Lin Fan's heart tightened. His sister-in-law's words made sense.
Back in Xiajiagou, even if his sister-in-law's parents found a less-than-perfect toon sprout, they would still smile and explain it clearly. If they encountered a difficult customer, after picking out the bad ones, they would secretly stuff them back in. In the end, Xia Xiangqian lost his temper, their faces red and necks thick. It was clear this was a very taxing job.
"I've got it!"
A look of joy suddenly appeared on Lin Fan's face. "Sister-in-law, you're too embarrassed to deal with people from your own village. Why not hire outsiders to do this thankless job?"
"This..."
Xia Xue was undecided.
"Sister-in-law, don't worry. I'll handle this matter."
Lin Fan smiled mysteriously.
There was something that had been pending for a long time and hadn't been dealt with. Tian Yu from Changxi Village had recently visited the clinic due to her husband's worsening condition. Lin Fan immediately thought of her. Collecting wild vegetables would only take at most an afternoon, and Wan Anfu's health had improved, so Tian Yu would have plenty of time. Letting her help would not only alleviate his sister-in-law's worries but also allow her to earn money. It was a win-win situation, so why not?
Having made up his mind, Lin Fan strode out. As he neared the village entrance, he saw a pickup truck speeding towards him. It was followed by a box truck, and behind that was a large trailer carrying an excavator. That wasn't all; on the dirt road not far away, large engineering vehicles were continuously heading towards Luofeng Village. Lin Fan's eyebrows twitched. What grand plan was Tian Mengyao up to again?
Before he could figure it out, the pickup truck screeched to a halt.
"Divine Doctor Lin."
The car door opened, and a long, slender, and straight leg emerged, clad in light-colored jeans.
"Xu..." Lin Fan suddenly remembered that Xu Zixin wanted to build a mountain god temple.
"You can call me Miss Xu, or Ms. Xu. If you find it too much of a mouthful, you can call me Zixin, or Xin Xin." Compared to before, Xu Zixin was a completely different person. She had tied her hair up with just a hair tie, her makeup was light, and she looked somewhat barefaced. However, with her slender figure and a gentle, serene smile, she still looked very beautiful.
"Miss Xu, what is this..." Lin Fan surveyed the convoy behind her.
"I suffered a great calamity not long ago, and I was fortunate enough to be saved by the Mountain God. At that time, I vowed to build a temple and erect a golden statue for him. I have already found the construction team. As soon as Secretary Tian approves, construction will begin immediately," Xu Zixin said.
"That was quick," Lin Fan chuckled. He knew that when Tian Mengyao was arranging the medicinal herb planting base, she had run around non-stop, and the preparation and planning alone took over a month. And that was with help. Xu Zixin, on her own, was about to break ground in such a short time, which was remarkably efficient.
"Divine Doctor Lin, I was also treated by you before, and I deeply admire your medical skills and character." Xu Zixin looked at the convoy and continued, "I invited the construction team from my hometown. If any unexpected situations arise during the process, I will have to ask for your help."
"It's my duty," Lin Fan nodded with a smile.
"By the way, can you prescribe some Chinese medicine to alleviate acclimatization issues?" Xu Zixin was very thoughtful and willing to spend money.
Lin Fan pointed to the clinic not far away. "I'll get you the medicine right now."
"Thank you..." Xu Zixin expressed her gratitude, then said a few words to the driver before going to the clinic with Lin Fan.
Lin Fan pondered for a moment before starting to prepare the medicine. Xu Zixin stood by the counter, observing the clinic's furnishings.
"Cangzhu, Xiangfu, Chuanxiong..."
Lin Fan took out the required herbs one by one according to the prescription in his mind, arranging them on the counter. He lowered his head, double-checking to ensure he hadn't made any mistakes. Just then, Xu Zixin's eyes suddenly sharpened, and she stared intently at his face.
It's a bit like... No, it's a striking resemblance!
Xu Zixin was surprised to find that Lin Fan's appearance bore an ineffable similarity to the portrait given by the Mountain God. Although the Mountain God's portrait was pieced together from broken stones, and if compared to a photograph, the pixels were extremely low. However, the spirit and aura conveyed in the painting were almost identical to the person in front of her.
Xu Zixin remained composed, pulling out her phone to make comparisons back and forth. Lin Fan was completely unaware that he had revealed a flaw. At that time, he had unconsciously used himself as a model to draw the appearance of the Mountain God. The more Xu Zixin looked, the more similar they appeared. When she looked at the photo on her phone, she superimposed Lin Fan's features, and there was no sense of incongruity. What was going on? Could he be the reincarnation of the Mountain God, or was he somehow related to him?
"All done, that's everything."
Before Xu Zixin could figure it out, Lin Fan had already gathered the medicine, a large bag full.
"There are ten small packets inside. Boil them in a large pot every morning and give them one bowl."
"Oh, how much is it?" Xu Zixin took out money while observing Lin Fan's features.
"Two hundred yuan," Lin Fan habitually quoted a low price.
Xu Zixin took out five red bills. "Divine Doctor Lin, I can't let you lose money. The rest can be considered payment for the medicine I picked up last time. If it's not enough, I have more."
"You're too kind. You're building the Mountain God temple in our village, which is a good deed." Lin Fan only accepted two red bills.
Xu Zixin smiled. "I remember Secretary Tian mentioning that you are a native of this area. Have you ever had any dealings with the Mountain God?"
Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat, and surprise flashed in his eyes. No way? Why would she ask such a question? It's impossible! Could she have figured something out? That shouldn't be!
"I was young then and don't remember much. I only heard from the elders when I was a child that there used to be a Mountain God temple on the mountain, but I never saw it." Lin Fan tried his best to appear natural.
"Oh, I see." Xu Zixin was half-believing.
Beep!
An ear-piercing honk came from outside. Xu Zixin glanced back, picked up the medicine bag, and said, "Divine Doctor Lin, the people outside are rushing me. I have to go."
"Safe travels." Lin Fan saw Xu Zixin off from the clinic and watched her car drive away. Afterward, he headed to Changxi Village to discuss the matter of helping purchase Ma Mi Chi with Tian Yu. To his surprise, Tian Yu was so excited she almost cried. She truthfully told him that if their family didn't have any income, the three of them would starve to death. Hearing this, Lin Fan took out all the cash he had on him, about five or six hundred yuan. Amidst Tian Yu's profuse thanks, Lin Fan returned the way he came.
"I need to tell A Yue and have her help relay the message." Not long after walking out, Lin Fan, fearing he would forget the important matter, took out his phone and dialed Zheng Yue.
At this moment, in the president's office of Borun Pharmaceuticals. A chair was placed opposite the desk, and Li Yurou, pouting, stared intently at Zheng Yue with her large, clear black and white eyes. At first, Zheng Yue pretended not to see and focused on her work. But after more than ten minutes, she couldn't take it anymore. She closed the folder and said to Li Yusheng, who was sitting on the sofa playing with his phone, "Please control your sister. She keeps staring at me like this, and I can't get anything done." Li Yusheng shrugged. "If I could control her, you wouldn't see me here."