The carefree life of Yang Shuisheng, the village miracle doctor

Tiger?

Zhang Fugui's heart clenched suddenly, as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

Tiger is a notorious gang leader in town. Although he seems to have toned it down a bit recently, his influence remains.

Those kinds of people have connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds; what ordinary person wouldn't be afraid of them?

If Yang Shuisheng can really get Tiger to go with him, let alone who the police will believe, even if the police handle the matter fairly, it will be as easy as crushing an ant if Tiger wants to cause trouble for him afterwards.

He can forget about living a peaceful life in town for the rest of his life.

"You... what exactly is your relationship with Brother Tiger?" Zhang Fugui's voice began to tremble, and the last trace of hope and toughness disappeared, leaving only a deep-seated fear.

He felt a chill run down his spine when he recalled how respectfully Tiger's henchmen treated Yang Shuisheng at the barbershop.

"You don't need to know that." Yang Shuisheng looked at him, his eyes devoid of much emotion. "You can get out now. Go find the police and wait at home with them."

"No! Don't call me Tiger!"

Zhang Fugui was so frightened that he was too scared to leave.

"Brother Yang! Brother Yang! I was wrong, I really know I was wrong."

He scrambled back to Yang Shuisheng, grabbed his arm, and pleaded incoherently, "You don't need to call me Brother Tiger, really, you don't need to!"

"I'll go talk to Aunt Chen right now. I'll persuade her, I definitely will, to issue a public apology and clarify the rumors!"

"Please, please don't call me Tiger, please don't come to my house."

His attitude changed so quickly that he was practically a completely different person.

The courage that had been so reckless just moments before crumbled instantly under the intimidation of Tiger's name, leaving only primal fear and obedience.

"Then what are you standing there for?"

Yang Shuisheng looked at him, who was so scared that he was begging for mercy, but he was completely unmoved.

"If we don't go soon, Aunt Chen will be out with her bowl and chopsticks by now."

"Hey! Hey! I'm going right now! I'm going right now." Zhang Fugui felt like he had been granted a pardon. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, and then turned and walked towards the main room.

"Strange, where did this bowl go?"

The light in the main room was dimmer than in the courtyard. Aunt Chen was bending over, rummaging through the cupboard against the wall for extra bowls and chopsticks, muttering, "Fugui, please sit down, it will be ready soon."

Standing behind her, Zhang Fugui watched Aunt Chen's busy figure, his throat dry and his palms sweaty.

He opened his mouth several times, but no sound came out.

"Fugui, what's wrong?"

"Why do you look so pale?"

After searching for a while, Aunt Chen finally took out two rough porcelain bowls and two pairs of chopsticks. Straightening up, she turned around and saw Zhang Fugui still standing there like a wooden post, his expression not quite right. So she casually asked, "Is something going on between you and your cousin?"

"If there's something wrong, just say it. Why are you hiding it from your aunt?"

She was older and more experienced, and she could tell at a glance that Zhang Fugui had something on his mind, and that it was probably related to this cousin who had suddenly appeared.

Everyone has their own set of complicated interpersonal relationships.

When Aunt Chen pointed out Zhang Fugui's mistake, he panicked even more, but he knew he couldn't delay any longer.

He glanced at Yang Shuisheng in the courtyard, who was looking in his direction, and the calm look in his eyes sent a chill down his spine.

"Aunt Chen, there's something I'd like to... discuss with you."

He licked his chapped lips, mustered all his courage, and stammered to Aunt Chen, "It's about Xu Xiuxia, about what happened at the restaurant... could you... could you go and publicly apologize to her?"

"Those rumors are just you talking nonsense; they have nothing to do with her."

He spoke quickly and unclearly, his voice trembling.

Aunt Chen didn't hear clearly at first, or rather, she heard clearly but thought she had misheard.

"Hey, Fugui, what are you saying?"

She paused for a moment, then burst out laughing, put the bowl and chopsticks in her hand on the table next to her, patted Zhang Fugui's arm, and gave him a "you kid are really good at joking" look on her face.

"You want me to apologize to Xu Xiuxia? And publicly?"

"Haha, you're teasing your auntie here, aren't you?"

"Are you making fun of me because you think my lunch was too meager?"

"Alright, then tell your aunt, should she bring two pounds of brown sugar as an apology, or should she go and get two pounds of pork?"

She completely took it as Zhang Fugui joking, or rather, she simply didn't believe Zhang Fugui would say such a thing.

Seeing that Aunt Chen had misunderstood, Zhang Fugui was so anxious that the veins on his forehead throbbed. He didn't care about being tactful and quickly waved his hand, saying in a serious tone, "I'm not joking, Aunt Chen! It's true."

"It would be even better if you could bring something with you! It would show that you're sincere."

Aunt Chen's smile slowly froze.

She carefully examined Zhang Fugui's face, then looked at the two scratches on his face that were still bleeding, and then, thinking back to her cousin from earlier, she suddenly realized that Zhang Fugui might not be joking.

"Zhang Fugui! Are you out of your mind?"

Her face slowly darkened. She threw the rag in her hand onto the table, put her hands on her hips, and looked Zhang Fugui up and down, her eyes filled with disbelief and rising anger.

"Or has someone bewitched him?"

"You want me to publicly apologize to that widow Xu Xiuxia, and even bring gifts with me?"

Do you even know what you're saying?

Her voice suddenly rose, filled with offended anger: "Who told me to spread those rumors, those rumors about Xu Xiuxia finding a gigolo? Huh?"

"Isn't it entirely because you and your spendthrift wife Li Guihua were bullied and humiliated in town, and you're feeling aggrieved and begging me to help you get revenge?"

"I meant well, out of consideration for our years as neighbors, I spoke up for you, hoping to disgust that Xu Xiuxia and save face for you two."

"What? Now look what's happened, the blame is being dumped on me?"

"You want me to go and apologize?"

"Zhang Fugui, have you lost your conscience?"

She got angrier and angrier as she spoke, and her spittle almost landed on Zhang Fugui's face.

Zhang Fugui was so ashamed by the scolding that he couldn't lift his head. His face burned with shame and fear.

"Aunt Chen... I know, I know this matter has put you in a difficult position."

He shrank back and whispered in protest, "But...but there's no other way. Here, I'll give you twenty yuan as an apology and compensation for the trouble you went through to apologize, okay?"

He wanted to solve the problem with money, as it was the fastest way he could think of.

"Twenty yuan? Bah!" Aunt Chen flew into a rage upon hearing this, pointing her finger at Zhang Fugui and yelling, "Zhang Fugui! Who do you think you are?"

"Do you think I'm the kind of person who would throw my dignity to the ground and trample on it for twenty dollars?"

"I, Chen Shufen, have lived in this town for over fifty years. When have I ever done anything like helping someone one minute and then contradicting myself the next?"