C6 High Fever

Zong Qingshan nodded, finally feeling his daughter was acting normal. Her words had a noticeable effect, clearly dividing the crowd's opinions. He immediately affirmed, "I agree with what my daughter said. I'll have twenty pounds of rice delivered to your door by the end of the day. Everyone here can be a witness."

"Mr. Zong, I was just lending a hand. We're all neighbors here, no need for the twenty pounds of rice," Qi Haipeng quickly responded, trying to be modest.

His mother shot him a sharp look. She couldn't bear to let the rice slip away. "When Mr. Zong says something, he means it. You don't get a say in this."

"Exactly, your mom's right. I'm a man of my word, Haipeng. Don't make it hard for me!" Zong Qingshan wasn't about to go back on his promise in front of everyone.

With the assurance of the rice, Haipeng's mother was satisfied, eager to avoid any further complications, and she pulled her son away.

"Alright, everyone, let's get back to work. There's plenty to do today, and we can't fall behind," Zong Qingshan called out, urging the onlookers to return to their tasks.

The villagers who were close to him came over to offer comfort, patting him on the shoulder. "Kids are a handful, aren't they? Just take it easy!"

Many others followed suit, seizing the rare opportunity to offer the village leader some advice.

Zong Fulai watched as her father was surrounded by people patting his shoulder and offering words of encouragement. She smiled, even laughing to the point of tears. Her father spoiled her, always standing by her side no matter what, even when others disagreed.

The situation had taken so many turns that Zong Hailan was left puzzled. Her cousin, usually so picky, suddenly decided to marry Ren Yuanbo? She had no idea how they even met. With a head full of questions, she regretfully followed the crowd, worried about whether she could deceive her cousin this time.

Suddenly, Zong Hailan spotted Ren Yuanbo walking ahead. This was the man who claimed he wanted to marry her cousin, yet he was leaving without a word!

She was curious and wanted to catch up to ask a question, but soon realized he was quickly surrounded by a group of male villagers.

Even without mentioning that Ren Yuanbo was quite handsome, just being the village chief's daughter was enough to make many envious.

"Wang Dazhi clapped him on the shoulder, saying, 'Yuanbo, I didn't expect you to have such a knack for things. You actually married the village's most beautiful girl. Keeping it in the community really boosts our reputation.'"

Ren Yuanbo stayed silent, unsure of what to say. Should he admit he was captivated by Zong Fulai's expressive eyes or that they had no prior connection, leaving him clueless about the reason?

Everyone was used to his silence and continued their lively chatter.

Zong Hailan listened for a while, then left disappointed. To her, a man who couldn't utter a word even if you hit him with a stick and didn't fit in was weak and useless.

Her cousin's choice in a partner seemed pathetic, and the more she thought about it, the more pleased she became. Marriage was a woman's second chance at life, and she was confident she could do better than her cousin. The thought of surpassing her high-and-mighty cousin through marriage put her in a great mood.

Once most people had dispersed, Zong Qingshan approached Zong Fulai. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Let's go home. Get yourself together, and don't fall sick at this critical time."

It was only May, not yet summer. The water in the fields and rivers was still cold, and he didn't want his daughter to catch a chill.

Zong Fulai smiled wryly at his words. It was the busy farming season, not a good time to fall ill, but she was not used to physical labor and was rather delicate. Not getting sick seemed impossible.

"Dad, I can't walk. Can you carry me?" she playfully pleaded, though she genuinely couldn't walk.

Zong Qingshan sighed, crouched down, and spread his arms like wings to protect her. "Come on, sweetheart, I'll carry you home."

"Fulai, you're too old to be asking your dad for a piggyback ride!" a group of kids teased, though their eyes were filled with envy.

Some of the kids couldn't resist and ran to their own parents, begging for piggyback rides or to be lifted high. Some were scolded, while others got a light smack.

Unintentionally, Qingshan had become the model of a great dad in the eyes of these children.

He had only carried his daughter a short distance when he ran into his wife. "Meizhu, take her home and give her a good wash, then make some ginger tea to chase away the dampness."

Meizhu had already heard about her daughter's situation. "Alright, let Accountant Zong know I need half a day off."

As she took her daughter, she realized something was wrong. Fulai was burning up with fever, so she hurried home without delay.

Fulai was so feverish she didn't even notice when her mom took over from her dad.

As a mother of four, Meizhu was experienced. She wiped her daughter down with warm water, gave her a drink of salt and sugar water, and kept a pot of fever-reducing medicine simmering on the stove.

After getting Fulai settled, she went back to preparing lunch. During the busy farming season, meals couldn't be neglected, and cooking left her drenched in sweat.

By midday, everyone knew about Fulai's condition, and family members returned home one by one, immediately checking in on her.