C19 Straw Harvesting Divine Weapon

"Thanks so much, Jin!"

"Don't mention it. I was pretty irresponsible back then and owed a lot to your family and Yuh Hua!"

Ergou said, scratching his head with a grin.

"Ah, stop it. You've been so thoughtful lately, always bringing something by for me. It's almost embarrassing!"

Xia Churan spoke gently.

Ergou gave his head another scratch. "Thanks, sister-in-law! I've got some things to take care of at home, so I'll head back now."

"Alright!"

After Ergou departed, Sanzi showed up.

Tang Jin mentioned that Ergou had been there earlier, and Sanzi chuckled.

"No worries. I'll help Ergou with the harvest tomorrow, and then we can all go together later!"

Tang Jin nodded in agreement.

"That's a smart move. Harvesting seven acres of wheat alone is no small feat for Ergou!"

"You can say that again!"

Once their conversation ended, Sanzi went off to look for Ergou.

...

That evening, Wang Caifeng arrived at Tang Jin's house punctually.

"Here's today's hospital bill: three yuan and fifty-four cents!"

Tang Jin, perhaps exhausted, simply handed the money to Wang Caifeng.

"Just take it yourself when you go back. I've been quite busy these days, so you handle the hospital fees."

Wang Caifeng snatched the money.

"Okay!"

With that, Wang Caifeng hurried toward the town.

She was already scheming in her mind.

"Getting three or four yuan a day for hospital fees... I might as well check Yongzi into the hospital! Then all that money will end up in my pocket!"

Once Wang Caifeng had made up her mind, she found Yongzi to discuss the plan.

They hit it off and checked out of the hospital that very day.

"We can't go home right now; we can't let that kid see us!"

Wang Caifeng murmured under her breath.

Yongzi nodded in agreement.

"Let's head to the guesthouse in town. As the village secretary, I shouldn't have any trouble staying there," Wang Caifeng suggested with a smile.

"Sounds good!"

With their plan set, they made their way to the guesthouse.

"Go on, get out of here. This guesthouse is full of VIPs. And you, a mere Village Secretary, think you can stay here? Let me make it clear: without a recommendation from someone higher up, you're not welcome. Figure it out yourself!"

Yongzi was visibly irritated.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Oh, you want to make a scene in the guesthouse? Fine by me! Come on, hit me!"

The woman stood up and approached Yongzi.

Yongzi extended his hand but hesitated, unable to bring himself to strike.

Wang Caifeng, likely accustomed to throwing her weight around, didn't hesitate. She raised her hand and delivered a resounding slap to the woman's face.

The woman was completely taken aback by Wang Caifeng's slap.

But she was no pushover; she immediately sat on the ground and burst into tears.

"There's no law here, no justice! I've been assaulted, beaten to death!"

Witnessing this, Yongzi had an ominous feeling.

He quickly grabbed Wang Caifeng.

"We're not staying here any longer!"

With that, Yongzi headed for the exit.

But the woman was relentless, clinging to Yongzi.

"You can't leave, you can't go, I'm dizzy, my head is throbbing!"

The same tactics he had once used against Tang Jin were now being turned against him by this woman.

Yongzi's face soured as he let out a cold huff.

"Stop trying to extort me. My mother is old and didn't even hit you hard. How could you possibly be hurt?"

"I don't care, my head is in pain, I need to go to the hospital!"

Yongzi watched the woman's tantrum and shook her off.

"If you want to go, then go on your own!"

He then quickly escorted Wang Caifeng away.

The woman, however, was not about to let this slide and promptly called the police.

Once again, the officer who responded was Zhang Qing.

Upon arriving and assessing the situation, Zhang Qing was at a loss for words.

"So, comrade, how are you feeling now?"

The woman, hearing Zhang Qing's question, just sat in a nearby chair.

"My head is spinning, it hurts so much!"

In that moment, Zhang Qing felt an overwhelming sense of frustration.

"Who was the person that just hit you?"

"It was a middle-aged woman, probably in her fifties!"

"Do you know who she is?"

"No, I don't recognize her."

Zhang Qing stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"If you don't know her, this could get a bit complicated."

Upon hearing Zhang Qing's words, the woman seemed to have a sudden realization.

"Now I remember! That man's name is Tang Yong, he's a Village Secretary in the business department!"

"Is it Yongkang Village?"

The woman emphatically nodded her head.

"Yes, that's it, Yongkang Village!"

Zhang Qing was at a loss for words.

"Okay, so what's your next move?"

"I need to go to the hospital for a check-up; I'm not feeling well at all right now!"

Zhang Qing felt a sense of resignation.

"Alright, shall I take you to the hospital now?"

The woman's face lit up with gratitude.

"Thank you so much, officer!"

After escorting the woman to the hospital and ensuring she was settled in, Zhang Qing hurried off towards Yongkang Village.

Yongzi and Wang Caifeng, having left the guesthouse, found themselves in a bind. Staying at a small inn in town would cost them over two yuan for the night, so they decided to head back to the village without delay.

Wang Caifeng figured they could stay at Yongzi's place for a few days. After all, Tang Jin would be too busy with the wheat harvest to bother with them for the next couple of days.

...

That evening, Xia Churan prepared a feast.

At the dinner table, she looked over at Tang Jin.

"Why did you give the money to Wang Caifeng back then? You know as well as I do that she's the type to be blinded by cash and certainly wouldn't use it to pay her hospital bills!"

Tang Jin just smiled.

"Isn't that perfect?"

Xia Churan raised her hand to touch Tang Jin's forehead.

"You're not feverish, so why are you talking nonsense? Why should we just hand over our money to her for nothing?"

"If she doesn't pay the hospital bill today, she'll have to leave. Once she's out, if she wants to get back in, it's no longer our problem!"

Xia Churan smacked her forehead in realization.

"You're really clever. Why didn't I think of that? It's true!"

Tang Jin chuckled. "You're really smart; I can't believe I didn't think of that! Absolutely!"

"If she comes asking for money tomorrow, she won't get a dime!" he added with a grin.

Laughter and chatter filled the room among the group.

At that moment, the chirping of a cricket echoed from the rooftop, its sound ebbing and flowing in the quiet space.

Tang Jin stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It looks like the weather forecast was right. We should be expecting rain in the next few days!"