Chapter 34: The Feast of Doom

Chapter 34: The Feast of Doom

"How is it? Is the patient still alive?"

The old dean was almost the first to jump up, rushing over impatiently to ask.

"Do you really think I’d mess up the surgery and cause a fatality?"

"The surgery was very successful, and the patient's condition is quite stable, but they will need to remain in the sterile ward for observation overnight. If the condition remains stable by tomorrow, the next step will be to prevent post-operative infection. If the recovery goes well, the sutures can be removed in half a month to a month."

The old dean didn’t believe her at all, thinking Ye Qing was just bluffing. He didn’t waste any more words on her, pushed her aside, and changed into surgical clothes to head straight into the operating room.

There was only some finishing work left in the operating room, so Ye Qing didn’t bother with it. As soon as she stepped out, she noticed that, apart from Captain Wu, Tao Qingxiang, and the hospital’s nurses and doctors, Professor Qiao was also sitting in the corridor outside the operating room.

Ye Qing was puzzled. The surgery had lasted several hours. Wasn’t the professor in a hurry to return to Frost City for some errands? Why was he still sitting here?

But Ye Qing couldn’t afford to think about that for now. She had walked back to the village after shopping in town, then butchered a pig and saved a life after returning, and had just completed a three-hour surgery. She had been in a state of high tension the entire time.

Finally able to relax, an overwhelming sense of fatigue washed over her, and her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

No matter how powerful the core of her abilities was, it couldn’t compensate for the fact that her body was inherently weak.

Ye Qing sighed inwardly, sat down, quietly pressed her wrist, injected some ability to relieve the soreness, and rested her eyes against the wall.

It seemed that Captain Wu and Tao Qingxiang were about to press her for details about the surgery when Professor Qiao spoke up.

"Let her rest. After working on an operation table for so long, even a normal person would be overwhelmed. Look how much her hands are shaking; she must be exhausted."

Having finally received the news that the surgery was successful, Professor Qiao didn’t linger at the hospital. As he got up to leave, he suddenly remembered something and said to Ye Qing, who was resting with her eyes closed, "The seeds you wanted, I’ll bring them for you when I return from the provincial city tomorrow."

Ye Qing quickly opened her eyes to look, but Professor Qiao didn’t say more, waved, and left directly.

Ye Qing didn’t see him off. She was too tired and fell asleep sitting in the corridor chair.

By this time, the operating room had been cleaned up, and Li Yunbo was wheeled out of the surgery room. The anesthesia hadn’t worn off yet, and he was still unconscious. The nurse was preparing to move him to the sterile ward.

Tao Qingxiang quickly followed, and Captain Wu was about to go as well, but just as he stood up, the old dean, who had come out with the bed, grabbed his arm.

"Hey, comrade farmer, can I trouble you for a moment? I have a few questions. Which commune are you from? Can you tell me what happened to this patient today? How did he get injured so badly?"

Captain Wu thought the old dean’s questions were part of the hospital’s necessary procedures. Seeing the old dean ask, he quickly stood still and explained everything that had happened in the village when the wild boar attacked, including where Li Yunbo was from, when he had come to the village, and other detailed information.

But slowly, Captain Wu began to sense something was off.

The old dean wasn’t interested in the story about the wild boar or where Li Yunbo was from. He soon shifted the topic to Ye Qing, asking about her age, background, interests, and more, getting more and more excited as if he had discovered some rare treasure.

Captain Wu had been the production team leader in Kao Shan village for many years, not just because of the support of the majority Wu clan in the village but also because he was quick-witted.

At this moment, sensing that the old dean was probing for information about Ye Qing, Captain Wu’s alarm bells went off, and he went into high alert.

Was the old man trying to poach their talented Ye Qing?

Captain Wu’s expression froze, and his previous respect and enthusiasm for the old dean dropped to an all-time low.

Was he kidding? They had finally gotten someone capable in Kao Shan village, and he was counting on Ye Qing to help build and even elevate their health station. The health station wasn’t even established yet, and now someone was trying to poach the station chief he had earmarked? No way.

If they weren’t on the old dean’s territory and if they weren’t relying on the hospital to take good care of Li Yunbo, Captain Wu might have flipped out right there.

The old dean had no idea that his intentions had been seen through. He indeed had plans to recruit this talent. After entering the operating room and hearing the two assisting doctors describe Ye Qing’s performance during the three-hour surgery, he realized he had misjudged her.

This seemingly inconspicuous young girl, who knows what medical family had trained her, had outperformed all their doctors.

Especially her needle technique—if what the doctors said was true, it could reduce intraoperative bleeding and alleviate patient pain. This would be the perfect auxiliary technique for surgeries.

If this technique could be promoted nationwide, it would revolutionize the field. The success rate of surgeries would increase dramatically, and even some challenging surgical problems could be solved. This technique would cause a sensation in the medical community! And if the only person who possessed this skill came from their Jiaotan County People’s Hospital, wouldn’t that mean Jiaotan County could become a nationally renowned medical center?

The thought made the old dean’s heart race, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Two leaders from different industries, different social classes, and different units, both wore false, perfunctory smiles, but each harbored their own schemes, both wanting to secure this talented individual for themselves!

Ye Qing had no idea that Captain Wu and the old dean were secretly at odds, almost ready to fight over her.

She slept for about half an hour before waking up, feeling like she had come back to life.

By this time, Li Yunbo had regained consciousness in the sterile ward. The nurse reported that the patient’s condition was stable, and his emotions were calm, which relieved Ye Qing.

Looking at the time, it was already past 3 PM, and Ye Qing’s stomach was growling with hunger. She hadn’t even thought about eating lunch while she was busy saving lives.

Thinking about lunch reminded her of the wild boars she had hunted earlier.

At this time, the village must have finished butchering the pigs. The thought of making a hot pot of pork stew with fresh offal, adding some sauerkraut and vermicelli—just the thought of it made Ye Qing’s mouth water uncontrollably.

"Captain, we can head back now. If we don’t leave soon, we’ll miss the bus back to town." Ye Qing urged Captain Wu.

Since Li Yunbo’s surgery was done, and there was no reason for them to stay at the hospital any longer, they might as well go back and eat the wild boar meat!

There were only three buses a day from Jiaotan County passing through Qingshan Town: one in the morning, one at noon, and one in the afternoon. The afternoon bus would leave around 4 PM. If they missed it, they would have to stay in the county overnight.

Realizing they couldn’t delay any longer, Captain Wu quickly took out ten yuan and handed it to Tao Qingxiang.

"The production team will cover all hospital expenses for now. We’ll need to discuss how to split the costs after I hold a meeting with the production team cadres when we return."

Ye Qing also reminded him about post-operative care, telling Tao Qingxiang to be more patient and careful with the patient.

Tao Qing was afraid he might forget, so he hurriedly wrote down everything Ye Qing said in his notebook.

By the time Ye Qing and Captain Wu rushed to the county bus station, the bus to Qingshan Town had already left the station. If it weren’t for the captain shouting at the top of his lungs and chasing after the bus, it would have probably gone far away.

The rickety bus swayed all the way and finally brought the two back to the town before it got dark. As soon as they got off the bus, they saw Wu Cong, the second son of Captain Wu, stretching his neck and looking in their direction at the street corner. As soon as he saw them getting off, he waved excitedly and shouted:

"Old Wu, Ye Qing, over here!"

Apparently, since Wu Yongbing and his group had been in the county for so long without returning, the old party secretary had become a little worried. He had sent Wu Cong to the town early to pick them up.

"We’ve finished butchering all five wild boars. The old party secretary even weighed them specially. Guess how much meat we got? Over 1,100 jin!*"

"The old party secretary decided to give Ye Qing a leg. The rest of the pork was distributed among the households by headcount. As for the unwanted offal, large bones, pig heads, and tails, we set up a big pot in the threshing ground and cooked several large pots of pork and sour cabbage vermicelli soup. Every household can have a free meal of the pig-killing dish tonight!"

"When I left, the pig-killing dish was already simmering. If we hurry back, we can make it just in time for the pot to open and eat the meat!"

Wu Cong was so excited as he showed off to his father, more excited than when the production team distributed grain at the end of the year.

At this, not only did Ye Qing’s eyes light up, but Captain Wu’s movements also quickened a bit. Clearly, no one could resist the temptation of the pig-killing dish.

With three people on one bicycle, it was impossible to let a big girl like Ye Qing sit on the front bar. So, Captain Wu had to sit in front. After Wu Cong got on the bike, Ye Qing ran to sit sideways on the back seat, and the bicycle wobbled several times before stabilizing.

The bicycle jolted along the bumpy road, and Ye Qing was anxious the whole way, but they managed to return to the village just before six.

As soon as they returned, Ye Qing could immediately sense that the villagers of Kaoshan Village seemed different.

When Ye Qing had first arrived a few days ago, everyone looked exhausted from the rush harvest, their faces sallow and expressions numb, as if they couldn’t muster any energy.

But now, everyone was bustling with energy, greeting each other enthusiastically on the road, their backs straight and spirits high. It was clear they were much more invigorated.

This wasn’t surprising. The Kaoshan Village production team had over 300 households, and with more than 1,000 jin of wild boar meat distributed, each household got about three jin. It wasn’t a festival or holiday, so getting to eat so much meat was like a New Year celebration for every family. Ye Qing felt her own excitement rising as she thought about the pork and offal she had received, and her pace quickened without her realizing it.

But just before she reached the end of the village, some villagers spotted her, and soon a group of women enthusiastically surrounded her, chatting away and asking increasingly absurd questions, leaving Ye Qing so startled that she practically fled.

"Young Ye Qing, do you have someone you like in the city? If not, would you consider dating someone from our village?"

"What are your parents’ requirements for your future partner?"

"Young Ye Qing, what kind of family do you want to marry into? Do you have any strict requirements for dowry or work?"

"Young Ye Qing, would you consider my son? Our family has three generations of poor peasant roots, and my son is healthy and good-looking. Would you like to meet him?"

"Young Ye Qing, my nephew from my mother’s side is also a great catch. He’s hardworking and capable, good at both household and farm work..."

Oh my god, Ye Qing was speechless. What was happening? These women had gone crazy, all trying to introduce her to someone as if she were a piece of precious meat they wanted to take home and devour.

Luckily, Ye Qing was small and agile, and she quickly found a gap to slip out of the circle. She ran away before anyone could react.

After finally escaping back to Murong Ah Po’s yard, Ye Qing wiped the sweat from her forehead and patted her chest to calm down.

Who would have thought these village women would be so crazy, all trying to play matchmaker? It was as if they saw her as some treasure they wanted to snatch up.

Ye Qing was exasperated. Were these women mistaken? She was still a sixteen-year-old girl. What was this talk of dating and marriage?

Just as she turned around, she made eye contact with Aunt Gu, who was standing under the eaves.

Seeing Ye Qing return, Aunt Gu quickly walked up to her.

"Ye Qing, my Weidong—"

"Stop!"

At the familiar opening, Ye Qing immediately panicked, thinking Aunt Gu was about to promote her son as well. She quickly interrupted her.

"Don’t say anymore. I’m not interested in dating, and I have no plans to marry and have children in Kaoshan Village for now. Please stop!"

Aunt Gu was confused.

"Ah? What dating? I wanted to ask if it’s true that pig bone soup helps with calcium supplementation."

"My husband went to the commune this afternoon to take a call from the military. It seems that my Weidong was injured on a mission and might need to come back to the village to recover for a while."

"My husband asked the doctor at the health station in the commune, and they said that if you injure your bones, you need to supplement calcium. So, I came to ask you if bone soup could help with that. If so, there are several large bones left from the wild boars today that no one wanted. I’ll go buy them."

Ye Qing realized she had misunderstood. Aunt Gu wasn’t there to introduce her son.

Her face turned red with embarrassment, and she felt like she could dig a two-bedroom apartment out of the ground from awkwardness.

But Aunt Gu’s words had also brought an important piece of information to her attention.

Her son was really injured on a mission?

That explained why Wu Yingying had pressed Political Commissar Hao for information at the Wu family’s house.

So, it seemed Wu Yingying, either reborn or having traveled back in time, already knew that Gu Weidong would get injured on this mission and had been so anxious to call off the engagement.

But that didn’t make sense. If it was just a bone injury, it should heal with rest. It wouldn’t be reason enough to call off an engagement, would it? Was there something else going on?

This thought flashed through Ye Qing’s mind, but seeing Aunt Gu waiting for an answer, she quickly replied:

"Auntie, pig bone soup does have nutritional value. It can strengthen the spleen and improve qi deficiency, but if you’re hoping to supplement calcium with it, that’s not very realistic. It can help, but the effect is minimal."

"If you really want to help your son supplement calcium, I suggest trying to get milk or goat milk. If that’s not possible, you could use beans, nuts, fish, and shrimp. The calcium content in these is much higher than in pig bone soup, especially the shrimp, crabs, clams, and snails from the river."

Hearing this, Aunt Gu smiled.

"Then I’ll go buy those pig bones. As for those beans, nuts, fish, and shrimp you mentioned, they’re easy to get. We grow yellow and black beans in our private plot, and we can pick nuts in the mountains. My husband can go fishing with Da Zhi tomorrow to catch some shrimp, clams, and snails!"

Aunt Gu hurriedly headed towards the threshing ground, afraid that the big bones would be taken by someone else.

As soon as Ye Qing entered the house, she saw the large pig trotter, pig offal, pig face meat, and pork bones that the old party secretary had promised to give her. Ye Qing picked up the large pig trotter and weighed it in her hands, nodding in approval.

The old party secretary was quite reliable. Everything he promised was there, and just this leg of wild boar probably weighed twenty to thirty jin. It would be enough to last her and the old lady a long time.

She grinned and shouted to Murong Ah Po in the house, "Grandma Murong, let's go! I'll take you to the threshing ground to eat the pork feast!"

When the scorekeeper in the village delivered the pork, the old lady had already known about Ye Qing killing the wild boar. Now, hearing that there was a pork feast, a smile immediately blossomed on her face.

That day, the old party secretary decided to let everyone finish work early, and the entire village gathered at the threshing ground for the feast.

Kaoshan Village, at the foot of Changbai Mountain, didn’t completely lack meat, but organized hunting by the strong men of the village only happened in late autumn when the animals had fattened up for winter. This meant that before the end of the busy farming season, it was difficult for each household to get a taste of meat.

However, the physical exhaustion from farm work was immense, and without some fat in their stomachs, how could they find the strength to work? Thus, everyone had been toughing it out during this difficult period.

Now, with a feast of fatty meat and each household receiving a few jin of meat, the entire village was enveloped in a joyful atmosphere.

As Ye Qing led Murong Ah Po to the threshing ground, she saw eight temporary stoves. The firewood underneath was burning intensely, and the eight large iron pots were bubbling away, filled with pork stew. The aroma of the pork dish filled the air, causing the commune members on the threshing ground to swallow involuntarily.

The eight large pots were filled to the brim with all kinds of ingredients. Northeastern stew was like that; apart from the pig offal, pig face meat, and large bones, there were also vermicelli, sauerkraut, dried beans, potatoes, and mushrooms. Each household brought out their stored dried goods.

To divert attention, the commune members also lit a bonfire on the threshing ground, gathering around it. The women and young wives were not shy and would occasionally sing songs, perform a yangko dance, or do a two-person turn. The scene was exceptionally lively, with the children's cheers almost piercing the sky.

As soon as Ye Qing appeared, villagers eagerly surrounded her. Ye Qing tensed up, thinking they were going to introduce her to a match again, but the next moment, a group of women lifted her up, cheering and tossing her into the air.

The men and children on the outskirts joined in the excitement. Ye Qing, caught off guard, flew up and down, feeling dizzy, but seeing the radiant smiles on everyone's faces, she couldn't help but be infected by their joy.

The villagers' happiness was so genuine that Ye Qing momentarily felt that the physical and mental torment she had endured in the previous life was healed at that moment.

People of this era were so easily satisfied. Just a meal with meat could bring them such happiness, reflecting the true voice of the people and the reality of their lives.

When Ye Qing first arrived in this world, she only thought about how to survive and live her own life. But now, she began to waver. Perhaps her self-centered thoughts were wrong. With the supernatural gift she received and having come to this era, she couldn't just think about her own survival. If she did, she might waste her abilities and miss the true opportunity of this transmigration.

How could she utilize her abilities to lead the farmers to a life where they could eat meat every month? Perhaps this was the true purpose of her journey through time and space.

While Ye Qing was harmoniously blending with the villagers of Kaoshan Village, a group of educated youths stood on the outskirts, watching this joy that didn’t belong to them with complex expressions.

These city kids, though happy to have meat for dinner, couldn’t understand why the villagers were so excited. They had always felt out of place in this village, lingering on the outside.

Now, seeing Ye Qing quickly fitting in with the villagers, they felt a mix of emotions—envy and disdain, admiration and confusion, reverence and fear. Their feelings towards Ye Qing were complicated.

As for Yin Shuang and Li Juan, who came to the countryside with Ye Qing, their feelings were even more intense.

At this moment, both of them had only one thought—regret.

If they had known that Ye Qing was a powerhouse who could do farm work, treat illnesses, and even fight wild boars, they would have clung to her before coming to the countryside!

With such powerful abilities, it was obvious that Ye Qing would thrive in the countryside. If they had established a good relationship with her before, they could be enjoying the benefits now!

But there was no "if" in the world. People might be jealous of someone with a little strength, but if the person was overwhelmingly powerful, there would be fewer envious people around them.

Now, realizing the huge gap between them and Ye Qing, both Yin Shuang and Li Juan had completely changed their attitudes. Unless their interests were directly challenged, neither of them wanted to confront Ye Qing again, knowing that whether in intellectual or physical battles, they would never be her match.

So, Li Juan inconspicuously glanced at Yin Shuang, who was standing not far away. Her eyes were inscrutable, hiding nothing but malice and calculation.

Compared to the undercurrents between these fake sisters, another person's reaction was much more pragmatic.

That person was Wu Yueying.

Wu Yueying had never expected that this supposed "time traveler," Ye Qing, whom she had previously seen as a rival, a weak and short city girl sent to the countryside, always smiling and seemingly kind, could be so brutal and ruthless. She had taken down a wild boar as if it were easier than killing a chicken. Was this not utterly insane?

At this point, Wu Yueying no longer cared where Ye Qing was from or whether she was truly a time traveler.

With such ability, this was a powerful potential partner. If she could bring this girl into her entrepreneurial camp, with such capability, would she still need to worry about securing startup funds?

While the policies were not yet relaxed, they could secretly go into the mountains to hunt for a few years, then sell the meat at high prices on the black market. After saving up startup funds for seven or eight years, when the winds of reform reached the Great Northern Wilderness, she could head south with the funds and grab land and make money like crazy.

The more Wu Yueying thought about it, the more she believed this was the best path to wealth and success since her rebirth. Therefore, her gaze towards Ye Qing was filled with determination, never considering that Ye Qing might refuse her alliance.

After laughing and chatting with the people in the village, Ye Qing was finally let go.

A group of older educated youths had finally found the opportunity to gather around Ye Qing and inquire about Li Yunbo.

Ye Qing explained that Li Yunbo had successfully undergone surgery and was now in a sterile ward for observation. Logically, these people should be happy for Li Yunbo's narrow escape from death, but for some reason, Ye Qing sensed an odd atmosphere among the older youths.

Instinctively, she looked towards Meng Jia in the crowd.

Among this group of educated youths, she only knew Meng Jia, and if there was a problem, she could only ask Meng Jia for information.

Meng Jia noticed Ye Qing's gaze and subtly pressed her lips together, secretly giving Ye Qing a signal.

Before long, the two found an opportunity when no one was paying attention and quietly met in a corner of the drying field.

"What's going on?" Ye Qing asked as soon as they met.

Meng Jia's expression was dark, with flickers of anger, fear, and unease crossing her face. It took her a while to compose herself before she spoke.

"When those wild boars rushed down the mountain today, I was working in the fields with the other youths. By the time the boars charged at us, we realized the danger and were about to run."

"The boar was originally targeting Jian Ming. I was standing not far from him. Jian Ming wanted to use me as a shield and was about to grab me."

"But you had previously warned me to watch out for those who performed well in last year's public exams. So, I had been on guard and never let my guard down around Jian Ming. When I saw him rushing towards me, I knew what he was trying to do, so I dodged him immediately."

Jian Ming couldn't hold me back, so he just pushed Li Yunbo, who was next to him, out. Originally, Li Yunbo could have escaped, but it was Jian Ming who ruined it for him!

Hearing this, Ye Qing couldn't help but gasp.

She never expected that the truth behind Li Yunbo's injury was actually a betrayal by his companion.

Was Jian Ming really that despicable?

"Then why didn't you go report it to the Captain?"

Such a big incident, and these educated youths actually kept it hidden. Were they stupid?

Meng Jia shook her head, "Jian Ming is not a simple character. He has a good reputation among the older educated youths, and quite a few of them are quite close to him. After the incident, he explained that he had panicked and accidentally pulled Li Yunbo, who then lost his balance and was thrown out. He said it wasn't intentional, and the older educated youths believed him, saying it wasn't his fault."

"We older educated youths are not as liked by the villagers as you are. The Captain is also the most impatient when dealing with our issues. If the incident between Li Yunbo and Jian Ming had been exposed, the Captain would have been very angry, and his impression of us older educated youths would have gotten even worse."

"More importantly, if this issue hadn't been mentioned, Li Yunbo's injury would have been considered an accidental work injury. Even if the village didn't like the older educated youths, the cost of Li Yunbo's surgical treatment in the hospital would still have to be borne by the production team, commune, or the educated youth office."

"But if the Captain had found out that there was internal strife among the educated youths, the villagers might not have recognized Li Yunbo's injury as a work injury. The production team might even shirk the treatment costs, making the situation more complicated."

After listening to this analysis, Ye Qing also felt that Meng Jia's points were reasonable.

These days, every household had it tough. If the production team had to pay for the treatment, there would be less money to distribute at the end of the year, and who would be happy about that?

If this issue had been exposed, the villagers would definitely argue, which would make the relationship between the villagers and the older educated youths even more strained, potentially leading to open hostility and a clear division.

Frowning, Ye Qing decided not to say anything more. No wonder the atmosphere among the older educated youths felt so strange. On the surface, it seemed to have been resolved peacefully, but they weren't stupid. They probably had other thoughts in their hearts.

But on the surface, the issue seemed to have been resolved peacefully. However, had anyone asked the parties involved for their opinions? Ye Qing guessed that once Li Yunbo recovered and returned, there would likely be more conflict between him and Jian Ming.

However, that conflict had little to do with Ye Qing. She was actually quite curious about who this Jian Ming was. He sounded like someone with deep schemes.

She felt that she needed to pay attention and identify Jian Ming, so if she ever had to deal with him in the future, she could keep her distance to avoid being manipulated without realizing it.

After understanding what had happened, Ye Qing was about to return to find Murong Ah Po, as it was almost time for dinner, and she was quite eager for it.

However, just then, Meng Jia suddenly grabbed her:

"Wait a moment."

"Are you from the same hometown as Yin Shuang, the new female educated youth? How is your relationship with her?"

Ye Qing was stunned, "We're from the same place, but we're not familiar. What about her?"

Hearing that they weren't familiar, Meng Jia finally relaxed.

She couldn't help but advise, "That's fine then. You should be careful. This female educated youth seems a bit off. This morning, she said she had a stomachache and was on her period, so she couldn't go to work and took a leave from the team to rest at home."

"But later, when I returned to the village after Li Yunbo's incident, I saw her sneaking down from the mountain, carrying a basket, hiding something inside. She hurriedly ran towards the village's end."

"You live at the village's end, right? I'm not sure if this is related to you, but I thought I should remind you just in case."

Recalling how this so-called "jinxed heroine" had provoked and targeted her on the train, Ye Qing's expression turned sour.

Thinking that Yin Shuang might be up to something again, Ye Qing nodded and thanked Meng Jia.

At that moment, the Captain and the old party secretary finally arrived at the threshing ground.

After checking the eight large iron pots to confirm that the pork stew inside was fully cooked and flavorful, the Captain waved his hand and announced that it was time to eat.

Everyone rushed with their bowls and chopsticks, lining up under the cadres' calls.

The portions from the eight large pots were substantial. Each person's bowl received a large scoop of pork stew and soup, paired with their own dry rations, rice, or steamed buns. The entire village spread out across the threshing ground, gathering in groups of three or five, casually sitting or standing on the ground, happily starting to eat.

Some of the more thoughtful ones planned to finish quickly and request another bowl of the rich broth from the bottom of the pot to take home for noodles or cooking the next day.

However, Ye Qing and Murong Ah Po couldn't eat like this. Just as Ye Qing was about to line up with Murong Ah Po, the Captain called her over.

They were then led to the tool shed.

The tool shed had been prepared, with the table usually used for recording work points moved outside, surrounded by four long benches. Bowls and chopsticks were placed on them, and the Captain, along with several cadres and the chefs who made the pork stew that day, gathered at this table, obviously preparing to dine separately.

As soon as Ye Qing and Murong Ah Po arrived, they were guided to the seats of honor.

"Aunt Zou, Comrade Xiao Ye, come, sit here!"

"Before we eat this meal of pork stew, we must first toast our great contributor!"

The Captain was in a good mood when he saw Ye Qing, moving a stool for her and even serving her rice, going as far as trying to pour her some liquor.

Ye Qing quickly moved the liquor cup away, explaining that she couldn't drink, and poured herself a glass of plain water instead.

She was still in her adolescence, and drinking wasn't good for bone growth. To shed the label of "shorty" in others' eyes, she needed to grow tall, so she couldn't touch alcohol for now.

Seeing that Ye Qing wouldn't drink, the Captain didn't insist, but he and the other production team cadres all stood up to toast Ye Qing.

Ye Qing felt extremely awkward and hurriedly stood up, awkwardly substituting water for alcohol, but she was terrible at such social interactions. After finishing the water, she sat stiffly, not knowing what to say.

But the Captain, once he started drinking, was like an unlocked talkative box, his words flowing non-stop, almost uncontrollably.

His eyes bright, he recounted everything that had happened after they went to the county hospital today, almost exaggerating Ye Qing's abilities to a mythical level. He finally added that the county hospital's director had even considered poaching her, but no matter what the old director thought, he saw through it all!

Then, the old uncle raised his cup to Ye Qing again, smiling as he asked,

"Ye Qing, since you now call me Uncle Wu, I have to share some heartfelt words with you. The application for the health station has already been submitted today. About our previous agreement, you won't go back on your word, right?"

"As you can see, our village is in this situation. The health station can't be established without your capability. So, I'm giving you a heads-up. Once you enter my village, I won't let you leave easily, no matter who comes, be it a hospital director or a county magistrate!"

What more did Ye Qing need to understand? This old fox had gone to such great lengths, inviting her to sit at the honorary seat and having so many production team cadres toast her. It wasn't to celebrate her as a hero. He was afraid she would abandon the village and leave, so he had set up this "feast with hidden intentions" to corner her, right?

She just wanted to enjoy a meal of pork dishes, was that too much to ask?

Knowing that the demonstration she gave at the hospital today might have made the Captain uneasy, Ye Qing hastened to reassure him:

"Uncle, put your heart back in your chest. Since I've come to Kaoshan Tun, I'm a member of this village. As long as the villagers don't dislike me, I'm not going anywhere. I'll settle down right here in Kaoshan Tun and I'm determined to be the head of the village health station!"

This was exactly what Wu Yongbing wanted to hear. If technology were more advanced, with things like mobile phones and voice recorders, Wu Yongbing would have recorded Ye Qing's words as evidence!

In any case, with Ye Qing's assurance, Wu Yongbing felt at ease. Imagining that soon they would have a medical station exclusively for their own village, Wu Yongbing felt a sense of anticipation, and the more he thought about it, the happier he became, so much so that he happily downed another cup of wine.

But before he could even swallow the drink, a sharp female voice suddenly came from outside:

"Captain, I need to report something! Yin Shuang stole a wild boar from the mountains and hid it in the abandoned hut at the end of the village!"