The world of film and television begins with the God of Medicine.

Chapter 1475 Separation
There are only a few directions to leave the city. It was already past noon, and the people who had come to the county town for the market were all leaving to go back before dark.

With such a lively scene at Wang Yan's place, people passing by on their way back would inevitably stop to take a look.

Fortunately, Wang Yan acted swiftly and had already taken all the money from these people. By the time the crowd gathered around, he had already left with the bewildered Lao Liu and the others.

Only a dozen or so local thugs remained, lying on the ground clutching their arms, grimacing and crying out in pain. They felt no regret for their misdeeds, only a deep hatred for Wang Yan.

The group quickly walked a distance away, and only slowed down when no one was around.

Yu Ming, panting heavily, asked, "Brother Yan, will everything be alright?"

"What can happen?"

Before Wang Yan could speak, Li Kuiyong answered first, "We acted in self-defense. Those petty thieves must have been on the wanted list. Losing an arm means less trouble, and nobody wants to deal with them. Judging from their arrogant attitude, they must care about their reputation. They probably won't go to the police to solve the problem, otherwise, how would they live on the streets in the future?"
Besides, if we really mess with Brother Yan, do you think those bastards will be any better off after we get out? You should have heard how good Brother Yan is at fighting; what can these few bastards amount to?"

At this moment, Old Liu interjected and asked, "Wang Zhizhu, judging from what you're saying, you've practiced martial arts and are quite famous in the capital?"

"Hey, I have indeed practiced a few farming tricks, just for health and fitness. As for my reputation..." Wang Yan shook his head and chuckled, "Brother Liu, you don't need to worry that I'm some kind of troublemaker. It's probably like today's situation: you know, if a thief steals my things and I catch him, should I make him return my money?"

"should!"

"You said he not only refused to pay me back, but also threatened me, saying I didn't know the rules, so I beat him up. Was that right or wrong?"

"They deserve to be beaten to death!"

"Okay, so tell me, after I beat one up, a bunch of them showed up, brandishing knives and guns, trying to kill me. Should I just beat them all up?"

"Absolutely right! These people are a menace, a cancer that undermines the achievements of the revolution, and they should all be killed!"

Wang Yan nodded repeatedly: "Brother, you're absolutely right. It's the same whether you're in the capital or here. It's just that there are a lot more of these damned people in the capital. Why did I, a perfectly good second-level carpenter at a furniture factory, end up here? It's because I injured someone, and they had no right to complain. They even framed me, and I had no choice but to come."

Without waiting for Lao Liu and the others to understand, he immediately changed the subject, "Brother Lao Liu, I had mutton soup and stew for lunch, and it was just so-so. I can cook better than them. What do you think about our brigade setting up a side business stall and selling it in the county market?"

"No way." Old Liu shook his head without hesitation. "To make mutton soup, you first need sheep. Not to mention mutton, you need offal. Our brigade has 176 sheep, that's a count. 76 sheep belong to our brigade, and 100 belong to the commune. We can't just slaughter these sheep ourselves; they're all public property, not a single wool can be touched."

Even if we were allowed to slaughter them, how much offal could a few sheep possibly produce? Look at how well those people do in their side businesses; that's because they can get offal and bones from the county slaughterhouse. As long as they can get meat, even if they don't have great skills, as long as it doesn't taste bad, people will buy it.”

Wang Yan looked like he suddenly understood: "Then how could they possibly get their hands on it?"

"They said they had relatives there, otherwise why would they have given the meat to them? Why can't the slaughterhouse set up its own stall? Who doesn't want more money?"

“Brother Liu is right,” Wang Yan said with a smile. “Then I’ll look into it again and try to make some money.”

"I'm not trying to criticize you, Wang Yan, but you can try to make money, but don't be so extravagant. You haven't even earned any yet, and you've already spent it all. Our brigade has had a terrible harvest every year, and everyone's starving and struggling to survive. If you had money and ration coupons, you could have a few more decent meals. Think about the long term."

"Yes, Brother Liu is doing this for my own good." Wang Yan laughed heartily. "I'll treat you to drinks next time. Oh, look, the light is just right. Come on, Brother Liu, Fourth Brother, stand like this, hey, that's right, a little too far apart, one in front and one behind, have a laugh, laugh out loud. Dayong, you two hide behind me, you city vagrants, you're lowering the image of us farmers."

……

Click! Wang Yan pressed the shutter, capturing the scene before him.

In the scene, behind Lao Liu and the others is an endless expanse of yellow earth. The four men stand in a way that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, carrying loads on shoulder poles, their faces beaming with joy, an upward momentum, and the strength of men...

They chatted and laughed all the way, and after eating and drinking their fill, the journey of several dozen miles became much easier. Around four o'clock, Wang Yan and the others arrived at Linping, a place with water.

At this moment, the scene here is just as lively as it was this morning. There are still so many people; adults are queuing to fetch water and chatting, while the children of Linping are jumping and playing nearby, making a ruckus—kids always love a good laugh. A donkey pulls its cart, occasionally braying a few times to add to the merriment.

Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, Wang Yan kept taking pictures, becoming a spectacle for the enthusiastic crowd. Whoever was captured in the lens had a radiant smile.

The children gathered around, curiously observing the novelty, and some of the bolder ones even asked a lot of questions.

It was around this time that Li Kuiyong started promoting Wang Yan. He said she was an educated youth from Beijing, living in Baidian Village. She was skilled in carpentry, and her products were exported to earn foreign exchange. She was also a good cook, capable of preparing elaborate dishes for banquets, and could cook for all corners of the country…

This certainly boosted Wang Yan's fame to a certain extent. Not to mention, Wang Yan has a camera around his neck, a watch on his wrist, a clean and fair face, and a good set of teeth when he smiles. He seems to be living a very comfortable life.

However, there's absolutely no one who would ask Wang Yan to help make furniture or cook a banquet. After all, whatever kind of work you do here, you can find a regular person from all around. They're usually family members who have been doing this for generations, so regardless of how well they do it, they're definitely good, and you know them very well.

Wang Yan doesn't really have much of a competitive edge here. There are people who want him to take photos for them, but that's relatively rare, and photography is a skill in itself; manually taking a properly exposed photo requires a certain level of expertise. Another issue is the price—more expensive than a watch. In this county, only the government's propaganda officer has that kind of service.

People can't take photos for others all day long, so Wang Yan seized this opportunity. The public has a need for photos, so he took on a few jobs to take a family portrait for them before the New Year.

While chatting and laughing with the villagers who were also fetching water, listening to all sorts of friendly greetings, Wang Yan and his two companions lined up and got their water.

Seeing Li Kuiyong and Yu Ming struggling, Wang Yan said to Lao Liu, "Brother, you two go back first, we're not in a hurry. Our door isn't locked, you can put the things I bought inside. There's a kang table on the floor in the other room, it's probably dry by now, you can take it back. Just tell me if you want to do anything else next time."

"It's getting dark and the road is hard to spot. There are wolves too. Let's go back together, even if it's slower." Old Liu was very considerate and worried about the safety of Wang Yan and the others.

"No need, I know the way. As for wolves, if there are wolves, I'll just have another wolfskin coat, and we can taste what wolf meat is like. Go back quickly, brothers, your families are waiting for you. Don't let your wives worry. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

However, Lao Liu was really worried, so he sent the other four people back first, while he stayed behind to keep Wang Yan and the others company.

"Ouch, I feel like this weighs at least a hundred pounds." Yu Ming wobbled as he carried the carrying pole, complaining incessantly, "I've only walked a few steps, and my shoulders are already chafed raw, not to mention I've spilled a lot of water."

Li Kuiyong said irritably, "Can you even do math? There's already a lot of water spilled, how could it weigh a hundred pounds?" He was also walking unsteadily, swaying from side to side.

It's not difficult to find a balance point when carrying a shoulder pole. But the challenge lies in carrying nearly 80 or 90 pounds while trudging along a mountain path, making it hard to maintain balance and stay stable.

"Wang Yan is amazing, he holds it even more steadily than I do." Old Liu walked slowly, looking at Wang Yan who even had his hands tucked into his sleeves.

"Hey, it's not that I'm stable, I'm just stronger than the two of them. With more strength, I have more energy left, so it's obviously easier."

"Cultural people are just different; they can spout profound truths the moment they open their mouths," Old Liu said, as was his usual way of praising them.

"Practice makes perfect, and truths are proven through action. What are we here for? To receive re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants. We still have a lot to learn from you, Brother Liu." Wang Yan smiled and returned the compliment, making Old Liu laugh heartily and say that Wang Yan was very eloquent...

This ten-mile mountain road was probably the most difficult road Li Kuiyong and Yu Ming had ever traveled in their lives; the second most difficult road was the previous eighty-plus miles...

After a difficult journey, they finally made it back to their hideout. By then, Li Kuiyong and his companion had each brought back about one bucket of water, for a total of four buckets. They handed over two buckets to Huang Tudi on the way back.

Wang Yan did indeed return with two buckets, practically without spilling a drop. Water has surface tension, and he possessed the agility to lift them with ease. However, it was clear that neither Lao Liu nor the others noticed.

When they returned to the former residence of the educated youth, it was already completely dark. Wang Yan and the others groped their way into the house, lit candles, and poured water into the water vat.

Old Liu also unloaded his carrying pole and took out a whole bunch of things that Wang Yan had bought.

Wang Yan poured water into the water vat and picked up the kang table that was leaning against the wall on the ground: "Brother Liu, take a look and see if it suits your taste."

"Goodness gracious, Wang Yan, this is truly amazing!" Old Liu's eyes widened as he examined the table by candlelight. "This is the kind of craftsmanship used to earn foreign exchange by selling to foreigners? Wow, incredible! I never imagined I'd have such a fine thing in my family. Wang Yan, you've really put me in a difficult position. With this kang table in my room, what will I look like with the other cabinets? Hahaha..."

"Then you should collect more wood. I'm free, so I'll replace all the cabinets in your room. You can bring me the ones you don't need."

"How could we afford to replace it? Look at our bare land, it's hard to find good wood. But your craftsmanship is really good. Next time the commune has a meeting, I'll take this table over so everyone can see it. You'll probably be too busy to handle it then."

"It's a good thing that we're too busy. I see there are quite a few young men my age in our brigade. Let them all come and learn. If we make good furniture, it can be a side business, and everyone will definitely be able to go hungry."

"Hurrah……"

Old Liu's mouth watered at the thought of that scene. He exchanged a few playful words with Wang Yan and then went home with light steps...

At this moment, the female educated youth also came over.

"What's the county town like? Is it fun?" Qin Ling asked curiously.

Li Kuiyong and Yu Ming were too exhausted to speak. They gulped down ice-cold water and sat there panting heavily.

Young and energetic, these are minor issues. Wang Yan didn't pay attention to the two of them and replied to Qin Ling with a smile: "It's alright, quite lively. You'll get used to it after you travel around a bit more. Come and check it out during the Spring Festival. I heard there will be some events in the county town then, it'll be very lively. I've sent out all your letters, not a single one was missed."

As they spoke, Wang Yan unwrapped the rock candy and handed one to each person. "Have a sweet treat, everyone. You're probably feeling pretty annoyed, right? It's okay, you'll feel better eventually."

"Wow, you're really rich! I'm tempted to rob you of your wealth." Tian Fang chuckled as she chewed on a piece of rock candy, the candy making a crisp sound as it hit her teeth, accompanied by the slurping sound of saliva.

This statement was widely accepted by the female educated youth, and for a time, the women were all very affectionate.

Li Kuiyong asked, "Have you cooked? Hurry up and get something to eat, we're starving."

"Yes, yes, yes, we know you're all exhausted, it's still warm." Tian Fang and the others went back and brought out a basin containing stewed potatoes, cornbread, a few boiled sweet potatoes, and pickled vegetables.

Wang Yan sensed it for a moment, nodded, turned around and started a fire. The three of them ate together, telling the female educated youth about the situation in the county town while they ate. They also mentioned that the village behind the mountain was only a few dozen meters away, but it was actually dozens of miles away.

As they talked, they finished their meal, and the room warmed up, but the female educated youth still showed no sign of leaving.

"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Li Kuiyong noticed the hesitation of the female educated youth. "If you have something to say, just say it. We're all on the same side, there's nothing we can't talk about."

The female educated youth looked at each other, and finally Qin Ling was pushed forward to speak: "Well... we calculated the food today and felt that if we continued to eat like this, it definitely wouldn't be enough. We thought we should save some food if we could. It just so happens that there are three rooms for us, so we divided it into three portions. From now on, the people in our own rooms can cook for themselves. Otherwise, if so many of us eat together without end, we will all go hungry in the end."

Li Kuiyong and Yu Ming both turned their attention to Wang Yan.

Wang Yan was busy making tea in a clay pot. He had specially asked someone for charcoal and made a small red clay stove, planning to relax after the meal.

He nodded without hesitation: "Sure, the three of us can really eat a lot. You guys are definitely at a disadvantage coming with us."

"Hey, don't say that. It's not that we think you three eat a lot, it's just that without food distribution, we're really having a hard time. I didn't understand before, how could you not know the cost of firewood and rice when you're not in charge of the household? Now I understand, we've been eating four days' worth of food plus half a day's worth in two days."

After we divide it up, everyone can save a little. And if we really run out, we'll help each other out. We're all comrades in arms, after all; we can't just stand by and watch others starve and suffer, can we?"

These were said by Tian Fang, and they were very sincere.

Li Kuiyong and Yu Ming naturally had no objections. Not to mention that they both listened to Wang Yan, even if they didn't, the seven female comrades had spoken, and the three male comrades couldn't very well insist on refusing...

　I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the kind readers who have given me generous support through tips, monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and those who have been reading quietly!

　　(End of this chapter)