Chapter 50: You’re Really Quite Nice, Huh

Chapter 50: You're Really Quite Nice, Huh

The Gu family's iron pot stewed goose feast ended up not happening.

It was around six or seven in the evening, just as they were about to sit down for dinner, when a military truck from the neighboring army farm drove into the village again.

Both Zhao Jinliang and Qiao Youqing had come in person. As soon as they saw Ye Qing, their expressions turned solemn.

"You said before that the folk remedy pouch, your village still has a spare? Where is it?"

Ye Qing was puzzled but quickly responded, "It's kept at Captain Wu's house. Is something the matter?"

Zhao Jinliang nodded and succinctly explained, "The commune secretary sent the herbal pouch to the county for testing. The technician at the testing lab made a mistake and contaminated the sample, so the results were inconclusive. We have to start over."

"How does a proper technician make such a mistake?" Ye Qing couldn't shake a sudden sense of unease. Looking up, she asked nervously, "Is it—"

Zhao Jinliang nodded. "The individual has been detained. The intelligence agency will take charge of the investigation soon. Once they conduct a thorough investigation, even the best-hidden secrets will be exposed!"

The fact that they had even infiltrated the county's testing department showed just how messy and serious this whole thing was. The bad premonition in Ye Qing's heart grew stronger, and she felt that her previous bold guess might actually become a reality.

Obviously, Zhao Jinliang and Qiao Youqing were thinking the same thing. That's why they had come to Kaoshan Village—to pick up the backup pouch and to take Ye Qing to the county for an emergency meeting.

"Professor Qiao will take the pouch back to the provincial agricultural research center for testing. Ye Qing, pack up and come with me to the county for an emergency meeting!" Zhao Jinliang instructed Ye Qing.

Ye Qing was stunned and pointed at herself in disbelief. "Me?"

Zhao Jinliang nodded. "Yes, the person sent by the Yangcheng Military District has already arrived in the county. This matter involves too many parties; the county government office, public security bureau, agricultural bureau, revolutionary committee, and the intelligence agency will all be mobilized. Since you were the first to identify the problem and raise the concern, you need to give a report and participate in discussing the emergency response plan."

Still somewhat confused, Ye Qing was hustled into the army truck by Zhao Jinliang.

The three then went to Captain Wu's house to pick up the backup pouch, and the military truck sped away under the curious gazes of the Wu family.

Upon arriving at the county government office, Ye Qing could immediately sense the gravity of the atmosphere as soon as she got out of the vehicle with Zhao Jinliang.

Several soldiers in green military uniforms were standing at the entrance, armed and ready. The meeting participants were already seated, each with a grim expression on their face. It was clear that this sudden situation had caught all the county leaders off guard.

Before entering the meeting room, Ye Qing was not only searched but also questioned extensively, as if they were digging into her family history for generations.

This meticulous caution made Ye Qing involuntarily tense up.

"Don't be afraid. Just report what you know. If the sky falls, there are taller people to hold it up. You did well in this matter. If it weren't for you raising the alarm early, this issue might have quietly escalated to an irreversible point!" Zhao Jinliang reassured her, patting her shoulder to calm her down.

Fortunately, Ye Qing quickly regained her composure, especially since several of the leaders attending the meeting had been part of the team that visited Kaoshan Village before. Seeing those familiar faces made Ye Qing feel less intimidated.

Once everyone had arrived, the meeting began. The meeting was chaired by an old Chief who had been dispatched by the military district. Without much preamble, the chief immediately asked Ye Qing, the person involved, to recount the details of the incident.

Zhao Jinliang had been a bit worried that Ye Qing, not having experienced such a situation before, might freeze up during this critical moment.

But to his surprise, he had underestimated the young Ye Qing's resilience. Facing dozens of senior and middle-aged leaders at the meeting, Ye Qing clearly and fluently gave a concise recap of the entire process, allowing everyone in the room to understand what had happened.

The old chief, with his quick mind, promptly summarized after hearing Ye Qing's account:

"Broadly speaking, this is without a doubt an act of terrorism carried out by extremists. Although it may seem on the surface that their target is livestock, in reality, the ultimate victims are still the people."

"Therefore, we must act quickly, before we cause unnecessary panic among the public, and get to the bottom of this. Let’s start by dividing up the work and splitting into two groups."

"On one hand, we need to ferret out all the planners and executors of this entire conspiracy, leaving no stone unturned and ensuring no fish slips through the net. This task is to be handled by comrades from the intelligence agency, public security bureau, and the revolutionary committee. You need to come up with a plan for coordination and execution as soon as possible."

"On the other hand, we need to confirm exactly how many production teams in our county have working oxen contaminated by these toxins of unknown origin! We need to do this using the most efficient methods within the shortest possible time."

At this moment, the old chief looked over at Ye Qing:

"Comrade Ye, you were the first and so far the only person to handle the affected cows. Based on your experience, is there a special method that would allow ordinary people to quickly determine if a cow has consumed opium and been contaminated by drugs?"

This question really stumped Ye Qing.

She could list seven or eight methods based on the principles for detecting morphine, but almost all of them required the use of reagents and instruments.

"Apart from some behavioral abnormalities, there are no particularly obvious features that can be distinguished with the naked eye after animals consume opium. However, with the use of reagents, a quick analysis can be performed using color reactions."

"Opium components are difficult to completely metabolize in animals in a short period of time, so once consumed, substances like opium and morphine will be present in their urine. These substances will change color when they encounter sulfuric acid or formaldehyde, displaying colors such as purple, blue-purple, or red-purple."

After thinking it over, Ye Qing proposed a relatively simple and efficient method.

The old chief immediately looked at the county government office: "I'm not familiar with the chemical aspect. Can our county manage to obtain the two reagents Comrade Ye mentioned?"

The county government leader also didn’t know much about it, but this was an urgent situation. Since a solution had been provided, he couldn’t say no, so he quickly responded:

"There are no relevant chemical factories in Jiaotan County, but there are some in Wusong City. I'll contact the province immediately to see if we can request a batch of the reagents Comrade Ye mentioned."

The leader hurried out to make the call. About twenty minutes later, he returned in a hurry:

"The Wusong City chemical factory said they could spare a small amount of sulfuric acid and formaldehyde reagents, and they'll be delivered overnight tonight."

Ye Qing added an emphasis: "Sulfuric acid is highly corrosive, and formaldehyde is highly toxic. Ordinary people should not handle them casually. It's best to have professionals provide guidance before operation. Remember to wear masks and gloves!"

The county had personnel with the necessary expertise. Once the reagents arrived, a quick training session for the officers heading to the countryside for tallying would suffice.

Ye Qing's role was mostly limited to this. She didn’t attend the rest of the meeting because halfway through, there was a call from Qingshan Farm. It was reported that Gu Weidong, who had gone to Mashipo, not only found several acres of opium fields deep in the mountains but also uncovered several suspicious individuals hiding in the production team.

This news caused quite a stir among the leaders investigating the case.

Zhao Jinliang then led a group towards the military farm, and Ye Qing hitched a ride back to the village.

Upon arriving in Qingshan Town, Zhao Jinliang first took the main group to the farm and then had Zhu Zhigang escort Ye Qing back to Kaoshan Village.

When Ye Qing arrived at the farm, she heard that Gu Weidong was injured. When she reached the medical station, sure enough, she found him wincing in pain on a rest chair, waiting for the doctor to stitch him up.

In just a few hours, his shoulders and back had received two deep cuts that were visible to the bone. The gory wounds were enough to make anyone gasp in shock.

Ye Qing was speechless. She knew Gu Weidong was a daredevil who would stop at nothing. Otherwise, at his age, he wouldn’t have accumulated so many old injuries. That’s why she had specifically advised him to be careful and not to overexert himself before they set out.

But clearly, he hadn’t taken her advice to heart. Even with such severe leg injuries, he still charged forward like a madman during the mission.

Probably not expecting Ye Qing to show up, he was stunned for a moment, then quickly retracted his wincing expression and returned to his usual cold and aloof demeanor.

Ye Qing pouted and called out the guy's hypocrisy:

"Who do you think you're trying to impress with that cold act? Cut the act! I saw it all!"

Gu Weidong froze and subconsciously rubbed his nose, embarrassed.

Looking at the nasty wound, Ye Qing sighed and took out her acupuncture kit. As she inserted needles around the wound, she grumbled with annoyance:

"You're really something, I'll give you that. Do you really think the heavens are protecting you, so you can throw your life away like this?"

"You're burning through your lives like there's no tomorrow!"

The message hit home, and Gu Weidong looked up sharply, his eyes intense.

Ye Qing didn't flinch as Gu Weidong looked her over. If they were playing with open cards, there was no need to hide anything. She continued to chatter:

"We had planned to give you a medicinal bath and acupuncture in a few days, but with wounds like this, you're not going near water for at least a week. So the plan's on hold. Just wait, Aunt Cuilan's going to be a wreck when she sees you."

With that, Ye Qing went inside to find someone for the surgical tools, preparing to stitch the wound herself.

It looked like there had been a fight at Mashipo. Some of the guys who came back were injured, a few even shot by hunting rifles. The medical station was short-staffed, and nobody had gotten around to helping Gu Weidong with his wound.

Now that Ye Qing offered to help and even mentioned Zhao Jinliang's name, the nurse, still doubtful, handed over the tools Ye Qing asked for.

With the nurse watching closely, Ye Qing worked quickly and deftly, stitching up Gu Weidong's wounds in no time.

Thanks to the acupuncture, Gu Weidong barely felt a thing during the stitching.

Once the nurse saw Ye Qing had done a solid job with the stitches, she finally relaxed. Afterward, Ye Qing got roped into helping out at the medical station, patching up a few of the other lightly wounded soldiers.

With no other choice, Ye Qing played the volunteer again, and by the time she finished, it was almost 11 PM.

When she went outside, Gu Weidong was standing at the door. Seeing Ye Qing come out, he took two eggs from his coat and offered them to her.

Ye Qing didn't hesitate. She hadn't eaten a proper meal all day and had missed the iron pot stewed goose dinner. After attending a meeting in the county, she had rushed back without a moment's rest and was starving.

The boiled eggs were a bit too dry, and she wolfed them down so quickly that she choked. Just as she was looking for water, a military green water bottle was handed to her.

In the harsh survival environment of the apocalyptic world, it was common for a bottle of water to be shared among several people, so Ye Qing directly took Gu Weidong's bottle and drank several gulps of water.

Finally managing to swallow the dry egg yolk, Ye Qing looked at Gu Weidong:

"Are you done with your work? Can you go back?"

Gu Weidong glanced at his water bottle and shook his head:

"I can't leave just yet. The people we caught haven't fully confessed. I need to follow up on that, so I might not be able to return to the village for the next couple of days."

Ye Qing didn't ask who they had caught. The situation was too complicated, and it was better for her, an ordinary person, to know as little as possible.

"Alright, I'll head back first. You need to take care of your leg. Don't really treat your life like it's worthless. Your body is the foundation of revolution. No matter how great your ambitions are, without a healthy body, all your efforts will be in vain!"

With that, Ye Qing started walking away, planning to find Zhu Jin Gang to take her back to Kaoshan Village.

But after just a few steps, the man behind her suddenly caught up and called her to stop.

"Wait!"

Ye Qing turned her head back and looked at Gu Weidong in confusion.

Gu Weidong looked at Ye Qing with bright and enthusiastic eyes.

"I know how to sing 'Asian Heroic Wind.' If you don’t, I can teach you!"

Ye Qing was startled and couldn’t help but smile wryly.

"I’m really grateful. You’re too kind, but no need. 'Asian Heroic Wind' is kinda old-fashioned. I think 'Jicheng Welcomes You' sounds much better!"

Gu Weidong was momentarily confused.

Seeing his expression, Ye Qing couldn’t help laughing, knowing that he didn’t understand these jokes at all.

"I’m not joking around anymore. I really need to head out now. Neither of us has gone back, and we haven’t told anyone. I don’t know just how worried Murong Ah Po and your parents must be."

Gu Weidong had wanted to figure out Ye Qing’s real age and background, but seeing how tired she was and considering the situation, it wasn’t the right time to delve into this topic further, so he didn’t press the matter.

By the time Ye Qing made it back to Kaoshan Village, it was already well past midnight. The village was silent, but lights were still on at the Gu family’s and Murong Ah Po’s houses at the far end of the village.

As soon as Ye Qing got out of the vehicle, she saw Uncle Zhenxing and Auntie Gu waiting worriedly at the courtyard entrance.

"Ye Qing, are you the only one back? Where’s our Weidong? Has something happened to him?" Auntie Gu asked hurriedly.

Ye Qing waved Zhu Jin Gang off, watching as the military truck drove out of the village before leading Uncle Zhenxing and Auntie Gu into the house.

To her surprise, besides Murong Ah Po, the three Gu siblings, including Yang Dazhi, were all there.

It was obvious that the family was worried sick about Gu Weidong.

To avoid causing them more worry, Ye Qing didn’t dare to mention that Gu Weidong had been injured again during a mission. She only glossed over the details.

"Uncle Zhenxing, Auntie, I lied to you earlier. In the afternoon, Gu Weidong and I went to the farm, but he was temporarily reassigned by Field Leader Zhao to handle a case."

"But don’t worry, I’ve numbed his leg, so he should be fine. He’s back now and is still doing a handover at the military farm."

"This case is a bit hush-hush, and due to confidentiality, I can’t tell you too much, but I can set your minds at ease. Gu Weidong has done a great service this time. I estimate that after this case is resolved, he should be able to officially become a full-time officer from his current deputy position!"

At these words, the Gu family members looked at each other in surprise.

Ye Qing wasn’t just making this up.

This was a major case. Gu Weidong not only found a large opium poppy field in Mashipo but also captured key suspects. He had definitely performed a great service. After the case was fully investigated, relevant personnel would be rewarded. Gu Weidong would at least receive a third-class merit.

Ye Qing’s news had the Gu family buzzing with excitement.

Especially Auntie Gu, who hadn’t forgotten how, earlier that day, Wu Yueying had insulted her son by calling him a cripple and belittling him.

Auntie Gu was furious and silently noted this humiliation, waiting for the chance to get even.

She hadn’t expected the opportunity to come so soon. She couldn’t wait to see the moment when Wu Yueying, that arrogant and ungrateful person, would regret her actions when her son was commended and promoted!

With Ye Qing’s reassurance, the Gu family’s worries were finally put to rest, and they all went home to sleep.

When Ye Qing went to the kitchen to boil some water for a bath, she found a large pot of hot water already boiling, with a bowl of rice and a large bowl of goose meat warming beside it. It was clear that Auntie Gu had specially set it aside after making the iron pot stew earlier.

At this time, food was limited in every household, and the geese they raised weren’t as large as in later generations. The Gu family’s goose, after being slaughtered, probably weighed only three to four jin at most.

Ye Qing had seen Auntie Gu cooking the goose in the evening. There really wasn’t much meat, so Auntie Gu had thrown in plenty of dried beans, wild mushrooms, vermicelli, and cabbage, turning it into a large iron pot stew.

But when Ye Qing looked at the meal that had been specially set aside for her, she found there weren’t any side dishes at all. It was all goose meat, and mostly the meatier, less bony parts, clearly chosen with special care for her.

Ye Qing felt a bittersweet sensation in her heart. Such attention to detail made her feel warm and touched. Even though she was very tired, she still finished every last bit of the rice and goose meat.

After taking a bath and lying on the newly prepared heated brick bed, covered with the new quilt Aunt Gu had made for her, Ye Qing couldn’t help but let out a contented sigh. She comfortably burrowed into the warm quilt and slept until dawn.

The next morning, when Ye Qing went to work, the news about Wu Yueying hooking up with Jian Ming had already spread like wildfire throughout the village. Even Meng Jia, who wasn’t usually into gossip, ran to the Duck River to ask Ye Qing about it.

"I heard that Jian Ming is going to marry into Captain Wu's family. Is this for real?"

Ye Qing laughed. "Where did you hear that? It’s true that Wu Yueying announced in front of many people yesterday that she wanted to marry Jian Ming, but that’s totally different, okay? How did this get more and more exaggerated?"

Meng Jia didn’t see it that way. "He might very well take this path. You might not know this, but I heard from some older rusticated youths that Jian Ming’s family background is a bit problematic. His grandfather’s family were apparently large landowners. His father sent him away to be raised elsewhere, which allowed him to narrowly avoid being implicated. He signed up to go to the countryside to avoid further investigation."

"He’s eager to change his class status. If marrying into Captain Wu's family would get him a recommendation for the worker-peasant-soldier university, he wouldn’t hesitate for a second."

Ye Qing froze in surprise. So much had been happening recently that, if Meng Jia hadn’t mentioned it, she would have almost forgotten about the worker-peasant-soldier university matter.

The key point was that during the opium powder case, Kaoshan Village was the first production team to discover the issue. They not only reported it first but also secretly kept samples, contributing significantly.

With Captain Wu’s cunning mind and his boldness in confronting Lai Guochang, once the case was solved, he would definitely go to the commune to demand benefits. If the commune couldn’t provide substantial compensation, they might really give the worker-peasant-soldier university recommendation quota to Kaoshan Village.

If this quota fell into the hands of Kaoshan Village, wouldn’t Jian Ming be tempted? He had already schemed against Meng Jia’s innocence and life for the chance to get that quota. This kind of person wasn’t just ruthless towards others but also willing to sacrifice himself. Sacrificing his marriage to change his fate was exactly the kind of thing Jian Ming would do!

Thinking about this, Ye Qing didn’t know what to say.

She personally hadn’t seen anything extraordinary in Jian Ming. She couldn’t understand what Wu Yueying saw in him, someone who played dirty tricks behind everyone’s back.

"That Liu Mei, do you remember her? The one I beat up. A few days ago, when Liu Kui died, she was stirring up trouble, saying you were the murderer."

Ye Qing nodded.

"You’d never guess that when Jian Ming was sent away by his parents to be fostered, it was to the family of Liu Mei’s relatives. Jian Ming and Liu Mei had been pretending to be strangers after they came to the countryside, but it turns out they had known each other since childhood!"

"Yesterday, when Wu Yueying was yelling about marrying Jian Ming, Liu Mei went and argued with him. Apparently, Liu Mei had always had feelings for Jian Ming and had been chasing after him since childhood. She only came to the countryside for him. But now that Jian Ming is secretly involved with Wu Yueying, Liu Mei feels betrayed and went to make a scene. They’ve completely torn each other apart."

"I think Liu Mei has a pretty obsessive and extreme personality. She probably always saw Jian Ming as her own and must really hate Wu Yueying now for poaching him."

Ye Qing wasn’t the least bit surprised. That’s why Liu Mei had randomly tried to push Meng Jia into the river. Her scores in last year’s commune exams weren’t good, and she had no chance of getting into the worker-peasant-soldier university. If it weren’t for someone’s subtle hints, she wouldn’t have gone after Meng Jia.

In the end, she was just someone whose brain turned to mush for love, losing her ability to judge and her principles because of a man. This kind of person deserved whatever outcome they got. Ye Qing could only shake her head and wish her well.

"No matter what happens, let’s just be quiet spectators to the drama. There’s no need for us to get involved."

Wu Yueying had been reborn, and who knew what her intentions were with Jian Ming? If Jian Ming was only using Wu Yueying to get the worker-peasant-soldier university recommendation quota, then these two were a match made in heaven, or maybe not, since neither of them had pure intentions.

However, Ye Qing thought Jian Ming’s plan might be a bit too obvious and loud.

Wu Yongbing wasn’t a fool either. Could he not see Jian Ming’s plan? If Wu Yueying really married Jian Ming, with Wu Yongbing’s cunning nature, he would do anything to keep Jian Ming trapped in Kaoshan Village for his daughter’s sake, possibly for his entire life.

After all, with Wu Yueying’s level of intelligence, she’d just get played by Jian Ming. If Jian Ming were allowed to leave Kaoshan Village, Wu Yueying would surely be abandoned.

Wu Yongbing was only a minor production team leader, with limited authority in Kaoshan Village. If Jian Ming were really allowed to go to university, it would be like releasing a caged bird—he wouldn't be able to control him anymore.

Realizing this, Ye Qing surmised that Jian Ming's scheme might backfire, and the goal of going to university could eventually fall through.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look up at Meng Jia:

"Do you insist on attending this worker-peasant-soldier university?"

Meng Jia was confused by Ye Qing's question.

Ye Qing shrugged. "As you can see, even though the university system has been restored, candidates are still recommended. You can guess how much nepotism or favoritism is at play. The vast majority of those who get to go to university are children of cadres or people who are scheming and good at maneuvering. How many of them are genuinely good students? Even if they do go to university, after graduation, can these clueless people really take up important positions in various key units?"

"The state isn't foolish; it will soon realize the drawbacks of this recommendation system. By then, the title of worker-peasant-soldier university might become quite awkward. After all the effort you've put in to secure a spot, if the diploma ends up being worthless, will you really be willing?"

This sharp analysis left Meng Jia confused.

Everyone around her was giving their all to get into the university, seeing the recommendation system as a chance to change their fate.

But now, Ye Qing had poured cold water on her enthusiasm, bringing her back to reality.

The more she thought about Ye Qing's words, the more astonished she became. She stared incredulously at the young girl in front of her:

"Are you saying that the state might restore the college entrance examination to select talents, and the worker-peasant-soldier university system might be short-lived and soon abolished?"

While collecting pig feed, Ye Qing replied with a smile:

"I didn't say that; you're inferring it yourself."

Even though she said this, the certainty in Ye Qing's eyes was plain to see.

Meng Jia couldn't help but take a sharp intake of breath.

If the college entrance examination were really restored, why should she bother with the worker-peasant-soldier university? But how long would she have to wait? Could she really afford to wait?

Seeing Meng Jia's confusion, Ye Qing stopped what she was doing, looked up seriously, and said:

"There are three paths in front of you."

"The first is to stay in this village, join the team, find a partner or give up on marriage, and slowly wait for the opportunity to take the college entrance examination."

"The second path is, if you really want to go to this worker-peasant-soldier university, I might be able to help you. Jian Ming definitely won't get the spot this year, and Wu Yongbing won't give it to him. But I still have some influence in both Kaoshan Village and Red Flag Commune. If you really want the spot, I can try to get it for you."

"But as I said before, even if you go to this worker-peasant-soldier university, no one knows what the future holds. By the time you're about to graduate, the college entrance exam policy might have been reinstated. Will you regret your choice? You need to weigh this carefully."

Meng Jia's expression changed uncertainly, and she hurriedly asked Ye Qing:

"What is the third path you mentioned?"

The corners of Ye Qing's mouth curled up slightly, her eyes sparkling with a sly, fox-like cunning:

"The third path is to give up on the worker-peasant-soldier university altogether and become my assistant."

"The health station in Kaoshan Village is about to be built soon, and I really can't manage it all by myself. Would you consider helping me at the health station?"

Meng Jia was shocked by this suggestion and pointed at herself, looking confused:

"Me? But I don't know the first thing about medicine."

Ye Qing smiled. "Who doesn't start from scratch and learn as they go? Haven't you thought about what kind of work you want to do in the future or what career path you want to take?"

Meng Jia shook her head. She had no plans for this at all because no one had ever guided her in these things.

Ye Qing had anticipated this:

"What if I point you in the right direction? Don't get hung up on the worker-peasant-soldier university. Come and be my assistant instead. I'll take you under my wing, and in three to five years, I can definitely help you get a good grounding in medicine."

"When the time comes, if you want a job, getting into Jiaotan County Hospital shouldn't be too hard. Long term, who knows? But if policies change and you want to take the college entrance exam, a medical school shouldn't be out of reach either. Your future will be smooth sailing, and it'll be just as good as the worker-peasant-soldier university, if not better!"

"What do you think?"

Meng Jia had never expected that just coming to shoot the breeze with Ye Qing would have an opportunity fall right into her lap.

She wasn't stupid; how could she not realize how beneficial Ye Qing's proposal was for her? The health station hadn't even been set up yet, but it was already a hot commodity in the village. Apart from Ye Qing, the station head, there was one official position available. Many people were desperate to get their children into that spot.

Although Ye Qing said she would be an assistant and not have an official position, Ye Qing had mapped out a clear future for her. Even as a temporary worker, this was an opportunity she couldn't have dreamed of.

Without much hesitation, she eagerly said,

"I'll choose the third path then. I'll be your assistant! Ye Qing, thank you so much. Let someone else fight over the worker-peasant-soldier university spot. I'm not going to compete for it anymore!"

She had almost killed herself over that spot. If it all turned out to be for nothing, she was afraid she'd lose it.

Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You don't have to decide so fast. This is about your whole future. You should make a decision after careful consideration."

"And I have to be clear about something upfront. If you really become my assistant, it won't be a case of coming and going as you please. Without my permission, there's no way you can leave, so you still have time to regret it."

Meng Jia immediately shook her head. "I won't regret it. I've already thought it through thoroughly!"

Ye Qing smiled. "I'll go talk to Captain Wu later and let him know. You can start tomorrow."

Meng Jia widened her eyes. "That soon?"

"Is it fast? You're starting from scratch, and I'll have to teach you everything from scratch properly. If we wait until the health station is set up and you can't do a thing, you'll just stand there grinning like an idiot at patients."

Meng Jia couldn't help shrinking her neck and awkwardly scratched her ear.

After Meng Jia left, Ye Qing finished her work and continued with her scientific farming plan. After the opium powder incident, Ye Qing became even more convinced that the road to scientific farming in rural areas was long and arduous, and the project needed to be prioritized.

At noon, Qiao Youqing came to the village and brought Ye Qing two pieces of bad news.

One was that the package he had taken to the provincial agricultural science department had been tested, and it indeed contained several harmful components, with the hormones and opium severely exceeding standards.

In addition, after receiving the news, the provincial authorities had begun a thorough investigation into the issue of cows having difficulty giving birth after consuming opium powder. Initial feedback from several county agricultural bureaus suggested that the phenomenon of difficult births existed in many counties. Whether it was caused by the consumption of opium powder was still unknown, but it was highly likely that these counter-revolutionary elements had expanded their drug operations to surrounding areas, and Jiaotan County was not the only one affected.

This news tightened Ye Qing's heart.

Her flying needle technique could only solve the problems in the surrounding production teams and military farms, but it would be tricky for other counties. The potential number of cows affected and the resulting losses were unimaginable.

At this moment, Ye Qing realized even more the shortage of manpower and the importance of training more personnel in the flying needle technique.

Qiao Youqing was also very busy with his side of the case and didn't have time to linger. After informing Ye Qing, he hurried off again.

Ye Qing couldn't afford to think about anything else and quickly went to find Captain Wu to propose taking Meng Jia as her assistant.

"Besides that, if any children in our village want to study medicine, as long as they've attended middle school, they can come and try. I'll assess their basics, and if they're suitable, I'll take them as apprentices. Whether it's human or veterinary medicine, as long as they're interested in healthcare, I'm willing to teach them."

Ye Qing also mentioned her collaboration model with Dean Gu from the county hospital.

"Don't worry about this knowledge being useless. The county, township, and even various communes all need medical talent. There's a shortage of doctors everywhere. After studying with me for three to five years, even if you can't be fully independent, you'll at least be able to work as a Barefoot Doctor going from village to village!"

As the captain of Kaoshan Village, Wu Yongbing fully supported this decision. Naturally, he had been thinking the same thing. He wanted to train some local doctors because he was worried that if the capable Ye Qing got called away in the future, the health station that Kaoshan Village had struggled to build wouldn’t just become an empty shell.

He hadn’t had a chance to discuss it with Ye Qing, but she had already brought it up. This further convinced Wu Yongbing that it was the fortune of all the villagers of Kaoshan Village to have a selfless and principled city-educated youth like Ye Qing.

And so, with just a few words, Meng Jia’s fate was decided. Ye Qing immediately took the girl off the fields. Since the captain had given the go-ahead, whether it was today or tomorrow didn’t matter—she might start her new role immediately.

Immediately after bringing Meng Jia back, Ye Qing was about to teach her how to create a form to record observations of the pigs and cows when they reached Duck River. That was when she saw a shadow dart across the cowshed.

"Who’s there? Come out!" Ye Qing’s expression darkened, and she shouted sharply.