Ultimate Village Doctor

Chapter 4: 4: The Extraordinary Little Farmer

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.

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.