Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 208: Zhang Li Family’s Decision 202

"This is Huang Long. He’ll be in charge of all the camera work for our shoot!"

Wang Jian glanced at Huang Long. He could tell the man’s internal constitution was off, likely from frequent smoking; the qi in his five viscera was not well-balanced. However, Huang Long was certainly recognizable with his full beard, black-rimmed glasses, and braided hair. He wore the kind of vest you see directors wear on TV—the one with lots of pockets for carrying all sorts of things. He definitely gave off the vibe of a professional cameraman. I have no idea how skilled he actually is, but he certainly looks the part. He has the air of a true professional.

According to Angel, they were using fixed cameras for this shoot to ensure authenticity, so they didn’t have crew members like lighting technicians. The staff who came along were almost entirely responsible for cinematography and logistics. Therefore, Angel only gave a detailed introduction for a few key people, Huang Long being one of them.

"Doctor Wang, I’ve heard so much about you."

Although Huang Long said this as he shook Wang Jian’s hand, Wang Jian could tell the guy was just being polite.

"Mr. Huang, I’ve heard so much about you, too."

The two exchanged brief greetings, and then Huang Long went off to get busy. He had to ensure there were no blind spots in the clinic’s video coverage today. This would allow the post-production team to create a unique experience for the audience through multi-camera editing. That was his job. As for Angel, after briefing Wang Jian on the general plan for the documentary, she also went off to scout locations.

Watching the staff bustle around the clinic, Wang Jian decided to get out of their way. He went for a walk through the village and, somehow, found himself at Zhang Li’s house.

Seeing the familiar gate, Wang Jian stopped in his tracks. Ever since Zhang Li’s recovery from that incident, Wang Jian had practically cut off all contact with Li Liping. In truth, their relationship had simply reverted to how it was before they’d gotten to know each other, maintaining a polite distance. He was standing at the gate, still hesitating on whether to go in and say hello, when he heard the latch move. The door opened from the inside.

Zhang Li and Li Liping appeared in the doorway.

"Wang Jian?" Zhang Li and his wife were both stunned to see someone standing there as they opened the door. "What are you doing at our house so early?"

Wang Jian glanced awkwardly at Li Liping and saw that she showed no strange reaction. Even Zhang Li just seemed surprised. He explained, "There are people at the clinic today installing some equipment."

"New equipment for the clinic?" After saying that, Zhang Li turned and gave Li Liping a quick kiss, making her blush. "You go on back inside," he said. "I’m going to buy groceries."

Zhang Li then wheeled his bicycle out, and Li Liping closed the door behind him.

Seeing the couple so affectionate, Wang Jian felt an inexplicable wave of relief. "It’s a TV crew," he explained. "They’re installing cameras to film a documentary, so the clinic is a no-go zone right now. I decided to take a walk and just got to your gate when I heard you opening the door."

"Wow, Xiao Jian, that’s great!" Zhang Li’s eyes widened, looking far more excited than Wang Jian. "This is a big deal, getting on TV!" He glanced toward the village entrance, then looked back at Wang Jian. "If you’re not busy, want to walk with me?" With that, he started pushing his bicycle toward the village entrance.

Wang Jian caught up, but before he could speak, Zhang Li spoke again. "Sigh. Of all the people our age from the village, you’re the most successful one. Sometimes, I really envy you."

Envy? Wang Jian glanced at Zhang Li, noticing a different look on his face. It felt like Zhang Li had figured something out in the time they hadn’t seen each other. He wasn’t like he was right after I returned; back then, Zhang Li seemed restless even when standing still. Now it was different. Walking along and pushing his bicycle, he gave off an air of tranquility.

"What’s there to envy about me?" Wang Jian said. "If you’re going to envy someone, you might as well envy those big bosses."

"Hahaha," Zhang Li laughed. "You can’t say that. Didn’t even the boss of the Cai Group have to come see you for treatment?" He added, "If you ask me, that’s real skill. Just being able to make money isn’t the same thing."

Wang Jian didn’t reply. Honestly, I was just making conversation when I mentioned envying big bosses. "Is that business in Demon City stable now?" Wang Jian asked, changing the subject. "I heard Uncle Zhang went back again."

"Yeah," Zhang Li replied. "It’s pretty much settled, and the supply line is up and running. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about..."

"What?" Wang Jian asked.

"Now that the business is off the ground, Liping and I have decided that we’re going to move to Demon City in a little while."

"Moving?" Wang Jian was taken aback. That’s so sudden. I haven’t heard a single word about this. A village this small can’t normally keep a secret. Seeing Zhang Li speak so calmly about it, I realize he truly has changed. He seems to embody a newfound stability. "That is sudden," Wang Jian mused aloud. "Is the whole family going? Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider? What about the house here?"

They had just reached the main village road, where the path leveled out. Zhang Li put down his bicycle’s kickstand and clapped Wang Jian’s shoulder. "It’s not that sudden," he said. "I actually had this idea the last time I went to Demon City on business. It’s just... you know... that other thing happened."

"But..." Wang Jian started.

Zhang Li cut him off. "My dad already found a place for us on his last trip. It’s a rental, but it’s a good size for the whole family." He made a point to add, "Liping is coming with us, too. When we’re gone, I was hoping I could ask you to keep an eye on our house. You know, open the doors every now and then to air it out.

"I was planning to come over to talk about this before we left and give you the keys then. Since we bumped into each other today, I figured I might as well tell you now."

Wang Jian didn’t know how to describe his current feelings. "Sure, leave it to me," he finally managed. "If I’m busy, my family can help. We’ll drop by every so often and clean up a bit. It won’t fall into disrepair, don’t worry." I only just got back from Capital City. We’ve hardly had any time to catch up, and now he’s leaving again. It was impossible not to feel a pang of reluctance. But it’s his whole family that’s moving. It’s not my place to try and talk him out of it.

"Demon City isn’t as peaceful as it is here," Wang Jian said, thumping Zhang Li lightly on the chest. "Good luck. Will you be back for the New Year?"

"Hmm..." Zhang Li frowned. It was a question he hadn’t actually considered. "Probably not. This will be our first year there, and it’s already September."

"Right," Wang Jian agreed.

After that, the two of them fell silent. Wang Jian walked Zhang Li all the way to the village entrance. Zhang Li glanced at the outsiders bustling around the village committee office and the clinic, then got on his bike and headed for the market.

Watching Zhang Li ride away, Wang Jian stood there, feeling a sense of loss.

A person’s life really seems to be a series of partings and reunions, with everyone you meet. These little goodbyes slowly fill up your existence, and it’s only in the moments of reunion that you find a little release.

After a moment, he took out his phone and sent Zhang Li a message: "Brother, before you leave, let’s have our families eat together. Don’t forget."

As Wang Jian stared blankly at the village entrance, Angel, just returning from scouting locations, happened to see him. She silently raised her camera and recorded the moment.

The morning sun, cresting the mountain peak, bathed the large tree at the village entrance in its golden light.