The distance between them was closing. Wang Jian could already hear his sister-in-law's breathing, but he hesitated, his mind still perfectly clear.
"Aunt Xu! Auntie, are you home?"
"Save my mom!"
The frantic cries were accompanied by the sound of a child's quick footsteps growing louder as they approached from outside. The interruption brought Xu Qian to her senses. Without a word, the two of them tacitly resumed their previous positions, with him massaging her foot.
A boy of about six or seven ran in. He had a buzz cut and was wearing a plain, white-printed T-shirt and capri pants.
Wang Jian didn't recognize the child. He had been away for too long and was a stranger to the local children now.
Xu Qian, however, recognized him. "Niu Niu, what's wrong? What happened to your mom? Auntie sprained her foot and can't move. I'll have Uncle Wang go help you."
"Uncle?" Niu Niu glanced at Wang Jian, his expression one of confusion.
"Yes, the one who went away to university," Xu Qian clarified.
The boy seemed to understand, but the confusion remained on his face. He had only ever heard of this uncle, never met him.
Xu Qian explained to Wang Jian, "This is Widow Yang's son from next door. You don't know him, but you definitely know his father."
A look of realization dawned on Wang Jian, though he was still uncertain. "Mr. Niu?"
Good grief, she was Mr. Niu's wife. Mr. Niu had been in his fifties or sixties, yet he had somehow married again in recent years and even had a child.
Seeing his expression, Xu Qian knew what he was thinking. She didn't rush to explain, instead turning to the boy. "Niu Niu, you go back first. I'll have your uncle come over right away. Your uncle is a doctor in the big city; he can definitely help."
Niu Niu nodded, not understanding the rest. He turned and scampered off, but halfway out, he seemed to remember something. He turned back to Wang Jian and said, "Uncle Wang, you have to come quickly! My mom has been crying and screaming in her room. It sounds so loud, and she seems to be in a lot of pain! I can't get the door open, and she won't answer me. Something must have happened."
"Alright, alright, I'm on my way."
As he spoke, Wang Jian stood up, ready to leave. It sounded like a matter of life and death, so there was no time to waste. He saw Niu Niu's figure quickly disappearing into the distance and was about to follow when Xu Qian grabbed his arm.
She said with heartfelt concern, "Xiao Jian, wait. That Widow Yang next door is even younger than you. She married Mr. Niu right before he died, and she already had the child when she moved here. The villagers all call her a siren. Be careful. Don't let her take advantage of you and ruin your reputation."
Wang Jian was stunned. Seeing his sister-in-law's serious expression, he wondered if there was some hidden story behind it all.
However, his compassion as a doctor urged him on. Anxious to get there, he immediately agreed, "I understand, Sister-in-law. You get some rest."
With that, he chased after Niu Niu's retreating figure.
Wang Jian knew that Mr. Niu had passed away. It happened during the years he was away at university. Back then, he had pitied the old man for living his whole life unmarried, with no one to carry on the family name. He never expected that Mr. Niu had not only gotten married but had married a woman who already had a child.
Widow Yang's house was new. Judging by its condition, it had been built within the last couple of years.
This woman seems to be doing quite well for herself, managing to get a new house. After all, many families in the village are still living in old-style homes. Mr. Niu wasn't a rich man, so this must have been her own accomplishment.
Since a patient was waiting, Wang Jian didn't dare to linger. He walked straight through the wide-open front gate and, following the sounds, arrived on the second floor.
An awkward situation arose the moment Wang Jian reached the top of the stairs. He nearly collided with Niu Niu, who was running out. As soon as the boy saw him, he ducked behind Wang Jian, peeking out with just his head.
Wang Jian was wondering what was going on when he saw a young woman in a sheer nightgown chasing the boy from a room, cursing while brandishing a slipper.
This put Wang Jian in an extremely awkward position. The sheer fabric concealed almost nothing, and to make matters worse, she wore nothing underneath.
The woman looked to be twenty-three or twenty-four at most, with an oval face, big eyes, and a small mouth. She was even wearing makeup. No wonder the villagers called her a siren.
Is this the patient who needs saving? Her body and complexion look perfectly healthy. Her figure is so well-maintained she doesn't even look like someone who does manual labor.
Wang Jian instantly knew he had stumbled into a major misunderstanding. But it wasn't over. As he and the woman stared at each other awkwardly, a man's voice drifted out from the room behind her.
"What's wrong, little siren? The kid ran off, so let him run. Why did you follow him out? Come back so we can continue..."
As the man spoke, he came into view, completely naked.
"..."
Wang Jian let out a dry laugh and called out, "Liu Zi?"
"Yo!" Liu Zi froze for a second, then quickly retreated back inside, dragging the woman with him before shutting the door. Muffled rustling and faint cursing could be heard from within. After a minute or two, Liu Zi emerged wearing a T-shirt and shorts, a pack of cigarettes in his hand.
He walked up to Wang Jian, smiling as he offered him a cigarette. "Wang Jian, did you just get back today?"
"Yeah, just arrived. Then Niu Niu came and got me." Wang Jian took the cigarette and tucked it behind his ear. He wasn't a smoker, but he couldn't just refuse and cause offense in this situation. He continued, "Niu Niu said to come over and save someone. As a doctor, the moment I hear that someone needs saving, I come running..."
He trailed off. Anyone with eyes could understand the rest.
With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Liu Zi felt like cursing his luck. If he had known, he and the woman would have caught the boy and given him a good spanking.
"Man, look at this mess." Liu Zi didn't seem embarrassed, simply saying, "You've been gone for eight years, right? You probably don't know, but after Uncle Niu passed, I've often helped him out by looking after Rongrong. I just dropped by for a visit. I hope you don't get the wrong idea."
Don't get the wrong idea... Liu Zi really knows how to spin a tale, Wang Jian thought with grudging admiration. They were already going at it on the bed. I don't need to 'get the wrong idea'; I saw it with my own eyes.
Liu Zi pulled Wang Jian aside and whispered, "Promise me one thing. Don't spread this around, or else..."
As he spoke, Liu Zi's expression turned fierce. "You should know my background. Some things shouldn't be spread around, you get me? Keep your mouth shut, and we're brothers."
Wang Jian felt a flicker of annoyance. He had come here to save someone, not to get dragged into this mess.
This Liu Zi used to be a local hoodlum. In recent years, he had reportedly gained some influence in the city and even become a big boss. He was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
Wang Jian wasn't one to blabber anyway. He had just returned and didn't want any trouble, so he decided to put Liu Zi at ease. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm a doctor. I just came to see a patient, that's all. Doctors never disclose their patients' private information."
Liu Zi laughed. "Hahaha, that's right, you're here to see a patient. Why don't you sit down for a while? Don't leave right away. After all, a house call like this can take some time."
"Alright," Wang Jian nodded.
Seemingly confident, Liu Zi exchanged a few more pleasantries before heading back into the room. He had just gone inside when he opened the door again, poked his head out, and said, "Got a girlfriend yet, kid? If not, want me to show you a good time? Come on in and join us."
"..."