Chapter 590 - 605: Entering the Village

When An Ning and Jiang Xia sat down to eat, An Ning stared blankly at the pot of noodles in the center of the table.

"There’s so much?"

"Yeah."

"I don’t remember putting this much in."

Jiang Xia looked at An Ning, who was rarely so unskilled at something, and said, "It’s fine. I know how to cook."

The sentence carried a hint of a confession, and An Ning heard it.

But with her unusually wired brain, currently preoccupied with the mystery of the multiplying noodles, she didn’t quite process it.

"I think you’re right. It’s best to leave professional matters to the professionals."

’A professional?’

Jiang Xia’s heart hammered in his chest, his smile so strained he could have cried. Since when had he become a professional chef?

Regardless, after taking that tiny step, Jiang Xia discovered that confessing one’s feelings was truly exhilarating. Just that small test had left him covered in sweat.

"Are you hot?"

"Yes, yes, it’s a little hot! I’ll go get the soy sauce."

Aside from a bit of soy sauce and salt, there was truly nothing else in the house.

The two of them ate a pot of noodles mixed with soy sauce. By the end, An Ning pointed at the noodles and said, "I never want to eat this again."

That evening, Jiang Xia left first, leaving An Ning to rest there alone.

「Three days later.」 a story appeared in all the major newspapers.

Luo’s Pharmaceutical, along with three veteran traditional Chinese medicine doctors, was preparing to build a TCM factory, dedicated to promoting TCM culture and reforming TCM treatment.

This news, much like a trending topic bought in the modern era, dominated the front-page headlines of every major newspaper for three days straight.

It wasn’t just newspapers, but also television and radio. Anyone with access to the news knew that the pharmaceutical giant, Luo’s Pharmaceutical, was venturing into traditional Chinese medicine.

The average person might not have thought much of it—just another company selling medicine—but in the medical world, it was a truly momentous event.

In particular, many struggling TCM factories on the brink of bankruptcy were desperately trying every possible means to establish even the slightest connection with Luo’s Pharmaceutical.

After all, according to rumors, Luo’s Pharmaceutical wasn’t planning to build from scratch. Instead, they intended to acquire an existing TCM factory and use the formulas of the three renowned veteran doctors to develop new drugs.

While the news about Luo’s Pharmaceutical was heating up, An Ning and Cheng Jun, disguised as backpackers, "accidentally" wandered into a stockaded village.

The two were led by the village children to find the village chief, who was also the mixed-race director of the TCM factory.

"Hello."

The village chief’s accent-free speech put An Ning and Cheng Jun on high alert. Anyone capable of staying hidden for so many years was never a simple person.

"Hello, my sister and I were hiking and accidentally got lost, ending up in your village. We’re very sorry. If you could have someone show us the way, we’ll leave right away."

Hearing this, the factory director did not lower his guard. Strangers had been appearing nearby recently, and he worried something might happen at the factory.

"Alright, please wait a moment."

The village chief called for someone, and Cheng Jun thanked him.

As Cheng Jun turned, the backpack he was wearing caught the village chief’s eye.

’Luo’s Pharmaceutical?’

The backpack had a Luo’s Pharmaceutical logo. It wasn’t surprising he was so sensitive; the opportunity was simply too tempting.

Previously, they hadn’t dared to hope for too much. The best strategy was to lie low and not attract attention. But they truly coveted those TCM formulas.

Cheng Jun’s bag...

"It’s getting a little late. Why don’t you two rest here for the night and leave tomorrow? The mountain roads are difficult to navigate after dark. It’s very dangerous."

Cheng Jun didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he refused cautiously, "That’s not necessary. We have flashlights. If you can arrange for someone familiar with the mountain roads, we’ll pay them for their time."

Cheng Jun’s refusal, paradoxically, made the village chief relax a little.

Through their back-and-forth, Cheng Jun, still feigning caution, eventually agreed.

The village chief enthusiastically invited Cheng Jun and the quiet An Ning to stay at his home, arranging for a child to help them carry their bags along the way.

But Cheng Jun refused, saying he could carry it himself.

The child, who had been instructed by the village chief, walked beside Cheng Jun, asking questions from time to time.

When the conversation turned to whether the child attended school, the child said yes, that he had just started and was beginning to learn to read.

As if to show off his reading skills, the child pointed to the characters on Cheng Jun’s backpack and began to read them out loud.

"Luo... something-something-cal. I know that last word! From ’medical’!"

The child’s innocent words made Cheng Jun lower his guard. He pointed to the characters on the bag and taught the child, "This is pronounced ’Luo’s Pharmaceutical’."

"Oh... Luo’s Pharmaceutical. What’s that?"

"It’s a company that makes and sells medicine."

The child, seemingly uninterested, nodded and changed the subject. But a moment later, as if he’d just noticed how nice the bag was, he asked Cheng Jun where he bought it.

"This? It wasn’t bought. My company issued it. It’s very sturdy. You probably can’t buy one."

Seeing the child’s expression, Cheng Jun felt a pang of guilt and promised to mail one to him, but the village chief, who was nearby, stopped him. The child ran off, embarrassed.

At the same time, the village chief got the information he wanted, and Cheng Jun got the information he wanted.

Following behind, An Ning could only think that no one here was simple. ’In a spy drama,’ she mused, ’I’d probably be killed off in the first episode.’

However, the strangeness of this village had also caught An Ning’s attention.

’That kid is anything but simple.’

Finally, the village chief brought Cheng Jun and An Ning back to his home. An Ning was arranged to stay with the chief’s daughter, while Cheng Jun would stay in the living room downstairs.

The two-story bamboo house was cool and comfortable, and the night sky was beautiful, but no one would be getting any real sleep that night.

When all was silent, Cheng Jun started snoring. The backpack he was using as a pillow was taken, but he remained completely oblivious.

"Dad—"

"Shh—"

The village chief made a gesture to go outside. The girl, carrying the bag, followed her dad out.

The snoring Cheng Jun was none the wiser.

Outside the bamboo house, the village chief opened Cheng Jun’s backpack and found his identification, as well as a document.

"I knew the hiking story was fake. It turns out they’re here to survey the soil."

The most crucial aspect of a TCM factory was the quality of its medicinal herbs, and quality was inextricably linked to the soil and growing environment.

"Dad, he won’t wake up, will he?"

"It’s fine. They didn’t eat our food, but they couldn’t avoid the incense I lit."

The village chief pointed to the second floor of the bamboo house. "That girl is asleep too, right?"

The girl nodded. The two of them put Cheng Jun’s bag back, went up to the second floor, and repeated the process, checking An Ning’s backpack.

After putting An Ning’s backpack down, they went downstairs. They walked a short distance and met up with several muscular men.

The village chief said something, and the men set off.

An Ning’s spiritual power followed the men, and she watched as they destroyed the only road out of the village.

On the second floor, the corners of An Ning’s lips curled upward. Everything was going according to plan.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.