Chapter 440 - 440: The Entire Village Comes to Give Thanks
On the forum, no one knew that Cold Mountain Elder was a woman, much less that she was young. Everyone treated her as a senior, and some even called her "Grandpa." But Shan Han herself had a rather cold and proud temperament and couldn't be bothered to explain such things, so the misunderstanding only grew.
Just as Shan Han sent her four-character reply, an elder with white hair but a youthful complexion walked over to her side. He chuckled and said, "Kiddo, you busy? Do your grandpa a favor. On that forum you frequent, ask for me if anyone is selling Centennial Wild Ginseng or Centennial Reynoutria multiflora. Your grandpa is planning to concoct an elixir, but I haven't been able to find these two main ingredients."
Her grandfather was also a Cultivator of the Elixir School. All of her skills had been passed down to her by him.
"Okay." Facing her grandfather, Shan Han's cold arrogance vanished, and she broke into a smile.
For someone who always kept a straight face, that smile was like a warm breeze blowing over melting ice—utterly stunning.
Shan Han moved the mouse, about to close Zhao Yuan's post.
"Huh?" Grandpa Shan caught a glimpse of the post's content out of the corner of his eye. A flash of surprise crossed his face, and he quickly said, "Wait."
Shan Han was a little surprised, but she didn't ask why. She simply did as he said and stayed on the page.
Grandpa Shan stared intently at Zhao Yuan's analysis on the computer screen, muttering to himself from time to time, "That's not right, is it? Hmm... but on second thought, it actually seems to make some sense..."
After watching for a moment, Grandpa Shan said, "Whatever you do, don't close this page. I'll be right back." He then turned and dashed off with surprising agility.
Shan Han was very surprised. In her memory, her grandfather had always been unflappable. She had never seen him act so out of character before.
'What on earth is going on? Could it be that the analysis in this post isn't wrong, but actually has such high value that even Grandpa is shaken by it?'
'Is... is that even possible?!'
Just as Shan Han's mind was racing, Grandpa Shan returned, holding a notebook and a pen. He leaned over the computer desk and meticulously copied down Zhao Yuan's analysis from the post, checking it several times to ensure there were no mistakes before he was satisfied.
Shan Han couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Grandpa, is this analysis really that valuable?"
"I can't be certain of its value just yet. I need to study and discuss it with a few old friends before I can draw a conclusion," Grandpa Shan said as he walked away with the notes he had just taken, not even turning his head. He had completely forgotten about needing to buy Ginseng and Centennial Solomon on the forum, leaving Shan Han sitting dumbfounded in front of the computer.
'Could it be that this person wasn't just seeking cheap publicity, but that we were actually the ones who were wrong?'
The thought flashed through Shan Han's mind.
She turned back and stared at Zhao Yuan's analysis on the screen, beginning to read and think about it seriously.
However, Zhao Yuan, the person at the center of it all, was completely unaware of any of this.
Around noon, his parents and younger sister returned home one after another. They were surprised to see the newly repaired courtyard and main room walls. When they asked, they learned that a bear had broken into the house last night. They were terrified, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Zhao Yuan was unharmed, though they were still shaken with lingering fear.
Nothing eventful happened over the next two days, and life was peaceful. Zhao Yuan taught the cultivation method for the Four Saints Technique to his parents and sister, passing it off as a type of Guiding Technique the Elder Daoist had taught him back then, one that could strengthen the body.
His parents and sister didn't doubt him. Although the Cultivation process for the Four Saints Technique was painful, the results were visible, so the three of them practiced diligently without needing any prompting from Zhao Yuan.
「In the blink of an eye, it was Thursday.」
Early the next morning, Zhao Yuan would have to temporarily leave home for Huashang to attend the Chinese Medical Exchange Forum he had been invited to.
However, on this very day, a group of visitors arrived in Jinhua Village.
To be precise, this group had come for Zhao Yuan.
The procession numbered several hundred people. They beat gongs and drums all the way, with some carrying embroidered banners, some working together to hoist a fat pig, and others carrying baskets of fruits and vegetables. They entered Jinhua Village in a grand procession and arrived outside Zhao Yuan's home.
Many people in Jinhua Village saw this scene and recognized the newcomers.
"Aren't those the people from Xiaqiao Village?"
"Weren't those few people possessed and so gravely ill they were about to die? How are they alive again? And they look so full of energy."
"Don't talk nonsense. The people from Xiaqiao Village weren't possessed, they were sick. What was that illness called again? Oh, right, the Three Corpses Insect! It's a parasite that can burrow into people's brains! Their madness and rampaging before was all because of that bug. Later, it was our village's Zhao Yuan who helped them find the cause of the illness!"
"So you're saying they're here to thank Zhao Yuan?"
"They must be here to thank Zhao Yuan. Didn't you see those embroidered banners? They have phrases like 'Miraculous Healing Hands' and 'Savior of Our Village' written on them. And look at that fat pig and all those fruits and vegetables. If they aren't here to give thanks, what else would they be doing with all that stuff?"
As the people of Jinhua Village discussed this, they all puffed out their chests, feeling proud to be from the same village as Zhao Yuan.
They were right. The people of Xiaqiao Village had indeed come to express their gratitude to Zhao Yuan.
It turned out that after a period of treatment, the people of Xiaqiao Village were mostly out of danger. From now on, they just needed to continue taking their medicine to completely eradicate the Toxoplasma gondii in their bodies. They knew very well that they owed their salvation to Zhao Yuan, so they had arranged to come and express their gratitude to him today.
Hearing the commotion outside, Zhao Yuan's family all came out to greet them.
Seeing them, the crowd from Xiaqiao Village came to a halt, all of them looking at Zhao Yuan with grateful eyes.
The village chief of Xiaqiao Village held an embroidered banner and strode up to Zhao Yuan. He presented it with both hands and said, his voice choked with emotion, "Brother Yuan, on behalf of everyone in my village, young and old, thank you! If it weren't for you, at least half of our village would be dead! You saved everyone's lives, you saved our village!"
Behind him, the villagers of Xiaqiao Village shouted in unison, "Thank you, Brother Yuan!"
Their gratitude came from the bottom of their hearts, filled with genuine sincerity. Some of the more emotional people even dropped to their knees before Zhao Yuan.
Zhao Yuan didn't dare to accept such a grand gesture. He quickly went forward to help them up. "Don't kneel, don't kneel, please get up."
Zhao Shiquan, Shen Lijun, and Zhao Ling also rushed forward to help.
Although they were flustered and scrambling, their hearts were filled with pride!
「Meanwhile, in Japan.」
Kobayashi Haruo burst excitedly into Senior Brother Kawashima Haruhiro's office and asked loudly, "Senior Brother, are you going to Huashang this time to attend the Chinese Medical Exchange Forum?"
