Chapter 171

Chapter 171

The team leader saw Wang Qinghe come in and greeted him warmly. "Qinghe, you've come to take Bai Xiuxiu home? You've arrived at just the right time. I need to thank you."

"Thank me?" Wang Qinghe immediately knew what it was about.

He skillfully picked up the two children, showing no hint of taking credit, and said modestly, "I just mentioned it once. The one who really helped is my master."

"Master?" The team leader was taken aback.

"It's Uncle Zhang. I'm learning some basics of traditional Chinese medicine from him now, so I started calling him Master. Captain, if you need any help when you go into the mountains, just let me know. By the way, these are some maps I drew over the years while hunting in the mountains."

Wang Qinghe thoughtfully handed the maps to the team leader.

Seeing the maps, the team leader became even more excited. "You're such a meticulous young man. Old Zhang has quite the temper, but he's willing to take you on as a disciple. Learn well. If you can make a living from this in the future, that would be great. Rest assured, I'll make sure to give you and Bai Xiuxiu a share of the benefits our village will receive this time!"

Chen Jinhua rolled her eyes at her husband's excitement. "Take a break already. Qinghe came to pick up Bai Xiuxiu. You're holding them back. It's not safe for them to travel after dark."

"I got carried away. Go back quickly," Chen Zhuangshi said sincerely, genuinely impressed by the young couple. They had improved their own lives and still cared about the villagers. Moreover, they did good deeds without seeking recognition. How admirable!

Meanwhile, Wang Qinghe took his wife out of the village.

On the other side, Zhou Jiaojiao went home with Wang Qingqi.

As soon as they entered the house, before they could even eat, they heard the bad news.

Zhou Jiaojiao felt terrible.

"Why does the whole village suddenly want to go into the mountains? What gives them the right?" Zhou Jiaojiao panicked. Although she had been lucky, those resources needed to be there. If they were all taken away, what would she do?

The family saw Zhou Jiaojiao's anxiety and shared her worry. After all, the benefits she received meant something for them too.

"From now on, Old Fifth's wife, go to the mountains before dawn. Have Old Fifth and your fourth brother accompany you. The third sister-in-law and fourth sister-in-law will stay home to prepare goods for the black market. You should..."

Before Wang Shoucheng could finish, Zhou Jiaojiao interrupted him.

"Dad, I can't reveal the secret recipe. I can prepare the fillings and have them do the rest. But... going to the mountains so early, I might not be able to handle it."

Thinking about having to work day and night and scavenge with her second sister-in-law in the mountains, Zhou Jiaojiao felt overwhelmed.

It's all because of Bai Xiuxiu!

If she hadn't suggested separating the household, none of this would have happened.

Bai Xiuxiu!

Zhou Jiaojiao cursed her name several times in her heart, wishing she could tear her apart.

Wang Shoucheng was a bit displeased with Zhou Jiaojiao's secrecy but knew he couldn't force her.

"Alright, prepare the fillings every day. Old Fifth's wife, we need to get whatever we can from the mountains. Don't feel tired; this is for the entire family. When things improve, you'll benefit too. Don't be like your ungrateful eldest sister-in-law." Wang Shoucheng instructed his youngest daughter-in-law.

Zhou Jiaojiao managed a forced smile, but the thought of being seen as better than Bai Xiuxiu gave her a sense of superiority.

Early in the morning.

The team leader of Xiahe Village began organizing people to enter the mountains.

When Bai Xiuxiu was dropped off by Wang Qinghe, the villagers had already started leaving.

She and Miao Miao were good at accounting, so the team leader assigned them to help tally the medicinal herbs to prevent mistakes.

"Xiuxiu, I'll head back to work now," Wang Qinghe said, seeing his wife busy and preparing to leave.

"Mm, be careful on your way," Bai Xiuxiu gently adjusted his scarf.

While the two were busy with their respective tasks, in the distant provincial city,

Yu Cheng returned to the provincial city and sold the medicinal herbs immediately, earning a profit of five hundred yuan. Half of this profit was to be given to Wang Qinghe.

But even so, after deducting his capital, he still had two hundred and fifty left.

With this much money, all it took was a small inconvenience for him, which made him feel as if even seeing a dog on the road was refreshing and extraordinary.

"Hey? Isn't that Aunt Qi from Uncle He's family? Aunt Qi, it's been a while. How is Uncle He?

How have you been lately?

How are He Cheng and He Ming doing? Are they still causing you trouble like before?

By the way, how about your daughter He Wei? Is she still hanging out with that little tyrant?"

Yu Cheng smiled like a bright and cheerful young boy, but every word he said was not what people wanted to hear!

The woman called Aunt Qi was around fifty years old but looked very gentle.

She had good features, and her smile made her seem approachable.

Her face was pale, but for the sake of appearances, she replied gently, "It's Yu Cheng. My nephew told me you went out of town with him?

After all these years, you should be settling down by now.

Why do you always think about playing?

Our daughter He Wei is getting married soon. As for He Ming and He Cheng, they've improved a lot under your Uncle He's guidance.

Thank you for your concern."

Her attitude was very polite.

Upon hearing this, Yu Cheng continued, "Really? Then, Aunt Qi, are you still looking for that child?"

The woman's face turned completely sour. "Who told you all these nonsense? Don't pry into our family affairs.

I need to hurry home, so I won't talk to you anymore."

The woman rushed off in a hurry.

She didn't even notice that the vegetables in her basket had fallen out.

Yu Cheng pouted. Who didn't know? Those two little tyrants caused another ruckus and got into trouble again.

They were now grounded at home.

Aunt Qi and Uncle He must be frantic right now.

They want to find their eldest son quickly and see if they can salvage some face.

This whole family is full of face-conscious people.

He needed to find out more. Wang Qinghe was an important step on his path to wealth, and he needed to help Wang Qinghe.

As Qi Yingying returned home, she put down the basket of vegetables and looked at her second son, who was lounging on the sofa, and her third son, who was eating canned food.

Then she glanced at her daughter, who was happily reading a book nearby.

She suddenly felt overwhelmed with frustration.

Why was she so unlucky? None of these three children gave her any peace of mind or brought her any honor.

If this continued, she would not only lose face but also risk losing Old He's affection to his brother's child.