"Auntie, the medicine is ready, I'll pour it out for you."
Xia Xue went to the room to get some local specialties for her parents, leaving Lin Fan alone outside.
"Xiao Fan, do you really not need to tell Xue'er?" Xia Cui'e asked in a low voice, feeling uneasy.
"No need, I can make the decision. You two can rest assured." Lin Fan brought a white porcelain bowl and poured out the boiling medicinal soup.
"Xiao Fan, we've taken a lot from you."
Xia Xiangqian's old face turned red, and he poked his wife's arm, "Take out the gold bars and return them."
"You two keep them. You can melt them into rings or necklaces to wear yourselves." Lin Fan couldn't possibly take back something he had given away.
"We're old, why would we wear gold jewelry? Old woman, hurry and get them out." Xia Xiangqian urged.
"Oh." Xia Cui'e's pants kept slipping down from the heavy weight of the gold bars, but the feeling of having gold bars in her pocket was truly captivating.
She fumbled in her pocket, her face filled with reluctance.
"My sister-in-law is coming out, quickly take it back." Lin Fan gave a look and picked up the medicine bowl, blowing on it.
"Auntie, let me feed you the medicine."
"No, no, I'll do it myself."
Xia Cui'e took the medicine bowl and took small sips.
"Daughter, the villagers gave us a wild rabbit, and some dried mushrooms, I've packed some for you all," Xia Xue said, coming out with a heavy woven bag.
Lin Fan stepped forward to help her carry it, then asked, "Should I put it in the tricycle outside?"
"Yes." Xia Xue glanced at the sky outside the window. Although it was cloudy, the rain had stopped.
"We old folks have food, it's good for you to keep it for yourselves," Xia Cui'e said with embarrassment.
"We can't finish it all. Xiao Fan doesn't charge much for seeing patients, so patients always send him food and drinks. Some of it spoils," Xia Xue said.
"Daughter, the house you built is quite magnificent," Xia Cui'e said, her face full of joy.
Xia Xiangqian put down his pipe and sighed, "Daughter, since the rain has stopped, we'll be leaving now."
Xia Xue nodded, "I'll see you off."
She also felt bad, but all the money at home was earned by Lin Fan's hard work. For a distant cousin, she couldn't possibly be so generous as to give away two hundred thousand yuan.
Xia Cui'e clutched her pocket, afraid her daughter would notice the shape of the gold bars.
As they walked out of the clinic, a ray of red light shot through a gap in the dark clouds.
"Uncle, Auntie, you're leaving?" Lin Fan asked, turning around after placing the woven bag on the vehicle, and seeing Xia Xue and her parents walking out.
"Yes, the weather isn't good, it might rain again soon, and you'll get soaked on the way," Xia Xiangqian nodded politely.
"Why don't I find a car from the village committee to take you. You can leave the tricycle here and pick it up when the weather improves," Lin Fan suggested.
"This is our neighbor's vehicle. If we leave it here and don't return it, they won't be happy," Xia Xiangqian shook his head.
"Xiao Fan, there's no need to trouble yourself. You and Xue'er should go back inside."
Xia Cui'e, supported by her daughter, carefully climbed into the vehicle and sat on the stool, waving goodbye, "We're leaving."
"Mom, put on your raincoat. It's windy, don't catch a cold," Xia Xue reminded her with concern.
"Yes, I know," Xia Cui'e replied, her face full of affection.
Xia Xiangqian gripped the handlebars and, with the sound of the motor, turned the vehicle onto the main road.
"Daughter, go back. Come home often when you have time."
"I know."
Xia Xue's eyes reddened as she stood at the clinic entrance, waving to her parents.
"Sister-in-law, don't be sad."
Lin Fan stood beside her and gently nudged Xia Xue with his shoulder, "When the house is built, bring the old couple over. They can stay as long as they want."
"Yes, I'll urge the renovation tomorrow," Xia Xue nodded with red eyes.
She sniffled, then turned and suddenly asked, "Xiao Fan, did you give my parents money?"
"No," Lin Fan denied immediately, his expression unreadable, betraying no sign of deception.
Xia Xue stared at Lin Fan for a long time.
She had noticed long ago that Lin Fan was not only more cunning now, but he could also lie without blushing or his heart racing, much more mischievous than before.
"Why was my mom constantly clutching her pocket? And why was my dad's pocket bulging?" Xia Xue questioned sternly.
Lin Fan felt a pang of panic, not expecting his sister-in-law to have noticed these small details.
He could only chuckle and say, "Sister-in-law, didn't you also give ten thousand? I happened to have twenty thousand yuan on me, and I gave it all to them."
"Are you sure it was twenty thousand? You're not lying to me?" Xia Xue asked, half-believing.
"I swear to heaven, it was only twenty thousand, not a cent more," Lin Fan said with conviction, raising one hand.
"Don't give them any more next time. It's not like my parents asked for it. My uncle might not repay it for who knows how long," Xia Xue said sternly.
"Okay, I'll do whatever you say," Lin Fan said with a chuckle.
Seeing that it was getting late, Xia Xue said, "I'm going back to cook. You clean up the clinic and go back to eat soon."
"Alright." Lin Fan waved.
He glanced in the direction of Luofeng Mountain. Due to the rain, the villagers weren't working on the mountain today.
This was the perfect opportunity to deploy the Gu worm army.
Otherwise, keeping them confined in the box would eventually lead to disaster.
No sooner said than done, Lin Fan returned to the clinic and opened the box.
Buzz, buzz, buzz...
The Gu worm army eagerly flew out, swirling around Lin Fan.
Their simple consciousness held only one word: "Hungry!"
Lin Fan shook his head, dispelling the incoming information.
He led the Gu worm army to the backyard and commanded them to fly into the sky in batches.
Only when they became an inconspicuous dark cloud in his sight did Lin Fan say, "Follow me, I'll take you for a grand feast, and find you a new home."
With that, Lin Fan strode towards Luofeng Mountain.
—
Meanwhile, as Xia Xiangqian rode the tricycle out of Luofeng Village, he suddenly turned and stopped the vehicle by the roadside.
"What's wrong, old man? Did the battery die or did the tire go flat?" Xia Cui'e asked.
"No." Xia Xiangqian looked around furtively, then carefully took out the US dollars from his pocket, "You take the money. I kept it in my pocket, and I kept wanting to touch it, for fear of losing it."
"You scared me," Xia Cui'e complained, then took the money and tucked it into her clothes.
"Be careful not to lose it. Xiao Fan said this stack is seventy thousand, it's very precious!" Xia Xiangqian said worriedly.
"I won't lose it. I'm keeping it against my stomach, unless I lose myself," Xia Cui'e said, one hand covering the gold bars in her pocket, the other hand on her stomach, a brilliant smile on her face.
"Alas." Xia Xiangqian sighed.
Xia Cui'e was a little surprised, "Why are you sighing? Is it because Xue'er's family is doing well, and you're not happy about it?"
"What are you saying?"
Xia Xiangqian shook his head gently, "I'm afraid this money is easy to borrow but hard to repay. My elder brother's family isn't well-off either, and they'll have to repay the mortgage later. How will they repay so much money?"
Xia Cui'e rolled her eyes, "Since you know that, why did you pretend to be a big spender and help them borrow money? Now that the money has been borrowed, what's the use of worrying so much?"