Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 252 - 246 Please, save my dad.

Hu Ziyuan looked at the name of the herbal shop. It felt exceptionally familiar.

He then remembered the young village doctor came from a place called Paigou Village. He had originally dismissed it as a complete backwater, but now it seemed he was terribly wrong. What other village in all of Hua Country could co-brand a herbal shop with the Cai Group? And every word Wang Jian had sent via Blackie had come true. Was this village doctor really that formidable?

Thinking of the critical condition notice the hospital had issued for his father, Hu Ziyuan snapped back to reality. He stared at the shop’s signboard and murmured, "I hope this kid can actually cure my dad’s illness..."

It was already getting late, the sky growing dark, but Hu Ziyuan didn’t care. He hailed a cab and said urgently, "Paigou Village."

"Paigou Village?" The driver was perplexed. Where was that? Although he was a local, he mostly drove within the city limits. Shanghai City was huge and had countless mountain villages. How was he supposed to know where Paigou Village was? "Sorry, pal, I don’t know the way. How about you give me directions?"

Hu Ziyuan glared at the driver. He didn’t know the way either, so he cursed, "Aren’t you a taxi driver? How can you not even recognize places? How do you stay in business?"

The driver wasn’t having it. He kicked Hu Ziyuan out of the car, not forgetting to shout a few curses of his own as he drove off.

With no other choice, Hu Ziyuan had to call Blackie and ask for clear directions to Paigou Village.

"Blackie, it’s me..."

"Mr. Hu?"

Yes, Blackie still addressed Hu Ziyuan with the deference befitting a "Young Master." Even though Uncle Jiu and Hu Ziyuan weren’t father and son by blood, their bond was undeniably real. Hu Ziyuan had angrily sent Blackie away earlier that day, so Blackie was naturally surprised to get his call. But what Hu Ziyuan said next surprised him even more.

"I was out of line this afternoon. I hope you didn’t take it to heart, Uncle Blackie."

The apologetic tone sounded so strange that Blackie pulled the phone away from his ear. He glanced incredulously at the screen to confirm the caller ID before putting it back.

Blackie was well aware of Hu Ziyuan’s background. Having grown up abroad and never been involved in the criminal underworld, Hu Ziyuan inherently looked down on people like Blackie. That was why he had always been disrespectful, his tone leaving much to be desired. Since Blackie knew the young man so well, hearing him eat crow over the phone left him stunned. He was speechless for a moment.

But Hu Ziyuan had no time for pleasantries. After apologizing several times and hearing Blackie say it was no big deal, he quickly explained, "Uncle Blackie, it’s about my dad. After drinking the soup made from the Ginseng King, he vomited blood and was hospitalized. I need to find that village doctor’s address... I just tried to take a cab, but the driver didn’t even know how to get to Paigou Village."

Blackie was aghast. "Uncle Jiu is in the hospital?"

That was the first shock. The second was the realization that Wang Jian’s prediction had come true again. No wonder Hu Ziyuan was so desperate to find him.

Blackie collected himself and asked in a low voice, "Forget about a taxi. Where are you right now?"

Hu Ziyuan looked around. He had been wandering aimlessly and was disoriented, but he spotted the hospital nearby. "I’m in front of a herbal shop next to the hospital," he told Blackie. "It’s the one co-branded by the Cai Group and Paigou Village."

Blackie thought for a moment. He’d passed that shop before. Without another word, he hung up, got in his car, and headed straight for Hu Ziyuan’s location.

On the way, he used his connections to call someone at the Central Hospital. After hearing their description of Lu You’s condition, a chill settled in Blackie’s heart.

Lu You was on the verge of death...

Was that really a Ginseng King? It might as well have been poison.

Blackie was deeply shaken. He floored the accelerator, reaching Hu Ziyuan in no time. Together, they sped directly toward Wang Jian’s home.

During the drive, Blackie kept an eye on Hu Ziyuan. He could see the young man was not in a good state. His emotions were clearly unstable, and his expression was almost a distorted grimace.

If he goes there with this attitude and offends Doctor Wang, Uncle Jiu is probably done for.

"Mr. Hu, when you meet Doctor Wang, don’t put on any airs," Blackie warned. He kept his reminder brief, believing Hu Ziyuan wasn’t a fool.

Hu Ziyuan nodded to show he understood but said nothing more.

Seeing him stare fixedly out the window, Blackie knew better than to press the issue. He’d said what needed to be said. If he were more ruthless, like he had been over a decade ago, he might have taken the chance to kick the man while he was down. But age had mellowed Blackie’s temper considerably.

They drove quickly. With few cars on the road, they arrived at Paigou Village in less than half an hour. Their speed could have been even faster if the mountain roads in the village weren’t so poorly lit.

"We’re getting out here." Blackie parked in the lot at the village entrance. "You can’t drive into the village itself. We’ll have to walk up the mountain path from here."

Hu Ziyuan curiously surveyed the area. He noticed the TV station’s van, which was still parked in the village. He was surprised but didn’t comment on it, instead asking, "Do you remember where Doctor Wang’s house is?"

Blackie nodded. "Of course. I was just here this afternoon. Don’t worry, just follow me."

Two strangers entering the village just as night fell naturally drew attention from the locals. Just as they reached the village entrance, they were stopped by an elderly man. The man’s gaze lingered on Blackie. With his rough appearance and attire, he didn’t exactly look like a friendly character.

The elderly man asked cautiously, "What are you two here for?"

Blackie sighed inwardly; he was used to this. Whenever he went out, especially with his men, people often looked at him as if he were the plague.

Just as he was about to explain, Hu Ziyuan spoke up first. "We’re looking for Doctor Wang Jian."

"Oh! So you’re here to see the doctor." The man saw Hu Ziyuan’s anxious expression, which seemed genuine—like a real emergency. He pointed the way for them. "You two look unfamiliar. Must be your first time. Just head on up the path. You’ll find Xiao Jian’s house halfway up the mountain. If you can’t figure out which one it is, just call out for him when you get there."

Hu Ziyuan quickly thanked him and pulled Blackie along, hurrying in the direction the man had pointed.

In less than five minutes, they arrived at the Wang family’s home.

Seeing the courtyard gate was already locked, Hu Ziyuan didn’t hesitate and started pounding on the iron gate. The iron gate rattled under the force of his blows as he shouted, "Doctor Wang! Doctor Wang! Please, I’m begging you, save my father!"

When there was no response, he pounded on the gate and shouted again.