Xiao Yan looked at Wang Chen intently for a while before she withdrew her gaze.
She then pursed her lips and smiled, "This lad, a few years have gone by and he's really grown up quite a bit. I need to hurry up and introduce my girl to him, or else this handsome and skilled young doctor will surely be snatched away by someone else in the village.
If all else fails, I'll just have my girl take the initiative. If she turns the raw rice into cooked rice first, with Wang Chen's honest and kind nature, he'll definitely marry my daughter!"
Lost in her thoughts, she was determined and rushed back home to inform her daughter.
Meanwhile, Wang Chen was completely unaware of her actions.
He had just returned home.
As soon as he entered, he saw Yang, half-naked, and Li Qian, wearing only a slip of a tank top.
When Li Qian saw him come in, she said breathlessly, "You're back at last. Yang has been complaining about the heat and threw up several times."
Wang Chen stepped forward to look and saw Yang's face was pale, and her lips were tinged with purple.
Clearly, the poisoning was deep.
"Sister-in-law, hang in there a little longer, I'll have the medicine ready immediately."
Li Qian nodded slightly and wiped the sweat from her face with her hand.
It was already hot in the summer, and running around taking care of Yang had her covered in sweat.
The sweat-soaked tank top made the thin fabric a bit transparent, giving a glimpse of the crowded, soft enormity underneath.
As she raised her hand to wipe her sweat, the bulging things inside seemed to sway, ready to jump out.
This scene left Wang Chen, who was already thirsty, parched and, coupled with Xiao Yan's two flirtations on the mountain, he felt even more hot and impulsive.
Feeling the scorching gaze cast upon her, Li Qian fixed her beautiful eyes on him and cleared her throat lightly.
Wang Chen came to his senses, enduring the embarrassment and hastily began to work on the herbs.
While he was busy, Li Qian walked over. Seeing Yang asleep and Duo Duo lying beside, not knowing what to do, she whispered, "What were you looking at just now?"
"Nothing... nothing at all." Wang Chen couldn't help but glance at Li Qian again.
Li Qian gave him a look, "You must have had your fill of Yang's body yesterday, huh?"
"Sister-in-law, I didn't," Wang Chen hurriedly explained.
Li Qian helped him get the pot, then said, "There's nothing wrong with looking. You're a young man at an age where you're half understanding and half not; it's normal to have such thoughts."
Wang Chen kept his head down working, not quite understanding why Li Qian was saying all this to him.
Li Qian, with a faint scent, leaned in closer and said, "When Yang woke up for a bit earlier, she said that yesterday she almost did 'that' with you."
Thump!
Upon hearing this, Wang Chen dropped the spoon in his hand to the ground.
In a panic, he picked it up, "Sister-in-law, that was... that was just Yang having a reaction to the snake venom."
"I know," Li Qian said seriously. "I'm telling you this because I want you to understand, it's normal for a man like you to have those needs, but you must consider both the person and the situation,
Though Yang has no husband, there's always gossip at the doorstep of a widow. You're one of the few college graduates in our village, and a capable one at that; you must not act on impulse and get involved with Yang, or people will talk behind your back."
"I understand," Wang Chen nodded.
Li Qian went on to say, "You're not getting any younger. One of these days, I'll help you find a suitable girl in our village. You just wait until your sister-in-law has kids, and I'll personally make the marriage proposal for you."
Wang Chen was very touched by Li Qian's words.
Years ago, his parents went out to work and there was no word from them ever since.
Earlier, his grandparents passed away, leaving him completely without family.
It was Zhang Hu and Li Qian's repeated help and concern that had given him the feeling of a home, so upon hearing Li Qian's words, his heart was warmly suffused with a hint of sourness.
He smiled happily, "Thank you, sister-in-law, but I'm not in a hurry to find a wife yet. I still have debts unpaid, and there are many things waiting for me to do."
"Debts can be paid slowly, things can be done slowly. But you can't drag your feet when it comes to getting married," Li Qian paused and then said, "Besides, having a wife at home to help you, wouldn't that save you some effort?"
Wang Chen scratched his head, just about to say something, when Li Qian laughed, "Also, living here every day with your sister-in-law, if you don't have a wife to keep you company, you'll get frustrated."
"I…" Wang Chen's face turned red all at once.
"Alright, leave this to me. You don't have to worry about it," Li Qian said, then picked up the medicine Wang Chen had just finished preparing and walked towards Yang.
Wang Chen pondered over Li Qian's words for a while and then shook his head helplessly.
He didn't want to be frustrated; he also wanted to find a wife.
But with his mountain of debts and being so poor, who would be with him?
After a while, Yang finished her medicine, her complexion regained its rosiness, and the purplish color at the corner of her mouth had also faded a great deal.
Seeing her slowly regaining consciousness and becoming more spirited, both Wang Chen and Li Qian sighed in relief.
"Your medical skills have not gone to waste over these years, they're even better than the doctors in our town," Li Qian praised him.
Wang Chen grinned, "If I hadn't learned anything, wouldn't that have wasted all the help from you, Hu, and the other villagers?"
"It's your own capability," Li Qian said as she stood up, "Now that Yang is fine, I should head back."
"Look at the fuss I've caused, troubling you all!" Yang felt somewhat embarrassed.
"We're all neighbors living together; we should help each other," Li Qian patted Yang's hand, "Yang, you rest up. I'll go back and cook for Hu Zi."
By then, Wang Chen also stood up, "I just picked some herbs along the way and plan to sell them in town. Sister-in-law, auntie, do you need anything? I can bring it back for you."
"I want to eat lollipops," Duo Duo said in a low voice at that moment.
Wang Chen laughed, "Alright, I'll buy some for you."
"Chenzi, don't listen to Duo Duo's nonsense. You saved my life, and I haven't yet repaid you. How could I let you buy things for me?" Yang said.
Wang Chen waved his hand, "It's fine, don't overthink it, Yang."
"Exactly, our Chenzi is capable now. If he wants to buy something, just let him," Li Qian said with a smile and then walked out of the courtyard with Wang Chen.
"Sister-in-law, do you need anything?" Wang Chen asked.
Li Qian shook her head, "Right now, besides wanting a child, there's nothing else I need."
"I…"
Li Qian saw Wang Chen's awkwardness and patted him on the shoulder, "Hurry along then. Come to my house for dinner tonight and we can finish what we started yesterday."
"Hmm."
Wang Chen assented, picked up his bag of herbs, went to change his clothes at the orchard's house, and then headed towards the town.
Taoyuan Village was very poor, with only the head of the village owning a motorcycle, so most people walked when going to town.
Fortunately, Taoyuan Village wasn't too far from the town; after about twenty minutes or so, Wang Chen arrived in town.
Originally, he had intended to try his luck at the market to sell the herbs, but by the time he got there, it was already midday, and the market had dispersed. With no other choice, he began asking around for shops that bought herbs.
After some inquiries, he finally found one.
Wang Chen, directed by a kind villager, reached the entrance of a herbal shop at the end of an alley.
Just as he was about to ask if anyone was there in the empty hall, a conversation that could make one blush came from a room next door.
More importantly, the voice of the woman inside was all too familiar to him…