Looking at the villagers who had gathered around him, anxiously asking questions, Old Zhang sighed. “Everyone, I’m sorry. I’m not a veterinarian. From what I can see, the pigs’ problems seem to be in their digestive system, but as for the exact cause, I’m afraid I can’t figure it out.”

Old Zhang’s medical skills were average at best. He usually handled minor, common ailments for the villagers.

If there were any serious issues, he would recommend going to the county hospital.

Now, being asked to diagnose pigs—a completely different field—it was no surprise he couldn’t figure it out.

But the villagers found this hard to accept.

“Oh no, even Old Zhang can’t figure it out. What should we do now?”

“Yeah, the pigs don’t look good. I’m afraid they’ll die if we don’t treat them soon.”

“Our village doesn’t have a veterinarian, and neither does the county. I’ve heard there’s one in Xihai County, though.”

“Then we need to hurry and call them!”

“Ah Zhou, you go and call them.” Gu’s father knew that since this was his wife’s responsibility, their family had to handle it.

He immediately called for his third son, Gu Yunzhou, to go to Xihai County and fetch the veterinarian.

Just then, a woman’s voice suddenly rang out.

“There’s no need to go. I can treat them.”

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then turned their eyes toward the source of the voice.

When they saw who it was, the once clear and pleasant voice suddenly felt grating to their ears.

Qin Zhaodi, upon seeing who it was, felt a surge of joy and was the first to speak up.

“Ning girl, what are you causing trouble for now? Even Old Zhang can’t figure it out. How can you treat them? Don’t think that just because you’ve studied for a couple of years at a technical school, you’ve become some kind of miracle doctor.”

“And you’re stopping us from calling a veterinarian? What, do you want to watch these pigs die?”

“Then I’m really curious—how did these pigs get sick in the first place?”

Qin Zhaodi’s words were highly suggestive, making it sound as if the Gu family wanted the pigs to die.

“That’s right, Comrade Gu Jianing, are you just stalling for time? Waiting for these pigs to die?” Zhao Weihong, who had always been jealous of Gu Jianing, also stepped forward to stand by Qin Zhaodi’s side.

The villagers followed suit, one after another.

“Yeah, what’s going on with your Gu family? Do you want to just stand by and watch these pigs die?”

“Ning girl, we know you’re a top student who studied at a technical school, but studying and actually treating illnesses are two different things.”

“Village chief, hurry up and let Ah Zhou go call the veterinarian. We can’t let Ning girl mess around like this.”

Gu Jianing was indeed a medical nursing student at a technical school, and in the village, she was considered a top student. But no one had ever heard of her treating anyone before.

On top of that, Gu Jianing had caused quite a few incidents in the village before.

In the villagers’ minds, Gu Jianing had earned herself a reputation for being unreliable, which was why they were now siding with Qin Zhaodi.

“Qin Zhaodi, you’re spewing nonsense! Are you trying to get my daughter killed?”

Yao Chunhua let out a loud cry and lunged at Qin Zhaodi, slapping her across the face.

“Ah! Yao Chunhua, you hit me!”

“So what if I hit you? How dare you talk about my daughter like that! My daughter is kind enough to want to treat the pigs, and you’re out here throwing dirt on her name. I’ll slap you to death!”

To Yao Chunhua, her daughter was her treasure, and no one was allowed to speak ill of her.

Yao Chunhua believed that her daughter was only trying to treat the pigs for her sake.

After all, her daughter had initially been so scared that she hid behind her.

For her daughter to bravely step forward now, it must be for her, her mother.

Her daughter was so kind-hearted—how could she let others slander her like this?

As Yao Chunhua and Qin Zhaodi were about to start tearing into each other, the villagers quickly stepped in to stop them.

Qin Zhaodi continued to shout, “Yao Chunhua, if you let your daughter treat them, what happens if the pigs die? Can you compensate for that?”

“We’ll compensate if we have to!” Yao Chunhua gritted her teeth and agreed.

“Fine, then go ahead and treat them.”

Qin Zhaodi stopped struggling and crossed her arms, looking like she was ready to enjoy the show.

Only then did Yao Chunhua realize that she had impulsively agreed to Qin Zhaodi’s demand, but she didn’t regret it.

She turned to Gu Jianing and said, “Ningning, just go ahead and treat them with confidence. Your mother has your back.”

“Ningning, we’re here too.”

The rest of the Gu family also voiced their support, especially Gu’s father, who stepped forward and patted his daughter’s shoulder. “Ningning, if you’re confident, go ahead and give it a try. Don’t worry, no matter the outcome, your father is here.”

Gu Yunnan and Gu Yunzhou also looked at Gu Jianing with encouragement in their eyes.

The Gu family’s attitude was clear: Go ahead and treat them. No matter what happens, we’ll handle it.

Seeing her family’s unwavering trust and support, Gu Jianing felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

She thought of her foolishness and mistakes in her past life, and her guilt deepened. Never again—this lifetime, she would never repeat those mistakes.

This lifetime, her family was her bottom line. She wouldn’t allow anyone to harm them.

Suppressing the sadness in her heart, Gu Jianing resolutely entered the pigpen.

Gu Jianing was known for being fastidious about cleanliness. Her mother usually cleaned and washed the pigpen regularly.

But no matter how much it was cleaned, it was still a place where pigs lived. Especially now, with the pigs having diarrhea, the ground was covered in yellow, blood-streaked feces.

Gu Jianing frowned.

However, perhaps because she had just encountered a similar situation in the divine doctor’s space, she remained relatively calm.

In the past, she might not have even set foot in such a place.

As Gu Jianing’s mother, Yao Chunhua knew her daughter’s fastidious nature all too well.

Now, standing beside her daughter, she also stepped inside, making sure her daughter didn’t come into contact with any of the filth in the pigpen.

The fact that Gu Jianing dared to enter the pigpen also surprised the villagers.

After all, Gu Jianing was famous in Huaihua Village. Initially, she was known for her beauty—her delicate, pure yet alluring appearance was unmatched, not just in the surrounding villages but even in the city.

Later, she became known for her finickiness and her tendency to cause trouble.

The fastidious and troublesome Gu Jianing, with her stunning looks, had many young men smitten with her.

But the older generation didn’t like her. She couldn’t do heavy labor, had her own ideas, and had a way of making men obey her. Such a daughter-in-law or granddaughter-in-law wasn’t to their liking.

The pigpen seemed completely out of place for someone like Gu Jianing.

And yet, here she was, stepping inside without hesitation.

It had to be said, this changed the villagers’ perception of her somewhat.

Wen Zhuqing, standing in the crowd, looked at the girl in the pigpen, his brow slightly furrowed, his eyes filled with complex thoughts. No one could tell what he was thinking.

“Hmph, so what if she went in? Does she really think she can cure these pigs? She’s just wasting time,” Zhao Weihong muttered, rolling her eyes.

Gu Jianing’s entry was mostly symbolic. The divine doctor’s space had already analyzed the pigs’ condition.

But she still had to go in—she couldn’t just claim she could treat them without even looking.

However, her entry had another purpose.