The village dam, a lifeline for the community, required constant vigilance, with someone checking it every few days. Xu Jiangmin, with his overly confident demeanor, had eagerly taken on this responsibility. It was an easy job, and it came with valuable work points. Almost all the people under his charge for these inspections were his own relatives. This latest incident, however, made Xu Jiangmin the undeniable villain.
“Mom, how will Vice Captain Xu be punished?” Xu Ying asked, her voice tinged with a mix of anger and disgust. She had never encountered such a shameless person—so clearly corrupt, harboring such malicious intent, yet always seeking to frame others. If this village were left to him, it would surely crumble.
Mother Xu shook her head. “The leader said the commune director would make the final decision. But mark my words, Xu Jiangmin’s punishment will be severe. Otherwise, the villagers, who were already unhappy about him putting all his relatives in positions, will definitely stir up trouble. They’re all waiting for him to get what he deserves.”
Xu Ying nodded in agreement.
Mother Xu then turned to her eldest son, her expression serious. “You must do your job well, with absolute integrity. No selfishness, no letting down the masses, and certainly no compromising your little sister. If I ever find out you’re not learning well and bring trouble to your little sister, I will personally stop you.”
Big Brother Xu quickly shook his head, earnestness in his eyes. “Mom, what are you saying? I would never do such a thing, let alone implicate my little sister.” Mother Xu’s face softened with satisfaction.
Xu Ying then recounted her sister-in-law’s condition, and Brother Xu was stunned. “It won’t happen again, will it? She just fainted, just like that. It’s truly terrifying. Is there no way to cure her?”
Xu Ying simply shook her head. Sister-in-law Xu, however, offered a comforting reassurance. “I’m fine on most days. It’s just that when I went to my mother’s house that day, I saw a figure, and it felt incredibly familiar. But thinking about it just brings on a headache, and the doctor said as long as I don’t think about it, I’ll be fine.”
Not daring to press her sister-in-law further, Xu Ying drew Mother Xu aside, into the house, and asked about her cousin’s wedding. “Mom, what happened with my cousin? How did he suffer a brain injury on his wedding day? And why was my sister-in-law also affected?”
Mother Xu’s expression tightened with anger at the mention of it. “It was that girl named Cheng. She was right next to your cousin when he fell. I suspect she caused his fall, but we have no evidence, so we had to suffer the injustice. Your cousin was getting married at the time, and that girl, infatuated with him, had chased him all the way from another county. She said she wanted a few words with him, pulled him aside, and then… that happened.” Mother Xu’s voice grew bitter. If it hadn’t been for that incident, Shengshun would have been an official by now, perhaps even a commune leader. “It’s all that girl’s fault! Why is she so shameless at such a young age? People are about to get married, and she still comes after him!”
“Another Cheng?” Xu Ying mused, a connection forming in her mind. Could this girl be related to her sister-in-law’s brother’s partner? Hearing Mother Xu’s account and recalling Sister-in-law Xu’s current state, Xu Ying suddenly felt that the matter was far from simple.
Xu Ying didn’t stay overnight at home; she wanted to avoid the miserable prospect of waking up early in the cold and enduring a long bike ride to work. After dinner, she mounted her bicycle and rode back to the county seat.
The first thing Xu Ying did upon entering her home in the county was to light the stove. Following Huo Chen’s instructions, a warm flame quickly came to life, filling the room with comforting heat. Xu Ying, shivering from the cold, waited until the room was truly warm before shedding her clothes and getting into bed.
Lying there, Xu Ying activated her system. “Tongzi,” she whispered, “is there anything that can remove the congestion in people’s brains?”
[Host, our mall has everything. You can search the drug column to find this medicine.]
Following the system’s guidance, Xu Ying quickly located the medication for brain congestion. However, a gasp escaped her lips when she saw the price. “Tongzi, you’re trying to rob me! A single pack costs 800 yuan!”
[Host, don’t underestimate our medicine. One pack will guarantee a cure. You’ve seen the current medical conditions; curing your sister-in-law’s illness is impossible without it. Don’t you want to know what truly happened on your cousin’s wedding day?]
The cunning system was practically threatening her. “Fine,” Xu Ying conceded, a hint of desperation in her voice. “Who makes me truly need it, and who makes me so poor?” She tried a flatter tone. “Tongzi, you know I’m short on cash. Give me a discount.”
The system, in its supreme arrogance, responded: [Host, our medicine cures diseases, uses rare materials, and will cause no harm to your little niece.] Xu Ying sighed dramatically. “Forget it, I’ll save money slowly. This matter isn’t urgent. I originally wanted to boost your performance and make you an excellent leader, but it seems you don’t want to earn this money. I guess I’m just being sentimental.”
Xu Ying feigned a heartbroken expression. The system, to her amusement, fell for it, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt. Its host was indeed very good. [Fine, a discount it is. Let’s make it 10% off.]
“Oh, forget it,” Xu Ying drawled, feigning indifference.
[Then 15% off?]
“That’s all,” Xu Ying mumbled weakly, stretching out on the bed.
The system seemed to grit its teeth for one final offer: [20% off is the absolute lowest. We cannot go lower.]
Xu Ying, satisfied with the negotiation, immediately accepted. “Okay, then let’s do it like that.” A certain system, upon hearing her agreement, inwardly rejoiced at the thought of earning hundreds more.
Xu Ying enjoyed a good night’s sleep. The next day, she dressed and ventured out into the cold winter air for work, a truly miserable experience. She longed to just lie down all day.
“Good morning, Yingying! I missed you so much!” Sun Lifang exclaimed, overjoyed to see her return. Though only two days had passed, Sun Lifang felt as if months had gone by. She immediately bounded towards Xu Ying. Gao Guihua, witnessing the scene, looked on with disgust.
Xu Ying, who genuinely missed her friend, hugged Sun Lifang warmly before turning to her tasks. Liu Guohua, having learned much, was now competent enough to handle the stove. Xu Ying’s first stop was a meat vendor, where she purchased a variety of fresh duck products, a little of each, planning to have the leader reimburse her. She intended to start selling duck products next week and needed to prepare in advance.
Carrying over ten kilograms of fresh duck products, Xu Ying strode towards the restaurant kitchen. Chef Ge, seeing her bounty, was filled with curiosity. “Are you planning to sell these today? I feel this small amount definitely won’t be enough.” Chef Ge had tasted the duck products before; they were sweet and spicy, utterly addictive. People who tried them surely craved more.
Xu Ying shook her head. “I won’t sell them today. I’ll start next Monday. The duck will arrive before then.” The longer the duck marinated, the more delicious it would become, so preparation before Monday was essential.
“What are you doing?” Chef Ge asked, his curiosity piqued.
Xu Ying smiled mysteriously. “You’ll find out later.”
“You’re still keeping secrets from me,” Chef Ge said with a laugh. Liu Guohua, too, looked on with curiosity.
Xu Ying began washing the duck and preparing it right there in the restaurant kitchen, not bothering to hide her process. It wasn’t until she pulled out a mesh bag containing various ingredients that Liu Guohua and the others finally understood. No wonder Xu Ying wasn’t being secretive; all the crucial elements of her recipe were already in that bag.