Chapter 120: A Letter from My Parents

The autumn harvest was more than halfway complete.

Xu Sheng approached Tang Banxia, feigning discomfort to secure a private conversation. He then handed her a letter. Tang Banxia took it, puzzled, until Xu Sheng whispered, "It’s from Jiangcheng."

Tang Banxia paused, looking at him with an inquiring gaze. Xu Sheng nodded. She carefully tucked the letter away and returned to her tasks as if nothing had happened. It wasn't until nightfall that she finally opened it. The note contained only a few sparse words, confirming that her parents were safe and sound, with nothing else mentioned. Yet, having this letter brought her peace of mind. Her father’s situation was more serious than she had imagined, but as long as he was safe, there was still hope.

However, she still needed to maintain her connection with Ah Meng.

As Tang Banxia cooked, she chatted with Wen Mubai about domestic matters. "I'll take care of it," Wen Mubai said.

Tang Banxia was deeply satisfied; this was exactly why she cherished him more and more. She handled the outside world, while Wen Mubai took full charge of the domestic sphere, managing every triviality. What a husband to have!

While she was lost in thought, a knock came at the door. Wen Mubai opened it to see Sheng Qianqian, who looked listless. He stepped aside, saying, "Please?"

Sheng Qianqian’s expression twisted, but she no longer dared to cause trouble. She obediently finished the chores and left. The moment she stepped out, the door was slammed shut behind her. Sheng Qianqian’s face darkened, a flash of malice in her eyes—just you wait!

The autumn harvest was grueling. After more than a month, even Tang Banxia, who usually slacked off, felt like she had shed a layer of skin. It took her several days to recover.

However, Wen Mubai no longer needed to worry about delivering the public grain. Their Guyue Village now had someone stationed at the grain depot. Hu Dashan had been promoted to the grain depot and, under the guidance of Xia Hongzu, had adapted to his new environment like a fish in water. The little old man rode his bicycle back and forth every day, rain or shine, with extraordinary enthusiasm.

As for Tang Banxia, once the harvest was over, she began to ponder a question: "I want to buy a bicycle. Could you check the black market to see if you can get a bicycle coupon?"

Wen Mubai replied, "Why don't you apply to the higher-ups?" Given his wife's contributions, a bicycle would be a simple request; there was no need to go through the trouble herself.

Tang Banxia was stunned. "Can I apply for one?" No one had ever told her that.

"Of course," Wen Mubai said, looking at her bewildered expression with a mix of amusement and frustration. His wife seemed so sharp, yet she often fumbled with common knowledge.

With her "Mengjin Powder," a single bicycle was nothing—ten wouldn't even be a challenge. Tang Banxia hadn't really considered this. She understood why, though; ultimately, her sense of loyalty to the state wasn't that high. Everything she did—the Mengjin Powder, the common sense manuals—while undeniably driven by good intentions, was mostly motivated by the benefits it brought her. She didn't feel there was anything wrong with that, either.

Following Wen Mubai's reminder, she specifically spoke to Xu Sheng. The next day, the bicycle she wanted was delivered—a Flying Pigeon, complete with all license plates and documents. When Wen Mubai rode it back, it attracted a sea of attention.

"Educated Youth Wen, this bicycle?"
"Little Wen, where did you get a bicycle?"

Wen Mubai’s lips curled into a smug smile, and he raised his voice. "This? My wife bought it for me. She said walking to the commune was hard work, so she insisted on buying me a bicycle. She wouldn't take no for an answer!"

Before he could finish, he was drowned in looks of envy and jealousy. The eligible men in the crowd turned green with envy. Heaven is unfair! A bicycle in these times was the equivalent of a Rolls-Royce in later days. In the entire village, only Hu Dashan’s family owned one, and they guarded it like a treasure, rarely lending it out. Yet here was Wen Mubai, who had secured one just by having a handsome face. How could they not be jealous?

Sure enough, the elders were all liars when they said that being good-looking couldn't put food on the table. Nonsense! Being good-looking not only puts food on the table but gets you a bicycle to ride!

Wen Mubai rode off after his moment of showing off, leaving behind a trail of envy, jealousy, and resentment. Upon returning home, his expression changed instantly: "Wife, I’ve brought the bike back for you."

Tang Banxia glanced at it. "Just put it there." It was just a bicycle; if it weren't for convenience, she wouldn't have cared. Much like how men cannot understand a woman's obsession with bags and jewelry, women cannot understand a man’s obsession with vehicles.

Wen Mubai was as obedient as ever. To show respect for the new bike, he rummaged through boxes and cabinets, found a piece of oilcloth to wrap it tightly, and parked it inside the house.

"Hey, Xiao Bai, we're almost out of sugar. Could you go to the commune this afternoon to buy some?" Tang Banxia’s voice drifted from the room.

Wen Mubai replied, "I'll go to the black market tonight and trade for some there." Why spend money when you can get it for free? Besides, that dog, Gouzi, still owed him for those three hundred catties of fine grain!

"That works too." Tang Banxia picked up a piece of forsythia to smell it, then put it back, sighing in frustration. She wondered when the rest of the medicinal herbs would arrive. Although her list was a bit long, it was for the sake of scientific research, wasn't it?

Elsewhere, Geng Zhengfei received an anonymous letter that contained no message at all. Yet, upon seeing it, he immediately requested leave and headed to the county seat to find Tang Xinyi.

Inside Tang Xinyi’s room, it wasn't just her and Mo Ling; two other burly men were present. They studied Geng Zhengfei for a moment before nodding. Once he was seated, Tang Xinyi went straight to the point.

"I assume you have all heard of the power of the Mengjin Powder?" Everyone present nodded in agreement. At first, everyone had been skeptical; after all, this was an era of firearms. The effects of the powder sounded miraculous, but it took time to take hold—time enough to fire several shots. However, after using it, everyone changed their minds. While the full effect took time, the paralytic effect was instantaneous. In that state, reaching for a gun? Even speaking was a struggle.

Furthermore, the second generation of the powder, which had been tested by the higher-ups, was even more potent. It no longer required inhalation to take effect; it caused immediate unconsciousness upon contact. Consequently, the secrecy level surrounding Tang Banxia had been raised repeatedly. Of course, she knew nothing of this.

Just as she was unaware of the recent personnel changes at the commune and the many new faces appearing in the county. If Tang Banxia hadn't insisted on living in the village, she would have had more people assigned to protect her; Geng Zhengfei and Xu Sheng alone were not enough. Fortunately, in a small village where everyone knew each other, it was easy to spot strangers.

"However, as far as I know, there are already at least ten teams searching for the developer of the Mengjin Powder," Tang Xinyi said, her tone shifting. "Only a few of us know Professor Tang's true identity. We must be vigilant against everyone around us; even from those we trust the most, not a single word of her identity can be leaked."

Everyone agreed without objection. They were all highly trained and possessed the necessary discipline.

"Furthermore, Geng Zhengfei, you and Xu Sheng must keep a constant watch on Professor Tang’s movements in the village. If anything seems amiss, ignore everything else and secure her immediately."

At that moment, Tang Xinyi was grateful that her younger sister had insisted on staying in the village. The village was humble, and those outsiders would never imagine that the person who developed such a drug would be content living in a small mountain village as a barefoot doctor. Geniuses are usually arrogant. Tang Xinyi’s mind wandered for a second—a genius, her little sister?