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Chapter 399. A Happy Family

Jiang Jianxin stared at the green leaves carved on the shrine and murmured:
"Is it... the god of blue leaves?"

The woman nodded. She wasn't a doctor, nor did she believe in the Blue Leaf God. She said roughly:
"My mother-in-law said that the Green Leaf God can bless them to practice medicine smoothly and also allow them to live."

"Here, people call the doctor Grandma Qingye, Uncle Qingye, or Sister Qingye."

In this world, the noble and commoner districts are clearly separated, and sculptors, due to their expertise in the carving industry, often receive orders for carving sacred images.

Although she was a commoner, she frequently came into contact with nobles and lived in the gray area between commoners and nobles, thus being able to see the differences between the two classes.

For an ordinary person to achieve her status is already a remarkable achievement, an elite among thousands.

Jiang Jianxin didn't respond to her. She stared at the shrine, wanting to ask a lot of questions, but didn't know where to begin.

—Why do these doctors worship Aoba-no-Kami?
—It would be strange if a doctor didn't have faith in him after his third time practicing medicine and helping the world.

Jiang Jianxin remained silent for a long time before finally stammering:

"That's it..."

"Are you here waiting to see a doctor?"

The woman in gray smiled and pointed to the bubbling medicine stove inside the room, saying:
"I've finished reading it and am waiting for the medicine to be decocted."

As a commoner who could navigate the ranks of nobles with ease, this sculptor was clearly eloquent.

Granny Qingye led the little girl into the inner room, which was hidden behind a curtain, to treat her, while Jiang Jianxin sat side by side with the sculptor in the outer room to wait.

The latter spoke softly of many customs and observations among ordinary people.

Jiang Jianxin listened quietly, and the two talked in hushed tones for about fifteen minutes before the door of the shed was suddenly pushed open again.

Accompanied by the sound of a cold wind howling, a man poked his head in and called softly:

"Grant?"

The sculptor stood up and, with a smile, introduced the work to Jiang Jianxin:

"This is my lover."

The two then moved closer and began to talk in hushed tones, their words and actions revealing a natural intimacy.

Since the apocalypse, Jiang Jianxin has rarely seen couples like this. Perhaps due to the pressure of survival, or perhaps due to the changes in people's hearts, she has seen too many people walking alone in the post-apocalyptic world. The once intense emotion of love seems to have faded along with the world.

And at this moment, she saw the two people together once again. She saw the focused tenderness in the man's eyes, and she also saw the equally bright light in the woman's eyes.

In the early days of the apocalypse, she often couldn't distinguish between genuine and feigned affection in love. But now, looking at this couple, she suddenly realized for the first time with such clarity—true love is something you can see.

When they spoke close to each other, their smiles were exceptionally gentle, as if they had created a small, warm world around them that was difficult for others to enter.

Jiang Jianxin rested her chin on her hand and quietly looked at them.

Watching others' sweet romance?

Intuition asked in my mind.

Seeing strangers happy warms my heart.

Jiang Jianxin clutched his heart and thought.

Okay, don't just stare at the couple, listen to what they're saying.

The answer, truth, is clearly devoid of emotion, reminded Jiang Jianxin.

Jiang Jianxin listened intently; the man was saying something:
"Recently... the Rose Group is acquiring... yes... we need to go to the Geographical Society..."

The sound was intermittent, and Jiang Jianxin could only catch some words, one of which sounded somewhat familiar.

[Geographical Society?]

Jiang Jianxin had no one else to ask, so he could only rely on his intuition. [How did the Geographical Society get involved with the Rose Group?]

Her memory of the Geographical Society was still based on Xu Huan's will, which had been posted on a forum long ago.

After his death, he bequeathed most of his assets to the geography community, which eventually led to the establishment of the Geographical Society and the support of numerous geography professionals.

This organization is not even a prominent force. Since its establishment, it has been quietly engaged in drawing world maps and has done a lot of practical things for everyone.

Because it was too normal and not sensational enough, it generated less buzz in the news.

[You haven't been checking the news lately, have you? There's a report about it on the Ping An Forum. The Rose Group has partnered with the Geographical Society; the former has offered to sponsor the latter, planning to open a branch of the Geographical Society in another world.]

Intuition slowly revealed itself.

Jiang Jianxin hissed.

She has been browsing the news lately, but she hasn't come across this one.

The reason is simple: her current forum account is in an algorithm-free state. This prevents her from becoming a "cocoon" and allows her to see the overall picture of public opinion more comprehensively. However, it also leads to a massive influx of information, causing her to be constantly bombarded by the information flow and miss important information.

Why is the Rose Group suddenly partnering with the Geographical Society?

Jiang Jianxin frowned and asked.

Based on her understanding of Jun Yunqi, the latter was not a person who liked to do charity, so his sudden offer to help the Geographical Society expand the influence of geography free of charge was a very unusual move.

Jun Yunqi is merely a decision-maker, not the operator.

The answer was truth.

The Rose Group's most capable strategist is a financier.

Jiang Jianxin was unfamiliar with this financier's methods. She paused to think for a moment, then, taking advantage of a lull in the young couple's conversation, she braced herself and asked:

"Excuse me, I just overheard you saying... Rose Group is acquiring something at a high price?"

Grant turned his head and explained in a friendly manner:
"It happened recently. A friend of mine unexpectedly received 300 gold coins yesterday because a stone belonging to his family was bought back by the Rose Group at a high price."

"The reason for the high price paid for the stone was simply that a saint had once rested on it."

She continued, adding:

"Now everyone is frantically searching their homes for anything related to faith so they can exchange it for money at the Rose Group."

"It's unbelievable that such a stone could sell for such an astronomical price."

The man next to Grant continued, saying:
"Yes, but to exchange the sacred objects for money, you have to go to the branch of the Geographical Society sponsored by the Rose Group. However, a new branch is also being built in this area recently."

He pointed outside and said:

"Many transport trucks drove by on the road. When I arrived, I saw that the frame of the house was almost finished. Maybe it will be completed in a few days."

Jiang Jianxin heard the heavy sound of a truck driving across the road outside.

The dull thud of tires rolling over gravel and the deep vibrations of the engine came through the plastic panel.

Hearing all this, she felt a strong sense of unease.

Unlike any previous encounters where a hint of something was amiss, this sense of incongruity was masked by the ordinariness of daily life.

It lies buried deep within the folds of life, completely enveloped by the steaming heat of the breakfast stalls, the creaking sound of neighbors opening doors, and all the mundane aspects of daily life.

Something seems very wrong.

Or perhaps I'm just overthinking it.

The final chapter is being written!