"Little Feng, it's been a few years, and you've grown taller and more handsome!"
The person picking me up was Ma Dong, Ma Shuai's brother-in-law. Seeing me, he approached with a smile.
"Uncle Dong, you're looking more stylish yourself!"
I replied with a smile.
This guy is a smiling tiger, Ma Shuai's brother-in-law, and the most cunning person in the Ma Family Group.
Offending Ma Shuai might not be a big deal, but if you cross Ma Dong, he'll really come after you!
After a round of mutual flattery, I got into Ma Dong's car.
Once the car started, it didn't head into the city but instead drove towards the rural outskirts where Ma Shuai had a farmhouse.
I've been to this farmhouse with my grandpa and have seen what Ma Shuai worships.
Ma Shuai worships a statue of a rat, commonly known as the Gray Immortal.
In the Northeast, many people worship spirits, but those who solely worship the Gray Immortal can be counted on one hand.
"Little Feng, what made you decide to go to the capital? Haven't you heard? Living in the capital isn't easy. It's much better in Chen City; with us looking out for you, with your skills, you could easily make millions a year!"
Once in the car, Ma Dong started chatting.
He wasn't wrong, but I went to the capital to get away from them!
The Ma family's money is like a hot potato!
In the years before my grandpa passed, around the time I started college, Ma Shuai might have noticed that my grandpa, because of me, couldn't refuse his requests for health treatments. He started bringing friends from the political and business worlds to our clinic.
My grandpa, worried I'd get entangled and face trouble in the future, sent me to the capital to develop.
The main reason was that my grandpa discovered his secret Three Whip Wine was being sold for a sky-high price of 1.5 million.
Even now, 1.5 million is an astronomical amount.
The problem is, the wine isn't worth that much. If something happened in the future, my grandpa said he couldn't explain it even if he had a hundred mouths.
Tobacco, alcohol, calligraphy, paintings, and antiques have always been hotbeds for bribery.
But despite all my efforts to avoid it, Ma Shuai found me.
As soon as I showed up, he spotted me.
About an hour later, the car pulled into a small farmhouse courtyard.
In the middle of the courtyard was a large pot steaming with vapor, and a middle-aged man was sitting on a small stool watching the fire.
"Wow, smells amazing!"
After getting out of the car, Ma Dong sniffed the air, lifted the pot lid, and said, "Stewed goose, huh?"
The middle-aged man squatting by the pot nodded and smiled, "Stewed by Mr. Ma himself!"
Then he looked at me and said, "You must be Mr. Feng. Mr. Ma is waiting for you inside!"
I said nothing, just nodded slightly and walked inside.
I've been to this place twice, so I didn't need directions.
Ma Dong didn't follow me; he grabbed a small stool and sat by the pot, chatting with the middle-aged man.
Inside, I turned left and pushed open a door to see Ma Shuai sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion with his eyes closed.
In front of him was an altar table, and on it was a white porcelain rat statue draped in a red robe.
I don't know if it was an illusion, but the moment I looked at the rat statue, it seemed to glance back at me.
Hearing the door open, Ma Shuai opened his eyes and turned around, saying, "Little Feng, how many years has it been since we last met?"
"About four years, I think," I replied calmly.
"Have you moved again?"
After replying, I asked directly.
Ma Shuai didn't answer, just turned his head towards the rat statue and sighed, "In this world, sometimes we have no choice."
I didn't respond, and silence filled the room again.
After about ten seconds, Ma Shuai stood up and said, "Little Feng, I've been feeling unwell lately. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have called you."
"Unwell?"
I chuckled, glanced outside, and said, "Is it because Ma Dong is watching too closely, and you haven't had a chance to deal with this son?"
Unlike Ma Shuai's first wife, his second wife is no pushover.
She has been with Ma Shuai since she was eighteen or nineteen, and she knows almost everything about his affairs.
"Let's go to the west room for a pulse check."
Ma Shuai didn't respond but walked past me towards the west room.
I glanced at the rat statue again, feeling that eerie sensation of being watched, and quickly turned to follow Ma Shuai to the west room.
Once there, neither of us spoke.
After sitting down, he extended his wrist, and I took his pulse.
"You're suffering from a deficiency of both qi and blood, muscle spasms, and an invasion of evil energy. Uncle Ma, you're really pushing it this time; you're playing with your life!"
After a while, I lifted my hand and said calmly.
"In this world, sometimes we have no choice."
I know a bit about the character of the big shot behind him.
That person only cares about results, not the process, and never shows any compassion for subordinates.
As for the refined persona he presents to the outside world, it's no different from a celebrity's public image.
"This time, you'll need to recover slowly. It's best not to work for a while and just focus on recuperating," I said.
"Little Feng, whatever you say, we'll do. As for the fees, let's stick to the usual arrangement," Ma Shuai said.
"Uncle Ma, before I came, I took a job. In half a month, including red envelopes and consultation fees, I made a hundred thousand," I said.
Ma Shuai stared at me for two seconds, then smiled and said, "Alright, I'll give you a hundred thousand too."
"Shall we start with acupuncture?" I asked.
"Sure, after acupuncture, we can eat," Ma Shuai said.
For the next few days, I stayed at the farmhouse, giving Ma Shuai acupuncture and preparing medicine. Ma Dong didn't leave either; he stayed with us the whole time.
After a few days, Ma Shuai's condition improved significantly.
One morning, after finishing acupuncture, Ma Shuai suddenly asked, "Little Feng, our group is looking for a consultant. Are you interested in working with us?"
"Not interested!" I replied bluntly.
"Little Feng, you're still young and don't understand what it means to have no choice in this world. You haven't experienced enough," Ma Shuai shook his head and said.
"Uncle Ma, what do you mean?" I asked.
"I mean, you gave acupuncture to Li Laohu's daughter. What do you think his nephew will do? Do you think he'll let you off once he finds out?"
Ma Shuai sneered.
"Uncle Ma, you've done your homework!" I said calmly.
"Shouldn't I?" Ma Shuai retorted.
"Should you?" I asked.
"Little Feng, our families have known each other for decades. I looked into this for your own good," Ma Shuai said meaningfully.
"For my own good?" I laughed.
"I always say we have no choice in this world, and you don't believe me. Today, I'll show you what it means to have no choice!" Ma Shuai said.
"Fine, I'd like to see what you mean by having no choice!" I stubbornly challenged Ma Shuai.
Ma Shuai smiled, unfazed by my attitude, and took out his phone to dial a number. Once connected, he said directly, "Yingzi, I miss your Xiao Bao. Bring him over."