Chapter 570: The Transformer Is Missing

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The villagers of Chen Village had been taking advantage of the situation, showing no support or standing up for justice when it mattered most. Only when their interests were at stake did they jump into action. Their warm greetings on ordinary days seemed meaningless now, making the protagonist question the value of their relationships.

After their departure, the villagers who had previously greeted them began to discuss the matter.

“The two children must have seen it all,” one of them started. “Several people from Chen village were causing trouble. The man of the Su family was absent, leaving only Gu Zi, a woman, to deal with them. Despite the presence of many villagers, only Aunt Zhang spoke up in defense. We were wrong in this situation. I guess the Su family must be truly disheartened now!”

“You guys are really heartless,” another villager retorted. “Don’t include me in your statements. I wasn’t there. If I had been, I would have dealt with those ruffians from Chen Village. How can they bully people like this?”

“You’re just talking big,” a third villager chimed in. “When you found out that Su Shen’s wife’s family had opened a shop in town, your wife was the most envious. She went around accusing the Su family of being habitual speculators. It hasn’t been that long, have you forgotten already?” The group dispersed after their heated discussion, each heading back to their own fields with their hoes in hand.

In Guangcheng, the transition between the four seasons was not very noticeable. Even in the depths of winter, the farmers’ fields were filled with various vegetables, presenting a lush green landscape.

After sending her two sons off to school, Gu Zi went upstairs to read. After about half an hour, she stood up to stretch and looked out the window. The countryside scenery was beautiful, with many people working in the vegetable fields, wielding their hoes to uproot the weeds.

Suddenly, Gu Zi remembered that many purslanes were growing in the vegetable fields. Purslane was a type of herb and could also be considered a wild vegetable. It could be used in cold dishes, stir-fries, or porridge. It had a sour and slippery taste, which Gu Zi found quite appealing. Moreover, her little daughter, Su Le, had been suffering from constipation recently. Eating some purslane might help alleviate her condition.

Gu Zi was a woman of action. She put the unpleasant events of the morning behind her. After Su Le woke up, she changed into casual clothes, grabbed a small basket, and took Su Le to Aunt Zhang’s vegetable field.

When they arrived, Aunt Zhang was weeding her field. A pile of purslane that had been cleared as weeds was stacked by the field.

Gu Zi asked Aunt Zhang directly, “Aunt Zhang, can I pick some purslane from your field? I want to take it home and stir-fry it.”

Aunt Zhang replied, “Go ahead. This stuff grows abundantly in the field every year. My Shi Tou also likes to eat it, but eating too much isn’t good either. Most of the time, we just pull it out and throw it away as weeds. Gu Zi, I heard some updates about the power outage in the village. They’ve found out the reason.”

Gu Zi put Su Le down, and Su Le was immediately attracted by a butterfly. She followed the butterfly around the field, while Gu Zi kept an eye on her and bent down to pick the purslane. She didn’t need much, half a basket would be enough.

Upon hearing that the cause of the power outage had been found, Gu Zi focused her attention on Aunt Zhang’s words. Aunt Zhang continued, “The people from the city power supply bureau came and found the problem right away. It turns out that the transformer for our three villages is missing. It must have been stolen. They said the method was quite professional. I find it strange, what use could they have for a stolen transformer?”

Gu Zi didn’t know much about electrical work, but she knew that transformers were quite valuable. Before she transmigrated, she had lived in a village where the transformer had been stolen twice. It was said that it could be sold for tens of thousands of yuan, with the valuable part being the copper wire inside the transformer.

After picking enough purslane, Gu Zi stood up and said to Aunt Zhang, “They probably stole it to sell for money. Aunt Zhang, I’ll go home first. There’s a meeting at the village office tonight. You’re going, right?”

“Yes, I am. You go ahead. But I never thought that a transformer could be sold for money…” Gu Zi carried Su Le and took her basket of vegetables home, while Aunt Zhang’s voice gradually faded away.

When Gu Zi got home, she divided the purslane into two parts. She used a small portion for a cold dish at lunch, which she and Su Le enjoyed. She saved the rest for dinner so that the whole family could have some.

Purslane was quite effective in treating constipation. Before they set off for the village office in the ox cart in the evening, the little girl had a satisfying bowel movement. Gu Zi was relieved, and the little girl was all smiles, proving that having a good bowel movement was indeed very important.