Chapter 54: No Mischief Allowed After the Founding of the People’s Republic

Chapter 54: No Mischief Allowed After the Founding of the People's Republic

"What’s happening here?"

As soon as Gu Weinan saw the situation, he pushed his way through the crowd.

Ye Qing also hurriedly rushed in.

"Ye Qing is back!" The onlookers immediately parted to make way for her.

Once inside the crowd, Ye Qing saw a scene that made her blood boil.

A fifty-something-year-old woman stood with her hands on her hips, cursing nonstop. In front of her, two people were roughly dragging Wang Chunhua outward.

One of the old women was pulling Wang Chunhua's legs, dragging her like a rag doll out of the courtyard. Wang Chunhua struggled and resisted, clinging to the gate with both hands, refusing to release it.

Seeing this, a short, skinny man in his thirties turned around and tried to pry open Wang Chunhua's hands. When he couldn’t, he flew into a rage and slapped Wang Chunhua twice across the face.

Weakened by childbirth and illness, Wang Chunhua was no match for two healthy adults. She could only keep crying out, her face as pale as paper, her eyes gradually losing their light, on the verge of collapse and despair.

Blind Ah Po could only follow Wang Chunhua, trembling, waving her cane in the air, trying to protect her, and shouting angrily, "You can't do this!"

Ye Qing's blood boiled. Without hesitation, she quickly pulled out the rattan whip from her bag and rushed forward, knocking the two people to the ground!

Ye Qing had always detested the strong bullying the weak and men beating women. The two in front of her had just triggered two of her biggest pet peeves!

After pushing the two aside, Ye Qing still felt angry. She lashed the whip at the man, leaving a red mark on the back of his hand.

The man yelped in pain, forgot about Wang Chunhua, and turned to charge at Ye Qing with his fists raised.

Ye Qing sneered inwardly. They say you shouldn’t hit someone’s face, but she was going to do exactly that!

No longer restraining herself, she lashed the man's face, instantly tearing open half of his cheek!

"Aaah!"

The man, who had been bullying others moments earlier, now screamed in pain, clutching his face, his expression contorting in agony.

Seeing her son being beaten, the old woman who had been pulling Wang Chunhua screamed in rage and threw herself at Ye Qing!

Ye Qing lashed her whip near the old woman’s feet, keeping her at bay as she coldly said:

"Come at me again and see what happens! If my whip hits you, I guarantee you won't be able to get out of bed for half a year!

"I usually don’t like to bully the elderly, but if they are shameless and court a beating, then don't blame me for being too ruthless!"

At these words, the old woman was so terrified she didn’t dare to budge.

With a swift, clean motion, Ye Qing cracked her rattan whip, and in one fluid flick, she struck both of them.

Caught off guard by Ye Qing’s sudden display of skill, the surrounding villagers were all taken aback. By the time they recovered, Ye Qing had already intimidated the arrogant duo into submission.

But she wasn’t done yet. Her rattan whip continued to flick in her hand, the crisp sound echoing with each swing, making everyone present shudder.

The entire courtyard fell silent, with no one daring to breathe too loudly.

Except for the ever-noticeable Gu Weinan, who, upon seeing Ye Qing’s impressive whip skills, had eyes that sparkled. He whistled and clapped enthusiastically, shouting:

"My goodness, Master! That was so cool! Though, it was a bit too fast—I didn’t get to enjoy it fully!"

Ye Qing’s forehead twitched in annoyance. She had been building momentum, but Gu Weinan’s outburst completely broke her concentration.

"Take Aunt Zou back into the house! There are too many people here; be careful not to disturb the old lady!" Ye Qing said irritably, glaring at Gu Weinan.

"Oh."

Seeing Ye Qing’s expression, Gu Weinan finally realized that his timing for cheering had been off. He shrugged his shoulders and quickly helped Aunt Zou back into the house.

The once loudly cursing old woman from the Wang family had now abruptly stopped. She even took a few involuntary steps backward.

Seeing the welts on the short, wiry man’s face and hand, which had swollen into mounds as big as small hills, the old woman felt an immediate sense of fear and wariness. She eyed Ye Qing with suspicion and wariness:

"Who are you? What gives you the right to attack people?"

Ye Qing walked over and helped Wang Chunhua to her feet, then turned back with a cold smile.

"It’s really laughable. You all barged into my courtyard, hurt my patient, and still have the audacity to ask why I hit you?

Didn't you bother to inquire before coming here? Do you think my place is a public market, where you can come and go as you please?

Granny Wang was indeed scared of the rattan whip in Ye Qing's hand, but the moment she thought of Wang Chunhua being her daughter, she immediately puffed up her chest and shouted back defiantly:

'I'm not here to make trouble at your home. I'm here to find my daughter. Wang Chunhua is my daughter, and as her mother, I have the right to bring her home. No one has the right to stop me!'

Ye Qing had recognized this old woman long ago.

Last time in Stinky Pine Gully, it was this old woman who led her family to cause trouble at the Liu family, shoving Wang Chunhua and causing her to have a difficult labor.

After leaving this mess behind, this old woman fought with Liu Pozi and used the chaos to escape with her family, not caring whether Wang Chunhua or the baby in her womb lived or died.

Ye Qing thought that after causing such trouble, Granny Wang would be too ashamed to look for her daughter again. But here she was, having tracked them down all the way to Kaoshan Village!

This kind of foul, parasitic family—if they met someone like Ye Qing, they wouldn’t last a second without facing consequences. Even if it meant great personal loss, she wouldn’t let this family off easily!

However, Ye Qing didn’t know what Wang Chunhua was thinking.

In her past life, as a doctor, she had a bitter experience. She had helped a female survivor who was being starved and oppressed by her in-laws, pulling her out of a nightmare and even beating her abusive husband.

But shortly after being rescued, the woman reconciled with her husband and even accused Ye Qing of interfering, claiming she had injured her husband. This made Ye Qing so angry that she nearly developed breast hyperplasia!

Since that bitter experience, Ye Qing had become cautious and defensive towards women with tragic family backgrounds, fearing that her good intentions would be met with ingratitude and even betrayal.

So, when Granny Wang came to take her daughter, Ye Qing didn’t rush to argue. Instead, she first looked at Wang Chunhua, observing her reaction and attitude.

Seeming to understand Ye Qing’s intention, Wang Chunhua’s heart tightened. She immediately reached out and grabbed Ye Qing tightly, shaking her head desperately while looking at Ye Qing with a pleading expression:

'I... I don’t want to go. Can I stay here with you? I’ll do anything!'

Ye Qing closed her eyes and cursed inwardly:

I’ll be a doormat one more time and trust Wang Chunhua once more!

When she opened her eyes again, a fake smile appeared on Ye Qing’s face, with no trace of emotion in her eyes:

'So, you're Wang Chunhua's mother? That’s great. I was just looking for you!'"

"You're Wang Chunhua's mother, so of course, it's only right that you take her away. I absolutely have no intention of stopping you, on my conscience! But before you take her away, we need to settle the bill!"

"Last time, when your daughter was in difficult labor and suffered severe bleeding, it was our production team leader who took me to Stinky Pine Gully to perform a lifesaving cesarean delivery and help save the baby. We barely managed to save both Wang Chunhua and her child!"

"The Liu family didn't even pay me the surgery fee! The next day, the real murderer was caught, and I was cleared of suspicion. I was planning to ask the Liu family for my well-deserved fee anyway!"

"But then, the Liu family kicked Wang Chunhua out. And guess what? She came straight to Kaoshan Village and ended up at my place. So, I’ve been holding her, waiting for someone to come and redeem her!"

"Since you've come here in person, why not pay the 100 yuan for the surgery fee? Paying off debts is only right, isn't it? If the Liu family won't pay, surely her maternal family wouldn't haggle over this, right?"

Saying this, Ye Qing extended her hand toward Old Lady Wang, still wearing a smile.

Upon hearing the 100 yuan surgery fee, Old Lady Wang was dumbfounded and angrily started cursing on the spot, "100 yuan? Why don't you go rob someone?"

Ye Qing couldn't help but clean her ear and laughed, "Now, now, back then, the situation was such that the entire village of Stinky Pine Gully could vouch for me. I only went in to save her after asking for the Liu family's consent. If I hadn't stepped in, both your daughter and the baby would have died!"

"Two lives—don't you think saving them is worth 100 yuan? Why don't you ask the comrades here in Kaoshan Village? Ask them if 100 yuan for two lives is a fair deal!"

Immediately, the onlookers shouted in agreement, "Absolutely! If my daughter-in-law were in such a situation, I’d pay whatever it takes to save her!"

Ye Qing shrugged and smiled at Old Lady Wang, "You see, I'm not overcharging. My price is very reasonable. Also, your daughter arrived at our village yesterday evening and spent the whole night outside in the cold. She's running a high fever. I've already treated her with acupuncture, so you'll need to pay an additional 5 yuan for the medical consultation."

"That makes it 105 yuan in total. Let’s exchange money for her—I'm more than happy to let you take her away!"

"She came to me for help, and as a doctor, I couldn’t just stand by and watch her die. But who really wants a new mother staying at their place after childbirth? It’s considered bad luck in the village to have a new mother stay there after childbirth. I’d rather you take this burden off my hands!"

"But if you can't pay, then I’m sorry. This isn’t a charity, and you’re not from Kaoshan Village, and you haven’t earned work points in our production team. So free medical treatment? Don't even think about it!"

"No money, then she stays. She’ll have to work for me for three years to pay off the medical expenses!"

"If you don’t have cash on hand right now, that’s fine too. Just write an IOU and put your fingerprint on it. I’ll take the IOU to your production team leader and collect my money when you settle your work points at the end of the year!"

Old Lady Wang flew into a rage and lunged at Ye Qing, ready to fight.

But even though Ye Qing was a poor fighter when facing people with supernatural abilities in the apocalyptic era, she wasn’t afraid of fighting these ordinary villagers. Even the most fierce and shrewish village women couldn’t intimidate her!

Without even lifting her eyelids, Ye Qing flicked a needle out, and the old woman Wang immediately fell face down at Ye Qing’s feet, like a dog eating dirt, unable to get back up.

As soon as they saw Wang’s ridiculous posture, the crowd burst into laughter.

A smile still on her face, Ye Qing’s eyes became sharp and cold, like a demon from the underworld.

"Old lady, want to fight? Fine! Get up, let’s keep going. I’ve just finished my work for the day and can spare some time to exchange a few more moves with you!"

Didn’t the old woman want to get up? Her eyes brimmed with hatred, but soon she realized that no matter how hard she tried, her lower body wouldn’t move, leaving her crawling on the ground like a dog.

Listening to the crowd’s mocking laughter and Ye Qing’s cold, arrogant taunts, the old woman nearly lost her mind from anger.

"You, did you cast some kind of curse on me?" Wang asked, her face filled with terror, as if Ye Qing was some kind of supernatural being.

Ye Qing almost couldn’t hold back her laughter.

"Don’t go spreading rumors, alright? No one has been allowed to become a supernatural creature since the founding of the People’s Republic. I was born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze, a firmly materialist youth. My beliefs lie in the Five-Star Red Flag and Marxism-Leninism. My medical knowledge and techniques are all grounded in science. I don’t touch any of that feudal superstition stuff!"

Ye Qing immediately reinforced her values, refusing to let anyone smear her reputation.

Some nearby spectators burst into laughter.

"This old woman was pinned down by a single silver needle from Ye Qing and couldn’t even crawl back up, hahaha! She thought Ye Qing was some sort of monster!"

"And she had the nerve to come to our village and try to take someone away without paying? Even if Ye Qing agreed, we wouldn’t allow it!"

"She owes over a hundred yuan. Can three years of labor really cover it? Look at how skinny Wang Chunhua is. What kind of physical labor can she manage? And she’s going to sit the month at Ye Qing’s place for free? I think it should be ten or even eight years, not just three!"

"Exactly! Three years isn’t enough at all! It has to be eight or ten years. She can’t be let go until she works for that long!"

Ye Qing had just casually mentioned it, but the villagers who were watching actually started to back her up, some even turning into ruthless overseers, suggesting eight or ten years instead of the original three. It seemed they had no intention of letting Wang Chunhua leave Ye Qing’s place as a long-term laborer.

Ye Qing couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her eye, secretly impressed by how ruthless the villagers were.

But she wasn’t stupid. She knew these villagers were supporting her. The longer the period, the better. If it were only three to five months, Wang's family might not feel the pinch, but three to five years would likely scare them enough to avoid playing any dirty tricks again.

Indeed, as soon as these people shouted, Wang Pozi instantly drew back, her eyes left with only frustration and regret. She looked like she was considering backing out.

Seeing that Wang Pozi was about to back down, the old woman who had been lashed by Ye Qing earlier was displeased:

"Wang Pozi, you've already accepted the 80 yuan bride price from my son. We're counting on bringing this daughter-in-law home to continue our family line, and we must take her away today! As for your daughter's debt to this female doctor, that's your problem to solve!"

The old woman actually wanted to rush forward and grab Wang Chunhua.

Ye Qing could barely keep from laughing upon hearing this.

It turns out Wang Pozi had acted on her own, accepting the bride price before bringing the groom's family to claim the bride, planning to sell her daughter again!

"So you want to take a bride back to continue your family line? Well, you’ve miscalculated and been tricked by this old woman!"

"Wang Chunhua's uterus was severely damaged from a difficult childbirth just a few days ago, and she’ll have difficulty conceiving in the future."

Ye Qing smiled and stepped in front of the old woman.

Hearing this, the old woman's eyes widened in disbelief, and even the man who had been crying out in pain while covering his face stopped his wailing. Both mother and son were incredulous:

"What? She can’t bear children?!"

Ye Qing shook her head and added:

"It's not that she can never conceive, but it will take seven or eight years of careful recovery to slowly regain her health. She'll need to take a medicinal prescription every month, which will probably cost around five yuan."

This was a huge blow. In their poor village, five yuan covered their annual expenses for oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. Who could afford to spend five yuan each month? This wasn’t just marrying a wife; it was like adopting an ancestor to worship!

The mother and son were devastated and no longer cared about taking Wang Chunhua. They turned and charged at Wang Pozi, immediately starting to tear at her:

"You heartless, wicked woman! How dare you deceive our family and take so much of our money! My son has been a bachelor for so many years, and it wasn't easy to find a wife. How dare you give us a hen that can’t lay eggs?! Do you want to make my Sun family extinct? This is too much!"

Since Wang Pozi’s movements were paralyzed by Ye Qing’s acupuncture, she was defenseless against the mother-son duo's attack. Before long, she was beaten until her face was bruised, her hair disheveled, and she looked like a madwoman.

Satisfied to see the three of them bickering like dogs, Ye Qing finally took pity and removed the silver needle that had paralyzed Wang Pozi’s lower body.

As soon as the silver needle was removed, the old hag climbed to her feet and spat a mouthful of blood mixed with a broken yellow tooth onto the ground. She then began railing against them, pointing at the mother and son.

The other old woman was definitely not a soft target either and immediately fired back. The two quickly engaged in a heated argument at the gate, their local dialect flying out freely and rapidly, leaving someone like Ye Qing, an outsider, unable to follow or understand a word.

By this point, it appeared that all three had forgotten why they came to Kaoshan Village. Neither the mother and son nor the old hag gave Wang Chunhua a second glance.

To them, a woman who could no longer bear children and was saddled with debt was as good as useless. Not particularly beautiful or attractive, she held no value in their eyes.

"Mom, don't waste your breath on this old hag! Let's go to her house and demand our money back! If they refuse, we'll beat up her son and break his leg. That'll teach her not to deceive people!"

The short, thin man knew he couldn't fight Ye Qing, so even after receiving two lashes, he didn't dare misbehave in front of her.

He had given up on the idea of taking Wang Chunhua back as his wife, not wanting to continue losing face in Kaoshan Village. All he wanted now was to get the eighty yuan of the high bride price back from the Wang family.

With the money returned, he could easily go to another production team and find a wife who could bear children.

The old hag didn't want anything to do with the girl who was a financial burden anymore either. She had originally thought to marry her off again and retrieve a bride price, but this unlucky girl had injured herself and owed hundreds of yuan in medical bills!

Her plans went awry, and the old hag considered it bad luck. She didn't spare Wang Chunhua another glance and got up and ran out, as if she feared the girl would catch up and make her spend more money.

The mother and son immediately gave chase, and in no time at all, the three of them disappeared from sight, as if the farcical scene had never happened.

The onlookers, who had watched the entire spectacle, felt a little disappointed. The situation didn't escalate as they had hoped, and the excitement was gone. Several nosy women stepped forward, curious and ready to pry:

"Ye Qing, is this the young daughter-in-law from the Liu family in Stinky Pine Gully? How old is she?"

"She just gave birth, so why was she chased out by the Liu family? Did she do something to anger her in-laws?"

"You said she can't have children anymore. Is that really true? With your excellent medical skills, can you cure her?"

"Wu Xilai's wife has been dead for over two years now. His previous wife gave him three children, and he's in need of a woman to manage the household. If this girl doesn't mind being a stepmother, maybe she could marry Wu Xilai and live with him!"

Ye Qing: ...

Wang Chunhua had been tormented by her in-laws for many years and had just experienced the brutal betrayal of her own family. Hearing the villagers suggest marriage again, she couldn't help but tremble all over and instinctively shrank behind Ye Qing.

Ye Qing, looking helplessly at these women, said something that immediately put an end to their matchmaking intentions:

"Ladies, let’s drop the idea of marriage. You may have forgotten that I mentioned earlier—Wang Chunhua's body is damaged. Because of severe bleeding from a difficult childbirth, she needs to spend five yuan every month on medication. No matter who you introduce for a match, they first need to afford the five yuan monthly medication expenses. Anyone unwilling to pay need not apply!"

As soon as she said this, the chattering matchmakers who had been asking a flurry of questions fell silent.

Five bucks a month meant sixty a year, which was absolutely a huge sum for rural farming households. Not to mention in this remote mountain area, even in the entire Kaoshan Village, very few households could afford such an expense.

Thus, Ye Qing's words directly discouraged these enthusiastic matchmakers.

After sending those matchmakers away and bringing Wang Chunhua back into the house, Ye Qing was about to go to the kitchen to prepare dinner. However, just as she was about to do so, Wang Chunhua suddenly "thud" kneeled at Ye Qing's feet, startling Ye Qing into jumping several feet back.

"What are you doing?"

Ye Qing's eyes widened in shock, and she stuttered.

Tears welled up in Wang Chunhua's eyes.

"Ye Qing, you've saved me again! I am truly grateful for your help. Since I can't give birth anymore, my life belongs to you from now on. I'll follow you and repay you by working like a slave! I'll do anything you ask!"

Ye Qing almost choked.

"Hey, big sister, this isn't the old society anymore, and you're not selling yourself as a personal maid, are you? Besides, I'm just an ordinary person myself. I don't need much beyond the basics of eating, drinking, and working. Why would I need you to work like a slave?"

Sighing, she pulled Wang Chunhua up from the ground.

"Are you being serious? The things I said earlier were just to deal with your mother and the mother-and-son pairs she brought along. If I hadn't said that, do you think they would have so easily given up on taking you away?"

"The part about owing me medical fees and your womb being damaged so you can't get pregnant—all of that was fake. You did sustain some injuries from the severe bleeding during childbirth, but it's not that serious. With proper care for a year or so, you'll be fine. There's no need for a five-dollar medical expense every month."

"The story I made up was to scare the villagers. Otherwise, with you staying here, who knows how many nosy people would come to pester us? I thought this would solve your problems once and for all. If you ever wish to remarry in the future, just say that I've already cured you, and that'll be that."

Wang Chunhua was stunned, and as she realized the truth, tears began streaming down her face.

Ye Qing had seen Wang Chunhua's strong will to survive during her difficult childbirth. Though she was gentle with her natal and in-laws’ families, she had endured the harsh conditions in the Liu family and survived.

That’s why Ye Qing couldn’t resist being a do-gooder again today.

"After today, I reckon it won't be long before the Liu family gets wind of the fact that you owe me over a hundred dollars in medical fees. They'll be even less likely to let you return to Stinky Pine Gully."

"So, do you have any plans for the future? And no more talk about being my servant, okay? I'm not Huang Shiren; I don’t enjoy exploiting or oppressing others."

Ye Qing abandoned her plan to go to the kitchen and instead sat on the kang bed, prepared to have a heartfelt chat with Wang Chunhua.

Wang Chunhua had never thought about this question before. When Ye Qing asked her so abruptly, her eyes revealed confusion and helplessness. She nervously twisted her clothes and couldn't answer a single word.

At that moment, Gu Weinan came in from outside:

"I was asking myself why there was so much noise in the courtyard but not a single person from my family was around. After all this time, it turns out they're not home. By the way, Master, your whip-flicking today was so cool! I thought the pig-castration technique you showed before was impressive enough, but I didn’t expect you had another secret technique up your sleeve!"

"Master, can you teach me? I also want to swing the whip like that. Whoever dares to mess with me, I’ll just whip them!"

Ye Qing couldn’t help but roll her eyes. With your temper, if you really learned how to wield a whip, you’d be a real troublemaker! I’m afraid Uncle Zhenxing and Aunt Gu would have to follow behind you all day, cleaning up your mess!

"No! Don’t bite off more than you can chew. You should practice your flying needles and perfect the pig-castration technique. At the very least, review the delivery skills I taught you today. Or read some books. Didn’t I give you a list of basic medical books? You get your brother to help you gather those books, and I expect you to study them thoroughly. I’ll test you later!"

Gu Weinan’s face fell immediately, and he dared not show off again. He quietly shrank into a corner, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

Wang Chunhua, who had been lost, suddenly had a sparkle in her eyes after hearing the conversation between Gu Weinan and Ye Qing. She stared intently at Ye Qing, and after a long while, she tentatively asked:

"Ye, Ye Qing, c-can I learn to castrate pigs too?"

Ye Qing almost thought she had misheard. "What? You want to learn to castrate pigs?"

What’s happening in this world? Is something wrong with the way I’m handling things? Or are these northeastern women all exceptionally bold? Why are they all so interested in castrating pigs?

Wang Chunhua nodded firmly:

"Yes, I want to learn!"

"Why?" Ye Qing really couldn’t understand.

It was easier for her to accept Gu Weinan’s desire to learn pig castration, even though she was just surprised by it. That girl was genuinely bold and fearless, whether it was throwing needles or handling knives. Talent aside, just her courage alone surpassed many.

But Wang Chunhua was different. She was capable of doing all kinds of hard farm work, but her personality was too gentle. If she had to handle a knife on a live pig, Ye Qing feared Wang Chunhua would have nightmares.

Wang Chunhua, however, was quite honest and able to face her own weaknesses:

"I don’t want to be bullied anymore! If I dare to handle a knife to castrate pigs, others will fear me. The Liu family wouldn’t dare provoke me either. Once I master the skill of pig castration, the people of Stinky Pine Gully will only beg me to return. Maybe the Liu family will even return my child to me. My life will get better and better. Even if I don’t rely on anyone, I’ll be able to protect myself!"

Ye Qing was deeply shaken, looking at this thin and frail woman in astonishment.

After saying this, Wang Chunhua felt uneasy but held Ye Qing’s gaze firmly, without a trace of evasion or retreat.

After a few seconds, Ye Qing couldn't help but laugh.

She felt that after so many disappointments, this time she had finally made the right bet.

Her efforts as a do-gooder hadn't been in vain!

"Learning how to castrate pigs is difficult. If you're determined to learn it, I'm certainly willing to teach you. But don't be in such a hurry to box yourself into a specific future. Given your personality, there are actually more suitable jobs for you."

"I think that compared to castrating pigs, you'd be better suited to work in a pharmacy or in a care-related field. In the future, you could help out at the health station's pharmacy, for example, by going into the mountains to collect herbs, drying and preparing traditional Chinese medicine, and dispensing medicine to patients. You could also administer injections to patients or animals and even assist with postpartum care for livestock. These jobs should all be quite suitable for you."

"The pig castration technique I teach differs from traditional methods. It requires not only boldness and attention to detail but also some talent in needlework. Relatively speaking, it's not as simple as it might seem to outsiders."

"However, it's great that you're interested. I won't discourage your enthusiasm. You can try out different roles and see which job suits you better."

"Don't think that the only way to gain strength is by learning to castrate pigs. If you excel in the jobs I mentioned, you'll be able to hold your head high, not just in Stinky Pine Gully, but in the entire Qingshan Town. The Liu family, who now looks down on you and mistreats you, will end up fawning over you, unable to reach your level!"

"Strength isn't the only way to solve problems. As long as you have enough ability, many people will seek your favor. You won't have to lift a finger, and those who have wronged you will get their just deserts!"

Ye Qing's words were quite direct, but at the moment, Wang Chunhua, because of her limited perspective, couldn't fully grasp their meaning.

However, that wasn't important. What mattered was that this comrade hadn't lost her will to resist despite the brainwashing from her natal family. As long as there was a determination to climb out of the abyss and attempt self-rescue, there was no doubt that she could stand on her own!

At around six o'clock, the large Gu family from next door finally returned. Four grown men pushed a cart, on which sat Grandpa Miao, followed by Auntie Gu and the heavily pregnant Gu Weixi.

As soon as Gu Weinan heard the commotion, he rushed out, and Ye Qing followed to see what was going on.

Upon seeing Ye Qing, Gu Weidong hurried over and quickly explained the situation.

It turned out that Gu Weidong's grandfather, Grandpa Miao, had fallen a week ago and hadn't been able to get up since. He had been bedridden, unable to move or speak.

Miao's sons had asked the commune doctor to give him a cursory treatment and had even administered an IV for two days, but his condition hadn't improved. In fact, it had worsened.

It was farming season, and the sons were occupied with the harvest. Additionally, due to their poor financial situation, their wives refused to send Grandpa Miao to the county hospital. Thus, they had no choice but to leave him in bed, allowing his condition to deteriorate.

As Grandpa Miao's condition worsened, Miao's brothers urgently called the Red Flag Commune to inform Miao Cuilan, their sister, to return to her hometown as soon as possible. It might be her last chance to see her dad.

In the morning, after receiving the message, Miao Cuilan had hurriedly gathered her family to head to Miao Family Village.

Gu Weinan, who had gone with Ye Qing to assist with a cow's delivery at the military farm, missed the person who delivered the message from the commune.

After returning to Miao Family Village, Miao Cuilan discovered that her father's illness had been completely neglected, resulting in his condition worsening. Enraged, she had a heated argument with her brothers and then insisted on taking Grandpa Miao back to Kaoshan Village.

"Can you help take a look at my grandfather and see what's wrong with him, and whether there's a possibility of recovery?" Gu Weidong asked.

Ye Qing nodded. Even if it were just for Aunt Gu's sake, she would definitely help with this.

However, she was a bit puzzled and couldn't help but ask Gu Weidong, "Weren't you aware of this a few days ago? Aren't you reborn? You should have experienced your grandfather falling and injuring himself in your previous life. How could you forget such an important event in this life? If you had remembered earlier, you could have avoided this, and Grandpa Miao wouldn't have had to suffer like this."

Gu Weidong couldn't help but bitterly smile and explained in a low voice, "I really didn't know for sure. In my past life, I returned to the village two months after the incident. By then, Grandpa Miao was already paralyzed. Until he passed away, my mother never told me that he had fallen and become like this.

"All I knew was that my mother had sent him to the county for treatment for a month, but it didn't work. After he returned, my aunts and uncles found it troublesome to take care of him and thought it would have been better if he had just passed away. They even blamed my mother for sending him for treatment, saying it only prolonged his suffering."

"Eventually, Grandpa Miao stayed at my house. Do you think my family was in such a hurry to get me married for no reason? It was because we had so many troubles at home, and they wanted to hold a wedding to change our luck."

Ye Qing looked at Gu Weidong sympathetically. So, this was how his past life had gone wrong step by step, trapping him for most of his life.

Ye Qing took her silver needles and entered the Gu family's yard. Aunt Gu had already cleared Gu Weidong's room. Several men from the Gu family had helped move Grandpa Miao onto the kang. As soon as Ye Qing entered, Miao Cuilan hurriedly approached her, about to speak.

Ye Qing stopped Aunt Gu. "Don't say a word. I'll begin the diagnosis of Grandpa Miao right away. No matter the outcome, I'll do my best. But if even I can't do anything, then you shouldn't waste your money going to the county hospital."

Miao Cuilan's eyes turned red, and she nodded, indicating that she understood.

Ye Qing crouched down to examine Grandpa Miao. She checked his pulse and palpated his head, occasionally pressing his chest and ankles. The entire process took over ten minutes, and the Gu family's hearts were all on edge, barely daring to breathe.

After a thorough examination, Ye Qing began inserting the needles, placing twenty or thirty into Grandpa Miao's head. She twirled the needles along the meridians, and the process lasted nearly an hour. By the end, Ye Qing's face had turned pale, and her hands were shaking uncontrollably as she removed each needle.

At that moment, Grandpa Miao, who had been unresponsive, slowly opened his eyes and even began to lift his stiff arm.

He tried to say something to Miao Cuilan but couldn't make a sound.

Miao Cuilan quickly looked at Ye Qing.

Ye Qing explained, "The hypertension caused intracerebral hemorrhage, and the small arteries underwent pathological changes. There was likely hyaline or fibrinoid degeneration in the arterial walls. However, it's not too severe. After my treatment, the immediate danger has been averted."

"The most important thing now is to start medication as soon as possible to aid his recovery. But as I mentioned before, I don't have the necessary herbs on hand. We need to go into the mountains to find them. It's best if we leave early tomorrow morning."

The Gu family members all said together, "I'll go with you tomorrow."