to tremble. she quickly looked around and saw a man standing not far away.


    the man had wide shoulders and a narrow waist. his figure was well-proportioned, and his beautiful phoenix eyes were smiling as he looked at her intently.


    ¡°big brother min nan.¡± ye ling muttered to herself before walking toward min nan uncontrollably.


    ye ling subconsciously realized that she was currently in a dream. however, it wasn¡¯t a nightmare, so she couldn¡¯t immediately force herself to wake up. instead, she could only go along with the dream, experiencing it as if she were a participant, all while observing what was about to unfold from a higher, almost god-like perspective.


    ye ling walked up to min nan and was about to ask him why he was there. however, min nan suddenly reached out and touched ye ling¡¯s smooth and fair chin with his fingers. then, min nan¡¯s eyes were filled with an ambiguous and gentle smile as he lifted ye ling¡¯s chin slightly.


    it was as if fireworks had exploded in ye ling¡¯s mind. she raised her hand abruptly and slapped min nan¡¯s hand away. ¡°what are you doing?¡± she asked in an agitated tone.


    seeing ye ling¡¯s intense reaction, min nan didn¡¯t care at all. he just looked at her with tolerance and a deep look. then, he revealed a meaningful smile and said, ¡°who was the one who told others that i loved her to death in the morning? why are you so unwilling to be touched by me now?¡±


    ye ling was stunned.


    during the day¡­she had indeed said a bunch of nonsense to ma kang during the day, but that was only to anger him. how did min nan know?


    moreover, she had clearly said, ¡°maybe i won¡¯t be able to make it to the end with min nan. but think about it. since i can make min nan like me, why can¡¯t i make other men fall in love with me? there are so many men in the world, and there are still many men i can choose from.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t!¡± ye ling retorted.


    however, what made ye ling even more flustered was that min nan was slowly approaching her. the distance between the two of them was rapidly closing. she could even see her reflection in min nan¡¯s bright eyes.


    the closer she got, the more the man¡¯s handsomeness magnified, bringing with it an extremely seductive visual impact. ye ling¡¯s eyes were bewitched. not only did she not resist the man¡¯s approach, but she also looked forward to what was going to happen next.


    she must be crazy¡­


    soon, their lips were almost touching.. min nan said in a hoarse voice, ¡°you didn¡¯t? didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to find another man? other than me, who else do you want to find? hmm?¡±

 Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Kiss

    chapter 130: kiss


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the man¡¯s voice had a noble texture, magnetic and deep, like a male sea demon from myth and legend. especially with the last ambiguous question and the slightly raised tone, it was enough to make one¡¯s heart stop.


    even though ye ling was in a dream, she still felt her face warming up.


    she was flustered. looking at the man¡¯s questioning eyes that had a trace of hurt, she felt that she was a bad woman!


    ye ling opened her mouth, but her voice was dry. ¡°no, you misunderstood¡­¡±


    before ye ling could finish explaining, the distance between them instantly closed. ye ling suddenly felt a soft sensation on her lips.


    at the same time, the dream¡¯s scenery changed. the air became thinner, and the sound of water could be heard.


    ye ling wanted to resist, but min nan held her. she tried to open her mouth to breathe and shout, but the man¡¯s tongue took the opportunity to explore¡­


    the surroundings turned into the underwater depths, and water pressure pushed from all directions. min nan kissed ye ling as they floated upwards. ye ling was enveloped in the man¡¯s breath, feeling dizzy and trembling.


    in the darkness, ye ling¡¯s eyes widened as she sat up from her bed.


    kissed? ye ling touched her cheek. it was incredibly hot!


    why did she have such a dream? ye ling¡¯s throat was dry. she quickly got out of bed, poured a glass of water, and drank it in one gulp.


    sigh, it seemed she wasn¡¯t suited to telling lies. she had only mentioned it during the day, and now she had this dream at night.


    ye ling touched her lips absentmindedly as if she could still recall the feeling of min nan gently biting her lips. her ears turned even redder in an instant, and she hurriedly put her hand down.


    ye ling shook her head vigorously, trying to force herself to forget this strange dream. but it was peculiar. in the past, she quickly forgot her dreams, but this one, she desperately wanted to forget, yet the details of the dream became clearer and clearer.


    at the same time, ye ling felt that something was off about this dream, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what exactly.


    it was almost dawn, and ye ling couldn¡¯t fall asleep. she went to the small world to read some medical books, memorizing the growth characteristics and effects of more than ten rare herbs.


    after waking up, ye ling met min nan in the living room. she couldn¡¯t even bring herself to look min nan in the eye, let alone talk to him.


    ye ling¡¯s unusual behavior confused min nan, but min nan had his matters to attend to and couldn¡¯t dwell on them. after breakfast, he left.


    ye ling found an excuse to leave the wan family and set off for town.


    when she arrived at the black market, she saw yang zi again. yang zi also spotted ye ling, who was wearing a bamboo hat.


    yang zi approached with a smiling face. ¡°mr. ling, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen you. are you here to sell herbs this time?¡±


    ye ling nodded.


    mr. ling was the name she had casually made up for herself.


    ¡°do you remember the way?¡± yang zi asked eagerly.


    ye ling nodded again, and yang zi seemed a bit disappointed. ¡°alright, then you can go there by yourself.¡±


    ye ling passed by yang zi, thinking that it wasn¡¯t ideal to keep pretending to be mute. it made communication quite inconvenient.


    she remembered seeing a folk artist at a temple fair in her previous life who could imitate various animal sounds and change her voice. children, the elderly, women, young girls, there were hardly any sounds he couldn¡¯t mimic.


    it would be great if she could change her voice too. she could find time to study it.


    ye ling arrived at the medical shop and sold some herbs. before leaving, she was stopped by the young man guarding the shop. mai zi hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°my boss is very interested in your herbs. he told me that if you come to sell herbs next time, he wants me to tell you. he wants to meet you.¡±


    ye ling frowned. meet? why did he want to meet her?


    seeing ye ling¡¯s silence, mai zi hurriedly explained, ¡°of course, the boss also said that if you¡¯re unwilling, then forget it. in the future, we¡¯ll still conduct business as usual. but the boss said he wants to discuss some business matters with you. he has no ill intentions.¡±


    ye ling pondered for a moment before writing a line of words on the paper.


    ye ling was quite content with the purchase price offered by this shop, so she didn¡¯t want to offend the shop owner. however, she didn¡¯t know what kind of person the boss was, so she didn¡¯t plan to meet him for the time being. it wouldn¡¯t be too late to have a detailed conversation once she confirmed his intentions.


    after leaving the shop, ye ling went to other stalls in the black market to buy some things, and then she brought these items back to her rented house..

 Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Rose Soap

    chapter 131: rose soap


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    as soon as she entered the courtyard, she heard a commotion coming from inside. ye ling saw a group of people gathered together as if they were killing two pigs.


    ye ling didn¡¯t look at it for long and walked straight to her rented house. after unlocking the door, she moved a chair to the middle of the courtyard.


    there was a well at the back of the courtyard. ye ling went to fetch a bucket of water.


    after boiling the water, ye ling poured the processed cocoons she bought from the black market into the pot and boiled them. the boiled cocoons were then poured into the soda water and stirred to melt.


    after that, ye ling took out the rose petals that had been soaked in olive oil.


    when she opened the ceramic jar, she could still smell the rich fragrance of roses.


    ye ling poured rose oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and rosehip oil together in a certain ratio, then added silk soda water and stirred. finally, ye ling poured the viscous liquid into a rectangular wooden mold.


    she even sprinkled some dried rose crumbs on the top as decoration.


    after doing all this, ye ling placed the mold in a cool and dry place in the room. the next time she came, she could remove the mold and cut the rose soap.


    it was also ye ling¡¯s first time making rose soap, but fortunately, the process wasn¡¯t complicated.


    since these silk rose soaps were prepared for sun li¡¯s family and aunt hua¡¯s family, she used the best materials. the final product would be much better than the ordinary soaps sold on the market.


    after making the rose silk soap, ye ling also made a jar of ointment for treating burns. the color of the ointment was similar to that of pig fat, but it was much harder. when using it, she scooped out a spoonful and melted it in her palm, then applied it to the burned area.


    ye ling put away the ointment and the tools in the backyard.


    she had prepared a lot of commonly used tools. if she wanted to make something in the future, she could just come here directly. it was quite convenient.


    after locking the door, ye ling was about to leave when she heard master bail s voice from a short distance away. ¡°don¡¯t you want these pig innards? then take it to the town and sell it to the butcher.¡±


    ye ling heard master bai¡¯s words and walked over.


    when everyone saw ye ling coming over, they didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. they curiously sized up ye ling, who was wrapped up tightly from head to toe.


    ye ling pointed at the pig innards on the huge wooden chopping board.


    master bai stroked his beard and quickly understood what ye ling meant. ¡°you want to buy it?¡±


    ye ling nodded.


    ¡°how many catties do you want to buy?¡±


    ye ling thought for a moment and decided to buy 15 catties. she wouldn¡¯t be able to carry too much.


    master bai calculated the price with ye ling. since the pig was raised by him, the price was much cheaper than outside.


    in this era, pig innards were much cheaper than pork. for ordinary people, pig innards were difficult to handle and not easy to make delicious. the poor would not spend money to buy them, and the rich would not like to eat them. therefore, pig innards were not very popular in the meat market.


    ¡°i¡¯ll take the pig¡¯s lungs.¡± master bai said. ¡°but there¡¯s no pig¡¯s lungs in the 15 catties of pig innards.¡±


    ye ling nodded, indicating that it was alright.


    after ye ling bought 15 catties of pig innards, the butcher prepared to send the rest of the pig innards to the butcher. when they were cleaning up the pig innards, someone asked,¡± master bai, do you need me to buy some pig lungs?¡±


    ¡°no need, these are enough. just go to the medical shop and help me buy some figs and ladybell.¡±


    hearing their conversation, ye ling¡¯s eyes flickered.


    if the pig¡¯s lungs were put together with ingredients such as figs and ladybells, it would be a prescription and recipe for nourishing qi and nourishing the lungs. it would also have the effect of treating hemoptysis.


    could it be that master bai had a patient with lung problems at home?


    master bai spoke with great vigor. his granddaughter was so young, and there was naturally no problem with her body. it should be someone else.


    although she had analyzed the situation, ye ling didn¡¯t take it to heart. after all, this was master bai¡¯s family matter and had nothing to do with her.


    ye ling carried a large bag of pig innards back to the wan family.


    sun li was surprised to see ye ling return with a bag of pig innards.¡± lingling, do you like pig innards?¡± if you like it, i¡¯ll ask wan hai to buy some when someone in the village kills pigs.¡±


    ye ling smiled and shook her head.¡± i just saw some cheap pig innards in town. i¡¯m going to make them into braised pig innards.¡±


    sun li¡¯s eyes lit up. thinking of ye ling¡¯s culinary skills, she was immediately curious.¡± then, doesn¡¯t that mean we have to prepare a large amount of marinade and spices?¡± she asked..

 Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Method

    chapter 132: method


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the pigs in this place were considered northern pigs. the smell of the pig innards was very strong. if they were not handled well, they did not taste good at all, and their texture was like a rubber band, and they could not be chewed. ¡®l¡¯ne nsny smell or pork liver was even stronger. it it was eaten directly, it tasted like flour, and almost no one was willing to eat it.


    sun li also knew how to cook braised meat. however, in that era, the price of braising ingredients and spices was not cheap. it far exceeded the price of pig innards. therefore, most people only cooked braised meat and not braised pig innards.


    of course, if ye ling liked to eat pig innards, sun li wouldn¡¯t be stingy with the spices and marinade in her cupboard. as long as ye ling was happy, it was fine.


    ye ling smiled and shook her head. ¡°my method of processing pig innards was a little special. i didn¡¯t need so many marinades and spices. auntie sun, if you had time, you could come up the mountain with me tomorrow.¡±


    hearing ye ling¡¯s words, sun li was a little curious. what special method did ye ling have to deal with those pig innards?


    at night, min nan and the others came back and saw that ye ling had bought a lot of pig innards. min nan took a wooden basin and placed the pig innards in it, preparing to wash them.


    with min nan and the others around, ye ling would not do such dirty work. ye ling was a little embarrassed. she stood beside min nan and whispered, ¡°sorry to trouble you, big brother min nan.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay. stand further away. be careful not to splash dirty water on your clothes.¡±


    ye ling was about to say something when she heard sun li calling her.


    sun li walked out of the kitchen with a slice of watermelon in her hand. she said to ye ling, ¡°lingling, come and eat the watermelon. after a few more autumn rains, there won¡¯t be any watermelons this big and sweet to eat.¡±


    ye ling smiled and replied. she walked over and sat with sun li under the roof to eat watermelons. not far away, wan feng and wan xue were holding watermelons in their hands. the two of them squatted on the ground and competed to see who could spit the watermelon seeds farther. wan hai stood at the side as a referee for the two of them.


    in the small courtyard, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. ye ling looked at everyone in front of her and felt a strong reluctance to part with them.


    if only time could stop at this moment forever.


    the next day, ye ling and sun li went up the mountain together with a basket. ye ling was already very familiar with the way up the mountain. she took the nearest mountain path to a ravine.


    after that, ye ling began to pick the plants that grew in the ravine. as she picked, she introduced the names of the plants she picked to sun li.


    sun li didn¡¯t understand why ye ling brought her here to pick these plants, but she still followed ye ling and picked all the plants.


    the two of them returned home with two baskets full of herbs. ye ling took out the pig innards that min nan had prepared yesterday. after washing the herbs, she mashed them into juice.


    ¡°auntie sun, these herbs can replace spices and marinade to process the pig innards. although the taste of the pig innards will be a little special in the end, it won¡¯t affect the consumption.¡±


    ye ling mixed different herbs with different types of pig innards.


    the liver contained the highest amount of blood among all the pig innards. if it was not handled properly, not only would it have a strong fishy smell, but its color would also turn black. after ye ling added the herbs to treat the liver, she also added some white wine that yu huan had sent over.


    sun li could tell that ye ling was teaching her another way to deal with the pig innards.


    although the wan family¡¯s financial situation was not bad, they could not eat meat every day. there were still three boys in the family who did not have a wife. some betrothal money had to be prepared in advance, and they could not spend money without restraint. before ye ling came, the wan family ate meat once a week.


    if ye ling¡¯s method could effectively process the pig innards, it meant that she didn¡¯t need to use expensive spices and marinade to eat delicious meat.


    the price of pig innards was much cheaper than pork.


    in that case, the wan family would not need to spend too much money in the future and would be able to eat meat and vegetables often.


    sun li¡¯s eyes lit up at the thought of this, and she watched ye ling¡¯s every move with increasing seriousness.


    after processing all the pig innards, the two of them sat on the chairs to rest. sun li applied the ointment to ye ling¡¯s hands.


    ¡°weren¡¯t you a little girl from the city? how did you know so much? was it because your family didn¡¯t treat you well and always made you work?¡± sun li asked as she applied ointment on ye ling.


    it had to be said that sun li¡¯s guess was quite accurate.


    ye ling remembered that she had never told sun li about her family¡¯s situation, so she explained simply, ¡°after my mother passed away, my father married my stepmother. my stepmother brought a sister over. later on, they became more like a family..¡±

 Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Underage

    chapter 133: underage


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling¡¯s tone was very calm, and there wasn¡¯t any trace of grievance or sadness in her voice. however, sun li felt a deep sense of heartache.


    in sun li¡¯s view, a girl as beautiful and well-behaved as ye ling should have been treated like a little princess. sun li had initially assumed that ye ling¡¯s family treated her well, but she could never have imagined the truth about ye ling¡¯s family situation.


    furthermore, the reality was likely even grimmer than what ye ling had shared. based on ye ling¡¯s clothing, it seemed that her family hadn¡¯t been sending her money or supplies.


    sun li remembered that min nan had mentioned that ye ling had come from shanghai, a major city. even if ye ling didn¡¯t come from a wealthy family, she must have been from the middle class at least. so, how was it possible that she dressed more modestly than rural girls?


    ye ling was still growing, yet her old pants barely covered her ankles. she likely hadn¡¯t received new clothes in a long time.


    sun li let out a sigh. despite her unfavorable opinion of ye ling¡¯s father and stepmother, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak ill of them in front of ye ling.


    it would only cause her more sadness.


    sun li changed the topic, asking casually, ¡°how old is your sister?¡±


    ye ling thought for a moment and replied, ¡°nineteen.¡±


    ¡°nineteen¡­¡± at first, sun li didn¡¯t realize the significance, but after a moment, her eyes widened, and she looked at ye ling in disbelief. ¡°your sister is nineteen?¡±


    ye ling nodded.


    ¡°why then did your family send you to the countryside as an educated youth? shouldn¡¯t it have been your sister?¡± sun li wondered.


    ye ling had only answered sun li¡¯s question casually and hadn¡¯t expected her to notice the discrepancy. however, ye ling had no reason to hide anything from sun li. after hesitating for a moment, she explained, ¡°originally, it was supposed to be her coming to the countryside. but she didn¡¯t want to, and my father and stepmother didn¡¯t want her to endure the hardships of rural life. so, they sent me instead.¡±


    ¡°is such a thing even possible? she didn¡¯t want to endure hardships, so they sent you to endure them? and they¡¯re deceiving the government and the country!¡± sun li¡¯s voice rose with anger. ¡°you can report them!¡±


    ye linz chuckled bitterlv. ¡°i was still vounz back then and didn¡¯t have much resistance. besides, i didn¡¯t want to stay at home anymore. i felt that coming to the countryside wasn¡¯t a bad option.¡±


    after her initial outburst, sun li calmed down and said, ¡°i acted impulsively earlier. you can¡¯t report them. if this matter were discovered, you¡¯d likely face punishment. besides, your household registration file is still in shanghai, and your identity documents are in your father¡¯s possession.¡±


    ye ling nodded. for a moment, they both fell into silence.


    sun li hadn¡¯t expected the revelation of ye ling¡¯s family situation. after some thought, she said, ¡°however, when you come of age, you can apply to have your household registration file transferred. an adult who is 18 years or older can establish their household registration file. the procedure might be a bit complicated, though.¡±


    after half a minute of silence, ye ling let out a gentle sigh. ¡°i can¡¯t, auntie sun. to be honest, i¡¯m not yet of legal age this year.¡±


    sun li was completely astonished. ye ling was still underage? how had she become an educated youth?


    sensing sun li¡¯s thoughts, ye ling explained, ¡°i haven¡¯t even turned 17 yet. the reason i could replace my sister and come to the countryside as an educated youth was because my father paid some people to alter my age on a few crucial documents. however, my real age remains unchanged in my household registration.¡±


    sun li¡¯s mouth hung open for a while before she rolled her eyes. ¡°your father is audacious.¡±


    of course, fang ke was audacious. otherwise, how could he have hidden the truth from ye ling¡¯s mother and grandfather as a son-in -law and eventually taken control of all the ye family¡¯s assets after their passing?


    as ye ling pondered this, her expression turned somewhat cold.


    ¡°but i truly can¡¯t fathom it. you are your father¡¯s biological daughter, and you¡¯re so young. how could he bear to let you replace your stepmother¡¯s daughter and endure the rural life? is he out of his mind?¡± sun li said in bewilderment and anger.


    ye ling shook her head slowly. ¡°i don¡¯t know, but i don¡¯t care about his thoughts. in my heart, i don¡¯t have a father.¡±


    sun li let out a sigh and held ye ling¡¯s hand. she used to like ye ling, but now, she felt even more compassion for her.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, auntie sun,¡± ye ling said with a bright smile, comforting sun li. ¡°i think my life is pretty good now. if i hadn¡¯t come to the countryside, i wouldn¡¯t have met big brother min nan and all of you, and i¡¯m quite happy with how things are going.. isn¡¯t that enough?¡±

 Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: Anxious

    chapter 134: anxious


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    sun li looked at ye ling with pity. ¡°you don¡¯t have to have such a family,


    lingling. from now on, consider auntie sun as your family, and wan hai, wan xue, and the others as your siblings. no matter what you go through, you can always confide in us. you won¡¯t be alone anymore.¡±


    hearing sun li¡¯s words, ye ling¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. she took a deep breath and nodded vigorously. ¡°okay!¡±


    sun li smiled affectionately, looking at ye ling gently.


    ¡°oh, by the way.¡± ye ling suddenly remembered something. ¡°auntie sun, please wait for me a moment.¡±


    ye ling stood up and went to her room to retrieve a jar of ointment. she handed it to sun li and said, ¡°i made this ointment myself. it¡¯s very effective for treating burns and reducing scars. give it a try, auntie sun.¡±


    sun li took the ointment and looked at ye ling in surprise. ¡°when did you make this? you know how to do this?¡±


    ¡°i made it secretly,¡± ye ling mumbled. ¡°i wanted to surprise you. as for the formula, it¡¯s a family secret passed down through the ye family. even my father doesn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re a good child. my hand is nearly healed, but you still went to such lengths to make this ointment.¡± while sun li said this, her smile grew brighter. who wouldn¡¯t appreciate the feeling of being cared for and loved?


    ¡°then, auntie sun, let me help you apply the ointment.¡± ye ling took out a small piece of wood and scooped out a small amount of ointment from the jar. she placed it in her palm and explained to sun li, ¡°use the warmth of your palm to melt the ointment, and then apply it to the burned area.¡±


    ye ling applied the ointment to the burned skin on sun li¡¯s hand and gently massaged it, ensuring that the ointment was completely absorbed.


    enjoying the massage from ye ling¡¯s fair and tender hands, sun li closed her eyes in contentment. she couldn¡¯t help but think once again that having a daughter was truly wonderful.


    in sun li¡¯s eyes, even if the relationship between ye ling and min nan didn¡¯t progress, she would continue to cherish ye ling like a goddaughter.


    however, she felt conflicted when she thought about it. she had always assumed that ye ling was an adult, so she eagerly looked forward to ye ling and min nan establishing a relationship. but now, she had just discovered that ye ling was still so young!


    later that night, when min nan returned home, sun li discreetly summoned him to the backyard.


    seeing sun li¡¯s serious expression, min nan thought that something significant had happened and felt a bit anxious. ¡°godmother, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°min nan, let me tell you something related to lingling,¡± sun li said seriously.


    had something happened to ye ling? min nan¡¯s heart tightened, and his calm demeanor shifted to nervousness.


    sun li contemplated for a moment and said, ¡°this is a secret of lingling¡¯s. i shouldn¡¯t be revealing it, but i know how you feel about her. i¡¯m certain you won¡¯t share lingling¡¯s secret with anyone, so i¡¯m telling you first. please don¡¯t mention it to wan hai and the others.¡±


    a secret of ye ling¡¯s? min nan felt even more puzzled.


    sun li briefly recounted what she and ye ling had discussed earlier that afternoon, and then she added seriously, ¡°lingling is still underage. i had hoped for both of you to establish your relationship sooner, but now it seems we shouldn¡¯t rush it. you should be cautious and not come on too strong, or you might startle lingling.¡±


    min nan¡¯s pupils slightly contracted. he had never imagined that ye ling was less than seventeen years old.


    was she really that young?


    min nan had a feeling as if the world before his eyes had turned dark. he was beginning to feel self-reproach for having so many inappropriate thoughts about a girl who wasn¡¯t even seventeen.


    if he had known that ye ling was this young, perhaps he¡­


    no, liking someone was not something that could be controlled. he might still make the same choice.


    min nan sighed internally. ye ling was still very young, and they had several years before she reached the legal marriage age. it felt more like raising a daughter.


    nevertheless, their relationship hadn¡¯t made any progress, so it was too early to think about such matters.


    besides, what if ye ling didn¡¯t have feelings for him? ye ling treated him just like she did the two brothers, wan hai and wan feng. could it be that she considered him a brother as well?


    no, min nan couldn¡¯t think that way. perhaps a seventeen-year-old girl hadn¡¯t developed a sense of romantic love yet.


    it didn¡¯t matter if ye ling didn¡¯t like him for the time being, as long as she didn¡¯t like other men.


    sun li¡¯s words suddenly made min nan anxious. he thought of a bunch of messy things..

 Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: Are You Afraid?

    chapter 135: are you afraid?


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    during dinner, ye ling felt that min nan was acting a little strange. the way he looked at her was also different from before. however, since min nan didn¡¯t show it clearly, ye ling didn¡¯t think too much about it.


    after dinner, min nan called ye ling out. ¡°ma kang is going to send away the workers who aren¡¯t that seriously injured,¡± he said.


    ye ling frowned. ¡°so fast? could it be that they have already negotiated a price?¡±


    min nan nodded. ¡°almost. after the first batch of workers leave, the remaining people probably won¡¯t stay in willow village for too long. after all, they¡¯re not from willow village. it¡¯s not convenient for them to stay here for a long time.¡±


    ye ling understood what this meant. if ma kang sent these people away, there would have been no witnesses or parties involved in the mine incident. even if they wanted to pursue this matter in the future, there was no way they could do so.


    ye ling looked up at min nan. ¡°when do you plan to report this matter?¡±


    min nan¡¯s eyes were firm and calm. ¡°tomorrow, i¡¯ll go to the county, but this matter is more complicated. i¡¯ll only be back in at least two days.¡±


    ye ling took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°alright, be careful.¡± after some thought, ye ling added, ¡°don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    she knew that ma kang¡¯s men must have been keeping an eye on min nan. once min nan left, ma kang would take action. he would either stop min nan or target her.


    ¡°with my godmother around, ma kang can¡¯t hurt you for the time being, but he will threaten you. when the time comes, we¡¯ll act according to the plan.¡±


    min nan paused for a moment and looked at ye ling. thinking of the young girl in front of him who was not even seventeen years old, he felt guilty and tender. his tone was as gentle as a spring breeze. ¡°are you afraid?¡±


    the man¡¯s gentle tone stunned ye ling for a moment, and her heartbeat faster in an instant.


    min nan¡¯s face in front of her slowly overlapped with the man¡¯s face in her dream that night. ye ling¡¯s face instantly turned hot. she lowered her eyes in panic. ¡°i¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    ¡°alright, wait for me to come back. i won¡¯t let ma kang hurt you,¡± min nan said in a low voice.


    after breakfast the next day, min nan left. ye ling looked up at the sky. it was a cloudy day, and there was no sunlight at all.


    worried that it would rain, ye ling hurriedly grabbed an umbrella and ran out. she caught up with min nan and stuffed the umbrella into his hands. ¡°be careful, it¡¯s raining!¡±


    min nan prepared to go to the county with dai wei. dai wei had already prepared umbrellas and food for the two of them. however, when he saw ye ling catching up, min nan didn¡¯t say anything. he took the umbrella from ye


    ling¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°okay, i understand. you can go back.¡±


    ye ling usually did not smile, but at this moment, when the man in front of her smiled, it was as if the haze in the sky above her head had been dispelled.


    the deep gentleness in his eyes was like a jar of mellow ancient wine, intoxicating people before they even tasted it. ye ling stared at min nan in a daze, lost in her thoughts, and only came back to her senses after a few seconds.


    ¡°alright, then i¡¯ll go back.¡± ye ling turned around, and the cold wind blew at her clothes and hair. she narrowed her eyes to prevent the sand from blowing into her eyes.


    the moment ye ling turned around, min nan had a strong urge to hug the thin girl tightly in his arms. his muscles tensed up, and he almost couldn¡¯t control the urge that came from the depths of his soul.


    min nan took a deep breath and watched as ye ling¡¯s back slowly shrunk. then, he turned around and left.


    not long after min nan left, heavy rain fell. the dry ground quickly turned muddy, and the light in the house was very dim.


    ye ling sat on the bed and leaned against the wall, listening to the sound of the rain hitting the roof tiles. the sound was crisp and pleasant, like the music played by nature.


    but soon, the harmonious atmosphere was disrupted as a noisy commotion came from the door. ye ling furrowed her brow, got out of bed, and pushed open the door to step outside. there, she saw ma kang wearing a raincoat, with several village cadres following behind him.


    ma kang¡¯s face was gloomy and even a little flustered.


    sun li stood beside ye ling and looked at ma kang impatiently. ¡°what is secretary ma doing here? it¡¯s raining so heavily outside. can¡¯t we talk about it another day?¡±


    ma kang ignored sun li and looked at ye ling gloomily. ¡°ye ling, you don¡¯t have a medical license. you operated on a seriously injured worker without permission. it¡¯s a serious violation of the rules. come with me to the village committee. we want to conduct a comprehensive and detailed investigation on you..¡±

 Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Make a Move

    chapter 136: make a move


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    sun li¡¯s expression changed when she heard ma kang¡¯s words. she stood in front of ye ling and glared at ma kang angrily, saying, ¡°with me here, i¡¯ll see who dares to take ye ling away!¡±


    ma kang sneered and said, ¡°sun li, don¡¯t think that you can be unreasonable just because you¡¯re a family member of a martyr. i advise you not to cause trouble. otherwise, you¡¯ll be considered obstructing official business. be careful, or i¡¯ll take you away with me!¡±


    ma kang¡¯s eyes were burning with hatred.


    although he had already sent people to stop min nan, min nan was a soldier and had excellent anti-reconnaissance abilities. it was hard to say if the people he sent could catch up to him. even if they found him, they might not be able to defeat him.


    if min nan insisted on going against him, there was a high chance that the matter in the mine could not be hidden anymore.


    such a big incident had happened in the village. when the higher-ups came down to investigate, he, the secretary, would not be able to escape punishment. moreover, after the incident, he did not report it immediately. instead, he hid the truth. this was another serious crime.


    at that time, it was hard to say whether he could keep his position.


    this min nan was hateful and hateful!


    ma kang didn¡¯t want to care about anything else. since min nan wouldn¡¯t let him off, he wouldn¡¯t let him off either. didn¡¯t min nan like this woman in front of him? then he would make min nan regret his choice today for the rest of his life!


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, auntie sun. i¡¯ll go with him. i didn¡¯t hurt anyone anyway. i have a clear conscience.¡± ye ling grabbed sun li¡¯s arm and said calmly.


    ¡°lingling¡­¡± sun li gritted her teeth and looked at ye ling worriedly.


    ¡°what are you waiting for? hurry up and take her away!¡± ma kang raised his finger and pointed at ye ling. the rain splashed on his face, making his twisted features look even more hideous.


    sun li turned her head and glared at ma kang angrily, saying, ¡°you haven¡¯t investigated yet. why do you have the attitude of arresting a criminal? i¡¯ll send lingling to the village committee. i¡¯ll see who dares to bully lingling before the matter is investigated!¡±


    sun li found a large raincoat and put it on ye ling. then, she held an umbrella and prepared to follow.


    wan xue hid at the kitchen door and watched as ye ling and sun li were about to leave. he was a little nervous and scared. he couldn¡¯t help but run out and pull sun li¡¯s sleeve, asking, ¡°mom, where are you going? what are they going to do to sister lingling?


    ¡°don¡¯t worry.¡± sun li patted her son¡¯s head and said gently, ¡°just stay at home and wait for us to come back.¡±


    ¡°hmph!¡± ma kang snorted coldly and said in a gloomy tone, ¡°come back? ye ling can forget about coming back in this lifetime!¡±


    the group of people left sun li¡¯s house. ye ling was surrounded by a few village cadres, and sun li followed behind with an umbrella.


    ma kang came to sun li¡¯s house with a lot of people. although it was raining heavily, the villagers living near sun li¡¯s house stood under the eaves and stretched their necks to watch the fun.


    the villagers didn¡¯t know what had happened, but they could tell that ma kang had taken ye ling away for no good reason.


    due to the heavy rain, the ground in the countryside had become a muddy road, making it difficult to walk. although ye ling was wearing the old-fashioned rubber boots that sun li had given her, it was still difficult to pull them out when they stepped into the mud.


    ¡°what are you waiting for? didn¡¯t you eat? hurry up!¡± a village cadre said impatiently.


    he was already in a bad mood when he came out to carry out official duties on a rainy day. when he thought about how he might be punished after min nan reported him to the county, he felt even worse about ye ling. seeing that ye ling was walking slowly, he suddenly reached out and gave her a hard push.


    ye ling fell onto the muddy ground. the mud splashed onto her raincoat, and some mud droplets landed on her fair cheeks, making her look a little disheveled.


    sun li screamed and closed the umbrella. she rushed forward and hit the village cadre who had attacked ye ling, saying, ¡°you dare to hit her?¡±


    ¡°who hit her?¡±


    the village cadre was hit before he could finish his sentence. he didn¡¯t expect sun li to go crazy. he immediately raised his arm to protect his vital parts, but this way, his arm was exposed. after being hit by sun li, it hurt badly.


    ma kang¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. a group of people were walking on the road, and there were villagers living beside them. with this commotion, more villagers ran out to watch.


    ¡°enough! sun li, stop!¡± ma kang roared, and two village cadres stepped forward to stop sun li.


    fortunately, ma kang had brought more people with him. otherwise, one or two people would not be able to subdue a shrewish woman like sun li.


    sun li was stopped by two people. the two people wanted to grab her arm, but sun li raised her foot and stepped on their feet. the two people screamed and fell into the mud..

 Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Good Person

    chapter 137: good person


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    sun li hurried to ye ling¡¯s side and helped her up. she asked with concern, ¡°are you hurt? these b*stards, if your uncle wan was still here, i¡¯d like to see if they dared to fart!¡±


    ye ling stood up, her raincoat covered in mud. she shook her head slowly and managed a smile. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯m fine.¡±


    ma kang glared at the two of them. if it weren¡¯t for the fact that there were too many people watching, he would have taught sun li and ye ling a lesson. however, as the secretary of willow village, he couldn¡¯t deal with these two in front of the villagers.


    things would be different once they reached the village committee. he could lock up ye ling and execute his revenge plan.


    the torrential rain gradually subsided, and ma kang wiped the rain off his face. he said coldly, ¡°what are you waiting for? hurry up and go!¡±


    sun li gave an angry look at ma kang. she remembered when her husband,


    wan yang, was alive, ma kang would always greet her with a smile, calling her sister li. during the spring festival at year-end, ma kang even brought gifts to their home for the new year. now, ma kang had changed so drastically. it seemed that once people gained power, they transformed into someone else.


    sun li supported ye ling. they had not gone far when someone suddenly caught up with them.


    ye ling looked at the woman who had caught up and felt she looked familiar.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± the woman held a little boy¡¯s hand and approached ma kang. she swallowed hard and asked, ¡°secretary ma, what are you doing?


    ma kang furrowed his brow and looked at the woman. ¡°do i need to report to you what i¡¯m doing?


    the woman turned to look at ye ling. though she appeared nervous and scared, she summoned the courage to say, ¡°secretary ma, is there a misunderstanding? i know this young lady. she¡¯s a good person, and i can vouch for her.¡±


    ye ling observed the little boy held by the woman and finally recognized who she was.


    this little boy was xiao xu. when ye ling first arrived in willow village, she had saved his life when he nearly suffocated on the road. after that incident, she had never seen xiao hu and his mother again. she never expected that xiao hu¡¯s mother still remembered her.


    as the rain had subsided, the villagers living near the road had come out of their homes and stood not far away, whispering while watching ma kang and the others.


    ma kang gazed at xiao hu¡¯s mother. his patience was running thin, and his eyes were filled with frustration. ¡°misunderstanding? are you doubting me? should i resign, and you can become the secretary? are you dissatisfied with me? would you like to come with me to the village committee? i¡¯ll provide you with paper and a pen, and you can write a complaint letter to send to the county to have me dismissed. will that satisfy you?¡±


    with each word ma kang spoke, xiao huts mother¡¯s face grew paler. she clenched her lip tightly. despite feeling flustered and afraid, she continued, ¡°secretary ma, i am an uneducated rural woman. i only know that this comrade ye saved my son¡¯s life. she is my benefactor, and i don¡¯t believe she would commit any illegal acts.¡±


    many people recalled how ye ling had saved xiao hu¡¯s life, and an elderly woman chimed in, ¡°xiao hu¡¯s mother is right. if it weren¡¯t for comrade ye¡¯s help, i doubt xiao hu could have been saved.¡±


    ¡°is that relevant?¡± ma kang gritted his teeth and roared angrily. ¡°what do you all know? shut up!¡±


    ye ling took a deep breath and told xiao hu¡¯s mother, ¡°thank you for speaking up for me. but don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll be fine. take xiao hu back, it¡¯s still drizzling, and i wouldn¡¯t want the child to catch a cold in the rain.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s gentle words touched xiao huts mother deeply. she couldn¡¯t understand why such a gentle and kind educated youth like ye ling was taken away by ma kang from sun li¡¯s house. the woman was confused about what mistake ye ling had made.


    xiao huts mother and the surrounding villagers watched as ma kang and ye ling gradually walked away and eventually disappeared.


    although the dark clouds in the sky had gradually dissipated, ma kang¡¯s face became darker and darker. he sneered and said, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect so many people to speak up for you, ye ling. you¡¯re truly remarkable!¡±


    ye ling paid no attention to ma kang and remained silent.


    ma kang felt a loss of face, which made him even angrier.. he quickened his pace and spoke in a harsh tone, ¡°hurry up! did you even eat?¡±

 Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: Interrogation

    chapter 138: interrogation


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    soon, the group of people arrived at the village committee.


    the village committee was a three-story gray brick house with a white wall outside. the wall was painted with red slogans like ¡°unite the masses, encourage production, be proactive, and strive for the best.¡±


    as soon as ye ling and sun li entered the courtyard, ma kang had someone open a room.


    ¡°you can lock me up, but auntie sun has nothing to do with this. you have to let her go,¡± ye ling said immediately.


    ma kang wasn¡¯t planning to do anything to sun li, but ye ling¡¯s tone made him uncomfortable. he said coldly, ¡°you should worry about yourself first!¡±


    one of the village cadres attempted to push ye ling into the room, but when he thought of the consequences that befell the last person who pushed her, he nervously glanced at sun li. eventually, he withdrew his hand and shouted, ¡°stop talking nonsense. hurry up and go in!¡±


    sun li was frustrated but had no choice. the village committee was ma kang¡¯s territory. if she continued opposing ma kang, he might lock her up in the end.


    ye ling looked at sun li and reassured her, ¡°auntie sun, you should go back. wan xue is still at home. don¡¯t let him worry and be scared at home alone. i¡¯ll be fine. don¡¯t worry.¡±


    sun li¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°you¡¯ve suffered again, good child.¡±


    although min nan had assured sun li that ye ling would be fine and sun li believed that min nan had everything under control, she couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken and angry seeing ye ling being mistreated by ma kang.


    after ma kang locked ye ling in the room, he pretended to arrange for two village cadres to bring in paper and pens for the interrogation. sun li stood in front of the tightly closed window, trying to peer inside, but she couldn¡¯t see anything.


    inside the room, two village cadres sat across from ye ling and began questioning her.


    they began by asking about ye ling¡¯s family situation and eventually inquired about her relationship with min nan. they even vaguely tried to find out if the two of them had sex.


    ye ling¡¯s hand under the table slowly clenched into a fist.


    they repeatedly asked the same questions, and if ye ling¡¯s answers showed the slightest inconsistency, the two would harshly reprimand her.


    after more than two hours, ye ling¡¯s voice was hoarse, and the interrogators were also growing tired. they left the room. soon, another two people entered.


    this was followed by another round of grueling interrogations. if ye ling answered a question too slowly, the interrogators would slam the table and scold her.


    by the afternoon, ye ling¡¯s mental state had deteriorated. her lips were parched, and her vocal cords ached.


    over an hour ago, she heard sun li bring her food, but after sun li was chased away, no one offered her anything to eat.


    ye ling understood that this was ma kang¡¯s initial retaliation.


    next, he might forge the interrogation records and frame her with false charges. eventually, he would strip her of her title as an educated youth and have her sent away.


    ye ling took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes. she leaned back in her chair, hoping to take a short break.


    however, someone noticed her small movement. the interrogator slammed the table hard and scolded her, ¡°sit up straight! this isn¡¯t your home!¡± ye ling frowned and looked coldly at the two people in front of her.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter? not convinced?¡± one of them stood up and approached ye ling, rudely reaching for her hair as if to pull her up.


    at that moment, a commotion at the door interrupted the interrogation.


    the interrogators exchanged glances, and one of them said, ¡°go out and see what¡¯s happening.¡±


    at the entrance, chen si and a group of workers with bandages stood angrily.


    ma kang came out and, upon seeing chen si and the workers, was momentarily stunned before his face darkened. ¡°are you here to cause trouble?¡±


    chen si had a crutch under one arm, and his trousers were covered in semi-dried mud. he was undeterred by ma kang¡¯s aggressive demeanor. with determination, he took a step forward, crutch in hand, and stared at ma kang coldly. ¡°did you lock up comrade ye?¡±


    finally, ma kang understood why chen si and the others had come to the village committee. he was furious, and his facial muscles trembled.. ¡°i get it, min nan sent you, right? that b*stard had planned everything!¡±

 Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: Threats

    chapter 139: threats


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    a worker behind chen si said loudly, ¡°let comrade ye go! ma kang, i could promise you that i wouldn¡¯t pursue the matter of mine, but comrade ye is my savior. you had to let her go!¡±


    the rest of the workers agreed, ¡°that¡¯s right. without comrade ye, we might have lost our lives. you want us to help you hide the matter of the mine, so you can¡¯t hurt comrade ye!¡±


    ¡°do you still want the compensation?¡± ma kang shouted angrily. if you continued to cause trouble at the entrance of the village committee, believe it or not, i¡¯d make sure you didn¡¯t get a single cent!¡±


    ma kang¡¯s words made a few workers hesitate, but a few of them still puffed out their chests and said firmly, ¡°we could earn more money, but we couldn¡¯t be heartless. if you didn¡¯t give me the money, then don¡¯t give it to me. i¡¯d treat it as a life-saving fee for comrade ye. in short, you had to let comrade ye go today!¡±


    ma kang didn¡¯t expect these workers to be so difficult to deal with. they didn¡¯t even want the money. they were really stupid!


    chen si walked up to ma kang and said in a gloomy tone, ¡°if you let ye ling go, we¡¯d leave immediately. if you didn¡¯t let her go, we¡¯d be staying at the entrance of the village committee today.¡±


    when dealing with a scoundrel like ma kang, he naturally had to use a scoundrel¡¯s method. after chen si finished speaking, a worker took out a rough waterproof canvas and laid it on the ground. several workers immediately sat down, looking like they weren¡¯t going to leave.


    ma kang was so angry that his face turned red. he had never been forced to this extent before.


    ¡°min nan, you¡¯re amazing! i¡¯ll remember you!¡± ma kang thought.


    ¡°if you let ye ling go, they wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for you,¡± chen si continued. ¡°you should know that when the county¡¯s investigation came down, the more people identified you, the bigger the trouble you¡¯d be in.¡±


    ma kang¡¯s expression was as if he had just eaten a fly. his eyes were wide open like an ugly frog, and he couldn¡¯t vent the anger in his heart. the veins near his temples were popping out.


    ¡°alright!¡± after half a minute, ma kang took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.


    ¡°alright, i¡¯d let her go!¡±


    a moment later, ye ling walked out of the room with her hands on the wall.


    chen si saw ye ling and hurriedly walked up to her. he said guiltily, ¡°sorry,


    comrade ye. we were late!¡±


    ye ling forced a smile and waved her hand. ¡°don¡¯t say that. i should thank


    you.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s voice was extremely hoarse. chen si knew that ma kang must have started his revenge on ye ling before they arrived. he felt extremely uncomfortable. he raised his hands, wanting to help ye ling, but he didn¡¯t dare.


    ye ling walked to the entrance of the village committee and met ma kang¡¯s gaze. ye ling didn¡¯t say anything and walked past ma kang, preparing to leave.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t expect min nan to be so interested in a woman. ye ling, you won.¡± ma kang¡¯s cold voice sounded from behind ye ling.


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± one of the workers said unhappily. ¡°we¡¯re here to look for comrade ye because she¡¯s our savior. it has nothing to do with anyone else. also, did a donkey kick your brain? comrade ye¡¯s medical skills are so good. if she were in my family, she would be worshipped by others, but you guys still treat her like this. there¡¯s something wrong with you!¡±


    the worker¡¯s words were so rude that ma kang almost fainted. his body swayed, and he held the door with all his strength. his knuckles almost scratched the wooden board.


    chen si patted the worker¡¯s shoulder and said to the others, ¡°alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    when the others heard chen si¡¯s words, they immediately put the tarpaulin on the ground and followed ye ling and chen si. the group gradually drifted away.


    behind ma kang, a village cadre looked at the group of people¡¯s backs unwillingly and said to ma kang, ¡°secretary, are we just going to let them go?¡±


    ¡°what else?¡± ma kang said angrily. he rubbed his chest with his right hand. he felt like he was about to have a heart attack.


    for those workers, chen si, who had gone down the mountain to report the news, could be said to be their savior. that was why they were organized by chen si to cause trouble at the entrance of the village committee.


    to chen si and the workers, ye ling was their savior.


    although these workers valued money, they valued friendship more. that was why they took the risk of not getting a single cent of compensation to take ye


    ling away.


    ma kang slammed the door hard.


    he had miscalculated this time. he had not considered that the workers were a variable.


    he had thought that he had already bribed most of the people and that those people would no longer pose any threat to him..

 Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Reporting In

    chapter 140: reporting in


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ¡°i¡¯m fine now. you can all go back. chen si, your leg injury hasn¡¯t completely healed. you don¡¯t need to accompany me. go back and rest.¡± after walking about a kilometer, ye ling said to chen si and the workers.


    seeing that ye ling was temporarily safe, the workers expressed their gratitude once more and left one by one.


    however, chen si stayed behind. he looked at ye ling and said, ¡°it¡¯s alright. i have my crutch, and my leg doesn¡¯t hurt at all. comrade ye, let me walk you home.¡±


    ye ling could tell that chen si was still a bit concerned, perhaps worried that ma kang¡¯s men might catch up.


    after a brief moment of thought, ye ling nodded. ¡°alright.¡±


    the two of them didn¡¯t walk quickly, and they only reached the wan family¡¯s house as darkness was setting in.


    from a distance, ye ling saw the grayish smoke rising from the kitchen¡¯s chimney. she then turned to chen si, who was about to leave, and said, ¡°stay for dinner.¡±


    chen si waved his hand. ¡°no need, comrade ye. i¡¯m heading back now. you must be exhausted today. go home and have a good meal.¡±


    ye ling smiled and nodded. ¡°alright, thank you very much for today.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s nothing. you saved me, and i just lent a helping hand. it¡¯s not worth mentioning,¡± chen si said with a warm smile.


    upon returning home, ye ling entered the kitchen. sun li, seeing that she had returned, approached her with surprise and carefully examined her to ensure she hadn¡¯t been hurt. once she confirmed ye ling was unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°chen si had a villager tell me that you¡¯d be back in the evening. i was wondering if he was just fooling me, but you did come back!¡± sun li exclaimed with joy.


    ye ling briefly explained how chen si and the workers had pressured ma kang into releasing her.


    sun li, noticing ye ling¡¯s hoarse voice, grasped her hand and asked with concern, ¡°did that scoundrel ma kang mistreat you?¡±


    ye ling offered a faint smile and reassured sun li, ¡°auntie sun, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯m truly fine. what are we eating tonight?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m planning to make meat pies and egg soup,¡± sun li replied. ¡°if you don¡¯t have much of an appetite, we can prepare something else.¡±


    ye ling breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that the conversation had shifted.


    in the evening, wan hai and wan feng returned. they were delighted to find meat pies for dinner, and their stomachs rumbled with excitement.


    ¡°pia!¡± sun li scolded wan feng by tapping his hand with her chopsticks. ¡°lingling hasn¡¯t eaten yet. why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    wan feng pouted and withdrew his hand.


    ye ling took a meat pie and then offered a crispy, golden one to wan feng, brightening his mood.


    wan hai had already heard about the day¡¯s events from the villagers. while eating the pies, he grumbled, ¡°why didn¡¯t min nan let wan feng and me help? i¡¯ve been worried about lingling all day. thankfully, she¡¯s alright, or i wouldn¡¯t have let that ma kang off the hook!¡±


    wan feng banged the table and mumbled, ¡°lingling, did ma kang mistreat you? don¡¯t be afraid, tell me the truth! i¡¯ve already prepared the sack, and i¡¯ll give him a beating on his way home tomorrow night!¡±


    sun li glared at her two sons. ¡°you two won¡¯t be of much help. min nan is just worried that you¡¯ll act recklessly and give ma kang ammunition. wan feng, in particular, doesn¡¯t do anything impulsive.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m truly fine,¡± ye ling assured with a smile. ¡°ma kang simply asked me a few questions. it wasn¡¯t long before chen si and the others arrived.¡±


    when wan hai returned, he had already observed ye ling. ye ling was indeed not injured. when he heard ye ling¡¯s words, he heaved a sigh of relief and commented, ¡°it¡¯s all thanks to min nan¡¯s idea. otherwise, it would have been quite difficult to handle.¡±


    sun li nodded in agreement. ¡°fortunately, those workers have a conscience. i always knew that good deeds bring good rewards. lingling is so kind and has helped so many people. god won¡¯t forsake her.¡±


    after three days of absence, min nan finally returned. she was accompanied by a special agent sent by the county to conduct a preliminary investigation.


    min nan took the special agent and the others to the village committee and arranged for li dong to receive them before hurrying back home.


    as he pushed open the door, the usually composed min nan anxiously searched for a certain figure.


    sun li heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing min nan¡¯s return. she then noticed that min nan seemed to be searching for someone and explained, ¡°lingling isn¡¯t at home. she took her identification documents and went to the pharmacy to report.¡±


    ¡°report to the pharmacy¡­,¡± min nan nearly forgot. ye ling had already passed the pharmacy administrator¡¯s exam, and if it weren¡¯t for ma kang¡¯s interference, she might have left the wan family long ago..

 Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Pharmacy

    chapter 141: pharmacy


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    at the thought of this, min nan felt a sharp pain in his heart.


    ¡°go fetch her back,¡± sun li¡¯s voice suddenly sounded.


    min nan looked up and saw sun li smiling gently and understandingly at him.


    seeing that min nan seemed to be hesitant, sun li continued, ¡°people who were fated would still come together in the future even if they were temporarily separated. min nan don¡¯t be discouraged. think about how your uncle wan and i got together back then. you couldn¡¯t give up just like that.¡±


    hearing sun li¡¯s words, min nan¡¯s slightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed. the confusion and hesitation in his heart also slowly dissipated.


    min nan¡¯s godfather, wan yang, had fallen in love with sun li back then. however, sun li¡¯s parents despised wan yang for not having much money. without sun li¡¯s consent, they let sun li get engaged to a carpenter in the village and even accepted the betrothal gift.


    after wan yang found out about this, he went to look for sun li, only to find that sun li was locked in her room by her parents, waiting to get married.


    seeing that their relationship seemed to have reached a dead end, wan yang didn¡¯t give up. he went straight to the door of the carpenter¡¯s house and stood there without doing anything. when the carpenter went out, he followed the carpenter. his gloomy and murderous eyes fell on the back of the carpenter¡¯s head without saying a word.


    after three days, the carpenter finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. he was on the verge of breaking down. in the end, he ran to sun li¡¯s house and proposed to cancel the engagement.


    sun li¡¯s parents were angry and helpless. they scolded wan yang for being a scoundrel.


    even though sun li¡¯s parents were angry, they could do nothing about it. after the carpenter broke off the engagement, everyone in the village knew about the relationship between sun li and wan yang. no one dared to be the love rival of wan yang.


    in the end, sun li¡¯s parents could only agree to the marriage between wan yang and sun li.


    after the marriage, wan yang joined the army and made many contributions to the army, getting promoted all the way.


    if wan yang were still alive, his current achievements would probably not be much worse than min nan¡¯s father.


    min nan took a deep breath. his eyes gradually became clear and determined. he nodded at sun li. ¡°godmother, thank you. i understand. then i went to pick up ye ling.¡±


    ye ling arrived at the entrance of the newly built pharmacy in stone village.


    although this pharmacy belonged to stone village, as the largest pharmacy in the surrounding dozens of miles, the planner also hoped that this pharmacy could benefit more people. therefore, the address of the pharmacy was located in the southernmost part of stone village, and there was a wide road leading to lotus village and willow village on both sides.


    the pharmacy only had one floor, and the main body was in the shape of an ¡®l¡¯. there were a total of three rooms in the horizontal row. the two rooms on the left were the areas where various medicinal herbs were placed. the two rooms were connected.


    the first half of the third room was a consultation room. there was a resting area separated by a sliding door behind the consultation room. there were two beds in the resting area and a table by the window.


    there were two smaller houses next to the three houses. one was a utility room with a small toilet behind it. the other had a stove that could be used to cook.


    ye ling sized up the layout of the pharmacy. thinking that this was where she would be working in the future, she felt a little excited.


    ye ling walked into the room on the left. as soon as she entered, she smelled a mixture of cooked herbs.


    ye ling took a deep breath and felt a sense of familiarity.


    it was as if she had returned to the hundred herb hall.


    the two people sitting behind the counter heard footsteps. at first, they thought it was a patient who came to get medicine. when they looked up, yun


    jie was stunned. ¡°ye ling?¡±


    ye ling smiled when she saw yun jie.


    yun jie opened the closed door and walked out from behind the counter. ¡°you¡¯re here to report, right? just give me the document. by the way, let me introduce you. she¡¯s ji mei. ji mei, this is ye ling.¡±


    ji mei looked a little older than yun jie and ye ling. she had a round face and a


    friendly smile.


    ji mei looked at ye ling with a hint of admiration in her eyes. ¡°you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    ye ling was stunned. did she get full marks in the selection test? why didn¡¯t she know?


    ¡°my uncle is the examiner, so you know what i mean,¡± ji mei said with a smile. ¡°but i didn¡¯t get through the test by using connections. i came in last place with good results,¡± ji mei added hastily, worried that ye ling might misunderstand.


    ji mei was an honest and cute girl. hence, ye ling reached out her hand and shook hands with ji mei. her eyes sparkled as she looked at the two rows of huge medicine cabinets placed against the wall behind the counter..¡±

 Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: Reluctant

    chapter 142: reluctant


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    yun jie checked the documents that ye ling had brought to ensure that there were no missing materials. she commented, ¡°only the first-place finisher can delay reporting for so many days without being criticized by sister gao. furthermore, even before you arrived, sister gao has been constantly mentioning you, fearing that willow village will discover your talent and won¡¯t allow you to leave.¡±


    ¡°sister gao?¡± ye ling turned to yun jie with a puzzled expression.


    ji mei explained, ¡°sister gao is the person in charge of the pharmacy, gao min. she is also a cadre in the town¡¯s women¡¯s union and the attending doctor of the town clinic. she¡¯s usually very busy. the pharmacy just opened a few days ago, and she has been coming every day. however, in recent days, she only comes on her shifts and days off.¡±


    ye ling nodded, thinking that sister gao sounded quite impressive.


    ye ling also had aspirations to obtain a medical license, so she knew she would be interacting with sister gao frequently in the future.


    obtaining a medical license was much more challenging than the pharmacy administrator selection exam and required a certificate of endorsement from a township hospital. this meant that ye ling needed approval from the town clinic to participate in the county¡¯s medical license exam.


    the medical license exam did not restrict the number of people who could pass. it only depended on the scores. to pass, candidates needed a score of over 90 in a 100-point test.


    what kind of concept was this? according to ye ling¡¯s understanding, in willow village¡¯s clinic, only doctor xu had a medical license. the other doctors and nurses should have been participating in the medical license assessment every year.


    however, so far, it appeared that no one had passed all the assessments and obtained a medical license.


    hence, the value of this medical license was very high, and obtaining it was quite challenging.


    of course, such a difficulty setting was reasonable. a doctor¡¯s job involved dealing with patients¡¯ lives and health. compared to other professions, it required more precise judgment and a lower margin of error. therefore, it was justifiable to have a stricter selection process.


    yun jie collected ye ling¡¯s documents and said, ¡°i¡¯ll submit your documents. you can start work the day after tomorrow. we¡¯ll reorganize the schedule at that time. can you make it the day after tomorrow?¡±


    ye ling nodded and replied, ¡°no problem. ¡±


    ji mei then suggested, ¡°yun jie, why don¡¯t you show ye ling around and introduce her to the pharmacy¡¯s basics?¡±


    afterward, ye ling accompanied yun jie around the pharmacy. seeing the hundreds of herbs in the medicine cabinets, ye ling was ecstatic and wished she could sleep in the pharmacy at night.


    however, as daylight faded outside, ye ling suppressed her excitement and said to yun jie, ¡°it¡¯s getting late. i should head back.¡±


    yun jie nodded and, after seeing ye ling to the door, she asked, ¡°you¡¯re still living in willow village. do you plan to move back to stone village?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m planning to move back. before coming to the pharmacy, i spoke to the village chief, and he said they would arrange a new educated youth dormitory for me.¡±


    yun jie smiled and said, ¡°it would be great if you could move to my side. we could work together in the future.¡±


    ye ling also had high hopes for that prospect and felt that a new chapter in her life was beckoning.


    after bidding farewell to yun jie, ye ling walked back along the rural path bathed in the orange hue of the sunset.


    as she observed her steps moving forward, ye ling contemplated her imminent departure from the wan family, which brought a sharp pang of emotion. starting a new life meant saying goodbye to some people, and although it wasn¡¯t permanent, it still felt like parting.


    ye ling felt a deep sense of unease, particularly when she thought about someone. she was filled with a profound sense of reluctance.


    as ye ling was lost in these thoughts, her vision suddenly darkened, and she realized there was someone in front of her. she had almost collided with this person due to her slow reaction. when she raised her head, they were already in close proximity. ye ling felt her shoulder being gently pressed by the person, who then used a bit of force to create distance between them. then, she heard a familiar voice whisper, ¡°what were you thinking? you weren¡¯t even looking where you were walking. ¡±


    ye ling raised her head and stared blankly at min nan.


    the person she had been thinking about just moments ago had suddenly appeared in front of her. it was a rather peculiar feeling.


    when min nan saw ye ling, he walked towards her. he thought ye ling would notice him soon, but ye ling was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t even stop and ran straight into him..

 Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Sad

    chapter 143: sad


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling blushed and hesitated to meet min nan¡¯s gaze. she asked, ¡°big brother


    min nan, what brings you here?¡±


    min nan remained silent for a moment and then replied in a calm tone, ¡°i¡¯ve come to pick you up.¡±


    ye ling was taken aback. was min nan here specifically to pick her up?


    ¡°have you completed your onboarding paperwork? when are you going to work at the pharmacy?¡± min nan inquired.


    min nan¡¯s question interrupted ye ling¡¯s thoughts. she quickly responded, ¡°i¡¯ve already submitted my employment documents to my colleagues at the pharmacy. i¡¯ll begin working at the pharmacy the day after tomorrow. tomorrow, the village chief will inform me of my new dormitory assignment, and then i¡¯ll move there directly.¡±


    the last few sentences were challenging for ye ling to say. suddenly, she was about to leave the wan family, and she wondered if she would ever have the chance to meet min nan again in the future. unless there were unexpected circumstances, it seemed like their interactions might come to an end.


    upon hearing ye ling¡¯s words, min nan, though mentally prepared, felt a dull ache in his heart. he wished he could turn back time to the day when ye ling first arrived in willow village.


    in the future, when he woke up in the morning, he would never see the young girl who always had a gentle smile on her face again. he would never hear her call his name in a clear voice again.


    ¡°alright, i¡¯ll assist you with your move tomorrow,¡± min nan calmly offered. his voice revealed little emotion.


    ye ling was feeling quite distressed at the moment, and min nan¡¯s composed response made her feel somewhat wronged. she realized that min nan might not be particularly reluctant to see her go. she thought to herself that min nan was a man and might not have as many intricate thoughts as she did.


    taking a deep breath, ye ling managed a forced smile and said, ¡°no need. i don¡¯t have many belongings, and i can handle the move myself.¡±


    min nan understood that ye ling preferred not to inconvenience others. he didn¡¯t press the matter but had already decided that he would still come to help ye ling with her move the following day.


    upon returning home, ye ling shared the news of her imminent departure with sun li and the others. sun li appeared somewhat sad upon hearing this, and wan xue tightly embraced ye ling, tears welling up in his eyes. he pleaded, ¡°sister lingling, can you please stay and not leave?¡±


    wan hai gently pulled wan xue away from ye ling and consoled his brother, saying, ¡°sister lingling was originally staying with us for a limited period. sooner or later, she¡¯ll have to return. but wherever she goes in the future, she will always be your sister lingling. if you miss her, we can visit her at the pharmacy.¡±


    wan xue looked at ye ling with teary eyes. ¡°no, i want sister lingling to stay in our house!¡±


    min nan, seeing wan xue¡¯s continuous crying and commotion, adopted a stern tone. ¡°stop making a scene!¡±


    min nan¡¯s serious demeanor had a commanding presence, and wan xue¡¯s tears instantly ceased. he continued to gaze at ye ling with a pitiable expression.


    ye ling was also deeply affected. she took a small paper package out of her pocket and handed it to wan xue. ¡°ah xue, please don¡¯t cry. i¡¯ll still visit you often in the future. these are various candies i made for you. if you miss me, just have one. ah xue, remember to study hard and listen to your mom and your brothers, alright?¡±


    wan xue accepted the candies ye ling had made for him and nodded, his voice choked with emotion.


    the atmosphere in the room was filled with a sense of melancholy. finally, sun li said, ¡°lingling, come with me to town tomorrow. let¡¯s take your measurements and get some clothes made. i never expected you would leave so suddenly.¡±


    ye ling nodded. she had many things she wanted to say to sun li and the wan family brothers, but ultimately, she fell silent.


    when it came to farewells, sometimes saying more words only heightened the sadness.


    ye ling put on a facade of ease. after the family finished their dinner, she cleaned up and returned to her room to pack her belongings.


    she didn¡¯t have many things to begin with, and her wardrobe consisted of just a few pieces of clothing. however, the beautiful jewelry, scarves, and other items that sun li had bought for her in the city took up quite some space.


    early the next morning, after breakfast, ye ling and sun li set off for town. upon entering an old shop with a weathered sign, ye ling saw a tailor in her sixties, busy at work on a sewing machine. the shop¡¯s walls were adorned with various fabrics and partially completed garments.


    sun li greeted the elderly tailor, saying, ¡°master, i¡¯d like to have some beautiful clothes made for this girl. do you have any stylish designs available?


    we¡¯ve already brought our own fabric.¡±


    the old lady wore reading glasses on her nose and an old-fashioned gold bracelet on her bony wrist. she examined the fabric sun li had brought and nodded approvingly. ¡°you purchased these from the south, right? the quality of this fabric is quite good, breathable, lightweight, and durable..¡±

 Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Return

    chapter 144: return


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    the three of them discussed the design together, and in the end, sun li gave the old tailor a cloth ticket equivalent to her salary.


    ¡°you could come and get it in a week,¡± the old tailor said.


    sun li gave a few more instructions. after that, sun li wanted to take ye ling to the market to buy some things, but ye ling didn¡¯t want sun li to spend any more money. she used the excuse of being in a hurry to return and move her things, and they both went back to willow village.


    when they returned home, min nan and wan xue were also there. ye ling prepared to go to the educated youth dormitory in willow village to pack her blanket and other belongings. min nan and wan xue offered to help, and ye ling had no choice but to agree.


    the three of them arrived at the educated youth dormitory. after ye ling finished packing her things, min nan helped her carry the heaviest box. they were now ready to go to stone village.


    before leaving, ye ling went to yu huan¡¯s dormitory to bid farewell.


    yu huan hadn¡¯t expected ye ling to leave so hastily. she quickly changed into her clothes and went out, expressing her desire to accompany ye ling to stone village.


    thus, the group going to stone village now consisted of four people.


    upon entering stone village and seeing the familiar houses and roads, ye ling felt a sense of nostalgia, thinking, ¡°i¡¯m back.¡±


    when she had initially left stone village, it was to avoid rumors and gossip and to protect herself from potential harm. after the rumors had passed, she became a pharmacy administrator and returned to the place where she had lived for over a decade in her previous life.


    the four of them first visited the village committee of stone village to find the village chief, sun yi. sun yi provided ye ling with the address of her new residence. the four of them then carried ye ling¡¯s luggage to her new dormitory.


    ye ling wasn¡¯t assigned to the same educated youth stronghold as yun jie, but the distance between the two strongholds wasn¡¯t too far.


    in addition, ye ling¡¯s new residence was quite far from liu lin¡¯s. this was probably a deliberate arrangement made by village chief sun yi.


    ye ling was now a pharmacy administrator, which gave her a more prestigious status than the ordinary educated youth. consequently, the village had assigned her a two-person room.


    yu huan looked at the empty bed opposite ye ling and said enviously, ¡°there¡¯s no one there. doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re living alone in a room? oh my god, i¡¯m so envious!¡±


    ye ling also thought that this treatment was quite good. it seemed that the position of being supported by the state was indeed different.


    ye ling felt the importance of knowledge and skills. she had passed the selection test with her medical skills and improved her living conditions. once she obtained her medical license, she would have more freedom and choices.


    ¡°work hard.¡± ye ling thought. in this life, she was determined to change her fate through hard work! ye ling secretly clenched her fists.


    yu huan helped ye ling make the bed. min nan and wan xue were men, so it wasn¡¯t convenient for them to enter the educated young women¡¯s dormitory. they stood under the big tree outside the dormitory building and waited.


    wan xue squatted next to min nan and idly drew a bird on the ground with a branch.


    ¡°brother min nan, when are you going to marry sister lingling? after you get married, sister lingling can stay in our house forever,¡± wan xue suddenly said.


    the corner of min nan¡¯s eye twitched as he looked at wan xue speechlessly.


    did this child think that marriage was a joke? he and ye ling weren¡¯t boyfriend and girlfriend yet, so how could they get married? not to mention that ye ling was not even 18 years old yet. she was still a few years away from the legal age for marriage!


    ¡°marriage is a very serious matter. don¡¯t say such things in the future, understand?¡± min nan said.


    ¡°alright then.¡± wan xue sighed disappointedly, his eyes dimmed.


    just as the two of them were waiting for ye ling and yu huan to come out, a few young female scholars walked over from not far away. the girls¡¯ playful laughter was as pleasant as nightingales.


    when they arrived at the dormitory building, they saw a man standing at the door-


    one of the young female scholars widened her eyes. she could not take her eyes off min nan. a few seconds later, she suddenly grabbed the arm of the girl next to her. she said excitedly, ¡°xin yan, is this your childhood friend¡¯s neighbor? he came to see you?¡±


    the girl named xin yan was tall and had fair skin. she was very beautiful. when she heard her roommate¡¯s words, xin yan was stunned.


    ¡°no¡­¡± xin yan was about to deny it, but her roommate had already shouted excitedly at the man at the door, ¡°handsome, xin yan is here! sorry to keep you waiting! ¡±


    when min nan heard this, he did not realize that it was directed at him. it was only when he realized that there was no one else around that he looked at the young female scholar in confusion..

 Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: Misunderstanding

    chapter 145: misunderstanding


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    after min nan turned around, the young female scholars started discussing excitedly.


    in rural areas, finding a man with neat clothing and decent facial features was not easy. however, the man in front of them had a confident bearing, broad shoulders, and a trim waist. his handsome facial features carried a touch of ruggedness, making him exude a strong sense of masculinity.


    for the young female scholars, who were accustomed to rough and rural men, this man was exceptionally striking. just a single glance made several young female scholars blush, and their hearts raced.


    xin yan¡¯s roommate was especially excited. she pushed xin yan excitedly and exclaimed, ¡°why are you still standing there? go quickly! why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier? he¡¯s so handsome!¡±


    before xin yan could react, she was pushed forward, nearly losing her balance and taking a few steps forward before stopping in front of min nan.


    silence filled the air. min nan¡¯s brows furrowed gradually.


    xin yan felt incredibly embarrassed. she didn¡¯t recognize the stranger in front of her, and her friends and roommates were urging her to invite him inside.


    xin yan¡¯s fair complexion turned red. she stomped her foot angrily and turned around, saying, ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense. i don¡¯t know him!¡±


    xin yan¡¯s roommate, li han, was taken aback. so this man wasn¡¯t xin yan¡¯s childhood friend¡¯s neighbor.


    li han immediately reacted. her tone was still very excited. ¡°then he must be here to pursue you. why are you blushing? hurry up and talk to him!¡±


    xin yan¡¯s face reddened even further. was the man guarding the dormitory entrance because he was interested in her? yet, she had never seen this man before.


    xin yan was very beautiful, so many young male scholars pursued her. some sent love letters weekly, while others discreetly watched her from outside her dormitory. a few even bought gifts for her.


    xin yan bit her lip and cautiously looked up at min nan. she had to admit that he embodied the kind of look she preferred, handsome without being overly rugged, and not as fragile as the typical scholar. his attractiveness carried a balanced hint of toughness.


    min nan lowered his head slightly, and their eyes met. xin yan felt her heart race. the man¡¯s sharp gaze left her momentarily breathless and slowed her breathing.


    ¡°you,¡± xin yan licked her lips, her voice slightly husky. ¡°do you have something to say?¡±


    min nan¡¯s trown deepened. what did he want to say?


    he had intended to ask what the group of people in front of him wanted. he was waiting for ye ling, and their sudden rush outside left him perplexed.


    xin yan received no response from the man. he didn¡¯t appear to pay her any attention, shifting his gaze back to the dormitory entrance.


    xin yan had never been ignored like this before. she felt immensely awkward.


    she couldn¡¯t comprehend what this man wanted. he seemed to be guarding the dormitory entrance, but his attitude towards her was aloof. was he trying to get her attention?


    just as xin yan speculated about the man¡¯s motives, two girls emerged from the dormitory building. the man¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, and his aura changed.


    the man walked toward the two girls and looked at one of them. he asked, ¡°is everything ready?¡±


    the girl nodded, then noticed the people still standing by the dormitory entrance. she politely moved aside to clear the way for them.


    only then did xin yan realize that the man in front of her wasn¡¯t there for her. he was waiting for that girl!


    in an instant, xin yan¡¯s face felt like it was burning up. she was frustrated with li han¡¯s impetuousness and regretted making assumptions without understanding the situation.


    however, xin yan and li han can¡¯t be entirely blamed for this. after all, they had been living here for more than half a year and had never heard of anyone moving in. so when they saw the man standing at the door, everyone naturally assumed he was xin yan¡¯s admirer.


    the atmosphere instantly turned awkward.


    ye ling felt that everyone was scrutinizing her with their gaze, and the atmosphere was peculiar. she couldn¡¯t help but glance at min nan, using her eyes to ask, ¡°what happened outside just now?¡±


    after the group of young female scholars grasped the situation, they glanced at ye ling and min nan and then held each other¡¯s hands as they entered the dormitory building. at the same time, they lowered their heads and whispered to each other..

 Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Discussion

    chapter 146: discussion


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ¡°what happened outside?¡± ye ling asked min nan after the young female scholars had entered the dormitory building.


    ¡°it¡¯s nothing.¡± min nan didn¡¯t take the group of people seriously and didn¡¯t want to explain too much. he added, ¡°are you hungry now? i noticed there¡¯s a canteen nearby.¡±


    though it was still early, ye ling was indeed a bit hungry, so she nodded.


    ¡°then let¡¯s go to the canteen. my treat, ¡± yu huan immediately suggested.


    if yu huan hadn¡¯t come to escort ye ling today, min nan wouldn¡¯t have been able to go to the canteen with her due to the potential gossip. but now that yu huan and wan xue were there, the four of them going to dinner together wasn¡¯t an issue.


    ¡°no, no, no. you guys helped me move my things, so of course, i should treat you. let¡¯s go,¡± ye ling said with a smile.


    the four of them went to the canteen and ordered some dishes. however, the dishes there couldn¡¯t compare to sun li and ye ling¡¯s cooking. they were simple stir-fries with added salt and chili powder.


    however, the meat dish wasn¡¯t very tasty.


    in reality, ye ling now had a considerable amount of money with her. in the black market, there were dealers who exchanged money for various tickets that could exchange various items. although she would incur some losses, she could obtain various universally accepted tickets. the tickets ye ling currently possessed would enable her to eat and drink without worries for three months.


    but to min nan and yu huan, ye ling still seemed as financially challenged as before.


    ye ling chuckled inwardly. the small world was a closely guarded secret. she couldn¡¯t share it with anyone, so she had to appear as if she was still financially struggling.


    after dinner, min nan and others got ready to return to willow village.


    ye ling escorted them to the crossroads and watched as they gradually disappeared.


    standing alone beneath a tree, ye ling felt a sense of solitude.


    from now on, she would be living on her own.


    ye ling returned to the dormitory building. in the courtyard, she noticed several young female scholars hanging laundry. when they saw her, their expressions changed subtly, and they exchanged glances.


    ye ling found it a bit odd. why were they looking at her that way?


    however, she didn¡¯t dwell on it and went back to her room, locked the door, and entered the small world. there, she picked up the homemade small hoe to loosen the soil in her herbal field and planted the newly acquired seeds.


    night had fallen. in the dormitory opposite ye ling¡¯s room, several young female scholars had already finished their evening routines and were lying on their beds.


    li han rolled over on her bed and shared some information, ¡°i inquired about her. that woman¡¯s name is ye ling. she used to be from the third production brigade. i heard she was raped by some idler in the reed marsh. after that incident, she hid in willow village for a while. i don¡¯t know why she¡¯s returned recently and is staying in our dormitory building. ¡±


    xin yan was on the lower bunk, silently listening to li han¡¯s explanation.


    another roommate couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°is that true? doesn¡¯t that make her a slut? doesn¡¯t the man have any reservations about her? i really can¡¯t fathom it.¡±


    li han initially hadn¡¯t paid attention to this detail. however, hearing her roommate¡¯s words, she nodded vigorously and responded with annoyance, ¡°what do you know? this means that ye ling has some abilities. she¡¯s skilled at seducing men, and in that regard, we can¡¯t compare.¡±


    ¡°li han, don¡¯t say that,¡± xin yan said, finding li han¡¯s words somewhat overboard.


    li han snorted. ¡°did i say something wrong? that man¡¯s demeanor is far from that of an ordinary farmer. he might even be a minor official. moreover, that man brought ye ling here, which means he¡¯s from willow village. ye ling has only been in willow village for a few days, and she¡¯s already made a man fall head over heels for her. it¡¯s already good enough that i didn¡¯t say that she¡¯s a vixen!¡±


    the other two roommates concurred with li han¡¯s analysis. one of them added, ¡°and did you notice that ye ling is staying in a double room? not only that, it¡¯s an empty double room. i¡¯ve never heard of her background. why is she staying in such a nice dormitory? she must have used some means.¡±


    li han hadn¡¯t initially noticed this detail, but after her roommate pointed it out, she nodded emphatically and commented angrily, ¡°this kind of person is living so well. we work hard, but we don¡¯t get any benefits. it¡¯s annoying.¡±


    ¡°yeah, she might have relied on that man¡¯s arrangement to stay in such a nice dormitory,¡± another roommate said, her tone tinged with jealousy..

 Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Work

    chapter 147: work


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    li han rolled over on the bed. the more she thought about it, the more unbalanced she felt. she suddenly grabbed the iron pole by the bed, stuck her head out, and looked down. she shouted, ¡°xin yan, xin yan, are you asleep?¡±


    xin yan replied, ¡°no, why?¡±


    li han¡¯s tone suddenly became agitated, ¡°xin yan, why don¡¯t you go find that man and attract his attention!¡±


    xin yan was momentarily stunned, then replied angrily, ¡°li han, what nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    seeing xin yan¡¯s anger, li han changed her tone, ¡°oh, i was just kidding. i just thought that if that man loses interest in ye ling, she will have no one to rely on. who knows, she might have to move out of the double room. i can¡¯t stand people like her taking advantage. ¡±


    xin yan was still a bit down and chose to ignore li han¡¯s words. li han felt a bit embarrassed, so she asked softly, ¡°but, xin yan, didn¡¯t you say you like strong and masculine boys? that man should be your type, right?¡±


    xin yan responded with frustration, ¡°li han, can you please stop speculating about others based on your thoughts?¡±


    li han quickly tried to make amends. ¡°okay, okay, i won¡¯t say anything more.


    don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡±


    the dormitory returned to silence.


    the next day, ye ling woke up early. after a simple morning routine, she went to work at the pharmacy.


    yun jie had already been sorting out herbs in the pharmacy. when she saw ye ling arrive, she handed ye ling a set of white coarse clothes from a nearby package.


    ye ling changed into the clothes.


    yun jie explained, ¡°actually, there¡¯s no need to dress so formally. but sister gao said that it would make us look more professional and gain the trust of the villagers.¡±


    ye ling couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°that seems to make sense.¡±


    yun jie pointed to several bags on a wooden table and continued, ¡°this is a batch of herbs that arrived from elsewhere yesterday. today, we will organize them and put them into storage. by the way, our pharmacy also purchases herbs from the villagers. the wholesale prices from the town and other places are more expensive, so the purchase price from villagers is much cheaper.¡±


    ye ling nodded and listened attentively. at the same time, she was guessing in her mind, ¡°i wonder if the medical shop in the black market has partnered with the pharmacy. if they have¡­¡±


    there weren¡¯t many people coming in the morning to collect medicines. midway through, a person who had been bitten by a scorpion on their way home arrived at the pharmacy.


    yun jie had never dealt with such an emergency before and was feeling a bit panicked and lost. at this moment, ye ling had already pressed her hand near the wound and quickly squeezed out the venom.


    during the wound treatment, ye ling asked yun jie to prepare alkaline water. after yun jie brought it, ye ling rinsed and disinfected the wound using alkaline water. she then applied herbs with pain -relieving properties to the wound.


    after completing these tasks, ye ling finally let out a sigh of relief. she said to the patient, ¡°it¡¯s nothing serious. the scorpion isn¡¯t venomous. don¡¯t worry. if you feel uncomfortable later on, you can go to the clinic or the pharmacy.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s calm tone helped ease the patient¡¯s nervousness. he thanked her repeatedly and inquired about the charges. ye ling replied, ¡°you only need to pay for the medicine and herbs.¡±


    the patient had initially expected a high consultation fee considering ye ling¡¯s intervention. when he heard he only needed to pay for the medicine and herbs, he immediately relaxed and expressed his gratitude again.


    after the patient left, yun jie looked at ye ling with admiration and said, ¡°thanks to you, i wouldn¡¯t have known what to do.¡±


    ye ling gave a faint smile and said, ¡°actually, the treatment method isn¡¯t that difficult. you¡¯ve seen it once. if a similar situation arises next time, you¡¯ll be able to handle it on your own.¡±


    finishing their discussion, ye ling placed a hand on her stomach. the wound treatment had taken up a considerable amount of time, and it was almost 1


    p.m. they hadn¡¯t had lunch yet.


    yun jie informed her, ¡°i forgot to mention, the kitchen doesn¡¯t have very complete utensils and seasonings. so, ji mei and i brought our packed meals. at lunchtime, we heat the food in the kitchen before eating. but don¡¯t worry, i brought extra food today. we can share. by the way, a few days ago, villagers who came to sell herbs gave us some sweet potatoes. let¡¯s roast sweet potatoes for dinner.¡±


    ye ling had no objections. they proceeded to the kitchen to reheat the food, enjoying a simple lunch.


    in the afternoon, there weren¡¯t many visitors seeking medicines, so ye ling and yun jie sat behind the counter and engaged in casual conversation..

 Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: Sister He

    chapter 148: sister he


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    yun jie pointed in the direction of the consultation room on the right and said,¡± we were both ordinary pharmacy administrators. strictly speaking, we couldn¡¯t treat patients and get medicine for them. only doctors could do that. however, our village was relatively poor. there were two doctors who studied western medicine at the clinic, but there were no doctors who studied traditional chinese medicine.


    ¡°sister gao had already gone to find someone willing to come to the pharmacy to be a doctor. it¡¯s such a big pharmacy, so it¡¯s more formal to have someone to see the doctor. otherwise, the villagers would think that our pharmacy was not as strong as the clinic. it¡¯s just that outsiders didn¡¯t want to come to such a poor place like our village, so after so many days, sister gao still hadn¡¯t found a suitable person.¡±


    ye ling sorted out the messy herbs in the bag and nodded, indicating that she was listening to yun jie.


    yun jie suddenly turned her head and looked at ye ling seriously. ¡°i thought you could be a doctor.¡±


    ye ling was stunned for a moment before shaking her head helplessly. ¡°we still had to follow the rules.¡±


    yun jie sighed and complained, ¡°the rules were rigid! there used to be a few barefoot doctors near our villages, but after the policy was issued, these barefoot doctors lost their jobs. although the village committee also encouraged these barefoot doctors to take the medical license, they had been treating patients and saving people based on their experience for many years. it was too difficult for them to learn professional medical knowledge and take the exam. some barefoot doctors were still illiterate.¡±


    the strict regulations of the policy were originally for the sake of the people¡¯s lives and health. it was to prevent some people who were not skilled from using unscientific methods to treat patients. it was not uncommon for quack doctors to harm people in the past.


    however, a one-size-fits-all policy was also somewhat unrealistic.


    in poor rural areas, how could there be so many people who could get a doctor¡¯s certificate and a medical license?


    in many areas, the illiterate rate was as high as 90%. it was too difficult to find a qualified doctor in such areas. barefoot doctors were the only choice for sick people in these areas.


    ¡°there were also some barefoot doctors who secretly treated the villagers. the villagers trusted these barefoot doctors more than us. many of the villagers who came to our place came with the prescriptions of the barefoot doctors. we were really in a difficult situation.¡±


    some of the barefoot doctor¡¯s prescriptions were normal and well-founded, but some of them were unorthodox. yun jie and ji mei could not judge whether there was a problem with them or not.


    if the patient went back after grabbing the medicine and had a problem after taking it, who would be held accountable?


    the barefoot doctor could completely deny that he was the one who prescribed the prescription, but there were records of the villagers taking medicine from the pharmacy, so the responsibility would most likely fall on the pharmacy administrator who took medicine for the villagers.


    yun jie was a little dissatisfied. ¡°even if the barefoot doctor¡¯s prescriptions were wrong, they would blame us as pharmacy administrators for not seeing the problem with the prescriptions. but those prescriptions were all unorthodox. we had never even heard of them. how could we distinguish them?¡±


    ye ling didn¡¯t expect that a small pharmacy administrator would have to bear so many risks and problems.


    from yun jie¡¯s tone, it could be heard that she sympathized with and complained about the barefoot doctor.


    through yun jie¡¯s explanation, ye ling had a better understanding of the barefoot doctor.


    ¡°however, even if barefoot doctors were not professional, most of them treated patients normally. witch doctors were the ones i hated the most.¡± yun jie placed the processed herbs into the medicine box and said casually.


    witch doctor?


    ye ling was about to ask when a middle-aged woman suddenly walked in from the door. behind the woman was a little girl about seven or eight years old.


    there was a large cloth bag tied in front of the woman. the cloth bag looked like a kangaroo¡¯s pouch, and there was a two-year-old child lying inside.


    on the woman¡¯s back was a large bamboo basket filled with various herbs.


    seeing the woman, yun jie walked to the counter and smiled. ¡°sister he, why are you here so early today?¡±


    a shy smile appeared on sister he¡¯s haggard face. ¡°today was da ya¡¯s birthday,


    so¡­¡±


    yun jie came to a realization. ¡°so, you were going to celebrate da ya¡¯s birthday tonight? da ya, happy birthday!¡±


    sister yun smiled gently at the little girl behind sister he.


    da ya¡¯s face turned red. she seemed very embarrassed. after a while, she tugged at the corner of her clothes and whispered, ¡°thank you, sister yun jie.¡±


    sister he saw an unfamiliar face in the pharmacy and looked at ye ling nervously.. ¡°is this the new doctor?¡±

 Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Pitiful

    chapter 149: pitiful


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    sister he seemed to be quite familiar with the situation in the pharmacy, as she knew that the pharmacy was still in need of a doctor.


    sister he and yun jie appeared to have a good relationship, probably because yun jie had informed her about the situation.


    yun jie explained, ¡°no, her name is ye ling, and like me, she is also a pharmacy administrator.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± sister he replied with a cautious and accommodating smile. then, she patted da ya¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°go say hello to sister ye ling.¡± da ya, appearing nervous, looked at ye ling and greeted, ¡°hello, sister ye


    ling. ¡±


    ye ling could sense the excessive caution and humility in the mother and daughter¡¯s attitude, indicating that their current living situation might not be good, leading to their sensitivity and cautious behavior.


    sister he then placed the bamboo basket from her back on the table and carefully emptied the herbs it contained.


    during this process, ye ling noticed that sister he¡¯s hands had numerous wounds, some old and some still seeping blood, most likely sustained while harvesting herbs. additionally, sister he¡¯s hands had rough skin, resembling those of an elderly person, covered in calluses and wrinkles.


    after all the herbs were laid out, sister he nervously rubbed her hands and asked, ¡°miss yun jie, do you need any more herbs?¡±


    it appeared that sister he was concerned that the pharmacy might not require the herbs she had gathered. hence, she inquired caution.


    yun jie counted the herbs that sister he had brought and replied, ¡°it¡¯s okay, sister he. we won¡¯t go to other places to purchase the herbs that we can find locally. you haven¡¯t collected many herbs yourself, so whatever you¡¯ve gathered, we¡¯ll buy.¡±


    upon hearing yun jie¡¯s words, sister he expressed her surprise with a smile, and the wrinkles on her face relaxed. she bowed repeatedly and thanked both yun jie and ye ling, then left with da ya.


    as the bamboo basket was emptied, sister he stood a bit straighter while leaving. nonetheless, her figure still appeared somewhat hunched, as if life¡¯s burdens could crush her at any moment.


    ye ling watched sister he¡¯s retreating figure, feeling somewhat lost in thought.


    yun jie suddenly asked, ¡°guess how old sister he is?¡±


    ¡°over forty?¡± ye ling ventured.


    yun jie smiled wryly. ¡°i initially thought the same, but in reality, sister he is only 32 years old this year.¡±


    ye ling was taken aback. yun jie continued, ¡°sister he is a pitiable person. she has three older sisters and a younger brother. her parents received three dowries and married off all three of her older sisters. fearing that her marriage would leave no one at home to work and care for their youngest son, they kept postponing her marriage.¡±


    yun jie sat down and gently touched the leaves of the fresh herbs. her tone carried a hint of anger as she said, ¡°later on when they saw that sister he was already in her twenties and wouldn¡¯t get married if she didn¡¯t do so soon, they casually married her off to a well-known drunkard and gambler in the village. after their marriage, sister he was frequently subjected to beatings by her husband. when she was pregnant with her second daughter, she was beaten so badly that she almost had a miscarriage.¡±


    ye ling listened quietly. the image of sister he¡¯s aged face and humble expression weighed heavily on her heart.


    ¡°because sister he gave birth to two daughters in succession, her husband and mother-in-law were deeply dissatisfied. they subjected her to constant physical abuse and even struck the elder daughter. one day, sister he woke up to find the elder daughter missing.¡±


    ¡°missing?¡± ye ling asked in astonishment.


    yun jie nodded. ¡°sister he went mad in her search for da ya. after inquiring with several neighbors, a kind-hearted person finally told her that her mother-in-law and husband had accepted money from a human trafficker to sell da ya as a child bride outside the village. when sister he heard this, she was furious, nearly going insane. she set out to chase down the human trafficker overnight.¡±


    though ye ling knew that sister he had ultimately found da ya, her heart raced as she listened to yun jie¡¯s account.


    ¡°fortunately, the human trafficker hadn¡¯t gotten far. sister he, in her frenzied state, managed to snatch da ya back from the trafficker. frightened by sister


    he¡¯s appearance, the human trafficker dared not confront her. in this way, da


    ya was saved from being sold.¡±


    yun jie sighed and said, ¡°after that incident, sister he made up her mind. she moved out of her husband¡¯s home and built a run-down wooden house at the foot of the mountain, where she now lives alone with her two children. this was something ji mei told me, and both of us feel that sister he has had it tough. so, we¡¯ll pay her a slightly higher purchase price..¡±

 Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: On Duty

    chapter 150: on duty


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling looked at the pile of herbs on the table and her emotions were complex.


    ¡°how often does sister he come?¡± ye ling asked.


    ¡°about once every two days. she usually comes at night, probably afraid of being seen by others. she only came earlier today,¡± yun jie replied.


    ye ling nodded, not saying more.


    soon, it was nighttime, and the pharmacy required someone to be on duty. the person on the night shift would have a day off the next day. ye ling said to yun jie, ¡°i¡¯m on duty tonight. you can go to the break room to rest.¡±


    while the other person didn¡¯t have to be on duty, the pharmacy usually had two people on duty at night for safety.


    yun jie nodded and stretched, saying, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll roast the sweet potatoes first.¡±


    after a short while, yun jie came back with two piping hot sweet potatoes. she handed one to ye ling. after they finished enjoying the sweet and tender potatoes, yun jie headed to the rest area.


    before leaving, yun jie took out a few books from a cabinet under the counter and handed them to ye ling. she said, ¡°these books were brought by sister gao. many of them cover topics within the scope of the medical license examination. sister gao always encouraged ji mei and me to study hard, aiming to obtain our medical licenses as soon as possible. so, when we have free time, ji mei and i read these books. you can also read them during your night shifts.¡±


    ye ling flipped through the books, and she noticed that there were notes in many of them, likely made by gao min during her previous readings.


    this pleasantly surprised ye ling, and she nodded, saying, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll read them carefully.¡±


    yun jie smiled and commented, ¡°i believe you¡¯ll be the first among the three of us to obtain your medical license.¡± then she added, ¡°i¡¯m off to rest.¡¯


    after yun jie left, ye ling selected a book titled ¡°emergency medicine¡± from the pile and began to read it attentively. she felt a bit regretful for not bringing a pen and paper. when she encountered challenging sections, she read them aloud in a soft voice to enhance her memory.


    while ye ling was deeply engrossed in her reading, she suddenly felt something was amiss.


    ye ling raised her head. when she suddenly saw the person standing in front of the door, she was shocked and almost shouted.


    the figure looked familiar. ye ling recognized it for a while before standing up abruptly.


    min nan? when did he arrive? how long had he been waiting outside?


    ye ling walked out from behind the counter, and min nan approached her.


    ¡°big brother min nan, why are you here? how long have you been here?¡± ye ling couldn¡¯t hide her astonishment in her voice.


    when they parted ways the day before, she felt a touch of sadness, thinking it might be a while before she saw min nan again. yet, unexpectedly, on her very first night at work, she found min nan here.


    min nan¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°i happened to be passing by, and i noticed you were reading, so i didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡±


    happened to be passing by? was it just a coincidence? ye ling wondered in her heart.


    nevertheless, she didn¡¯t press the issue and hastily said, ¡°well, come inside quickly. it¡¯s quite cold outside at night, so make sure you don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± min nan responded as he entered, ¡°if i get sick, you can take care of me, right?¡±


    ye ling helplessly glared at him. ¡°even so, you can¡¯t be so nonchalant about being sick!¡±


    as ye ling glared, her bright and round eyes sparkled like stars in the sky, making her exceptionally attractive. min nan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his gaze remained locked on ye ling for a while before he finally averted his eyes. ¡°alright, i was wrong.¡±


    the tone of the man carried a touch of accommodating tenderness, and even some indulgence, and his deep, magnetic voice, combined with the words, created an atmosphere tinged with a hint of ambiguity.


    the man¡¯s words were like feathers lightly brushing against ye ling¡¯s heart, eliciting a ticklish sensation. ye ling¡¯s heartbeat quickened, and she almost didn¡¯t dare to look up at min nan.


    she quickly poured a glass of water for min nan and noticed that the pharmacy¡¯s door was still wide open. feeling a bit guilty, she closed the door halfway to prevent anyone from seeing her and min nan together when they arrived.


    however, with the door now closed, the atmosphere between the two became even more unusual.


    ¡°it¡¯s already so late,¡± ye ling said. ¡°you¡¯d better head back soon. be careful on the way back.¡±


    min nan had just received the glass of water from ye ling and hadn¡¯t taken a sip when he heard her words..

 Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Disappointment

    chapter 151: disappointment


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling explained, ¡°i could leave tomorrow morning, and then i¡¯d have a day off.¡±


    min nan slightly furrowed his brow and said, ¡°i see, but staying up late isn¡¯t good for your health.¡±


    ye ling casually smiled and replied, ¡°i¡¯m still young, so staying up late occasionally is fine. besides, there won¡¯t be anyone coming over at night. yun jie told me that if i get too tired, i can sneak in a short nap.¡±


    min nan calculated the time in his mind and asked, ¡°so, you¡¯ll be working the night shift again in two days?¡±


    ye ling nodded, and at the same time, she wondered why min nan was asking this. could it be that he would come to see her in two days?


    after min nan finished his water, he stood up and said, ¡°alright, then i¡¯ll head back.¡±


    ye ling was about to accompany min nan to the door when she suddenly remembered something. she called out to min nan and pointed in another direction, saying, ¡°there¡¯s a back door here.¡±


    min nan turned to look at the back door, his gaze taking on a hint of meaning.


    ye ling suddenly realized that directing min nan to leave through the back door might give the wrong impression that they were having an affair. she bit her lip, her fingers curling awkwardly. she managed to say in a calm and serious tone, ¡®what i meant is¡­¡±


    but before ye ling could finish, min nan interrupted, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i understand.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s mind was filled with question marks. ¡°understand what? we¡¯re not having an affair. i was just worried about gossip.¡± ye ling thought.


    she opened her mouth to explain but decided against it. more explanations would only make things more awkward. it was better to see min nan off.


    she opened the back door, and min nan turned to look at her before walking into the night with a flashlight.


    ye ling returned to her seat behind the counter, and opened a medical book, but found that the knowledge within the book suddenly eluded her. her mind kept replaying min nan standing under the tree by the door, his subtle expression, and the teasing question, ¡°are you chasing me away¡±¡®


    ye ling was frustrated, running her fingers through her hair. she took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself.


    after some time reading, ye ling rubbed her dry eyes, stretched her stiff limbs, and noticed that the sky outside had started to brighten.


    once the day fully dawned, yun jie also woke up. they exchanged a brief greeting, and ye ling prepared to leave.


    as she left the pharmacy, a chill ran down her spine. summer had ended, and the weather was getting colder.


    ye ling returned to the dormitory building, where she saw a group of young female scholars preparing to leave. their expressions turned peculiar when they saw her, but ye ling, exhausted from staying up all night, paid little attention to them. she hurried into her dorm room, closed the door, and prepared to catch up on sleep.


    however, li han looked at ye ling¡¯s closed door and muttered, ¡°isn¡¯t she being too bold? staying out all night, and the dorm manager didn¡¯t say anything?¡±


    another person chimed in, ¡°she has influential backing, so how could the dorm manager dare to say anything?¡±


    ¡°could she have spent the night with that man?¡±


    ¡°if you ask me, she might have more than one man. given her exhausted appearance, she probably had a rough night. my goodness, how can there be people like her? i feel disgusted being in the same dormitory building as her.¡±


    xin yan, who had been listening to their disdainful discussions, frowned slightly but felt a sense of aversion toward ye ling. it wasn¡¯t jealousy, she simply couldn¡¯t comprehend it. xin yan wondered why the man who had appeared at the dormitory entrance that day would be interested in someone like ye ling.


    she sighed and said, ¡°alright, if you keep chatting, you¡¯ll be late.¡±


    after going through two shifts, ye ling had become accustomed to staying up late. however, during her second night shift, min nan didn¡¯t show up. ye ling felt a mixture of relief and an odd sense of disappointment as if her earlier speculation had been unfounded.


    perhaps that day, min nan had merely coincidentally passed by the pharmacy. she felt that she had misunderstood his intentions.


    on that particular day, while ye ling and ji mei were on their day shift, a man in his thirties arrived to collect medicine. strangely, the man only needed one type of medicine, a highly potent ginseng.


    when ji mei heard the man¡¯s request, she didn¡¯t think much of it and went to fetch the medicine. however, ye ling sensed that something was amiss..

 Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Possession

    chapter 152: possession


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    this kind of ginseng had very strong medicinal properties and was usually used to help critically ill patients preserve their last chance of survival and buy time for treatment. ordinary patients would not use such herbs.


    after ji mei brought the medicine to the man, he paid the bill and left with the paper bag containing the herbs.


    ¡°sister meimei, i think there¡¯s something wrong with that person. i want to ask him some questions,¡± ye ling said hastily.


    maria julian was momentarily puzzled. had something been wrong with the man? why hadn¡¯t she noticed? however, through yun jie¡¯s introduction, she learned more about ye ling, understanding that she possessed excellent medical skills and extensive medical knowledge.


    could it be that ye ling had noticed that there was something wrong with the man¡¯s body?


    ¡°it¡¯s fine. you can go ahead. i¡¯ll look after the pharmacy,¡± ji mei replied in a relaxed tone.


    ¡°okay, thank you, sister meimei.¡± ye ling expressed her gratitude with a smile and promptly left the pharmacy to catch up with the man.


    instead of approaching the man directly with questions, ye ling followed him from a distance.


    the man walked in the direction of willow village and soon reached his house. ye ling watched as he pushed open the door and entered. she halted her steps a few dozen meters away.


    furrowing her brow, ye ling gradually realized the familiarity of this door.


    after some reflection, she suddenly remembered that when she, min nan, and li bin were heading home, they had passed this house¡¯s entrance. they had noticed a round-faced young girl there. li bin had mentioned that this girl was the daughter-in-law aunt mei had bought for her second son.


    at the time, ye ling had been furious because the girl was only 15 or 16 years old, far from the age of marriage. this was, in essence, a criminal act of human trafficking.


    she hadn¡¯t expected the man who had come to buy medicine to be connected to aunt mei¡¯s family.


    ¡°is someone in aunt mei¡¯s family seriously ill?¡± ye ling thought.


    at that moment, an old lady carrying a child approached aunt mei¡¯s house. ye ling walked over, offering a warm smile. ¡°hello, grandma. do you live nearby?¡±


    the old lady examined ye ling, noting her attractive appearance and kind demeanor. her little grandson seemed to like ye ling as he extended his arms, signaling that he wanted to be carried by ye ling.


    the old lady nodded. ¡°yes, why do you ask?¡±


    ye ling continued, ¡°i heard that someone in this family is seriously ill?¡±


    upon hearing ye ling¡¯s question, the old lady assumed that ye ling was simply one who enjoyed gossip. she became more animated and spoke in a hushed tone. ¡°not an illness. it¡¯s a case of possession!¡±


    ¡°possession?¡± although ye ling was reborn, she still didn¡¯t believe in ghosts and gods. after all, doctors were more materialistic and advocated scientific methods.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± ye ling pretended to be nervous and afraid. at the same time, her tone carried a hint of curiosity and excitement.


    the old lady¡¯s arm that was holding her grandson was a little sore, so she switched to another arm. she then explained to ye ling, ¡°i don¡¯t know what happened. about half a month ago, aunt mei¡¯s second daughter-in-law, ah hui, suddenly fell ill. she couldn¡¯t eat and had no strength. she could only lie in bed.¡±


    ye ling asked with curiosity, ¡°isn¡¯t that an illness?¡±


    a worried expression crossed the old lady¡¯s face as she explained further, ¡°at first, aunt mei thought ah hui was sick. however, she believed that ah hui was young and in good health, so what kind of illness could she possibly have? she thought ah hui was simply lazy and would whip her all day. oh, the cries from ah hui were non-stop.¡±


    ye ling clenched her fists in anger but continued to inquire, ¡°and then?¡±


    through the old lady¡¯s description, ye ling learned that since ah hui came to aunt mei¡¯s house, aunt mei had been frequently abusing her.


    according to the old lady, aunt mei couldn¡¯t hit her son or eldest daughter-in-law. she was afraid that her eldest daughter-in-law would run back to her mother¡¯s house or divorce her eldest son. however, she could hit her second daughter-in-law, ah hui, as she pleased.


    ah hui¡¯s family lived thousands of kilometers away, and she couldn¡¯t escape.


    so, she would bear the beatings, continue her work, and not suffer any losses.


    each time aunt mei struck ah hui, ah hui would cry and beg to go home. but no one took her seriously, and aunt mei even proudly said, ¡°ah hui is a wild child from the mountains, and she must be disciplined. she will only learn her lesson through dunishment..¡±

 Chapter 153 - Chapter 153: Cure

    chapter 153: cure


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    however, as the beatings continued, ah hui suddenly began experiencing problems. her appetite decreased, and she became increasingly emaciated, with her once round cheeks taking on a gaunt appearance.


    initially, aunt mei didn¡¯t pay much attention and even scolded ah hui for being overly dramatic.


    however, over time, ah hui¡¯s lively eyes grew vacant, and she fell silent. occasionally, she would stand at the doorstep, gazing at the distant mountains, muttering, ¡°i want to go home.¡±


    eventually, ah hui¡¯s health deteriorated significantly.


    aunt mei realized she couldn¡¯t afford to continue hitting ah hui. after all, she had invested a considerable amount of money in bringing ah hui back. while hitting ah hui was one thing, she couldn¡¯t afford for ah hui to die. losing ah hui would render all that money spent in vain.


    aunt mei was left with no choice but to seek a doctor¡¯s help. initially, she consulted a barefoot doctor, but the doctor couldn¡¯t identify any physical issues with ah hui.


    given ah hui¡¯s healthy physique, it was evident that something had ¡°contaminated¡± her.


    in rural areas, many people held strong beliefs in spirits and the supernatural.


    people in the countryside often refrained from directly mentioning the names of supernatural beings and referred to them as ¡°dirty things¡± instead.


    once these supernatural entities came into contact with a human body, the individual would undergo various unusual changes.


    the idea that her second daughter-in-law, ah hui, had been ¡°contaminated¡± by these ¡°dirty things¡± filled aunt mei with dread. she quickly sought out a witch doctor from the neighboring lotus village.


    in rural areas, witch doctors specialized in treating patients who were believed to be afflicted by these supernatural entities, all while conducting sacrifices, rituals, and divination. they claimed to have the ability to communicate with spirits and were skilled in a range of exorcism techniques to expel the ghosts and demons tormenting the affected individuals.


    the old lady enthusiastically shared these details, occasionally pausing as her words carried on. she put her grandson down and let him play nearby, settling herself on a rock under a tree to continue recounting the story.


    after aunt mei engaged the services of the witch doctor, it was determined that


    ah hui was being tormented by a fox demon. a ritual was to be performed to banish this malevolent entity.


    on the day of the ritual, the old lady also attended with her grandson in her arms. the rural population, it seemed, had a fondness for such spectacles. the old lady remarked that a large crowd had gathered that day, and aunt mei¡¯s house was bustling with onlookers.


    the witch doctor donned a vibrant, multicolored outfit, and the hem of his clothes was adorned with colorful fabric strips. following the preparation of the incense burner, the witch doctor commenced the ¡°exorcism dance.¡±


    after the ¡°exorcism dance¡±, the witch doctor ignited the five charms with fire and placed the ashes of the charms into the white wine, stirring it before having ah hui drink it.


    at this stage, the witch doctor¡¯s ¡°treatment¡± was far from over. following ah


    hui¡¯s consumption of the talisman-infused wine, the witch doctor instructed aunt mei¡¯s family to prepare a large jar filled with scalding water. next, they were directed to remove ah hui¡¯s clothing and gently lower her into the boiling water.


    ye ling was left utterly astounded by this account.


    while yun jie had previously mentioned the witch doctor to her, ye ling had not received a comprehensive explanation at the time. having grown up in the countryside in her past life, she had never encountered witch doctors and was entirely unaware that they employed such an outlandish method for ¡°treating¡± patients.


    this couldn¡¯t be labeled as exorcism. it was deceitful and harmful!


    though ye ling seethed with anger, she could only contain her frustration and continue listening to the old lady¡¯s narrative.


    aunt mei believed the witch doctor¡¯s words without a doubt. she immediately sent someone to prepare a water tank filled with boiling water. however, aunt mei considered that there were too many people watching outside, so she discussed with the witch doctor whether she could complete this last step in the house. after all, ah hui was her daughter-in-law. it was not good to be seen taking off her clothes.


    however, the witch doctor said that it was impossible. the last step was very important. it had to be done in an open environment at noon and surrounded by people.


    the witch doctor maintained that the fox demon dreaded the ¡°fire¡± within a human body, necessitating the use of this ¡°fire¡± to coerce the fox demon out of ah hui¡¯s body.


    aunt mei found herself without alternatives but to heed the witch doctor¡¯s directives. they positioned the water tank in the courtyard and filled it with boiling water, adding two white cloths as a modest form of concealment.


    into the water, the witch doctor poured a packet of powdered substance, and after the pouring, the witch doctor¡¯s assistant briefly mentioned the price of the powder.


    the witch doctor immediately reprimanded the assistant. ¡°why mention money now? saving a life is paramount!¡± it was as if the mention of money made aunt mei feel insulted.


    aunt mei had initially harbored thoughts about the high cost of the powder but, hearing this, she sealed her lips, feeling too embarrassed to say anything further.


    ah hui, who had taken off her clothes, was supported by two women who had come to help. they were about to put ah hui into the water tank.


    ah hui gazed at the boiling water and her eyes were filled with fear. she struggled hard, but it was useless. aunt mei walked forward and pushed ah hui


    into the water tank..

 Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: Vicious

    chapter 154: vicious


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    at this point, the old lady¡¯s gaze became a little unbearable. it was as if only the memories could make her, a bystander, feel pain.


    the water in the water tank had been too hot. as soon as ah hui had entered the water tank, she had let out a miserable cry. the sound had pierced through everyone¡¯s eardrums and had made their hearts tremble.


    ah hui had waved her arms, cried, and shouted. she had struggled desperately, clung to the edge of the water tank, trying to escape.


    ¡°don¡¯t let her out!¡± the witch doctor had shouted. ¡°this is a critical moment!¡±


    thus, aunt mei and her eldest daughter-in-law walked to the side of the water tank and forcefully pushed ah hui, who had been struggling, into the water.


    ye ling had closed her eyes in pain, unable to imagine the cruel scene. she had used too much force, and her nails had dug into her flesh, causing a stinging sensation.


    the old lady sighed and continued, ¡°after the ritual, ah hui¡¯s condition hadn¡¯t improved. instead, she had developed a high fever. her face had turned waxen. she had used to be such a fair and tender young girl, but now she had looked like a sick ghost infected with the plague.¡±


    ¡°weren¡¯t they going to send ah hui to the clinic?¡± ye ling had asked hoarsely. the old lady shook her head slowly and said, ¡°aunt mei¡¯s husband had fallen off the roof a few years ago when he had been repairing the roof. he had been sent to the clinic and then to the county hospital. in the end, he had still died. from then on, aunt mei hadn¡¯t trusted doctors anymore.¡±


    ye ling had been helpless and hadn¡¯t known what to say.


    after ah hui¡¯s condition had worsened, the witch doctor said that the fox demon¡¯s magic power had been too powerful. a ritual hadn¡¯t been enough to expel the fox demon. she had needed to rest for a while and wait for her energy to recover before she could fight with the fox demon again.


    the witch doctor had set the time for the second ritual to be held nine days later.


    however, in the past two days, ah hui¡¯s condition had been very bad. after the witch doctor¡¯s assistant had come to take a look, he had prescribed a prescription and had asked aunt mei¡¯s family to get the medicine.


    the person who had gone to the pharmacy to get the medicine was aunt mei¡¯s second son, who had also been ah hui¡¯s husband, ma biao.


    at this point, ye ling had finally understood that the witch doctor had just been playing tricks.


    ye ling hadn¡¯t known if ah hui had been sick or not, but through the witch doctor¡¯s torment, a healthy person had been about to be ¡°treated¡± for a terminal illness.


    the witch doctor had used the excuse that he still needed to perform a second ritual. he had probably seen that ah hui¡¯s condition hadn¡¯t been good enough, so he had wanted ah hui to die before the second ritual.


    this thought had been too vicious!


    ye ling had guessed that the reason why the witch doctor had dared to treat ah hui so boldly might have had something to do with the fact that ah hui had been aunt mei¡¯s daughter-in-law.


    from the old lady¡¯s tone, ye ling could also sense that the villagers seemed to have a contemptuous attitude towards people who were bought from other places. it was as if those people were not living people but just purchased products and the person who bought them had absolute rights to use them.


    it was precisely because of this thought that aunt mei would beat and scold ah hui without restraint.


    for the witch doctor, if a villager died, the situation would be very serious. however, if it was a girl who was bought, the situation would be very insignificant.


    anyway, she was bought and did not even have a household registration file. even if aunt mei¡¯s family wanted to pursue the matter, they would not even dare to report it.


    this was because if they were to report the case, they would have to admit that they had bought ah hui. this kind of human trafficking was illegal. aunt mei¡¯s family would naturally not be stupid enough to go to the police station to admit this.


    thinking of this, ye ling suddenly felt that something was wrong.


    if the witch doctor¡¯s purpose was to let ah hui die as soon as possible, then why did the witch doctor¡¯s assistant send ma biao to the pharmacy to fetch medicine?


    ye ling¡¯s mind flashed with an idea, and she clenched her fists.


    not good!


    the witch doctor¡¯s assistant must have seen that ah hui¡¯s condition was extremely bad. even if she took those ginseng slices, it would not get better.


    those ginseng slices were just a type of herb. there wasn¡¯t even a prescription. if ah hui were to take them directly, her condition would not improve. moreover, the medicinal effects of the ginseng slices were too strong. without the suppression of supplementary medicine, ah hui¡¯s weak body might not have been able to withstand such medicinal effects at all, which would have accelerated ah hui¡¯s death.


    since ah hui would die regardless of whether she took the medicine or not, the witch doctor and her assistant only had one goal, which was to push the cause of ah hui¡¯s death to a third party.


    ah hui was a daughter-in-law that aunt mei had bought from overseas. she was essentially equivalent to a sum of money. although her death would not cause too much trouble, money was still money. without ah hui, even if aunt mei¡¯s family did not dare to call the police to investigate, they would have trouble with the witch doctor and the others..

 Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: Knocking On The Door

    chapter 155: knocking on the door


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    in other words, with aunt mei¡¯s personality, she might have wanted the witch doctor to compensate her.


    the witch doctor considered this situation and prepared to find a third party. after ah hui¡¯s death, aunt mei could find trouble with this third party instead of him.


    every villager who went to the pharmacy to buy medicine would be recorded. if ah hui had died after taking the medicine from the pharmacy, aunt mei would have had a reasonable reason to find trouble with the pharmacy and make it pay.


    at this time, the witch doctor could escape perfectly.


    after all, ah hui was not aunt mei¡¯s daughter. aunt mei would not have cared how ah hui died. she would have only wanted to recover a sum of money and minimize the loss.


    aunt mei could still buy a daughter-in-law, but if the money was gone, then it was gone.


    after ye ling guessed the witch doctor¡¯s goal, she began to think about what to do.


    ye ling stood up and thanked the old lady. after the old lady left, she looked at aunt mei¡¯s door and hesitated for a few seconds before walking to the door and knocking.


    in the pharmacy, ji mei was flipping through professional medical books in boredom. suddenly, there was a sound outside the door. ji mei stood up and saw gao min getting off the bicycle.


    when gao min saw ji mei, she waved at her.


    gao min was almost forty years old this year. her skin was a healthy wheat color. she was very tall, about 1.75 meters, so she looked a little thin. her short hair was slightly curled, and there were a few freckles on the bridge of her nose.


    ¡°who are you on duty with today?¡± gao min asked as she parked her bicycle.


    gao min¡¯s bicycle had two rear wheels, which were slightly smaller than the front wheels. there was a metal box fixed to the two rear wheels. the box could fit an adult. at this moment, there were some packed herbs inside.


    ji mei helped gao min take the herbs out of the iron box. the two of them walked to the pharmacy. ji mei replied, ¡°i¡¯m on duty with ye ling today.¡±


    ¡°where is she?¡± gao min had never met ye ling before. she only knew that ye ling had scored full marks in the selection test. in other words, ye ling¡¯s subjective short-answer questions were all answered perfectly, so the examiners could not find any reason to deduct points.


    ji mei hesitated for a moment but still chose to tell the truth. ¡°a man came to get some medicine just now. ye ling said that she felt that there was something wrong with that man. she wanted to ask him, so she left first.¡± upon hearing ji mei¡¯s words, gao min frowned. ¡°that man didn¡¯t look well?¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t see anything wrong with the man¡¯s expression. perhaps ye ling¡¯s medical skills are better, so she noticed the abnormality,¡± ji mei said with some shame.


    gao min shook her head. ¡°even if she realized that something was wrong, she shouldn¡¯t have chased after him and asked him. she¡¯s not a doctor yet. how can she treat others casually?¡±


    gao min was a cadre and also an attending doctor at the hospital. she was considered a member of the system, so she naturally paid more attention to the rules. moreover, not to mention anything else, it was also inappropriate for ye ling to leave her workplace during working hours.


    the two of them moved the herbs into the storeroom. gao min wiped the sweat from her forehead, and ji mei poured her a cup of hot water.


    gao min took a sip of hot water and sat behind the counter. her tone was a little serious. ¡°i¡¯ll wait here. i want to see when she¡¯ll be back.¡±


    even if gao min admired ye ling¡¯s talent, she couldn¡¯t stand ye ling¡¯s willfulness.


    the pharmacy was a project approved by the county government. this was not a place where ye ling could do whatever she wanted.


    ¡°knock, knock, knock.¡± not long after the knock, the door slowly opened from the inside. a woman in her thirties was stunned when she saw ye ling standing outside the door.


    the girl in front of her was wearing white linen clothes. her skin was smooth, and her big eyes were like grapes that had been washed with water, sparkling.


    aunt mei¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law came back to her senses and asked, ¡°who are you? what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m the manager of sanshui pharmacy, ¡± ye ling said with a friendly smile.


    ¡°did comrade ma biao just grab some medicine from our pharmacy?¡±


    aunt mei¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law nodded. ¡°yes, why?¡±


    ye ling explained, ¡°it¡¯s like this. comrade ma biao left in a hurry, so we didn¡¯t have time to tell him the precautions for using the herbs. the herbs are very strong, so we have to be careful with the dosage. otherwise, there will be very serious consequences. you haven¡¯t given the patient medicine yet, right?¡±


    aunt mei¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law was stunned for a moment. she shook her head and said, ¡°not yet. i¡¯m just preparing to brew the medicine.¡±


    ¡°meilian, who¡¯s at the door?¡± an old voice sounded as they were talking..

 Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: Request

    chapter 156: request


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling guessed that the person who spoke should be aunt mei.


    aunt mei¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law, mei lian, replied loudly, ¡°it¡¯s the pharmacy staff, who came specifically to remind us about the precautions for using the medicine.¡±


    not long after mei lian finished speaking, a middle-aged woman in her fifties walked out of the house.


    the middle-aged woman had a pair of triangular eyes, and the corners of her mouth drooped, giving her a somewhat stern appearance, which made her look older than her actual age.


    aunt mei looked at ye ling from top to bottom, sizing her up. then, she asked,


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter with the herbs?¡±


    ¡°you might not be able to control the dosage of the ginseng slices,¡± ye ling explained again. ¡°how about this? i¡¯ll help you divide the dosage of the ginseng slices to prevent side effects if the patient overdoses.¡±


    ye ling¡¯s tone was completely business-like, with a hint of seriousness in her politeness, and her expression appeared very natural.


    aunt mei hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded. ¡°alright, come in. mei lian, go get a glass of water.¡±


    ye ling and aunt mei walked into the living room together.


    aunt mei¡¯s family was considered to be below average in willow village. they weren¡¯t as well-off as the wan family, but they weren¡¯t so poor that they didn¡¯t even have a few decent pieces of furniture.


    not long after ye ling sat down, mei lian brought a glass of water to her. then, ma biao came out of the bedroom.


    ma biao, who had a full beard, was stunned when he saw ye ling.


    when ma biao went to the pharmacy to buy medicine, he was talking to a manager in white. at that time, he only saw a person sitting on the other side but didn¡¯t see the person¡¯s face.


    at this moment, when ma biao saw ye ling in the administrator¡¯s uniform, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes. he didn¡¯t come back to his senses for a long time.


    for farmers who had dealt with crops all their lives, women from the city were like the moon in the sky. they were more exquisite than the women in the countryside, and their skin was more delicate and smooth. they always had a


    high and mighty temperament, making people unable to help but want to please them.


    after ma biao understood the purpose of ye ling¡¯s visit to his house, he immediately took out the paper bag containing the ginseng slices.


    ye ling took the paper bag from ma biao¡¯s hands. after opening it, she hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°how old is the patient?¡± ye ling asked.


    aunt mei and ma biao exchanged a look. then aunt mei replied, ¡°she is eighteen. ¡±


    ye ling nodded and asked, ¡°how¡¯s the patient?¡±


    aunt mei furrowed her brows, and there was an unmistakable expression of fatigue and frustration between her eyebrows. ¡°not too good.¡±


    ye ling paused for a moment, withdrew her hand, and spoke seriously, ¡°if the patient¡¯s body is rather weak, then i need to look at the patient¡¯s physical condition to determine the amount of herbs to use. can you take me to see the patient?¡±


    ma biao¡¯s eyes showed a trace of panic, and aunt mei appeared reluctant. she frowned, seemingly prepared to reject ye ling.


    ye ling could sense that ma biao was looking at her with a friendlier gaze, tinged with a hint of warmth.


    ma biao. ¡°comrade ma biao, i simply wish to assess the patient¡¯s basic condition. is that not allowed?¡±


    ye ling¡¯s tone resembled a teacher¡¯s inquiry of a student in school, carrying a hint of authority. however, her smile remained gentle and radiant. ma biao¡¯s mind went blank momentarily, and his breath quickened. looking into ye ling¡¯s eyes, he almost felt dizzy.


    ¡°of course, please. sister-in-law, take this comrade to have a look¡­ ah hui.¡± at the mention of ah hui, ma biao abruptly regained his composure, realizing that he was a married man, and there was an insurmountable gap between him and the young and beautiful ye ling. for a moment, ma biao felt remorse and embarrassment.


    with ma biao¡¯s consent, ye ling promptly stood up and turned to mei lian, ¡°alright, then i¡¯ll trouble sister mei lian.¡±


    the conversation between ye ling and ma biao concluded in the blink of an eye. before aunt mei could react, her son had already agreed to the woman¡¯s request.


    mei lian seemed helpless and cast an inquiring look at her mother-in-law.


    aunt mei gritted her teeth and gave her son a fierce shove. then, she waved her hand impatiently,¡± go ahead, go ahead. a person on the brink of death has nothing you can¡¯t see. just as long as you don¡¯t find it repulsive.¡± after ye ling left with mei lian, aunt mei gave her son a harsh push.


    ¡°why do you have to meddle? who knows if this woman will start spreading rumors after seeing the deceased? our family¡¯s reputation will be ruined.. how are you ever going to find a wife?¡±

 Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: I Don’t Like It

    chapter 157: i don¡¯t like it


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ¡°what good reputation does our family have?¡± ma biao said irritably. ¡°with such a thing happening, who wouldn¡¯t be laughing at me? i don¡¯t want to find another woman, and in the future, don¡¯t bother about my affairs.¡±


    faced with her son¡¯s negative attitude, aunt mei was infuriated. she gave ma biao a fierce glare. ¡°your father passed away early, and your sister-in-law can¡¯t give birth to a son. our family is relying on you. if you don¡¯t get married, how will the ma family continue its lineage? do you want me to die with no face to see your father? if your dad knew about your behavior, he would beat you even as a ghost!¡±


    aunt mei had been dealing with witch doctors recently. she initially had some belief in the supernatural, but now she had no doubt.


    perhaps it was because aunt mei had already given most of the family¡¯s savings to the witch doctor. if she didn¡¯t believe in the witch doctor¡¯s theories about ghosts and gods, wouldn¡¯t it mean that all that money had been spent in vain?


    so, aunt mei had no choice but to believe. otherwise, the faith in her spiritual world would completely collapse.


    aunt mei¡¯s threats did not affect ma biao. he had already had enough. he didn¡¯t like ah hui in the first place. she was a child who had yet to mature and didn¡¯t match his preferences. when he touched her, she reacted like a frightened quail, as if she wished she could hide her head in her pants. faced with a wife like this, ma biao had no desire at all.


    what frustrated ma biao even more was that ah hui had suddenly been possessed. before he could figure out what was going on, the oddly dressed witch doctor had come to his house and started tormenting his family and the wife he didn¡¯t like.


    during the two days of the ritual, ma biao felt like a clown. all the neighbors in the vicinity came to watch. the witch doctor claimed that driving away the fox demon required the ¡°fire¡± of the human body, so their family had no choice but to welcome the neighbors to watch the witch doctor exorcise ah hui.


    as he observed the excited onlookers, ma biao felt like he was the subject of mockery. everyone was probably laughing at him.


    what was even more humiliating was that the witch doctor had ah hui strip naked and jump into the water tank!


    although ma biao didn¡¯t like ah hui, she was still his wife. how could any man tolerate his wife undressing and jumping into a water tank in front of everyone?


    at that moment, ma biao felt like a thousand bees were buzzing in his head. he watched ah hui struggle like an ugly frog in boiling water. he despised the woman who had brought him shame and even wished that she would be scalded to death.


    in the end, ah hui, who had been soaked in boiling water for over ten minutes, was pulled out by mei lian and a few women. her skin was alarmingly red, resembling a fragile blood balloon that might burst upon the slightest touch.


    after the ritual, ah hui¡¯s condition didn¡¯t improve. instead, it worsened. the witch doctor claimed this was due to the immense magical power of the fox demon possessing ah hui.


    ma biao no longer cared to investigate whether the witch doctor¡¯s words held any truth. he wished to bring everything to an end.


    ¡°let that woman die quickly.¡± he silently prayed.


    watching her son¡¯s lifeless expression, aunt mei felt both angry and distressed. she was well aware that ma biao did not like ah hui, but the cost of marrying a woman in their village was too high.


    a few years prior, ma biao¡¯s father had met with an accident, depleting all their savings to cover the medical expenses. where could they find the money to secure a wife for ma biao?


    subsequently, aunt mei heard of people from a neighboring village purchasing women from elsewhere. after inquiring, she discovered that the cost of obtaining a woman from other regions was merely a third of the local dowry.


    aunt mei promptly decided to approach human traffickers and procure a woman.


    the process of negotiating with the traffickers proceeded smoothly. ah hui was healthy and had a big butt. she looked very suitable for childbirth. aunt mei was very satisfied with all these.


    however, ma biao did not like ah hui at all. he even felt that aunt mei did not respect him at all. she did not treat him as a human at all. she only treated him as a tool to complete the task of carrying on the family line. she did not care about his feelings at all.


    in the living room, the mother and son faced each other. aunt mei clenched her teeth, her eyes brimming with tears. ¡°everything i¡¯ve done was for your good!¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t need it! i detest that woman, and i detest you too!¡± ma biao panted heavily and erupted in anger.


    aunt mei¡¯s anger caused her chest to heave with emotion as she slammed the table.. ¡°then what do you like? do you prefer the woman who just arrived in our home?¡±

 Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Helping You

    chapter 158: helping you


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    upon hearing his mother¡¯s words, ma biao, who was initially furious, suddenly deflated like a balloon. his aura weakened all of a sudden. he opened his mouth and wanted to refute it, but his throat was itchy and he couldn¡¯t say anything.


    aunt mei was taken aback. she asked in amazement, ¡°do you like that woman?¡± after asking this question, aunt mei coldly snorted and added mockingly,


    ¡°well, that woman is so beautiful. after all, don¡¯t all men prefer beautiful women?¡±


    ma biao fell silent.


    aunt mei stared at her silent son, feeling both frustrated and helpless.


    ye ling followed mei lian into a simple room filled with firewood and hay. to be accurate, it couldn¡¯t be termed a room. it was more like a storage area for firewood and miscellaneous items.


    upon pushing the door open, ye ling was immediately greeted by a foul odor, a noxious mix of excrement, sweat, and vomit. the smell was so strong that ye ling almost gagged.


    mei lian¡¯s expression also soured. she gave ye ling an awkward smile and explained, ¡°ah hui¡¯s condition is truly dire, which is why we had no choice but to move her into the woodshed. please take a look, and i¡¯ll wait for you at the door.¡±


    mei lian, it seemed, couldn¡¯t endure the smell for even a second and hastily retreated from the woodshed.


    ye ling took a couple of steps forward and spotted a young girl lying atop a heap of hay.


    ah hui was covered in a filthy sheet, her hair disheveled as if it hadn¡¯t been washed in ages, appearing greasy.


    what puzzled ye ling even more was that the last time she had seen ah hui, she had sported a round, radiant face. however, the young girl before her now appeared painfully thin, her eye sockets pronounced, cheekbones jutting out, and chin as sharp as an awl.


    ye ling approached ah hui cautiously and observed that she lay motionless, her eyes firmly shut. her cheeks were an unhealthy wax yellow, and her two hands were weakly placed on her chest, twitching strangely from time to time.


    ah hui was seriously ill.


    ye ling softly called out, ¡°ah hui! ah hui!¡±


    nonetheless, ah hui remained unresponsive.


    ye ling furrowed her brow. she gently grasped ah hui¡¯s hand and placed her fingers on ah hui¡¯s wrist to assess her pulse.


    ah hui¡¯s pulse was exceedingly feeble, and her heart and spleen exhibited severe distress, indicating that ah hui had displayed symptoms of depression even before falling ill.


    excessive worrying and anxiety could harm the heart and spleen.


    however, the primary reason for ah hui¡¯s rapid decline in vitality was the witch doctor¡¯s ¡°treatment¡± method, which was essentially no different from a method of killing people.


    ye ling put ah hui¡¯s hand back and turned to look outside the door.


    mei lian would not come in at the moment.


    ye ling quickly entered her small world, gathered a few herbs, placed them in a stone bowl, and mashed them into rough pills.


    after retrieving the pills from her small world, ye ling swiftly placed one in ah hui¡¯s mouth, forcing her to swallow it.


    subsequently, ye ling took out two silver needles and inserted them into acupuncture points near ah hui¡¯s temples.


    a few seconds later, ah hui abruptly opened her eyes, gazing at ye ling in terror.


    ye ling immediately lowered her voice and reassured her, ¡°ah hui, don¡¯t be afraid. i¡¯m here to help you. i just gave you a pill. your health will gradually improve over the next few days, but you mustn¡¯t let anyone know about it. keep pretending to be in the same state, okay?¡±


    although ah hui¡¯s eyes held doubt, the beautiful woman before her had a resolute and gentle gaze. she appeared like a merciful goddess, making ah hui, in her confused state, believe that a heavenly figure had descended to rescue her. she nodded vigorously.


    ¡°do you wish to leave this place forever?¡± ye ling asked. ¡°if you want to, i¡¯ll find a way to help you.¡±


    ah hui nodded eagerly.


    ¡°alright, i¡¯ll come back to see you soon. for now, get some rest.¡± ye ling retrieved the silver needles. ah hui¡¯s eyelids quickly grew heavy, and she blinked slowly twice, returning to her unconscious state.


    ye ling put away the silver needles, stood up, and pushed open the door of the woodshed. she saw mei lian squatting on the ground with a plastic basin in front of her. it held some vegetables that she was washing with well water.


    ¡°i¡¯ve finished checking,¡± ye ling said.


    mei lian quickly stood up, shaking the water off her hands. ¡°great, then go to the living room. my mom is waiting for you.¡±


    ye ling entered the living room and found aunt mei and ma biao seated on opposite sides of the table. she wasn¡¯t sure what had transpired between them, but the atmosphere was tense.


    ¡°i¡¯ve now assessed the patient¡¯s condition,¡± ye ling explained. ¡°i can determine the precise dosage of the medicine..¡±

 Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Stern

    chapter 159: stern


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling divided the medicine into small portions, with each portion having a very small dosage to ensure that the potent medicine wouldn¡¯t overwhelm ah hui¡¯s body.


    after splitting the medicine, ye ling added further instructions, ¡°boil it for ten minutes the first time and then discard the water. only the second batch of the medicine should be given to the patient.¡±


    naturally, this wasn¡¯t the correct usage for ginseng slices. ye ling mentioned this to deliberately reduce the effectiveness of the ginseng.


    ¡°okay, comrade. we understand. thank you for coming to remind us,¡± ma biao replied courteously.


    ye ling nodded, stood up, and prepared to leave.


    ma biao escorted ye ling to the door and watched her departure.


    upon returning to the living room, aunt mei rolled her eyes at ma biao, saying, ¡°oh, you even escorted her to the door. let me tell you, that woman is clearly from the city. don¡¯t get any foolish ideas.¡±


    ma biao felt somewhat embarrassed and defensive. ¡°she came over to remind us. isn¡¯t it right to see her to the door?¡±


    aunt mei chose not to say anything more. she glanced at the ginseng slices on the table and muttered, ¡°what a waste of money. she¡¯s a real money-drainer!¡±


    ma biao put away the ginseng slices and prepared today¡¯s dosage. he found a medicine jar and put the ginseng slices in.


    although ma biao didn¡¯t like ah hui and even hoped that this woman who brought him shame could die soon, he still couldn¡¯t do something like leave her alone.


    in reality, ma biao also carried a hint of guilt. had ah hui not come to his house and married him, she certainly wouldn¡¯t have met such a tragic fate at the young age of sixteen.


    although he didn¡¯t believe in superstitions, he couldn¡¯t help but fear karmic retribution. consequently, after ah hui fell seriously ill, he treated her somewhat better than aunt mei did.


    ye ling hurried back to the pharmacy. upon entering, she spotted an unfamiliar woman seated behind the counter.


    their eyes met, and the woman¡¯s stern gaze settled on ye ling. a shiver coursed through ye ling¡¯s skin as if a scalpel were pressed against it.


    ¡°two hours.¡± gao min glanced at her watch and offered a chilly smile. ¡°two hours.¡±


    ye ling stood beside the counter and lowered her head. ¡°i¡¯m sorry for leaving my post without permission.¡±


    ye ling had already guessed that the short-haired woman in front of her was sister gao.


    when sister gao came to deliver the medicine today, she noticed that ye ling was not in the pharmacy. after inquiring with ji mei, sister gao must have learned what ye ling was doing. as a manager, sister gao would undoubtedly be displeased to see her employees deviating from their duties during working hours.


    gao min snorted coldly. she had originally intended to reprimand ye ling sternly, but she was surprised by ye ling¡¯s quick acknowledgment of her mistake.


    her attitude was surprisingly cooperative.


    if ye ling, relying on her talent, had disregarded the pharmacy¡¯s rules and displayed an unapologetic attitude, gao min would have certainly delivered a harsher reprimand and punishment.


    ji mei stood by and whispered, ¡°ye ling is simply concerned about the patient¡¯s condition. she¡¯s acting out of kindness. sister gao, please don¡¯t be too hard on her.¡±


    gao min shot a brief, disdainful glance at ji mei. ¡°you¡¯re quite compassionate.¡± ye ling kept her head down and remained silent.


    a few seconds later, gao min¡¯s tone turned cold as she said, ¡°i¡¯ll dock a week¡¯s worth of your wages.¡±


    ji mei exclaimed in surprise. she hadn¡¯t expected gao min¡¯s punishment to be so severe. she was about to plead on behalf of ye ling, but ye ling herself responded, ¡°okay.¡±


    gao min slowly rose from her seat and gestured toward the kitchen. ¡°your meal is heating up in the pot.¡±


    ye ling was stunned for a moment. after thanking gao min, she walked to the kitchen.


    gao min walked out to the courtyard, preparing to leave on her bicycle. ji mei accompanied her to the door, voicing her discontent, ¡°sister gao, why deduct her wages for a whole week? isn¡¯t that a bit too harsh?¡±


    gao min replied in a cool tone, ¡°if i don¡¯t take such measures, how will she learn her lesson? ye ling is different from you and yun jie. highly talented individuals often have strong personalities and tend to do things their way, ignoring established systems and rules. by helping her adjust her attitude now, i aim to prevent more significant mistakes in the future.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not that serious.¡± ji mei pouted. although she was still a little dissatisfied, she did not dare to say anything else.


    in the kitchen, ye ling opened the pot¡¯s lid to find two cornbread buns, a plate of spicy cabbage, and a dish of fermented bean curd.


    ye ling quickly finished her lunch, wiped her mouth, and then sat on the stool behind the stove, sinking into deep thought.


    she already had a plan to save ah hui, but this plan was very risky, so she had to be extra careful..

 Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Again

    chapter 160: again


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    a few minutes later, ye ling stood up from her chair, washed the used bowls and chopsticks, and placed them in the cupboard.


    afterward, ye ling walked to the counter and noticed ji mei eating melon seeds.


    ¡°lingling, don¡¯t blame sister gao. she¡¯s just a little rigid, but she¡¯s still a good person,¡± ji mei said, handing ye ling a handful of melon seeds.


    ye ling smiled, indicating that she wasn¡¯t angry at gao min for punishing her.


    everyone had their principles. gao min was the person in charge of the pharmacy, so she naturally acted from the perspective of a leader.


    ji mei heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that ye ling did not resent sister


    gao. then, she complained, ¡°but this punishment is a little too severe. sigh.¡±


    at the moment, ye ling still had a lot of money on hand, so she didn¡¯t care about being deducted a week¡¯s salary. she sat down and munched on melon seeds with ji mei.


    of course, it was not appropriate to eat melon seeds during working hours, so ji mei had been watching the door cautiously. when she saw someone passing by the door, she would put the melon seeds in the drawer of the counter and wait for them to leave before taking them out.


    ¡°by the way, what¡¯s wrong with that man? is he sick?¡± ji mei asked.


    ¡°there¡¯s nothing wrong with his body. the one who¡¯s seriously ill is his¡­family.¡± ye ling couldn¡¯t say that ah hui was ma biao¡¯s wife, so she changed her words.


    ¡°oh, i see.¡±


    ¡°it was the witch doctor who asked them to get the herbs,¡± ye ling continued to explain. ¡°the witch doctor didn¡¯t tell them the dosage and precautions for the herbs, so i went to their house and helped them distribute the dosage.¡± ji mei came to a sudden realization. soon, cold sweat broke out on her back.


    the one who prescribed the medicine was a witch doctor!


    ji mei knew very well how unreliable witch doctors could be. if something happened to the man¡¯s family, the one who would bear the responsibility in the end would not be the witch doctor, but the pharmacy that provided the herbs!


    ji mei looked at ye ling in shock. ¡°in that case, you¡¯ve helped our pharmacy avoid a big risk. sister gao really shouldn¡¯t have punished you. she should have given you a bonus!¡±


    ye ling smiled faintly. ¡°that¡¯s two different things. it¡¯s against the rules for me to leave the workplace during working hours.¡±


    ji mei didn¡¯t quite agree. in her opinion, rules were rigid, but people should adapt to the situation when faced with unexpected circumstances.


    at night, ye ling was on duty once again. this time, she brought the teaching materials she had borrowed from min nan.


    she had borrowed these teaching materials for quite some time, and it was about time to finish reading them and return them to min nan.


    ye ling thought about when they would meet again for the return of the teaching materials, and a vague sense of anticipation filled her heart.


    for ye ling, high school-level herbal knowledge was much more challenging to comprehend than medical books. so she took out her notebook and made numerous notes, circling the parts she didn¡¯t understand and marking them with a question mark.


    ¡°bang! bang!¡± there was a light knock on the door. ye ling looked up and saw


    min nan standing at the door with his fingers still touching it.


    ye ling abruptly stood up, unsure of what to do.


    after a few days, min nan came again!


    ¡°big brother min nan, please come in quickly,¡± ye ling hurriedly said.


    ye ling¡¯s original intention was to have min nan enter promptly to prevent anyone from passing by and seeing him.


    however, as soon as she said this, she felt that something was amiss. it sounded as if she was overly eager and enthusiastic.


    ye ling raised her head and gazed at min nan. perhaps she was overthinking, but she sensed a trace of teasing in min nan¡¯s eyes.


    ye ling awkwardly walked behind the counter, grabbed a thermos bottle, and poured a cup of hot water for min nan.


    ¡°big brother min nan, what brings you here?¡± ye ling asked, her eyes occasionally glancing guiltily at the door.


    upon hearing ye ling¡¯s question, min nan felt somewhat helpless.


    why was it that every time he came to see her, she would always inquire if he had any business? it was as if their conversations were limited to serious matters.


    however, viewed from another perspective, the two of them had not yet established a relationship. he couldn¡¯t just straightforwardly say that he missed her, so he had come to see her.


    nonetheless, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to find an excuse. after a moment of contemplation, min nan said, ¡°i¡¯m here to talk to you about ma kang¡¯s situation. the county has sent officials to investigate our village, and chen si and a few workers are willing to testify. ma kang had concealed the mine incident and bribed the workers, actions that seriously violated the party¡¯s constitution and discipline. two days ago, he was taken to the county for investigation. although the outcome is still pending, i heard that the county plans to assign a new village committee secretary to willow village..¡±

 Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Worship

    chapter 161: worship


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ¡°ma kang!¡± ye ling heaved a sigh of relief when she heard min nan say that ma kang had been sent to the county for investigation. ¡°i hoped that the next village committee secretary would be a reliable and good leader.¡±


    min nan looked at ye ling with a gentle gaze. ¡°i¡¯ve wronged you before.¡±


    ye ling didn¡¯t dare to look min nan in the eye. the man¡¯s eyes seemed to have some kind of attraction, making her heart beat faster.


    ¡°i¡¯m fine. i¡¯m not injured. by the way, big brother min nan, i¡¯ll be able to finish reading the teaching materials you lent me very soon.¡±


    min nan looked at the notebook on the counter. before ye ling could react, he took the notebook and saw that it was filled with densely packed notes and many question marks.


    ye ling¡¯s face turned red immediately. she had marked quite a lot of question marks. if min nan saw this, would he think that she was very stupid?


    min nan saw that ye ling seemed a little embarrassed, so he took the initiative to say, ¡°the knowledge in the textbooks is indeed difficult to understand without a teacher explaining it. you don¡¯t have to rush to return the book to me. just take your time and read it.¡±


    ye ling nodded. just as she was about to say something, min nan suddenly pointed at a line in her notebook and said, ¡°you¡¯ve misunderstood this. this formula can¡¯t be applied at any time.¡±


    ye ling was stunned for a moment. she looked at the notebook and frowned in confusion. ¡°i couldn¡¯t tell¡­¡±


    min nan picked up the pencil and a piece of paper beside her notebook. she listed a few questions on the paper and explained the solution to each question to ye ling.


    ye ling listened attentively, and the messy knowledge in her mind suddenly became clear and organized.


    while min nan was explaining, ye ling inadvertently looked up and saw the man¡¯s profile.


    the serious min nan seemed to have another kind of charm, and ye ling felt a sense of admiration for him.


    hearing the man¡¯s deep and magnetic voice, her heart beat faster, as if there was a mischievous deer jumping around in her heart.


    after min nan finished speaking, he put down the pencil.


    ¡°big brother min nan, you were amazing. you explained it so clearly.¡± ye ling praised sincerely.


    ye ling looked at min nan with her big, watery eyes. there was a hint of amazement and reverence in her eyes. in an instant, min nan felt as if he had sunk into the clouds and was floating.


    he maintained his composure on the surface and said lightly, ¡°there are specialized teachers in the army who will talk about some science and engineering knowledge. my foundation in this area is better than yours, so it will be easier for me to understand the content of the textbook. i¡¯ll talk to you about this today. next time, i¡¯ll talk to you about functional models.¡±


    min nan suddenly found an excuse to talk to ye ling about the questions.


    ye ling bit her lip. she knew that min nan was helping her again and felt a little embarrassed.


    however, in the countryside, she couldn¡¯t find another teacher to explain the contents of the teaching materials to her. she could only trouble min nan again.


    ye ling didn¡¯t know how to repay him, and she felt a little vexed.


    min nan stood up. ¡°then i¡¯ll be leaving first. you can sit here. you don¡¯t have to send me off.¡±


    min nan consciously left through the back door. ye ling felt strange when she saw min nan open the back door so skillfully and naturally.


    the two of them were talking about serious matters when they met. why did it feel like they were sneaking around?


    the sky soon brightened. ji mei woke up and went to the pharmacy door to stretch.


    ye ling put the teaching materials and notebook into a coarse cloth bag and greeted ji mei, ¡°ji mei, i¡¯m going to leave now.¡±


    after ye ling left the pharmacy, she didn¡¯t go home directly. instead, she walked toward the mountain opposite her.


    it had been a long time since she had gone up the mountain to pick herbs. previously, she had gone to the mountains near willow village to look for herbs. now that she was working in the pharmacy, there were a few mountains around her. she planned to inspect the mountain roads first and understand the situation. she would go up the mountain in a few days to see if there were any new varieties of herbs.


    the mountain path was filled with a thick fog, and dew condensed on the leaves of the plants. ye ling was wearing thin clothes and felt a little cold. she rubbed her arms and walked up the mountain path.


    after walking for a while, ye ling suddenly saw a very short figure in front of her. she narrowed her eyes and recognized it for a while before recognizing that it was da ya.


    ye ling was pleasantly surprised and took a few steps forward. at this moment, da ya also saw her.


    da ya seemed to have temporarily separated from her mother. when she suddenly saw ye ling, da ya was extremely nervous. she blinked quickly and did not dare to look ye ling in the eye. then, she remembered that her mother had told her to be polite to the sisters in the pharmacy. she whispered, ¡°hello, sister ye ling..¡±

 Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Da Ya

    chapter 162: da ya


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling walked over to da ya and noticed that da ya was carrying a small bamboo basket on her back, containing quite several fresh herbs. ye ling examined it carefully and was surprised to find that there were seven or eight types of herbs.


    ye ling pointed at da ya¡¯s small bamboo basket and asked, ¡°da ya, did you pick all these herbs?¡±


    da ya nodded timidly.


    ye ling¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°wow, da ya, you¡¯re so amazing. you know so many types of herbs?¡±


    da ya had never received such praise in her life, especially from the beautiful big sister in front of her, who seemed even more beautiful than the goddesses worshiped in the temple. da ya¡¯s face suddenly turned red, and her two small hands nervously grabbed the hem of her clothes as she explained, ¡°mom taught me to recognize them.¡±


    ¡°then your mom is also very amazing, ¡± ye ling said with a smile. ¡°by the way, why are you picking herbs here alone? where¡¯s your mom? where¡¯s your sister?¡±


    ¡°my sister is sleeping at home,¡± da ya said. ¡°my mom went deep into the mountains. she said it¡¯s more dangerous inside, so she only let me pick herbs outside.¡±


    ye ling nodded and asked, ¡°why are you here so early to pick herbs? it¡¯s just dawn, and most people are still asleep.¡±


    da ya blinked and explained, ¡°there are fewer people in the morning, and we won¡¯t be seen. after daybreak, my mom still has to go to the production team to help with work.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s so tiring¡­¡± ye ling was very emotional. no wonder sister he looked so old. she had worked too hard to raise two children. ¡°then when will your mom come down from the mountain?


    ¡°it should be soon.¡±


    as the two of them chatted, ye ling didn¡¯t want to waste da ya¡¯s time, so she followed da ya along the mountain path and picked herbs at the foot of the mountain.


    ¡°these two can also be used as medicine,¡± ye ling said as she pointed at two inconspicuous plants.


    then, ye ling briefly introduced the names of the two plants and their basic medicinal effects.


    da ya listened carefully, then reached out her rough little hands and carefully plucked the leaves of the two plants, gently putting them into her bamboo basket.


    ye ling also helped da ya collect a considerable amount of herbs. eventually, da ya¡¯s small bamboo basket was nearly full. ye ling proposed that they take a break while waiting for sister he to come down from the mountain.


    because ye ling had assisted in collecting many herbs, da ya had grown fonder of ye ling. she was no longer as fearful and timid as she had been initially, and she even willingly shared some information about their family.


    after chatting for a while, they noticed a woman wearing a dark blue shirt descending from the mountains not far away. da ya excitedly stood up and walked towards her mother.


    upon seeing her daughter, sister he patted her head and then spotted ye ling standing not far away.


    da ya held her mother¡¯s hand and excitedly said, ¡°mom, sister ye ling helped me collect many herbs. she even taught me to identify two new types of herbs.


    see, it¡¯s these two.¡±


    da ya pointed at the two herbs on the top of the bamboo basket with an enthusiastic expression.


    upon hearing da ya¡¯s words, sister he¡¯s inner tension eased considerably. with gratitude, sister he smiled at ye ling. ¡°thank you, comrade ye ling.¡±


    ¡°sister he, are you heading home? then let¡¯s go together,¡± ye ling suggested with a smile.


    the three of them departed along a narrow path. during the journey, ye ling explained, ¡°i¡¯m also planning to find some time to go up the mountain and check if there are any rare herbs up there. that¡¯s why i came today to assess the condition of the mountain path.¡±


    ¡°there are many plants on the mountain that i can¡¯t identify. perhaps there might be those rare herbs you mentioned,¡± sister he offered enthusiastically. ¡°how about this? the next time i encounter any plants that look unfamiliar, i¡¯ll pick them and show them to you. that way, you won¡¯t need to toil up the mountain. the mountain path can be treacherous, and many plants have thorns. one can easily get scratched.¡±


    initially, ye ling had intended to refuse sister he¡¯s suggestion. she was not one to shy away from physical work, having lived in the countryside for many years in her previous life. she had traversed all sorts of challenging mountain roads.


    however, just as ye ling was about to voice her refusal, a thought suddenly crossed her mind. after a brief hesitation, she nodded and said, ¡°alright, sister he, if you come across any plants with distinctive features next time, please pick them and show them to me.¡±


    the three of them reached the main road, and ye ling inquired, ¡°sister he, the earnings from collecting herbs should be sufficient to support da ya and er ya. why do you need to work with the production team every day? it¡¯s extremely tiring..¡±

 Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: The Wu Family

    chapter 163: the wu family


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    sister he looked at ye ling and smiled helplessly.


    she knew that ye ling wasn¡¯t a bad person, so she didn¡¯t hide anything. she explained, ¡°i used to secretly pick herbs and sell them, so i still had to work in the production team.¡±


    seeing ye ling¡¯s confusion, sister he continued, ¡°after i left my husband¡¯s house, the villagers sympathized with me. when my husband caused trouble for me, they would help. but if they found out i could make good money picking herbs, they wouldn¡¯t feel the need to help me.¡±


    the villagers did not have any bad intentions, but human nature was like this. they would have sympathy for the weak, but once the people around them lived better than them, they would feel unbalanced.


    the hardships in life made sister he understand many hidden truths. for the sake of her two daughters¡¯ future, she had to consider many details.


    ye ling finally understood and admired sister he¡¯s intelligence.


    ¡°so you used to go out every morning to pick herbs and sell them to the pharmacy at night, right?¡± ye ling said.


    sister he nodded and smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    the three of them reached a fork in the road. ye ling bid farewell to sister he and da ya, ¡°sister he, da ya, see you next time.¡±


    ye ling had originally planned to take the small path back to the educated youth dormitory, but she suddenly changed her mind on the way. she took another path and soon saw a familiar house.


    in her previous life, ye ling had lived in this house for many years. the moment she saw it, the painful memories that had long been sealed came back to life, flooding ye ling¡¯s heart and making her recall those nightmarish scenes.


    ye ling took a deep breath and, instead of walking along the main road to the front door, she climbed a hill and followed a small path to the back door of the wu family.


    at the back door, ye ling felt for the key in the gap between two mud bricks in the wall.


    rural people often misplaced things when they went out to work, so many of them kept their keys in a secret place. having lived with the wu family for many years, ye ling was very familiar with wu de and lin fang¡¯s habits.


    ye ling opened the back door and stepped into the courtyard.


    dawn had just broken, so ye ling knew that lin fang was probably still in bed.


    lin fang was a very lazy person, often sleeping until noon before getting up. her son, wu de, wasn¡¯t much different in that regard.


    in her previous life, after ye ling was compelled to marry wu de, she had to wake up before dawn every day to feed the pigs, and chickens, clean the house, and prepare lunch.


    ye ling walked to the front of the main house. the main house had a wooden door that was locked from the inside, so she couldn¡¯t enter.


    she had no intention of going inside. instead, she walked to the right and reached a wooden window. the window was covered with translucent plastic paper, which had become rigid and torn.


    ye ling removed the plastic sheet and saw lin fang lying on the bed through the wooden window.


    the bed was less than two meters from the window, and ye ling could even hear lin fang¡¯s uneven and irregular breathing.


    ye ling took out a silver needle from her hand and stared at lin fang with cold determination. her fingers caressed the cold silver needle slowly. she would never forget the fear and pain of the day when lin fang had attacked her.


    after the incident, ye ling had refrained from seeking out lin fang.


    she had been restraining herself, fearing that she might lose control and seek revenge on lin fang with the same cruelty.


    ye ling was well aware of how to sneak into the wu family¡¯s residence. with caution, no one would discover her presence.


    she also knew that lin fang¡¯s bed was very close to the window, and there were many ways to end lin fang¡¯s life.


    taking a deep breath, ye ling gazed coldly at lin fang¡¯s back. half a minute later, she put the silver needle back into her hand.


    if she were to take action, it would be more appropriate to use an ordinary embroidery needle. that way, the perpetrator would remain unidentified.


    ye ling hadn¡¯t brought an embroidery needle because she hadn¡¯t intended to end lin fang¡¯s life that day.


    after going through this process and stopping at the last step, ye ling knew that she had already overcome her inner demons.


    the huge advantage brought about by her rebirth and the enhancement of her medical skills allowed her to take the lives of her enemies without knowing it.


    however, ye ling didn¡¯t want to do that unless it was necessary.


    in this life, she aimed to live a peaceful life, refusing to allow her hands to be tainted with blood due to those wretched individuals..

 Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Talisman Paper

    chapter 164: talisman paper


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    ye ling glanced at lin fang one last time before turning around and walking to the well on the west side of the courtyard. she threw three green-brown pills into it.


    after completing these actions, ye ling was prepared to leave when she suddenly noticed piles of ashes in the four corners of the wu family¡¯s courtyard.


    ye ling frowned in confusion and walked to the ashes. she saw a few pieces of torn paper that had not been completely burned in the ashes. there were also various strange symbols drawn on the paper with red cinnabar.


    it looked like talisman papers obtained from a taoist or a witch.


    although it had been thirty years since the founding of the people¡¯s republic of china, the rural areas were still very superstitious. from aunt mei¡¯s trust in the witch doctor, it could be seen that the rural people were still very afraid of ghosts and gods. therefore, the social status of taoists and witches was still very high.


    why did these things appear in the wu family¡¯s courtyard?


    ye ling knew lin fang very well. lin fang was a very stingy person. these talismans were not cheap. if she had nothing to do, why would she buy these talismans?


    ye ling took a deep look at the pile of ashes and turned to leave through the back door. after locking the door, ye ling placed the key in the gap between the mud bricks.


    ye ling climbed up the hill and walked to the main road. by then, the sky was already completely bright, and there were already people carrying farm tools out of the house.


    ye ling pondered for a moment before finding a friendly-looking woman. ¡°auntie, has this place been peaceful recently?¡± she asked.


    ye ling¡¯s words were more euphemistic, but the rural woman would understand.


    ye ling inquired if there had been any recent supernatural occurrences in the area.


    upon hearing ye ling¡¯s words, the village woman¡¯s expression grew nervous. she quickly approached ye ling and lowered her voice. ¡°don¡¯t you know about this? the back mountain near lin fang¡¯s house has been haunted. when she went up the mountain to pick mushrooms, she saw a ghost. later on, the ghost followed her home, and during that time, she could see ghosts every night!¡±


    ¡°huh?¡± ye ling furrowed her brow upon hearing the woman¡¯s words. ¡°when did lin fang see the ghost?¡± she asked.


    after a moment of thought, the woman provided a rough date.


    ye ling was momentarily surprised. the haunting at lin fang¡¯s house occurred just a few days after her accident.


    was this a coincidence? ye ling had a sense that something was amiss.


    ¡°speaking of which, lin fang was miserable during that time. she didn¡¯t even dare to go out of the door. she was so scared that she lost more than ten pounds. when i went to visit her, she was so scared that she hid under the bed. she looked like a mouse that couldn¡¯t see the light.¡± the woman sighed.


    hearing about lin fang¡¯s difficult situation, ye ling naturally felt no sympathy.


    if there were ghosts in this world, ye ling felt that the ghosts that came to lin fang had a sense of justice and knew how to find bad people.


    however, ye ling still didn¡¯t believe in ghosts.


    ¡°what happened after that?¡± ye ling asked calmly.


    ¡°later? what else could she do? although haunted incidents are rare, they have occurred a few times in our area in the past few decades. lin fang could only go to a taoist to obtain talismans. she went to wudang mountain in the city and spent a significant amount of money to hire a taoist to perform two exorcism rituals. only then did the ghost stop bothering lin fang.¡±


    ¡°however, the taoist mentioned that this ghost was very fierce. the exorcism ritual had to be performed every six months, and the talismans had to be burned every three days. tsk, tsk, those talismans are not cheap. lin fang told me that her family had no money left.


    ¡°so that¡¯s how those burned -to-ashes talismans came about, ¡± ye ling sneered in her heart.


    after this haunted incident, lin fang must have given all her savings to the taoist who performed the exorcism.


    ye ling was lin fang¡¯s daughter-in-law in her previous life. she knew that even though the wu family was poor, lin fang still had some money on hand. however, lin fang did not give her a single cent.


    when wu de married ye ling, lin fang said that ye ling was no longer a good girl. she felt that ye ling had married up and even felt wronged for wu de. therefore, she didn¡¯t provide any dowry money to ye ling, and they didn¡¯t have a wedding ceremony. instead, they only invited a few relatives and neighbors to have a meal.


    after the wedding, lin fang made her do all the housework. after dinner, she had to wait for lin fang and wu de to finish eating before ye ling could sit at the dining table.


    sometimes, when there wasn¡¯t enough food at home, ye ling would go without a meal..

 Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Mushroom

    chapter 165: mushroom


    translator: nyoi-bo studio editor: nyoi-bo studio


    once, when ye ling returned home, she caught a whiff of a very rich fragrance, which smelled like roast duck. then, she saw wu de walking out of lin fang¡¯s room with some greasy marks on the corner of his mouth.


    when wu de saw ye ling suddenly return, he was stunned for a moment, and a hint of panic flashed across his eyes.


    but soon, his expression returned to normal. he even glared at ye ling fiercely. ¡°if you keep looking, i¡¯ll dig out your eyes!¡±


    ye ling was already very numb at that time. she didn¡¯t care that lin fang and wu de were secretly eating delicious food behind her back.


    at that time, her life was already as dark as the end of the world.


    she just felt that these two people were ridiculous.


    ye ling¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly. the memories of the past seemed to be very distant, but they were so clear. it was as if the woman who had suffered in the wu family was not her.


    now, she had smooth and soft skin and a young and beautiful face. the experience of the poor woman who quickly withered after marrying wu de seemed to be just a nightmare she had once had.


    however, ye ling knew that it wasn¡¯t a nightmare. it had happened.


    there was no point in continuing to immerse herself in the misery of the past. since god had given her a second chance at rebirth, she would let her life have a different ending.


    ye ling turned around and left, never looking back at the wu family¡¯s residence again.


    after getting used to the pace of work, ye ling took advantage of her break to go to town again.


    ¡°mr. ling!¡± mai zi, who was in the medicine store, was a little excited when he saw ye ling. ¡°you haven¡¯t been here for a long time,¡± he said as he walked forward.


    ye ling placed a few cloth bags on the table. mai zi counted the medicinal herbs in the cloth bags, and his heart was once again shocked.


    although this thin man called mr. ling didn¡¯t come often, the herbs he brought with him every time he came could be said to be of the highest quality.


    in the beginning, there were only some ordinary herbs. later on, there were even some relatively rare herbs.


    mai zi really couldn¡¯t understand how mr. ling¡¯s herbs could grow so well.


    even wild herbs could not grow so luxuriantly.


    at first, mai zi thought that ye ling might have used some kind of medicine to accelerate the growth of the herbs. if that were the case, the medicinal effects of the herbs would be affected.


    however, the second boss had checked those herbs and told him that the effects of those herbs were two to three times stronger than those in the normal state.


    mai zi was extremely surprised at that time. he looked at the second boss for a few seconds. mai zi frowned and said, ¡°how did he grow these herbs? or did he pick it from some magical place?¡±


    ¡°since he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it, then don¡¯t worry about it. as long as the herbs are fine, it¡¯s fine. next time he comes, treat him better, and don¡¯t forget to serve him tea.¡± the second boss reminded.


    ¡°yes.¡± mai zi nodded and said, ¡°the big boss said he wanted to see him. he said he would consider it. but i don¡¯t think he has any intention of getting to know the big boss.¡±


    ¡°this can¡¯t be forced. let fate take its course.¡¯


    ye ling glanced at mai zi but didn¡¯t say anything. after mai zi gave her the money, she took the money and left the black market. she went to the courtyard of master bail s residence.


    after entering the door, ye ling walked towards her house, only to discover that there were many people gathered at the door. she could hear the sounds of discussion.


    ¡°it just rained. those mushrooms seem to have grown bigger.¡±


    ¡°it shouldn¡¯t be poisonous. it looks white and fat. using it to make soup must be very delicious!¡±


    ¡°why didn¡¯t mushrooms grow on the roof of this house in the past? that surname ling kid is lucky.¡±


    ¡°that kid doesn¡¯t come here often. why doesn¡¯t master bai let us pick the mushrooms? this house originally belonged to master bai.¡±


    ¡°look at what you¡¯re saying. master bai is a kind person. how can he be like you?¡±


    ye ling was stunned for a moment and took two steps forward. when the onlookers saw her, they fell silent.


    ye ling raised her head and looked at the roof of the house.


    on the roof, there were white mushrooms squeezed together. the umbrella-shaped mushrooms were white and fat, and they looked full of vitality.


    ye ling was speechless.


    just as ye ling was in a daze, master bai¡¯s granddaughter walked over and said to ye ling,¡± you¡¯re finally here. grandpa said that if you come over, he can lend you the ladder. you can pick the mushrooms off the roof.¡±


    ¡°grandpa said that the mushrooms are not poisonous,¡± the little girl added after some thought.


    as a descendant of the ye family, ye ling naturally knew that the white mushrooms were not poisonous and should taste quite good..

 Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: Erhu

    Chapter 166: Erhu


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A few minutes later, Ye Ling borrowed Master Bai¡¯s wooden ladder and leaned it against the roof. Then, she climbed up to the roof and plucked all the white mushrooms on the roof.


    While picking the mushrooms, Ye Ling had a strange thought.


    While picking the mushrooms, Ye Ling had a strange thought.


    The onlookers said that she was lucky that mushrooms had grown on the roof of her rented house.


    However, the Ye family¡¯s ancestor had previously told her that her luck had been stolen.


    Did that day¡¯s incident mean that her luck hadn¡¯t been that bad?


    Ye Ling wasn¡¯t sure if her thoughts were correct, but she felt a little gratified when she thought about it. When she looked down at the white and plump mushrooms, she also found them extremely cute.


    Ye Ling picked a large basket of mushrooms and carefully climbed down the ladder.


    The other tenants looked at the large basket of mushrooms in Ye Ling¡¯s hands from afar with envious eyes.


    Ye Ling walked into Master Bails house with a basket of mushrooms and saw him dozing off on a recliner.


    Ye Ling hesitated for a moment. Just as she was thinking about not disturbing


    Master Bai¡¯s rest, the little girl standing next to her suddenly shouted, ¡°Granpa, don¡¯t sleep! Mr. Ling is looking for you!¡±


    Master Bai was shocked and almost fell off his chair.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Master Bai rubbed his eyes when he saw Ye Ling.


    Ye Ling placed the basket in her hand on the table and pointed at Master Bai and the little girl. She then pointed at the other houses outside the door.


    Master Bai slowly stood up from his chair and said to his granddaughter, ¡°Go out and play first. I¡¯ll talk to Mr. Ling.¡±


    ¡°This mushroom grew on the roof of your house. You don¡¯t have to give it to us,¡± Master Bai said after the little girl left.


    Just as Ye Ling was thinking about how to express herself, Master Bai said,


    ¡°Alright, just talk to me. Don¡¯t pretend to be mute, young girl.¡±


    Ye Ling was stunned. Master Bai recognize that she wasn¡¯t a man?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Bai.¡± Ye Ling hesitated for a few seconds before saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you.¡±


    Master Bai walked to the table and looked at the fat mushroom. He said, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything bad. I won¡¯t blame you. You don¡¯t have to hide it from me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After Ye Ling finished speaking, she was a little confused. ¡°Master Bai, how did you know that I¡¯m a woman?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for so long, so my judgment is naturally better than those young people.¡± Master Bai glanced at Ye Ling and continued, ¡®Men and women walk differently. Of course, there are some other small details. Alright, you don¡¯t have to dwell on this matter. Since you want to give this mushroom to us, I¡¯ll keep it. I¡¯ll give it to the others later.


    Ye Ling smiled and gestured with her hand to express her gratitude to Master Bai. ¡°Thank you, Master Bai.¡±


    Ye Ling left Master Bai¡¯s house, and once again, she marveled at the kindness of Master Bai. He not only reminded others not to pick the mushrooms that grew on her roof but also provided her with a ladder. Even after realizing she was a woman, he didn¡¯t reveal her secret.


    As Ye Ling took a few steps, she suddenly remembered something she had forgotten to ask.


    Master Bai had treated her so kindly. If his family were indeed seriously ill, she could offer to help them with medical care.


    Ye Ling originally considered turning back to ask Master Bai about it, but as she noticed that it was getting late, she hesitated for a moment and decided to inquire about it on another occasion.


    Returning to her room, Ye Ling found that the silk rose soap she had made previously was now fully formed. She successfully removed it from the mold, cut it into neatly shaped pieces, and placed them in gauze bags.


    After completing this task, Ye Ling retrieved some herbs from her small world and began preparing medicinal wine.


    Given the cooling weather, making medicinal wine to share with Sun Li¡¯s family not only helped ward off the chill but also provided health benefits.


    Ye Ling prepared several varieties of medicinal wine, sealed them with high-proof white liquor, and then stored the jars in a dry, cool place.


    To transform the plant-based herbs into medicinal wine, they needed to soak in white liquor with an alcohol content of over 30 degrees for approximately 20 days.


    Once she had arranged the jars in one location, Ye Ling covered them with a layer of plastic cloth.


    With her tasks complete, Ye Ling was ready to head back.


    Just as she was about to leave, she was suddenly captivated by the sound of delicate and soulful music.


    Ye Ling came to a halt, drawn by the enchanting melodies. She couldn¡¯t resist walking closer to the courtyard wall, as the music was coming from the other side.


    The instrument being played was the erhu. The tone of the erhu was similar to that of the human voice. When it was played, there was a strong sense of singing and telling..

 Chapter 167 - Chapter 167: Song

    Chapter 167: Song


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The overall tone of the melody was quite somber as if it were narrating the countless sorrows of the world, accompanied by a wistful sigh.


    Ye Ling was captivated by the music, and she found herself leaning against the wall, her eyes slowly closing.


    This unknown composition resonated deeply with Ye Ling. She felt that it encapsulated the sorrows and hardships she had carried in her heart from her previous life.


    As Ye Ling was lost in the music, the melody suddenly came to an end.


    Subsequently, the erhu emitted a few sporadic notes, as if the musician was attempting something new.


    Ye Ling realized that the erhu melody was a creation of the player, and it remained unfinished. The musician seemed to have encountered a challenge and was uncertain about how to proceed.


    Observing a large tree in the courtyard on the other side of the wall, Ye Ling saw the luxuriant leaves extending beyond the wall into her courtyard.


    She was struck with an idea and, standing on her tiptoes, plucked a leaf. She touched the green leaf and placed it near her mouth.


    Then, she produced a series of consecutive notes using the leaf as an instrument. Playing music with leaves was a skill her grandfather had taught her.


    After a short passage, Ye Ling stopped.


    She had been deeply moved by the erhu composition of the person on the other side of the wall. The music had touched her deeply, and by continuing where it had left off, she felt that she had expressed some of the emotions she had long suppressed. Her soul felt considerably lighter.


    On the opposite side of the wall, a man wearing a silk shirt stood frozen after hearing the sudden tune.


    He then listened intently to the melody played by the mysterious person. To his astonishment, the harmony with which the other person had picked up the melody from where he had left off was truly remarkable. The creative block he had faced had been effortlessly overcome by someone else.


    The man was overjoyed. After the music ceased, he hesitated for a minute before gathering the courage to say, ¡°Thank you for your guidance. May we meet and have a conversation?¡±


    The man could discern that the person on the other side of the wall was using leaves to play, and her skill was quite proficient. In light of this, he held a great deal of admiration and believed that the other person must be a highly skilled musician.


    Given his infrequent outings, he was unaware of the tenant to whom his grandpa had rented the house.


    The person on the other side of the wall appeared to be a recent tenant, and he had always assumed that the house was unoccupied.


    After the man posed his question, he waited with anticipation for a response from the person on the other side of the wall. However, after a substantial amount of time had passed, there was no sound from the other side.


    Had she left? The man felt a twinge of disappointment. Subsequently, he touched the erhu and promptly played the melody once more to ensure that he wouldn¡¯t forget it.


    After his performance, the man raised his gaze and looked at the lush tree. The sun¡¯s rays filtering through the leaves illuminated his deep, beautiful eyes.


    Ye Ling locked the door and was about to leave when she nearly collided with a woman.


    The woman held a porcelain bowl in her hands and, upon seeing Ye Ling, nervously said, ¡°Mr. Ling, this is freshly cooked mushroom soup. Would you like to try it?¡±


    Ye Ling was taken aback. Had the mushroom soup been prepared so quickly?


    Presumably, after Master Bai had distributed the mushrooms to the other tenants, they had eagerly cooked and tasted them. Thinking these mushrooms were provided by her, they had brought a bowl of mushroom soup to share with her.


    Ye Ling hesitated for a moment before reaching out to accept the bowl of mushroom soup.


    The woman looked at Ye Ling with a mix of surprise and nervousness. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Ye Ling had finished the mushroom soup.


    Ye Ling handed the empty bowl back to the woman. The woman happily said, ¡°This white mushroom soup is delicious. If you add some live prawns and tender tofu to cook together, it would be even better.¡±


    Ye Ling didn¡¯t know how to respond to this enthusiastic lady, so she simply nodded and gestured toward the courtyard entrance to signal her departure.


    The woman quickly made way for her.


    After leaving the town, Ye Ling didn¡¯t head directly to the educated youth dormitory in Stone Village. Instead, she first visited Willow Village.


    As she arrived at the entrance of the Wan family¡¯s home, Ye Ling gazed at the familiar door, feeling a tinge of nostalgia.


    She had been away for several days, and yet, coming back today, it still felt like returning home.


    Ye Ling walked up to the door and noticed that it was unlocked, so she gently pushed it open..

 Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: New Clothes

    Chapter 168: New Clothes


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi- Bo Studio


    Sun Li was making insoles in the house. She held a needle with red silk thread, intricately embroidering peony patterns onto the insoles.


    When she saw Ye Ling, her eyes immediately lit up. She hastily set aside her work and approached Ye Ling with a smile, saying, ¡°Lingling!¡±


    ¡°Auntie Sun, I¡¯ve come to visit you,¡± Ye Ling greeted with a smile. ¡°I have some white mushrooms here. They taste pretty good. I¡¯ll give them to you to try.¡± Ye Ling placed the remaining white mushrooms next to the door.


    ¡°These mushrooms look amazing,¡± Sun Li exclaimed in admiration.


    She then took Ye Ling¡¯s hand and urged her to sit down. Afterward, she went to her room and returned with roasted chestnuts, fried peanuts, melon seeds, and White Rabbit Candy.


    ¡°By the way, your clothes are ready. I originally wanted Min Nan to bring them to you, but he said he didn¡¯t have time these past few days. He¡¯s dragging his feet,¡± Sun Li complained.


    Upon hearing Sun Li¡¯s words, Ye Ling was momentarily surprised. Min Nan didn¡¯t have time these days? But hadn¡¯t he just visited her at the pharmacy? ¡°Try them on!¡± Sun Li insisted as she handed Ye Ling some clothes. ¡°Try them on!¡±


    Sun Li had ordered three sets of clothing in total.


    The first set consisted of a light green ruffled top paired with silk trousers. The second set was a softly-hued pink dress adorned with dark pink cherry blossom embroideries. Both of these sets were suitable for spring and autumn wear.


    The third set was a gradually transitioning blue padded jacket, featuring a mandarin collar and cheongsam-style fasteners at the neckline, exuding a sense of elegance.


    Since her rebirth, Ye Ling had been occupied with various tasks and hadn¡¯t found the time to focus on her appearance. She had been wearing her old clothes from Shanghai. As she looked at the three beautiful new outfits before her, Ye Ling felt somewhat dazed.


    Under Sun Li¡¯s urging, Ye Ling tried on all three sets of clothes.


    Upon donning the final light pink dress, Sun Li looked at her with gleaming eyes and exclaimed, ¡°You look like a fairy descended from the heavens.¡±


    Ye Ling blushed slightly at Sun Li¡¯s praise. She was about to change back into her clothes, but Sun Li held onto her hand and said, ¡°Just keep it on for now. Let Auntie Sun enjoy the sight for a little longer.¡±


    Ye Ling returned to her seat.


    ¡°Stay for dinner tonight,¡± Sun Li suggested. ¡°After dinner, I¡¯ll have them send


    you back.¡±


    Ye Ling also missed Sun Li and her family, so she nodded in agreement.


    She then took out two gauze bags from her cloth bag and handed them to Sun Li, saying, ¡°Auntie Sun, I made these silk rose soaps myself. They are good for the skin. One bag is for you, and the other is for Aunt Hua. I caused you quite a bit of trouble when I stayed here before, and I don¡¯t have much to repay you with, so I made these as a small token of appreciation.¡±


    Sun Li took the silk rose soap out of the gauze bag, and in an instant, she was met with a rich rose fragrance. The silk rose soap had a texture that felt even more delicate and smooth compared to regular soap, and tiny dried rose petals were visible.


    Sun Li was both pleasantly surprised and a bit taken aback. ¡°Lingling, you can make something like this?¡±


    Ye Ling nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult. You just need to prepare the materials and follow the steps.¡±


    Carefully, Sun Li put away the silk rose soap. She found it almost too exquisite to use.


    This child, Ye Ling, was incredibly sensible and had high emotional intelligence. Sun Li couldn¡¯t find a single fault with her. The more she looked at Ye Ling, the more she liked her.


    After placing the soap in the drawer, Sun Li looked at Ye Ling, who was wearing a light pink dress. She proposed, ¡°Lingling, let me style your hair. It¡¯ll match your dress better.¡±


    Ye Ling was stunned. She wanted to say that there was no need. It was almost nighttime, so why did she have to make it so complicated?


    But seeing Sun Li¡¯s enthusiastic expression, she didn¡¯t want to disappoint her, so she nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Sun Li happily brought out two silver hair accessories that she had used as part of her dowry when she got married. Then, she produced a small charcoal stove and slowly heated the hairstyling tools.


    Ye Ling sat in the chair, feeling slightly uneasy. It all seemed a bit too grand.


    Using the heated tools, Sun Li carefully curled a few strands of Ye Ling¡¯s hair. She smiled and remarked, ¡°Don¡¯t be deceived by Auntie Sun¡¯s current appearance. When I was younger, I also loved to dress up.¡±


    Ye Ling returned the smile. ¡°Not at all, Auntie Sun. You look beautiful now, and you must have been even more stunning when you were younger.¡±


    Sun Li teased her, saying, ¡°You sweet-talker, it¡¯s as if your mouth is coated with honey.¡±


    As they chatted, they managed to complete the hairstyling in less than half an hour..

 Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Stunning

    Chapter 169: Stunning


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Sun Li tied up the upper half of Ye Ling¡¯s hair and adorned it with a silver hair accessory, while the other half of her hair naturally cascaded down, exuding an air of classical and understated elegance.


    The strands of hair, loosely curled, gracefully framed her face, looking completely effortless and adding a touch of alluring charm to her overall appearance.


    As Ye Ling gazed at her reflection in the mirror, she felt a certain degree of unfamiliarity. Her current attire was so opulent that she resembled a bride about to be married.


    Ye Ling suddenly regretted her decision to accept Sun Li¡¯s styling. She realized that her attire might give off a misleading impression to Min Nan, who would be returning soon. She worried that Min Nan would misunderstand her intentions.


    Sun Li finished packing her hairstyling tools, and looked at Ye Ling with satisfaction, as if admiring her masterpiece. She patted Ye Ling on the shoulder and said, ¡°Alright, Lingling, you can sit for a while. I¡¯ll go prepare dinner.¡±


    After Sun Li left, Ye Ling felt uneasy as she touched her dress and hair. She stared at herself in the mirror in a daze.


    As evening approached, the Wan brothers began returning home.


    Wan Xue was the first to arrive, holding a string of cicada shells in his left hand and a long bamboo pole for catching dragonflies in his right. Upon seeing Ye Ling, he almost stumbled and fell.


    Wan Xue looked at Ye Ling in a daze for several seconds before tossing aside the items he held and rushing to her with excitement, exclaiming, ¡°Sister


    Lingling, when did you return?!¡±


    Following Wan Xue, Wan Hai, and Wan Feng came back.


    Wan Feng was taken aback when he spotted Ye Ling, his eyes nearly popping out. He narrowly avoided slamming into the door.


    However, Wan Hai remained relatively composed. He exchanged meaningful smiles with Ye Ling and offered his greetings.


    Under the scrutiny of the Wan brothers, Ye Ling felt increasingly uncomfortable.


    After Sun Li prepared dinner, Min Nan finally returned.


    As Min Nan approached the door, he didn¡¯t see Ye Ling and instead only observed Wan Hai, Wan Feng, and Wan Xue sitting outside.


    The three Wan brothers fixed their gazes on Min Nan with meaningful and somewhat ambiguous expressions.


    Min Nan felt bewildered, and his initial thought was, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    As he proceeded into the living room, he suddenly caught sight of a light pink figure. His eyes fixed on Ye Ling, and he was utterly dumbfounded.


    When Ye Ling first saw Wan Hai and the others, she felt a bit awkward. However, upon seeing Min Nan, her face immediately flushed, like a ripe apple in autumn. Her heart raced, and she quickly lowered her head, unable to meet Min Nan¡¯s gaze.


    Oh my god! How would Min Nan perceive her now? Could he think that she had dressed up to get his attention?


    Ye Ling¡¯s thoughts were in disarray, and it took her several seconds to force herself to look up and offer a smile to Min Nan. ¡°Big Brother Min Nan, you¡¯re back. Auntie Sun asked me to try on some new clothes.¡±


    Min Nan pursed his lips, unsure of what to say. He wanted to divert his gaze from Ye Ling, but he couldn¡¯t.


    Min Nan knew that Ye Ling was naturally beautiful, but he had never imagined that a little makeup would make her look so stunning.


    The young girl before him resembled a fully bloomed flower bud, exuding a hint of allure in her shyness. When Min Nan and Ye Ling locked eyes, they both felt a tingling sensation, as if they had been electrified.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, Min Nan?¡± Wan Feng, who enjoyed stirring the pot, teased. ¡°Isn¡¯t Lingling looking great today?¡±


    Min Nan shot Wan Feng a stern look with a clear warning in his eyes.


    Wan Feng was not afraid of death and continued to provoke Min Nan. ¡°Look at this blockhead, Lingling. He doesn¡¯t even praise you for looking this good. But Wan Hai and I did!¡±


    Min Nan was on the verge of stuffing Wan Feng¡¯s mouth with his stinky socks.


    ¡°Stop chatting. Come over and help with serving the dishes. It¡¯s time for dinner!¡± Sun Li¡¯s loud voice from the doorway interrupted their conversation, providing Min Nan and Ye Ling with a welcome escape from the awkwardness.


    The dinner that evening was exceptionally lavish. Sun Li had prepared a dish of fried wild boar meat and pig innards, generously using plenty of oil to enhance the rich flavors.


    After dinner, Wan Hai took care of washing the bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen, while Ye Ling returned to Sun Li¡¯s room to change her clothes.


    Outside the room, Sun Li gazed at Min Nan with a meaningful smile. ¡°So, what do you think of the clothes I made for Lingling? Do you like them?¡± She inquired, with a playful tone.


    Min Nan looked at Sun Li helplessly.. Why was Sun Li teasing him like this?

 Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Apologize

    Chapter 170: Apologize


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Wan Feng chuckled on the side and said, ¡°How could he not like it? He just didn¡¯t dare to admit it openly! Mom, you have no idea. I don¡¯t even dare to look at Lingling. If Min Nan thought I had feelings for Lingling, he might come with a knife in the middle of the night.¡±


    Min Nan gave Wan Feng a fleeting glance.


    He was now actually considering grabbing a knife.


    Ye Ling emerged after changing her clothes, feeling much more at ease. When she saw Sun Li and the others chatting, she smiled and asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Sun Li looked at Ye Ling and said, ¡°Next month is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the town hosts a lantern festival every year with many lively activities.


    Would you like to join them?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve never participated in a lantern festival before.¡± Ye Ling expressed her interest.


    The group continued chatting for a while, and it was already dark outside. Sun


    Li suggested to Min Nan, ¡°You should escort Lingling back.¡±


    Given the late hour and cooling weather, villagers refrained from evening strolls as they did during summer. Min Nan¡¯s escort mission would likely go unnoticed.


    Min Nan got to his feet, and Sun Li handed him the bag of clothes.


    Min Nan gazed at the bag. Initially, he had planned to wait for an opportunity to visit Ye Ling without any excuses and then use the pretext of delivering the clothes to her. However, what he didn¡¯t expect was¡­


    The two of them pushed the courtyard gate open and made their way down the dimly lit path.


    ¡°Take it easy and watch out for the rocks on the road,¡± Min Nan reminded, holding the lantern.


    As they strolled along, they engaged in casual conversation, and the atmosphere wasn¡¯t awkward at all.


    In reality, Min Nan was a well-informed individual with knowledge spanning astronomy, geography, literature, and the arts. When they delved into discussions about rural policies, Min Nan offered profound insights into the current political landscape.


    Without realizing it, they covered numerous topics, and the long journey seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.


    Ye Ling observed the well-lit educated youth dormitory building in front of her and advised Min Nan, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. Big Brother Min Nan, you should head back. Be careful on your way.¡±


    Min Nan nodded. ¡°Alright, make sure to get back and rest early.¡±


    As Ye Ling watched Min Nan depart, an unexpected sense of reluctance welled up in her heart. Startled, she hurriedly used a psychological suggestion to forcefully dispel that peculiar feeling. Then, she turned and walked into the educated youth dormitory.


    When their paths crossed, Li Han noticed that Ye Ling had returned late and a hint of disdain flickered in her eyes.


    Due to the dim lighting, Ye Ling didn¡¯t catch Li Han¡¯s expression.


    Ye Ling wasn¡¯t particularly acquainted with the educated youths residing in the dormitory building. She could sense that some of them harbored a certain degree of aversion towards her.


    Because this particular group of people wasn¡¯t particularly warm or friendly toward her, others were hesitant to initiate friendships with a newcomer like Ye Ling.


    As a result, even after living here for quite a while, Ye Ling still didn¡¯t have many friends.


    However, Ye Ling didn¡¯t mind this too much. In her view, true friendships were a matter of chance. Only when both parties naturally got along could they become genuine friends.


    Ye Ling walked towards her dormitory. When passing by Li Han, Li Han suddenly extended a leg to trip her.


    Ye Ling¡¯s reflexes were quick. After stumbling, she quickly took two steps forward, narrowly avoiding a fall.


    Although she didn¡¯t fall, the bag in Ye Ling¡¯s hand slipped to the ground, and its contents spilled out. Since there were still damp patches on the ground, the clothes got soiled by dirty water.


    Ye Ling¡¯s expression immediately turned sour.


    Seeing that Ye Ling hadn¡¯t tumbled to the ground, Li Han pursed her lips in disappointment and turned to head to the restroom.


    After taking only a couple of steps, Li Han felt a sharp pain in her arm and was pulled back.


    Li Han lifted her head and saw Ye Ling staring at her with a cold expression.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Li Han furrowed her brows and yelled.


    ¡°Apologize,¡± Ye Ling¡¯s voice turned as cold as ice.


    ¡°Apologize for what? You tripped while walking, how is that my problem? Don¡¯t go looking for trouble for no reason. There¡¯s no man here to back you up!¡± Li Han shouted, her frustration evident.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, apologies.¡± Ye Ling¡¯s gaze darkened, and her patience was wearing thin.


    ¡°Are you being unreasonable?¡± Li Han exclaimed. ¡°Do you think of yourself as a princess? I¡¯m not like those men who fall for your tricks! Let go of me!¡±


    Their argument swiftly drew a crowd of onlookers, and several dormitory doors swung open as educated youths curiously watched.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Xin Yan quickly emerged and saw Ye Ling gripping Li Han¡¯s arm.. She hastened over and inquired, ¡°What happened?¡±

 Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: Falling

    Chapter 171: Falling


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Ling glanced at Xin Yan and remained silent.


    She was aware that Xin Yan was a friend of Li Han.


    There was no need for her to explain to Xin Yan. Otherwise, it would seem like she had relinquished the right to judge the situation to Xin Yan.


    Xin Yan didn¡¯t anticipate that Ye Ling would completely ignore her. She felt somewhat awkward, but fortunately, Li Han swiftly explained what had transpired.


    ¡°Xin Yan, does this woman have a problem with her brain? I got up to use the


    restroom, and she accidentally fell. Yet, she insists that I tripped her. Come on, do you have any evidence to accuse me of tripping you? Can¡¯t you find the cause within yourself?¡± Li Han cast a strange, accusatory glance at Ye Ling, appearing as if she would never admit her mistake.


    Xin Yan furrowed her brows.


    Despite being Li Han¡¯s friend, Xin Yan knew what kind of person Li Han was. The reality might be the exact opposite of what Li Han claimed.


    Li Han didn¡¯t like Ye Ling in the first place, so it was very likely that she would deliberately play tricks on Ye Ling when no one was around.


    The path after they entered was very flat. Usually, no one would fall, so how could Ye Ling suddenly fall?


    Xin Yan took a deep breath and turned to Ye Ling. ¡°Since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, Comrade Ye, could you please release my friend for now? Are you injured? I have some first-aid supplies in my dorm. I can help you.¡±


    Ye Ling looked at Xin Yan, then glanced around at the onlookers. After a brief pause, she slowly released her grip on Li Han.


    Li Han had been convinced that Ye Ling wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to her. Witnessing Ye Ling ultimately suppressing her anger, Li Han felt an immense sense of triumph. She couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips smugly and, with an eye-roll directed at Ye Ling, remarked, ¡°In the future, don¡¯t accuse others without evidence. You have a twisted eye and you fell by accident, yet you blame someone else?¡±


    ¡°Li Han, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go back,¡± Xin Yan said, gazing at Li Han with a hint of exasperation as she attempted to lead her back to the dormitory.


    ¡°I need to use the restroom first,¡± Li Han responded. Then, she shot Ye Ling a contemptuous look before turning and heading toward the restroom.


    Ye Ling watched Li Han¡¯s departing figure. Once Li Han had moved about three meters away, Ye Ling raised her hand. The button in her hand acted like a bullet, hitting an acupuncture point on Li Han¡¯s leg.


    After a sudden burst of pain, one of Li Han¡¯s legs lost all sensation. She was unable to maintain her balance, and her body tilted, causing her to fall to the ground. The rough gravel scraped her skin, and the collision of bone against the hard stone bricks sent a sharp, intense pain through her. Li Han let out a series of anguished cries.


    ¡°Li Han?¡± Xin Yan was startled, and she hastily went over to help Li Han up, asking anxiously, ¡°Li Han, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Li Han cried out in pain. Ignoring the discomfort in her body, she angrily pointed at Ye Ling. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    Ye Ling crossed her arms and gave a faint smile. ¡°Comrade, one mustn¡¯t make unfounded accusations.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± Although Li Han didn¡¯t understand what had happened, she was sure that she hadn¡¯t fallen without reason. Suddenly, she felt something strike her leg, causing her to lose sensation.


    This was all so peculiar!


    ¡°What could I have done to you? You were quite a distance away from me just now. Could it be that I pushed you down?¡± Ye Ling maintained a calm expression. She mimicked Li Han¡¯s tone and said, ¡°Don¡¯t accuse others without evidence. If your eyes played tricks on you, and you accidentally fell, can you blame someone else?¡±


    Li Han was nearly overwhelmed by anger when she heard Ye Ling mock her again.


    It had to be Ye Ling¡¯s doing!


    The commotion on the first floor quickly drew the attention of the dormitory manager. Upon arrival, he inquired, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    A young female scholar who had been observing briefly recounted the events. This knowledgeable young woman didn¡¯t take sides between Li Han and Ye Ling. She simply stated the facts.


    The dorm manager looked at Ye Ling and Li Han with confusion. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t determine who had instigated the conflict.


    Ye Ling claimed that Li Han had intentionally tripped her, but there were no witnesses.


    Li Han accused Ye Ling of deliberately attacking her just moments ago, yet Ye Ling hadn¡¯t even touched her. Li Han had suddenly fallen on her own, so how could she pin the blame on Ye Ling?


    The dormitory manager sighed in resignation. ¡°Since no one can prove malicious intent, let¡¯s consider this matter resolved for now. Xin Yan, take Li Han to the dormitory to apply some ointment, her leg is grazed.¡±


    Xin Yan gave Ye Ling a deep, silent glance, but she refrained from saying anything more. She reached out and helped Li Han to her feet.


    Because the courtyard had no tiled floor, Li Han¡¯s clothes were smudged with dried mud, giving her a disheveled appearance compared to Ye Ling..

 Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Buttons

    Chapter 172: Buttons


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Li Han glared at Ye Ling. She had wanted to say something, but Xin Yan forcefully tugged at her arm and warned her with a look.


    Li Han could only forcefully suppress the resentment building up inside her.


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Seeing that the situation was resolved, the dormitory manager yawned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s all go back.¡±


    Ye Ling cast a casual glance at Li Han and walked straight to her room.


    After Xin Yan helped Li Han back to the dormitory, she retrieved ointment from the cabinet. After cleaning the edges of Li Han¡¯s wounds with warm water, she applied the ointment to the injuries.


    Li Han pounded the bed angrily. ¡°That woman, I won¡¯t let her off the hook!¡± Xin Yan looked at Li Han in silence. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who started it?¡± ¡°When did I¡­¡± Li Han began to deny it.


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know you? You might deceive others, but do you think you can deceive me?¡± Xin Yan sighed helplessly. ¡°Why did you provoke her? She¡¯s not someone to be underestimated.¡±


    Li Han sneered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just because she has a man backing her up? I don¡¯t believe I won¡¯t find a chance to get back at her.¡±


    Xin Yan frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t stir up trouble. Be careful not to fall even harder next time.¡±


    ¡°Xin Yan!¡± Li Han protested unhappily. ¡°You have to help me! Can you bear to see me being bullied like this?¡±


    ¡°Who can bully you? If you didn¡¯t provoke her, would all this have happened? It¡¯s time to apply the medicine. Endure it,¡± Xin Yan said as she applied the ointment to the deepest wound on Li Han¡¯s knee.


    Li Han let out a miserable cry, and cold sweat threatened to drip from her forehead as she kept inhaling sharply.


    After applying the medicine, Xin Yan fetched new pajamas for Li Han. After changing into fresh clothes, Li Han lay on the bed, expressing both anger and frustration. ¡°How did that woman make me fall? I don¡¯t understand.¡¯ Xin Yan lay on the bed without speaking. After a while, she suddenly got up.


    Li Han was surprised. ¡°Xin Yan, where are you going?


    ¡°To the toilet.¡±


    Xin Yan took the flashlight, pushed open the dormitory door, and walked into the courtyard.


    At this moment, the courtyard was empty, illuminated only by the cold moonlight.


    Xin Yan turned on the flashlight and carefully searched the courtyard.


    After almost five minutes of searching, she finally found a blue button in a pile


    gravel.


    Xin Yan picked up the button and frowned as she stared at it.


    How did Ye Ling manage to make Li Han fall instantly with just a small button?


    Ye Ling returned to her room and took out her clothes, looking at the dirty spots with some annoyance.


    The stains should wash off, but Ye Ling was still displeased that her new clothes had been intentionally dirtied.


    She filled a basin with warm water, took out soap, and carefully washed the clothes before hanging them by the window to dry.


    Despite the events of the previous day, Ye Ling didn¡¯t let it affect her mood for work. After spending some time in the small world, she came out and fell asleep in bed within a few minutes.


    When Ye Ling woke up the next day, she grabbed a basin and a cup and headed to the bathroom for her morning routine.


    Just as she finished brushing her teeth, she sensed someone standing behind her. Ye Ling turned abruptly and saw Xin Yan.


    Wiping the water from the corner of her mouth, Ye Ling looked at Xin Yan with indifference and remained silent.


    Facing Ye Ling¡¯s calm expression, Xin Yan suddenly felt a bit nervous. She avoided eye contact and handed a button to Ye Ling from her pocket. ¡°Is this your button?¡± Xin Yan¡¯s tone carried a meaningful undertone.


    ¡°It¡¯s my button. Thank you,¡± Ye Ling replied calmly.


    Without further dialogue, Ye Ling picked up her basin and cup, ready to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t casually throw things away in the future,¡± Xin Yan suddenly remarked from behind.


    Ye Ling frowned and turned to look at Xin Yan. After a few seconds, she spoke coldly, ¡°Who would willingly lose something? Besides, it¡¯s just a button.¡± Ye Ling took out the blue button and tossed it away.


    Xin Yan¡¯s face paled. She hadn¡¯t expected Ye Ling to be so unyielding.


    Xin Yan had only intended to remind Ye Ling not to harm people casually, but it seemed Ye Ling didn¡¯t see any issue with her actions.


    Returning to the dormitory with the cup and basin, Ye Ling put them down and started combing her hair.


    Xin Yan must have guessed what she had done with the button. This person was quite smart..

 Chapter 173 - Chapter 173: Chatting

    Chapter 173: Chatting


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Ling had indeed used a very special method to make Li Han fall from three meters away. The principle was very simple, she only needed to hit a special acupuncture point on the upper part of the human calf with a button.


    The Ye family had been practicing medicine for many years and had a unique and magical treatment method called the acupoint technique.


    The acupoint technique required the doctor to control their strength, stimulating various acupuncture points in the human body to achieve the purpose of auxiliary treatment.


    Practicing the acupoint technique was not easy. The strength of a person¡¯s fingers was small, and precise control of strength was required. Ye Ling could only find time to practice in the small world for one or two hours every day.


    Two hours was the limit. If she waited too long, her fingers would become extremely sore, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it.


    Fortunately, after practicing for more than a month, Ye Ling had finally mastered the basics of the acupoint technique.


    Moreover, practicing the acupoint technique had also greatly improved her ability. She could now accurately hit a target with silver needles or a small object from five meters away.


    Xin Yan might be able to guess that Ye Ling had used the button to cause Li


    Han to have an accident, but she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to guess how Ye Ling did it. Outsiders had never seen the various mysterious secret techniques of the Ye family, so how would they know?


    Ye Ling usually wouldn¡¯t use such a method to hurt others, but last night, it was Li Han who provoked her. Ye Ling gave her a chance to apologize, but Li Han refused to admit it.


    In her previous life, Ye Ling might have been helpless and didn¡¯t dare to resist when she encountered such a situation. But now, Ye Ling could counterattack, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t be so weak anymore.


    From another perspective, if she did not retaliate this time, those who had ill intentions toward her would only think that she was easy to bully. In the future, such troublesome things would only increase.


    He had to nip the problem in the bud the first time it happened.


    Li Han was also an adult. Shouldn¡¯t she pay the price for what she had done?


    Ye Ling didn¡¯t understand why Xin Yan wanted her to reflect on herself. Wasn¡¯t the person who should reflect on herself her good friend, Li Han? Two days later, it was Ye Ling¡¯s turn to take a break. She went to Aunt Mei¡¯s house again.


    This time, Aunt Mei wasn¡¯t home. When Ma Biao opened the door and saw Ye Ling, he was stunned. He probably didn¡¯t expect Ye Ling to come again.


    Ye Ling could see that Ma Biao was looking at her with a hint of nervousness in his eyes. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°Ah Hui¡¯s condition isn¡¯t very good. Why didn¡¯t you guys continue to come to get the medicine? It¡¯s not enough to just take ginseng slices.¡±


    Ma Biao smiled awkwardly. ¡°The doctor said that Ah Hui¡¯s condition is very bad. Our family doesn¡¯t have much money. My Mom said that we can only leave


    it to fate.¡±


    ¡°Doctor? It must be the witch doctor.¡± Ye Ling thought.


    Ye Ling didn¡¯t say anything else. She looked at Ma Biao quietly. When Ma Biao¡¯s ears turned red, she said,¡± Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ma Biao was stunned. Then, he realized that the two of them had been talking at the door for a long time. Ma Biao hurriedly said, ¡°Please come in.¡± ¡°Is Sister Mei Lian not home?¡± Ye Ling asked as she looked around the yard.


    ¡°She and my Mom went to the field to pick up beans.¡± Ma Biao poured a glass of water for Ye Ling.


    After Ye Ling sat down, she didn¡¯t drink any water. Instead, she held the cup of water as if she were warming her hands.


    ¡°Comrade Ma Biao, how did you and Ah Hui get married?¡± Ye Ling asked casually.


    Ma Biao was stunned. Why was Ye Ling asking him this question?


    He smiled awkwardly. ¡°My family arranged it. When my Mom asked me to marry her, I didn¡¯t even see her.¡±


    ¡°Then, how¡¯s your relationship after marriage?¡± Ye Ling seemed to be chatting casually, revealing a curious expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s not very good, but it¡¯s not very bad either.¡± Ma Biao deliberated over his words, and he gradually felt that something was wrong.


    Ye Ling asked him these questions. Could it be that she was interested in him?


    After all, Ye Ling couldn¡¯t possibly be interested in a dying woman like Ah Hui, right?


    At the thought of this, Ma Biao felt his skin burn up bit by bit, and the temperature of his cheeks began to rise.


    He quickly glanced at Ye Ling. When his eyes met Ye Ling¡¯s clear and bright eyes, his soul seemed to have been struck by lightning in an instant. His mind was filled with Ye Ling¡¯s appearance.


    Did Ye Ling have feelings for him? Ma Biao¡¯s breathing quickened, and he didn¡¯t know where to put his hands.


    Speaking of which, he wasn¡¯t very ugly, and he was tall.


    Moreover, he was also very gentle and considerate to the person he liked¡­ Ye Ling should be able to see this, right?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with Ah Hui?¡± Ye Ling asked casually when she saw Ma Biao lowering his head. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking.. ¡°Can I go and see her?¡±

 Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Pills

    Chapter 174: Pills


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ma Biao came back to his senses. He didn¡¯t expect Ye Ling to suddenly change the topic. He hesitated for a moment, but he really couldn¡¯t refuse any of Ye Ling¡¯s requests. ¡°Okay, but there¡¯s nothing much to see. Her condition isn¡¯t very good.¡±


    The two of them walked to the door of the woodshed. Ye Ling turned to look at


    Ma Biao. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll come out after I¡¯m done.¡±


    Ma Biao originally wanted to follow Ye Ling, but when he heard Ye Ling¡¯s words, he stopped.


    Ye Ling walked into the woodshed and gently closed the door. Then, she saw Ah Hui lying on a haystack, unconscious.


    Ye Ling held Hui¡¯s wrist and felt her pulse.


    The situation was better than the last time!


    Ye Ling couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed.


    After thinking about it, she guessed in her heart, ¡°Could it be that after I came here last time, the desperate Ah Hui¡¯s desire to live was ignited, so her body¡¯s condition became better?¡±


    Sometimes, patients who were determined to die would find it difficult to get better even if they were given the best medicine.


    On the other hand, the situation would be the opposite for patients who had a desire to live.


    Regardless of whether it was because of this or not, Ah Hui¡¯s improvement was something to be happy about.


    Ye Ling took out a silver needle and quickly stimulated a few acupuncture points. The unconscious Ah Hui quickly woke up.


    Ma Biao was still outside the door. Ye Ling didn¡¯t have much time to chat with


    Ah Hui. She quickly stuffed a pill into Ah Hui¡¯s palm and said, ¡°Eat it tonight.¡±


    Ah Hui gripped the pill tightly with her skinny fingers as if she was holding onto the last hope of her life.


    Ye Ling patted Ah Hui¡¯s hand and gave her a determined look. Then, she gently said, ¡°Sleep for a while. When you wake up, you¡¯ll be free.¡±


    Ah Hui¡¯s dry eyes glistened with tears. She opened her mouth, but because her vocal cords had been damaged when she shouted for help, she could not make any sound.


    Ye Ling stood up and glanced at Ah Hui again before turning around and leaving the woodshed.


    At the door, Ma Biao leaned against the wall and looked at the chicken coop not far away in boredom.


    After Ye Ling came out, he hurried over. ¡°How¡¯s Ah Hui?¡±


    Ye Ling shook her head regretfully. ¡°The situation is indeed not good.¡±


    Ma Biao smiled bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s true. In this situation, what other results can there be?¡±


    Ye Ling was silent for a few seconds. ¡°Comrade Ma Biao, don¡¯t be too sad,¡± she said in a ¡°regretful¡± tone.


    This ¡°comfort¡± was the most Ye Ling could offer to Ma Biao. Seeing that Ma Biao still wanted to say something, she immediately interrupted him. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, Comrade Ma Biao. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    ¡°Ah, are you leaving already?¡± Ma Biao said subconsciously, his tone carrying a trace of disappointment and reluctance.


    ¡°I still have something to do in the pharmacy.¡± Ye Ling made up a random excuse and walked toward the door.


    Ma Biao stood at the door and watched Ye Ling walk away. He was still a little depressed. He recalled every word he said to Ye Ling, and his heart was both sweet and nervous.


    If Ye Ling didn¡¯t have any feelings for him, then he naturally didn¡¯t dare to imagine what would happen between him and a woman from the city like Ye Ling.


    However, if Ye Ling had a good impression of him, then perhaps it was not impossible for the two of them to be together¡­


    At the thought of this, Ma Biao felt his mouth go dry and his heart beat faster.


    An hour after Ye Ling left, Aunt Mei and Mei Lian returned with a bamboo basket containing some beans.


    Aunt Mei put down the basket, rubbed her sore waist, and complained.


    During dinner, Aunt Mei noticed that Ma Biao seemed to be in a daze. She could not help but frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ma Biao said perfunctorily.


    Aunt Mei Imew her son very well. Ma Biao¡¯s words made her even more certain that there was something wrong with Ma Biao. She raised her voice. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?!¡±


    Ma Biao was a little speechless. He had already grown up, but his mother was still meddling in everything.


    Ma Biao also knew that he couldn¡¯t hide the fact that Ye Ling had come. There were many people living around, and someone might have seen Ye Ling when she came over. If Aunt Mei found out from others that Ye Ling had come, she might be even angrier.


    ¡°The pharmacy administrator from last time is here again,¡± Ma Biao sighed and said helplessly.


    ¡°That Ye Ling?¡± Aunt Mei frowned and asked.


    Ma Biao nodded.


    ¡°What is that woman doing here again? Is she here to seduce you?¡± Aunt Mei said disdainfully.


    Ma Biao¡¯s face immediately turned red. He looked at his mother with dissatisfaction.. ¡°Mom, what are you talking about?¡±

 Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: Death

    Chapter 175: Death


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Aunt Mei sneered and slammed her chopsticks on the table. ¡°I know you have feelings for her, but you probably don¡¯t know what kind of person she is, right?


    Let me tell you, a few months ago, she was raped by Wu De in the reed marsh.


    You know Wu De, right? He¡¯s the famous lazy man in the west of our village.¡±


    Hearing Aunt Mei¡¯s words, Ma Biao was stunned. He did not expect such things to happen to Ye Ling.


    But for some reason, Ma Biao suddenly felt relieved when he heard his mother say that Ye Ling was unclean.


    If Ye Ling was pure and flawless, then to him, Ye Ling was the moon in the sky, an extravagant hope that he could never touch in his entire life.


    However, if Ye Ling also had flaws, did that mean that he was still worthy of Ye Ling?


    Coincidentally, he was married before, and Ye Ling had slept with another man.


    He didn¡¯t despise Ye Ling, and Ye Ling might even be grateful for his tolerance towards her.


    Ma Biao felt warm in his heart, and his spirits were lifted.


    After Aunt Mei explained Ye Ling¡¯s terrible situation, she thought that her son would despise Ye Ling. However, when she saw Ma Biao¡¯s expression, why did she feel that Ma Biao seemed to be a little happy?


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you like that woman?¡± Aunt Mei asked in disbelief.


    Ma Biao wanted to deny it, but he suddenly thought that if he didn¡¯t make his attitude clear to his mother this time, his mother might decide to find another woman for him in the future.


    He could not stand another Ah Hui!


    ¡°I like her like this, so what?¡± Ma Biao said gruffly.


    Aunt Mei almost fainted from anger. ¡°If you marry a woman like Ye Ling, our family will become the biggest joke in the village!¡±


    ¡°You decided to let me marry Ah Hui. Now that things have turned out like this, our family has long been a joke in the village!¡± Ma Biao sneered. ¡°Also, what¡¯s so bad about Ye Ling? She is a pharmacy administrator and receives a salary from the government. I was worried that I wasn¡¯t worthy of her!¡±


    Aunt Mei was so angry that her lips were trembling. ¡°Do you have to anger me to death? She¡¯s a slut. Even if she¡¯s with you, she¡¯ll still cheat on you. You even praised her happily. Maybe she just thinks you¡¯re a big idiot!¡±


    Aunt Mei¡¯s words made Ma Biao even more unhappy, and the two of them began to quarrel.


    Mei Lian didn¡¯t expect the two of them to quarrel. She wanted to persuade them, but she couldn¡¯t get a word in. She looked at the two of them helplessly and finally picked up the bowl and chopsticks and went to the kitchen.


    A few minutes later, Aunt Mei and Ma Biao were still arguing when an ear-piercing scream suddenly came from outside.


    Aunt Mei was shocked, and her heart trembled violently. She quickly stood up.


    Ma Biao was also stunned.


    The one who screamed was Mei Lian. What happened to his sister-in-law?


    Aunt Mei and Ma Biao walked out of the living room. Seeing that the door to the woodshed was open, they walked in.


    Mei Lian sat on the ground and looked at Ah Hui, who was lying on the haystack, in horror.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Aunt Mei asked unhappily. ¡°Did you see a ghost?¡±


    ¡°Mom, Ah Hui is dead!¡± Mei Lian¡¯s voice trembled.


    Aunt Mei was stunned for a moment. Then, she immediately took two steps forward, squatted down, and placed her finger under Ah Hui¡¯s nose.


    It seemed that there was indeed no aura left.


    Aunt Mei was so frightened that she sat on the ground. She took two deep breaths before she calmed down. Her voice was trembling. ¡°How did she die so quickly? Wasn¡¯t she fine this morning?¡±


    Of course, when Aunt Mei said ¡°fine,¡± she did not mean that Ah Hui¡¯s condition was very good. Instead, she meant that Ah Hui¡¯s condition was relatively stable. Compared to a few days ago, it did not worsen.


    Therefore, they originally thought that Ah Hui would not die immediately.


    But who knew that Ah Hui would die so suddenly?


    ¡°Mom, what should we do now? Do you want to prepare for the funeral?¡± Mei Lian asked in a dry voice.


    Aunt Mei opened her mouth and was about to say something when she suddenly noticed something on the ground. It reflected a bright light under the dim light.


    Aunt Mei picked it up and realized that it was a plastic button.


    The plastic button had a crystal-like texture, and there were even tiny pieces of glitter inside, so it looked especially bright under the light.


    Aunt Mei picked up the button and remembered that Ma Biao had said that Ye Ling had come that day. She immediately turned to look at Ma Biao. ¡°Is this from that woman?¡±


    Ma Biao looked at the button in Aunt Mei¡¯s hand and tried to recall.


    When Ye Ling came to his house during the day, the clothes she was wearing did seem to have these buttons..

 Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: A Reason

    Chapter 176: A Reason


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ten minutes later, Aunt Mei, Ma Biao, and Mei Lian sat beside the table in the living room. The three of them wore serious expressions.


    Mei Lian glanced at her mother-in-law, nervously gripping the hem of her coat. ¡°What should we do now? Should we buy a coffin and then contact the person in charge of the funeral? Should I go inform the witch doctor?¡±


    Ma Biao leaned back in his chair, his face displaying a hint of relief.


    Ah Hui was finally gone. To Ma Biao, it felt like a chapter of his troublesome past had finally closed. With Ah Hui dead, he could now start anew.


    Seeing her mother-in-law¡¯s silence, Mei Lian was about to ask again when suddenly Aunt Mei slammed the table, startling both Mei Lian and Ma Biao.


    ¡°A funeral? We don¡¯t even know how she died yet, and you¡¯re talking about a funeral? Ma Biao, tell me, what did Ye Ling do to Ah Hui?¡±


    Aunt Mei¡¯s words left Ma Biao momentarily stunned. What was his mother implying? Did she suspect Ye Ling of causing Ah Hui¡¯s death?


    Ma Biao became agitated. ¡°Mom, what are you thinking? Ah Hui died because she was already on the brink. How could Ye Ling be involved?¡±


    ¡°Come on, that woman hasn¡¯t even married into our family, and you¡¯re already defending her? When Mei Lian and I left, Ah Hui¡¯s condition was the same as yesterday. Why did she suddenly die after Ye Ling saw her?¡± Aunt Mei¡¯s tone was dark.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean Ye Ling killed Ah Hui! ¡± Ma Biao retorted, growing angry. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with you? How can you casually accuse someone like this?¡±


    Ma Biao felt that since his mother had hired a witch doctor for Ah Hui, she had become increasingly irrational. Now, she was entertaining such absurd thoughts.


    ¡°Why would Ye Ling want to harm Ah Hui? What could she possibly gain from


    Aunt Mei sneered, holding the button in her hand. ¡°You may be naive, but I¡¯m not. Even if Ye Ling didn¡¯t kill Ah Hui, her death is undoubtedly connected to Ye


    Ling. Moreover, Ah Hui died after taking medicine from the pharmacy. Even if Ye Ling didn¡¯t show up, I¡¯d still confront the pharmacy!¡±


    Ma Biao was utterly speechless. Ah Hui was already on the brink of death. Why did his mother think her death had anything to do with the pharmacy?


    Aunt Mei stood up slowly. ¡°Enough,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep for now. We can discuss this tomorrow.¡±


    Mei Lian, hearing her mother-in-law¡¯s calm tone, couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of emotions. There was a dead person in the woodshed, yet her mother-in-law could sleep peacefully?


    Seeing Ma Biao still eager to retort, Mei Lian promptly grabbed his arm, shooting him a cautionary glance, signaling him to refrain from further comments.


    After Aunt Mei had retreated into the room, Ma Biao anxiously turned to Mei Lian. ¡°Sister-in-law, do you also suspect that Ah Hui¡¯s death is linked to Ye Ling or the pharmacy?¡±


    Mei Lian sighed, casting an odd look at Ma Biao. ¡°Let me ask you, how much money have we spent on Ah Hui¡¯s treatment?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ma Biao fell silent for a moment, then hesitated. ¡°It seems like quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve practically depleted our savings. You know, hiring a witch doctor doesn¡¯t come cheap.¡± Mei Lian ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°Now, Ah Hui¡¯s sudden death, happened after she took medicine from the pharmacy and after Ye Ling saw her. Let me tell you, Mom isn¡¯t concerned about how Ah Hui died. She just needs a justification.¡±


    ¡°A justification¡­¡± A revelation struck Ma Biao like lightning. He suddenly


    comprehended and exclaimed in shock, ¡°Mom is planning to extort money?¡± Mei Lian paused for a moment. Wasn¡¯t the term ¡°extort money¡± a bit too harsh?


    However, it accurately described the situation.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it as extortion. After all, when Mom and I left this morning, Ah Hui¡¯s condition seemed stable. Her sudden death is indeed peculiar,¡± Mei Lian¡¯s tone hinted at a trace of skepticism.


    In reality, Mei Lian felt that Ah Hui¡¯s physical condition had shown some improvement over the past two days. When she was awake, her eyes weren¡¯t as lifeless as before.


    At times, Ah Hui would gaze blankly at the woodshed¡¯s window as if anticipating something.


    Observing Ma Biao¡¯s worried expression, Mei Lian reassured him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nothing will happen to Ye Ling. Mom aims to secure some compensation.


    Could she demand Ye Ling¡¯s life? We lack any concrete evidence proving that Ye Ling caused Ah Hui¡¯s death.¡±


    Upon hearing Mei Lian¡¯s words, Ma Biao breathed a sigh of relief..

 Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: Good News

    Chapter 177: Good News


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Mei Lian added, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a bad thing for Mom to create trouble for Ye Ling. ¡±


    Ma Biao looked puzzled. How could this be a good thing?


    Mei Lian smiled and explained, ¡°Think about it. If Mom causes a scene at the pharmacy, and they¡¯re forced to pay, they will likely find someone to take the blame. Moreover, considering that Ye Ling saw Ah Hui before her death, she might end up losing her job as the pharmacy administrator.¡±


    Upon hearing Mei Lian¡¯s words, Ma Biao became anxious and thought, ¡°Is Ye


    Ling losing her job?¡±


    How could that be considered a good thing? Was his sister-in-law¡¯s mind also affected?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mei Lian reassured Ma Biao. ¡°Think about it, Ye Ling is a pharmacy administrator. Such a good job, and she¡¯s beautiful. How can she lack suitors? If you like such a woman, do you think you¡¯ll have a chance?¡±


    Mei Lian¡¯s words were like a splash of cold water on Ma Biao¡¯s head, leaving his expression somewhat stiff.


    Mei Lian sighed and continued, ¡°However, if Ye Ling loses her job, the situation might change. Causing harm to life will have consequences, and she might face serious repercussions. Finding another job might become difficult for her. In that case, fewer people would pursue her. Wouldn¡¯t your chances increase?¡±


    Ma Biao listened in amazement. This was a perspective he had never considered.


    Why did what seemed like a terrible situation turn out to be a good thing after his sister-in-law explained it?


    Despite this, the thought of Ye Ling losing her job due to his family¡¯s actions made Ma Biao feel guilty. He worried about one thing, if his mother caused trouble for Ye Ling, would Ye Ling end up hating him?


    Mei Lian, sensing Ma Biao¡¯s concerns, reassured him, ¡°Your mom is like that. Ye Ling will probably resent her. So, treat Ye Ling well and make her accept you. Don¡¯t worry, women are compassionate. What your mom does has nothing to do with you. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to the pharmacy with Mom. You don¡¯t need to come. Find a temporary job in town for a few days and pretend you¡¯re unaware of this.¡±


    Ma Biao hesitated, ¡°Is that okay?¡±


    Girls her age yearn for a sweet relationship. Be kind to her, and things will work out. When I was dating your brother, his kindness won me over,¡± Mei Lian said with a smile.


    ¡°Okay, I understand. Sister-in-law, thank you so much for sharing all this with me.¡± Ma Biao looked at Mei Lian gratefully.


    ¡°We¡¯re all family. Saying thank you makes it seem like we¡¯re strangers. How about this? Go back to your room, pack your things, and leave before dawn. I¡¯ll handle explaining things to Mom.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I appreciate your help, sister-in-law. Also, when the money comes in, make sure to give Ah Hui a proper burial and get a good-quality coffin,¡± Ma Biao said.


    After returning to his room and grabbing a change of clothes, Ma Biao left the house before dawn.


    Aunt Mei slept until almost eight o¡¯clock. Mei Lian had breakfast ready. During the meal, Aunt Mei frowned and asked, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe the argument yesterday upset him, and he went out to clear his mind?¡± Mei Lian also looked puzzled.


    Aunt Mei snorted. ¡°Unhappy? I¡¯m doing all this for his good. I spent so much treating Ah Hui. If I don¡¯t seize this opportunity to ask the pharmacy for compensation after her death, how can he get married in the future? This little troublemaker truly doesn¡¯t understand my good intentions.¡±


    Mei Lian listened with a faint smile, but her eyes showed no amusement. ¡°Yes, Ma Biao is still young. He¡¯ll come to understand that you¡¯re doing this for his benefit.¡±


    Aunt Mei put down her chopsticks in distress and complained, ¡°If that rascal leaves, I¡¯ll have to find someone else to carry the body to the pharmacy. It means spending more money.¡±


    It required two people to carry the body, and Aunt Mei had no intention of doing it herself. Initially, she thought of wrapping the body in a straw mat and having Ma Biao and Mei Lian carry it to the pharmacy entrance. Now, it seemed she would have to hire someone.


    As noon approached, the person Aunt Mei hired casually placed the thin and small Ah Hui on the straw mat in the woodshed. Then, he rolled up the straw mat. Afterward, Aunt Mei went to the kitchen to fetch an iron basin and an iron spoon..

 Chapter 178 - Chapter 178: Seduction

    Chapter 178: Seduction


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Clang! ¡±


    The harsh sound of metal striking echoed, as Aunt Mei rhythmically pounded the bottom of the metal basin with a metal spoon. Simultaneously, she elongated her voice and shouted, ¡°The pharmacy¡¯s medicine is killing people! The pharmacy¡¯s medicine is killing people!¡±


    Aunt Mei¡¯s actions quickly grabbed the attention of many villagers. While Mei Lian and the hired workers were on their way to the pharmacy with the straw mats, a group of villagers followed along.


    After falling ill, Ah Hui¡¯s weight had rapidly decreased to less than 70 pounds. Mei Lian and the hired worker found it effortless to carry her.


    As Mei Lian observed her grandmother knocking on the iron basin and shouting, her expression remained stiff.


    Had Mei Lian just recently married into Aunt Mei¡¯s family, she would have found this situation embarrassing.


    However, Mei Lian had spent many years in Aunt Mei¡¯s household and had grown accustomed to her mother-in-law¡¯s ways.


    During a previous incident when Aunt Mei had sought the witch doctor¡¯s help for Ah Hui, the house had been filled with onlookers. Those people had looked at their family with a mixture of excitement and curiosity.


    From that time onward, Mei Lian¡¯s sense of shame had completely dissipated.


    She was Aunt Mei¡¯s daughter-in-law, a fact known to everyone. Even if Mei Lian felt embarrassed by her mother-in-law¡¯s actions, what was the point? They remained an inseparable family.


    The group approached the pharmacy entrance cheerfully. With the sun shining brightly at noon, some passersby paused upon seeing the crowd at the pharmacy entrance. Intrigued, they curiously approached to witness the commotion.


    Aunt Mei stood at the pharmacy door, raised her foot, and forcefully kicked open the pharmacy door.


    Hearing the disturbance at the door, Ye Ling and Yun Jie came out of the house and stood in the courtyard.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yun Jie asked, furrowing her brow.


    Aunt Mei sneered. ¡°You still dare to ask us what we are doing?¡±


    Aunt Mei turned her head, giving Mei Lian and the worker a signal. The worker untied the rope on the straw mat, and the rolled-up straw mat quickly unfurled, revealing the thin and frail Ah Hui.


    Upon seeing Ah Hui¡¯s pallid face, the onlookers gasped and took a couple of steps back in fear.


    ¡°This is my daughter-in-law. A few days ago, my son bought medicine from your pharmacy. After he went back and gave it to my daughter-in-law, her condition worsened!¡± Aunt Mei declared, hands on her hips. Spittle flew from her mouth, and her expression was fierce.


    ¡°Also, you b*tch, your name is Ye Ling, right? Did you deliberately come to my house yesterday to seduce my son? Then, did you go into the woodshed to see my daughter-in-law? This is a button that fell off your clothes. Don¡¯t even think about denying it!¡± Aunt Mei took out a button and displayed it to the people around.


    Seeing that everyone around had seen it clearly, Aunt Mei put away the button and continued, ¡°In the end, my daughter-in-law died right after you left the woodshed! What did you do to her?¡±


    Ye Ling listened expressionlessly.


    After Aunt Mei finished speaking, the people around them started discussing. For a moment, the entrance of the pharmacy seemed to be blocked by a swarm of bees, and the atmosphere was a little tense.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Ye Ling replied calmly.


    Ye Ling¡¯s reaction was within Aunt Mei¡¯s expectations. She knew that Ye Ling would not admit it so easily.


    Aunt Mei sneered. ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t admit it. You seduced my son and did such a shameless thing. Are you going to admit that you killed my daughter-in-law? Where¡¯s the person in charge of your pharmacy? Let her out! I want her to give me an explanation!¡±


    Yun Jie frowned as she listened. She stood in front of Ye Ling and looked at Aunt Mei coldly. ¡°Your son came to get the medicine. Our pharmacy has records. The medicine in the pharmacy can¡¯t be poisonous unless there¡¯s a problem with the prescription. Why are you looking for us instead of finding trouble with the person who wrote the prescription?¡±


    ¡°My daughter-in-law¡¯s condition is getting worse because she took the medicine from your pharmacy. If you don¡¯t take responsibility, who will? Also, on the day of getting the medicine, this woman even followed us to our house and said that she wanted to remind us about the dosage. Oh, I understand now. At that time, you wanted to seduce my son, right?¡± Aunt Mei glared at Ye Ling like a shrew.


    When the onlookers heard this, they found it unbelievable.


    They knew that Aunt Mei¡¯s son was Ma Biao, but Ma Biao¡¯s conditions were not that good. The pharmacy administrator in front of them, Ye Ling, looked very beautiful.. What was so hard for a young girl to do that she wanted to seduce Ma Biao?

 Chapter 179 - Chapter 179: Pay Up

    Chapter 179: Pay Up


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Aunt Mei also noticed the expressions of the people around her. She was a little angry for a moment. She raised her voice again and said, ¡°This Ye Ling is not a woman who abides by the rules. A few months ago, she was fooling around with another man in the reed marsh. She¡¯s very flirtatious!¡±


    The onlookers didn¡¯t know if Aunt Mei¡¯s words were true, but this piece of information was indeed quite explosive. For a moment, the men looked at Ye Ling with a hint of lewdness and grease in their eyes, while the women looked at Ye Ling with disdain.


    Yun Jie couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She whispered to Ye Ling, ¡°Don¡¯t listen anymore. Go in first. I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±


    Ye Ling shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Since they¡¯re here for me and the pharmacy, they definitely won¡¯t let it go.¡±


    Before Yun Jie could say anything, Ye Ling looked at Aunt Mei and said calmly,


    ¡°What do you want then?¡±


    Aunt Mei didn¡¯t expect Ye Ling to know her purpose so quickly. She thought that Ye Ling was afraid and wanted her to stop causing trouble.


    Aunt Mei¡¯s eyes flashed with pride, but her expression was still very gloomy. ¡°What do I want? Of course, I want to seek justice for my poor daughter-in-law!¡±


    Yun Jie, standing next to Ye Ling, rolled her eyes. ¡°You just want money, don¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you just say it? How shameless.¡±


    ¡°Get justice for your daughter-in-law?¡± Ye Ling asked slowly. ¡°Auntie, if I remember correctly after your daughter-in-law fell sick, you hired a witch doctor for her. However, the witch doctor used some unscientific methods to torture your daughter-in-law. Have you ever thought that the reason why your daughter-in-law became weaker and weaker was because of that witch doctor?¡±


    Aunt Mei didn¡¯t expect Ye Ling to mention the witch doctor.


    Many people knew that Aunt Mei had hired a witch doctor, but they were all from the same village. They would still have to deal with each other in the future, so they naturally would not expose her so easily.


    Many villagers also believed in the witch doctor¡¯s ability. Everyone thought that if they encountered strange things or got sick in the future, they would need to ask the witch doctor. Therefore, they naturally did not tell the witch doctor about it.


    Because of the collective silence of the villagers, under the country¡¯s policy of resisting feudal superstition, witch doctors could still charge high consultation fees and enjoy the pursuit of the villagers.


    Your translation is quite accurate, but I made a few small adjustments for clarity and flow:


    ¡°Are you trying to renege on your debt? The witch doctor was trying to save my daughter-in-law. If you don¡¯t know anything, don¡¯t spout nonsense. If you dare to offend the witch doctor again, I won¡¯t be polite to you,¡± Aunt Mei threatened.


    Ye Ling smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re making it sound so scary. Let me be frank with you. Your daughter-in-law wasn¡¯t seriously ill and would be fine after taking medicine for two days at most. However, you spent so much money to hire a witch doctor, which only made your daughter-in-law¡¯s condition worse. You became a fool and were deceived by the witch doctor, but you didn¡¯t know it. I just feel sorry for you.¡±


    Aunt Mei¡¯s expression turned ugly when she heard Ye Ling¡¯s words.


    Aunt IVIe1 was suspicious or the witch doctor, but she has spent all her money, so she could only force herself to believe in the witch doctor.


    Aunt Mei¡¯s heart twitched when she saw Ye Ling confidently say that Ah Hui was not seriously ill.


    If what Ye Ling said was true, didn¡¯t that mean the money she spent on hiring the witch doctor was in vain?


    Aunt Mei¡¯s heart was beating wildly, and she kept hinting to herself,


    ¡°Impossible, this b*tch must be spouting nonsense! She didn¡¯t believe it!¡±


    Aunt Mei¡¯s eyes were as wide as a ghost¡¯s as she stared at Ye Ling. ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the topic. My daughter-in-law died after taking the medicine from your pharmacy. Moreover, she died after you visited her. You can¡¯t get away with it!¡±


    Ye Ling looked at the young girl on the straw mat and said meaningfully, ¡°You said your daughter-in-law died, right?¡±


    Aunt Mei felt that Ye Ling¡¯s question was mocking her intelligence. If Ah Hui wasn¡¯t dead, was she still alive? If she wasn¡¯t dead, could she roll her up with a straw mat and bring her to the pharmacy?


    Aunt Mei opened her mouth. She was about to say something when Ye Ling said, ¡°Don¡¯t you just want the pharmacy to compensate you?


    Aunt Mei was stunned for a moment before she straightened her back. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m here to seek justice for my daughter-in-law. As for compensation, isn¡¯t that a matter of course?¡±


    Ye Ling laughed coldly in her heart.


    Ye Ling slowly took two steps forward. Yun Jie wanted to stop her, but she couldn¡¯t.


    Ye Ling walked to the side of the straw mat and glanced at Ah Hui. Then, she turned to Aunt Mei and said, ¡°If Ah Hui¡¯s death is related to me, then I¡¯ll compensate you. ¡±


    Aunt Mei thought she had heard wrong.. Would Ye Ling compensate her?

 Chapter 180 - Chapter 180: Check

    Chapter 180: Check


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°However,¡± Ye Ling¡¯s tone suddenly turned cold. ¡°If your daughter-in-law¡¯s death has nothing to do with me, then you are slandering me. Do you know what slander is? It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know. When the time comes, come with me to the office of the educated youth and get the staff to take you to the county court. You¡¯ll know when the time comes.¡±


    Aunt Mei was stunned. Her brain could not process what Ye Ling was saying.


    Ye Ling looked at the people around her. ¡°There are quite a lot of witnesses.


    When the court summons them, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t find a single witness.¡±


    Hearing Ye Ling mention ¡°court¡± and ¡°witness¡±, the surrounding onlookers were a little nervous and afraid, but they didn¡¯t want to leave. Everyone was really curious about what would happen next.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aunt Mei looked at Ye Ling warily. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll accuse you wrongly?¡±


    Ye Ling smiled coldly. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say.¡±


    Seeing that Aunt Mei was about to retort, Ye Ling interrupted her. ¡°Since your daughter-in-law is already dead, you wouldn¡¯t mind letting me check on her body, right? Maybe you secretly killed her and then carried her body to the pharmacy to extort money?¡±


    Aunt Mei was so angry that she almost spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?!¡±


    ¡°Then do you dare to let me check?


    Aunt Mei felt uneasy.


    However, Ye Ling had already said so much. If she didn¡¯t agree to Ye Ling¡¯s request, it would seem like she was guilty.


    Anyway, Ah Hui was already dead. No matter how Ye Ling examined her, she was not afraid. She did not kill her, so what was there to be afraid of? At the thought of this, Aunt Mei nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you check.¡±


    After that, Mei Lian and the workers dragged the straw mat to the middle of the courtyard. Ye Ling squatted down and began to examine it carefully.


    Ye Ling touched Ah Hui¡¯s hand and slowly lifted it. She looked at Aunt Mei and said, ¡°Her pinky was fractured before.¡±


    Ah Hui¡¯s little finger was indeed bent abnormally at a strange angle.


    Aunt Mei was stunned for a moment, her face full of confusion.


    Ye Ling rolled up Ah Hui¡¯s sleeve again and pointed at the skin on her arm. ¡°These are needle wounds. Some of them have already healed. These two wounds are deeper and you can still see the marks.¡±


    Before Aunt Mei could react, Ye Ling pried open Ah Hui¡¯s mouth and revealed her teeth. ¡°A small piece of her front tooth is missing. It must have been knocked out.¡±


    Ye Ling pointed out a few more injuries before looking at Aunt Mei. ¡°Auntie, is Ah Hui your daughter-in-law or someone who has a grudge against you?¡± she asked calmly. ¡°These wounds on her body are all old wounds. They should have been there before she fell ill. It can¡¯t be that she caused these wounds by self-abuse, right?¡±


    Aunt Mei¡¯s face turned paler with every word Ye Ling said. Her lips trembled as she suddenly turned to look at Mei Lian.


    She was indeed the one who broke Ah Hui¡¯s front teeth. At that time, Ah Hui had made her angry, so she grabbed Ah Hui¡¯s hair and slammed Ah Hui¡¯s head against the wall. However, she did not notice that a small piece of Ah Hui¡¯s front teeth was broken.


    But what was with the needle hole and the broken little finger? It couldn¡¯t be Ma Biao, right? Ma Biao would never do such a thing. Aunt Mei knew very well that her son was a coward. Even if he did not like Ah Hui, he would not treat her like this.


    Then there was only one possibility. The needle marks and broken little fingers on Ah Hui¡¯s body were all caused by Mei Lian.


    Seeing her mother-in-law staring at her, Mei Lian panicked and hurriedly lowered her head.


    Indeed, she was the one who pricked Ah Hui¡¯s body with needles and broke her little finger, but that was all because Ah Hui didn¡¯t listen to her.


    Besides, her mother-in-law could beat and scold Ah Hui. She was Ah Hui¡¯s sister-in-law. Why couldn¡¯t she do that?


    Before Ma Biao married Ah Hui, Mei Lian was the lowest status in the family. Because she could not give birth to a son, her mother-in-law had always complained about her.


    Even though Mei Lian prepared three meals for the family every day, even though she always washed her clothes, even she always took better care of the livestock at home than others, her mother-in-law would still humiliate her from time to time because she could not give birth to a son.


    After Ah Hui married into the family, Mei Lian was very polite to Ah Hui at first. However, later on, she saw that her mother-in-law was always beating and scolding Ah Hui, so she did not take Ah Hui seriously anymore. She always let Ah Hui do all kinds of hard housework..

 Chapter 181 - Chapter 181: Waking Up

    Chapter 181: Waking Up


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ah Hui grew up in the mountains. According to Aunt Mei, she was ¡°wild¡±, so sometimes when Mei Lian asked her to work, she wasn¡¯t very willing. She even intentionally messed things up, leading to Mei Lian being criticized by Aunt Mei.


    During one incident, Mei Lian, mimicking her mother-in-law, physically attacked Ah Hui. Consequently, Ah Hui gradually stopped resisting her commands.


    Once Mei Lian sensed success, she became more unrestrained. Later, when in a bad mood, she would take it out on Ah Hui.


    Why didn¡¯t Ah Hui complain to Aunt Mei and her husband about Mei Lian¡¯s abuse in private?


    Perhaps because, in Ah Hui¡¯s view, both Aunt Mei and Mei Lian were essentially the same person, with no real distinction between them.


    Mei Lian abused her, and so did Aunt Mei. Was Ah Hui supposed to report to one abuser about the actions of the other?


    Ah Hui knew that complaining was futile and might even result in more severe retaliation.


    Regarding Ma Biao, Ah Hui knew he hardly cared about family matters and rarely conversed with her. To her, he was no different from a dead man.


    What did she complain about to the dead man?


    Upon hearing Ye Ling mention Ah Hui¡¯s injuries, onlookers regarded Aunt Mei and Mei Lian with peculiar expressions.


    In rural areas, a mother-in-law lecturing her daughter-in-law was common, but physically harming her, as in Ah Hui¡¯s case, was unusual.


    Ye Ling was correct. Aunt Mei¡¯s treatment of Ah Hui didn¡¯t seem like that of a daughter-in-law but of an enemy.


    At that moment, those who previously supported Aunt Mei adopted a neutral stance and no longer sympathized with her.


    Aunt Mei¡¯s complexion alternated between pale and ashen, resembling a painter¡¯s palette.


    Subsequently, she glared at Mei Lian, planning to address the matter upon returning home.


    The priority now was to secure compensation.


    Aunt Mei coldly addressed Ye Ling. ¡°You¡¯ve completed the examination, haven¡¯t you? While my daughter-in-law does have some old injuries, they shouldn¡¯t cause her sudden death, right? Don¡¯t attempt to change the subject.¡±


    Ye Ling slowly stood up. ¡°You mean to say that you still insist that your daughter-in-law¡¯s death is related to me? Slander is not a small crime. Although I¡¯m just an ordinary educated youth, I¡¯m still under the management of the relevant departments of the county government. Slandering me, and slandering your neighbor, are two different things.¡±


    Aunt Mei frowned, glaring fiercely at Ye Ling. ¡°Who slandered you?¡± she shouted. ¡°How is my daughter-in-law¡¯s death unrelated to you? The button that fell off your clothes is still in my hands. Don¡¯t even think about denying it! Let me tell you, I¡¯m not afraid of you scaring me. You killed someone, and the one who should go to jail is you!¡±


    As Aunt Mei became more agitated, she almost rushed towards Ye Ling, raising her hand to slap Ye Ling¡¯s face. ¡°You killed my daughter-in-law and even seduced my son. I will never let you off!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk things out. Don¡¯t fight,¡± The onlookers urged, restraining Aunt Mei.


    Ye Ling took a deep breath and looked calmly at Aunt Mei. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve put it this way, I have nothing else to say.¡±


    Aunt Mei sneered. ¡°What else can you say?¡±


    Suddenly, Ye Ling smiled. Aunt Mei couldn¡¯t understand why Ye Ling would smile like that. That smile seemed like Ye Ling had achieved what she wanted.


    Before Aunt Mei could react, Ye Ling suddenly focused on the straw mat on the ground, squatting down slowly. She touched a few acupuncture points on Ah Hui¡¯s body and said, ¡°Alright, Ah Hui. Wake up.¡±


    When Ye Ling spoke, everyone was stunned, questioning whether they had misheard.


    What was Ye Ling saying?


    All eyes turned to the deceased Ah Hui.


    On the straw mat, the thin and weak girl who lay quietly suddenly trembled. Then, she stiffly propped herself up with her hands on the ground and slowly sat up!


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a ghost!¡± Someone in the crowd screamed. Then, many people retreated in fear, gazing at Ah Hui in horror.


    Ah Hui clutched her neck and coughed non-stop, struggling as if breathing was difficult.


    Aunt Mei¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Ah Hui, her mind blank.


    Mei Lian was also stunned, unable to believe what was happening before her. What was this? A supernatural transformation? Or was it haunted?

 Chapter 182 - Chapter 182: Slander

    Chapter 182: Slander


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Ling looked at the panicking crowd with a faint smile on her face. She glanced at Aunt Mei and said, ¡°Aunt Mei, Ah Hui isn¡¯t dead. What you said earlier is invalid. It already constitutes slander and defamation against me. Do you have any doubts about this?¡±


    Aunt Mei opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She was like a duck that had its neck strangled.


    Ye Ling walked to Ah Hui¡¯s side and helped her up.


    Yun Jie, standing next to Ye Ling, was also shocked. However, seeing Ye Ling¡¯s calm expression, Yun Jie quickly suspected, ¡°Could all this be Ye Ling¡¯s plan?¡±


    When they were in the pharmacy earlier, Yun Jie noticed Ye Ling frequently looking outside as if expecting something.


    Perhaps Ye Ling was waiting for Aunt Mei to cause trouble.


    However, Yun Jie couldn¡¯t fathom how Ye Ling could revive someone publicly declared dead.


    Aunt Mei and Mei Lian weren¡¯t naive. Without confirmation of Ah Hui¡¯s death, they wouldn¡¯t have brought her to the pharmacy.


    ¡°Is Ah Hui possessed?¡± Someone quivered. ¡°How else could she come back to


    This person, living near Aunt Mei¡¯s house, had followed her here. He knew that the witch doctor had said that Aunt Mei¡¯s daughter-in-law was possessed by a ghost, so when he saw Ah Hui resurrecting in public, he guessed that it might be a ghost.


    Ye Ling only smiled and didn¡¯t say anything as she listened to everyone¡¯s discussions and guesses.


    Aunt Mei stared at Ah Hui. Her heart was filled with shock and confusion.


    She was convinced Ah Hui had died. Then, could this Ah Hui who had suddenly resurrected in front of her not be the real Ah Hui but a ghost?


    Aunt Mei took two steps back, biting her lip.


    Ye Ling glanced at Aunt Mei and smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Auntie? Thinking of running away? You slandered me in front of many, damaging my reputation.


    Let¡¯s settle this at the educated youth office.¡±


    Ye Ling then turned to Ah Hui. ¡°As for your daughter-in-law, she was critically ill when she was at your house. Upon leaving, she miraculously recovered.


    Quite strange. I suspect it might be due to the poor feng Shui at your place. It¡¯s easy to attract some supernatural things. You have to be careful in the future.¡± In rural areas, ¡°supernatural things¡± referred to malevolent spirits.


    Ye Ling¡¯s words were baseless. However, after her statement, many onlookers gazed at Aunt Mei oddly, as if she was an ominous figure.


    Aunt Mei¡¯s expression turned extremely unpleasant.


    Her mind was in disarray. She wanted to rebut Ye Ling¡¯s words but couldn¡¯t gather her thoughts. Even now, she couldn¡¯t comprehend the resurrection of


    Ah Hui.


    ¡°Alright, come with me to the educated youth office,¡± Ye Ling said, imitating Aunt Mei¡¯s tone. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about denying it.¡±


    Aunt Mei stood motionless. Naturally, she didn¡¯t wish to accompany Ye Ling to the educated youth office. The situation was unfavorable, and she needed to leave promptly.


    ¡°You¡¯re not planning to act as if nothing happened, are you?¡± Ye Ling immediately questioned, as if she had guessed Aunt Mei¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Everyone, you just witnessed it. This aunt accused me of causing her daughter-in-law¡¯s death. This accusation is serious. If proven, I¡¯ll go to jail, ruining my entire life.


    Now that Ah Hui is alive, this aunt wants to pretend nothing occurred. Is that


    Ye Ling¡¯s argument was compelling, and the villagers agreed with her.


    An elderly middle-aged man suggested, ¡°How about settling this privately? Aunt Mei, you have indeed wronged Comrade Ye Ling. Why not compensate her with some money? Oh, what¡¯s it called? Ah, compensation for emotional distress. As for Comrade Ye Ling, you haven¡¯t suffered actual losses. Let¡¯s not escalate this.¡±


    Upon hearing the middle-aged man¡¯s words, Ye Ling inwardly sneered. What did he mean by no actual losses? She was slandered and almost had someone killed. If not for revealing Ah Hui¡¯s resurrection, she would be in dire straits now.


    Ye Ling knew that many of the onlookers were from Willow Village. They were from the same village as Aunt Mei, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t speak up for an outsider like her..

 Chapter 183 - Chapter 183: Request

    Chapter 183: Request


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Ling listened calmly and smiled faintly. ¡°Letting me not pursue this auntie¡¯s responsibility isn¡¯t impossible, but I do have a few requests.¡±


    Aunt Mei couldn¡¯t tolerate Ye Ling¡¯s smug demeanor. She wanted to rush up and slap Ye Ling twice. ¡°You b*tch, how many more requests do you have? Who do you think you are? Bah! ¡±


    The middle-aged man immediately pulled Aunt Mei back, saying anxiously, ¡°Could you calm down? Today, you misunderstood Comrade Ye Ling. We¡¯re discussing how to solve the problem now. Can you hold off speaking for a moment? Let¡¯s hear what her requests are.¡±


    ¡°Comrade Ye Ling, what do you request?¡± The middle-aged man turned to Ye Ling with a smile.


    Ignoring Aunt Mei¡¯s resentful glare, Ye Ling smiled, hands behind her back. ¡°The first request, naturally, is compensation for my emotional distress. I don¡¯t ask for much, just ten yuan.¡±


    ¡°Ten yuan? Why not just go to rob?¡± Aunt Mei¡¯s expression turned instantly fierce. If someone hadn¡¯t intervened, she would have slapped Ye Ling.


    Ye Ling glanced indifferently at Aunt Mei- ¡°Fifteen yuan.¡±


    Aunt Mei was close to fainting from anger. The middle-aged man, seeing Aunt Mei still wanting to say something, urgently grabbed her arm. ¡°Don¡¯t provoke her, or she¡¯ll raise the price again.¡±


    Aunt Mei panted heavily, feeling a dull pain in her chest and heart, making it hard to breathe.


    Ye Ling withdrew her gaze and smiled before continuing. ¡°The second thing is, I saw your daughter-in -law almost lose her life in your house. If she goes back with you and something happens, you might blame the pharmacy again. So, I suggest letting her stay here for a few days. I can help with her recovery. How about that?¡±


    Aunt Mei didn¡¯t even finish listening before instinctively wanting to refuse.


    However, the middle-aged man lowered his voice. ¡°Ah Hui¡¯s condition doesn¡¯t seem right. This Ye Ling says she can help treat her. You could save some money. When Ah Hui recovers, you can take her back. That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Aunt Mei frowned. ¡°How could this person possibly propose conditions beneficial to me? She must have other intentions. I don¡¯t trust her.¡±


    ¡°Up to you. We don¡¯t even know if Ah Hui is possessed by a ghost now. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t dare bring her home like this. Think carefully. If you take Ah Hui home, you¡¯ll have to continue treatment. Do you still have money?¡± The middle-aged man was speechless and didn¡¯t bother to persuade further.


    Aunt Mei was caught in a dilemma after hearing the middle-aged man¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t believe Ye Ling would be kind, yet she didn¡¯t know how to handle Ah Hui if she took her back.


    Just as Aunt Mei grappled with her thoughts, Ah Hui, who had been silent, suddenly screamed and shook her head frantically. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back! I don¡¯t want to go back!¡±


    Aunt Mei¡¯s expression darkened further.


    Ye Ling patted Ah Hui¡¯s shoulder, offering comfort, then addressed Aunt Mei. ¡°Auntie, it seems Ah Hui truly can¡¯t stay in your house any longer. That might have been the reason for her illness earlier. I strongly advise you to consider my suggestion.¡±


    Gritting her teeth, Aunt Mei glared fiercely at Ah Hui, then said, ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t try any tricks. If something happens to my daughter-in-law here, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡±


    Upon hearing Aunt Mei¡¯s words, Yun Jie rolled her eyes.


    This old woman was shameless. Ye Ling had helped her take care of Ah Hui for free, and she dared to threaten Ye Ling.


    ¡°I won¡¯t inject needles into people¡¯s bodies or break their fingers,¡± Ye Ling said coldly. ¡°You can rest assured about that.¡±


    Ye Ling¡¯s tone was full of mockery. When the people around heard this, they all looked at Aunt Mei with faint condemnation in their eyes.


    Aunt Mei¡¯s face turned pale. She wanted to deny it, but what Ye Ling said was the truth. She couldn¡¯t even find an excuse.


    ¡°Do you have any other requests?¡± The middle-aged man was afraid that Aunt Mei would quarrel with Ye Ling again.


    Ye Ling smiled. ¡°No, my request is very simple, but I hope that some people won¡¯t go back on their words.¡±


    The middle-aged man sighed in relief. He was glad Ye Ling hadn¡¯t asked for too much. ¡°Then let¡¯s handle this privately. Everyone here today is a witness. Comrade Ye Ling, rest assured, Aunt Mei won¡¯t go back on her word..¡±

 Chapter 184 - Chapter 184: Pills

    Chapter 184: Pills


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Ling nodded and glanced at Aunt Mei. ¡°Then hurry up and send the money over. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have money. I don¡¯t want to wait too long. If you don¡¯t have money, borrow it.¡±


    After saying that, Ye Ling looked at Aunt Mei suspiciously, as if Aunt Mei was not someone to be trusted at all.


    The tone in Ye Ling¡¯s voice nearly made Aunt Mei feel like she might cough up blood. ¡°Who did this woman think she was ordering around? And what was with her expression?¡± thought Aunt Mei.


    Afterward, the middle-aged man tried to persuade Aunt Mei as he pulled her away.


    The individual Aunt Mei had hired hadn¡¯t expected such a bizarre occurrence during their visit to the pharmacy. He sighed internally as he swept up the grass and turned to leave.


    The onlookers, having witnessed the spectacle, were somewhat excited. They planned to share what they saw at the pharmacy¡¯s entrance with their family and friends upon returning home. Gradually, everyone dispersed.


    A woman carrying a basket walked back with her son and spoke to another woman nearby. ¡°Do you think Aunt Mei¡¯s daughter-in-law is possessed by a ghost? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to have died a long time ago? So, is the current Ah Hui a human or a ghost?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think Ye Ling is quite powerful. Ah Hui was lying motionless on the straw mat, and when Ye Ling touched her in a few spots, Ah Hui woke up. It¡¯s uncanny!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If Ah Hui was possessed, then didn¡¯t Ye Ling manage to control that spirit? She wanted Ah Hui to wake up, and indeed, Ah Hui did wake up.


    Could it be that Ye Ling is more potent than the witch doctor Aunt Mei hired?¡±


    The two of them fervently discussed the matter, even disregarding their dry mouths.


    Suddenly, the young boy between them exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s not it! I saw that pretty lady give Ma Biao¡¯s wife something to eat. It¡¯s that thing that woke Ma Biao¡¯s wife up!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The two women were shocked by the young boy¡¯s words. ¡°Really?¡± the boy¡¯s mother asked urgently, ¡°Did you see clearly?¡±


    The young boy vigorously nodded his head.


    The young boy was rather short, and his positioning at the time allowed him to witness Ye Ling inserting something into Ah Hui¡¯s mouth while prying it open.


    The young boy¡¯s mother speculated in shock, saying, ¡°Could it be that Ah Hui wasn¡¯t possessed by a ghost, but rather Ye Ling revived her? Does that mean Ye Ling has the power to bring the dead back to life? My goodness!¡±


    After the onlookers dispersed, Ye Ling and Yun Jie assisted Ah Hui into the pharmacy. Yun Jie headed to the kitchen to boil water while Ye Ling provided Ah Hui with some easily digestible snacks.


    Ah Hui didn¡¯t glance at the pastries but instead looked at Ye Ling with teary eyes.


    Ye Ling smiled and patted Ah Hui¡¯s head. ¡°Alright, no need to thank me. Eat something first. However, your stomach is still weak, so you can only have a little.¡±


    Ah Hui nodded vigorously and then eagerly chewed and swallowed the pastry.


    After Ah Hui finished eating the pastries, Ye Ling handed her a bowl of medicine that smelled a little bitter. Ah Hui didn¡¯t even frown as she finished the bowl of medicine in one go.


    Afterward, Yun Jie finished boiling the water.


    Ye Ling turned to Ah Hui. ¡°You¡¯re still quite weak. Can you manage to bathe yourself? If not, I can help. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Ah Hui¡¯s face immediately reddened. She nodded vigorously, then shook her head. ¡°No need, I can do it myself.¡±


    Ye Ling nodded and handed Ah Hui a set of clean, oversized clothes. ¡°This is my clothes. They might be a bit big, but you can make do with it for now.¡±


    Ah Hui went to take a shower. Yun Jie promptly sat beside Ye Ling and couldn¡¯t resist touching Ye Ling¡¯s arm. ¡°Can you tell me now? What happened? I don¡¯t believe in ghostly possessions.¡±


    Ye Ling smiled and replied, ¡°Of course, it wasn¡¯t a ghostly possession. Yesterday at Aunt Mei¡¯s house, I took the chance to give Ah Hui a pill and told her to consume it. The pill¡¯s formula has been passed down in my family, but it¡¯s not for healing or saving lives.¡±


    Yun Jie was astonished. ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    Ye Ling seemed to anticipate Yun Jie¡¯s thoughts and nodded. ¡°The pill¡¯s effect is to induce a state of apparent death. According to our family¡¯s medical records, this medicine was developed by an ancestor who was once a royal physician in the palace. His knowledge of medicine was unparalleled.¡±


    Yun Jie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°My goodness, I¡¯ve truly learned something. If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t have believed such a medicine existed..¡±

 Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: You Lied to Me

    Chapter 185: You Lied to Me


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Ling continued, ¡°Then when I was examining Ah Hui¡¯s body, I gave her the antidote. However, at this time, Ah Hui¡¯s vital signs were gradually returning to normal. She couldn¡¯t wake up immediately. After delaying for a while, I stimulated a few of Ah Hui¡¯s acupuncture points and woke her up.¡±


    Yun Jie¡¯s face was filled with shock. Then, she gave him a thumbs up. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. It looks like it can bring someone back from the dead.¡±


    Ye Ling smiled faintly. ¡°Of course, resurrecting the dead is impossible. The medical term ¡®bringing back to life¡¯ simply means allowing critically ill patients to survive. I¡¯m not at the stage where I can revive patients from death. I hope to attain such expertise in the future.¡±


    Yun Jie glanced outside and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s your plan next? Ah Hui can¡¯t stay in the pharmacy forever. What if that old woman decides to take her back? Both that old woman and her eldest daughter-in-law have a habit of mistreating people. If Ah Hui goes back, won¡¯t she still be bullied?¡±


    Ye Ling¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Certainly, we can¡¯t let Ah Hui go back. My conversation with them today was just a delay tactic. Ah Hui¡¯s body is very weak now. Even if she runs away, they¡¯ll soon find her.¡±


    Yun Jie breathed a sigh of relief. Since Ye Ling had a plan, she wasn¡¯t worried.


    After a lengthy shower, Ah Hui changed into Ye Ling¡¯s old clothes and emerged.


    ¡°Ah Hui, where is your home?¡± Ye Ling asked as she sat across from Ah Hui.


    Ah Hui mentioned a place, but neither Ye Ling nor Yun Jie had heard of it.


    ¡°Ah Hui, do you want to return home?¡± Ye Ling asked.


    Upon hearing Ye Ling¡¯s words, Ah Hui vigorously shook her head.


    Ye Ling furrowed her brow slightly. Ah Hui didn¡¯t want to return home?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to go home?¡±


    Tears welled up in Ah Hui¡¯s eyes. ¡°Dad and Mom don¡¯t like me. There¡¯s always not enough food at home. I can only eat what¡¯s left after my brother finishes eating. If he finishes, then I won¡¯t have anything. They sold me to human traffickers. I knelt and begged, but they didn¡¯t even look back at me. I don¡¯t want to go back.¡±


    Ah Hui closed her eyes in pain.


    Ye Ling and Yun Jie fell silent. After a while, Ye Ling sighed. ¡°That¡¯s true. In a normal family, why would they sell you to human traffickers?¡±


    Yun Jie looked a little worried. ¡°So what do we do? It won¡¯t be long before that old woman comes looking for Ah Hui.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Ye Ling reassured after a moment of contemplation. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange everything. Ah Hui, for now, you¡¯ll stay in the pharmacy. This is Sister Yunjie, and there¡¯s another sister named Ji Mei. When I¡¯m not around, listen to them both.¡±


    Ah Hui nodded vigorously. ¡°I will!¡±


    Her expression was like a stray kitten that had been picked up by someone and afraid of being abandoned again.


    At night, Ye Ling was on duty, and Ah Hui sat beside her.


    Perhaps because she had slept for a long time after taking the pill Ye Ling gave her, she didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all.


    Ye Ling took some of the cheaper and more common herbs from the medicine box on the wooden shelf and stacked them together, letting Ah Hui remember the characteristics of those herbs.


    While Ah Hui was carefully observing the herbs, Ye Ling looked at the door.


    Would Min Nan come over tonight?


    She wondered if what happened in the pharmacy today would spread to Willow Village. If it spread quickly, Min Nan would probably hear about it very soon.


    After Min Nan heard about it, he would probably come looking for her, right?


    ¡°Ah Hui, I¡¯m going out for a while,¡± Ye Ling said.


    Ye Ling left the pharmacy and walked through the courtyard. She stood beside the door and leaned against it.


    Not long after, Ye Ling saw a familiar figure.


    Min Nan!


    Ye Ling immediately walked toward Min Nan. Soon, the two of them met.


    ¡°I know. Let¡¯s talk inside,¡± Min Nan said directly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside,¡± Ye Ling said, a little embarrassed. ¡°Ah Hui is inside.¡±


    Then, the two of them walked along the side of the road and talked about what had happened during the day.


    After Ye Ling explained her plan to help Ah Hui to Min Nan, Min Nan looked at Ye Ling with a deep gaze. ¡°So everything you said in the past was a lie.¡±


    Min Nan¡¯s sudden words stunned Ye Ling.


    When did she lie to Min Nan?


    ¡°What¡­what did I lie to you about?¡± Ye Ling asked blankly..

 Chapter 186 - Chapter 186: Admit Your Mistake

    Chapter 186: Admit Your Mistake


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Seeing that Ye Ling didn¡¯t remember anything, Min Nan became even more depressed. She was silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°You told me before that you would tell me everything in the future. But you didn¡¯t tell me anything about Ah Hui.¡±


    The thought of Ye Ling going to Aunt Mei¡¯s house alone and spending time with Ma Biao alone made Min Nan feel extremely uncomfortable.


    Ye Ling was stunned for a moment before she realized that this was what Min Nan was worried about.


    Her face instantly turned red. Indeed, she had said those words before, but she quickly forgot about them¡­


    Ye Ling coughed awkwardly. ¡°I think it¡¯s a small matter and there¡¯s no danger, so¡­¡±


    ¡°No danger?¡± Min Nan looked at her sternly, as if he wanted to criticize her but couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so. In the end, he could only sigh heavily. ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t talk about it anymore. It¡¯s useless even if I do.¡±


    Ye Ling had never seen Min Nan angry before, so she was at a loss for what to do. The atmosphere between the two of them also became a little tense.


    Ye Ling bit her lip and decided to admit her mistake.


    She had indeed made a promise to Min Nan before. Of course, she had only said it casually at that time and did not intend to tell Min Nan everything. However, Min Nan believed it without a doubt.


    Sighing, she realized she might have seemed unreliable, just like those who made empty promises and forgot about them right after¡­


    Ye Ling felt a little guilty. Her voice sounded a little fawning. ¡°Brother Min Nan, I was in the wrong. Don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Ye Ling¡¯s voice was soft and sweet, like a piece of gum that stuck to his teeth.


    Min Nan¡¯s heart trembled, and the depression in his heart instantly dissipated.


    Was she coaxing him? What a wonderful feeling.


    Min Nan had already surrendered in his heart, but the change in his expression was a little delayed. He still looked cold. ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡±


    Although Min Nan¡¯s tone was not as stiff as before, Ye Ling felt that Min Nan was still blaming her.


    He said he wasn¡¯t angry, and he didn¡¯t even look at her!


    Ye Ling¡¯s voice became even gentler. ¡°Brother Min Nan, I just don¡¯t want you to worry. I¡¯m not a child anymore. I think I can handle this matter well, so I didn¡¯t ask you for help. If it¡¯s a problem that I can¡¯t solve, the first person I think of to ask for help is you.¡±


    Ye Ling¡¯s voice was as soft as freshly plucked cotton, infused with the scent of sunlight. Min Nan¡¯s heart completely surrendered to it. His heartbeat quickened, almost urging him to blurt out a plea to Ye Ling. ¡°Please don¡¯t use this tone to say such things. Which man can handle it?¡±


    When Ye Ling mentioned that if she encountered difficulties, he would be her first choice for help, Min Nan¡¯s heart swelled with sweetness.


    Being needed by someone you care for feels wonderful. However, at the same time, Min Nan felt somewhat embarrassed.


    Ye Ling claimed she wasn¡¯t a child, but she was still underage this year. To Min Nan, she was merely a young girl who hadn¡¯t yet matured. And now, this young girl was coaxing a grown man.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t be upset, okay?¡± Ye Ling¡¯s voice was so tender as if she was soothing a child. It brushed against Min Nan¡¯s heart like a few feathers, causing an irresistible itch.


    He took a deep breath and replied sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m truly not upset. Don¡¯t worry. So, what¡¯s your plan now?¡±


    Ye Ling fell silent momentarily. Originally, she hadn¡¯t intended to tell Min Nan the truth, but recalling her promise not to hide anything, she explained, ¡°Once Aunt Mei gives me the money, I intend to use it to rent a house in a secluded part of town. I¡¯ll have Ah Hui stay there for a while. As for Aunt Mei, I¡¯ll create a false impression, making her believe that Ah Hui ran away after recovering.¡± Min Nan nodded in agreement. Ye Ling¡¯s intelligence and thoughtfulness were evident.


    ¡°Do you need my help in finding a house?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve been to town several times and know where to rent. Plus, since Ah Hui is a girl, I understand what type of house would suit her best. You guys tend to be more careless,¡± Ye Ling remarked, glancing casually at Min


    Nan.


    In reality, Ye Ling planned for Ah Hui to reside in the house she rented from Master Bai. Not wanting Min Nan to know about its existence, she continued to conceal it from him.


    Min Nan didn¡¯t doubt Ye Ling¡¯s words in the slightest.


    Under Ye Ling¡¯s gaze, even if she asked him to jump into the river now, he would probably do so without a second thought.


    Yet, within himself, he defended, ¡°Not all men are careless.. Can you not treat me like Wan Feng?¡±

 Chapter 187 - Chapter 187: Miracle Doctor

    Chapter 187: Miracle Doctor


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    If Wan Feng knew what Min Nan was thinking, he would have jumped up in anger and pointed at Min Nan while shouting, ¡°What do you mean? Do you have to belittle me while you¡¯re elevating yourself?¡±


    The two of them had walked for a while and could barely see the lights of the pharmacy. Ye Ling suggested that they go back to the pharmacy. After all, they had already finished talking.


    On the way back, Min Nan said to Ye Ling, ¡°By the way, a few leaders from the production team came today. One of them was the leader you cooked for last time. So, the deputy team leader came to our house to look for you.¡±


    Ye Ling was stunned. ¡°Is the chef from the production team sick again?¡±


    Min Nan shook his head. ¡°No, the production team¡¯s chef and the deputy team leader came to our house together. The chef said that his culinary skills were very average. If he were to entertain the leader this time, the leader would think that the food this time was not as good as the last time. He might think that the production team neglected them.¡±


    The deputy team leader sighed and said, ¡°The leaders who had eaten Ye Ling¡¯s food before praised our production team for having a chef. Isn¡¯t it obvious?


    They just wanted to eat Ye Ling¡¯s cooking! We had no choice but to look for Ye


    Ling. ¡±


    Hearing this, Ye Ling felt a little uneasy. ¡°What happened after that?¡±


    At that time, she was still fighting with Aunt Mei at the entrance of the pharmacy. Would the leader be dissatisfied if he did not eat the food she cooked?


    Min Nan smiled faintly and said, ¡°After knowing that you weren¡¯t at our house, the deputy team leader and the chef were very anxious. My godmother said that you had left some cured pork and other things at home. She also said that she asked you for some cooking skills. So, she went to try.¡±


    After that, Sun Li took the marinated pork and processed pig innards left by Ye Ling and went to the production team to cook a meal for the leaders who came to inspect.


    The leaders were very satisfied with the meal. The marinated pork and pig innards with a strange fragrance filled their stomachs. Those leaders who hadn¡¯t tasted Ye Ling¡¯s cooking last time acted like they hadn¡¯t seen the world and kept giving her a thumbs up.


    After hearing Min Nan¡¯s complete story, Ye Ling heaved a long sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good that the leaders are satisfied. Did the production team give Auntie Sun any benefits?¡±


    Min Nan glanced at Ye Ling.


    ¡°This little girl still had the mentality of not being at a disadvantage. Not bad.¡± Min Nan thought.


    ¡°Yes, they credited godmother with some production points and provided a few catties of beans.¡±


    The two of them were almost at the entrance of the pharmacy. Ye Ling stopped in her tracks and said to Min Nan, ¡°Brother Min Nan, it¡¯s getting late. You should go back and rest early.¡±


    Min Nan nodded and watched Ye Ling walk through the door before turning around to leave, his heart filled with sweetness.


    The next day, Ye Ling dragged her tired body back to the dormitory.


    After working the night shift, she would usually sleep for about seven to eight hours and only wake up in the afternoon. However, that day, she had only slept for two to three hours when someone knocked on the door.


    Ye Ling frowned and got out of bed. When she opened the door, she saw an unfamiliar young woman. ¡°Someone was looking for you at the door,¡± she said.


    Ye Ling was a little confused. Who would have come to the educated youth dormitory looking for her? Min Nan?


    No, unless something serious had happened, Min Nan wouldn¡¯t have come to the educated youth dormitory in broad daylight looking for her. That would have caused her a lot of trouble. Min Nan wasn¡¯t such a careless person.


    Ye Ling put on her coat, rubbed her eyes, and walked to the door.


    A woman in her fifties stood at the door, holding a little girl¡¯s hand.


    There was also a younger woman beside her. Her expression was sad and a little shy.


    When the two of them saw Ye Ling, they immediately rushed forward.


    The middle-aged woman immediately bent her knees and knelt on the ground, pulling the little girl down with her.


    Ye Ling was still a little sleepy at first, but upon seeing this scene, she immediately woke up.


    What was going on? Had she been dreaming? Why had this woman knelt upon seeing her?


    After the woman knelt, her tone was anxious and full of respect. ¡°Doctor Ye, I beg you. Please save my mother. Only you can save her!¡± Ye Ling was stunned.


    What did she mean? How had she become Doctor Ye?


    Ye Ling held onto the middle-aged woman¡¯s arm and tried to pull her up. ¡°Auntie, can you get up first? You¡¯re an elder. If you kneel to me casually, my lifespan will be shortened.¡±


    The middle-aged woman didn¡¯t want to get up. ¡°Doctor Ye, I know that you¡¯re a divine doctor and that divine doctors don¡¯t help easily, but I had no other choice. As long as you¡¯re willing to save my mother, I¡¯ll be your slave for the rest of my life!¡±


    The middle-aged woman placed her hands on the ground and was about to kowtow to Ye Ling..

 Chapter 188 - Chapter 188: Modesty

    Chapter 188: Modesty


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Ling was so anxious that she was swea ting profusely. The few young female scholars who passed by looked at her and the middle-aged woman in shock.


    Ye Ling had no choice but to adopt a stern tone. ¡°Get up and explain the situation to me first. Otherwise, I won¡¯t help you.¡±


    The younger woman beside her also urged the middle-aged woman, ¡°Aunt


    Wen, please get up. You¡¯ll make things difficult for Doctor Ye.¡±


    The middle-aged woman, named Wan Wen, hesitated for a moment before slowly standing up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk over there,¡± Ye Ling said, pointing to the stone table and stool beside the tree.


    The three of them walked to the tree and sat down. Wan Wen was about to speak when Ye Ling interrupted her. ¡°Why do you call me Doctor Ye?¡±


    Wan Wen and the young woman exchanged glances. After a few seconds of silence, Wan Wen explained, ¡°Doctor Ye, it¡¯s like this. Yesterday afternoon, a good friend of mine was at the entrance of the pharmacy. Her son saw you give the supposedly dead Ah Hui a pill. After that, Ah Hui woke up. Your miraculous medicine can bring people back to life. If you¡¯re not a divine doctor, then who


    Wan Wen looked at Ye Ling with respect, as if she might bow to Ye Ling piously at any moment.


    Ye Ling¡¯s eyelids twitched violently.


    No wonder these two people came looking for her.


    When Ye Ling fed Ah Hui the medicine, she moved quickly. Moreover, she blocked the view of the onlookers. She thought no one would notice, but who knew that a child would see it?


    Ye Ling sighed inwardly. She knew there was no way to explain this, so she bit


    the bullet and said, ¡°That medicine is not a divine medicine. I¡¯m not a divine doctor either. I only know a little about medicine.¡±


    Wan Wen looked at Ye Ling with even more respect. She turned to the young woman and said, ¡°Doctor Ye is too modest. She is different from those who know just a bit of medicine and want to brag about themselves!¡±


    The young woman nodded vigorously. ¡°If Little Yao hadn¡¯t seen Doctor Ye giving Ah Hui the medicine, we wouldn¡¯t have known that Ah Hui was saved by Doctor Ye. Doctor Ye is too low-key when saving people. If it were someone else, wouldn¡¯t they have taken a megaphone and flaunted it for miles around?¡± Listening to the two of them praising her, Ye Ling¡¯s heart went numb.


    She sighed and looked at them. ¡°My medical skills are quite ordinary. Besides, I¡¯m only a pharmacy manager now. I don¡¯t have a medical license, so I can¡¯t treat others. You¡¯d better find a professional doctor. Oh right, don¡¯t resort to a witch doctor.¡±


    Ye Ling, having given the warning, stood up intending to leave.


    Wan Wen didn¡¯t expect Ye Ling to be unwilling to see a patient. Anxiously, she grabbed Ye Ling, and tears were on the verge of falling. ¡°Doctor Ye, only you can save my mother now. I don¡¯t care if you have a medical license or not. As long as you can save my mother, you will be our family¡¯s benefactor!¡±


    Ye Ling roared in her heart, ¡°You may not care if I have a medical license, but I


    If she were reported again, she might be finished.


    The young woman was much calmer than Wan Wen. She held Wan Wen back and said to Ye Ling, ¡°How about this, Doctor Ye? You can treat Aunt Wen¡¯s mother in private. As long as Aunt Wen¡¯s family doesn¡¯t tell anyone, no one will know about this. As for the consultation fee¡­¡±


    When the young woman said this, she immediately gave Wan Wen a look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you my money!¡± Wan Wen said hurriedly.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the young woman added. ¡°We all know that Doctor Ye isn¡¯t the kind of person who loves money. This is just to show our respect for Doctor Ye.¡± Ye Ling couldn¡¯t help but laugh bitterly in her heart.


    This young woman knew how to talk. She had considered everything for her and even gave her enough face. She made her sound so indifferent.


    Ye Ling helplessly sat back down on the stone bench. Facing the two¡¯s passionate gazes, she hesitated for a few seconds before gritting her teeth and saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and take a look, but don¡¯t get your hopes up. I can¡¯t cure every illness.¡±


    Wan Wen nodded frantically. ¡°Thank you, Doctor Ye. You¡¯re such a good person!¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Ye Ling asked the young woman. ¡®Why did you come to me?¡±


    The young woman¡¯s face was blushed. She was originally very eloquent, but after being asked by Ye Ling, she couldn¡¯t even say anything..

 Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Fated Person

    Chapter 189: Fated Person


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Wan Wen explained, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Jin Zhi and her husband have been married for over two years, but she hasn¡¯t conceived. They both went to the county hospital for a check-up, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with their health. In my opinion, it¡¯s just a matter of not being destined yet. No need to be so anxious. But Jin Zhi still wants to inquire with the divine doctor if there¡¯s a way to expedite her pregnancy.¡±


    After Wan Wen finished, Jin Zhi¡¯s face turned even redder. She quickly clarified to Ye Ling, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m anxious. My mother-in-law is always urging me, and now mom has asked ah011t it several times ¡±


    Ye Ling smiled faintly. ¡°Your situation is easy to handle. Give me your hand. I¡¯ll take a look now.¡±


    Jin Zhi¡¯s eyes instantly lit up as she extended her fair and slender wrist.


    Ye Ling pressed her finger on Jin Zhi¡¯s pulse, her expression serious and thoughtful.


    Half a minute later, Ye Ling lowered her finger. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with your body. However, excessive worrying can harm your mental well-being.


    Just adjust your mindset, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Jin Zhi seemed like a smart person. Intelligent individuals tend to develop many intricate thoughts. Sometimes, overthinking becomes a burden to the body.


    Hearing Ye Ling say that there was no problem with her body, Jin Zhi heaved a long sigh of relief. She then asked anxiously, ¡°Then, Doctor Ye, when can you take a look at my husband?¡±


    ¡°No rush. You and Aunt Wen are probably neighbors, right?¡± Ye Ling inquired. Jin Zhi nodded. ¡°My house is right behind Aunt Wen¡¯s. When I was young, I often went to Aunt Wen¡¯s house to play.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll visit Aunt Wen¡¯s house to see the old lady and drop by your place tonight,¡± Ye Ling suggested.


    ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Doctor Ye.¡± Jin Zhi expressed with excitement. Then, she looked at Ye Ling with some embarrassment. ¡°May I ask, Doctor Ye, how much is your usual consultation fee for this kind of situation?¡±


    ¡°I only charge one yuan for my consultations,¡± Ye Ling casually mentioned.


    ¡°Both of you, just one yuan.¡±


    Jin Zhi was stunned for a moment. Doctor Ye¡¯s consultation fee was unexpectedly affordable. She felt awkward offering such a small amount. After all, Ye Ling was a divine doctor!


    ¡°Doctor Ye, come to my house for dinner tonight. Consider it my way of thanking you. ¡±


    Jin Zhi¡¯s words had just fallen when Wan Wen hastily interjected, ¡°No, no, no, let me treat Doctor Ye to dinner.¡±


    Jin Zhi grabbed Wan Wen¡¯s arm, patiently saying, ¡°Aunt Wen, you have a lot of responsibilities at home, and Grandma also relies on you. Let Doctor Ye come to my place for dinner. It¡¯s settled!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared to slaughter the hen at home. Don¡¯t argue with me¡­¡±


    Listening to their dispute, Ye Ling sighed inwardly. She hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about going to their house for dinner!


    After a lengthy discussion, Jin Zhi and Wan Wen decided to have Ye Ling over at Jin Zhi¡¯s house for dinner. Wan Wen would contribute a freshly slaughtered domesticated hen as an expression of gratitude to Ye Ling.


    Following their prolonged argument and the establishment of this arrangement, Ye Ling didn¡¯t know how to refuse, so she reluctantly accepted the invitation for this meal.


    ¡°By the way, when you go back, don¡¯t mention to others that I¡¯m a divine doctor.¡± Ye Ling reminded them before they departed.


    Hearing Ye Ling¡¯s words, Jin Zhi seemed a bit uneasy. ¡°Doctor Ye, when we came to find you, Little Yao¡¯s mom had already shared this matter with the neighbors. I doubt we can keep the fact that you¡¯re a divine doctor a secret.¡± Ye Ling¡¯s vision darkened, and she almost felt like fainting.


    Did this imply that numerous people, similar to Jin Zhi and Wan Wen, would come to her dormitory door, pleading for her to treat patients?


    Ye Ling supported her forehead and took a deep breath. ¡°In that case, please tell others that I only treat those destined to meet me. I won¡¯t bother if others come to see me. Advise them to consult a qualified doctor.¡±


    Jin Zhi blinked in confusion. ¡°Doctor Ye, what do you mean by ¡®destined person¡¯?¡±


    Ye Ling offered a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s challenging to explain. For me, Ah Hui is considered a destined person. As for you two, you¡¯re halfway there.¡±


    Ye Ling didn¡¯t wish to fabricate stories to mislead them, but she couldn¡¯t afford to put herself in a difficult situation.


    Although the title of ¡®Divine Doctor¡¯ sounded impressive, it was currently more of a liability than an asset.


    Furthermore, she wasn¡¯t a divine doctor to begin with.


    Of course, Ye Ling also recognized that even if she told Jin Zhi and Wan Wen that she wasn¡¯t a divine doctor, they wouldn¡¯t believe her. After all, Ah Hui¡¯s resurrection in front of everyone had been too astonishing. This only solidified her reputation as a divine doctor, making it challenging for her to deny it even if she wanted to..

 Chapter 190 - Chapter 190: Old Lady

    Chapter 190: Old Lady


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Ling had no choice but to resort to metaphysical methods to avoid trouble. Most people in the countryside were quite superstitious, so it seemed normal for her to make demands on patients as a divine doctor.


    After Jin Zhi and Wan Wen left, Ye Ling returned to the dormitory. She didn¡¯t even take off her coat before falling asleep on the bed.


    Ye Ling woke up at dusk, washed her face, combed her hair, changed her clothes, and headed to Wan Wen¡¯s house to see Wan Wen¡¯s mother.


    As Ye Ling left the dormitory, a few young female scholars who were busy drying clothes began to discuss her.


    ¡°It¡¯s already so late. Why is she going out?¡±


    ¡°What else can she do? It¡¯s probably nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°I heard someone came looking for her during the day. Did any of you see what happened?¡±


    A young female scholar with freckles on her face whispered, ¡°The ones looking for her are a middle-aged woman and a young woman. The middle-aged woman is even holding a little child.¡±


    Hearing this, the other young female scholar started to make various speculations. ¡°Didn¡¯t Li Han say that Ye Ling seduced many men? Maybe one of the men¡¯s family members is looking for her this time?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible, but if that¡¯s the case, those people who came during the day should be here to cause trouble for Ye Ling. Why haven¡¯t we heard them arguing or fighting?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they resolved it privately? Who knows? We haven¡¯t experienced this kind of thing before. Maybe they already have experience, ¡± One of the educated young women chuckled.


    As the sky darkened, Ye Ling reached Wan Wen¡¯s house.


    Wan Wen was already waiting. As soon as Ye Ling entered, she respectfully poured her a cup of tea.


    In the room, a few middle-aged men and a middle-aged woman were sitting.


    ¡°These are my two brothers,¡± Wan Wen introduced to Ye Ling. ¡°This is my younger brother, and this is my sister-in-law.¡±


    Everyone nodded at Ye Ling. Their attitudes were generally polite, but the oldest among them eyed Ye Ling with suspicion.


    ¡°Is this the divine doctor you invited? Isn¡¯t she just a child?¡± The man sounded dissatisfied and anxious.


    ¡°Big brother, despite Doctor Ye¡¯s young age, her abilities are not small. You¡¯ll find out when you ask around. I don¡¯t want to talk too much with you,¡± Wan Wen said impatiently.


    Hearing Wan Wen¡¯s words, ¡°Go out and ask around,¡± Ye Ling couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. Had her reputation already reached this level?


    Wan Wen¡¯s elder brother snorted coldly. ¡°Up to you. But I¡¯ll say this in advance, I won¡¯t pay a swindler.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Ye Ling quickly intervened when she saw that Wan Wen was about to argue with her elder brother. ¡°Let me check on the old lady first.¡±


    Wan Wen rolled her eyes at her elder brother and led Ye Ling into a bedroom.


    As soon as she entered the bedroom, Ye Ling could detect a deathly scent. It was like a mixture of moldy wood, cold autumn rain, and burnt ashes.


    Walking in, she saw an extremely thin old lady lying on a wooden bed.


    The old lady¡¯s cheeks were sunken, and her mouth was open. Her breathing was weak and difficult, as if she were not conscious.


    Wan Wen, with tears in her eyes, walked to her mother¡¯s side. ¡°My mother¡¯s health has always been good, but for some reason, two months ago, she first felt a stomachache. Then her eyes started to blur, and eventually, she couldn¡¯t even stand up.¡±


    After Ye Ling understood the basic situation, she comforted Wan Wen and sat beside the bed. She took the old lady¡¯s skinny arm out of the blanket and pressed her finger on the pulse.


    The pulse was weak as if it might stop at any moment. Ye Ling patiently analyzed and judged.


    Then, she placed the old lady¡¯s arm under the blanket, pulled open her collar, and pried open her mouth to observe.


    Wan Wen was so nervous that she didn¡¯t dare to speak, afraid that Ye Ling would suddenly say her mother was hopeless.


    After checking, Ye Ling retracted her hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation, Doctor Ye?¡± Wan Wen asked with a trembling voice.


    ¡°What does your mother eat?¡± Ye Ling inquired with a frown.


    Wan Wen was stunned for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just the ordinary food that villagers eat.¡±


    Ye Ling shook her head. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    This question puzzled Wan Wen. Since she didn¡¯t usually live at home, she didn¡¯t know much about the situation there.


    ¡°Grandma also consumed the yam powder,¡± the little girl beside Wan Wen said timidly..

 Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: Yam Powder

    Chapter 191: Yam Powder


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Yam powder? What kind of yam powder?¡± Wan Wen asked in confusion.


    The little girl walked to the box near the bed, opened it, and took out something wrapped in a red plastic bag.


    Wan Wen placed the things that the little girl found on the table and opened the red plastic bag. It revealed an iron can with the words ¡°yam powder¡± printed on it.


    The little girl tugged at the table and looked up at Ye Ling and her mother. She said softly, ¡°Uncle brought this back. He said it¡¯s a tonic. Grandma was reluctant to drink it at first, but Uncle said it would expire if she didn¡¯t drink it. That¡¯s why Grandma drinks a spoonful every morning. Grandma gave it to me before, but I thought it tasted awful, so I didn¡¯t drink it.¡±


    When Wan Wen and her husband were busy, they would send the little girl to the old lady to take care of her. That was why the little girl knew that the old lady would drink yam powder every morning.


    After Wan Wen heard her daughter¡¯s words, she opened the jar and found that there was less than half of the yam powder left.


    Ye Ling took out a metal spoon from the jar. There was still some yam powder on the metal spoon.


    Ye Ling sniffed and tasted the yam powder.


    Normal yam powder should have a faint fragrance, and some might have a little sourness. This was normal.


    However, Ye Ling could smell a fishy odor in the yam powder, and it tasted slightly bitter.


    There must be something else added to the yam powder.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wan Wen realized that something was amiss. ¡°Doctor Ye, is there something wrong with the yam powder?¡± she asked Ye Ling with a trembling voice.


    Ye Ling nodded. ¡°I guess so. Of course, just to be safe, you can find a mouse to verify it later.¡±


    Wan Wen was too shocked. Her mouth was slightly open, and her expression was stiff. After a few seconds, she finally controlled her emotions and asked with difficulty, ¡°Okay, I will try it later. Then, Doctor Ye, my mother¡¯s condition¡­


    Ye Ling did not reply to Wan Wen immediately. Instead, she frowned and pondered for a while.


    Although she knew a lot about herbs, she couldn¡¯t tell what was mixed in the yam powder. Since she didn¡¯t know what was so unusual that the old lady suddenly fell ill, she naturally couldn¡¯t casually determine the prescription for the patient.


    However, Ye Ling guessed that the substance was probably poisonous, and the medical books in the small world recorded a few commonly used antidotes. Perhaps she could give them a try.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow, go to the pharmacy and collect the medicine for me. However, I can¡¯t guarantee that your mother¡¯s condition will definitely improve.¡± Ye Ling warned Wan Wen.


    The old lady¡¯s condition was not very good. Her internal organs had already failed. The elderly have inherently weak physiques, and even a minor fall could lead to serious consequences.


    Now, with the old lady having consumed the problematic yam powder for an extended period, the poison had infiltrated her vital organs. Even if the poison was detoxified, it was uncertain whether her organs could regain normal functionality.


    Upon hearing Ye Ling¡¯s words, Wan Wen felt a mix of relief and concern.


    On the positive side, Ye Ling seemed to have a solution. Previously, the barefooted doctor had declared the old lady beyond help, prompting preparations for a funeral. Yet, Ye Ling swiftly identified the cause of the old lady¡¯s illness upon her arrival.


    This suggested that Ye Ling was indeed a skilled doctor. Wan Wen was grateful she had invited Ye Ling over today.


    However, there was a lingering worry. Ye Ling¡¯s tone indicated uncertainty about the old lady¡¯s condition.


    Wan Wen managed to suppress her inner anxiety and forced a smile at Ye Ling. ¡°I understand. I am very grateful that you are willing to treat my mother. But I also acknowledge that even with remarkable abilities, one cannot defy fate. If my mother is destined to leave, I will not hold you responsible.¡±


    Wan Wen, aware of Aunt Mei¡¯s unjust accusations against Ye Ling, wanted to assure Ye Ling that she would not blame her if her mother¡¯s condition persisted.


    ¡°Doctor Ye, since there¡¯s an issue with the yam powder, what about my daughter?¡± Wan Wen quickly inquired as Ye Ling prepared to leave.


    ¡°Your daughter didn¡¯t consume much. She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ye Ling reassured, her expression revealing a hint of complexity.


    In contemporary rural households, financial constraints meant that children were generally not selective about their food.


    The yam powder was a beneficial supplement. Wan Wen¡¯s mother gave her granddaughter the yam powder. If the yam powder wasn¡¯t so bad, the young


    girl wouldn¡¯t have stopped drinking it after tasting it once..

 Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: Awkward

    Chapter 192: Awkward


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Therefore, the substance added to the yam powder affected its taste. Wan Wen¡¯s daughter couldn¡¯t stomach it, but Wan Wen¡¯s mother consumed a spoonful of yam powder every day.


    Was it because Wan Wen¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t bear to discard this luxurious tonic, or did she never doubt her son¡¯s filial piety?


    Ye Ling walked out of the bedroom. Wan Wen¡¯s elder brother, Wan Gui, smirked peculiarly. ¡°Has the divine doctor finished seeing the patient? Did you figure out what illness the old lady had? Is it something like being possessed, similar to Aunt Mei¡¯s Ah Hui?¡±


    Ye Ling glanced at Wan Gui in disgust.


    Wan Gui hadn¡¯t anticipated that Ye Ling had already discovered the issue with the yam powder.


    There was a trace of arrogance in the man¡¯s confident expression. Ye Ling couldn¡¯t comprehend how he could display such a smug expression after committing such an act against his mother.


    Wan Wen, with red eyes, stared at Wan Gui. Suddenly, she grabbed an old water bottle and hurled it at Wan Gui.


    The hot water spilled out, wetting half of Wan Gui¡¯s pants. If the old kettle had better insulation, he might have suffered a burn.


    Wan Gui screamed and glared at Wan Wen. ¡°Have you gone mad? Believe me, I¡¯ll beat you to death! Just because you¡¯re married doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t discipline you!¡±


    Wan Wen had married the leader of Willow Village¡¯s breeding team. Her husband¡¯s status as a small cadre allowed her to decide to bring Ye Ling to treat her mother upon returning home.


    If Wan Wen had married an ordinary farmer, her brother and younger brother wouldn¡¯t have listened to her.


    Wan Wen was not afraid of Wan Gui. The rage within her was almost scorching. She fixed her gaze on Wan Gui, her voice trembling and ominous, ¡°Wan Gui, you better pray that Mom is okay!¡±


    Ye Ling sighed internally and gently pulled on Wan Wen¡¯s sleeve, reminding her not to lose control of her emotions.


    A moment later, Wan Wen escorted Ye Ling to the door. She attempted to muster a smile, but her lips remained stiff. She couldn¡¯t manage it.


    ¡°I apologize for making a scene in front of Doctor Ye.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m here solely to treat a patient.¡± Ye Ling wanted to comfort Wan Wen, but encountering such a situation for the first time, she was unsure of what to say. She waved her hand, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    Ye Ling circled Wan Wen¡¯s house and soon arrived at Jin Zhi¡¯s residence.


    Jin Zhi had already fetched a small stool and washed vegetables while keeping an eye on the door.


    Spotting Ye Ling, Jin Zhi stood up joyfully, wiping her hands on her apron. She approached Ye Ling, saying, ¡°Doctor Ye is here. Come in and have a seat. The food will be ready shortly!¡±


    Jin Zhi¡¯s mother-in-law emerged from the kitchen, gazing at Ye Ling and remarking, ¡°So, this is Doctor Ye. Quite beautiful.¡±


    When Jin Zhi¡¯s mother-in-law uttered the two words ¡®Doctor Ye¡¯, her tone carried a hint of hesitation.


    She harbored doubts about a young girl like Ye Ling possessing the skills of a divine doctor. Nevertheless, her attitude was far better than Wan Gui¡¯s, likely adhering to the principle of ¡°better to believe than not to believe.¡±


    Jin Zhi¡¯s husband also walked out of the living room. The man was a little fat, and when he sawye Ling, his expression was a little unnatural. It was probably because he knew why Ye Ling had come to their house, so he felt a little ashamed.


    Dinner was abundant. Wan Wen had sent over a freshly slaughtered old hen in the afternoon. Jin Zhi used half for chicken soup and the other half for spicy chicken cubes, fried to a slightly crispy and aromatic texture.


    After the meal, Ye Ling took Jin Zhi¡¯s husband¡¯s pulse.


    Following the pulse examination, Ye Ling found a pretext to send Jin Zhi¡¯s husband away, leaving her alone with Jin Zhi.


    ¡°Doctor Ye, how is my husband¡¯s condition?¡± Jin Zhi nervously inquired. Ye Ling¡¯s expression almost betrayed a sense of awkwardness.


    The issue indeed lay with Jin Zhi¡¯s husband.


    His pulse indicated a deficiency in the fire phase, potentially causing kidney deficiencies and insufficient kidney qi. This could lead to issues such as low semen temperature, low semen volume, and premature ejaculation.


    Ye Ling coughed and stated, ¡°There is a problem. I¡¯ll prescribe some medicine for you. Get it from town, but don¡¯t visit the pharmacy. Don¡¯t tell anyone that I wrote the prescription.¡±


    Ye Ling took these precautions to avoid leaving any evidence or implicating the pharmacy.


    Upon hearing about the problem, Jin Zhi grew anxious.. ¡°Doctor Ye, what¡¯s wrong with my husband? Apart from taking medicine, what else should I be mindful of?¡±

 Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: Depressed

    Chapter 193: Depressed


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Ling thought to herself, ¡°What issues does he have? Aren¡¯t you the one who knows him best? Do you not feel whether it¡¯s a short or long duration every time?¡±


    Naturally, Ye Ling couldn¡¯t ask such questions. She could only force a mysterious smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a big problem. Let him take the medicine first. This medicine won¡¯t cause any harm to the human body, it¡¯s just a tonic. Just eat it without worry.¡±


    Hearing Ye Ling¡¯s words, Jin Zhi was too embarrassed to continue asking. She was afraid that Ye Ling would think she was doubting Ye Ling¡¯s medical skills. ¡°Okay, Doctor Ye, I understand. I¡¯ve troubled you today.¡±


    Ye Ling waved her hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I also freeloaded a meal from your family. Your cooking is delicious. Your husband must have gained weight in the past two years, right?¡±


    Jin Zhi¡¯s eyes widened slightly. She did not expect Ye Ling to be able to tell this.


    She nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already been supervising him to lose weight. The aunties around me told me that if the man is too fat, it will also affect the child¡­¡±


    The two of them chatted as they walked out of the door. Jin Zhi wanted to send Ye Ling back to the dormitory, but Ye Ling stopped her. ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go back by myself. Once I¡¯m done with a course of medicine, bring your husband and come to the pharmacy to find me.¡±


    Jin Zhi nodded vigorously and expressed her gratitude again. Then, she watched Ye Ling walk out of the door.


    Ye Ling left Jin Zhi¡¯s house and planned to return the way she came, but she saw a familiar figure after taking two steps.


    ¡°Big Brother Min Nan?¡± Ye Ling was stunned for a few seconds before she jogged over. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Min Nan handed the coat hanging on her arm to Ye Ling. ¡°The temperature is low at night. Why are you only wearing so little? This is my godmother¡¯s coat.


    Put it on first.¡±


    Ye Ling smiled embarrassedly, took the coat, and put it on.


    ¡°Aunt Wen told my godmother that you¡¯ll be going to Jin Zhi¡¯s house for dinner tonight,¡± Min Nan continued to explain.


    Wan Wen and Sun Li¡¯s husbands had the same surname and were from the same village. The two families were relatives for several generations. Although they didn¡¯t usually interact, they would visit each other during the New Year and the holidays. Their relationship was quite good.


    Wan Wen knew that Sun Li¡¯s family had a young female scholar staying with them. She heard that Sun Li treated the young female scholar very well. The neighbors said that perhaps Sun Li was planning to let the young female scholar be her daughter-in-law.


    After Wan Wen investigated the identity of ¡°Doctor Yet¡®, she was surprised to find that ¡°Doctor Yet¡® was the young female scholar who used to stay in Sun Li¡¯s house.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame Aunt Wen for talking too much. She¡¯s just worried that it¡¯s not safe for you to walk alone at night,¡± Min Nan explained unnaturally.


    Of course, Min Nan knew very well that Aunt Wen¡¯s real purpose was to match him and Ye Ling.


    Furthermore, Wan Wen knew that Ye Ling had a good relationship with Sun Li¡¯s family, so she dared to inform Sun Li in advance.


    Sun Li naturally understood what Wan Wen meant. She immediately asked Min Nan to change into clean clothes and pick up Ye Ling at night.


    ¡°It¡¯s already very late. Why don¡¯t you rest at our house for the night and go to work tomorrow morning?¡± Min Nan suggested.


    Ye Ling bit her lip, feeling conflicted.


    She had chosen to come to see Wan Wen¡¯s mother and Jin Zhi¡¯s husband at night, but it would be very late for her to return to the educated youth dormitory after dinner.


    It would indeed be much more convenient if they stayed at Min Nan¡¯s place for a night.


    But¡­


    Seeing Ye Ling¡¯s conflicted expression, Min Nan thought of what Sun Li had said to him before she left.


    ¡°Silly boy, let me tell you, Lingling is a shy girl. She will hesitate if you let her stay at our house for a night.¡±


    The current situation was exactly as Sun Li had predicted.


    Min Nan couldn¡¯t help but sigh in her heart, ¡°As expected, godmother is the best.¡±


    Min Nan looked at Ye Ling. He suddenly thought of something. He repeated what Sun Li had told him. ¡°My godmother said that she misses you a lot. It¡¯s been a long time since she last saw you.¡±


    When Ye Ling heard this, the image of Sun Li¡¯s kindness to her appeared in her mind. She immediately stopped struggling and said with embarrassment, ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll have to bother you all for the night.¡±


    Min Nan didn¡¯t expect Sun Li to be so effective. He couldn¡¯t help but think sourly in his heart, ¡°If he said he missed Ye Ling too, would Ye Ling stay so easily?¡±


    The answer was naturally no. Ye Ling would probably run back to the dormitory immediately.


    This was their current relationship.


    He couldn¡¯t even express the love that was about to spill out of his heart.


    Min Nan was a little depressed. He had originally wanted to wait until Ye Ling slowly fell in love with him before confessing to her. That way, Ye Ling might not reject him.


    But he didn¡¯t know when Ye Ling would fall in love with him..

 Chapter 194 - Chapter 194: Cousin

    Chapter 194: Cousin


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The two quickly arrived at the Wan family home. Seeing Min Nan bringing Ye


    Ling back, Sun Li breathed a sigh of relief, took Ye Ling¡¯s hand, and exclaimed,


    ¡°Why do you seem to have lost some weight?¡±


    Ye Ling smiled sheepishly. Sun Li continued, ¡°I heard you had dinner at Jin Zhi¡¯s house. That child is a good cook. I figured you must be full, so I didn¡¯t prepare extra food for you. I¡¯ll make you some pies tomorrow morning.¡±


    Subsequently, Sun Li inquired about Ye Ling¡¯s work. Min Nan, standing on the side, couldn¡¯t help but remind, ¡°Godmother, Ye Ling has work tomorrow. Let her rest early.¡±


    Sun Li playfully remarked, ¡°When did you start caring for others? Alright, let¡¯s not talk about it for now. Lingling, your room¡¯s mattress and blanket are ready. That room is now specially prepared for you. You can stay anytime, don¡¯t feel shy. I treat you like my own child.¡±


    Ye Ling felt a warm glow in her heart and nodded with embarrassment.


    At night, Ye Ling lay under the warm and fluffy blanket, basking in the sun¡¯s warmth, and closed her eyes peacefully.


    The next morning, Ye Ling freshened up and left with Min Nan. Min Nan initially wanted to accompany her to work, but Ye Ling shook her head, saying, ¡°No need, Big Brother Min Nan. You go and attend to your work.¡±


    In reality, after learning Min Nan¡¯s true identity, Ye Ling speculated that Min Nan probably wasn¡¯t usually very busy. However, she continued to act as if she knew nothing, keeping a distance from Min Nan outside.


    Thick-skinned as she was now, Ye Ling wasn¡¯t concerned about gossip. Still, she wanted to avoid any misunderstandings about Min Nan.


    A few days later, Ah Hui¡¯s health significantly improved, and her once-pale cheeks were gaining a rosy hue. Seizing the opportunity, Ye Ling took Ah Hui to the town.


    Of course, Ye Ling had taken measures to disguise both of them, preventing anyone from recognizing their features.


    Arriving at the medicine shop, Ye Ling found Mai Zi behind the counter with an abacus and an account book. Seeing Ye Ling, Mai Zi quickly came forward to greet her.


    ¡°Mr. Ling,¡± Mai Zi said politely.


    Ye Ling nodded slightly, turning her attention to Ah Hui.


    Ah Hui, unaccustomed to interacting with strangers, felt a bit nervous. However, Ye Ling had briefed her on what to say in advance, and she calmly spoke, ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Ling¡¯s cousin. I wanted to inquire if you¡¯re still hiring assistants here?¡±


    Mai Zi was momentarily puzzled and gave Ye Ling a curious look.


    With Ye Ling possessing so many precious herbs, it seemed unlikely that he lacked money. Why, then, would he have his cousin work as a servant in their medical shop?


    Observing Mai Zits silence, Ah Hui continued, ¡°I¡¯m familiar with some common medicinal herbs. I should be able to be of assistance. Of course, if it¡¯s inconvenient, we won¡¯t impose.¡±


    In Mai Zi¡¯s mind, he speculated on Mr. Ling¡¯s and his cousin¡¯s circumstances. They probably faced some trouble and needed a place to lay low. Considering the shop¡¯s location in the secluded black market, it made sense that Mr. Ling¡¯s cousin staying there was a practical choice.


    Contemplating these factors, Mai Zi found himself in a dilemma. Should he agree to Mr. Ling¡¯s request or not?


    Ye Ling remained composed. She fetched a chair, sat down, and arranged the herbs on the table.


    Mai Zi, scrutinizing the herbs and recalling the second boss¡¯s instructions, gritted his teeth and eventually nodded. He said to Ah Hui, ¡°Alright, you can stay. Start with some miscellaneous tasks.¡±


    Ah Hui breathed a sigh of relief and expressed her gratitude with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Mai Zi. My name is Ah Hui.¡±


    Ye Ling had advised Ah Hui to be polite and address Mai Zi as ¡°Brother Mai Zi¡±. Despite Ah Hui¡¯s shyness, she would unquestionably followYe Ling¡¯s instructions, treating Mai Zi with extra respect.


    Ah Hui¡¯s words caused Mai Zi¡¯s face to turn red. Accustomed to spending most of his time in the medical shop and rarely interacting with the opposite sex, being called ¡°brother¡± by a young girl felt somewhat peculiar.


    Mai Zi briefly explained Ah Hui¡¯s tasks and the shop¡¯s rules. Subsequently, Ye Ling took Ah Hui to the town to purchase some daily necessities. Carrying a load of items, the two then arrived at Master Bai¡¯s courtyard.


    Upon seeing Ye Ling, the other tenants greeted her with polite nods.


    A woman who had previously brought mushroom soup to Ye Ling walked over, handing her a bag and saying in a deferential tone, ¡°These are dried white mushrooms..¡±

 Chapter 195 - Chapter 195: Escape

    Chapter 195: Escape


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    When Ye Ling gave Master Bai the mushrooms, she told him that the other tenants could pick the mushrooms, as she didn¡¯t come here often, and it would be a waste not to harvest them.


    Master Bai likely conveyed Ye Ling¡¯s message to the other tenants, but they felt too awkward to pick all the mushrooms on her house¡¯s roof. Instead, they dried some and intended to give them to her the next time she visited.


    Ye Ling accepted the dried mushrooms and unlocked the door with the key.


    Inside, after closing the door, Ah Hui looked at the somewhat simple house with curiosity and surprise.


    Ah Hui only knew that Ye Ling was powerful. Now, it seemed that Ye Ling was still very mysterious, with another identity and a hidden residence in town.


    Ye Ling handed the spare key to Ah Hui, saying, ¡°You can stay in the medicine shop during holidays or when Mai Zi and others go out to purchase goods.


    Here, there are more people, so it¡¯s safer.¡±


    Considering Ah Hui was a woman and the varied characters in the black market, Ye Ling wouldn¡¯t dare leave Ah Hui alone in the shop without Mai Zi and the others.


    Ah Hui took the keys gratefully, saying, ¡°Thank you, Sister Ye Ling.¡±


    Ye Ling smiled, took out a few bills, and handed them to Ah Hui. ¡°Aunt Mei sent this over two days ago. Take it. If you need anything else, go buy it yourself.


    Just remember not to let anyone see your face, understand?¡±


    Ah Hui nodded solemnly, then took out two bills, handing the rest to Ye Ling.


    ¡°Sister Ye Ling, I don¡¯t need that much money. You can take it.¡±


    Ye Ling hesitated for a moment but didn¡¯t accept the money. Instead, she smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t lack money. You can take it. A woman needs money for confidence. I don¡¯t like lecturing. I just want to share this wisdom with you.¡± Ah Hui was momentarily stunned, her eyes showing a hint of confusion.


    Ye Ling didn¡¯t mind whether Ah Hui understood her message. She went to the courtyard, lifted the plastic sheet, and placed a few jars of medicinal wine into a basket.


    Afterward, Ye Ling sought out Master Bai and briefed him on Ah Hui¡¯s situation.


    Master Bai readily understood that Ye Ling hoped he would look after Ah Hui as much as possible.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Bai,¡± Ye Ling expressed her gratitude. After a brief hesitation, she asked, ¡°Master Bai, is someone in your family sick?¡±


    Master Bai was taken aback. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Ye Ling then began recounting the incident when Master Bai had intentionally left behind the pig¡¯s lungs during the pig slaughter.


    ¡°Do you know about this?¡± Master Bai looked at Ye Ling with some surprise.


    Ye Ling smiled. ¡°My family has been practicing medicine for generations, and I have some knowledge of medicine. Though my abilities are limited, if there¡¯s anything I can assist you or your family with, I¡¯ll certainly do my best.¡±


    Master Bai nodded. ¡°You¡¯re a kind child. However, my grandson has to go to the county hospital for a follow-up every three months. He left yesterday and should be back in a few days. I¡¯ll ask you to take a look at him when he returns.¡± It turned out that Master Bail s grandson was the unwell one.


    With Ye Ling¡¯s doubts now clarified, she didn¡¯t delve further into the topic. She cupped her hands and said to Master Bai, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be leaving now. I


    appreciate your help in taking care of Ah Hui.¡±


    After the conversation with Master Bai, Ye Ling left carrying her basket.


    Before nightfall, she returned to the educated youth dormitory.


    Not long after Ye Ling had arranged things for Ah Hui, Aunt Mei arrived at the pharmacy to inquire about her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ah Hui? What¡¯s her situation now?¡± Aunt Mei, feeling uneasy and displaying an unfriendly tone, asked Ye Ling.


    Ye Ling was momentarily surprised and showed a puzzled expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t Ah Hui already go back?¡±


    Aunt Mei¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Ye Ling stroked her chin, pondering for two seconds before responding, ¡°Around seven o¡¯clock last night, Ah Hui mentioned that she had recovered and could return home. Yun Jie and I escorted her to the door. I assumed your family had reunited.¡±


    Aunt Mei¡¯s vision darkened, and she nearly fainted.


    A family reunion? Ah Hui hadn¡¯t gone back at all!


    Aunt Mei lifted her head and fixed her gaze on Ye Ling.


    Ye Ling, that deceitful person, couldn¡¯t be trusted. She must be lying!


    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Ye Ling shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the truth. If you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do. But think about it carefully. I have no reason to lie to you. What good would it do for me?¡±


    Aunt Mei frowned. Despite her disdain for Ye Ling, the fact remained that Ye Ling had no reason to prevent Ah Hui from going back..

 Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Grievance

    Chapter 196: Grievance


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Could it be that Ah Hui, that troublemaker, really ran away on her own?


    Aunt Mei was so furious that her anger was about to explode. She looked at Ye Ling and exclaimed with sternness, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to deliver her to my doorstep? Now that she¡¯s gone, you have to take full responsibility!¡±


    Yun Jie, unable to tolerate it any longer, hands on her hips, coldly remarked, ¡°Are you out of your mind? We treated your daughter-in-law, and if she ran away on her own, you¡¯re blaming us?


    ¡°She¡¯s gone, and I should thank you? Don¡¯t even think about shifting the blame. Where¡¯s your leader? Let your leader talk to me!¡± Aunt Mei¡¯s attitude was arrogant and overbearing.


    Ye Ling sighed. ¡°Our leader is very busy and doesn¡¯t have time to see you. If you¡¯re not satisfied, you can call the police.¡±


    Aunt Mei was momentarily stunned. Why wasn¡¯t Ye Ling afraid at all?


    She even suggested calling the police.


    However, Aunt Mei quickly realized that she couldn¡¯t call the police. Ah Hui was someone she bought from a human trafficker, without any household registration, essentially an illegal resident. Not to mention whether the police would help find her if they discovered Aunt Mei was involved in human trafficking, they might cause her trouble and take her away for ideological correction.


    As for holding Ye Ling and the pharmacy accountable, that was even more implausible. How could they blame someone for a missing person who wasn¡¯t even legally registered?


    Aunt Mei stared at Ye Ling¡¯s composed face, sensing that something was amiss but unable to pinpoint it.


    Nevertheless, these matters were not the most critical at the moment. The paramount concern was, where was Ah Hui now?


    If Ah Hui had escaped in secret, she likely didn¡¯t have much money, making it impossible for her to travel too far. Yet, without any leads, finding Ah Hui remained a formidable challenge.


    Aunt Mei stood at the pharmacy entrance, torn. She knew she should return and seek help to locate Ah Hui, but she couldn¡¯t reconcile letting Ye Ling off so easily. She persistently felt that Ye Ling was intentionally opposing her.


    However, she was well aware that even if she wanted to hold Ye Ling responsible, there was no evidence to support it now. Ah Hui was an undocumented resident, and Aunt Mei didn¡¯t dare to involve the police.


    Aunt Mei had never felt so stifled in her entire life. A sense of oppression settled in her chest _


    Yun Jie gazed coldly at Aunt Mei. ¡°Is there anything else? If not, you can go ahead and call the police.¡±


    Aunt Mei was nearly infuriated by Yun Jie¡¯s words. She opened her mouth to say something when a woman¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind her. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why are you both standing here?¡±


    Ye Ling and Yun Jie saw Gao Min walking in with two packages in her hands.


    Aunt Mei¡¯s eyes brightened. She promptly realized that this woman must be the one in charge of the pharmacy.


    Aunt Mei rushed in front of Gao Min and straightened her back. ¡°Are you the person in charge of the pharmacy?¡± she exclaimed loudly. ¡°I want to complain about these two, especially Ye Ling!¡±


    Gao Min had initially assumed that Aunt Mei was a villager there to collect medicine. To her surprise, Aunt Mei was now complaining about Ye Ling and Yun Jie. Gao Min was momentarily perplexed, unsure of what had transpired. After hesitating for two seconds, she politely inquired of Aunt Mei, ¡°Why are you filing a complaint against them?¡±


    Aunt Mei had intended to claim that Ye Ling had caused the death of her daughter-in-law. However, she quickly realized that Ah Hui was still alive, making such an accusation invalid.


    ¡°Well.¡± Aunt Mei stuttered before continuing, ¡°My daughter-in-law stayed in the pharmacy for a few days. When I came to pick her up, they informed me that my daughter-in-law had run away. Now that she¡¯s gone, they naturally have to take responsibility!¡±


    After hearing her words, Gao Min was curious.


    Why was this person¡¯s daughter-in-law staying in the pharmacy? And how did her daughter-in-law running away relate to Ye Ling and the others?


    Although Gao Min was not entirely clear on the situation, having held a leadership position in the town for several years, she had encountered many people intentionally causing trouble.


    At this moment, she vaguely sensed that the person before her shared a similar temperament with those who sought trouble.


    After pondering for two seconds, Gao Min turned to Ye Ling and Yun Jie. ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Sister Gao, it¡¯s not what she said¡­¡± Yun Jie was anxious and immediately began explaining.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Gao Min sternly interrupted Yun Jie. ¡°I¡¯ve only been away for a few days, and you¡¯ve already caused me so much trouble!¡±


    Observing Gao Min reprimanding Yun Jie and Ye Ling, Aunt Mei couldn¡¯t help but reveal a smug smile. She looked at the two with a sense of satisfaction, eager to witness how Gao Min would handle the situation.


    Gao Min only scolded Yun Jie briefly before turning to Aunt Mei. ¡°I will address this matter seriously. As for your daughter-in-law, why don¡¯t you seek assistance in locating her first? If you can¡¯t find her, you can consider involving the police..¡±

 Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Adventure

    Chapter 197: Adventure


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi- Bo Studio


    Upon hearing Gao Min¡¯s words, Aunt Mei immediately felt a sense of guilt. Her voice lost its previous volume as she responded, ¡± You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Just go ahead and punish those two. In my opinion, these two individuals don¡¯t understand what it means to serve the people. You might as well terminate their employment¡­¡±


    what it means to serve the people. You might as well terminate their employment¡­¡±


    Aunt Mei continued speaking, and Gao Min¡¯s gaze grew colder. She calmly stated, ¡°Alright, auntie, have you finished? If so, please go find your daughter-in-law first. They made a mistake, and I will deal with it accordingly.¡±


    Gao Min exuded the authority of a leader, and Aunt Mei instantly felt the psychological pressure.


    Opening her mouth to speak, Aunt Mei hesitated and eventually refrained from saying anything more. She shot a stern look at Ye Ling and Yun Jie before turning to leave.


    Once Aunt Mei departed, Gao Min cast a fleeting glance at Ye Ling and Yun Jie before entering the house with her belongings.


    Inside the house, Gao Min found a stool and seated herself. She directed her gaze at the two and said, ¡°Alright, spill it. What exactly happened?¡±


    Ye Ling and Yun Jie exchanged glances.


    Subsequently, Yun Jie moistened her lips and, with nervousness evident in her expression, began recounting the events of the past few days.


    Due to the intricate details, Yun Jie¡¯s narrative spanned over twenty minutes.


    To shield Ye Ling from potential blame, Yun Jie occasionally interjected supportive remarks for her during the recounting.


    Throughout the narration, Gao Min occasionally furrowed her brows and, now and then, shifted her gaze towards Ye Ling.


    When Yun Jie reached the part about Ye Ling reviving Ah Hui, Gao Min¡¯s expression finally changed. However, she did not immediately interrupt Yun Jie, allowing her to continue.


    Yun Jie clarified the true reason behind Ah Hui¡¯s ¡°resurrection¡± and added, ¡°The auntie had originally bought Ah Hui from human traffickers. After Ah Hui went to her house, both she and her eldest daughter-in-law would frequently subject Ah Hui to physical abuse. Ye Ling and I felt that if Ah Hui were to return to that household, her fate would only be as tragic as before.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Gao Min asked nonchalantly.


    Feeling somewhat uneasy, Yun Jie hesitated on how to explain further, but Ye Ling interjected, ¡°So, I took Ah Hui to a friend of mine in town.¡±


    Gao Min furrowed her brows and looked up at Ye Ling.


    At this point, Gao Min finally grasped the situation. Ye Ling had left her post during working hours not only because she had sensed an abnormality in Ma Biao¡¯s family but also to prevent potential repercussions for the pharmacy if the patient faced complications after taking the medication.


    If it weren¡¯t for Ye Ling, Ah Hui might not have survived. In the event of Ah Hui¡¯s death, Aunt Mei would have brought the body to the pharmacy, demanding compensation and causing significant harm to the pharmacy¡¯s reputation.


    Gao Min acknowledged that Ye Ling¡¯s vigilance and perceptiveness had averted a potential risk.


    Observing Ye Ling¡¯s attitude towards Ah Hui during Yun Jie¡¯s narrative, Gao


    Min could tell that Ye Ling genuinely wanted to help Ah Hui. Sympathy for Ah Hui¡¯s fate drove Ye Ling to devise this intricate plan to facilitate Ah Hui¡¯s escape.


    During Yun Jie¡¯s account, Gao Min experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. She hadn¡¯t expected such courage and determination from a young woman like Ye Ling.


    However, from another perspective, it showcased Ye Ling¡¯s capabilities. Her confidence in executing the plan stemmed from her exceptional medical skills.


    Yun Jie, thinking Gao Min was about to rebuke Ye Ling, hurriedly defended her, ¡°Sister Gao, Ye Ling just wanted to help Ah Hui. You didn¡¯t see the injuries on


    Ah Hui¡¯s body. She¡¯s truly pitiful. And can you believe it? Ah Hui is only fifteen!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Did I mention punishing Ye Ling? You seem more anxious than she is,¡± Gao Min interjected.


    Upon hearing this, Yun Jie turned to Ye Ling and noticed her calm demeanor, as if she weren¡¯t concerned about potential punishment from Gao Min.


    Gao Min observed Ye Ling and calmly stated, ¡°You have a kind heart, which is a good thing. However, your actions were too bold. Have you considered what would happen if your plan had failed?¡±


    Ye Ling nodded, agreeing, ¡°Sister Gao is right. I took too much risk.¡±


    For a moment, Gao Min found herself at a loss for words. While Ye Ling¡¯s admission of fault was commendable, Gao Min couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that if faced with a similar situation again, Ye Ling might repeat the same actions..

 Chapter 198 - Chapter 198: Registration

    Chapter 198: Registration


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Gao Min sighed.


    Perhaps it was due to her age, bound by various rules and regulations. Whether it was in life or work, she emphasized the word ¡°stability¡±. However, she had to admit that deep down, she was a little envious of Ye Ling¡¯s boldness and adventurous spirit.


    It was precisely because of Ye Ling¡¯s spirit that she could help that poor girl.


    Gao Min, being a woman herself, felt a natural sympathy upon hearing about Ah Hui¡¯s ordeal.


    Gao Min waved her hand. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s consider this matter settled.¡±


    Yun Jie¡¯s face lit up with surprise and disbelief. When did Sister Gao become so approachable? Could it be that her heartfelt narration had touched Sister Gao?


    Gao Min stood up and addressed Ye Ling. ¡°However, if you encounter such a situation again, you must inform me in advance. You two are still young, and there are some things beyond your capability. Let¡¯s end this matter here. Since you¡¯ve arranged a place for Ah Hui, let her stay low for now. When Aunt Mei can¡¯t find anyone and gives up, Ah Hui will be safe.¡±


    Ye Ling expressed her gratitude to Gao Min. ¡°Thank you, Sister Gao!¡±


    The corners of Gao Min¡¯s mouth softened, though her expression remained composed. She took out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Ye Ling, saying, ¡°This contains information about the registration time and requirements for this year¡¯s medical qualification exam. If you¡¯re nearly prepared, consider taking the exam. I can assist in getting your registration fee reimbursed.¡±


    Yun Jie joined to examine the details on the note.


    The medical license exam occurred four times a year, every three months. The September exam registration window had passed, so Ye Ling and Yun Jie could only sign up for the December session.


    As for exam requirements, they were quite standard, similar to other ordinary exams.


    Ye Ling tucked away the note and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back and organize the application materials.¡±


    ¡°Good. Check with Ji Mei if she¡¯s interested in taking the exam. Hand over your application materials to me, and I¡¯ll handle the registration while I¡¯m in town. Before December, focus on your preparations and aim to pass the initial round in one attempt.¡± Gao Min looked at them encouragingly.


    After discussing this matter, Gao Min prepared to leave.


    When Ye Ling accompanied Gao Min to the door, Gao Min suddenly inquired, ¡°Where did you send Ah Hui? I¡¯m also in town and can help take care of her.¡± Hearing this, Ye Ling fell silent.


    She couldn¡¯t disclose to Gao Min that she had sent Ah Hui to the black market.


    Aware of Gao Min¡¯s disciplined nature, revealing such news might jeopardize her job at the pharmacy.


    Ye Ling forced a smile. ¡°I placed her with a very reliable acquaintance. This person values privacy, so¡­¡±


    Seeing that Ye Ling wasn¡¯t willing to divulge more details, Gao Min didn¡¯t press After all, Gao Min hadn¡¯t been involved in helping Ah Hui, so she couldn¡¯t insist that Ye Ling must share all the details with her. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t someone with such a strong need for control.


    Having seen Gao Min off, Ye Ling let out a long sigh of relief.


    There shouldn¡¯t be any more worries about what would happen next. Aunt Mei wouldn¡¯t be able to locate Ah Hui, and Ye Ling wasn¡¯t concerned about any potential retaliation from Aunt Mei.


    The primary focus for the next phase was to thoroughly prepare for the medical license examination.


    Additionally, Ye Ling was still contemplating whether she should return to Shanghai during the upcoming Lunar New Year.


    It wasnt because she missed home. Rather, she wanted to go back to investigate some matters.


    Her luck had been tampered with, and her mother¡¯s death had human interference involved. She had sensed something was amiss, but concrete evidence was needed to validate her suspicions.


    Even if Ye Ling could return to Shanghai, it was undeniable that her family wouldn¡¯t welcome her.


    Ye Ling even suspected that whatever few belongings she had left in the Fang family had likely been discarded by her ¡®elder sister¡¯.


    During the night shift, Yun Jie was on duty. Ye Ling took a nap in the lounge. When she woke up the next day, Yun Jie looked at her with a peculiar expression.


    Ye Ling gazed at Yun Jie in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Yun Jie handed a piece of paper to Ye Ling. ¡°Someone came by yesterday, noticed you weren¡¯t around, and asked me to give you this note.¡±


    Upon hearing Yun Jie¡¯s words, Min Nan¡¯s face immediately flashed into Ye Ling¡¯s mind.


    Min Nan came looking for her last night?


    The shift schedules for Ye Ling, Yun Jie, and Ji Mei were typically fixed. Ye Ling had informed Min Nan about her shift hours previously.


    However, due to an unexpected circumstance, Yun Jie had to make a last-minute adjustment to the shift order, and Min Nan wasn¡¯t aware of this change. Hence, when Min Nan sought out Ye Ling, he ended up encountering Yun Jie..

 Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Marketing Cooperation

    Chapter 199: Marketing Cooperation


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Ling¡¯s face immediately turned red, feeling a sense of embarrassment as if she had been caught secretly dating a man.


    Pfft, how could that be considered a secret date with a man? The content of her conversation with Min Nan was very serious! Ye Ling corrected the misconception in her mind.


    Afterward, she pretended to be calm and took the note from Yun Jie¡¯s hand. ¡°Okay, I understand. Thank you.¡±


    Yun Jie opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to ask something, but ultimately remained silent.


    Yun Jie was someone who respected the privacy of others. Although she was curious about the relationship between that man and Ye Ling, since Ye Ling didn¡¯t voluntarily share, Yun Jie didn¡¯t press for details.


    Ye Ling was somewhat relieved that Ji Mei wasn¡¯t on duty last night


    Before heading back, Ye Ling opened the note Min Nan had sent.


    ¡°When do you have time? Godmother has something to discuss with you.¡±


    Ye Ling put away the note, feeling a bit puzzled.


    Sun Li was looking for her?


    Could it be that Sun Li was sick? But if Sun Li were sick, Min Nan¡¯s tone wouldn¡¯t be so calm.


    Ye Ling had initially planned to return to her dormitory, but after seeing the note, she became a bit concerned and decided to visit Sun Li¡¯s home.


    After traversing the country road in the early morning, Ye Ling arrived at Sun Li¡¯s house when the sun was high in the sky.


    Ye Ling knocked on the door. Upon hearing a response, she pushed the door open and entered.


    Sun Li, upon seeing Ye Ling, was momentarily surprised before standing up with joy. ¡°Lingling, why are you here?¡±


    Observing that Sun Li didn¡¯t seem to be unwell, Ye Ling breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°Big Brother Min Nan told me that you have something to discuss with me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be in such a hurry. Sit down. You came so early, did you work the night shift?¡± Sun Li looked at Ye Ling with a hint of concern.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I adjusted my shift schedule with my colleagues yesterday, and I slept in the pharmacy lounge for the night.¡± Ye Ling explained.


    Sun Li sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. Wait for me a moment. I¡¯ll heat some breakfast for you. ¡±


    Before Ye Ling could stop her, Sun Li had already entered the kitchen.


    Ten minutes later, Sun Li placed a simple breakfast on the table and sat down with a smile. She looked at Ye Ling and said, ¡°It¡¯s all your favorite.¡±


    Ye Ling felt a warmth in her heart, picked up her chopsticks, finished the breakfast Sun Li had prepared, and then wiped the corner of her mouth before asking, ¡°Auntie Sun, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Sun Li paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Do you remember when you cooked a meal for the leaders from the county in the production team?¡± Ye Ling nodded.


    Sun Li continued, ¡°A few days ago, the director of the purchasing department from the county¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative came to my house. Since they didn¡¯t find you, they asked me to convey their message. They want to know if you¡¯re willing to work at the county¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative.¡±


    Hearing Sun Li¡¯s words, Ye Ling was taken aback.


    They had only heard of job interviews, but never of employers coming so far to recruit.


    Seeing Ye Ling¡¯s expression, Sun Li smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s all because your cooking is really good. Last time, when I went to the production team, I made a dish using the wild boar meat and braised pig innards you marinated. Later, they even came to my house and asked for more wild boar meat and pig innards. I guess they want to study how you handle those ingredients.¡± Hearing this, Ye Ling flashed a faint smile.


    She used Chinese herbs. How could an ordinary chef think of using Chinese herbs to process ingredients in advance?


    ¡°Of course, they probably haven¡¯t figured it out yet, so they specifically came to find you and want you to work at the county supply and marketing cooperative. They also said they can set up a counter there specifically for you to sell the things you make.¡±


    After Sun Li finished speaking, she added, ¡°The conditions they offered are very good. I think you should consider it. Working in the county is better than staying in our mountain ditch.¡±


    After the people from the county supply and marketing cooperative came, Sun Li analyzed it carefully.


    In the short term, if Ye Ling went to work in the county, she and Min Nan wouldn¡¯t be able to see each other otten. This wouldn¡¯t be beneticial to the development of their relationship.


    However, in the long run, Ye Ling¡¯s salary would increase if she went to work in the county. She would also be able to live a better life.


    If she did well in the supply and marketing cooperative, she might have a chance to be promoted.


    By then, Ye Ling¡¯s personal qualities would be excellent, and Min Nan¡¯s father would be even more satisfied with Ye Ling..

 Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: Business Acumen

    Chapter 200: Business Acumen


    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Sun Li naturally considered Ye Ling perfect, but Min Nan¡¯s father was different. That man, now in a position of influence, would likely have a more stringent and discerning judgment when it came to his daughter-in-law.


    When Sun Li visited Min Nan¡¯s house for New Year¡¯s greetings, she noticed many officials bringing unmarried girls of suitable age. The intentions behind these actions were quite clear.


    These young girls came from well-off families with good backgrounds.


    Sun Li couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°What if Min Nan¡¯s father isn¡¯t satisfied with Ye Ling?¡±


    If Ye Ling could secure a better job in the county, it would demonstrate her capabilities. In such a scenario, Ye Ling would have more confidence when facing Min Nan¡¯s father.


    Of course, these were Sun Li¡¯s thoughts, and she would always respect Ye Ling¡¯s choices.


    After hearing Sun Li¡¯s words, Ye Ling hesitated for a moment but quickly dismissed the idea of working at the county supply and marketing cooperative.


    Her life goal had long been set. She wanted to inherit and promote the medical skills of the Ye family. While working in the county might be a dream for many, it held little attraction for her.


    Even though Ye Ling had no intention of working at the county supply and marketing cooperative, she sensed that the director¡¯s interest in her formula was genuine since the director came for her personally.


    Ye Ling said after thinking for a while, ¡°Auntie Sun, I don¡¯t plan to work at the county supply and marketing cooperative.¡±


    Sun Li¡¯s expectations aligned with Ye Ling¡¯s response. Seeing that Ye Ling had her own plans, Sun Li felt genuinely pleased.


    She admired girls who had a strong sense of individuality.


    Ye Ling, with her independence and capabilities, would undoubtedly lead a better life, even without working in the county.


    Sun Li acknowledged her previous narrow-minded thoughts. After all, if Min Nan liked Ye Ling, that was sufficient.


    Sun Li nodded. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to go, then forget it. However, the director of the purchasing department at the county supply and marketing cooperative mentioned that if you¡¯re not interested in working in the county, you can sell your formula to them. They¡¯ll try their best to offer a satisfactory price.¡±


    Ye Ling shook her head slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to sell the formula either.¡±


    Ye Ling¡¯s choice indeed surprised Sun Li. Ye Ling wasn¡¯t even twenty years old yet, and she already showed little interest in money.


    But before Sun Li could finish contemplating, Ye Ling continued, ¡°I think we can provide the processed meat to the supply and marketing cooperative.


    However, I¡¯m not sure if they can guarantee the purchase volume and price.¡± Upon hearing Ye Ling¡¯s words, Sun Li¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Certainly, selling the formula to the supply and marketing cooperative would only result in a one-time profit. However, if Ye Ling held onto the formula and sold the finished meat to the supply and marketing cooperative, it could provide a continuous income.


    Sun Li looked at Ye Ling with newfound appreciation. She hadn¡¯t expected Ye Ling to possess such business acumen.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Ye Ling pondered for a moment before adding, ¡°Also, the purchasing channel is a concern.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the county¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative and the meat processing plant are partners. There should be no need to worry about the purchase channels,¡± Sun Li reassured. After finishing her sentence, she hesitated for a moment as if she had something else to say.


    Ye Ling seemed to have anticipated Sun Li¡¯s thoughts. She smiled and said, ¡°Auntie Sun, are you worried that if I cooperate with the county¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative in this way, I might attract outsiders¡¯ jealousy after making money? Then, there¡¯s the risk of being reported, right?¡±


    Sun Li nodded. Indeed, Ye Ling was smart. What Sun Li thought of, Ye Ling thought of it as well.


    In the past few years, the policy had not been relaxed, and private transactions were still relatively risky.


    ¡°It¡¯s a concern.¡± Sun Li admitted.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I¡¯m just one person, and I still have to work. I won¡¯t have the time to supply the supply and marketing cooperative for an extended period. I¡¯m thinking of finding someone to do this together. As for the specifics, I have some ideas, but I need to study them further,¡± Ye Ling explained.


    Ye Ling planned to go back and understand the relevant policies before carefully planning this matter. If she could succeed, she would have another stable source of income. This was a good thing.


    After discussing this matter, Sun Li suggested, ¡°These days, I¡¯ve been harvesting osmanthus with Aunt Hua and the others. We¡¯re going to make osmanthus tea and osmanthus cakes. Would you like to come and take a look? By the way, it¡¯s almost the Mid-Autumn Festival. You can join Min Nan and the others in going to town for the lantern festival. It¡¯s quite lively every year.¡±


    Ye Ling smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright..¡±