Work ended for the day. Lan Xingyu carried her small stool back with a calm demeanor, still radiating icy aloofness.
Seeing her enter, Zhang Weiping said, “I’ll get you some bath water. Do you want to wash?”
Lan Xingyu put down her stool. “Yes. Two mao.”
“Okay.”
Zhang Weiping was pleased—ten cents more than yesterday. He didn’t know why the young master increased the price, but it didn’t matter; he had never haggled with her anyway, and he liked her.
After washing, Lan Xingyu came out, and Huo Nanting had already cooked breakfast: a pan of golden-fried ricefish, smashed cucumbers, and the staple, sweet potato soup.
She went to sit down and glanced at the fish. “How much is the fish?”
“No charge.”
Huo Nanting’s expression was calm, though his gaze occasionally deepened when looking at her.
Lan Xingyu picked up her chopsticks and ate—she didn’t need to pay.
“Thank you, Educated Youth Huo.”
Zhang Weiping said this, then took a fish for himself. He had given the three he caught to Zhao Jiani.
“Eat.”
Huo Nanting didn’t mind a few fish either.
Lan Xingyu took a piece, again marveling at Huo Nanting’s cooking. She realized she really liked his dishes.
Watching the young master eat, Huo Nanting felt a quiet satisfaction. She liked it—he’d catch more fish for the afternoon.
After two fish, some cucumbers, and a bowl of sweet potato soup, she was full, but couldn’t live on soup alone—she’d get some rice next.
After eating, she smoked. The way she exhaled clouds of smoke looked strikingly masculine, though when doing farm work, she moved timidly, almost girlish. Her short hair, slightly dark skin, and flat chest made it hard for others to see through her disguise.
After smoking, she napped. Sitting on the small stool all morning had been tiring.
Jiang Wanwan came back and sought out Su Mengyao. She pulled out 50 yuan. “I want you to side with me, help me deal with Zhao Jiani and Tang Zhirou. Are you willing?”
Su Mengyao raised an eyebrow. “Willing, but 50 isn’t enough. Zhao Jiani hits hard; few can withstand her. 50 might not even cover medical fees.”
“Too much!”
She was audacious!
Su Mengyao said lightly, “Then find someone else. How many people can really help you with this?”
Jiang Wanwan fell silent. She was isolated, vulnerable to Tang Zhirou’s schemes, and needed help. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Fine, here’s 50 now, the rest in a couple of days.”
She’d test her first—good performance would earn the rest, poor performance meant replacing her.
Su Mengyao took the money and said, “Dealing with people requires brains, not brute force.”
Jiang Wanwan’s eyes gleamed. “Then help me!”
Su Mengyao smiled lightly. “No problem.”
They had a deal. For just 100 yuan, Su Mengyao would only do what she deemed necessary—she wouldn’t be manipulated.
She came from a wealthy family—unlike Zhao Jiani, she wouldn’t grin over 50 yuan.
In the afternoon, everyone was weeding the rice paddies. Jiang Wanwan took leave to rest. Zhao Jiani caused no trouble—her goal was money, and the target wasn’t around, so she caught fish instead. The fish Zhang Weiping had given at lunch had been delicious.
Lan Xingyu continued flipping the sweet potato vines, fully wrapped to avoid sunburn, drinking ice water continuously, barely making it to the end of work.
Huo Nanting caught plenty of fish and was already cooking in the kitchen. After lunch, he would collect rabbits from the mountain, then hunt eels in the fields—always trying to make sure the young master ate well.
When he left, Lan Xingyu said, “It’s too hot. I’ll take a walk. Might be late returning.”
“Want me to come with you?”
Zhang Weiping planned to wait for Huo Nanting to hunt eels, but it was safer to follow the young master outside.
“I want to go alone. Don’t follow.”
Lan Xingyu left without a flashlight, entering the forest and activating her space, turning a room in the villa into an operating theater.
With her mental control, it took no time. The operating room was ready.
She prepared an anesthetic, and with a thought, appeared behind Zhou Daju, injecting her in the back. Zhou Daju saw her but couldn’t resist—her body froze, and she soon lost consciousness.
Lan Xingyu moved her to the operating room, donned surgical attire, and began performing a vocal cord removal surgery—cutting her cords so she would never speak again.
Her demeanor shifted drastically—focused and serious, completely different from her usual delicate self.
It was a minor surgery, completed in under an hour, minimally invasive, leaving the wound small.
She placed Zhou Daju back in the restroom and connected an IV, leaving her for a while before checking to replace the fluid, confident she wouldn’t move.
Returning to the youth dorm, Huo Nanting and Zhang Weiping were about to leave to catch eels. They asked if she’d go; she said no—she needed to care for Zhou Daju.
When Zhou Daju woke, her throat ached. Seeing the IV, she realized the young master had performed surgery on her.
She hadn’t expected something so terrifying. She deeply regretted provoking this little monster.
In Zhou Daju’s eyes, Lan Xingyu was a madwoman, a monster. And this restroom was so lavishly equipped—what was this place? She couldn’t understand.
She lay obediently for the IV, relieved the little monster hadn’t killed her.
Lan Xingyu studied medical texts on the bed. When the IV finished, she replaced the fluid. Zhou Daju glared, frustrated and voiceless.
“For being so obedient, here’s a cushion. Sleeping on the floor will make you catch a cold.”
With a thought, a cushion appeared under Zhou Daju—much more comfortable.
She looked pitifully at Lan Xingyu, as if saying, Young master, I was wrong. Please forgive me.
Lan Xingyu’s expression was blank. Once the IV was set, she left the space, returning to her bed to continue reading, immersed in medicine, aspiring to become a top surgeon.
After giving Zhou Daju the IV, Huo Nanting and the others returned. Zhang Weiping, excited, said, “Educated Youth Lan, we caught almost three jins of eels!”
Lan Xingyu lifted the curtain and peeked. The eels were monstrous—she couldn’t eat them.
Seeing her frown, Huo Nanting guessed she was afraid. “Eels look scary but taste great. We’ll cook them for lunch tomorrow.”
Lan Xingyu nodded slightly, lowering the curtain—she didn’t want to eat.
Zhang Weiping saw her lack of interest and thought he could eat more himself.
The two men went to bathe, returning to turn off the lights and sleep.
That night, Zhao Jiani didn’t bother Jiang Wanwan, fearing she’d end up with massive breasts, so peace reigned.
The next day…
Lan Xingyu lifted the curtain and saw… the man across from her had his underwear too loose, riding up his thigh. That robust, erect “big sea” looked ready for a rocket launch—truly impressive!
Zhang Weiping was still asleep, holding a wooden spear, lips curled in a smile—dreaming some kind of fantasy, who knew what?
She turned back to study the “big sea,” thinking about how to operate.
Huo Nanting opened one eye and saw the young master staring. As her gaze slid downward, boom! His face flushed.
But…
Since the young master seemed interested, he pretended to sleep, letting her keep looking.
He guessed she was imagining surgical plans—if she knew he’d realized she was planning to “cut,” she’d probably scream in horror.