Chapter 14

Gu Sui glanced at his watch—it was already noon. He stepped forward and knocked on the door.

When Dog Sheng saw him, he didn’t act the same way he did with Yang Guozhu, daring to step forward. Instead, he immediately bared his teeth and barked.

After knocking three times, Gu Sui called out, “Guan Yue, it’s noon, what do you want to eat?”

Yang Guozhu and Zhou Baohe stood there, their eyes fixed on the door.

There was no response, so Gu Sui said again, “Didn’t you say you wanted hotpot? It’s cool in the mountains today, hotpot would be perfect.”

Finally, the door opened, and Guan Yue called Gu Sui inside.

Once Gu Sui entered, the door slammed shut with a bang.

Zhou Baohe quietly asked Yang Guozhu, “What exactly happened? This grandma won’t be angry and want to leave, right?”

Previously, although Guan Yue was not fond of interacting with people, as long as you approached politely, she wouldn’t really chase you away.

But today was different.

Yang Guozhu thought of Cai Guofu, and at that moment, he was unsure as well.

Gu Sui rolled up his sleeves, preparing to go to the kitchen to cook. He asked, “What dried vegetables do you have at home?”

Gu Sui said, “Huanghua, black fungus, and mushrooms can be soaked first. If there’s yam, potatoes, or lotus root slices, even better. We don’t have lotus root on the mountain, but any other vegetables will work.”

Guan Yue smacked her lips, recalling the crisp texture of lotus root slices. It would definitely taste great in hotpot.

Guan Yue asked, “Is there no meat?”

Gu Sui smiled. “There’s a small piece of cured meat in the kitchen that someone gave us.”

“I want fish balls. I’ll go catch one in the creek.”

“Go ahead. If you can’t catch one, it’s no big deal. When the weather cools down, and the meat can be stored, I’ll ask someone to bring some beef and lamb. That would be great for hotpot.”

Guan Yue’s mouth watered!

She remembered seeing wild sheep deep in the mountains. She wondered if they would taste good.

Gu Sui said, “I’ve never eaten wild sheep either; maybe wild sheep have a stronger mutton smell?”

Guan Yue decisively said, “Next time I see one, I’ll bring it back. You can make me lamb hotpot.”

“Alright, I can also make you lamb soup then. When my grandparents were still alive, they used to say that every winter solstice, when the coldest day came, a bowl of lamb soup would keep you warm for the whole winter.”

Guan Yue sarcastically replied, “Isn’t that just like eating Tang Seng’s meat?”

Guan Yue and Gu Sui were talking in the yard, but Yang Guozhu and Zhou Baohe outside the door could hear everything clearly.

They thought about it, and seeing how Gu Sui and Guan Yue were chatting and laughing about food, it seemed like her mood wasn’t too bad. She probably hadn’t been offended too much.

Guan Yue opened the door, didn’t even glance at them, and turned to head towards the creek to catch fish.

Once she had gone far, Yang Guozhu called out to Gu Sui.

Gu Sui, who was washing vegetables with his hands wet, walked out. “Captain, I think you should head back first. Guan Yue’s character isn’t something that can be fixed with just a light apology from you.”

Gu Sui said indifferently, “Besides, the person who made the mistake hasn’t even come to apologize in person. Do you think this is appropriate?”

Yang Guozhu and Zhou Baohe exchanged a glance and agreed that they should head back for now.

Yang Guozhu seriously said to Gu Sui, “Gu Sui, those kids don’t know any better. You’ve got to help us and speak a good word for us. If Guan Yue needs anything, just let me know, and I’ll get it for you.”

“Right, right, we’ll go back and properly discipline those little rascals.”

Guan Yue returned, holding a fish. The people who had been standing outside her door were now gone.

Gu Sui stood by her side: “When you do something wrong, you have to pay the price.”

Guan Yue didn’t care: “In the future, we just won’t associate anymore.”

She was insightful, and with the assistance of her abilities, she no longer needed as many patients to practice acupuncture. The more people there were on the mountain, the more troublesome it became for her.

Gu Sui silently sighed. He had originally wanted to take her down the mountain to interact more with people from the outside, but with the scene today, this little girl would surely be too frustrated to want to go down again.

Gu Sui took the fish from her hand. “I’ll make fish balls. You go see if there’s anything else you want to eat. Anything will do for the hotpot.”

“I want the wide noodles your parents sent last time.”

“Then soak some.”

“Okay!” Guan Yue happily went inside to find the wide noodles.

She didn’t care at all about the people down the mountain. She had avenged her grievance on the spot, and now her mind was only focused on the delicious food.

While Guan Yue and Gu Sui were enjoying hotpot on the mountain, things were quite different down below.

Wu Min’s home was quiet, with no noise coming from outside. She hadn’t even gone to see a doctor for her injured hand.

At Yang Guozhu’s house, Yang Xiaomei was severely beaten by her father, and her cries were so loud that the neighbors could hear them.

Zhang Cuihua grumbled, “These troublemakers should never be allowed to rest. Every time they have free time, they stir up trouble.”

Li Da said, “Don’t worry about them. My sister and Guan Yue are close. Our family definitely has medicine for this.”

Zhang Cuihua ignored her foolish son and told him to go stoke the fire.

Li Tao worriedly asked his mother, “Do you think Guan Yue will leave?”

“I don’t know.”

The Educated Youth was pointing at that direction. Wang Lu had a blank expression, while Fang Jie seemed a little worried about being isolated. Qingxi Village protected its own people, and she feared they might place the blame for offending Guan Yue on her.

Lin Haiyin couldn’t stand Fang Jie and said bluntly, “What time is it, Fang Jie? Isn’t it your turn to cook today?”

Fang Jie retorted, “I’m not cooking. If you want to eat, cook it yourself!”

Lin Haiyin sneered, “What, feeling guilty? If you had known this would happen, why bother in the first place? Tsk, your mouth is as foul as a latrine. All day long, you’ve earned hardly any work points, haven’t even managed to hook up with any rich guy, and you spend your time stirring up trouble with that filthy mouth of yours. People like you deserve to be kicked out!”

Wang Lu, who had been subtly mocked, suddenly stood up, looking down at Lin Haiyin. “Don’t foolishly stand on some moral high ground judging others. You have no right, and you can’t bear the consequences. This is the first and last time I’ll advise you: mind your own business.”

Lin Haiyin had clashed with Fang Jie countless times, and it wasn’t the first time she had insulted Fang Jie as Wang Lu’s lackey. In the past, Wang Lu would pretend to be the good one, trying to mediate both sides. But today, seeing Wang Lu explode in anger for the first time, was different.

Lin Haiyin snorted, “Want to get back at me? I’ll wait.”

Wang Lu left, and Lin Haiyin followed, leaving Fang Jie alone in the yard.

A while later, Liu Kai returned. “Why haven’t you started cooking yet?”

Fang Jie, irritated, shouted, “If you want food, go cook it yourself.”

“What’s wrong with you? Did you swallow a bomb? Where are Wang Lu and Lin Haiyin?”

In that moment, an idea flashed through Fang Jie’s mind. She turned to Liu Kai and asked, “Want to go back to the city? If you do, help Wang Lu with something.”

“Help with what?”

They had been in the countryside for almost six months now. Letters from home mentioned that unemployed youth from the city were being sent down to the countryside, making it difficult for ordinary people to return. Liu Kai wasn’t lacking in money or rations, but if there was a way, he would naturally want to go back to the city.

Fang Jie glanced around and said, “No rush. Let’s talk inside.”

It seemed like the conflict had ended, but in reality, it hadn’t.

Yang Xiaomei had hurt her leg and was beaten. Since she was his own daughter, Yang Guozhu asked Gu Sui to help tend to her injury.

As a doctor, Gu Sui couldn’t refuse to treat her. He only said, “The medicine for promoting blood circulation and resolving bruises is from Guan Yue.”

Yang Guozhu’s face turned red with embarrassment.

Yang Xiaomei was seething with indignation. “It’s just some medicine. What, do I need to kneel and thank her for her kindness?”

At the He Wen family in Qingsong Brigade, upon hearing about the conflict on Daqing Mountain that day, He Wen’s mother quickly thanked their ancestors for their protection. She recalled how Wu Min had almost become He Wen’s fiancée. A woman like that was someone the He family couldn’t afford to mess with.

He Wen’s mother instructed her son, “Make sure you visit your future mother-in-law’s house more often, help out with some work when you can.”

“Got it, mom.”

Not far from the He family, at the Guo family, things were quite different.

Guo Chuanbin was the youngest in the family, with two older brothers and one older sister. His parents had tightened their belts and even borrowed money to send their most capable eldest sister to high school. After graduating from high school, she found a job in the county town and married a man from the city.

In the following years, after his eldest sister settled down, she managed to bring both of her brothers to the city for work. Although they were only temporary workers, it was still quite an accomplishment.

Of the four siblings, Guo Chuanbin was the only one still living in Qingsong Brigade. People were already talking, saying that Guo Chuanbin would definitely end up going to the city too.

Guo Chuanbin was in a relationship with Yang Xiaomei, and originally, his family was supportive of the match. After all, Yang Guozhu was the deputy leader of Qingsong Brigade, the top official of Qingxi Village, and handled the local exchange of medicinal pills with Dr. Xu. He was a respected figure in the area, and his daughter seemed like a decent person.

However, the events on Daqing Mountain had left Guo Chuanbin’s parents dissatisfied.

“Yang Xiaomei is so shallow. If your eldest sister really takes you to the city, who knows how many people she’ll offend or how much trouble she’ll cause.”

“After all, she’s Yang Guozhu’s daughter. We can’t just call off the engagement like that.”

“Hmph, it’s just a relationship, not an engagement. What’s so hard about calling it off?”

Guo Chuanbin scratched his head. “Xiaomei is usually fine. This time was just an accident.”

“Before, it was just that she pretended well. Breaking off the engagement is a big deal. Your father and I can’t make up our minds. We’ll wait for your eldest sister and brothers to come back for the New Year, and then we’ll discuss it together. For now, stay away from Qingxi Village, do you hear me?”

Guo Chuanbin reluctantly responded, “Okay.”

In the evening, as Gu Sui was leaving Yang Guozhu’s house to return to the Educated Youth station, the sky had already grown dark.

He vaguely saw two figures in the bamboo forest in front of the Educated Youth station, and could hear soft voices arguing.

Was it Wu Min’s voice?

Gu Sui stepped on a dried bamboo shoot shell, which made a crisp sound, startling the people ahead. The arguing immediately stopped.

As Gu Sui quickly walked past, he brushed shoulders with Wu Min, who had her head lowered. Gu Sui kept walking, and at the entrance of the Educated Youth station, he bumped into Wang Lu, who had just returned and had not yet entered the house.

Wang Lu opened her mouth, as if to greet Gu Sui, but he coldly nodded, turned, and entered the house without saying a word.

That night, Yang Xiaomei, possibly due to the shock, developed a high fever. Yang Guozhu rummaged through the cabinet, eventually finding the last pill for fever and forcing it into Yang Xiaomei’s mouth.

Her mother anxiously stomped her feet. “What a sin!”

Yang Xiaomei’s sister-in-law couldn’t sleep either. She sat up on the bed and nudged her husband awake. “Your sister! This time, she’s lost both her face and her reputation. If she hadn’t already found a fiancé, her reputation would be ruined. It would be hard for her to marry now.”

The man, irritated, turned over. “Can’t you hope for some good things for Xiaomei, as her sister-in-law? Go to sleep, we’ve got to butcher pigs tomorrow, we’re busy.”

Yang Guozhu was also thinking about the pig slaughter. He planned to visit the Li family first thing in the morning, asking Li Tao for help. He wanted to take Xiaomei and Wu Min’s girl up the mountain to apologize, bring some good meat as a gift, and say a few kind words. They couldn’t just cut off ties with Guan Yue like that.

But Guan Yue didn’t care about their meat. She had found the wild mountain goats in the mountains and was planning to go catch some tomorrow.