The carefree life of Yang Shuisheng, the village miracle doctor

As soon as the meeting ended, Yang Shuisheng didn't linger. He briefly greeted Zhao Youcai and Yu Jian, then hurriedly left the threshing ground, saying he had to hurry back to prepare for the dinner party that evening.

He walked quickly, but kept an eye on what was behind him out of the corner of his eye.

Sure enough, although Zhao Erniu chickened out on stage just now, he was clearly not giving up.

He followed Yang Shuisheng at a distance, accompanied by three or four idle young men who were usually close to him. They were clearly planning to keep an eye on him and find an opportunity to confirm his claims.

Yang Shuisheng sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm.

He went straight home, pushed open the broken wooden door, and quickly closed it again.

Inside the room, Lin Wan was sitting on the edge of the bed. When she saw him return, her face lit up with joy, but before she could speak, Yang Shuisheng spoke first.

"Someone has spotted you," Yang Shuisheng said quickly in a low voice. "During the election just now, someone exposed it in public, and now there are people watching outside."

Lin Wan's face paled, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes: "Then... what should we do?"

"Don't panic," Yang Shuisheng said calmly. "These next few days, try not to make too much noise and speak softly."

"I might lock the door from the outside, just in case someone breaks in."

"You need to be alert even when you're in the house. If you hear anything suspicious, hide well, understand?"

"Understood! I'll do whatever you say." Lin Wan nodded quickly, her face still showing fear, but more so trust and reliance on Yang Shuisheng.

She knew that he was the only one she could rely on now.

"Okay, I'm going out to take care of some things and prepare for tonight's dinner party. You stay home and take good care of yourself," Yang Shuisheng said, turning to leave again.

"Wait!" Lin Wan called out to him, looking outside with some concern. "Those people...aren't they still outside? If you go out now, what if they...?"

"I'm going to lure them away," Yang Shuisheng said, a calculating glint in his eyes.

He pushed the door open again and went out. Sure enough, Zhao Erniu and his group were still loitering not far away, pretending to chat, but their eyes kept glancing in this direction.

Yang Shuisheng walked straight toward them.

"Brother Erniu, you're still here?" Yang Shuisheng asked with a half-smile.

"I... we're just taking a stroll, what's it to you?"

When Zhao Erniu and the others saw him coming, they were a little nervous, but they tried to remain calm.

"It's none of my business." Yang Shuisheng nodded, then glanced at the others. "Well, I'm hosting a dinner tonight, so I need to go to town to buy some wine, meat, and vegetables. There's a lot of stuff, and one person can't carry it all."

"So I'd like to ask a few brothers to do me a favor and come with me to town."

"I won't let you come for nothing. How about fifty yuan each as a tip?"

"Fifty...fifty yuan?" The young men following Zhao Erniu's eyes widened instantly, and their breathing became heavier.

Fifty dollars!

For those of them who loiter around the village without any real income, this is no small sum.

Was it just to go to town to move some things?

"Really? Shui Sheng... no, Officer Yang, you're kidding us." A tall, thin man asked, licking his lips.

"A promise is a promise. I can give you half now, and you can pay me the rest later." Yang Shuisheng said, taking out a few bills from the red envelope given to him by Su Danian, and giving each person twenty-five.

He had looked at the red envelope; it contained exactly 600 yuan, probably for good luck. Although it was less than Wang Kun's 1000 yuan, it was still a considerable sum.

"Go! We have to go!"

The men took the money, their faces beaming with joy, and immediately patted their chests, saying, "If Officer Yang says so, we'll definitely help."

Zhao Erniu's face turned grim as he watched his companions turn against him in an instant, but his mind began to race.

Fifty yuan, why not make a profit!

Moreover, Yang Shuisheng's home is right here. If he goes to town to buy things, his wife, who is unfamiliar with the area, can't just fly away, can she?

I can keep an eye on things once he comes back from town. It'll also give me a chance to see just how much wealth Yang Shuisheng has and what kind of stunts he'll pull off when he hosts dinner tonight.

"Alright, since Officer Yang is so generous, I'll go and lend a hand too." Zhao Erniu agreed, pretending to be reluctant.

Yang Shuisheng chuckled inwardly, but showed a grateful expression on his face: "Then thank you very much, brothers. Let's hurry up and come back as soon as possible."

To save time, Yang Shuisheng didn't take the mountain path. Instead, he led Zhao Erniu and the others straight to the highway at the village entrance and flagged down a passing minibus.

The group squeezed onto the vehicle and, after a bumpy ride of more than half an hour, arrived in Daliang Town.

After getting off the bus, Yang Shuisheng had a clear goal and headed straight for the Shili Xiang Restaurant.

Although it wasn't lunchtime yet, there were already two or three tables of customers sitting at the entrance of Shili Xiang, and people could be vaguely seen inside. Compared to the previous quietness, business was obviously much better.

The red paper sign that read "Second dish half price" posted at the entrance was particularly eye-catching.

Xu Xiuxia was doing accounts behind the counter when she looked up and saw Yang Shuisheng enter. Her face immediately lit up with a surprised and enthusiastic smile, and she quickly came out to greet him: "Shuisheng, what brings you here? Please come in!"

She wore a new light green shirt today, her hair was neatly combed, and her face had a busy blush and a genuine smile. She looked much better and appeared even more radiant and charming.

Especially her well-fitting shirt, which accentuated her slender figure, and her full breasts trembled slightly with her brisk walking. Zhao Erniu and the others following behind Yang Shuisheng stared wide-eyed and secretly swallowed.

"Sister Xia, business is good." Yang Shuisheng greeted her with a smile.

"It's all thanks to you, your method really works." Xu Xiuxia smiled, her eyes crinkling, her gaze towards Yang Shuisheng filled with gratitude and affection. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll have the kitchen prepare a few of their signature dishes right away."

"I'm not here for dinner today. I have something I'd like to trouble you with, Sister Xia." Yang Shuisheng waved his hand and explained his purpose. "I'm hosting a dinner party in the village tonight, and I'll probably need to prepare food for about a dozen tables."

"So I'd like to ask you to come over and help out with the cooking. The pay is negotiable, and I'll arrange for someone to take you back after you're done. Is that alright?"

"Sure! Of course!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiuxia nodded almost without hesitation: "Since it's you, Shuisheng, who asked, I'll definitely go. Forget about wages, we're siblings, why are we talking about that?"

"How many people are eating? What kind of dishes are you going to prepare? Tell me so I can have a better idea."

Yang Shuisheng briefly explained the number of people and the budget. Xu Xiuxia, being skilled in her work, quickly calculated and took out a pen and paper, then quickly wrote out a purchasing list and handed it to Yang Shuisheng: "Shuisheng, just go to the market and buy everything according to this list."

"Meat, vegetables, seasonings, drinks... everything is listed."

"I'll buy it and deliver it directly to the village. I'll pack up my things here and then take a car there."

"Okay, thank you for your help, Sister Xia." Yang Shuisheng took the list.

"No trouble at all!" Xu Xiuxia waved her hands repeatedly.

At this moment, Zhao Erniu, who had been staring intently at Xu Xiuxia, leaned close to Yang Shuisheng and asked in a low, lewd voice, "Shuisheng... Cadre Yang, this landlady is really beautiful. Do you two have a good relationship?"

Yang Shuisheng gave him a cold glance: "They're already married, don't get any funny ideas."

Zhao Erniu was taken aback and awkwardly shrank back, but his eyes still couldn't help but dart towards Xu Xiuxia.

After leaving Shili Xiang, Yang Shuisheng led Zhao Erniu and the others straight to the vegetable market in Daliang Town.

The town's vegetable market is located on an old street, with open-air sheds connecting the shops on both sides, bustling with noise and a mixture of various smells.

The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and the clucking of chickens and ducks filled the air.

With the list in hand, Yang Shuisheng began purchasing from each stall.

Pork, chicken, fish, various vegetables, tofu, vermicelli, seasonings... there was quite a lot of stuff, and Zhao Erniu and his friends came in handy, helping to carry the things.

"Get out of my way, you old geezer!"

Just as Yang Shuisheng was picking out chili peppers at a vegetable stall, a loud argument suddenly broke out nearby.

"Who gave you permission to set up a stall here? You're blocking my business, you know that?!"

A pork stall owner wearing a greasy apron and with a face full of fat was shoving a thin old man with gray hair and a slightly hunched back.

On the ground in front of the old man was a tattered plastic sheet, on which were scattered a few bunches of wilted wild vegetables, a small pile of misshapen potatoes, and a dozen or so small, unripe wild peaches.

The items were scarce and in extremely poor condition.

"I...I didn't take up your space...I'm right here by this wall."

"Please, let me sell this... to get some money to buy medicine."

The old man was pushed backward and almost fell. He clasped his hands together and kept bowing and pleading with the pork vendor, his cloudy old eyes filled with tears.

"Buying medicine? What's that to me!"

"With these rotten vegetable leaves sitting here, who's going to buy my meat? Get out of here!"

"If you don't get out of here, believe me, I'll kick all your junk to the ground!"

The pork vendor wouldn't let it go, and raised his foot as if to kick the poor wild vegetables.