Ultimate Village Doctor

Chapter Four

"Fuck your mother, I'll kill you!"

Cries of alarm rose from within the carriage.

Brother Qiang, who had been kicked to the front of the vehicle, stood up with a swollen face, pulled out a shimmering dagger, and charged at Long Xiaoshan.

Shen Yuerong stood up anxiously and shouted, "What are you doing? Stop it, I am the mayor of Lotus Township. Put the knife down now, or you'll be waiting to go to jail."

Nobody expected a simple altercation to quickly escalate into a bloody incident.

Shen Yuerong could no longer conceal her identity. Although Long Xiaoshan seemed capable of fighting, skill was no match for a knife. A mere country peasant, with perhaps nothing more than significant strength and a talent for brawling, was no match for a blade!

Upon hearing "mayor," Brother Qiang's footsteps hesitated for a moment.

After all, the mayor in a county is a person of stature, and those in the underworld feared most to offend such officials.

However, he quickly sneered, "You stinking bitch, even if you want to scare me, at least find a better identity. If you're the mayor, then I'm the county chief. Gao Fugui is the mayor of Lotus Township, do you think I don't know that?"

Fu Qiang was originally from Lotus Township, so he naturally knew who the mayor was.

Moreover, even if he didn't recognize the mayor, he would never believe that a young woman like Shen Yuerong could be the mayor. She looked to be at most in her mid-twenties; in the world of officialdom, how could a woman ascend so rapidly? Not even on a rocket could you achieve such speed.

"Kid, you're dead today. Kneel down! Crawl past me, and maybe I'll leave you with your dog's life!" Brother Qiang lifted his foot onto a nearby chair and pointed under his crotch as he roared.

"If I were you, I would put the knife down and get off the bus right now," Long Xiaoshan faced Fu Qiang's dagger unperturbed, but his eyes narrowed slightly, flashing with a hint of cold light.

It was over!

Shen Yuerong hadn't expected Long Xiaoshan to be so stubborn. This was a knife, for heaven's sake. Couldn't you soften your tone first, stabilize him, and then talk?

She quickly said, "Gao Fugui has been transferred. I'm here to replace him."

But by then, Fu Qiang had been completely enraged and wasn't listening to Shen Yuerong's words at all. With a loud yell, he stabbed the dagger towards Long Xiaoshan.

All the people in the carriage cried out and closed their eyes, as if they couldn't bear to see the bloody scene unfold.

Shen Yuerong's heart also felt a strong sense of regret. Such a man, with a sense of justice and skilled in medicine, although he might have made mistakes and been imprisoned before, shouldn't have to die here.

Long Xiaoshan, seeing the knife stabbing toward his chest, quickly sidestepped, dodging the tip of the blade, and with an open palm, rapidly seized Fu Qiang's wrist, pulling forcefully in the opposite direction. Snap—Fu Qiang's arm went limp.

Fu Qiang howled as the knife in his hand dropped to the floor.

Long Xiaoshan dragged Fu Qiang, who had a dislocated arm, towards the front door of the carriage.

Due to the intense pain from the dislocation and being dragged by Long Xiaoshan, Fu Qiang nearly passed out with pain and screamed continuously as he was pulled to the front door of the carriage.

Long Xiaoshan said to the driver, "Open the door."

The driver, somewhat flustered, pressed a button and the door opened.

Long Xiaoshan kicked Fu Qiang, sending him tumbling out of the bus. Red Hair and Mouse Eye, without waiting for Long Xiaoshan to act, scrambled down from the bus. Brother Qiang had pulled a knife and still wasn't a match for this young man; they knew all too well that they had just encountered a tough opponent.

The two helped Fu Qiang up and hurried off into the distance, but not before sending a hateful glance back at Long Xiaoshan.

Having dispatched the three thugs, Long Xiaoshan turned back and said to the driver, "Drive."

The driver nodded repeatedly, not daring to glance at Long Xiaoshan again, seeing him not as some good citizen but akin to those thugs.

Long Xiaoshan returned to the last row of seats.

He had just sat down when he heard Shen Yuerong's gentle voice next to him, "Thank you for what you did just now."

Long Xiaoshan gave a faint smile and said, "No problem."

After saying that, he lifted the thick English book and started reading again. Shen Yuerong saw that every time she tried to talk to Long Xiaoshan, he was neither cold nor warm, and she felt waves of dissatisfaction surge up inside her for no reason.

Could she really be that unappealing? She had taken the initiative to talk to him twice, and even an ordinary woman would be given some respect, right? Could this guy be GAY? She had heard that prisons were full of men, and it was easy to change after being without women for years...

Shen Yuerong shuddered, feeling a wave of chill, and quickly dismissed the thought.

She had met GAY men before; none had the masculine presence of Long Xiaoshan. Convinced that if she didn't initiate conversation, Long Xiaoshan would continue reading his book until they reached Lotus Township, Shen Yuerong reluctantly gave up her feminine pride. She wasn't infatuated; as someone who had just taken the position of township head, she was in desperate need of talent. Long Xiaoshan, with his medical skills, physical prowess, and his heroic character, struck her as an extraordinary find.

Moreover, since he had just saved her, Shen Yuerong also wanted to give this newly released young man an opportunity out of gratitude.

Shen Yuerong took out a Red Fuji apple she had brought along and peeled it with a small knife she carried. She handed it to Long Xiaoshan and said, "Thank you for saving me. Please have an apple."

Long Xiaoshan looked slightly surprised as he turned his head to gaze at Shen Yuerong.

"What's wrong, afraid I poisoned it?" Shen Yuerong said irritably.

"No, it's just rare to see a beauty like you who is so approachable," Long Xiaoshan took the apple and bit into it eagerly. It was really sweet and even carried a hint of a woman's unique fragrance.

Shen Yuerong rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that if the social circles in Yanjing heard her being called approachable, they would laugh their heads off.

"You're reading 'The Wealth of Nations'?" Shen Yuerong steered the conversation towards the book.

"Yeah, you know about it too?" Long Xiaoshan was equally surprised, given that not many had read such a dense economic text in its original form.

"Of course." Pride shone in Shen Yuerong's eyes. "I majored in economics in college. My mentor was the translator of the Chinese version of this economic holy bible. Do you think I've read it or not? Since you've read it too, let's have a discussion."

Shen Yuerong looked straight into Long Xiaoshan's eyes with a hint of challenge in hers but didn't see the evasion and discomfort she was expecting. Long Xiaoshan's eyes were clear and calm.

He curled his lips into a slight smile, showing a bit of interest, "Alright."

The two of them quickly engaged in a discussion.

To her astonishment, Shen Yuerong discovered that Long Xiaoshan truly understood "The Wealth of Nations." His points were clear and powerful, and he could readily cite specific chapters and passages, making her suspect he had memorized the entire book.

Shen Yuerong's competitive spirit was ignited. She couldn't believe someone who looked younger than her, who had just been released from reformatory, could have more extensive knowledge than she did. She gradually deepened their conversation, even citing various sources and positions her mentor had once shared. But Long Xiaoshan responded with substance, showing no signs of weakness. Sometimes, his views were fresher and more solid, enlightening her.

Gradually, Shen Yuerong forgot she was on a rickety minibus having an exchange with a reformed criminal. It felt as if she was back in a university lecture hall, discussing with the elite scholars of economics, and their topics were no longer limited to The Wealth of Nations.

"We've arrived at Lotus Township! Time to get off!" The driver's shout woke Shen Yuerong from their engrossing discussion.

Shen Yuerong reluctantly stood up and said, "We're here already."

She had lost track of time. Only after looking out at the dilapidated bus stop of Lotus Township did she realize an hour had passed.

After getting off the bus with Long Xiaoshan, Shen Yuerong realized she had stumbled upon a gem. Long Xiaoshan was definitely gifted, and she had to keep him. "Xiaoshan, you saved me on the bus earlier, and I haven't properly thanked you. Let me take you out for a meal later," she invited.

"No thanks, Sister Shen. I haven't been home for several years and can't wait to return. There are no buses to Longyang Village, and I still need to walk over ten miles of mountain roads," Long Xiaoshan declined. Although the prospect of dining with a stunning beauty like Shen Yuerong was tempting, and he admired her knowledge, he was truly homesick. He had been incarcerated for many years and was anxious to know how his parents and younger sister were doing. He was eager to get home.

Shen Yuerong, a person with high emotional intelligence, immediately understood that it was Long Xiaoshan's first day home after release, and it would be inappropriate to keep him any longer. Although she felt a bit of regret, now that she knew Long Xiaoshan was from Longyang Village, he couldn't escape her reach.

Shen Yuerong smiled serenely and said, "Then, Xiaoshan, take care on your way. Who knows, perhaps Sister Shen will go to Longyang Village one day. Don't pretend you don't know me then."

"How could I? A stunning beauty like Sister Shen is unforgettable once seen!"

"Smooth talker, you better hurry home," Shen Yuerong chided playfully.

"Goodbye, Sister Shen!"

Long Xiaoshan shouldered his simple backpack, waved, and strode away, quickly disappearing into the crowd.