Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

This remark drew a chorus of agreement. Several people in the crowd who were close to Liu Xiangyang, or whose daughters had good relationships with Xue Bingbing and the others, straightened their backs a bit.

Wang Lixin, holding a tin megaphone, used his gruff voice to maintain order: "Don't push! By household! One jin per household! Line up! Each educated youth will receive three liang, recorded separately!"

The line began to move slowly forward. Those who received the meat, holding the heavy, bloody lump in their hands, beamed with joy, carefully placing it into their basins or baskets as if they had found a treasure.

"Old Li, there are five people in your family. This pound of meat is enough to make a whole pot of soup. It'll smell amazing!"

"Absolutely! These days, to see so much meat... Liu Xiangyang is such a kind and righteous kid!"

Amidst the chorus of praise, a discordant voice drifted out from the back of the crowd, low and hushed:

"Hmph, benevolence? I think it's just a show of generosity! He's just a young man, taking such good care of those female educated youths... could there be some shady relationship between them? One or two is one thing, but there are four or five already..."

The speaker was a middle-aged man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face, surnamed Li. He wasn't well-liked in the village and was known for gossiping.

The women who were happily gossiping nearby immediately stopped talking and glanced at him sideways.

A middle-aged woman surnamed Wang, who was in her fifties and had a large build, was still holding the meat she had just received. Upon hearing this, she raised her eyebrows, turned her head, and spat.

"Pah! Li Ergou, what kind of filth are you spewing? Liu Xiangyang is an inspector! He's on the government payroll! He was just taking care of his fellow educated youth, showing revolutionary camaraderie! And you call that disgusting?"

Another woman surnamed Zhang chimed in, "That's right! Four or five? Do you think they're some old-fashioned landlord? Liu Xiangyang is helping them advance in society and contributing to the village—it's all aboveboard! Stop spouting nonsense!"

Li Ergou's face flushed red from the retort, and he muttered, "I... I was just saying it offhand..."

"Just something offhand? You should have your mouth sewn shut!" Aunt Wang persisted. "Six or seven young women following him? Think before you make up lies! Is that even possible?"

"Liu Xiangyang is young and promising, handsome, and has a generous spirit. The girls respect him and are willing to work with him for the collective. That's because he's capable! And you call that promiscuity? I think you're just jealous of the spoils he got, but you're not capable enough to fight for them!"

A low chuckle and agreement came from the surrounding area.

"Aunt Wang is right!"

"Li Ergou, you're just jealous!"

"Liu Xiangyang gets things done, unlike some people who just gossip behind people's backs!"

Seeing that he had angered everyone, Li Ergou shrank back, dared not utter another word, and slunk away.

The line for dividing the meat continued forward, with most villagers focused on the pound of meat they were about to receive, and the little incident was quickly forgotten.

But Liu Xiangyang's magnanimity and the impression that one could benefit from following him, along with Aunt Wang's dismissive question of "Is that even possible?", quietly took root in the village amidst the aroma of meat and the discussions.

In a corner of the threshing ground, Luo Lan, He Xiaoqin, Jiang Xiaowen, and Zuo Qingqing stood together, looking at the lively scene before them and listening to the discussions that mentioned their names directly or indirectly. Their feelings were all somewhat complicated.

There was a slight thrill of being recognized, but also a strange sense of pressure.

Liu Xiangyang was not at the threshing ground; he was at home sorting through his most precious harvest from this trip into the mountains.

The faint noises coming from the threshing ground were blocked by the courtyard wall, and Liu Xiangyang's small courtyard was quiet.

Without delay, he took out the box carefully wrapped in birch bark and moss from his spatial storage.

Holding the box, he walked faster than usual, his heart filled with a heavy yet fervent feeling—hope.

The fatigue from three days of hiking through the mountains and the danger of encountering a pack of wolves were all overshadowed by this fervent enthusiasm at this moment.

Pushing open Dr. Han's door, the familiar smell, a mixture of herbs and decay, wafted out. Dr. Han leaned against the headboard, his face even more ashen than in the past few days. Hearing the noise, his eyelids twitched, and he looked over with cloudy eyes.

"Master, I'm back." Liu Xiangyang walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his voice not loud, but it conveyed a sense of satisfaction after completing his mission.

He carefully placed the birch bark box on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and opened it gently but deftly. "Look, I found it."

When the box lid was opened, the old ginseng, with its complete shape, coiled rhizome, and deep skin texture, was revealed.

Liu Xiangyang's gaze also fell on the ginseng, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly, with the expectant look of a young person showing off a treasure. He looked at Dr. Han: "Could you take a look and see if this ginseng is... any good? Can it be used?"

Dr. Han initially gave it only a casual glance, his eyes clouded.

But the next moment, his gaze froze as if nailed to the ground! His emaciated body tensed abruptly, his neck stretched forward with difficulty, a short, sharp gasp escaped his throat, and a terrifying light burst forth from his cloudy eyes!

"This...this is..." His voice trembled violently, his hand trembling as he raised it, his fingertips hovering above the ginseng body, wanting to touch it but not daring to, his eyes wide as he scanned every detail.

Seeing his master's reaction, Liu Xiangyang's eagerness instantly turned into real joy, and his eyes brightened.

There's hope! This ginseng will definitely work! He held his breath, waiting for Dr. Han to speak.

Dr. Han looked at it for a long time, and the surprise, regret and relief on his face eventually turned into relief.

He leaned back heavily, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all that remained was a weary clarity and a deep sense of regret.

"Ginseng that is over 100 years old... at least 120 years old, is good ginseng, a true treasure."

His voice was deep and slow, then he suddenly looked at Liu Xiangyang, his tone urgent, "Put it away! Xiangyang, listen to your master, put it away quickly!"

Liu Xiangyang's joy hadn't faded when he heard this and was taken aback: "Master? This ginseng... can't be used?"

"It's usable! It's incredibly useful!" Dr. Han exclaimed urgently, even with a hint of reproach. "But it should be used where it's most needed! Used on someone in the prime of their life! In the future, it will be your strength to save lives, overcome obstacles, and make connections with important people! And you're giving it to this old geezer?"

He gave a bitter smile, pointing to his chest, "My internal organs are all withered and rotten, and my meridians are completely blocked! This ginseng is like a barrel of the finest sesame oil, but my wick has long since burned out, and the lamp bowl is leaking!"

"If you pour it in, at most... at most you'll let that little bit of oil run for a few more days. What's the point? You're just wasting this precious resource!"

Liu Xiangyang understood. Looking at Dr. Han's anxious and distressed face, he shook his head and spoke, his voice low but each word clear:

"Master, I understand what you mean." He paused, looking directly at Dr. Han, "But to me, no matter how precious ginseng is, it's just a medicinal herb."

"It's a medicinal herb, meant for human use. You taught me to recognize herbs, passed on prescriptions to me, and treated me like a son or nephew. I, Liu Xiangyang, will always remember this kindness."