The sun dipped low in the western sky, casting long shadows as dusk settled.
A gentle breeze rustled Zheng Yue's hair.
"Well, I'm leaving now," Lin Fan said, his voice tinged with sadness.
"If you're leaving, don't come back," Zheng Yue replied coldly.
"We... we..." Lin Fan felt a lump in his throat, hesitating for a long time, unable to speak. He couldn't possibly stay here and become some sort of national advisor.
"You are you, and I am me. Don't say 'we.' Are we even that close?" Zheng Yue said irritably.
"Then I'm leaving."
Just as Lin Fan turned to go, he heard Zheng Yue call out, "Come back!"
"I was warmly hosted by your sister-in-law last time. This is a gift for her."
Zheng Yue waved him back. Zheng Ke, carrying a suitcase, walked over from a distance.
"There's nothing for me?" Lin Fan asked, a little surprised.
"No," Zheng Yue said, shaking her head, though her words belied her true feelings.
Lin Fan chuckled, wanting to open the suitcase and see what was inside.
"Hurry up and go, you're upsetting me," Zheng Yue said, turning away, her face filled with reluctance.
"Actually, I have something for you too," Lin Fan said, reaching into his chest.
"Really?!" Zheng Yue exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. She immediately turned back, only to freeze in panic as if she had seen a ghost.
A golden, radiant gu worm lay obediently on Lin Fan's palm.
As Zheng Yue looked over, the gu worm also turned its gaze towards her.
Its scarlet compound eyes flickered with a strange glow.
"This is for you," Lin Fan extended his hand.
"This, this is..." Zheng Yue pointed at the gu worm in his hand, astonished. This little creature was clearly a Ironhead Gu, so why had it transformed so drastically?
Besides its golden hue, its size had also shrunk considerably.
The biggest difference was its aura; it had gone from fierce and violent to a seemingly dim-witted, somewhat foolish demeanor.
"Miss Li said it's a Golden Silkworm Gu, with a spirit. It can protect you if you keep it by your side," Lin Fan said with a smile.
On the way here, he recalled the Golden Silkworm Gu mentioned by Li Yurou and felt immense curiosity.
He could clearly sense that these little creatures were particularly fond of spiritual energy.
If that was the case, why not try to catalyze them with spiritual energy?
As he had predicted, under the influence of spiritual energy, within about half an hour, an Ironhead Gu transformed into a Golden Silkworm Gu.
"Go," Lin Fan gently raised his hand, and the Golden Silkworm Gu spread its wings, hovering in front of Zheng Yue.
Zheng Yue hesitantly extended her hand, and the Golden Silkworm Gu landed softly on her palm.
"Listen to her from now on and protect her," Lin Fan commanded.
The Golden Silkworm Gu wiggled its body as if nodding.
"Wow!" Zheng Yue exclaimed, "It can understand human speech?"
Zheng Ke was also dumbfounded, his heart filled with both surprise and joy. Such an intelligent creature, could it still be considered a mere insect?
"I'm leaving," Lin Fan said, waving goodbye with a smile.
In fact, he had originally intended to give this Golden Silkworm Gu to his sister-in-law. However, since Zheng Yue had given him a parting gift, he couldn't simply not reciprocate.
"I will come to find you..." Gazing at Lin Fan's receding figure, Zheng Yue shed silent tears, remaining rooted to the spot for a long time, unwilling to leave.
Though a sender accompanies a traveler a thousand miles, they must part in the end.
...
Twenty hours passed in a flash.
"We've arrived at Shimen Town. Passengers alighting, please do so now," the conductor announced loudly as a minivan pulled into the station.
Lin Fan stood up from his seat. "My luggage is in the bottom compartment. Could you please help me get it?"
"No problem!" The conductor readily agreed, having received an extra fare.
The minivan departed.
Lin Fan, dragging three large suitcases, trudged along the dusty country road, a difficult feat.
He suddenly recalled a saying: To get rich, one must first build roads!
He was wealthy now, but his fellow villagers remained poor.
To be rich alone is selfish; to lead others to prosperity is the righteous path!
Lin Fan secretly vowed to ensure his fellow villagers lived good lives too!
"Sister-in-law, you can't keep running a tab. Even the landlord is running out of grain," a familiar voice called out.
"Dazhuang, I'll settle up as soon as I have money. We're neighbors, can you... can you let me have a little more credit?"
Lin Fan looked up and saw a buxom young woman standing at Luo Dazhuang's pork stall, pleading pitifully.
Tian Yu!
Lin Fan was her benefactor, having saved her husband's life.
"Sister-in-law, that's five hundred and eighty!" Luo Dazhuang held up his left hand and gestured an eight with his right. "That's enough to buy half a pig. If everyone was like you, I couldn't do business."
His loud voice drew the attention of the surrounding people. Tian Yu's face flushed with embarrassment, wishing she could disappear into the ground.
She was in a difficult situation. Although her husband's health had improved significantly, his chronic illness was hard to cure, and he still had difficulty moving.
Between taking care of her husband and her child, and relying on foraging for wild vegetables, the life of her family of three was extremely tough.
"This is the last time, Dazhuang, please," Tian Yu begged.
Luo Dazhuang stroked his chin, glancing around before chuckling, "Sister-in-law, how about you pay me back with your body?"
"You!" Tian Yu's face contorted with anger, wishing she could turn and leave.
"You don't agree? Then pay up, and do it now. Don't force me to come and collect." Luo Dazhuang threatened.
Tian Yu was both angry and helpless, unsure whether to stay or go.
Lin Fan watched, amused.
Luo Dazhuang's wife was not around, so he was probably up to no good at someone else's house again.
This guy wore so many cuckold hats, he could barely fit them all on his head, yet he still had the leisure to flirt with other men's wives.
"Dazhuang, give me fifteen catties of pork belly and ten catties of ribs," Lin Fan called out, startling the smug Luo Dazhuang.
"Doctor Lin is here! It's been so long, I've missed you terribly," Luo Dazhuang's face broke into a wide smile. "I'll cut it for you right away, please wait a moment." With that, he picked up his boning knife and quickly got to work.
"Doctor Lin," Tian Yu greeted him softly, her head bowed.
Lin Fan smiled slightly and then asked Luo Dazhuang, "How much does Sister Tian owe you?"
Luo Dazhuang realized what was happening and looked up, smiling awkwardly. "Forget it, we're neighbors. I don't lack those few hundred yuan."
"Don't," Lin Fan reached into his pocket. "Your pork isn't free either. Let's settle this properly."
He pulled out a wad of bills, only to be stunned.
When he went to Siam, he hadn't carried much cash. On the way back, he had bought a few bottles of drinks and spent all his money.
His pocket had always felt bulky, making him think he was rich. He never expected to pull out a handful of green banknotes.
These were dollars he had intentionally put in his pocket, planning to show his sister-in-law as a curiosity.
"Whoa, Doctor Lin, what is this..." Luo Dazhuang stopped working and stared blankly at the US dollars in Lin Fan's hand.
They were definitely not the red Chinese yuan, but they had "100" printed on them.
"Doctor Lin, could this be American dollars?" Luo Dazhuang vaguely recognized them, as if he had seen them on television.
"That's right," Lin Fan nodded. "I went on a long trip, and this is the consultation fee from a patient."
Luo Dazhuang glanced at the large suitcases on the ground and said, his face full of shock, "Doctor Lin, you're amazing! Your reputation has spread beyond our borders, and you're even earning US dollars!"
At some point, the surrounding people had gathered around. Lin Fan felt as if he were standing in a spotlight, surrounded by dozens of onlookers.