Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 39 One person calls, everyone responds

"Those guys..."

Li Dayu had already heard the commotion and reached the doorway, but he was blocked by patients and could only catch a frantic glimpse of the scene. After tiptoeing to get a better look, he saw the faces of the two men and the tattoos covering their bodies.

Li Dayu recognized them. He had seen them around plenty of times, but that was exactly why he felt uneasy. How did this scum end up here?

A tattoo doesn’t automatically make you a gang boss, but these two scumbags were notorious in these mountains. Boss or not, they acted just like them. One was named Li Long, the other Zhao Hu. Both were up to no good, with past involvement in illegal casinos and loan sharking. Back when regulations were lax, they were far more arrogant than they were now, having ruined countless families. Breaking people’s limbs was a common occurrence for them.

Seeing Li Long, Li Dayu knew this situation wouldn’t be resolved easily. The people here couldn’t afford to provoke such ruthless characters. Li Dayu quickly pulled aside someone from the Cai family and made a call to Cai Wenji.

However, villains are a common sight everywhere, and those who dare to fight them have never been in short supply.

Li Dayu probably never dreamed that someone would actually have the courage to stand up to them. He had gone to make his phone call, but before the Cai family could arrive, one of the patients waiting by the door was the first to speak.

"Doctor Wang, don’t be afraid of him!"

"Exactly! We’re all watching. If this kid dares to try anything, I’ll call the police immediately."

"He’ll have a lot to answer for when the police get here."

The old man who threatened to call the police raised his old-fashioned phone. The family members with him also rolled up their sleeves, clearly unafraid. In truth, only the last few patients remained, and counting their families, there were barely a dozen people. Yet, aside from one person who knew the troublemakers, every single one of them stepped forward.

When one person called out, many responded. This was no small force. It wouldn’t have been surprising if they were all acquaintances from Paigou Village, but the one who led the charge and those who echoed him were all from other villages, which made a world of difference.

Someone even yelled, "Who the hell does he think he is? That a tattoo makes him tough?"

Li Long’s face darkened. He shot a fierce glare at the chattering patients and their families, but he was stunned to find that no one backed down. In fact, some even glared right back. Seeing that they couldn’t intimidate the crowd, Li Long and Zhao Hu exchanged a look and decided against any more threats.

Wang Jian was completely taken aback by this turn of events.

Ren Yu watched from the side, her heart stirring. To be a doctor so respected that so many patients would bravely stand up for you... in a way, it made it all worthwhile.

Li Long and Zhao Hu shared another glance, then grabbed the old man they’d been harassing and tried to leave. But when they reached the door, the crowd blocked their path, refusing to move. The two sides were locked in a standoff. Seeing no other way, Li Long and Zhao Hu had no choice but to physically shove their way out, finally managing to squeeze through the crowd. They had not expected to make such a pathetic exit.

Watching the three of them scurry away, Wang Jian felt a twinge of regret. He had finally gotten a legitimate reason to get physical, but now the cooked duck had flown away.

His expression made Ren Yu do a double-take. Frowning, she asked in a low, puzzled voice, "Bro, I get the feeling you didn’t want them to leave. Weren’t you afraid of getting beaten up?"

"Beaten up?" Wang Jian laughed. "Who would’ve been beaten up was still an open question. I’m just disappointed. I had a perfectly good reason to fight, and I missed it."

"HAHAHA."

Ren Yu burst out laughing, looking him up and down. His slender build was two sizes smaller than the two thugs. "Come on, bro. I wouldn’t have said anything even if you were scared of them, but you’re laying it on a bit thick. Just stick to being a good doctor. Fighting isn’t for you."

"Really, it’s not your thing."

It wasn’t just Ren Yu. Even the patients and their families at the door stifled their laughter. They couldn’t help it; the thought was just too ridiculous. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Wang Jian shrugged. Did they really think he practiced boxing just to stay in shape? Telling the truth was getting him nowhere, so he didn’t bother explaining and simply continued with the day’s free clinic.

The old man who had wanted to call the police was still fired up when it was his turn. As Wang Jian was taking his pulse and asking about his condition, the man rambled on, "Back when I was in the army, this punk was probably still just an egg. The nerve, causing trouble in front of an old soldier like me."

"Doctor Wang, you weren’t scared, were you?"

Although the old man’s face was a network of wrinkles, his laugh was hearty. Judging from his pulse, he was in remarkably good health.

"I wasn’t scared. And I must thank you, sir."

Wang Jian’s gaze, however, fell on the old man’s left arm, where the sleeve hung empty.

"Oh, that! It’s nothing!" the old man said with a smile, clearly noticing where Wang Jian was looking. "It’s no big deal. Lost it in the army when I was young. But I took out one of their fortresses with me, so it was a good trade. No regrets."

"So, how’s my health? If this clinic wasn’t free, you wouldn’t have caught me here."

Wang Jian felt a lump in his throat. The more casually the old man spoke, the more choked up he felt.

After finishing his examination, Wang Jian nodded with a smile. "Your constitution is nearly as good as a young man’s. But, sir, you should avoid heavy labor from now on. Otherwise, your arm might not hold up."

"What?" The old man was stunned. "My arm has always been strong. Why wouldn’t it hold up?"

Wang Jian explained, "It’s true that this arm grew stronger over the years to compensate, but it’s now entering a stage of decline. It’s already overtaxed. If you keep pushing it past its limit, the meridians will get damaged. It’ll start to atrophy, and if you don’t stop, you could lose the use of it completely."

The phrase "lose the use of it completely" left the old man utterly speechless. After a long moment, he finally stammered, "Doctor Wang, I just did you a favor. Don’t scare an old man like me."

"My arm works perfectly fine. How could I lose it?"

Having lost one arm as a young man, he had managed all these years with just the one. The thought of losing his remaining arm was too much for him to bear.

Wang Jian naturally sensed the man’s distress and quickly added, "That’s why you have to stop doing heavy work. Also, I’d like you to come see me once a month. I can use acupuncture and therapy to help maintain its vitality."

"But I need you to listen to me. No more heavy work."

Wang Jian repeated his warning until the old man finally grasped the severity of the situation. He nodded, partly out of fear and partly out of trust in Wang Jian. "Alright, I’ll listen to you. It’s just no more heavy work, right? I could use the rest. My kids are all grown up anyway. It’s about time I took it easy."

As he spoke, it was as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His entire demeanor changed. Wang Jian, who had been watching his expression closely, saw him relax and also breathed a sigh of relief. "At your age, you’ve certainly earned a peaceful life."

"Is there anything else you want to ask? You’re the last patient today, so we have plenty of time."

"No more questions about me. You’ve made everything very clear." The old man laughed, then his gaze shifted to Ren Yu, who was studying diligently nearby. He turned back to Wang Jian with a mischievous grin. "But I do have one other question. When are you and this young lady planning on having kids?"

"A chubby little boy from you two would definitely be adorable."

"..."

"..."

Wang Jian and Ren Yu were both struck dumb. They never expected the old man to be lying in wait with a question like that. It was a topic that wasn’t even on their radar.

Wang Jian had to explain all over again. "Sir, I heard you all talking outside, but our relationship isn’t what you think. Forget about kids, we’re not even a couple. She’s just my little sister."

"You know, like a little sister. We grew up together, so she’s like family to me."

"So, that’s impossible for us."

The old man sighed with a look of great pity. He didn’t press the issue further. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he said his goodbyes and left with a carefree stride.

After the old man departed, an awkward silence fell over the clinic, now occupied only by Wang Jian and Ren Yu. Ren Yu, however, felt more than just awkwardness; she felt a pang of disappointment. When Wang Jian had called her his sister, she had distinctly felt something inside her break and fall away. She quickly masked her feelings, though, and continued to help him tidy up without a word.

Once they were nearly finished, Ren Yu spoke up. "Um... my dad wanted me home early for dinner. It’s already dark, so if there’s nothing else, I’m going to head back."

Wang Jian was still taking inventory of the remaining medicinal herbs and didn’t quite catch what she said.

Ren Yu frowned and repeated, more loudly this time, "Did you hear me? I said I’m leaving!"

That got his attention. He turned to look at her and smiled. "Mhm, I heard. You go on ahead. I’m only halfway done with these herbs; it’ll probably be a while."

He glanced at the sky outside, noting that it was indeed dark. He stopped what he was doing, pulled a flashlight from a cabinet, and handed it to her. "Take this. Watch your step on the way back, alright? And be safe. Text me when you get home."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned back to his inventory, completely missing Ren Yu’s face flush with anger one moment and her teeth grit in frustration the next. Finally, with a cold huff, she threw the flashlight onto the table, turned on her heel, and stormed out.

Only then did Wang Jian realize something was wrong. He stared, dumbfounded, at the empty doorway of the clinic.

Is she... angry? Why the sudden mood swing? Did she want me to walk with her?

Wang Jian shook his head, lamenting how fickle young women could be. Their moods changed faster than flipping through a book.

Half an hour later, after he had finished organizing everything, he pulled out his phone. A puzzled look crossed his face. Ren Yu still hadn’t sent a message saying she was home.