Ointment 

“That’s complete nonsense!” The Liu family members looked as if their secrets had been exposed. 

“Don’t think you can just say whatever you want because you’re Captain Lin’s daughter!” Liu’s daughter-in-law rushed over, almost poking Lin Miaoyin’s face with her fingers. 

Lin Miaoyin stepped back in disgust and sneered, “I’m not making things up. Everyone can see what you’ve been doing.” 

The people around also frowned and thought, and actually felt that Lin Miaoyin’s guess was quite correct. 

Old Man Liu has three sons, and they had separated a long time ago. After Old Man Liu became paralyzed last year, his sons were supposed to take turns caring for him. But in these hard times, when even feeding oneself was a struggle, none of them wanted to provide for a disable person. They kept passing the responsibility around, and it was only when the Secretary stepped in that an arrangement was finally settled. 

Yet conflicts continued, with fights and arguments happening frequently. Everyone pitied Old Man Liu—he was so skinny and always in daze, a truly pitiful sight. 

If Old Man Liu died inside the house in the end, it would really be troublesome and very unlucky. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if he were carried out and died outside; given the way the Liu family handles things, they could really do it. 

And now they even claimed that they were taking him to the health clinic? That was unbelievable. His family was so poor that they normally wouldn’t even send their kids to the clinic when they had a cold or fever. How could they be willing to send Old Man Liu there? 

Secretary Li, who happened to hear the news, also arrived at this time. 

Secretary Li is about the same age as Old Man Liu. He came holding a cloth umbrella, with his son alongside him. 

Now, the rain has become much gentler, with only a drizzle remaining.  

“What’s going on here, Liu family? Leaving your father out in the rain like this?” 

Secretary Li, who had received a university education and held traditional views, was upset by the lack of filial respect. 

Father Lin is in charge of production, while Secretary Li is in charge of politics. In addition, Secretary Li is much more serious than Father Lin, and he was sent by the government, not elected by the people, so people in the team are more afraid of him. 

As soon as Secretary Li arrived, the Liu family’s attitude weakened considerably. Father Lin briefly and clearly explained the situation to him. 

Secretary Li, after a pause, asked Zhu Wanqin, “Comrade Zhu, are you sure Old Liu passed away shortly after you left?” 

Zhu Wanqin replied, “That’s how it seems to me.” 

Secretary Li was silent and thought about it, then went to ask the Liu family questions. 

Seeing that everyone’s attention was on Secretary Li and the Liu family, Lin Miaoyin turned to look at Meng Yuanzheng, only to find that someone had already gone to comfort him before her. 

Zhu Wanqin, aren’t you the female protagonist? Wake up; your true love is still working in a small coal mine on the back mountain! You’ve got the wrong person! 

“Meng Yuanzheng, I heard that you were injured, so I brought you some medicine.” Zhu Yuanzheng took out a tube of ointment from her coat pocket, stood beside Meng Yuanzheng, held an umbrella to cover his head, and handed the ointment to him with a delicate hand. 

Meng Yuanzheng was lazy and spoiled since childhood. After being beaten and left in the rain for so long, he bent down and supported his knees with his hands as soon as the two men let go of him. 

He unexpectedly waved his hand and refused. 

Zhu Wanqin was a bit surprised and pressed her lips together. “I see you’re seriously injured, but the clinic is closed now, so you should put on some medicine.” 

“No need, thank you.” Meng Yuanzheng stood up and saw a woman walking over and taking the ointment from Zhu Wanqin’s hand. 

Lin Miaoyin smiled and said, “I heard that Zhu Wanqin came from the city. This medicine must be expensive. We can’t just take it for free. So, we will buy it from you. I’ll bring you the money to your place tomorrow.” 

Zhu Wanqin quickly said, “No, no need, it’s just a tube of ointment. I have plenty more, and besides, Meng Yuanzheng helped me carry my bags today.” She glanced gratefully at Meng Yuanzheng. 

However, Meng Yuanzheng was looking down at the wound on his arm and didn’t notice it at all. 

Lin Miaoyin felt a bit confused. What wrong with this female protagonist? Didn’t the original novel say that Zhu Wanqin avoided Meng Yuanzheng like the plague and always gave him the cold shoulder? Meanwhile, Meng Yuanzheng, driven by his desire for the unattainable, eagerly pursued her, unaware of her indifference. 

How come Zhu Wanqin was now very affectionate with Meng Yuanzheng, while he acted as if he didn’t know her and didn’t want to talk to her. 

Did she remember the main character’s name wrong? Was Zhu Wanqin actually the educated youth who fell in love with Meng Yuanzheng and opposed the female protagonist? 

Meanwhile, Secretary Li had already figured out the situation on his end.  

Although he was serious and traditional, he was smart and had a commanding presence. With Lin Miaoyin and Zhu Wanqin analyzing the situation and breaking through the Liu family’s defenses, it didn’t take long for him to uncover the truth. 

It turned out that Old Man Liu had been struggling to hold on since the morning. He was groaning on the kang and kept complaining about chest pain, saying that he was breathing out more than he was breathing in. 

But instead of helping him, the three sons of the Liu family gathered to discuss the funeral arrangements. None of them wanted their father to die in their home or bear the costs of the funeral. However, if they skipped the funeral, the villagers would criticize them. 

After arguing for a long time without any result, Old Man Liu suddenly had an attack and looked like he was about to die. They didn’t care about anything else. They couldn’t let him die in their own home; his room would become uninhabitable. So, they planned to carry him to the back mountain and let him die outside. 

They had only taken a few steps when they saw two educated youths coming towards them from afar. An idea immediately came to their minds: if they could pin the blame for Old Man Liu’s death on someone else, they could at least extort the money for his funeral. 

So they slowed down and anxiously asked for help, “Help! Father, how are you? Please don’t let anything happen to you!” 

As for these educated youths from the city, they heard that they were all honest and liked to stand out, especially someone like Meng Yuanzheng, who was eager to show off in front of female comrades. 

As expected, Meng Yuanzheng took the initiative to go forward to check on Old Man Liu, put him on the ground, and pressed on his chest. 

At that moment, Old Man Liu seemed to improve slightly, his breathing became more stable. The Liu family was displeased; it looked like their father wasn’t dying anymore. They immediately stopped Meng Yuanzheng, pretended to be in a hurry to go to the clinic, and carried the man away. 

Meng Yuanzheng followed them out of kindness. They originally wanted to find a way to kill Old Man Liu and put the blame on Meng Yuanzheng, but Meng Yuanzheng kept following them. Fortunately, Old Man Liu couldn’t hold on and died, which was exactly what they wanted. 

So, when they reached the clinic, in a crowded place that drew attention, they beat Meng Yuanzheng and dragged him to the Lin family to demand an explanation. 

Who would have known that these two women, Lin Miaoyin and Zhu Wanqin, actually knew so much and could see through their thoughts? 

The remaining issues were left for Secretary Li and Father Lin to resolve, while the others went back home. 

“Thank you, Comrade Zhu.” Although Lin Miaoyin was unwilling, she had to maintain appearances and reluctantly supported Meng Yuanzheng. 

Zhu Wanqin gently replied, “It’s just a small favor. Besides, Meng Yuanzheng is always ready to help others, and good people deserve to be rewarded. I also know that the people can see through any bad intentions. So, I followed my heart and testified. I admire Brother Meng for his character and can’t stand to see him treated unfairly.” 

Good! Well said, you are indeed a genuine educated youth! 

Lin Miaoyin maintained a smile on her face and nudged Meng Yuanzheng with her elbow, “Aren’t you going to thank her?” 

Meng Yuanzheng raised his eyelids and said dryly, “I already said it earlier.” 

Lin Miaoyin “…” 

Zhu Wanqin’s expression stiffened slightly, then she smiled, “It’s getting late. You should go home and rest. Don’t forget to take your medicine and drink ginger soup to avoid getting sick. If you need more ointment, feel free to come to me.”  

After Zhu Wanqin left, Lin Miaoyin always felt something was strange, but she couldn’t tell what was wrong. 

Authors Note: 

Lin Miaoyin: Speak! What did you two do behind my back!? 🤨 

Meng Yuanzheng: I also want to know. 🥺 

Zhu Wanqin: Because Brother Meng is both handsome and helpful, I really admire him~ 🥰