Chapter 22: Envy

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Military District Hospital of Yishi.

“Doctor Yu, are you sure there was no mistake in the test results?”

Xia Juncheng stared incredulously at the examination report in his hand and asked the doctor.

“Captain Xia, my professional knowledge is beyond doubt.”

Yu Jingran pushed up the glasses on his nose, fixing Xia Juncheng with a cold, serious gaze, his expression meticulous and earnest.

Hearing Yu Jingran’s words, Xia Juncheng first offered a polite apology, then his eyes once again fell on the examination report.

Seeing that all aspects of his physical fitness showed varying degrees of improvement, Xia Juncheng felt both pleased and a trace of worry in his heart.

He knew very well how crucial physical fitness was for people like them, whose lives depended on their agility and strength.

Because it was so important, he had to be cautious.

“I also want to ask you, Captain Xia, what exactly did you... take before?” Yu Jingran hesitated halfway, suddenly at a loss for words.

He had found no traces of any drugs in Xia Juncheng’s body.

If it wasn’t drugs, there was no way a person’s physical fitness could improve so suddenly.

This was what puzzled Yu Jingran.

“No,” Xia Juncheng blurted out without hesitation.

But just as he finished speaking, the image of Huá Níng’s innocent yet serene face suddenly flashed through his mind.

Yu Jingran, having received an answer, was about to leave, but the next moment he noticed something unusual about Xia Juncheng.

He wasn’t new to knowing Xia Juncheng.

So, had he really taken something?

“You...” Yu Jingran began.

“I have other matters to attend to. I’m leaving now!” Without giving Yu Jingran a chance to ask further, Xia Juncheng hurriedly left with long strides.

Watching his eager retreating figure, Yu Jingran’s thin lips curled slightly, his sharp, narrow eyes flickered briefly before he withdrew his gaze.

As Xia Juncheng stepped out of the hospital, his subordinates approached him.

“Brother Cheng, how’s your body now? Fortunately, that traitor who betrayed us was caught, otherwise your injury would have been in vain.”

Sun Chao followed closely beside Xia Juncheng, chattering incessantly.

“Watch your mouth!” Liang Jun whispered a warning to Sun Chao when he saw Xia Juncheng’s uneasy expression.

“Huh? Why?” Sun Chao asked cluelessly.

Xia Juncheng’s face darkened, feeling both anxious and excited, and turning to glare at Sun Chao, he said, “Chaozi, leave the interrogation of that bastard to you.”

After speaking, he solemnly patted Sun Chao on the shoulder.

“Got it! I’ll get the job done! Won’t let the captain down!” Sun Chao responded loudly, brimming with pride, straightening up and saluting Xia Juncheng.

“Then go quickly!”

Watching Sun Chao scamper off excitedly, Liang Jun’s lips twitched.

What a fool!

“Liang Jun, help me look someone up,” Xia Juncheng paused, then said, “No, I better go myself!”

Mainly because he didn’t know Huá Níng’s name.

He only knew which brigade his mountain hideout belonged to that night.

Liang Jun rolled his eyes silently.

Their captain was really fickle for once.

But seeing his captain’s usual cold, dark expression suddenly falter at the mention of searching for someone—

Could it be the captain was looking for a woman?

Is the old house on fire?

Liang Jun clicked his tongue twice in his heart, expression unchanged.

Anyway, he would find out eventually.

Xia Juncheng had no idea what Liang Jun was thinking.

If he did, he’d probably scold him for overthinking.

There was no way a mere teenage girl could cause such a commotion.

Meanwhile, in the Xin’an Brigade.

“Oh my, Deng Zhiqing’s been hugging and holding Fang Zhiqing like that, it’s so embarrassing!”

“Looks like our village is going to have a wedding soon.”

“A few days ago, I even saw Deng Zhiqing talking to Huá Níng from time to time. I thought...”

“Thought what? Everyone knows what’s on Deng Zhiqing’s mind! Not to mention him, there are quite a few in our village who have their eyes on Huá Níng!”

“Don’t forget, Huá Níng is only fifteen this year!”

“So what if she’s fifteen? She can’t marry yet but can be promised! You know, the Hua family’s old estate comes with two houses! Nowadays, big families around here are running out of space, but the Hua family has only a few people living in that spacious blue-brick tiled house, who wouldn’t be envious?”

At these words, many onlookers’ eyes brightened for a moment.

Right now, Huá Níng was just like a golden child everyone coveted.

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Huá Níng, unable to stay at home and planning to stroll around the back mountain, had no idea she was being watched by even more people in the village.

“Hurry up and disperse! If you don’t get back to work soon, I’ll deduct your labor credits one by one!”

Zhao Qidong shouted fiercely, scattering the villagers who had gathered by the riverbank.

With no more spectators, he frowned at the drenched figures of Deng Zicong and Fang Miaohan by the river and asked coldly:

“Deng Zhiqing, Fang Zhiqing, what are your thoughts on today’s incident?”

Fang Miaohan looked shyly at the weak Deng Zicong, whispering, “Village chief, since Deng Zhiqing and I are like this, we can only...”

“I don’t agree!”

Before Fang Miaohan could finish, Deng Zicong mustered all his strength to loudly object.

“Brother Zicong? Why?”

Fang Miaohan’s eyes filled with hurt as she gazed intently at Deng Zicong, questioning.

But when she lowered her head, a look of determined confidence flashed unnoticed in her eyes.

Zhao Qidong neither liked nor disliked these educated youths who had come to the village.

But for them to cause such a scandalous incident in broad daylight and be watched by the villagers, if he didn’t set some rules today, tomorrow the village’s gossip and slander would drown out Fang Zhiqing.

“Deng Zhiqing, you know well that after what happened in the river with Fang Zhiqing... her reputation is ruined. If you don’t take responsibility, aren’t you forcing her to despair?”

Zhao Qidong avoided saying “hugging and holding” directly, but his meaning was clear.

“It’s not like I forced her to save me! Why should I marry her? I refuse!”

Deng Zicong, perhaps having recovered some strength, spoke with much more force.

However, his resolute refusal to marry Fang Zhiqing infuriated Zhao Qidong.

“If you don’t want to marry Fang Zhiqing, do you want to be reported for molestation and then be paraded and criticized?”

Having said his piece, Zhao Qidong lost patience and scolded Deng Zicong mercilessly.

“I...” Deng Zicong was speechless and looked panicked and annoyed.

“Village chief, I know Brother Zicong doesn’t like me. Please don’t force him; I’m fine...” Fang Miaohan cried heart-wrenchingly, her tone full of sorrow and despair.

Anyone hearing her would feel an instinctive pity.

Zhao Qidong gave Deng Zicong a contemptuous glare, then turned to the sobbing Fang Miaohan and sighed:

“Fang Zhiqing, rest assured. For today’s matter, our brigade officers will definitely find a way to resolve it.”