Chapter 198

Chapter 198

The arrival of the children naturally caused a sensation throughout Kaoshan Village.

The Gu family couldn't even spare a moment to be happy about Ye Qing and Gu Weidong's marriage registration, as the sudden appearance of these eight children with various issues was too overwhelming.

Each of the eight children had their own heartbreaking stories. After getting off the truck, they all huddled in the corners, too scared to move, looking utterly pitiful. The villagers who came to watch were all struck silent.

Although most people hadn't personally experienced the disaster in Jibei, they had all seen the devastation on TV and in newspapers. They knew that hundreds of thousands of people were affected, with countless casualties. Many had cried upon seeing the news, and now, seeing these poor children brought back by Ye Qing and Gu Weidong, everyone's eyes were red, and for a long time, no one knew what to say.

"Since they've been brought back, let's just take them in. There are so many people in Kaoshan Village. If each family shares a bit of their food, we can raise them properly," Old Man Cui finally broke the silence.

The villagers nodded in agreement. Although each family had their own selfish quirks and petty squabbles, in the face of such a major disaster, everyone was willing to show compassion and kindness. Even if it meant sharing a portion of their own food, most people wouldn't object.

But Ye Qing couldn't possibly let the villagers help raise the children. She and Gu Weidong had made this decision after careful consideration, ensuring they could afford to take care of them.

Gu Zhenxing, the new leader of Kaoshan Village's production team, immediately stepped forward to make a statement:

"That won't be necessary. Our Weidong now earns over a hundred yuan in monthly allowances. Ye Qing earns both work points and wages at the health station, and she also receives benefits from the feed factory and the neighboring farm. She even earns money from writing articles. Besides, our family has plenty of adult laborers. Even if we had ten or eight more children, we wouldn't have to worry about food and drink!"

This wasn't Gu Zhenxing bragging; it was the truth. Ye Qing and Gu Weidong were now among the top figures not just in Kaoshan Village but in the entire Jiaotan County. Their monthly income was probably higher than that of most dual-income families in the city, and they had more money than they knew what to do with. Raising a few children was no concern for them.

The villagers, hearing the team leader's words, all agreed.

Of course, with so many children brought back, the issue of where they would live became a problem.

The courtyard and surrounding land that belonged to Murong Ah Po had been transferred to Ye Qing's name. The backyard was used as a medicinal garden, growing various herbs, while the front yard was used as a vegetable garden, leaving a large empty space.

Ye Qing immediately decided to build more houses, following the style of Old Man Cui's courtyard house. She planned to extend the east and west wings, adding two rooms on each side. Each room didn't need to be large, just about ten square meters, enough for a kang bed, a bookshelf, and a long desk for homework. Each room could accommodate two children.

It was already mid-August, and the busy farming season was approaching. Ye Qing quickly sought help from the villagers, and within a little over a week, the additional rooms were built. Then, it took some time to set up the kang beds and make furniture, but by early September, the house renovations were complete.

By then, the children had also shown improvement under Ye Qing's careful care and acupuncture treatments. The paralyzed child could now walk a few steps slowly, the autistic and mute child was starting to behave more like a normal child, and the children with missing limbs were becoming more cheerful and confident, bravely facing their physical changes. Under Ye Qing's guidance, they were learning to read and write, and even helping Ye Qing grind herbs and do small tasks.

Then came the annual harvest season in the Great Northern Wilderness. With a bountiful harvest, the children, guided by local kids, went into the fields to pick up rice stalks and beans, quickly integrating into the group of their peers.

Because they were children from the disaster zone, the villagers treated them with kindness, and even the local children were very considerate of them. Growing up in such a warm and caring environment quickly healed the children's inner wounds. They became more lively and confident, and everything was steadily improving.

By November, the Jibei resettlement office sent people to visit. Seeing the children's condition, they knew that Ye Qing's earlier promises were not lies; she was truly taking good care of these children.

In the same month, Jibei held a commendation meeting for earthquake relief efforts and specifically called to invite Ye Qing to attend. Ye Qing made an excuse not to go, but not long after, the certificates of honor for her and her apprentices, as well as specially made medals for the two wolves, were sent over.

The more awards Ye Qing received, the more she remained unfazed by fame. However, many villagers who had volunteered for the rescue work received a collective certificate of honor, which the villagers cherished. They immediately framed it and hung it in the most prominent spot in the production team office at the threshing ground.

That same year, Zhao Yuliang introduced high-quality poultry and livestock breeds from various places, truly starting to build momentum for his ambitions in the livestock industry. Naturally, Ye Qing became the behind-the-scenes strategist, acting as the farm leader's right-hand man, always at the forefront of solving problems.

Under such circumstances, at the end of the year, when Gu Weidong returned to the village on leave, the newly married couple finally decided to hold a wedding banquet in the village.

They both intended to keep it low-key, not caring much for ceremony, and planned to just have a simple pig-killing feast to mark the occasion.

But to their surprise, even though they hadn't announced it to anyone, on the wedding day, many leaders from the county, province, and military showed up. Hang Tingfang and Old Comrade Yang even came. Zhang Colonel arranged several military vehicles to add to the occasion, and the base in the northwest even sent several boxes of fireworks reportedly made by the base researchers. Although the wedding didn't follow any formal procedures, it was still a joyous and lively event that lasted the whole day.

After the wedding, Ye Qing and Gu Weidong's relationship didn't change much. Gu Weidong went back to the military after a short leave, while Ye Qing stayed in Kaoshan Village. Her in-laws lived next door, and her workplace was just fifty meters away. If there was any business at Qing Shan Farm, a car would come to pick her up. The feed factory occasionally asked her to attend meetings to check the quality of the feed products. Under Ye Qing's guidance, her female apprentices gradually became capable of handling many tasks. Besides seeing eighty patients daily at the health station, Ye Qing spent her time taking the children on adventures in the Changbai Mountains. Her life was busy but fulfilling.

The following spring, the country began to vigorously introduce new technologies and production line equipment for the paper industry, leading to a significant increase in printed materials and the beginning of a golden age for publications.

Coincidentally, "The Barefoot Veterinarian's Guide" was finalized, and within two months, Old Comrade Yang sent word that the first print run of the new book was twenty thousand copies, and he sent her ten sample books.

On the very day Ye Qing received the sample books, she got a congratulatory call. Ten thousand copies of her book were sold out in less than three days. Many county agricultural and livestock bureaus considered the book to be of very high quality, and technicians from the agricultural technology stations in the communes were all interested in it, requesting the publisher to reprint it. Old Comrade Yang's phone was constantly ringing.

The publisher had already decided to reprint Ye Qing's book, with an initial reprint of fifty thousand copies planned. If these sold out, there would be third and fourth reprints. In short, it was certain that Ye Qing's book would become a bestseller.

In the same month, the Women's Daily once again published a news report about Ye Qing's book. Over the years, the influence of the Women's Daily had been growing, with many loyal subscribers. However, Hang Tingfang was surprised that this particular news report about Ye Qing directly boosted the Women's Daily's sales to a peak, with daily sales breaking one hundred thousand copies. Hang Tingfang was so excited that she called Ye Qing that very night to share the good news.

Not long after, the director of the Jicheng Film Studio suddenly visited Kaoshan Village, aiming to secure the film rights for Ye Qing's debut work "Liqiu," with the goal of bringing Li Qiu's story to the big screen.

Ye Qing was somewhat surprised, but not entirely.

Fearing that Ye Qing might not agree, the film studio director was very sincere and insisted on paying her for the rights.

However, Ye Qing was not concerned about the payment. She was more concerned about whether the film adaptation would distort her portrayal of Li Qiu.

So, she had a detailed discussion with the director about her writing process, including the core ideas and original intentions behind the book, as well as her views and understanding of the character Li Qiu.

The director was a perceptive person and quickly understood Ye Qing's concerns. He immediately assured her that he would respect the character's original setting, striving to enhance and dimensionalize the character based on the original work, and would definitely not make any drastic changes.

With this assurance, Ye Qing felt comfortable handing over her book for filming.

By the end of July of the same year, the Jicheng Education Department personally called Ye Qing, inviting her to attend the Science and Education Conference in Jicheng. Ye Qing's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly realized something. Indeed, this science and education symposium was divided into two venues: one for scientific research development and one for educational reconstruction. Many researchers, senior professors, and prominent scholars from across the country were invited to share their thoughts.

The symposium lasted for half a month, essentially setting the main tone. The current national situation was critical; we were far behind other countries. If we didn't strive to catch up, we might never catch up. Therefore, it was necessary to provide opportunities for educated youth to realize their dreams and showcase their talents, and also give them the courage to strive and change their destinies.

On the last day of the symposium, Ye Qing received a notice from the Education Department, inviting her to stay in Jicheng to participate in the compilation of medical school textbooks.

Ye Qing walked out of the venue holding the invitation and coincidentally met Qiao Youqing, who had been transferred back to Jicheng, and Han Yabo, who had become the head of a research institute in Shanghai. Both of them were holding the same invitation. The three of them met and couldn't help but smile at each other, their faces filled with unprecedented anticipation and joy.

Yes, how could they not be joyful and expectant? The college entrance examination was about to be restored! The dawn was on the horizon, the dragon was about to awaken, and a prosperous era was approaching. So, let's boldly move forward, not forgetting the hardships of the past, bravely stepping forward from the beginning. Ahead lies light and a splendid future, no need to look back, just move forward bravely!

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