After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

Before Liu Fen and her son's two filthy figures had even disappeared at the alley entrance, village chief Wang Laocai arrived, panting heavily.

His wrinkled old face smiled like a dried chrysanthemum, showing no trace of the official arrogance he usually displayed when reprimanding people at the village office.

"Oh dear, Commander Gu! Dr. Ye! You've been frightened!" Old Wang rushed over in a flash, rubbing his hands on his trouser legs before carefully pulling out an unopened pack of "Da Qianmen" cigarettes from his pocket, tossing one out and handing it to him. "That Liu Fen is a troublemaker, she's not thinking straight. You two gentlemen are magnanimous, don't stoop to her level."

Ye Zhen quietly introduced the newcomer to Gu Zheng.

Gu Zheng didn't even lift his eyelids, nor did he accept the cigarette. He had heard that this old man Wang was no good either.

Wang Laocai's hand froze in mid-air, unsure whether to take it back or hand it over, cold sweat streaming down his temples. The villagers who had been peering around held their breath. This was the power of authority; the village chief, who usually acted like a local tyrant, couldn't even stand up straight in front of this young military officer.

"The village chief should keep this cigarette for himself."

Gu Zheng spoke calmly.

"Today is Zhenzhen and I returning to our parents' home, which should be a joyous occasion." Gu Zheng's gaze swept over the villagers craning their necks, and his voice suddenly rose, "But those two guys ruined our fun. We have to wash away this bad luck!"

Before he finished speaking, he pulled a thick wad of banknotes from his pocket.

That stack of gray-green "big unity" bills made the whole village's eyes widen! In those days, money and meat were the greatest status symbols!

"Smack."

The banknotes were slapped into Wang Laocai's hands.

"Village chief, run an errand and buy two fat pigs, twenty catties of White Rabbit candies, and fifty catties of sunflower seeds and peanuts! I'll treat the whole village to a feast this noon!"

After the deathly silence came cheers that could lift the roof off.

"atmosphere!"

"My goodness, two fat pigs! We've never eaten like this even during Chinese New Year!"

"This son-in-law of the Ye family must be a god of wealth descended to earth!"

The children were overjoyed to hear about White Rabbit milk candy and ran wildly all over the village. The villagers looked at Mr. and Mrs. Ye with the same warmth they felt for long-lost brothers.

……

Just past noon, the threshing ground was already bustling with noise.

Several large iron pots were placed on the earthen stove, and the pork belly cut into square pieces was rolling around in the pots. The rich, dark aroma of oil and soy sauce wafted into everyone's nostrils, making everyone's stomachs churn.

Gu Zheng was surrounded by Wang Laocai and several clan elders at the main table, while Ye's parents were also receiving toasts with beaming faces. Only Ye Zhen, holding her teacup, had her gaze fixed on a broken wooden table in the corner.

There sat an old man in a faded Zhongshan suit, a plate of peanuts in front of him, drinking his sorrows away with loose liquor. Ye Zhen asked someone nearby, and the man turned out to be Li Xuewen, the village's former headmaster.

The old man looked miserable as he watched the children scrambling for candy, sighing as he stood out from the lively atmosphere.

Ye Zhen put down her teacup and walked over.

"Uncle Li, why are you only drinking and not eating anything?"

Principal Li was startled and quickly stood up: "It's Da Ya... oh no, Dr. Ye. It's nothing, I just... feel a tightness in my chest."

He pointed to the children playing wildly not far away, his eyes reddening: "Look at these kids, so energetic. But those mud-brick houses at the school are about to collapse. In winter, the paper windows can't hold the wind, and the children's hands are so cold they can't hold a pen... I asked the village for money to repair the houses, but Old Wang said he didn't even have enough money for a piece of chalk in the account."

Principal Li sighed and downed his drink in one gulp: "Seeing this meat, I thought, if we could save half the money... we could use it to fix the kids' roof."

Ye Zhen's heart stirred slightly, and a thought surfaced in her mind.

She turned around and looked towards the main table, her gaze landing on her eldest brother, Ye Cheng, who had been silently eating with his head down. Since injuring his leg, her brother had become taciturn, feeling like a useless person. Even now, with Gu Zheng backing him up, the inferiority complex in his eyes still lingered like a thorn.

It is better to teach people how to fish than to teach people how to fish.

Ye Zhen walked back to the main table and gently tapped it.

At the tap, Gu Zheng immediately put down his chopsticks, and Wang Laocai, who had been toasting, quickly shut his mouth. All eyes in the room turned to him.

"Village Chief Wang, Principal Li just said that our primary school is going to collapse?" Ye Zhen's clear voice echoed throughout half of the threshing ground.

Old Wang rubbed his hands awkwardly and said, "Yes...it is a bit dilapidated, but the village is facing difficulties..."

"No matter how poor we are, we can't be poor in education; no matter how hard life is, we can't let our children suffer," Ye Zhen said calmly. "I'll pay for the school repairs."

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

"However—" Ye Zhen changed the subject, looking directly at Ye Cheng, "I'm not outsourcing this job. We should keep the profits within the family. I want my older brother, Ye Cheng, to lead the formation of a 'Black Mountain Village Construction Team' to take on this project."

All eyes immediately fixed on Ye Cheng.

Ye Cheng's hand trembled, and the fatty meat on his chopsticks fell onto the table. He looked up in a panic, his face turning a deep purplish-red, and instinctively pulled his injured leg under the table.

"Zhen...Zhenzhen, stop messing around." Ye Cheng's voice trembled, and he couldn't even lift his head. "My legs...I can barely walk, how can I be a foreman? Who's going to listen to me?"

Although the surrounding villagers didn't say it explicitly, their eyes betrayed their suspicion. What could a cripple do?

"That's right, young lady, your brother's legs..." Old Wang was just about to interject.

"Who says people with mobility issues can't accomplish great things?"

Gu Zheng suddenly spoke, leaning lazily back in his chair, peeling a peanut and tossing it into his mouth with a crunching sound. That nonchalant air carried an imposing pressure that left no room for argument.

"What we need are brains and commanders, not someone to carry heavy loads." Gu Zheng's gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Ye Cheng. "Brother, I think that patch of bluestone hills behind our village is good stuff."

The villagers looked at each other in bewilderment. That rocky hillside was unsuitable for growing crops and had been abandoned for years. What good was it?

Gu Zheng's lips curled into a smile as he lightly tapped his fingers on the table: "The army is building defense fortifications and desperately needs this kind of hard bluestone for the foundation. The material from regular quarries is expensive. Brother, if you can get a construction team together, building the school is a minor matter; take some men and quarry the stones from the back mountain..."

He paused, then dropped a bombshell: "I'll arrange the transport fleet. I'll handle the sales channels. We'll settle accounts by the ton, cash on delivery."

boom!

This was even more explosive than the ten thousand firecrackers from before.

Supplying materials to the military? All sales channels included? Cash payment?

This isn't chiseling stone, it's clearly digging for gold with a shovel!

The villagers' eyes instantly turned red, and their gazes towards Ye Cheng were no longer filled with disdain; instead, they were burning with obsequiousness! In this day and age, any job that connected you with the military was a secure, golden opportunity!

"Brother Cheng! I'm strong! I'll fight you!"

"Da Chengzi! Count me in! I have a big sledgehammer at home!"

"Brother Cheng, I'm going home to get the hook right now!"

Several strong young men immediately stood up with their wine bowls in hand, vying to toast Ye Cheng.

"Brother Cheng! Brother Cheng! I was the first one to lift the beam when the house was being built in our village, I'm got plenty of strength!"

"Go away, what's so great about your brute strength? Brother Cheng, my dad's a stonemason. I've been learning stone-working from him since I was a kid. I can tell what kind of stone is hard and what kind has patterns with my eyes closed!"

"Brother Cheng, drink up! I'll finish this bowl first! From now on, if there's any work at the quarry, just give me a call!"

Ye Cheng's hand gripping the cane trembled violently. Looking at Gu Zheng's encouraging eyes and then at Ye Zhen's determined gaze, the long-extinguished fire in his chest suddenly flared up like a bucket of hot oil being poured on it.

He's not useless! He can still accomplish great things!

"Alright! Cheers, everyone! This drink," he began, his voice slightly hoarse with excitement, yet every word clear, "I toast to everyone. I, Ye Cheng, am making this clear today: anyone who drinks with me, I guarantee you'll all get a piece of meat!"

The crowd cheered.

Just then, Second Uncle Ye Guofu, hunched over, crept to the main table, carrying a bamboo basket full of eggs. His honest face was full of shame: "Brother...Sister-in-law...that woman was ignorant, I...I apologize to you..."

Looking at his own brother, Ye's father's honest face was filled with struggle. He opened his mouth, let out a long sigh, and was about to say something polite.

"snort."

A cold snort rang out from the side.

Gu Zheng put down his chopsticks. He didn't look at Ye Guofu, but slowly wiped his fingers with a clean handkerchief, but the coldness he exuded made the surrounding temperature drop several degrees.

Just then, a pale white hand gently pressed on the back of his hand, the cool touch easing his breathing.

Ye Zhen looked at Ye Guofu, and the entire room fell silent instantly.

"Second Uncle," Ye Zhen said calmly, "Second Aunt is Second Aunt, one thing at a time."

Ye Guofu suddenly looked up, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Although Ye Zhu is rough, he's got some strength." Ye Zhen pointed to the back mountain. "Since Big Brother is forming a construction team, we're short-handed right now. Go back and tell Ye Zhu to report for duty tomorrow."

"What?" Ye Guofu was dumbfounded, and so were the people around him.

She doesn't hold a grudge at all? And she even gives him a job? Is this eldest daughter of the Ye family out of her mind, or is she a saintly Bodhisattva descended to earth?

"Work points will be recorded, wages will be paid, just like everyone else." Ye Zhen's tone shifted, becoming cold. "However, once you're in the team, you have to follow orders. If you dare to cause trouble, if you dare to disobey my elder brother's discipline—"

"Take him to the police station!" Gu Zheng said coldly from the side. He was toying with a wine glass in his hand, his posture was indescribably casual, but his words were laced with venom.

Ye Guofu trembled, then was so excited he almost knelt down: "Thank you, big girl! Thank you! I'll definitely keep an eye on that beast! If he dares to disobey, I'll break his legs!"

He really cried. Ye Zhen's move was brilliant! Not only did she not completely destroy the second wife's family, but she also gave her mentally challenged son a chance to eat.

Looking at the pretty young girl standing there, Old Wang felt a sense of awe for the first time: This eldest daughter of the Ye family is shrewd in using both kindness and severity!