The carefree life of Yang Shuisheng, the village miracle doctor

"A photo studio?" The proprietress paused for a moment, then enthusiastically pointed to the other end of the market, "Yes, yes, yes, go out of the west gate of the market, turn right, walk about a hundred meters, there's a Red Star Photo Studio."

"His family has a long-established business!"

Thanks.

Yang Shuisheng nodded, picked up the bag full of clothes and stockings, and turned to walk in the direction the proprietress pointed.

Exiting the west gate of the small commodities market, I indeed saw the sign for "Red Star Photo Studio" on a relatively quiet street.

The storefront is small, and the glass windows are covered with black and white and colored photos, mostly passport photos of people with serious expressions, and a few landscape photos.

Yang Shuisheng pushed open the door and went inside. Inside, a middle-aged man with glasses and thinning hair was sitting behind the counter editing photos. He looked up when he heard the noise.

"Comrade, shall we take a picture?"

"Passport photo or artistic portrait?"

The boss pushed up his glasses, looking expectant.

"Boss, I don't want to take pictures. I want to ask if you sell cameras here?" Yang Shuisheng asked directly.

"Buy a camera?" The shopkeeper paused, as if he had heard something strange. He looked Yang Shuisheng up and down and shook his head. "Comrade, are you sure you're not mistaken? You can only buy those things in big department stores in the city or the provincial capital."

"In our poor, remote town of Daliang, who would sell that? It's ridiculously expensive, who could afford it?"

"Do you have any secondhand ones? Like your old camera that you've replaced?" Yang Shuisheng persisted.

The shopkeeper chuckled, a hint of impatience in his voice: "Comrade, I only have two cameras here, one Seagull for work and one Pearl River as a spare. They're my livelihood, I don't have any extras to sell you."

"Can you sell me one? The spare one from Zhujiang. Name your price."

Yang Shuisheng thought that as long as the photos were clear, it didn't matter whether they were new or old.

"Not for sale! Not for sale!" The shopkeeper waved his hand, his tone even more impatient, feeling that Yang Shuisheng was there to cause trouble. "I said, this is my livelihood, I'm not selling it. Do you have anything else to do? Don't delay my business."

Yang Shuisheng frowned.

If you can't buy it, then you can only rent it.

He settled for the next best thing: "Boss, can you rent it? I'll rent it for just one day and return it to you tomorrow."

"Rent?" The shopkeeper's eyes behind his glasses flickered, his impatience fading and replaced by a hint of interest. He tapped his fingers on the counter. "Renting... isn't out of the question."

"But this camera is precious, what if we break it?"

"And how much rent are you willing to pay?"

"Name your price, as long as it's reasonable. I'll pay for any damage you cause." Yang Shuisheng said decisively.

Seeing how readily he agreed, the boss's eyes darted around, and he began to make his own plans.

This kid looks young and isn't dressed very well, but he's got a big mouth. He's definitely a clueless greenhorn who doesn't know the ropes.

"The camera rental fee is divided into two parts." The shopkeeper cleared his throat, striking a professional pose. "One part is the rental fee for the camera itself. This camera is valuable; it costs fifty yuan to rent it for one day."

"The other part is the cost of the film used for shooting and developing."

"We charge three yuan per photo here, including printing. Minimum order is five photos."

"I'll rent it to you. I'll provide the film. You can pay this price based on how many photos you take and how much film you use."

"Also, to prevent you from not returning the camera or damaging it, you'll need to pay a 300 yuan deposit. The deposit will be refunded if you return the camera in good condition. How about that?"

The rent is fifty yuan a day, which is not cheap; it's equivalent to several days' wages for an average worker.

But Yang Shuisheng needed the money urgently and was too lazy to haggle.

"Okay, let's do it your way, fifty for rent, three hundred for deposit, and the cost of the film rolls will be calculated separately."

Yang Shuisheng nodded, took out 350 yuan from his pocket, and placed it on the counter.

The shopkeeper was surprised that he agreed so readily, without even haggling over the price. He immediately felt a pang of regret, realizing he had been ripped off.

Look at how this kid pulls out money without even blinking. I should have just asked for 100 a day.

But now that the words have been spoken, it's not easy to go back on them.

He could only accept the money, then write a simple receipt and stamp it.

"Alright, the boss is straightforward!"

The shopkeeper handed the receipt to Yang Shuisheng, then turned around and carried out a slightly worn black leather-cased camera from the inner room—it was the Pearl River brand.

He then took out an unopened roll of film and, while unpacking it, taught Yang Shuisheng: "This is a roll of film, new, it can take 24 shots."

"This is how you load film. This is the shutter button, and this is the film advance lever. Remember to turn it after each shot. To focus, look here and estimate the distance. Whatever you do, do not open the back cover, or the film will be ruined."

Yang Shuisheng studied diligently and quickly memorized the basic operations.

"That's about it. Be careful with it, don't bump or knock it over." The shopkeeper gave him a final reminder before handing the camera and film to Yang Shuisheng.

"Don't worry, boss, I'll pay it back at this time tomorrow."

Yang Shuisheng carefully put the camera into the canvas bag that came with the leather case, slung it across his body, and left the photo studio.

Next, he went straight to Ma San's residence, intending to hand him the camera and explain the matter of taking the photos secretly.

That area was the old part of the town, with low, dilapidated houses, narrow alleys, and a potholed, uneven surface that reeked of garbage and sewage.

It was a shed built of broken planks and asbestos tiles, with the door ajar.

Before I even got close, I could hear a noisy commotion coming from inside.

"Ma San! Stop playing the victim with me, it's only right to pay back debts."

"You promised to pay me back last month, how long has it been?"

"If you don't return this five hundred yuan, principal and interest, don't blame us for being impolite!"

"Brother Tiger! Please, just a few more days, just a few more days."

"I'll definitely find a way, I'll really find a way to make a living! I'll have money in a few days!" It was Ma San's pleading voice, trembling with tears.

"A way out? You have absolutely no way out!"

"With your petty, thieving ways, what future do you think you have?"

"Either pay me back today, or..." A sinister voice paused, "leave these two paws behind, and you'll never be in this line of work again. Consider it a lesson learned."

"No, Brother Tiger! I beg you! This hand can't be ruined! I'm counting on it to make a living!" Ma San's voice was filled with despair.

Upon hearing this, Yang Shuisheng's eyes turned cold.

Useless hands?

Ma San's hands are exceptional at picking locks and stealing, which is crucial for his investigation of Zhao Youcai's case and may prove very useful in the future.

Moreover, Ma San was quite efficient yesterday, so the camera still needs to be handed over to him today.

What if my hand is ruined?

Without further hesitation, he stepped forward and pushed open the rickety wooden door.

"stop!"

The shack was dimly lit and filled with a musty and sweaty smell.

Ma San was pinned to the ground by two burly men in floral shirts who looked like hooligans. One of the men, who had a scar on his face, was raising his foot, as if to step on Ma San's right hand, which was twisted behind his back.

Ma San was deathly pale, his face covered in snot and tears, struggling desperately.