Chapter 437: Nervous

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation       Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In a twist of events, the woman who had earlier insisted that he finish his water and continue with his work was now asking him to leave. The inconsistency was puzzling.

Ah Zhuang was in the midst of his confusion when a sudden wave of pain surged from his lower abdomen. He immediately clenched his buttocks, his face turning deathly pale. Without a second thought, he spun around and started to run.

Initially, he headed towards the main hall, but quickly realized his mistake and rerouted towards the outhouse. He had to hurry, or he would soil his pants.

Once he had disappeared from sight, Gu Zi finally allowed the cold smirk that had been playing at the corners of her mouth to fade. This was the kind of treatment such a man deserved. She was now fairly certain that the substance he had ingested was a laxative.

Aunt Yang, noticing Gu Zits smile, was somewhat perplexed but chose not to question it. “I’ve replaced the water,” she said. “I’ll deliver it now. We can use this bucket of water for the pigs.” She didn’t understand why the water needed to be discarded, but as an employee, she knew better than to question orders.

Gu Zi shook her head and gently explained the situation. “Ah Zhuang drugged this water. It’s not safe for anyone to drink, not even the pigs. We need to dispose of it. You go ahead and deliver the fresh water. I’ll take care of this.”

Upon hearing the words “drugged the water,” Aunt Yang’s pupils dilated in shock. “What?” she exclaimed, frozen in place. She knew Ah Zhuang had always disliked her, mainly because she had secured this job while his family had not. But she had never imagined he would stoop so low.

Understanding her shock, Gu Zi tried to reassure her. “For now, pretend you know nothing about this. Just be wary of him in the future. Go on, deliver the water. Thank you for your hard work.” With that, Gu Zi picked up the bucket of hot water and headed to the boiler room to dispose of it.

She had considered confronting Ah Zhuang directly, but she was the only one who had witnessed him tampering with the water, and it had happened in a matter of seconds. In an era without smartphones to capture evidence, she had nothing to prove her claims.

If she accused him outright and he denied it, there would be no immediate resolution. Her solitary witness account would hold little weight. Even if they were to discover something wrong with the water, both Aunt Yang and Ah Zhuang could be suspects. If they failed to find any traces of the drug, people might assume that Aunt Yang had been negligent in boiling the water, which would play right into the wrongdoer’s hands.

She needed to inform Su Shen about this, gather evidence, and then deal with the matter officially. Only then could she rightfully dismiss Ah Zhuang.

Keeping a man like Ah Zhuang in the farm was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

Aunt Yang lingered by the cart for a considerable time before finally dispensing the water. By the time she had made her way to the main hall, there were already disgruntled voices rising in complaint. “Aunt Yang, you really need to be quicker next time. We’re dying of thirst here. If it weren’t for the memory of someone in the village suffering from severe diarrhea after drinking unboiled water years ago, we would have drunk the raw water by now.”

In rural areas, it was common to drink raw water for convenience. There was less fuss about it. However, after the incident that year, the villagers of Daqing never dared to casually drink raw water again. Even if they did, they would only drink from their own wells, never daring to consume water from elsewhere.

When the weather turned cold, it was even more crucial to drink warm water.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Yang couldn’t help but recall what Gu Zi had said. Could it be that Ah Zhuang had drugged the water to give everyone diarrhea, and then blame her for not boiling the water? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

She clumsily and nervously set down the water bucket, continuously apologizing, “I was delayed by something earlier, I’m sorry. This won’t happen again. Please, drink while it’s still hot.”

Someone, aware of Aunt Yang’s relationship with the boss lady, decided to play peacemaker and chided the complainer, “Just drink it, why complain so much? Aunt Yang is not getting any younger.”

Only then did the complainer, like everyone else, scoop up a bowl of hot water to drink. The chatter resumed among the villagers, with someone asking, “Where did Ah Zhuang go so early in the morning?

A voice from the crowd responded, “I saw him in the restroom when I went earlier. I don’t know what happened, but he was suffering from severe diarrhea. He could barely stand straight. He asked Shen Ge for a leave and is resting in the break room now.”

The break room was located behind the boss’s office. It was small, just two small rooms side by side, furnished with a few beds, benches, and some common medicines for the workers to use during their breaks. If they couldn’t go home to sleep after working overtime, they could rest there. It was a very humane arrangement..

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