Even during the meal, Zhang Li seemed unusually eager, piling food onto Wang Jian and Li Liping's plates and constantly trying to start conversations. His behavior was so strange that Wang Jian was astonished, even suspecting that Zhang Li might have been mentally affected by his injury.
"Did Wang Jian study Chinese medicine when he was a doctor?"
This was the first time Zhang Li had heard of this. He knew Wang Jian had studied medicine, but never that it was Chinese medicine. Upon learning this, he began to suspect Wang Jian had come back because he hadn't learned anything substantial. How many reliable Chinese medicine practitioners are there these days? It's practically become pseudoscience.
"Yes, I studied Chinese medicine, but I have some knowledge of Western medicine as well. They are both branches of medicine with their own merits, so our professors at school had us learn a bit about both," Wang Jian explained slowly, taking a few sips of his beer. "The two medical traditions start from different principles and seek different solutions, so each has its own strengths."
These were words his old master had told him. In contrast, the professors at his university held vastly different opinions on the two disciplines, with some viewing them as completely incompatible.
"Hahaha." Zhang Li laughed. The old Chinese medicine practitioners he'd met were all just a bunch of scam artists.
Not long into the meal, Li Liping suddenly felt a warmth in her lower abdomen. Her face flushed as she realized what was happening. On the pretext of going to the kitchen for more rice, she told Zhang Li about it and then hurried to her room to get a sanitary pad.
With sharp eyes honed by years of studying Chinese medicine, Wang Jian had noticed the change in her complexion and her physical state as she left. He knew exactly what was going on.
Wang Jian smiled to himself. Looks like I've dodged a bullet for today.
Sure enough, after the meal, Zhang Li saw him out and secretly told him that Liping had gotten her period.
"This time was just bad timing," Zhang Li said. "I don't know why it came early. I'll call you again during her next ovulation period."
"..." Wang Jian was speechless. Zhang Li seems completely unleashed, like a wild horse that's broken free. On one hand, it's hard to understand, but on the other, it's a little exciting. This inner conflict left him at a loss for how to respond.
But Zhang Li wasn't conflicted at all. He simply clapped Wang Jian on the shoulder and said, "There's no rush with the clinic. I'll go to Red Star Bridge tomorrow to ask around for you and let you know if I hear anything."
"Okay, thanks. But I'm not set on opening a clinic there. I've thought about it… I don't have a reputation yet, so no one would come to a big clinic anyway. It's better to be practical and start small, like opening a little practice here in the village to build a name for myself first."
Now that he had calmed down, Wang Jian was thinking more rationally. He saw things much more clearly; Red Star Bridge was still a distant goal. His immediate priorities were to find a place for a clinic, secure a supply of medicinal herbs, and start building a reputation. Still, being able to expand later would definitely be a good thing.
"That works. In that case, I have a suggestion," Zhang Li said, suddenly pointing toward the village committee headquarters at the entrance to the village. "There's a vacant space over at the committee. I think they were planning to use it for some project to benefit the villagers, but they haven't decided what to do with it yet. I think your clinic would be a great fit. Why don't you give it a try?"
"That would be excellent." Upon hearing this, Wang Jian could hardly sit still. He quickly said his goodbyes to Zhang Li and rushed toward the village committee.
The village committee wasn't a large place, but because the village had developed well over the years, its facilities were quite nice. It was laid out like an oversized traditional courtyard home, with a large central yard surrounded by buildings on three sides. A sign for the village committee hung at the entrance. Inside, there was a broadcasting room and offices, though the place wasn't always staffed. The village chief and the party secretary both had their own homes and didn't stay there all the time, especially when things were quiet. After all, the village was small enough that if anyone needed them, they could be found quickly no matter where they were.
Wang Jian was in luck. When he arrived, he found people in the building on the right, while the broadcasting room on the left and the main offices at the front were empty. As he got closer, however, he realized the noise was from people playing cards. The voices all belonged to young men, and the racket was so loud he suspected they had turned the place into a card room. Among the voices, one sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"I'm out!"
"Pay up, pay up!"
"Damn, your luck is insane! I'm done, I'm not playing anymore."
Three people in the room were playing the card game *Fight the Landlord*. Wang Jian's entrance drew their attention for a moment, but they only glanced at him before turning back to their game. It seemed they weren't playing in secret and were used to people dropping by.
As soon as he saw them, Wang Jian knew who they were. He immediately recognized the one leading the game: the village chief's son, Li Shuang. He was a portly guy who looked simple and honest but was actually a ruffian. With his single eyelids and fierce expression, his gaze was always sinister. He was not a good person. In the past, Wang Jian would go out of his way to avoid him. Unfortunately, with business to attend to now, there was no getting around him.
"Wang Jian?"
"Well, if it isn't the college student. You're back, huh?" Li Shuang greeted Wang Jian with a cigarette dangling from his lips. He waved for the other two to clear the table and pulled another cigarette from his pocket to offer to Wang Jian.
One of the other two was a familiar face, Liu Zi, whom he'd run into yesterday at the neighboring widow's house. The other was a stranger with shocking dyed-yellow hair, a face full of acne, and looks that were hard on the eyes. He clearly wasn't from the village. The three of them together looked like a gang of hooligans.
Liu Zi grinned and ambled over, leaving the messy table for Huang Mao to deal with. "Yo, didn't expect to see you again so soon."
"Long time no see, Brother Shuang. I don't smoke, thanks anyway." Wang Jian refused the cigarette and got straight to the point. "Is Uncle Li around? I came to the village committee to ask about something."
"He's at home watching TV dramas." Li Shuang was a bit surprised. Pointing his cigarette between Liu Zi and Wang Jian, he asked, "You two have met? Wang Jian just got back, didn't he? That was fast."
Liu Zi's smile never faded. He shot another glance at Wang Jian as he replied, "We ran into each other by chance yesterday."
"Yeah," Wang Jian smiled. "I just got back and happened to see that my neighbor was sick. Since I studied medicine, I naturally had to take a look. Liu Zi happened to be there and lent a hand."
If Li Shuang didn't know what a degenerate Liu Zi was, he might have actually believed them. A moment's thought was all it took for him to remember who Wang Jian's neighbor was, and he immediately understood what Liu Zi had been doing there. A hooligan and a widow together... what else could they be doing? Exactly. Pathetic. While Li Shuang was scornful, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Liu Zi's luck with women. That guy is definitely sleeping with Mr. Niu's widow, and Wang Jian must have caught them. The way they're covering for each other, they must have cooked up this story beforehand.
Li Shuang's eyes were already small, but he squinted as he studied the two of them, unable to spot anything out of the ordinary. "If you need something, Xiao Jian, you can just tell me. I know everything that goes on at the village committee. I can definitely help you out, no problem."
Wang Jian coming straight to the village committee right after returning had naturally piqued Li Shuang's interest. He wasn't wrong, either; his father had been village chief for many years, and he knew how things worked. Wang Jian understood this as well, so he didn't hide his intentions.
"It's not a big deal, actually," Wang Jian said with a smile. "I came back this time hoping to open a clinic to help treat the folks in the village. I came to find the chief to get an idea of the situation and see if there are any village policies that could support me."
Hearing this, Li Shuang's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea. How long did you study for?"
"I studied for several years, interned for a few more, and then I spent a year as a resident at Ren Yi."
"Damn, Ren Yi in the Capital City? That's a top-tier hospital." Wang Jian had really made an impression on him. If he really gets this clinic running, it would be like having a doctor from a major hospital here to treat our illnesses. It's a no-brainer that this is a great thing!
Li Shuang's interest was fully sparked. "What do you need the village's help with?"
"I'm just looking for a space. A clinic needs a location, that's all."
As soon as the words were out, Li Shuang knew exactly what Wang Jian was after. He's eyeing our card room. But just as Wang Jian said, it wasn't a big deal. As long as Wang Jian mentioned it to the village chief, it was a sure thing—unless the chief and the others were fools. For even minor sicknesses, people had to travel to town, and if the main road was blocked, they had to climb over the mountain. That was fine for the young, but it was a serious problem for the elderly, who had more health issues to begin with.
After thinking it over for a moment, Li Shuang had an idea. He smiled at Wang Jian and said, "Xiao Jian, this is simple. I'm heading home now anyway, so I'll talk to my dad for you. It'll definitely be fine. Don't worry, just come back to the village committee tomorrow and ask."
Li Shuang was so proactive that Wang Jian almost thought he had turned over a new leaf, but his next words revealed his true intentions. "Helping you out is no big deal, but there's something else I have to mention. If you're going to open a clinic in the village, me and my boys will have to help out, you know? So... why don't you cut me in for a share? What do you say?"