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

The jeep, kicking up dust, sputtered and groaned as it climbed the newly widened dirt road in Heishan Village, like a tireless ox.

With the car window half-rolled down, the cold February wind carried the lingering scent of the New Year – the smell of gunpowder from firecrackers and the aroma of stew wafting from the wood-fired stove, all of which filled my nostrils.

"This road is easier to drive on than last time." Gu Zheng held the steering wheel with one hand, and with the other hand he naturally pulled up the collar of Ye Zhen's coat to cover her neck, which was a little white from the wind. "It seems that your quarry business is doing well, brother. You know the saying 'To get rich, build roads first.'"

Ye Zhen didn't dodge his hand; instead, she snuggled against his calloused hand like a lazy cat. Looking out the window at the rows of newly renovated courtyard walls, a slight smile played on her lips: "Big Brother is a very honest man; when he has money, he always prioritizes the village. Look at that school over there; they've already built a wall around it."

The car came to a smooth stop in front of the Ye family's house.

Before the fire was even turned off, the old dog named "Big Yellow" in the yard rushed out barking wildly, its tail wagging like a propeller. Immediately afterward, Mr. and Mrs. Ye pushed open the wooden door that had been freshly painted with tung oil, their smiles deepening the wrinkles on their faces compared to the skin of freshly steamed buns.

"Oh my! My eldest daughter! My son-in-law!" Mother Ye wiped her hands haphazardly on her apron, her eyes instantly reddening. "Didn't you say you were too busy with work to come back? The magpies were chirping on the branches this early in the morning, so I guessed something good was going to happen!"

Gu Zheng pushed open the car door, took a long stride, and his briskness, inherited from his time in the military, made the onlookers shrink back. He didn't put on airs, picked up the two woven bags from the trunk that weighed as much as half a pig, and then went to get the two cases of Moutai liquor.

"Mom, Zhenzhen wants to eat your sauerkraut dumplings. No matter how we make them in the city, they just don't taste the same." Gu Zheng's "Mom" came out so smoothly that it made Ye's mother's heart flutter with joy.

"Eat! We'll wrap it up right away! The meat is all ready!" Father Ye was a man of few words. He took the cigarette from Gu Zheng's hand, wanted to say something but didn't know how to start, so he could only chuckle awkwardly and usher him into the house.

Inside, a warm fire burned in the wall, and melon seeds and peanuts were laid out on the kang table. The comforting, homey atmosphere completely relaxed Ye Zhen's nerves, which had been tense for months. She took off her coat and was about to help her mother knead the dough when someone suddenly called out from outside the courtyard gate.

"Oh no! Something terrible has happened!"

"Men of the village, grab your weapons! Head to the quarry! The people from Dahe Village are here with their weapons, saying they're going to block our road!"

"What?!" The pipe in Mr. Ye's hand fell to the ground with a "thud." "They're bullying us right here at our doorstep!"

The newcomer was a boy, barely out of his teens, who had lost a shoe while running, his face turning a deep purplish-red. Ye Guoliang ran out of the courtyard gate and shouted, "Ergaizi, what did you just say?"

"Uncle Ye! People from Dahe Village are here looking for trouble and want to fight. I'm going back to the village to get reinforcements!"

"Where's Chengzi?"

"Brother Cheng is holding the line! But this time, about a hundred people from Dahe Village came, even the women are carrying shovels. That Zhao Shanhe said that if they don't give us an explanation today, he'll break Brother Cheng's legs again!"

Upon hearing the word "leg," Ye Zhen's originally gentle gaze suddenly turned cold, and her hands, which had been holding scalpels for years, lightly tapped the edge of the table with her fingertips.

Gu Zheng was peeling an orange for Ye Zhen when he heard this. He paused, put the cleanly peeled orange segment into Ye Zhen's mouth, and then slowly stood up and straightened the hem of his military uniform.

"Is it sweet?" he asked.

Ye Zhen chewed on an orange, her cool eyes reflecting Gu Zheng's ambiguous smile: "It's a little sour."

"That's because the orange is blind." Gu Zheng put on his military cap, the shadow under the brim concealing the fleeting malice in his eyes. "Since someone doesn't want us to enjoy our dumplings in peace, let's go add another dish for them."

……

At the quarry where Heishan Village and Dahe Village meet, dust is flying everywhere and shouts and curses are deafening.

The two groups of people faced off in a clear and distinct manner. The villagers on the Heishan Village side mostly held steel shovels and hammers used for quarrying, and their faces were all red. On the other side, the people from Dahe Village had a mixed bag of weapons, including shovels, hoes, carrying poles, and even long ladles for scooping manure, and they smelled of mud.

The leader was a burly man wearing an old military green cotton-padded jacket, with a fierce face; he was none other than Zhao Shanhe, the local bully of Dahe Village. He was holding a pickaxe handle as thick as his arm and was pointing it at Ye Cheng's nose, cursing him.

"Ye Cheng! Don't push your luck! This hilltop may have been assigned to your Black Mountain Village, but don't the trucks transporting stones still have to pass through our Dahe Village's dirt road? Even if they only step on it once, it still ruins our feng shui!"

Zhao Shanhe spat as he spoke, his roguish expression making everyone grit their teeth in hatred. "I'm putting it this way today: either Dahe Village takes 30% of the profits from this quarry, or you won't be able to get a single stone out of the quarry!"

Ye Cheng, dressed in work clothes covered in stone dust, still looked somewhat simple and honest, but his voice was hoarse yet firm: "Zhao Shanhe, that road was built by our village itself; it didn't take up an inch of your Dahe Village's land. This is blatant robbery!"

"So what if I rob you? I'll rob you today!" Zhao Shanhe, humiliated in public, flew into a rage and swung his pickaxe handle at Ye Cheng's head. "I'll not only rob you of your money, I'll also show you what it means to have many admirers!"

This blow, delivered with a whoosh, was both ruthless and vicious.

The villagers of Heishan Village gasped in alarm, but it was too late to stop them. Ye Cheng instinctively raised his arm to block, mentally bracing himself for a broken bone.

Just then, a small, thin figure suddenly darted out from the side and grabbed Zhao Shanhe's arm tightly.

"Brother! Are you crazy! This is illegal!"

She was a girl in her early twenties, wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket. She had two thick, black braids, and her face was red from the cold, but her eyes were frighteningly bright. She clung to Zhao Shanhe's arm, effectively dissipating most of the force of the blow.

"Get out of here! You little brat, you traitor!" Zhao Shanhe was furious and raised his foot to kick the girl.

The girl wouldn't let go; instead, she turned and stood in front of Ye Cheng, shielding the honest-looking man completely. She shouted, "If you want to hit someone, kill me first! For a little money, you led the whole village in thuggery! Aren't you ashamed?! If Dad finds out, he'll break your legs!"

"Zhao Xiuxiu! Get out of my way!" Zhao Shanhe yelled angrily, wanting to shake off his sister, but he was afraid of really hurting her, so his movements were a little stiff for a moment.

Ye Cheng stared in disbelief at the thin back blocking his way.

In his entire life, apart from his younger sister Ye Zhen, no woman had ever protected him like this. The floral cotton-padded jacket had a barely noticeable patch, yet it acted like a shield, protecting him from all malice.

"Xiuxiu, step aside, this is a man's business." Ye Cheng tried to pull Zhao Xiuxiu away; he couldn't let a girl take the beating for him.

Just as the scuffle was about to spiral out of control, a piercing horn blared like a thunderclap, abruptly silencing the noisy crowd.

That dark green jeep, like a steel beast, barbarically charged into the open space between the two groups of people. The gravel kicked up by the wheels pelted the legs of several nearby villagers from Dahe Village, making them jump in pain.

The car door opened.

Gu Zheng, dressed in a crisp military uniform and black military boots, landed silently. He didn't even glance at the villagers around him carrying weapons; he simply brushed the dust off the car door with an elegant gesture, as if he were attending a state banquet.

But the chill that seeped from the very marrow of his bones made Zhao Shanhe, who had been shouting the loudest just moments before, instinctively take a half-step back.

"Let me see who it is," Gu Zheng casually raised his eyelids, his gaze sweeping across Zhao Shanhe's face like a knife, "Trying to break my brother-in-law's legs?"

Ye Zhen got out of the passenger seat, still wearing the red scarf, her hands in her coat pockets, and stood calmly beside Gu Zheng. She didn't speak, but quietly glanced at the girl protecting Ye Cheng, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.

An eerie silence fell over the scene.

Most of the villagers in Dahe Village had never seen much of the world, but this military uniform, this jeep, and the aura of someone who had killed and seen blood on Gu Zheng's body made it clear to anyone that he was not someone to be trifled with.

Zhao Shanhe swallowed hard. He was the leader of these people; if he backed down now, he'd have no face to lead them in the future. He steeled himself, gripped the pickaxe handle tighter, and shouted, "Who are you? This is a matter between our village and Heishan Village. Do you think soldiers can just meddle? Let me tell you, even the King of Heaven has to reason with us!"

"Reasonable?" Gu Zheng smiled knowingly, as if he had heard a joke. He took two slow steps forward, his military boots crunching on the gravel with a sickening sound.

"When you were about to hit someone, why were you being unreasonable? Now that I'm here, you suddenly want to be reasonable?" Gu Zheng stood in front of Zhao Shanhe, towering over him by more than half a head. The oppressive feeling from his superior position made Zhao Shanhe's calves tremble.

"I... he deserved it!" Zhao Shanhe said, his voice barely concealing his fear. He instinctively thrust the pickaxe handle forward, trying to force Gu Zheng back.

This is a highly provocative move.

Ye Zhen shook her head slightly behind him; this person was courting death.

Sure enough, the moment the pickaxe handle was raised, Gu Zheng moved.

No one saw how he made his move.

A crisp "crack" was heard, followed by Zhao Shanhe's pig-like screams.

The thick pickaxe handle was already in Gu Zheng's hand, which he casually tossed to the ground like trash. Zhao Shanhe, meanwhile, was kneeling on the ground, clutching his wrist, curled up like a shrimp in pain, cold sweat pouring down his face.

"Your wrist is dislocated; it will take another two weeks to heal after it's been set," Ye Zhen commented professionally from her spot.

Gu Zheng clapped his hands, as if he had just touched something dirty. He looked around at the villagers of Dahe Village who were itching to go but dared not step forward, and his voice was as cold as the February wind: "Anyone else want to try? I'm on vacation today, I have plenty of time to set your bones."

At this moment, Ye Zhu from Heishan Village—Liu Fen's mentally challenged son—seeing Gu Zheng's imposing manner, suddenly felt he could do it too. He picked up a fist-sized rock from the ground and, yelling, was about to smash it on Zhao Shanhe's head: "You dare hit my brother Chengzi! I'll smash you to death, you bastard!"