CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74 HAVING A BACKER IN THE VILLAGE

Gong Baotong finished speaking to his mother and hurriedly introduced Yunyi, "Comrade Chu, this is my mother."

Zhao Guihua immediately grasped Yunyi’s hand. "Chu Zhiqing, I really can’t thank you enough. Uh, at noon—no, it might be too late by noon. You must come to our house for dinner tonight."

Yunyi felt somewhat uncomfortable being held like this. "Auntie, there’s no need. It was just a trivial effort on my part."

Fearing Zhao Guihua might say more, Yunyi quickly interjected, "Comrade Xie is already frail. You should hurry home and let her rest."

Hearing this and seeing her daughter-in-law’s haggard face, Zhao Guihua was indeed very worried. "Chu Zhiqing, it may be a mere gesture to you, but to us, it’s a life-saving grace. You must come to Auntie’s house for dinner tonight."

Worried that Yunyi would refuse, Zhao Guihua quickly took her daughter-in-law’s arm. "Juanzi, let’s go. Mom will help you home."

Zhao Guihua was genuinely grateful to Yunyi. Her third son had previously been a soldier, and he and his wife had spent more time apart than together. After several years of marriage, they had been unable to have children.

Only after he was assigned a job following his military service did he bring his wife over. Just when they finally had a child, it almost ended in tragedy. She had practically been scared to death when her son told her the story earlier.

Comrade Chu saved her daughter-in-law, which naturally made her a benefactor of the Gong Family. Thinking of the incident that morning, Zhao Guihua declared, "Comrade Chu, from now on, you are a benefactor to the Gong Family. If anyone dares to bully you, the Gong Family will be the first to not stand for it."

Though Gong Baotong had no idea what had happened, he knew his mother’s character well and agreed with her words. "Comrade Chu, you must come to our house for dinner tonight. It’s the least we can do to show our gratitude."

Yunyi understood their feelings, but she disliked trouble and didn’t want to cause any for others. "I appreciate your kind sentiments, but I am currently observing filial mourning, so it’s inconvenient for me to make visits. I will definitely visit your home in the future.

It’s the middle of the day, and the sun is harsh. You should hurry and take Comrade Xie back to rest. In her current condition, she cannot withstand the heat and needs to avoid heatstroke."

Zhao Guihua, seeing how well-mannered Yunyi was, liked her even more. "Alright then, come visit Auntie’s house when it’s convenient for you, and I will make you something delicious."

They were all perceptive people, and after exchanging a few more pleasantries, they went their separate ways.

After walking a distance, Geng Erhong asked, "So, you know medicine?"

Yunyi responded vaguely, "My grandfather and my mother are both doctors, so I understand a bit as well."

The original owner’s background was also quite good; there were ready explanations for medical skills and physical abilities, which really pleased her.

They parted ways at the crossroads. Yunyi then remembered she hadn’t yet asked the Branch Secretary about the vegetable plot. Since there were no vegetables at home, she changed direction.

She was wondering whether to ask a random family for some vegetables or to approach the Branch Secretary’s family when she saw the Branch Secretary walking towards her with his hands clasped behind his back.

Yunyi quickly approached. "Uncle Branch Secretary?"

The Branch Secretary recognized her. "Chu Zhiqing, what are you doing standing around here?"

Not wanting to delay his lunch, Yunyi got straight to the point. "Uncle Branch Secretary, there’s a vegetable plot in front of the small courtyard. Was it left behind by some previous Zhiqing? It seems to have been untended for a long time."

The Branch Secretary immediately understood. "Yes, that plot of land belonged to Jiao Zhiqing and Yan Zhiqing. No one has taken care of it since they left, and the vegetables there should have been picked by the people from the Zhiqing Point already.

Since you’ve rented that house, discuss it with Liu Zhiqing. See if you both want to farm it together or if you’d prefer to have separate plots next year.

For now, just go in and pick whatever vegetables you need. I’ll have a word with the people from the Zhiqing Point later. After all, they’ve only picked vegetables and haven’t maintained the plot."