Chapter 31: The Background of Li Yaoyao

The villagers came one after another to collect their rations, each filled with joy and excitement. The small courtyard felt as lively as if it were the Lunar New Year. On the other side of the yard, Officer Chen set up a campfire and began to roast a pigeon. It must be said that Officer Chen had quite the talent; the pigeon was roasted to perfection—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Although he lacked many seasonings, the aroma was still mouth-watering.

By midday, the villagers had finished collecting their grain and departed. Wang Hongjun arrived at the small courtyard accompanied by two unfamiliar police officers.

"Oh! What are you roasting, Xiao Chen? It smells amazing!"

A burly officer with thick eyebrows spoke first. He was Xu Hu, the chief of the Wangshan Town Police Station. Having heard the day before about someone damaging a police vehicle, he had taken the matter seriously enough to come to Yangjia Village in person. Upon arriving early this morning, he discovered that Wang Hongjun and his team had captured another criminal gang overnight, which left him beaming with delight—this was a surefire achievement for his career record.

Beside him stood a tall, thin officer in his thirties. Seeing Chen Yan roasting the pigeon, he laughed, "Xiao Chen is quite the cook! During the heavy snow last year, when we were out on duty, he showed off his skills. It looks like we're in for a treat today!"

He was also an officer from the Wangshan Town station, named Lu Jun, and he was on good terms with Chen.

Hearing their chatter, Wang Hongjun hurriedly stopped them. He glanced into the house to ensure Li Yaoyao was not nearby before whispering, "Hey now, this is for his sweetheart. Why are you guys trying to get in on it?"

"Sweetheart?" Chief Xu and Officer Lu’s eyes lit up, both showing expressions of excitement.

"What does she look like?"
"How old is she?"
"Does she have kids?"

"Hey! What are you talking about!"

The last question, "Does she have kids," came from Officer Lu, who was usually fond of joking. His remark made Chief Xu burst into laughter.

Wang Hongjun, helpless, had to explain: "She is an educated youth from Yangjia Village, originally from the provincial capital. She’s beautiful and well-educated. I think she and our Xiao Chen are a perfect match!"

"That’s great! How far along are they?" Chief Xu, being more steady, inquired about the specifics of their progress.

"I’m just playing matchmaker! They are still getting to know each other!"

"Good..."

The conversation reached Officer Chen’s ears, causing him to blush deeply. He wished he could chase these guys away, but he was stuck roasting the pigeon and couldn't step away. Just then, he saw Village Chief Yang approaching. Having finished distributing the flour and rice, the chief was covered in white dust. He patted his clothes as he asked, "Chief Xu, have you finished processing everything over there? When do you plan to leave?"

Xu Hu and his team had arrived early that morning and had been busy interrogating the ruffian Pi Liu and his associates.

"We’ve cleared up the situation. I came over specifically to bid you farewell."

"Don't be in such a hurry to leave! It's already noon; stay for lunch before you go!"

"That wouldn't be appropriate, would it..."

"What's inappropriate about it? Look, Educated Youth Li just bought grain from a friend today; the village is quite well-off now!" With grain in hand, the Village Chief felt much more confident. "Look, we even have soybean oil—that’s a rare commodity. We must stir-fry a few dishes for you today; we'll use that instant noodle seasoning from last time!"

Wang Hongjun, recalling the meal from the previous night, agreed that dishes cooked with the seasoning packets were indeed delicious. He looked at Xu Hu and suggested they stay.

Xu Hu didn't stand on ceremony and nodded. "Alright, we'll stay."

"Oh, right, Xiao Lu, there’s a bag of sausages in our car. Go get it, and we’ll share it for lunch!"

"Got it!" Lu Jun replied and hurried off.

Just then, Officer Chen’s pigeon was finished. The group went inside to bid farewell to Li Yaoyao. Since she was still unwell, they didn't linger long, exchanged a few words, and headed to the village committee office.

"Yaoyao!" Not long after the group left, Yang Haiyan arrived. She said apologetically to Li Yaoyao, "The village is hosting a meal for guests today. Haiying has to look after Ke’ang and can’t get away, and since I’ll be cooking, I won’t be able to look after you. I’ll have Daya stay here instead; if you need anything, just tell her!"

"That’s fine, Sister Haiyan. I’m feeling much better!" Li Yaoyao sat up and asked with concern, "Is Brother Ke’ang’s injury serious?" She had been running a fever since morning and hadn't been able to visit Yang Haiying and Xue Ke’ang.

"It’s alright. Ke’ang has a strong constitution; it’s mostly just flesh wounds."

Hearing that Xue Ke’ang was fine, Li Yaoyao breathed a sigh of relief. She had given Sister Haiying plenty of medicine for wounds previously, so she trusted he would be alright.

After Yang Haiyan left, Li Yaoyao held the pigeon roasted by Officer Chen, and her longing for Ye Fan surged like a tide. What was he doing now? Had he gone to buy more pigeons? This box was truly annoying—why couldn't it reliably transport living things?

Ye Fan said he wanted to do more experiments, so should she do something on her end? Li Yaoyao stared at the wooden box, lost in thought.

The box was somewhat old, carved with patterns of a phoenix dancing in the sky. Every detail of the lacquer work was exquisite and lifelike. She recalled the circumstances of finding it. When she first arrived in Yangjia Village, the village had cleared out this house with a courtyard for her. It was said that this place used to be a Taoist temple where an old Taoist resided, but he had eventually gone on a pilgrimage, leaving the house vacant.

She had been cleaning the house when she found the box locked in a cupboard. Upon opening it, she was hit by a fragrant scent—like sandalwood or the smell of incense... The villagers all said it was originally the donation box for the temple.

Given the mysterious origin of the box, Li Yaoyao couldn't help but think of her grandfather. Her grandfather had originally been a Taoist who left the mountains to save the common people during the nation's crisis. He eventually married and had children in the mortal world, and now the old man was over a hundred years old.

"Maybe I should ask Grandfather?"

Li Yaoyao made up her mind to return to her hometown in the provincial capital during the Lunar New Year, bringing the box with her to let her grandfather take a look. He had doted on her since she was a child; even if she told him the secret of the box, he wouldn't tell a soul.

While Li Yaoyao was lost in thought, at the banquet, Yang Haiyan brought up the grain incident from the morning again, feeling it was quite peculiar. How could grain just appear out of thin air?

Village Chief Yang, emboldened by the alcohol, revealed a secret.

"Educated Youth Li’s father was a guerrilla fighter in our Yangjia Village area back in the day. He came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. His acupuncture skills were miraculous, and he saved many wounded soldiers. In particular, their ancestral 'Sanyang Mysterious Needles' could even pull the dead back from the gates of the underworld!"

Hearing this, everyone put down their chopsticks, deeply interested in his words.

"I heard from the village elders that Educated Youth Li’s grandfather was a Taoist on the mountain. Medicine and Taoism have been inseparable since ancient times. Although her father was a master of medicine, I suspect he must have known some Taoist arts as well! So, don't you think Educated Youth Li might know them too?"

The conversation grew more mystical. Chief Xu shook his head, raised his glass, and said, "These ghosts and gods are all feudal superstitions. Just treat it as a story; don't take it to heart!"

"Right, we must believe in science!"

The others echoed the sentiment, effectively ending the topic. Only Yang Haiyan, who had been listening silently, kept it in her heart.