Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

Half an hour later, Aimin rushed to the bedside in a panic. Seeing his father like this, he was extremely anxious. This grown man was actually crying.

Seeing this, the two cousins ​​felt guilty. They had participated in the operation against the "Five Tiger Brothers," but now the family patriarch had taken the blame. Even though they had brought down Yang Dalin, the matter hadn't been handled perfectly.

"Those bastards! I'm not done with them! I'll definitely settle the score with them later!" Qin Shuangling cursed angrily.

"After the rain, apart from some footprints, there really wasn't any useful clue left. Otherwise, we would have definitely sent them to jail!" Qin Laishun chimed in, then said to Aimin, "Aimin, don't worry. Your second uncle is in good health. Just like before, he'll be fine after a few days of rest."

"Yes, Aimin, Second Uncle fell ill because he was worried about Geda. Once he wakes up and finds out that Geda is alright, he will get better soon."

Qin Shuangling's words made perfect sense. Qin Yunhai only fainted after settling Qin Geda in. He had always treated Qin Geda like his own grandson, and if something had really happened to him, the situation would have been dire.

His two cousins ​​took turns trying to comfort him, but Aimin's brows showed no sign of easing. Just then, Qin Yunhai, lying on the hospital bed, suddenly opened his eyes. He glanced at the people around him and slowly said, "Why are you all making such a fuss? Don't worry, I'm not going to die anytime soon..."

"Dad! You're awake?"

"Second Uncle, you're awake!"

……

Everyone present gathered around Qin Yunhai, asking him about his well-being for a while. After confirming that the old man was alright, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Second Uncle, Geda's fine. Daniu said he can go home after his IV drip is finished. The police station has opened a case about the stolen sheep, and they should catch the sheep thieves soon. We'll definitely be able to make up for our losses then!"

Qin Shuangling told the old man the truth. Before Qin Yunhai could say anything, Qin Laishun interrupted, "Second Uncle, you've scared us all! Our whole family is counting on you. If anything happens to you, I'll fight those bastards to the death!"

Compared to his cousin, Qin Laishun's behavior was somewhat nauseating. He not only expressed his loyalty but also elevated Qin Yunhai's status to a new level. In front of Qin Yunhai, he dared not show any of the airs of a squad leader.

"Alright, alright, you don't need to try to comfort me with nice words. I've never backed down even when I was crawling through piles of corpses, so this little thing won't break me. But then again, now that the sheep is gone, what will Geda do in the future..." Qin Yunhai sighed. He fed the sheep to help Geda survive, but now that they've been targeted, how will Geda live?

Qin Laishun, of course, knew what the old man was thinking, and immediately said, "Second Uncle, don't worry about this. My daughter has some money. In a few days, I'll get you another batch of lambs, won't that solve the problem?"

"Brother, how can I let you spend money? I should be the one to buy it!" Aimin interjected.

Hearing this, Qin Yunhai nodded, then sighed and said, "Hey, when you get to a certain age, you can't deny it. From now on, if anything happens in the village, you brothers will have to step up. Aimin is still young and unmarried, so please take on more responsibility in Shunhe and Shuangling..."

"Uncle! Don't worry, I'm the boss. As long as I'm here, I'll never let our people suffer!" Qin Laishun patted his chest to show his confidence. Then, he changed the subject and said, "However, now the economy comes first. It's not like before where having more people meant you could get things done. Look at those bastards from the old hunter's family, aren't they? They've taken advantage of this. They've used low-interest bank loans to build factories everywhere. If this were before, they would have been labeled 'capitalist roaders'! But now, they have money in their pockets, look how smug they are!"

The "Five Tiger Brothers" are rising in power and gaining more and more influence in the village. This makes Qin Laishun quite dissatisfied. He is the captain of Qin Family Village and the designated second-generation clan leader. How can he be willing to let those collateral branches ride on his head?

Upon hearing this, everyone seemed lost in thought, and the ward fell silent. After a moment, Qin Yunhai broke the silence, looking directly into his nephew's eyes and asking, "Laishun, there's no one else in this room. Tell your second uncle the truth, do you want to be the head of the brigade?"

"Second Uncle, I..." The usually eloquent Qin Laishun suddenly fell silent, observing the changes in everyone's expressions, afraid that his words might be abrupt.

Seeing his cousin's expression, Qin Shuangling found it somewhat amusing and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Big brother, don't put on airs in front of us. Last time when we were dealing with Yang Dalin, Second Uncle saw through your intentions. If you nod your head now, we'll campaign for you again. With so many people in the family, we can definitely push you to the top!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Laishun could no longer hide his joy. He chuckled and said, "Since we've come this far, I'll be frank. I'm determined to win this village committee election! But don't worry, if I become the brigade secretary, I'll definitely bring benefits to my family!"

Qin Laishun spoke so bluntly, it didn't sound like he was lying at all. But to Qin Yunhai, these words took on a different meaning. The old man frowned and said seriously, "Back when you first became the team leader, you did do a few good things for the village, but you shouldn't have gone to the mountains to mine with the people of Laojiapo. If the mountains are hollowed out, what will the people eat?"

Upon hearing the mention of the old mine, Qin Laishun's expression changed. His mind raced, and he quickly explained, "Uncle, since you've brought up those old days, I might as well speak frankly with you. Ten years ago, I took over your position as team leader. Back then, the village roads were still muddy, and people were so poor they couldn't even afford fertilizer. We're in a mountainous area, and most of the people couldn't irrigate their land, so yields were low, and farming costs were high. Besides quarrying and mining, I really couldn't think of any other way to improve the lives of the people in Qin Family Village!"

"Our Shuangling Brigade only has three villages: Qinjiazhuang, Laojiapo, and Shuangling Village, which was built when the national highway was constructed. Before, all three villages were poor, and no one looked down on anyone else. But things have changed in recent years. Shuangling Village is right next to the main road; they run auto repair shops and gas stations, and now almost every family has built a small villa! Laojiapo is in a similar situation to us, but they have many capable people. Those few construction workers have set up several transportation teams. While not every family is rolling in money, they're certainly doing better than our village, right? Thinking about it, Qinjiazhuang's location is really bad. To get out of the village, you have to cross an earthen dam. To put it bluntly, if there's a flood and the dam collapses, everyone will suffocate here!"