Chapter 2598: The Next Village
Chapter 2598: Chapter 2598: The Next Village
"I am lucky that I did not stay in that village after the old bachelor died. Otherwise, I might not even be here today." Nurse Shin Teng said, her voice trembling slightly with a mix of fear and relief.
She felt a profound sense of gratitude that her mother had the foresight to take her away and move out of that village years ago. She could not even imagine how her life would have turned out if she had stayed there. It was a dark path she was glad she never had to walk.
"They will face punishment. That is for sure." Yu Qi stated calmly, her eyes cold and steady.
"Serve them right." Nurse Shin Teng scoffed, a bitter edge to her words.
...
After resting for a full day to regain their strength, they were on their way to the last village. This village was tucked deep within the mountains, isolated and rugged, much like the first village they had visited.
The village leader and several villagers were already waiting for them, accompanied by several sturdy tractors. They had clearly been anticipating the medical team’s arrival for some time. When the team finally appeared, the villagers greeted them with a very warm and welcoming atmosphere.
"Hello, I am Su Longuo, the village chief of this village. It is a pleasure to meet all of you. Welcome to our Mianxi Village." Su Longuo said, offering a wide, hospitable smile.
"Hello." Doctor Duan Jiang replied, shaking hands firmly with Su Longuo.
After a few brief introductions, Su Longuo immediately coordinated with the team to begin transferring their belongings and medical supplies onto the transport vehicles.
Some of the heavier items were loaded into Long Hui’s vehicle. Since Long Hui drove a powerful 4x4, it could navigate almost any terrain. They had to traverse a treacherous, muddy road for quite some time before they finally arrived at the heart of the village.
The cooking team had arrived as well. They had been previously informed by Yu Qi about the poor road conditions, so they had come prepared with their own 4x4 vehicles to ensure they would not get stuck.
Su Longuo arranged three houses for their use. The medical team followed the same arrangement as the previous village to stay organized. Additionally, the village had a large communal hall which they were permitted to use to set up the main medical station.
The village’s primary source of income was growing kiwis. It happened to be peak harvest season, and Su Longuo introduced their crops with immense pride. He offered the medical team a taste of the fresh fruit. The kiwis were indeed exceptionally sweet, juicy, and delicious.
While the medical team was busy setting up their station, Long Hui decided to wander around. The village was quite large. According to Su Longuo, around 300 people lived there. Long Hui wanted to scout the perimeter to see if there was anything abnormal or suspicious lurking around the area.
After wandering for a while, Long Hui was glad to find that everything seemed peaceful. However, that changed when he arrived at the edge of the kiwi orchard. As he looked down at the soil, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh... Sir, you must be with the medical team, right?" A man who was working in the rows saw Long Hui and called out a greeting.
"Yes." Long Hui nodded, his gaze still lingering on the ground.
"This is our kiwi farm. Amazing, right?" The man gestured to the heavy branches of the kiwi trees with a proud grin.
"Hmm..." Long Hui responded non-committally.
"We also grow other fruits, but the most famous ones here are the kiwis." The man added.
"Are they selling well?" Long Hui asked.
"Yeah, they usually do, but the market recently has not been too good." The man sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Well, we are hoping to sell more so we can finally afford to build a proper road. You saw the condition of the road when you came in, right?"
"Has it been like that for years?" Long Hui inquired.
"Yeah. The money is never enough to fix it." The man sighed again.
Long Hui remained silent. He did not want to comment further since he did not know the specifics of the village’s finances, but something did not add up.
Long Hui eventually left the orchard and headed back toward the hall. Su Longuo spotted him as he approached.
"Eh, don’t you have things to do?" Su Longuo asked, feeling curious about the man who seemed to just be drifting about.
"I am just a bodyguard for someone here." Long Hui stated simply.
"Huh? A bodyguard? Is there someone that important in the medical team?" Su Longuo asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
"Hmm..." Long Hui nodded, but he offered nothing else, maintaining his stoic demeanor.
At night, they enjoyed a hearty dinner cooked by the hired culinary team. They ate comfortably, finally able to relax after the long journey. Yu Qi sat down beside Long Hui. The rest of the team, sensing the atmosphere, gave them some space, as no one wanted to play the third wheel.
"Qi Qi..." Long Hui called out softly.
"Hmm?" Yu Qi responded, looking up from her meal.
"This village is interesting, too." Long Hui said, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
"Interesting?" Yu Qi’s interest piqued immediately.
Whenever Long Hui made a remark like that, it meant he had discovered something truly noteworthy.
"What is it?" Yu Qi asked.
"Let’s go and see it for yourself." Long Hui suggested.
"Hmm..." Yu Qi agreed immediately.
Both of them stood up after finishing their food.
"I am going to take a walk to digest my dinner." Yu Qi announced to the group.
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