He Hua didn't mean for anything to happen between Yang Guang and her.
From her perspective, she just felt that Yang Guang was so full of energy, that people naturally gravitated to him.
He Hua even believed that what she felt for him was a kind of sisterly affection, that she simply felt that this young man was a great person!
But because Fu Zhonghua hadn't been home for a long time, and she was a woman in her prime without a man for company, a desire naturally arose within her.
This urge had compelled her to get a lot closer to Yang Guang than she anticipated.
After Yang Guang found the medicine, he handed them to He Hua. "Try this first; two after dinner, and two tomorrow morning. If you still feel any discomfort, I will give you a checkup either in the afternoon or tomorrow evening!"
He Hua gave him a sideway glance. "Can't you do the checkup now? Or, are you thinking about that great beauty at home and want to get back to her as quickly as possible?"
That was exactly what was on his mind. Secretary Xu had just arrived at his home, and he didn't want the ladies to wait on him to start dinner, so he wanted to go back as soon as possible.
But the way He Hua questioned him clearly had a hidden meaning. So, he shook his head. "Of course not, I just think it's too late now. If someone sees us, just remember that my reputation doesn't matter as much as yours!"
"How thoughtful of you!" Seeing the earnest expression on his face, He Hua chuckled. She then took the bottle of medicine and asked, "How much is it?"
"It's just a few dollars; don't worry about it. Just have it!" Yang Guang waved his hand in a gesture of generosity.
But He Hua rolled her eyes at him. "Is a few dollars is not money still? Do you think I am someone who takes advantage of people?"
She dug into her bra, pulled out a five-dollar bill, and placed it on the table.
Yang Guang couldn't refuse, so he nodded, "Well, I'll take it then."
"Alright, I'll be off first, and you can leave a little later!"
With that, He Hua turned and left the clinic.
He watched her as she walked away. And that swaying hip, Yang Guang was a little dazed.
After a few minutes, he turned off the light and locked the door, then ran back home.
Sure enough, when he got back, Xiaolian and Xu Ling were both waiting at the dinner table.
He found it rather strange that both their eyes were a little red, as if they had been crying.
Puzzled, Yang Guang scratched his head. "What's the matter? Are you crying because you are too hungry?"
His question made the two women burst into laughter simultaneously. Xiaolian gave him a sideway glance. "Silly boy, what an idea!"
Xu Ling blinked for a moment, then said, "Xiaolian told me about what your family has been through. I realized that it hasn't been easy for you guys, so I got emotional!"
"Oh, well now!" Yang Guang smiled once he understood what was going on. "All that is in the past. Soon, the life of our family, no, our village, will be much better!"
Clearly, Xu Ling had no idea what he meant, but she nodded emphatically. "That's right, I came here in order to help the village out of poverty, so that everyone can have a better and more comfortable life!"
"Yes, Secretary Xu is a college graduate, and must know a lot. You will definitely be able to help us!" Xiaolian added.
Seeing that the two had forgotten their gloominess from earlier, Yang Guang smiled, "That's great; let's thank Secretary Xu in advance today!"
"You're welcome." Xu Ling smiled brightly and her mood was lifted.
After dinner, Xiaolian took Yaya to the bedroom to put her to sleep. Yang Guang was thinking of cultivating his abilities, and with the excuse that he had to go into the mountains early tomorrow morning to collect medicinal materials, he retired to his room as well.
Sitting cross-legged, he followed the formula provided in the Method of Divine Farmer, he quickly entered a state of deep meditation.
After some time, as Yang Guang detached his consciousness from the physical realm, he was startled by a loud bang from outside.
The sound came from the yard. He quickly got up and went out the room.
It was deep into the night and the yard was dark. However, there was a figure in white seated on the ground.
Yang Guang was a little taken aback, and asked with urgency, "Who's there?"
"It's, it's me..."
Xu Ling sounded like she was in pain, and Yang Guang felt bad for her. He quickly went over.
It was only when he got close that he realized she was in nothing more than a pair of shorts and a tank top. She seemed to be unable to get up.
Seeing a girl so scantily clad, Yang Guang was a little hesitant to get closer. So he asked, "What happened, Secretary Xu?"
"I was just taking a shower, and I slipped on my way back. I think I sprained my ankle!"
Xu Ling's voice was a little strange. There was pain, but she also sounded embarrassed, and nervous.
Yang Guang instantly understood what might have happened. The shower area at his house was outside, an area that was surrounded by the house and the outer wall.
The plastic bag for storing water was placed on the roof. When the bag was exposed to the sun all day, it would still be warm enough at night. It was a very convenient way to take a shower.
Qingshan's residents were too poor to afford solar panels, so every household used this method.
Xu Ling adapted to this quickly enough, but she hadn't expected that when she tried to make her way back in the dark in such unfamiliar terrain, that she would trip so badly.
To Yang Guang, she was an authority figure of sorts, so he was a little anxious when she said that she had sprained her ankle. "What should I do? Shall I rub it for you?"
"What?" Xu Ling was stunned; it was not her intention to alarm Yang Guang like this. After all, she was not wearing much, which was incredibly embarrassing for her.
Nonetheless, she had woken him up, and now he wanted to help her out of the kindness of his heart. She gave it some thought. "It's alright. Could you help me find something to use as a cane? I just need it to get back to my room."
"That won't work. We don't know how bad the injury is; if it is serious, you won't be able to walk for a while!"
Yang Guang made a decision. He uttered an apology, stepped forward to grab hold of Xu Ling's legs, and picked her up!
"Hey!" Xu Ling let out a scream, but she immediately covered her own mouth.
If Xiaolian was awakened in the middle of the night by them, that would only be even more embarrassing!
Therefore, even though her heart was beating wildly, she kept silent as she allowed Yang Guang to carry her into her room.
It was her first time being carried by a man like this. The emotions within her were as confusing as could be!
She was so confused that it was not until Yang Guang turned on the light, and placed her on the bed, that Xu Ling finally came to her senses.
Upon which, her first reaction was to quickly pull the blanket over her thighs.
Yang Guang hadn't actually ogled at her much, just a couple of stolen glances here and there. He was surprised at how fair and smooth Xu Ling's skin was. But he focused most of his attention on her ankle.
The area was already red and very swollen. He didn't need to touch it to know that Xu Ling was in a lot of pain.
After taking a look, Yang Guang raised his head. "Secretary Xu, the injury here is pretty serious. You need to get it treated!"
"You're a doctor, you should be able to attend to it, right?" Xu Ling asked.
"Of course I can. I'm confident that when you get up tomorrow morning, you will have fully recovered. But I have to give you a massage first!"
Yang Guang looked at her fair and delicate foot and swallowed hard as he spoke.
Seeing his reaction, Xu Ling's face turned beet red.