Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 123: Acute Appendicitis

"It’s embroidered Da Li."

Initially, I hadn’t planned on doing double-sided embroidery. But while embroidering the kitten, the image of Da Li heroically battling a mouse suddenly popped into my mind.

Then, on a whim, I ended up doing double-sided embroidery.

"You captured the essence really well. Da Li’s eyes have a fierce look."

Liu Lan remarked in a tone almost like a recitative, "One look and you know it’s a big cat boss."

"However..."

Lightly touching the cotton cloth and embroidery thread with her fingertips, she said with a hint of regret, "I feel like this fabric doesn’t do justice to your skill and silk thread."

Yi Chichi sighed, "There’s no choice; I don’t have silk on hand."

The embroidery thread was prepared by Yu Ritang and was indeed high-quality silk thread.

"I didn’t plan to sell it; I was going to give it to Uncle Yaozi."

The team leader and others can thank with tobacco and alcohol, but even though Uncle Yaozi smokes and drinks, he’s not addicted to it. Tobacco and alcohol are expendable to him.

Besides, Uncle Yaozi has a bit of a literary vibe.

His idol is Ms. Li Qingzhao.

A man who can appreciate Ms. Li Qingzhao can definitely appreciate double-sided embroidery.

Just right, Uncle Yaozi values Da Li highly. When she messes up the herbs, she gets scolded. When Da Li messes them up, he not only doesn’t get scolded but is carried away by Uncle Yaozi like a revered guest to be taken care of before returning to tidy up the herbs.

Even though Uncle Yaozi says he treats Da Li well because Da Li can hunt and provide.

But Yi Chichi feels that Uncle Yaozi is a bona fide cat slave.

After having Da Li, he still can’t resist stopping in his tracks at the sight of stray cats outside, his eyes passionately praising how great the cat looks and how imposing it is, almost with hearts popping out.

Therefore, a double-sided embroidery featuring Da Li would definitely satisfy Uncle Yaozi even more.

Yi Chichi has this confidence.

And indeed, this was the case.

After settling accounts with the old man and sending off the man with the foxhound, Yi Chichi returned to spending her days sitting in the team doctor’s office, working with Uncle Yaozi on processing herbs and weeding the herb fields.

At night, she returned to her busy embroidery work.

The new educated youths’ daily drama of "you love me, I love you, but not her" seemed like a grand performance she had no interest in watching.

Half a month later, she prepared herbal powder and sent it to Wen Shi and the others at the commune.

A month later, she took the completed double-sided embroidery to the team doctor’s office.

"Uncle, happy birthday!"

The first words Yi Chichi said upon seeing Uncle Yaozi were birthday wishes.

Then, holding the embroidery with both hands, she presented it, "Here’s your birthday gift."

She smiled sweetly, and Uncle Yaozi, who was holding a knife preparing to slice the sanqi root, was stunned for a moment. Then, trembling, he set down the knife and reached out to take the rolled-up embroidery, trying hard to keep his voice steady as he asked, "How did you know today was my birthday?"

"...You told me yourself."

Uncle Yaozi, who didn’t remember saying it, looked skeptical. Seeing this, Yi Chichi quickly changed the subject, "Aren’t you going to open it and take a look?"

"Yes, let’s take a look."

No sooner had he seen it than Uncle Yaozi let out a piercing squeal.

"Little kittens, two little kittens, and one of them is Da Li..."

His eyes sparkled as he repeatedly examined the embroidery, then, like a gust of wind, rushed towards the backyard, "Da Li, quick, look! Your sister Chichi embroidered your portrait."

Yi Chichi, ...what?

Though she and Uncle Yaozi were nominally teacher and student, she had absolutely no relationship with Da Li.

This proud cat wouldn’t even let her pet him. When in a good mood, he might rub against her, but in a bad mood, he’d even swat her as he passed by.

His temper was as fickle as a slap.

She didn’t want to be the sister of such a prideful little cat!

"Do you like it too?"

"Meow meow howl ow wah la..."

The altered voice of Da Li followed, causing Yi Chichi to twitch her ears as she sighed and resignedly picked up the knife to slice herbs.

Counting on Uncle Yaozi today seemed hopeless.

She sat on a small stool, set up her tools, and began working on slicing the sanqi root with crisp cuts.

Alternating thin and thick slivers of sanqi fell onto the oil paper under the relentless knife, the air filled with sanqi’s unique smell.

Soon, Uncle Yaozi emerged, Da Li perched on his shoulder.

"Chichi, you stay put. I need to run an errand."

"What for?"

"Kids just need to listen; why bother asking so many questions."

That was clearly a refusal to explain.

Yi Chichi had no choice but to watch as he strutted off, Da Li in tow, with complete disregard for kin or neighbor.

As the seconds ticked by—then suddenly—

"Yi Zhqing, sob sob..."

Without speaking a word, tears flowed first, the voice as sweet and syrupy as cotton candy, the air saturated with the cloying scent of industrial saccharin.

Yi Chichi shivered, internally lamenting, while outwardly showing nothing as she looked up at the tearful face of Guan Mingyue, "Guan Zhqing, what’s the matter?"

Guan Mingyue was one of the three new educated youths.

The other two girls were Yan Wanwan, and the boy was Ning Haitao. They were a couple.

This trio hailed from a big compound, with familial connections going back a long way—a genuine childhood friendship.

Initially, the three were inseparable.

But ever since Yan Wanwan and Ning Haitao became a couple, Guan Mingyue, who also liked Ning Haitao, became the clingy third wheel.

The friendship among the trio started showing noticeable cracks, which gradually widened until it completely fell apart.

Guan Mingyue became completely isolated by the couple, prompting her to approach Yi Chichi and their group.

But her personality was so off-putting that none in Yi Chichi’s circle liked her.

Seeing her was indeed a headache.

She hoped Guan wouldn’t make things difficult.

As she prayed, Guan Mingyue clutched her abdomen pitifully, "My stomach hurts. Yi Zhqing, can you take a look?"

Yi Chichi observed her complexion, then twitched her nose like a puppy, detecting no blood scent, ruling out anemia-related discomfort for the time being.

Initially, she deduced it wasn’t menstrual cramps causing the pain.

"Come, let me help you inside so I can take a look."

She assisted Guan Mingyue inside. After some examination and questioning, Yi Chichi’s expression turned grave as she watched Guan Mingyue cry out in pain, "Guan Zhqing, you need to go to the commune hospital."

"To the hospital?"

Guan Mingyue stood up suddenly, cried out in pain, and collapsed back into the chair, clutching her belly with a pale face, asking, "Yi Zhqing, what’s wrong with me?"

"Acute appendicitis."

It was a clear case of migrating pain to the right lower abdomen, "I’ll give you a couple of needles to relieve the pain first, then you need to go to the hospital. Is that okay?"

"Okay!"

The pain made her break out in a cold sweat, leaving her longing for quick relief.

Seeing this, Yi Chichi took out a needle for disinfection, then gave her two injections.

Just as she finished, Uncle Yaozi returned, humming a tune.

"Uncle, hurry and call the team leader to get a tractor ready. Guan Zhqing has acute appendicitis."

"What? Appendicitis?"

Uncle Yaozi, who had been in a very good mood, suddenly became urgent, rushing in, "Dear girl, let me check your pulse."

Even before he finished speaking, he had grabbed Guan Mingyue’s wrist to take her pulse.

Two minutes later, "Wait here, I’ll go call Liu Laoer to drive the tractor."

With that, he released her wrist and dashed off like a gust of wind.

The light of hope that had appeared in Guan Mingyue’s eyes dimmed, and it seemed clear that she had to go to the hospital.