Chapter 52 Poisoned

Chapter 52 Poisoned

Tang Yuan lay back on the table, still a bit dazed. Wait, how did her relationship with the big shot suddenly advance so much?

Weren't they supposed to be just pretending to be engaged and working together on farming?

It didn't seem like such a sudden turn of events when she thought about it carefully. It felt more like everything had fallen into place naturally.

From their first encounter in the small valley, he showed interest in her fish basket, and she admired his good looks and physique. She taught him how to weave baskets, and he invited her to dig yams together.

Over time, they became familiar with each other.

There were times when her heart raced when they were alone, especially when he silently gazed at her, making her feel as if his dark eyes were filled only with her.

But she kept reminding herself that the big shot wasn't interested in women, telling herself not to get carried away, lest she embarrass herself.

After they got engaged, he became even closer and more attentive to her, but she always remembered that the big shot wasn't interested in women.

Moreover, Feng Chen's kindness towards her always had reasons: climbing mountains, crossing rivers, living in the mountains, and not wanting her to do heavy work. He never idly flirted with her.

She hadn't been in a relationship in her past life, but she had seen enough examples. She had heard a friend say, "Love is when you're willing to waste time with someone, doing nothing important, just being together."

She once imagined spending time with a guy without working or studying, just being together. Ugh, how embarrassing.

Feng Chen hadn't wasted time with her either, right?

As long as he didn't explicitly say "I like you" or do something that indicated he liked her, she believed they had a pure cooperative relationship, free from any ambiguity.

Why did he kiss her just now?

Her lips felt a little numb from the kiss.

Oh, she kissed him first.

So, no problem then.

Tang Yuan tossed and turned on the table like a pancake, really wanting to ask Feng Chen to sleep with her.

Of course, not in that way; just to sleep together because the bench was too narrow for him to be comfortable.

But after Feng Chen carried her to the table and kissed her, he said goodnight and went back to the bench.

He didn't have any intention of sleeping on the desk.

Did he like her?

Books say young men can be quite impulsive, but he seemed calm and composed, except for the kiss.

Was it respect or lack of interest?

Ugh, why was she thinking about these embarrassing questions?

Tang Yuan felt anxious and indecisive, but eventually, she decided to push it aside.

Sleep.

No matter what he was thinking, they were engaged, and as long as they didn't break up, he couldn't go after other women.

She fell asleep with this thought and slept until morning.

Feng Chen had already brought water over, but he wasn't in the classroom.

Tang Yuan quickly got up, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and took out a steamed bun for breakfast.

With the bun in her mouth, she was about to put the desk back in place when Feng Chen walked in.

He stepped forward and held the edge of the desk. "Don't move, let me do it."

He was worried Tang Yuan might hurt herself, so he told her to eat her breakfast while he quickly rearranged the desks.

Both of them were clean people, and there were no snacks around, so the floor was naturally clean.

While eating the bun, Tang Yuan remembered the two women from last night. "Did those two leave?"

Feng Chen nodded, looking uninterested in talking about them.

Last night, lying on the bench, he listened to Tang Yuan tossing and turning on the table and couldn't fall asleep himself.

How could he sleep!

But he didn't initiate any conversation with Tang Yuan.

He knew she was excited and agitated, and he was also... stirred.

He feared that once he started talking, he wouldn't be able to stop, affecting her sleep, and he was afraid his self-control would fail and he'd end up lying next to her again.

In the past, he could control himself when sleeping next to her, but now... this girl was a bit mischievous!

She would touch him.

When he kissed her, she was initially shy, but then she started touching him all over.

He lay quietly and ran through his cultivation techniques several times before he managed to calm the unusual sensations.

Now when he looked at her, she was still the same person, but for some reason, knowing that she liked him too made her seem even more adorable and beautiful?

His gaze seemed glued to her, and he even found it cute when she bit into the steamed bun.

Tang Yuan ate her bun while glancing over at the neighboring room; those two women had indeed slipped away.

Last night, she didn't want to cause a scene because she was in an unfamiliar place, and stirring up trouble wouldn't benefit anyone.

Ultimately, she was more tolerant of women with similar issues, feeling that society was overly oppressive towards women. If a woman couldn't have children, it might not be her fault, yet both her in-laws and her own family would blame her. She might have taken countless medicines without any effect, and it could also be the man's issue, but men rarely admitted their own shortcomings.

So, it was always the woman who suffered and did shameful things.

If it were a man harassing her, she would either beat him up or have Feng Chen tie him up and send him to the authorities.

After a simple breakfast, the two bid farewell to Old Liu and set off home in the cart.

Those two audacious women left the school before dawn but didn't return to the city; instead, they hid by the roadside.

Fortunately, this area was relatively flat and fertile, making the surrounding villages wealthier than the mountain villages like Tangjia Village. There were fewer idle ruffians around, and no one came out to rob travelers at night.

Otherwise, these two women lurking by the roadside would easily become targets.

The older sister was named Xiao Meihong, and the younger one was Xiao Yulan. They were sisters.

Xiao Yulan had been married for three years without having a child. She had consulted doctors at the County Hospital and even some renowned village healers, taking countless herbal remedies, but still had no success.

Her mother-in-law used to treat her well, but as time went on, she became increasingly critical and harsh.

Even her parents couldn't hold their heads high in front of her in-laws, urging her to have a child quickly and not bring shame to her family.

She wanted her husband to get checked and take medicine too, but he refused, insisting that he had no problem.

When she persisted, he got angry and threatened her, saying, "If you don't believe me, I'll find another woman to have a child with and bring it back. That way, you won't have to bear one."

Only her elder sister cared about her deeply.

Her elder sister said that since so many doctors couldn't help, it must not be her fault; perhaps it was her brother-in-law's issue.

Since he refused to get checked, she should secretly find someone else to conceive a child, and the in-laws would never know.

She was scared and shy, hesitant to do such a thing, but her inability to conceive made her mother-in-law despise her even more, using crude language to insult her. She couldn't bear it anymore.

She agreed.

Together, they chose the young man who often visited Accountant Feng at the hospital.

Initially, she was immersed in her own pain, feeling guilty and ashamed about her infertility and the need to seek help elsewhere. It took great determination to make this decision, only to realize that the man might refuse!

She never thought Feng Chen would decline.

Was there a man who would turn down such an opportunity?

Every man was a cat, every man strayed.

Given the slightest chance, they would pounce.

Some men just needed a glance from her, and they assumed she was interested, coming onto her eagerly.

But when she offered herself, Feng Chen refused.

It was unbelievable.

She felt humiliated and furious.

Her elder sister cursed him all night, but they had to succeed on this trip; otherwise, it would be a waste of time and effort.

Last night, she confidently declared that Feng Chen was just pretending to be decent, fearing his wife would cause trouble. Once his wife fell asleep, he would surely come to her.

But he didn't show up all night.

Around 3 AM, her elder sister woke her up again, planning to test Feng Chen once more.

Perhaps he couldn't resist temptation?

How could a country man be so honest?

Sure enough, when her elder sister knocked on the door, the man came out.

Hearing his voice made her heart race; she knew he was interested in her.

But then, this dog of a man!

Instead of coming inside, he forced her elder sister to write a letter proving his innocence, demanding their names, workplaces, and addresses, threatening to report them to the police if they spread rumors.

She was utterly humiliated!

Even though her elder sister likely made up the names and details, she still felt embarrassed.

So, before dawn, she dragged her elder sister away.

Her elder sister insisted that they had to succeed on this trip; otherwise, it would be a wasted effort. Even if Feng Chen wasn't an option, they could find someone else.

They could go further away, where no one knew them, and find a strong young man easily.

But in her mind, Feng Chen's face kept lingering.

She had a feeling that he could definitely make her pregnant.

They waited until dawn and watched Feng Chen and Tang Yuan come out driving the mule cart. The two of them quickly pushed their bicycles into the nearby sorghum field to hide.

Looking at the young couple sitting in the mule cart, the woman leaning on the man's broad shoulders, singing an unknown little tune, sounding very happy.

Xiao Yulan felt a sour ache in her heart.

Such a good man, yet he doesn't belong to her. She had married early and missed her chance.

Thinking this way, she felt a wave of sadness.

She couldn't even bear a child, causing her in-laws to despise her and her own family to blame her. Her life was truly in ruins.

Tang Yuan and Feng Chen drove the mule cart home; even with an early start, they wouldn't arrive until nightfall.

Sigh, without roads or buses, traveling from Tangjia Village to the county town is incredibly difficult.

Because of last night's kiss, she felt that her relationship with Feng Chen had changed.

It seemed more intimate.

But both of them seemed a bit shy, neither bringing up the topic of "I like you, we're really together."

No, it was her who felt closer to Feng Chen now. Before, she would only take advantage of working opportunities to pinch his arm, poke his chest or waist, trying to get some physical contact.

Now she wanted to openly touch his chest and abs, hehe.

But Feng Chen treated her as usual, caring for her while keeping a distance, never making any moves on her.

He hadn't kissed her since getting up this morning.

This made her a bit puzzled. Was last night just a dream?

Unable to resist, she tested him by leaning against his shoulder.

He didn't move away but slightly adjusted his position to make her more comfortable.

She was secretly delighted.

But she noticed that Feng Chen didn't take the opportunity to hug her. His large hand remained by his side, showing no intention of embracing her.

She couldn't help but doubt her charm.

Why did she want to hug him, but he didn't want to hug her?

Was she too lustful?

She couldn't help but rub against him and poke his chest, whispering, "Feng Chen."

Feng Chen looked down at her, "Do you want some water?"

Tang Yuan chuckled, showing a mischievous smile, and glanced at him quickly, "Do you want to kiss?"

Feng Chen: "..."

How could he tell her not to ask about kissing in the middle of the road during daylight!

The powerful man could control his strength and speed, but not the redness in his ears.

Seeing his eyes deepen, Tang Yuan sensed danger and also realized that kissing in broad daylight wasn't a good idea.

This era was different from modern times. If someone saw them, even if they weren't taken to the commune, it would still scare people.

She coughed and sat up straight, saying seriously, "Hey, you need to behave properly, don't let Grandma and my parents notice anything."

Before, when they pretended to be a couple, everyone thought they were dating, and her family tacitly approved of their intimacy. But she felt they had a pure cooperative relationship.

After all, there was no ambiguity between her and the powerful man.

But now that they had kissed, their relationship was no longer pure, and she felt less at ease.

A bit... embarrassed and guilty.

Feng Chen's lips curved slightly. Knowing Tang Uncle and Aunt, they were reserved and shy and would never discuss such topics.

His grandmother only warned him not to bully Tang Yuan and not to get her pregnant, as she was still young.

As for him, even if his grandmother didn't forbid it, he wouldn't do anything inappropriate to Tang Yuan so early.

She was still young and couldn't handle much, nor could she have children.

Although Feng Chen behaved properly and did nothing, Tang Yuan still felt something had changed. She felt his presence was overwhelming.

His scent was everywhere, a refreshing and pleasant smell.

Strange, before she found his scent pleasant, but not this clear and distinct.

When it grew dark, they drove the mule cart home, first taking the mule and wooden cart to the livestock yard, then using the previous wheelbarrow to push their things home.

Dad Tang was waiting for them at the livestock yard. When he had free time, he helped Rich Peasant, especially since the mare and the black cow were pregnant and needed extra care.

Ji Hongyue was also there. Besides growing rice, he was learning about various aspects of the brigade.

He agreed with Tang Yuan that County Agricultural Bureau officials should at least be familiar with brigade affairs if they were to lead one.

Without understanding farmers' production and lives, planning agricultural development based on imagination?

That would be a dream.

Seeing Tang Yuan and Feng Chen return, Dad Tang showed no unusual reaction, but Ji Hongyue instantly sensed a change between the two.

These two have something going on!

He knew it was useless to ask Feng Chen; this man wouldn't say anything if he didn't want to.

He pulled Tang Yuan aside and asked her what was happening.

Tang Yuan's cheeks instantly turned red, and her eyes darted away. "What do you mean? Nothing's going on."

She couldn’t betray the big boss by saying he was being chased for his seed. Haha.

She definitely had to tell Grandma about this.

Ji Hongyue gritted his teeth. "Yuan Yuan, do you still consider me your brother?"

Tang Yuan rolled her eyes. I don't see you as my brother; I see you as a nosy onlooker jumping around.

Ji Hongyue: "You two must have something going on."

Tang Yuan: "Of course we do. We're engaged, okay? It would be strange if nothing was going on."

Ji Hongyue: "You know what I mean. Before, when you were engaged, it was just an engagement. Now, it’s different."

Tang Yuan felt a flutter in her heart. Did he figure it out? Was it that obvious?

Ji Hongyue is not suited to be an agricultural cadre; he should be a paparazzo.

Feng Chen finished packing up and saw Tang Yuan and Ji Hongyue huddled in a corner, whispering to each other.

They were too close, annoying to look at.

He stepped forward, bent down, and picked Tang Yuan up. "Let's go."

Tang Yuan immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and blew a breath into his ear, giggling. "Cadre Ji is jealous of how good we are together."

Feng Chen felt a jolt like a weak electric current running through him, making his whole body tingle.

He placed Tang Yuan on the wheelbarrow and whispered, "If you keep this up, you'll regret it."

Ji Hongyue floated over like a ghost. "Huh."

He felt obligated to teach Tang Yuan how to date properly. This girl was such a straight woman.

He had never seen someone flirt and act coy with their partner while still saying things like "hehe" and "haha."

He needed to teach Yuan Yuan what femininity was.

After spending so much time with Tang Yuan, she considered him one of her own and started using modern terms like "straight guy," "straight woman," "scumbag," and "gold-digger."

Ji Hongyue used these terms freely, chatting with her without any generational gap.

When they got home, Grandma Feng and Mother Tang were waiting for them.

Grandma Feng was working on shoe soles, wanting to make cloth shoes for Tang Yuan and Feng Chen. Mother Tang was learning needlework from her.

Mother Tang used to work like a man at home, always in the fields, and had very few opportunities to do needlework, so her skills were average.

Now that she had a bit more free time, Old Lady Feng taught her.

The old lady felt that she was getting older and worried that in a few years, when Feng Chen and Tang Yuan had children, she might be too old to do needlework. She wanted to teach Mother Tang so she could make clothes for the great-grandchildren.

Mother Tang was naturally happy to learn and do needlework. Even if not for the grandchildren, she could still make clothes for her daughter and son-in-law.

Tang Yuan and Feng Chen first showed the items they brought back to their family.

Tang Yuan took out the money Uncle Feng gave to Grandma Feng and told everyone about how Uncle Feng took them to the canteen for dinner and bought them buns and steamed buns.

Her eloquence and clear voice made the story sound like a song, captivating Grandma Feng and Dad Tang and Mother Tang.

Even though it was just a regular trip to deliver medicine and eat, they listened with rapt attention, wanting Tang Yuan to share more.

Grandma Feng was even happier. In the past, Feng Chen never volunteered to talk about his trips to the city; she had to ask him, and he only answered briefly, leaving her unsatisfied.

Her eldest son was her own flesh and blood, raised with great effort. How could she not miss him?

He worked in the city, married a city wife, and settled there, making it inconvenient to return to the countryside.

To avoid troubling her eldest son's family, she tried to contact him less and didn't send messages when she was sick, asking him to come back.

Now, Tang Yuan provided all the details about Uncle Feng—how many gray hairs he had, whether he had wrinkles, how he smiled, spoke, walked, what his office looked like, and how fast he ate. All these details satisfied Grandma Feng.

She pushed the money back to Tang Yuan. "Your uncle owes your father-in-law; it's right for him to treat you well. You don't need to feel guilty."

Though she missed her son dearly, she disliked how her eldest daughter-in-law treated her grandson. She wanted to prepare Tang Yuan, so she wouldn't be intimidated by her future mother-in-law.

Tang Yuan refused to take the money. Without going to the city, there was only one use for it, so it was better to keep it at home.

She put on the cloth shoes Feng Chen bought and walked around on the bed, showing them off to her parents and Grandma Feng, who praised them, saying they looked beautiful and that Feng Chen had good taste.

Ji Hongyue was speechless; they were just ordinary black cloth shoes, nothing special.

But he had high emotional intelligence and wouldn't spoil the mood, so he naturally praised Feng Chen for being caring.

Dad Tang and Mother Tang loved hearing this.

Tang Yuan's throat was dry from talking, and Feng Chen timely handed her a mug of cold boiled water to soothe her throat.

Tang Yuan drank from his hand, took a couple of sips, looked up at him, grinned mischievously, and whispered, "Are you going to tell?"

Feng Chen's dark eyes widened momentarily, not believing she would betray him.

How embarrassing!

Tang Yuan: "Hehe."

Let's give the big shot some face and not talk about it.

Ji Hongyue sensed that something was going on between these two!

And he didn't even know about it!

It was driving him crazy.

It was getting late, so everyone went back to their rooms to sleep.

Mother Tang and Dad Tang returned to their room, and she was very happy. "Feng Chen is such a good kid; he’s been treating our Yuan Yuan better and better."

She was like a mother-in-law who couldn’t be more satisfied with her son-in-law; he was no less dear to her than her own son.

Her daughter chattered away, and Feng Chen, being very perceptive, offered water at just the right moment. Mother Tang thought Feng Chen was very considerate towards her daughter and was a rare good man.

Dad Tang, on the other hand, saw that Feng Chen could work hard, hunt, and even gather herbs to sell for money, which made him more capable than they were. He was sure Feng Chen could provide a better life for his daughter, so he was quite pleased.

Tang Yuan carried water to the bathroom to take a shower.

This was a small shed built by Dad Tang after his daughter and Feng Chen had gone into the mountains, using stones and mud he had collected. It was specifically for women to bathe in.

Men, on the other hand, could wash up in the toilet or outside the gate, or even go down to the river.

When Tang Yuan went to take a shower, Ji Hongyue pulled Feng Chen aside to ask about the gossip.

But Feng Chen kept his mouth shut, refusing to say anything. The more he refused to speak, the more his attitude suggested that something had happened, making Ji Hongyue even more curious.

Watching the drama without knowing the details was killing him.

Old Lady Feng called Feng Chen to her room to have a word.

Feng Chen went to the western room. "Grandma, what is it?"

Old Lady Feng glanced outside and asked in a low voice, "You haven’t bullied Yuan Yuan, have you?"

In those days, people spoke in a reserved manner. The term "bully" originally referred to someone mistreating another, but in the context of relationships, it implied that a man had intimate relations with a woman, the kind that leads to having children.

Feng Chen: "Of course not."

Old Lady Feng muttered, then why does the girl look so radiant? She glared at her grandson. "Yuan Yuan is still young; you’re older, so you need to be sensible."

Although she desperately wanted her grandson to get married and have great-grandchildren, as an old lady who had experienced early marriage herself, she knew the risks of a young girl having a baby.

She really liked Tang Yuan and didn’t want her to suffer.

Feng Chen assured her repeatedly that nothing had happened, and he wouldn’t bully Tang Yuan unless they were married.

Only then did Old Lady Feng let him go.

She knew how boys behaved and understood that relying on their self-control wasn’t enough; constant reminders were necessary.

Of course, she also sensed that her grandson was different from others. He used to show no interest in matchmaking, but now he treated Tang Yuan so well, indicating he would definitely care for her.

Being old and unsure how many years she had left, she hoped her grandson would find a lifelong companion who would love and cherish each other, rather than living a dull life full of hardship and devoid of joy.

After taking a shower, Tang Yuan came out carrying a lantern. The sky was filled with stars, and a tall figure was waiting for her outside.

She grinned mischievously at Feng Chen, still thinking about the time he was chased for his seed.

She felt this incident would never be forgotten; it always made her laugh when she remembered it.

With a swift movement of his long fingers, Feng Chen extinguished the lantern.

Tang Yuan: "Ah... Mmm..."

The kiss was long and deep, leaving Tang Yuan weak in the knees.

Feng Chen pulled away from her lips, still lingering at the corner of her mouth. This girl had teased him countless times during the day, thinking he wouldn’t dare kiss her.

Tang Yuan was flushed all over and handed him the lantern, then ran into the house wearing the light, soft straw slippers Feng Chen had made for her.

Old Lady Feng: "Yuan Yuan, be careful tonight; don’t bump into anything."

Tang Yuan acknowledged and climbed onto the bed to lie down.

Old Lady Feng resumed her role as a caring elder, fanning Tang Yuan with a palm leaf fan and whispering, "Yuan Yuan, you’re still young; don’t think about having babies too soon."

Tang Yuan’s body, which had started to cool down, suddenly heated up again. Was it too obvious that Grandma had noticed?

She wanted to say it wouldn’t happen but felt too embarrassed, so she simply nestled into Grandma’s arms without a word.

Grandma gave her the same feeling as her grandmother from her past life, making her feel safe and yearning for this embrace.

Old Lady Feng continued to fan her while gently stroking Tang Yuan’s hair.

She had a granddaughter, but her eldest daughter-in-law disliked the countryside and didn’t like bringing her child there, so she rarely got to be close to her granddaughter.

Tang Yuan was both her granddaughter and her future daughter-in-law.

She hoped Tang Yuan and her grandson would have a long-lasting relationship.

After confirming their feelings, Feng Chen remained consistent, while Tang Yuan, harboring a secret, enjoyed teasing Feng Chen during the day, knowing he would be very restrained and wouldn’t do anything.

The result was that every night, Feng Chen would hold her tightly and kiss her until her face was flushed and her heart raced, making it hard for her to fall asleep.

Fortunately, Feng Chen had enough self-control and only kissed her without making any further moves, which both reassured her and emboldened her.

However, after being intimidated by his size, she became more cautious and dared not provoke him recklessly anymore.

These days, they had been busy adding materials to their green manure pit and expanding the earthworm farming.

Dad Tang and Mother Tang quickly got the hang of raising earthworms and were now proficient at it. Since they were used to farm work and familiar with insects, they weren't afraid of earthworms. Besides using them to feed chickens and ducks, they also started boiling them and mixing them with mashed sweet potato vines to feed the pigs.

Chickens and ducks could find their own worms during summer and autumn, so the addition of earthworms wasn't as noticeable. However, the pigs that ate the earthworm-enriched feed showed significant growth.

In just a few days, they gained weight noticeably.

Dad Tang was delighted. "Let's raise more earthworms in several more pits. We can then raise a couple more pigs."

Although his son-in-law could hunt, Dad Tang felt that hunting was hard and dangerous, and if possible, he preferred not to do it.

He was good at farming, but whenever he and his brother went into the mountains to catch wild chickens and rabbits, they never succeeded, making him realize how difficult it was.

Tang Yuan cooled his enthusiasm. "Dad, let's focus on maintaining these three pits first. More than that would be too much to handle."

Dad Tang: "Daughter, should we teach this to the brigade?"

Tang Yuan: "Next year, perhaps. It's almost autumn, and it's harder to raise earthworms when it gets cold. The costs will be higher."

Dad Tang naturally agreed.

Earthworms were truly wonderful creatures; with them, the fertilizer for the self-plot was sufficient.

One day, Feng Chen accompanied Dad Tang to the fields to harvest sweet potatoes from the early spring seedlings. The commune members were running out of food, so they dug up sweet potatoes to distribute among everyone.

Tang Yuan dug up two clumps of sweet potatoes from their self-plot to roast. The yams could grow a bit longer, so there was no rush to dig them up yet.

She was roasting sweet potatoes and sewing shoe soles with Grandma Feng when someone outside shouted, "Third Brother has been poisoned! Go get Zhonghe quickly!"

"Zhonghe is at the commune. Take him straight there!"

"Oh no, it's bad, really bad. Third Brother is foaming at the mouth."

Outside, chaos ensued.

Being "poisoned" meant pesticide poisoning.

At this time, pesticides were precious and kept under the collective's supervision; ordinary members couldn't access them. Those poisoned were likely the ones applying pesticides to cotton plants.

Upon hearing this, Tang Yuan immediately stood up and ran to the wall where she soaked some soap in water, adding half a pot of hot water to make it dissolve faster.

She had previously mentioned that the organic chlorinated insecticides like DDT and BHC used by the brigade were highly toxic and easily led to poisoning. She hoped the brigade would apply to purchase organophosphate pesticides instead.

Pesticides like dichlorvos and parathion, if not ingested intentionally, posed little risk when applied while wearing a mask and paying attention to wind direction.

But DDT and BHC are powders that need to be diluted themselves, and the members' improper handling easily leads to poisoning.

Unfortunately, Tang Bingde's several applications were unsuccessful. Liu Guangming said that there was a significant shortage of pesticides, making approval difficult. Tangjia Village, being an advanced brigade, should give better pesticides to other brigades and not be petty.

Tangjia Village is far from the county town, so sending people there isn't practical. Even reaching the commune takes more than half a day, so poisoning cases are typically handled by barefoot doctors nearby.

Old Lady Feng saw Tang Yuan busy and, though she didn't understand, helped by bringing out a spoon and ladle and then carrying over a soup pot for Tang Yuan to pour the soapy water into.

Carrying it is lighter than holding a basin.

Tang Yuan told Grandma Feng to stay home while she ran off with the soup pot and spoon in hand.

Not only is Zhonghe not here today, but Secretary Liu has also gone to the county for a meeting. Ji Hongyue accompanied Tang Bingde to the commune for the autumn harvest conference.

With the main person in charge absent, the other production team leaders and squad leaders can't handle the situation, leading to chaos when someone gets poisoned.

The third one is already foaming at the mouth, and his wife is crying hysterically.