The Little Life of a Big Landlord

Chapter 104 Polygonum multiflorum

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Just then, Hong Tao, the director of the second-grade political education department, walked in with a sad expression. When he saw the frozen scene, in which Old Ding looked like he was going to eat someone, pointing at his eldest niece, he immediately became furious.

"Old Ding, what are you doing? Look at yourself, do you even have the demeanor of an elder? You and Old Xue usually had a pretty good relationship, but now that Old Xue is gone, you're bullying his daughter?..." Hong Tao launched into a tirade of abuse, but Teacher Ding was completely stunned and could only remain in that position, his mind blank.

"What? Old Xue is gone?"

"What do you mean?"

"How could this happen?"

"Old Xue was perfectly fine the day before yesterday, how could he just be gone like that?"

The second-grade Chinese language teachers all looked on in disbelief.

"Qingqing, please accept my condolences. Old Xue was a good teacher. The school's Party Committee will never forget her, and the entire school's teachers and students will never forget her. We are preparing a memorial service for your mother..." Hong Tao patted Xue Hua's shoulder with tears in his eyes, then covered his mouth, squatted down and cried, large tears falling down his face.

It's true that Director Hong Tao and Wei Jianguo have a really good relationship.

Many teachers who were close to Xue Hua covered their mouths and cried, while the other teachers also looked grief-stricken.

"..." Xue Hua stared in disbelief.

Teacher Ding finally came to her senses and burst into laughter.

"Ding Jianjun! Let me tell you, although you are a top-level teacher and have taught many outstanding students, your character is really terrible..." Director Hong shouted at Teacher Ding, jumping up and down.

Unexpectedly, when Director Hong shouted so urgently, Teacher Ding laughed even harder, not only laughing so hard that she coughed repeatedly, but also tears streamed down her face.

All the teachers glared angrily at Teacher Ding, and several of Xue Hua's best friends had already grabbed chairs, ready to smash them down on that bastard Ding Jianjun's head at any moment...

Their family is all gone, and you're just laughing like that? It's fine if you're happy, but you could keep it to yourself at home. How could you laugh like that in front of their daughter? It's utterly inhuman...

"I mean, you guys are really something... What are you doing? Why are you organizing a memorial service for me?" Xue Hua said, somewhat amused and exasperated.

"We've known each other for so many years, I should at least see you off... What did you say?" Hong Tao was suddenly shocked, looking at Xue Hua in disbelief.

"Hahahaha...Isn't she Lao Xue Yao? You guys are preparing a memorial service for her right in front of her, it's hilarious, hahahahaha..." Teacher Ding pointed at Xue Hua, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"What's going on here? Who started this?" Xue Hua was both amused and annoyed.

"Old Hu?" Hong Tao stared in disbelief. "He said your mother is gone, no, it's you who's gone... This... this is really confusing... Of course, your mother has been gone for several years! We even attended her memorial service... Seriously, things have gone completely wrong..."

"Old Hu..." Xue Hua said, both amused and exasperated.

What was a farce was turned into a sitcom.

"Oh? You're Lao Xue? Your skin is so smooth..."

"You've turned back the clock? Where are your crow's feet? Where are your under-eye bags?"

"Where's your white hair? I saw two strands at your temples the other day."

"Your eyes are so dark and bright now, you're completely different from the old, haggard Xue you used to be..."

The second-grade Chinese teachers started grumbling, while Xue Hua's face grew increasingly grim. So that's how you all perceived her? She used to think so highly of herself, putting on makeup and dressing up every day. Now, she realized everyone probably thought she was a vain old woman, still so vain.

"Oh dear, Old Hu withdrew 10,000 yuan from the finance department to hold a memorial service for you. I need to explain this to him quickly..." Hong Tao suddenly realized that Principal Hu had already started preparing for the memorial service. If the memorial service were to actually be held, it would really... cause a huge uproar.

Finally, Xue Hua's memorial service was not held. The school leaders and teachers, whose feelings were deeply hurt, unanimously demanded that Wei Jianguo and Xue Hua and his wife treat them to a meal, and that they should not be let off the hook... In particular, Grandpa Mei used his meager salary to buy Xue Hua a lot of snacks. The old man was heartbroken.

Wei Jianguo and Xue Hua have never been stingy. Since they had some money, they have become even more generous, never skimping on any necessary expenses.

The couple booked a deluxe private room at the Yingning Hotel to entertain their leaders and colleagues. To be honest, what happened today really touched them.

As evening fell, the setting sun, fiery red, quietly disappeared behind the mountainside, and the entire Zhengjia Village was filled with peace and tranquility.

In Yang Ming's small courtyard, it was pitch black. The pigeons had already gone to their nests, and the chickens, ducks, and geese were all nestled together in the corners of the courtyard, occasionally quacking. Dahei and the others lay lazily under the persimmon tree, sleeping quietly, their little ears twitching occasionally. Mimi stretched and led her children out of the west wing and slipped outside into the courtyard. They were going to catch mice for dinner.

Yang Ming and Wei Qingqing sat on the donkey cart in their backyard, still reeling from the shock of the midday battle.

"...Young Yang, our country's agricultural foundation is gradually weakening. Farmers have no way out of farming and are gradually losing confidence in it. We are deeply worried about this, after all, our country has been a major agricultural country since ancient times... At this time, you appeared, a brilliant young man, who is a breath of fresh air... We all hope that you can be a shot in the arm, revitalizing our country's stagnant agriculture and launching a groundbreaking transformation..."

"...Farm diligently and without any worries...Food is essential for people's survival; it's fundamental. With food, people won't go hungry. When people don't go hungry, their physical fitness improves, which is the foundation of a strong nation. As *** said, health is the capital of revolution..."

"...Xiao Yang, you have all sorts of novel things here. We saw those two...egg-laying dinosaurs. They looked really majestic. If they could be exhibited at the Beijing Zoo... um... I'm not asking you for them, don't get me wrong..."

"...In life and in work, the key is perseverance and steadfastness. You must always understand your own position and make the most accurate assessment of yourself..."

The leader's hands were wide, thick, and warm... This was Yang Ming's most direct impression of those large hands.

The leader didn't say much, but his words were memorable and would stay with him for life. This wasn't without its price; at the very least, two of the three dragon eggs hatched in the space farm had already been reserved.

"I've noticed that you always beat around the bush when you talk. Can't you just speak plainly in a way that everyone can understand?" Wei Qingqing leaned against Yang Ming, her body trembling slightly. It wasn't that she was cold, but that her heart rate was consistently 180 beats per minute. Fortunately, her physical fitness had improved a lot, otherwise, she would probably have died suddenly because her heart couldn't handle such a heavy load.

"Some things can't be said directly..." Yang Ming shook his head slightly, still immersed in a shock.

"Tell me, how did they get into our backyard..." Wei Qingqing still couldn't understand how the leaders and their group had suddenly appeared in her backyard. How did they get in? And how did they even get to Zhengjia Village? There hadn't been a single car in the village. It was absolutely impossible for them to have started from the township and slowly strolled towards Zhengjia Village. If that were the case, they might not have arrived even by tomorrow morning.

"I asked, but they wouldn't tell me. It's like we only know what our secret weapon is," Yang Ming said.

"If you don't want to tell me, then don't..." Wei Qingqing was just curious; she didn't care whether she knew or not.

"Are you hungry? If you are, I'll go cook..." Yang Ming stretched out his arm and put his arm around Wei Qingqing's shoulder.

Wei Qingqing leaned against Yang Ming and said, "I'm not hungry... Just thinking about how they ate the small fish makes me laugh. They slurped it up like it was porridge..."

"Hehe..." Yang Ming chuckled, not saying much. This way of eating little fish wasn't unheard of.

"Tell me, what is the purpose of Teacher Zhang's grandfather coming to our house?" Wei Qingqing shifted her body, making herself more comfortable leaning against Yang Ming.

"Does anyone know?"

"I have a feeling that this old man definitely came with a purpose..." Wei Qingqing guessed.

"What are you saying? He's a commander of a provincial military region. Why would he just wander into this mountain valley for no reason?"

"Then...he knows..." Wei Qingqing pointed a finger to the sky, "...is he coming?"

"Of course I know..." Yang Ming pointed to the sky with one finger, "...They came by plane. What if they didn't notify us and got mistaken for a foreign reconnaissance plane and shot it down?"

"So they're here to flatter you?"

"He's almost retired, he's reached the age where he can't be promoted anymore. Do you think he can get into the Central Military Commission just by sucking up to the emperor?"

"Then tell me, what's the reason?"

"I bet he's planning to settle down in Zhengjia Village in the future..."

"No way?" Wei Qingqing was somewhat incredulous. Was Zhengjia Village going to become a sanatorium for retired cadres?

"It's highly likely, because this old man is practically a talisman. With him around, no one in all of China would dare to cause trouble here. It's very likely that it was arranged there..." Yang Ming pointed to the sky with another finger, "...".

"How about we move... It's not peaceful here at all..." Wei Qingqing pouted and said.

"No need," Yang Ming said. "Our house is in a remote area, in the village. Our backyard isn't open to the public, so whatever commotion happens outside won't affect us."

"..." Wei Qingqing thought about it and agreed. If it got too noisy outside, they could hide in the back garden, where it would be quiet.

"Hey! Have you cooked yet? I'm starving..." Sun Fangfang's voice came from behind. The woman pushed open the back door of the house and poked her head out.

"If you want to eat, make it yourself..." Yang Ming said irritably.

"I'm warning you, we're your guests, so you two have to be careful how you treat us," Sun Fangfang said, pursing her lips.

"You're not a guest, are you? Aren't you Sun Xiaoguzi? Hurry up and cook for your brother and sister-in-law!" Wei Qingqing said.

"..." Sun Fangfang was speechless, rolled her eyes, "I'll ignore you..." She shrank back and went to watch TV in the east room.

This woman is usually lazy and unambitious. When she's at home, she lets her mother-in-law cook. When her mother-in-law isn't around, she buys food outside and will never cook properly.

The theme song from "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" started playing. This girl is a huge fan of this cartoon; apparently, she's learning from Red Wolf how to bully her husband...

"My dear Qingqing..."

Suddenly, Zhang Shufang's voice rang out from the front yard. The couple who were talking in the back yard were startled, exchanged a glance, and hurriedly went out to greet her.

The couple arrived at the front yard and saw Zhang Shufang standing there with a long face, and behind her was Yang Zhengfang, who looked embarrassed.

"Mom, Dad, you're here?" Yang Ming asked, somewhat surprised.

"What? Can't we come?" Zhang Shufang said rather bluntly.

"Ah...of course I can come..." Yang Ming was a little... at a loss...what did he do to upset his mother?

"Mom and Dad..." Wei Qingqing felt a little uneasy facing her mother-in-law, who seemed to be in the prelude to a storm.

"Hmm!" Zhang Shufang didn't give her daughter-in-law a hard time and nodded slightly.

"Qingqing, did Mingming bully you? If he did, tell Dad, and Dad will whip him with a belt..." Yang Zhengfang said with a smile.

"Oh! No..." Wei Qingqing said softly.

"Mom and Dad, come inside. I've washed the fruit for you..." Sun Fangfang greeted Zhang Shufang from the doorway of the outer room.

"Look at Fangfang..." Zhang Shufang praised, rolled her eyes at her son, and stepped into the house.

"Dad, what's wrong with Mom? Did I... do something to upset her?" Yang Ming finally dared to ask.

"What's wrong? You actually have the nerve to ask??? Isn't it all because of you? What kind of magic potion did you give Qingqing's parents?" Yang Zhengfang glared at him and said in a low voice.

"A miracle cure?" Yang Ming was even more puzzled.

"It probably refers to what happened last night..." Wei Qingqing reacted quickly.

"Oh..." Yang Ming suddenly realized, looked at Yang Zhengfang, and said, "Dad, are you talking about my father-in-law and mother-in-law becoming younger?"

"Tell Dad, what exactly did you feed them?" Yang Zhengfang lowered his voice even further, his voice brimming with boundless curiosity.

"Uh, it's nothing much, just a soup made from some medicinal herbs, topped with python eggs, and then stir-fried like scrambled eggs..." Yang Ming explained.

"Um... could you get some for Dad to try too?" Yang Zhengfang asked hopefully.

"Of course, that's no problem. Please wait a moment while I cook it for you... Please come in and sit down for a while, it will be ready soon." Yang Ming quickly agreed and went inside.

"Dad! Come inside quickly..." Wei Qingqing hurriedly called out.

"Yes, yes, yes..." Yang Zhengfang quickly responded.

Yang Zhengfang entered the room, where Zhang Shufang was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) eating fruit. The two exchanged a glance, both seeing a triumphant smile in each other's eyes.

Soon, a bowl of yellow scrambled eggs was placed on the table. The special aroma made Sun Fangfang sneak away the moment she smelled it; she both loved and hated this stuff.

"Is this it?" Zhang Shufang stared at the bowl of scrambled eggs in front of her, her face clearly saying "I don't believe it."

"Of course, eating my secret-recipe scrambled eggs will make you look 20 or 30 years younger..." Yang Ming said.

A unique fragrance filled the room, and Zhang Shufang was so tempted by this strange aroma that she couldn't resist the urge, and saliva dripped from the corners of her mouth.

Zhang Shufang and Yang Zhengfang exchanged a glance, and simultaneously reached for the food with their chopsticks...

In a luxurious private room at the Yingning Hotel, there were four large tables. The two tables closest to the door were occupied by a group of men, while the two tables further inside were occupied by a group of women.

"Come on, come on, eat, eat..." Wei Jianguo held a pair of unused chopsticks and served food to everyone.

"Girls, don't just sit there, hurry up and eat..." Xue Hua kept putting food on the girls' plates.

"Hey, Lao Wei, tell everyone, what kind of magic pills did you two take? How come you've become so young in just two days?" Director Hong Tao of the Second Year Political Education Office had a loud voice.

All eyes turned to Wei Jianguo and Xue Hua.

"We...our son-in-law went into the mountains to dig up two medicinal herbs..." Wei Jianguo felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by so many people. Thinking of his madness last night, his face burned and turned as red as a boiled shrimp.

Ding Jianjun smirked, "Jianguo, what kind of herb can make someone this young? You're not just young, you're practically a monster..."

"My son-in-law said it's called something like He Shou Wu, and it's two thousand-year-old trees..." Xue Hua said first.

He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum), especially the high-quality variety that has been aged for a long time, is said to have the effect of rejuvenating. In any case, if someone has difficulty conceiving a son, eating some of this regularly has an 80% chance of resolving the problem.

"He Shou Wu, its vine is called Ye Jiao Teng. According to the elders, in the Tang Dynasty, there was a man named He Tian'er in Nanhe County, Shunzhou. He was thin and sickly his whole life, and infertile. Even at 58, he didn't want to marry, so he wanted to go to the mountains to learn Taoism and escape the world. One day, while drunk and lying on a desolate mountain, he saw two wild vines with yellow and white flowers. The two vines were three feet apart, but their tendrils were intertwined. He Tian'er untied them, but they intertwined again in an instant. This happened several times. He Tian'er was amazed, so he dug up the roots, took them home, and ate them for seven days. His fertility improved." He had a reaction, and after taking it for several months, all his ailments disappeared. Within a year, he became stronger, younger, and his hair even turned black. So he got married and started a family. Within ten years, he had several sons. His sons also had the habit of taking He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum). Then his sons had grandsons... The He family members can all live to at least 130 years old... Grandpa Mei used to be a storyteller with excellent speaking skills. During the ***** era, he was sent to a labor camp in the countryside to live in a cowshed. After that, he never told stories again. After being rehabilitated, he worked as a gatekeeper at a school.

"Grandpa Mei knows this story?" Principal Hu was surprised.

"Legends, legends, what I'm saying are just legends, don't take them seriously..." Grandpa Mei waved his hand with a smile.

"Old Wei, where exactly does your son-in-law live? You didn't come to pick us up when Qingqing got married, did you? You only invited us to the wedding banquet on her first wedding day. We haven't met your son-in-law yet. When are you going to take us to meet him?" Zhao Kui, the teacher who borrowed Wei Jianguo's car today, said.

"They're from a small mountain village, so how can we let you visit them? Tomorrow, I'll have them come to the school so you can meet them one by one..." Wei Jianguo was proud when he mentioned his son-in-law, even though he disliked him every time he saw him.

"You old Wei, you really don't know any better. Old Zhao isn't looking at your son-in-law. What was Uncle Mei saying just now? That He Tian'er is 58 years old and can still have several sons. What does that mean? It means that eating He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) definitely enhances that aspect. In that case, you can imagine what someone is thinking..." Ding Jianjun was particularly mischievous and liked to say things with a dirty mouth.

"You old Ding..." Teacher Zhao was furious, pointing at Ding Jianjun with a mixture of laughter and tears, "Are you implying that Lao Wei and Lao Xue should take some precautions to avoid someone getting killed..."

Ding Jianjun and Zhao Kui were talking in secret, and the women in the audience over there heard everything. A group of young women, wives, and older women were all blushing deeply, especially Xue Hua, who wished she could disappear into a hole in the ground.

"Hey, can you two be serious for once? You two bastards, your son is about to get married, and you're acting like hooligans here?" Xue Hua glared at the two of them fiercely.

"Don't drag others into your noisy chatter..." Principal Hu, the highest-ranking person here, coughed lightly, setting the tone for tonight's banquet.

P.S.: Please recommend and add to your favorites...

(End of this chapter)