"Hey, Uncle Huang, what’s wrong with you?"
My second uncle helped Huang Jingtian, who was kneeling on the ground, to stand up.
Tears stread down his old face; he was considered one of the old-tirs in the village.
And he was also the father of Huang Dequan and Huang Defa.
"Village chief, my second and third sons... went up the mountain to seek treasure. This morning, soone saw them lying unconscious at the foot of La Gu Mountain. They’ve been brought back, but they’re half-dead... Why is my fate so harsh? My eldest was crushed to death in the coal mine, and now the second and third have turned into fools. How am I supposed to live now?"
Huang Jingtian sat on the ground, wailing loudly.
Yet his pitiful state did not elicit sympathy from those around him.
"This is called karma!"
Xu Fengxian pursed her lips and let out a cold snort.
"It’s not that retribution doesn’t co, it’s just waiting for the right ti; now it’s finally here."
Jiufeng also wore a contemptuous expression, and the attitude of most won in the village was surprisingly consistent.
This Huang Jingtian is just no good. Not a single woman in the village hasn’t been chatted up uselessly by him.
Knocking on widows’ doors late at night, spying on young wives at the toilet, these things happened as regularly as als.
His own wife was literally driven to her death by him.
As for his eldest son, it wasn’t during work in the mine that he had an accident, but while trying to steal from below.
They knew he had stolen the wooden beam, which led to the collapse.
Yet even so, Huang Jingtian still took his two sons to make trouble at their door.
The other side was a private coal mine, unwilling to stir up trouble, and even compensated him with one hundred thousand yuan.
Once they had the money, the three of them imdiately squandered it on eating, drinking, visiting brothels, and gambling.
Even his own child’s funeral was handled carelessly, and the guests’ offerings were collected before burying him.
No one paid respects during holidays either.
"Alright, Old Huang, I’ll ask Yifan to take a look at your sons later."
Being the village head, my second uncle knew how rotten he was, but he couldn’t ignore it either.
He had to pretend to agree for Lin Yifan.
"We’re a poor family. Where would we get money to treat them? Village chief, you must do a favor and scrape up so dical expenses. I only have these two sons left to care for in my old age. My body is getting worse every day. Just show so rcy, please."
Before Lin Yifan could respond, Huang Jingtian started begging for money right there.
"If your body’s not well, you need to exercise more. As for the dical expenses, no need to gather; if it’s not a big issue, I won’t charge you."
Lin Yifan ca over with a frosty look.
The brothers had been missing for an entire day and night; he was curious what their condition was like now.
Anyway, Little Niu’s funeral matters were being handled by my second uncle.
"Follow then?"
Surprisingly, upon hearing Lin Yifan wouldn’t charge, Huang Jingtian looked quite displeased.
But he had no choice; he could only get up and walk toward his ho.
"Are you really going to treat them?"
Jiufeng was naturally aware of the situation inside out and hurried to catch up, asking in a lowered voice.
"I’m just going to take a look; what about my mom though?"
Of course, Lin Yifan wasn’t naive.
If he managed to cure them, and they rembered, wouldn’t that ruin him?
Besides, Huang Jingtian had a face full of karmic debt, who knows how much evil he’s done.
A crooked leader results in crooked followers; otherwise, how could he have produced such worthless sons?
"Mom got up earlier than , and the basket at ho is missing, so she probably went up the mountain again."
Jiufeng replied with a bitter smile.
She couldn’t find her mother since early morning.
"Worked all her life, now with a healthy body she can’t sit idle, so let it be so exercise. If my mom cos back, be sure to let know."
After speaking, Lin Yifan followed Huang Jingtian into the village.
And at this point, Xu Fengxian also took the opportunity to chat with the village won.
Upon hearing that Lin Yifan was willing to buy herbal dicine at three tis the price, everyone’s eyes lit up.
"That’s quite a lot of money. Normally I can make over ten thousand; if I put so effort in, we could make fifty to sixty thousand in a year."
"Exactly, Taoyuan Village is a place of abundant talent. Didn’t I say why would a university graduate stay here?"
"Isn’t he tricking us?"
"Think about it, Lin Yifan drives a car worth millions, would he fuss over your small change?"
"Did you hear? If anyone mixes herbs from other villages, he absolutely won’t buy them. Whoever dares ruin our business, don’t bla for going all out!"
"What else needs saying? Quickly head up the mountain. We have only a few days left, better make so money for the holidays!"
As expected, once the news spread, the whole village was stirred.
Most families in Taoyuan Village rely on corn, and ten acres barely bring in a hundred thousand yuan.
Therefore, young adults often choose to work in the city. Though tiring, the monthly inco vastly outpaces corporate white-collars.
The won at ho, aside from occasional weeding and spraying, mostly take care of the elders and children.
Mountain foraging is their only chance to supplent household inco.
If it truly were triple the inco, it would significantly improve living conditions in the village.
Watching the now enthusiastic won banding together to go herb gathering, Xu Fengxian and Jiufeng couldn’t help but smile.
Indeed, Lin Yifan was right; this price is enough to drive them wild.
......
Huang Jingtian’s ho was rundown.
The yard piled high with junk, slling of urine.
Ever since his wife died, there hasn’t been a single woman at ho.
Looking at the house about to collapse, Lin Yifan couldn’t help but sneer.
It’s just barely better than Liu the Sixth’s ho.
"The boys are in the room lying down. Whoever did this, if I find out, I’ll definitely skin them alive."
Huang Jingtian cursed as he entered the house, pointing at the two brothers lying on the heated bed.
At this mont, Huang Defa and Huang Dequan stared blankly, drool dripping.
Occasionally giggling foolishly, as if they had lost their souls.
Their clothes had long been torn by the mountain shrubs and branches.
"I’ll check their pulse."
Lin Yifan sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed Huang Dequan’s wrist.
From his dark, blackened brow, Lin Yifan knew all too well that they were missing three souls taken by a fox.
With incomplete souls, they’d end up muddle-headed like he once was.
"Yifan, you said you were stupid for three years before you got better; will they also take that long?"
Huang Jingtian looked at Lin Yifan and asked.
"I lost my intelligence due to severe head trauma; theirs is unhard. They might have hysteria, an illness hard to treat, almost impossible to recover from. But with attentive care, eating won’t be an issue."
After withdrawing his hand, Lin Yifan spoke coldly.
Confirming they truly were foolish, he felt at ease.
"How could that be? How can I take care of them; how did I end up with such useless offspring? If I had married, I could at least have so company."
Upon hearing this, Huang Jingtian stomped his feet and clenched his chest.
"I’ll prescribe a couple of dications soon. Go fetch them and brew them for them to drink. They have a calming effect. But these clothes don’t seem to be torn by branches; do you know how they got ruined?"
Lin Yifan’s attention was focused on Huang Defa’s arm.
On the sleeve of his clothing, a long gash ran across, resembling a cut by a blade.
"How could I know what those two brats did? But hey, Yifan, you’re already grown up; do you still not have a girlfriend?"
Unexpectedly, Huang Jingtian brushed it off and pulled Lin Yifan’s arm.
"I have a fine young lady; why don’t you beco my son-in-law?"
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