Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Very quickly, another post appeared, this post followed closely the post that had slandered Wang Yao. The content of the post was about someone who had discovered that a certain factory had discharged contaminated water but was threatened by a factory worker and was forced to retaliate out of self-defense. In the end, the person who had discovered the factoryâs wrong-doings was slandered.
This post was monitored closely and furthermore, it had a photo. It was more believable compared to the other post that described using words only. Additionally, people were more concerned about protecting the environment, and hence, they re-posted the subsequent post more.
The relevant authorities acted even more swiftly, not only because of the post but because there was an actual tip by a person. That person was Wang Yao.
At the same time that Wang Yao returned home, the county environment protection bureauâs car had entered the village and had proceeded with investigations on the processing factory.
...
In a certain hotel in the county.
âYou have to help me.â
âYou have the audacity to ask? Currently, everyone is focused on environmental protection, and your machine processing factory could still discharge contaminated water?!â
âThat is used water.â
âThatâs rubbish. I have already seen the environment protection bureau report. What used water? The heavy metal ion and COD indicators are off the charts; what exactly is your factory doing?!â
âIâm doing other stuff.â
âYou, you...!â
âDonât be angry. What do I do now?â
âYour factory cannot continue manufacturing. It will be sealed, and the operations suspended in order to restructure it.â
âAh, I just started operations a few days ago and invested so much money into it.â The boss was frantic with anxiety.
âItâs not like you lack this bit of money. Also, keep an eye on your people. Donât let them post willful news and rumors. And also, get that Li Dong to behave!â
âYes, yes!â
...
With that, under the villagersâ heated discussion, the factory that had started operation a few days ago had shut down due to its failure to comply with environmental standards. Its operations were suspended and would be restructured. The re-opening date was not within the foreseeable future.
The village resumed its peace and quiet life.
In the village, a village council was held.
âThis young man is impressive!â
âExactly. He beat up a man to the point of him being hospitalized and caused a factory to shut down. And he suffered no consequences.â
âIn my opinion, itâs better that this factory shuts down. Itâs noisy all day and at night, it secretly discharges contaminated water into the river. Dead fish had begun to appear in the dam below.â
âYeah.â Wang Jianli smoked his cigarette; he spoke the least.
âThis young man has so many tricks up his sleeves; we should get him to help our village.â
âHow can he help? Our village doesnât have anything!â
âWe have to ponder over this matter,â Wang Jianli put out his cigarettes and said.
Due to the matters that cropped up the last few days, Wang Yao did not do much stuff. The shrubs he had bought were not yet completely planted. He intended to calm his mind and use two days to plant the remaining plants.
After the trees were planted, a sudden gust of wind appeared, blowing from the North to the South, routing through the opening in the hill. The trees shook. The wind was quite cold. The entire duration of the blowing wind took less than a minute
Woof, woof, woof! The dog seemed to detect something and barked a few times. It galloped around the hill frantically and appeared excited.
âSan Xian, whatâs wrong? Why are you so excited?â
Woof, woof, woof! The dog demonstrated its agitation and elation through its actions.
At the point when the wind blew, the array seemed to be activated!
On that day, Wang Yao received Pan Junâs call. A patient had come in the afternoon and wanted Wang Yao to see him.
In the afternoon, when he arrived at the clinic, Pan Jun and the patient were waiting for him.
âPan, the doctor that you were telling me about is him?!â Although he had heard it already, the elderly patient was still shocked upon seeing Wang Yao for himself.
âYes, Uncle. Doctor Wang may be young, but his medical skills are exceptional,â Pan Jun smiled and replied.
âDoctor Wang, lately my uncle has been feeling exhausted and has no energy. Heâs gone to the county hospital already, but they didnât detect anything wrong with him. So, heâs here to see you.â
âSure,â Wang Yao smiled and said.
He took the elderly manâs pulse and asked a few questions.
This elderly manâs body did not have many problems. He lacked energy because he had caught a chill which had accumulated in his body and had not surfaced any symptoms. The chill was a little strange.
âSir, your illness hasnât exceeded ten days?â
âYes, it started last week.â
âDid you go to a special place recently?â
âI went to the ancestral tomb last Wednesday. The wind was not too strong that day. I didnât go anywhere else.â
âYou are retired?â
âYes, I did not want to idle at home, so I found a job recently,â the old man said buoyantly.
âWhere is the location of your job?â
âThe martyrsâ memorial park, as a guard,â the old man smiled and said.
âWhat?!â Pan Jun was stunned. âWhy didnât you tell me earlier?â
âYou didnât ask!â
âSir, your illnesses are likely caused by your job. My advice to you is to change jobs.â
âWhy? I think itâs pretty good. Just keeping watch. I also plant some vegetables. My son took some effort to find me this job.â
The martyrsâ memorial park was shaded by pine and cypress trees. Even at the height of summer, the place was very cool. This was a place that buried martyrs. In a burial ground, in the perspective of metaphysics, such a place had an extreme amount of Yin energy. In the medical perspective, an elderly man should move about more and be exposed to more sunshine to obtain more yang energy.
âHaha, listen to me, take a week of sick leave and try it out. And decoct some ginseng soup to replenish your energy,â Wang Yao laughed and said.
âSo simple?â The elderly manâs face showed disbelief.
âYes.â Wang Yao nodded.
âOkay, I shall try.â When the old man left, Pan Jun gave him some ginseng slices for him to make a decoction at home to drink.
âDoctor Wang, is his illness really related to the job?â Pan Jun asked. Earlier he was shocked, not because of the job, but because it was a bit inauspicious.
âYes, itâs related. The shade of the pine and cypress trees has created a place strong in yin energy. When one is old, the yang energy in the body lessens, so the elderly are not suitable to take on such a job.â
âHmmm, I see quite a number of old people becoming guards at such places?â
âWe havenât seen their check-up reports or taken their pulse to check their bodies. Furthermore, for an individual cemetery, the location and structure are different. Some places are widely spaced with good sunlight; no problems with such places. I donât know if youâve seen our countyâs cemetery? The place is small. Apart from a few buildings, the rest of the land is occupied by pines and cypresses. It feels cool even in the summer. This old man is your relative?â
âYes, heâs my senior.â
âAsk him to change his job, okay?â
âOkay, I will call his son in a bit.â
This illness did not seem to require medicine to treat.
Pan Jun passed Wang Yao an envelope as payment for his consultation and visitation service. It was not much and not too littleâ500 yuan.
âThank you.â Wang Yao thanked him not because of this bit of money, but because Pan Jun had provided him with a rare opportunity.
âYouâre welcome.â
The next day, Wang Yao was at Nanshan hill pondering over the final steps of the spirit gathering battle array. It was regarding how to divert a stream of spiritual water into the array. Suddenly, he heard the dogâs barks. Someone had come up the hill.
It was Li Maoshuang. He was carrying something and was panting with exhaustion.
âWhew, I am so tired.â
âWhat are you carrying?â Wang Yao made him tea while asking.
âThe things you wanted.â From his backpack, Li Maoshuang took out a few itemsâstone rollers, stone mortars and sieves. They looked to be quite old and of substantial age.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âTake a look; are these what you want?â
âYes, indeed.â Wang Yao took up the items and inspected them. His face was beaming.
âMr. Li, you have such ways to get them!â
âI asked a friend to help.â
âHow much?â
âDonât worry about it,â Li Maoshuang said with a wave of his hand.
âAre you rich?â Wang Yao asked. Although these were small goods, they were, after all, antiques. He estimated that the cost was way above 10,000 yuan.
âHey, donât say that. Ever since my health improved, my business improved as well. Itâs strange, so I looked for a master to take a look. He said I had found a benefactor!â Li Maoshuang appeared to be very confident when he said that.
âHaha, you believe in that?â
âWhen you do business, youâll tend to believe. Asiaâs richest men also tend to believe in this. I think my benefactor is you!â
âMe?â
âAh, see, after taking your advice, my body got better, and my business did as well. The last few days, I went with my wife to the doctor for a check-up. She has gotten pregnant! This is a series of good news. Hahaha,â Li Maoshuang happily said and then laughed.
âCongratulations!â
âEh...when youâre free, can you take a look at my wife?â
âFor this, you just need to go to a proper hospital for a check-up. This is not my forte!â Wang Yao laughed and waved his hands.
The two of them chatted for a while and then Li Maoshuang departed, not wanting to stay for a meal.
âThis is not right!â Wang Yao lowered his head to look at the items that Li Maoshuang brought.
âI wonder what Li likes?â
Wang Yao pondered over how to return his favor by giving a present he liked. There should be give and take in a friendship. If one only took and didnât give, wouldnât that be unfair?
âNext time, Iâll treat all my friends to a meal.â
...
Just past noontime, the sun was bright and radiant. Wang Yao was in his cottage decocting.
This decoction was for the elderly Mrs. Guo. This time he did not use a licorice root as the main ingredient. He tweaked the formula. Without the licorice root, the Monarch herb was missing, and the medicine property and curative effect would be affected.
If he were to determine how much to charge for the formula, he had thought it over. He estimated it to be double the price of the market price of the herbs. This was already a reasonable price as the herbs he used were all wild herbs. Apart from those he planted himself, the rest were bought from Li Maoshuang. They would not be comparable to the herbs obtained from ordinary clinics. Other clinicsâ formula would require multiple decoctions. However, his required only one decoction.
The ordinary person should be able to accept the price. The efficacy would be far better than usual since people had no access to the ancient spring water and multifunctional pot.