The 14th Provocation

  (Regarding dialects. "Ore" and "nēn" are dialects from Shandong, my original intention was to write something with a more authentic flavor, but some readers have reacted that it's awkward. Now I'm conducting an investigation: do readers want to keep this style or change it? Should only "nēn" be changed, or both "ore" and "nēn"? Please leave your opinions in the comments section.)

  ……

  "Ah, that dead dog that stole meat..." Madame Cheng remembered and still had in mind the dog she chased before fainting.

  "Don't worry, daughter, that vicious dog has been caught by me and beaten to death!" Cheng Yaojin said with gritted teeth.

  When she heard that her son had avenged her, she said with glee: "Eh, good! This beast not only stole meat but also made me fall. It's dead, ah, I see my headache was from chasing the dog and falling." She seemed to have just thought of this.

  It seems that there is no amnesia after all.

  "Don't worry, daughter! Next time you want to chase a dog, let me handle it. I'll beat the dog to death and stew its meat for you to eat!"

  "Good, dog meat smells great!"

  This is abusing dogs and eating dog meat, the mother and son landlords' faces are simply unbearable to look at.

  Cheng Yaojin stood up, looked at Ao Wu with gratitude and said emotionally: "Thank you, Brother Ao, for saving my mother's life. From now on, Cheng Yaojin's life is yours!"

  Cheng Yao's heroic and loyal character made Ao Wu quite like him, and he waved his hand, saying: "I just followed the method of that old... whoever it was, and also used some medical books I saw at home to treat her. It's all thanks to Old Lady's good fortune that she woke up!"

  "This little brother just saved my life?" Mother Cheng asked in surprise.

  She didn't think that she had just walked through the Ghost Gate, and her eyes strangely sized up Cheng Yaojin and Ao Wu.

  Just as Cheng Yaojin was about to respond, a soft voice intervened, "Old lady, Mr. Cheng, Divine Doctor Zhong, I think you all may be mistaken, the old lady's illness wasn't cured by Right Brother Bin, but rather it was Divine Doctor Zhong's achievement."

  This voice, of course, is that of a rich second generation, although full of charm and very gentle, but Ao Wu knew he was up to no good as soon as he heard it, just like the hemorrhoids on his butt, black and festering.

  I'd like to see how you're going to do it!

  Others also looked at the rich second generation, and Cheng Mu on the bed only had the mind to sweep his eyes over the people in front of the bed. Seeing Zhong Shen Yi, he recognized him and exclaimed: "Ah, isn't this Zhong Shen Yi from Liang Fu County? Ugly child has invited you here for my sake..."

  She looked at Xu Sanmao again, and was shocked once more. "Oh dear," she said, "Isn't this Xu Shenyi from the Xu Medicine Shop? Ugly child has invited two divine doctors for the sake of my old bones..."

  She glanced at Ao Wu quietly, and her son had just thanked him. With the two divine doctors here, why was there a young doctor? For a moment, Mother Cheng was confused, "Who is this doctor?"

  "Old lady, this is my classmate and also the son-in-law of Master Zhong, the divine doctor," said the rich second-generation hastily. "He has never studied medicine before. When you were unconscious, Officer Cheng invited Master Zhong to treat you. Master Zhong used the method of replenishing Qi to slowly nourish your spirit, and when it was time for you to wake up, you naturally woke up. I accompanied Qingniang to deliver the medicine, and Yibin followed behind. When Master Zhong was administering the medicine, he suddenly interfered, criticizing Master Zhong's method as incorrect and saying that taking the medicine would poison you to death. He also said some nonsense about unblocking meridians and stabbed two needles in the back of your head. Now that you've woken up, Officer Cheng mistakenly thinks it's Yibin's credit, but actually, it was Master Zhong's treatment that took effect and woke you up at the right time." The rich second-generation said with confidence, fanning himself with a paper fan.

  He looked at Zhong Shenyi and said, "Zhong Shenyi didn't speak out in opposition just now because he had everything under control. He knew that Old Lady would wake up soon. And no matter how hard You Bin tried to stab, the divine doctor could protect Old Lady completely. So he let You Bin test it!" He pushed the credit back to Zhong Shenyi, thinking that this was indeed Zhong Shenyi's achievement. Even if it wasn't his achievement, a divine doctor would take the credit for himself for the sake of his reputation, not to mention that he was giving him the credit now.

  "Xu Shen Yi, am I right?" The rich second generation asked Xu San Mao again.

  He thought that Xu Sanmao had just lost to Ao Wu, a man in his fifties or sixties losing to a youth under twenty was already humiliating enough. Now as long as he could knock down Ao Wu, then Xu Sanmao's earlier loss wouldn't be spread around and he wouldn't lose face either.

  Before the two divine doctors could speak, the rich second generation turned his head to look at Ao Wu, raised an eyebrow and looked very serious, saying: "And Right Bin brother not only has no merit, but also has a fault. The old lady's headache now should be caused by Right Bin brother's random acupuncture just now." This is framing Ao Wu, isn't Cheng Yaojin a filial son? Hearing that someone was harming his mother, wouldn't he want to tear them apart with his bare hands? Immediately after, his tone became heavy and sincere, saying: "Right Bin brother, I'm not blaming you, I'm doing this for your own good!"

  The paper fan unfolded with a rustling sound, revealing the four characters "淡泊名利" (Indifferent to Fame and Wealth) on it, as well as Zhang's signature. The rich second-generation said: "I and Nen are both students of Master Zhang, so I naturally know that Nen would never use the Yellow Turbidity Technique. What the old Taoist priest said is even more nonsense. Not understanding but pretending to, lightly hurts people's skin, severely endangers their lives. Fortunately, this time there were two divine doctors, Zhong and Xu, who saved the situation. If I didn't speak out now, Nen would continue to treat patients in the future, and the consequences would be severe. I hope Right Bin brother won't mind my words being too excessive!"

  Although the old Taoist priest made people believe that Ao Wu's medical skills were taught by someone, can Ao Wu still call out the old Taoist priest as a witness now?

  This "I scold you for your own good" talk sounds very self-righteous!

  Kao Wu laughed, this rich second generation's mind was indeed very capable, but he was only good at calculating for himself, measuring others with his own yardstick, and his vision for seeing people was not good. He miscalculated the people here, apart from the rich second generation and himself who had ulterior motives, the other few people were all upright and honest, and even Xu San Mao, the worst of them, was just a competitive person, but not someone who would repay kindness with enmity. Now that he has spoken so much, he's likely to suffer for it.

  "Thanks for reminding me, Brother Fu," Ao Wu replied, "but in the future, if I encounter someone who needs help, I will still lend a hand."

  A second-generation rich man with an expression of "hating iron for not becoming steel" said: "Why are you so obstinately ignorant?"

  He turned his head towards Zhong Qing with an expression of "why give up treatment" and said, "Qingniang, is it true or not?"

  He came to plead with the Zhong family on behalf of the Cheng family, so how could Zhong Qing not give him some face.

  He's counting everyone here in on this.

  What he said was turned upside down by Ao Wu's words, and all his excuses immediately fell apart!

  But facts speak louder than words, Ao Wu's performance just now has made Zhong Qing believe that his medical skills are still very impressive, so how could he listen to the rich second generation's words at this time?

  Zhong Qingnian thought of his kindness and didn't want to hurt the family's face, so he said: "As for medical matters, it still depends on what my father says."

  "Nonsense!" retorted Cheng Yaojin in a thunderous voice, "My old mother was rescued by Brother Ao himself, I saw it with my own eyes. Could there be any mistake? Do you still need to come and make a fuss?"

  He also felt that what Ao Wu said was not quite tenable, but as long as his mother could be saved, it didn't matter whether it was Zhong Shenyi who cured her or Zhong's son-in-law who saved her. Anyway, they were all from the Zhong family, and now going to suspect them would only offend the Zhong family. Cheng Yaojin just cared about his mother waking up and wouldn't be dragged into the rich second-generation's words.

  Intimidated by Cheng Yaojin's demonic aura, the rich second generation was startled, but at this time, he couldn't retreat and had to persist to the end in order to win. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Ao Wu in front of Zhong Qing, and he would lose face again in front of her.

  "Cheng Yuan, you can't say that. Neither I nor my brother understand medicine, how could we possibly know? The old lady was cured by Dr. Zhong, if Nian gives the credit to Xiu Bin, wouldn't that hurt Dr. Zhong's feelings?" Xiaozhi's nemesis was of course Cheng Mu, he turned his head and asked Cheng Mu: "Old lady, is what Nian said true or not?"

  Cheng Mu also looked confused and turned to Zhong Shenyi, asking: "Zhong Shenyi, is this really true?"

  As for being refined, Zhong Shen Yi's refinement far surpasses that of a rich second-generation heir who holds the four words "detached from fame and wealth" in his hand. He wouldn't pursue a false reputation and wrong his daughter's husband. At this moment, seeing everyone's gaze fall on him, he chuckled and said: "The old lady has just woken up and doesn't know how her body is yet, let me take her pulse first and check before we talk."

  After finishing, he sat back on the four-legged stool in front of the bed, his hand covering Madame Cheng's wrist, and quietly took her pulse for a while. A joyful expression appeared on his face as he said: "Good, good! The old lady's pulse is now smooth, this is something that none of the medicines I previously prescribed could achieve. Ah Wu's one needle was truly divine!"

  Xu Sanmao listened, and his face showed even deeper admiration for Ao Wu, saying: "Just now, the young doctor gave me an injection in my hand, and I felt as if I had divine help, and I coughed up the phlegm in my throat. The young doctor's acupuncture skills are amazing! Now that he can save the old lady, I completely believe it!"

  "What, what?" The rich second generation thought they had misheard and hastily asked: "Divine doctor, uncle, didn't Nian say it wrong? This was cured by Nian, how could it be treated by Right Bin brother?" Even if it's not, you should have said so, why is it different from what I think?

  "My father said so, it is." Zhong Qing couldn't tolerate him questioning her father's words and coldly said.

  A second-generation rich man was criticized by his goddess and lost face in front of her. But he didn't give up, and hastily asked: "What about Mrs. Cheng's headache?"

  "Haha, Old Lady was thrown so hard she turned green, of course it hurts!" Zhong Shen Yi explained with a smile.

  The rich second generation felt like their throat was being pinched and couldn't speak anymore.

  "No, Mrs. Lao's headache is still not cured, and the pain from the fall is only a small part of it." Ao Wu spoke up.

  "Look at him, he said it himself, the trouble is all his own doing!" The rich second generation shouted as if he had grasped a lifesaving straw.

  However, the remaining headache and the created headache are two completely different things, but this rich second generation couldn't tell them apart at that time!

  "Hmph!" Cheng Yaojin couldn't take it anymore, "Rich second-generation, are you done slandering? I have eyes, I know that Brother Ao is the divine doctor who saved my mother, what's with the nonsense?"

  "Ugly child, who is this person, speaking such nonsense?" Madame Cheng also understood at this time, she was also a person of strong emotions and clear likes and dislikes. At this moment, she looked at the rich second generation with disgust and asked.

  Cheng Yaojin hastily lowered his head and replied to his mother: "Yes, Mother, this is the son of a salt merchant from Liangfu County."

  "Oh, is that the one who delivers salt to our house every month? From now on, we won't eat their salt anymore, we'll eat someone else's. If I find out you have any connection with this family in the future, I'll break your leg!" Now, Cheng Mu didn't even want to look at the rich second-generation kid.

  The second-generation rich heard this, his face turned white. His own "good-hearted" words had actually severed a vital connection for his family. This blow was too great for him!

  "Old lady, I..." He hastily explained.

  Cheng Yaojin shouted: "Erdi, throw him out!"

  ……