Chapter 197. Collective Illness

Since the group had already left, Wang Qian had nothing else to do. She gathered a basket of grass from the ditch and cheerfully headed back home. Today was indeed a day of gains, and she felt elated. The items in her storage space would likely be worth a lot in the future, providing her with financial security.

Seeing her return in high spirits, Hao Lianchun teased her with a smile, “Qianqian, why are you so happy? Did you find some money?” The old lady knew her too well; the only thing that could make this girl so happy was money.

Wang Qian couldn’t reveal that she had found gold and silver ingots, so she just smiled and replied, “Grandma Zuo, money isn’t that easy to come by. Even my brother and the others don’t make much from selling scrap every day. Money isn’t easy to earn.”

As they were talking, Zuo He and the others rushed in, sweating profusely. “Grandma, give us some water to drink. It’s too hot today.”

The five boys ran in, their undershirts soaked with sweat. Hao Lianchun quickly brought towels for them to wipe off the sweat and cautioned, “Take it slow, don’t choke.”

Mingcheng handed the money they had earned to the old lady and said, “Grandma Zuo, this is the money we made today. We’re going to the river to bathe later. Don’t lose it.”

Mingcheng and the others dragged Wang Qian along to the river to help watch over their clothes on the riverbank. They were worried about clothes getting lost in the river, as there were a few unscrupulous individuals in the village, including their uncle, Wang Dehong, who often engaged in such activities.

During their bath, Mingcheng and the others had brought spare shorts, so they weren’t completely naked. Wang Qian, sitting in the shade, didn’t mind.

While bathing, Zuo Yu’s eyes were fixed on the sunflowers growing on the mountaintop. He had been there during the pollination process and now wanted to eat some sunflower seeds.

“Bro, look, the sunflowers are ripe. Shall we pick some to taste?” Zuo Yu suggested to the others.

Even Zuo Hao had been eager to eat them. He looked around and, seeing no one nearby, gestured to Mingcheng, indicating they should go up the mountain.

Normally, Mingcheng would have hesitated, but he couldn’t resist Zuo Hao’s persuasion. Seeing that there was no one around, he nodded. The group, still in their wet shorts, emerged from the water and ran to the mountainside. Mingyuan and Zuo He kept watch, while the others reached into the ground to pluck the sunflower heads.

Wang Qian noticed the group coming out and, not understanding what was happening, followed the direction the children were running in, realizing what they were up to.

However, stealing from the collective farm was not a good idea. Wang Qian was worried they might get caught and began to carefully monitor the surroundings. Fortunately, the cornfields provided some cover, and no one noticed their actions.

Sunflower heads are tough, and Zuo Yu struggled to remove one. Meanwhile, Mingcheng had already managed to get two. Zuo Hao and Zuo Yu quickly gathered two more and urged Zuo He and the others to leave.

As they stealthily returned, Zuo He handed a sunflower head to Wang Qian, saying, “Qianqian, you sit and enjoy this. We need to bathe again.”

Wang Qian smiled as she accepted the sunflower head, removed the petals, and slowly tasted the densely packed seeds. After removing the first seed, the rest were easy to extract from the honeycomb-like receptacle.

Wang Qian leaned against the tree trunk, leisurely cracking sunflower seeds. A few kids in the river were half-lying in the water, also munching on sunflower seeds while playing around. They had already finished bathing and were now just enjoying the water.

The ground at Wang Qian’s feet was covered with sunflower seed shells, but she kept half of them to take home for her elder sister. The others in the river brought the remaining sunflower heads to the riverbank for her to hold while they went fishing in the water.

As they returned home, the sky darkened. Hao Lianchun saw the fish her grandson was carrying. She picked out the larger ones to make fish soup and had Mingyuan take the smaller ones to feed the ducks.

For dinner, they had stewed potatoes and green beans, generously coated with oil. The pot was surrounded by a circle of golden brown flatbreads, making it all look very appetizing.

“Grandma, we want to eat potatoes,” Zuo Yu said, seeing the glistening potatoes in the pot, making his mouth water.

Wang Xuan brought out a few chopsticks, skewering two large potatoes on each and distributed them to the children to sit in the courtyard and gnaw on.

Wang Qian handed the sunflower seeds they had brought back to Wang Xuan. “Sister, these are for you. We stole them from the mountain this afternoon. They’re delicious.”

Wang Xuan happily took one to taste and said with a smile, “They are indeed delicious. After dinner, we’ll sit down and enjoy these.”

“Here.”

The communal meal at the Wang family was delicious, and with many people dining together, even those who had little appetite in the summer would find themselves eager to eat when they saw the spread. After Mingyuan and a few others finished gnawing on two large potatoes, they were already half full. A bit of fish soup and a piece of pancake would pretty much complete their meal.

Zhang Lan brought out a basin of washed tomatoes and cucumbers, serving them as post-dinner fruits. Everyone took one and leisurely chewed on them.

On this midsummer night, the old grandpas in the house, having finished dinner, took Mingcheng and a few others out for a stroll.

After dinner, Wang Juan brought her children to sit for a while. Not seeing Wang Zhenhai, Wang Zhenhe casually asked, “Sister-in-law, where’s my elder brother? Why isn’t he coming over for a chat? What’s the point of staying at home on such a hot day? Coming out for a walk would help beat the heat.”

Wang Juan pursed her lips. “Your elder brother was called away by your mother. Heard that Wang Zhenguo fell ill. Why would your elder brother find Old Ye to go and see him? Also, I heard this afternoon that someone in our village fell ill. How did they all fall sick at the same time?”

Wang Juan’s words were casual, but Wang Qian, listening on the side, began to feel uneasy. Wang Zhenguo had just finished digging someone else’s grave, and now he was sick. Could it be some kind of curse? Even though she thought this, she kept quiet. Some things were better left unsaid, and she preferred not to bring up the topic.

“Oh, by the way, Third brother, I heard Fourth Brother went to dig up someone’s ancestral grave this afternoon with a group of people. Could it be…” She didn’t dare finish the sentence. It wasn’t quite appropriate to say that word at this moment, but everyone present knew what she meant even without saying it.

Wang Zhenhe went out to work in the afternoon and had no idea about Wang Zhenguo’s recent activities. Upon hearing his sister-in-law’s words, he furrowed his brow. “This rascal, never seen him do anything good. Serves him right this time. Thinks he’s invincible. Any news from my elder brother?”

Wang Zhenhe wasn’t heartless to the extent of being indifferent to everything. After all, that was his own brother. Wang Zhenguo could be ruthless, but he couldn’t be so heartless himself.

Wang Juan continued to divulge, “Your elder brother hasn’t returned yet. I don’t know what’s going on, but I heard they dug up quite a few things in the afternoon. I heard there were even gold coins. Even if Wang Zhenguo is sick, he hasn’t suffered any loss. With that much gold, have you seen him share it with any of us? That kind of person deserves it. Greed always leads to trouble.”

Wang Juan didn’t have any good feelings toward Wang Zhenguo. Despite her title as the elder sister-in-law, she had no regard for this younger brother-in-law. If he was in trouble, she didn’t feel an ounce of pity.

Zhang Lan shared the same sentiment as Wang Juan, but she kept quiet. She was tired of addressing Wang Zhenguo’s faults. She kept everything in her heart and glanced at her husband beside her, feeling a sense of understanding. After all, they were blood brothers.

Wang Qian also noticed Wang Zhenhe’s expression, but if Wang Zhenhe didn’t respond this way, he wouldn’t be himself.

While the family was in conversation, Wang Zhenhai approached.

 “Elder brother, how’s Fourth brother? They didn’t say what illness he has, did they?”

Seeing the worried look on his younger brother’s face, Wang Zhenhai could only shake his head helplessly. ” Ye Zhiqiu didn’t figure out what illness it is. Gave him a fever-reducing shot. He’s been delirious with fever, was fine during the day, don’t know what happened. When I came back, Ye Zhiqiu had someone call him away again.”

Wang Zhenhai’s words further validated the suspicions in the minds of Wang Qian and the others. Something fishy was definitely going on with Wang Zhenguo; otherwise, the people with him wouldn’t all fall ill.

Wang Zhenhe was concerned, but even if he went to see, it wouldn’t make a difference. If Ye Zhiqiu, who was more knowledgeable, couldn’t figure out the illness, he, as an outsider, wouldn’t be able to either.

The next day, word quietly spread in the village about Wang Zhenguo and the others falling ill. Yesterday, Ye Zhiqiu had given them all shots, but none of them were getting better. In fact, their conditions were worsening. According to Wang Juan, Wang Zhenguo’s face was getting darker, almost turning blue. The situation was growing increasingly severe.

Wang Qian felt a secret satisfaction. It was good to give such a villain a lesson. Digging up someone’s ancestral grave was extremely immoral. Even if they had to dig, they should have shown respect. Not only did they trample on the deceased, but they also disturbed the peace of all those years. Giving them a bit of a lesson was just the beginning. Considering what they did, not planting poison or hidden weapons in their graves was already an act of benevolence.

Seeing his son deteriorating day by day, Zhu Qiyu was too frightened to linger at home. He had Wang Zhenjiang and his brother arrange for a cart to take him to the clinic for a check-up. However, the doctor’s unexpected diagnosis left them perplexed. There wasn’t a major illness, and they couldn’t explain the current condition of the patients. There was no way to treat it. Helpless, Zhu Qiyu had to bring his son back home.

Ma Fenqing, pregnant, couldn’t help but shed tears when she saw her husband’s condition.

“Mom, you have to think of a way. Everyone else’s condition is similar to Zhenguo’s. I went to see Second Laizi. Both of them are in the same state.”