Being too dull, or truly honest, would lead to being bullied, unable to stand out, and thus unable to enjoy good resources.
However, if one possessed some talent, they could be highly regarded by their superiors, thus obtaining better living resources.
This principle was irrefutable. How could Ge Hong not understand it?
He had acted this way before, and now, by employing the same method, he had quickly distinguished himself among the medical hall assistants and gained Zhu Liang's favor.
"Doctor Zhu, I am married and wish to apply for a separate house from the village."
Ge Hong went directly to Zhu Liang.
His excellent performance was all a setup for this matter.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Liang congratulated him:
"Brother, I didn't expect you to be so capable, finding a marriage partner so soon after arriving! Many people on the mountain are still single!"
Hearing Zhu Liang's words, Ge Hong grinned, displaying the feigned dullness he habitually put on.
Zhu Liang contacted the village and secured a small house for Ge Hong.
The construction team of Phoenix Village, considering the characteristics of the current villagers, with few complete extended families, had built small houses of approximately 60 square meters and 40 square meters to allow villagers to have their own private dwellings.
A small house was more than enough for a newly married couple with only two people, and if they later wished to have children, they could apply for a larger house.
Since Ge Hong decided to join Phoenix Village, he had desperately yearned for personal space.
During the isolation period, he had thoroughly understood Phoenix Village's regulations by inquiring with those around him. After Lu Xiu signaled her interest in him, he immediately decided to get together with Lu Xiu, as marriage was the fastest way to obtain his own private space.
Lu Xiu, not understanding his true intentions, saw his eager willingness and mistook it for genuine affection, naturally becoming even more devoted to him.
With Zhu Liang's help, Ge Hong was quickly assigned his own house. Although it was small, only three rooms, having his own separate space was already very satisfying.
His chills and fever would still flare up from time to time, and he had to secretly concoct herbal medicine to suppress it.
As the chills and fever grew more severe, the frequency of his herbal concoctions increased. Without a private residence, it would be easy for him to be exposed.
Now that he was married and had been allocated a private house, he could concoct herbs with less worry.
Gu Qingcheng and her parents spent an isolated week at home, and everything was fine.
Furthermore, Gu Chaobei brought live animals such as chickens, ducks, and sheep to test, finding that he could coexist with them in the same room without any of them suddenly collapsing and dying like the first chicken.
Gu Chaobei then believed that the toxins in his body had been dispelled or overcome by his own immunity.
As soon as Gu Qingcheng's isolation period ended and she opened her door, Dai Fa and the team leaders came to visit.
Knowing that Gu Qingcheng's parents had also accompanied her, these individuals naturally brought along gifts for their first meeting.
They were not wealthy people, so they brought local produce from the mountains. Dai Fa presented a century-old ginseng, considered the most generous gift.
Yan Xin offered a pair of live wild rabbits;
Liu Ding and Qin Yue made large, soft, and fragrant steamed buns...
Everyone brought small gifts.
Gu Chaobei and Hu Lanfang, with considerable grace, presented them with bolts of cotton cloth, one for each person.
Although they had brocade, it was not suitable to give at this time, nor did they have any occasion to wear it. Cotton cloth was the most practical. High-quality cotton cloth was as precious as grain, and everyone happily accepted it, thinking to themselves:
Young Master Gu's family was indeed a prominent lineage; he and his parents were both very generous.
Gu Chaobei and his wife conversed with everyone.
Not only Gu Chaobei, but even Hu Lanfang spoke with poise and handled the situation with ease.
They were both well-experienced social individuals, one a doctor and the other a community cadre, having met all sorts of people, thus they handled themselves with ease, leaving everyone impressed and engaged in pleasant conversation.
Just then, Fu Dadi hurried in with news:
"It's bad! A woman in our village has passed away. She's only in her early thirties, too young. I fear she may have contracted an unfortunate illness, so I've come to ask Doctor Zhu to examine her."
"Who has passed away? What were her symptoms?"
Zhu Liang exclaimed in surprise and stood up.
This was the first villager to die within the village since the establishment of Phoenix Village, and it occurred during this critical period, thus attracting everyone's attention.
Especially hearing that the deceased woman was only in her early thirties, usually healthy and capable, with no prior signs of illness, made everyone feel it should not be taken lightly.
At this time, important village figures were also present, so they all went to investigate. Gu Chaobei and Hu Lanfang were delayed by something and followed behind, with Fu Dadi waiting outside the house to guide them.
Zhu Liang, Gu Qingcheng, and their group arrived first at the house of the woman who had died suddenly. Seeing Ge Hong emerge, they learned that it was the wife of Ge Hong, an assistant at the medical hall.
Upon seeing the woman's appearance, Gu Qingcheng found it peculiar. Her complexion was sallow, and when she parted her eyelids, she saw that the conjunctiva was red and swollen, symptoms that seemed familiar.
Gu Qingcheng was startled. Why did the woman's presentation resemble the symptoms of Lord Xia?
"May I ask what illness caused this aunt's sudden death?" Gu Qingcheng asked.
"Young Master Gu, this is the wife of Ge Hong, an assistant at the medical hall. Her name is Lu Xiu. Ge Hong, tell Young Master Gu, what illness caused your wife's sudden death?"
Hearing the name Ge Hong, Gu Qingcheng couldn't help but pause. Could it be? Such a coincidence? She was looking for a Ge Hong, and there was also a Ge Hong in the village? kuAiδugg
She couldn't help but cast a deep glance at the man named Ge Hong.
Ge Hong was in his early thirties. Although he appeared dull, he inexplicably gave off a feeling of being deeply calculating.
"My wife said she had a stomachache yesterday. After taking a dose of herbal medicine I brewed, she said it didn't hurt more, so she went to sleep.
This morning, I saw she was still sleeping, so I went to the medical hall.
I came back once in the meantime, and she was still sleeping. I thought sleeping more was a good thing, so I didn't disturb her.
It wasn't until I returned at noon, wanting to ask her if she wanted to eat, that I discovered she was already gone when I tried to wake her."
As Ge Hong spoke, tears welled up, making everyone feel sympathetic towards him.
Zhu Liang comforted him, "Please accept my condolences. No one wants such a thing to happen."
Gu Qingcheng, after Ge Hong's emotions had slightly stabilized, continued to question him:
"Did your wife have any symptoms of vomiting or other discomfort?"
Gu Qingcheng asked.
"Apart from saying her stomach hurt, she had no other symptoms. I thought she might have had a digestive imbalance and was about to give her a few more doses of medicine to regulate it, but I never expected..."
"Ge Hong's skill in identifying herbs is the best among the medical hall assistants. It's impossible for him to have used the wrong herb."
Zhu Liang explained from the side.
Gu Qingcheng breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that it wasn't a plague.
However, the woman's death was indeed strange, and the cause of death could not be determined immediately. Unless an autopsy was performed, which was something her father was more adept at.