Indeed, many people in the village had e by, but they were all there to drop off items, and no one actually went in to see the village chief.
“Auntie Zhao, if you’re not scared, then go ahead,” said the Niu Family, “after all, Dongdong is inside.”
Auntie Zhao went to the back room, followed by both the Niu Family and the Ma Family, but upon seeing the coffin by the door, she was so frightened that she stood frozen in place. After a while, she gathered herself and continued forward.
However, Auntie Zhao hadn’t even reached the door when the village chief’s room door creaked open.
Auntie Zhao, who was already nervous about going in, was so startled by the noise that she immediately took a step back. She thought it must have been Wu Dongdong opening the door, but when she looked again, it was the village chief.
The village chief did not at all look like someone who was deathly ill; in fact, he seemed to be in good spirits and stood tall with his eyes fixed on Auntie Zhao. Thinking she had seen a ghost, Auntie Zhao panicked and took several steps back, but there was a high stone step at the entrance of the village chief’s room. As she stepped back, she fell straight down the steps.
“Ouch, my goodness, a ghost…” In her terror, Auntie Zhao scrambled backward for quite a while, as the Niu Family and the Ma Family also jumped in fright, but indeed, the village chief had walked out on his own.
“Grandfather, is that you?” asked the Niu Family, mustering the courage to speak up.
The village chief “hmphed” with a glance at the Niu Family. Behind him, Wu Dongdong also came out, helping the village chief down the stone steps, while the village chief did not go out and instead glared at the coffin standing outside, coughing with irritation: “You bunch of good-for-nothings!”
…
The news of the village chief’s miraculous recovery quickly spread throughout the village, and everyone was stunned. It had been an incurable case of tuberculosis, and yet he had suddenly recovered.
Some said it was because his son, Wu Dongdong, had e home and the improved spirits had speeded his recovery.
Others claimed it was because the village chief was a good person and had moved the Immortals in heaven, which was why his illness had healed.
Still others suggested that the village chief had met a Divine Doctor who provided medicine to Wu Dongdong, who then prepared it daily for the village chief, leading to his swift recovery.
But what actually happened, only the village chief knew.
After resting for a period, the village chief was again able to roam around the village. Since his health was restored, there was no longer any need to elect a new village chief.
To prove his health had indeed returned, he even made a trip to the town. In this way, Uncle Zhao no longer had any hope, and Auntie Zhao was so frustrated that she didn’t leave her house for many days. Whenever she did go out, people would laugh at her, saying her well-laid plans had fallen through so quickly.
On that day, Tian Xiaobei was cutting aquatic grass by the river, and Xia Dabao was there too. Later, when they heard someone calling Xiaobei, both Tian Xiaobei and Xia Dabao looked in the direction of the voice and saw the village chief approaching.
The village chief had his hands clasped behind his back, smiling, “Are you two kids cutting grass?”
Tian Xiaobei, fearing others would find out about curing the village chief, merely smiled faintly. Xia Dabao, on the other hand, walked up to him with a sweet smile, “Yes, we are cutting aquatic grass. Are you out for a walk, village chief? How is your health? You’re looking great now.”
“Hahaha, you sure have a way with words, kiddo. I’m feeling much better now, truly, I have to thank you,” said the village chief cheerily as he reached into his pouch and pulled out a string of copper coins, “Here, take this and buy some candied haw on sticks at the
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