Qiao Haishan was a nervous wreck, his palms slick with cold sweat.
Hong Juntao had been slapped twice, but he didn’t dare retaliate.
He stood beside Xu Renfeng, his eyes filled with venom.
With all eyes on him, Yang Yi precisely inserted a silver needle into Madam Qiao’s Tianzhu Acupoint.
Though it was only a single needle, Xu Renfeng could already see the expertise behind it.
‘Yang Yi really has genuine skill!’
‘Could it be that he wasn’t just lucky back at the Su Family’s estate?’
Yang Yi placed the third needle, then the fourth…
and by the time he inserted the eighth, Madam Qiao was breathing evenly, her complexion having returned to normal.
As Yang Yi set the ninth needle, Madam Qiao’s body shuddered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
The crowd gasped in astonishment.
‘She really woke up?’
Yang Yi slowly retrieved the needles, his expression calm and composed.
Hong Juntao’s face was a mask of shock.
‘This kid…
How did he do that?!’
Xu Renfeng’s expression darkened.
Just when he had been at a complete loss, Yang Yi had saved Madam Qiao.
‘Isn’t this a vicious slap in the face to me, Xu Renfeng?’
In that moment, the onlookers who had just been sneering sarcastically at Yang Yi all fell silent, guiltily averting their gazes.
“Haishan, did I faint again?” Madam Qiao asked, her voice full of worry, after she came to.
Qiao Haishan quickly helped her sit up.
“You did!
You scared me to death!”
Madam Qiao asked nervously, “Do you think I have some kind of terminal illness?”
Qiao Haishan said sternly, “What are you talking about?
The hospital already ran tests; there’s nothing wrong with you!”
Madam Qiao got up and turned to Xu Renfeng.
“Divine Doctor Xu, thank—”
Qiao Haishan cut her off, displeased.
“Darling, the one who saved your life this time wasn’t Divine Doctor Xu.
It was this young man we were just looking down on!”
Madam Qiao froze, finding it hard to believe.
She hurriedly thanked him.
“Young man, thank you.
I’m Qiao Haishan’s wife, Huang Wenqing.”
Yang Yi nodded.
“Madam Qiao, may I see your phone for a moment?
I’ll write out a prescription for you.
You’ll need to take it for one full week once you’re home.”
Huang Wenqing quickly handed over her phone.
Yang Yi handed it back to her after he finished writing.
Just then, Qiao Haishan asked ingratiatingly, “Divine Doctor Yang, you must be here to buy medicinal herbs, right?”
“Whatever you need, allow me to buy them for you!”
Yang Yi shook his head.
“I have most of what I need.
I’m just missing one thing: a Phoenix Tail Root.”
Qiao Haishan immediately shouted to the crowd, “Who here has a Phoenix Tail Root?
A high-quality one!”
The crowd exchanged glances, but no one answered.
“Director Qiao, Hong Juntao has one!”
Someone in the crowd shouted, “Divine Doctor Yang had his eye on the last Phoenix Tail Root, but Hong Juntao threw his weight around and snatched it away!”
The crowd turned toward the voice and saw that the speaker was none other than Zhou Hao, the same young man who had just lost tens of millions and gotten a slap from his father for it.
Zhou Hao was filled with hatred for Hong Juntao.
He wouldn’t have had to sell the Celestial Ginseng if Hong Juntao hadn’t insisted on meddling!
He was sure to get a brutal beating from his father when he got home!
Qiao Haishan’s voice turned cold.
“Is that so?”
Hong Juntao’s expression was terribly grim, but he couldn’t refute the claim.
Qiao Haishan sneered.
“So you like throwing your weight around, do you?
Well, I want to buy it.
Are you selling or not?”
Hong Juntao was about to explode with anger.
He was just about to have it out with Qiao Haishan when he heard Xu Renfeng say, “Juntao, give the Phoenix Tail Root to Director Qiao.”
Hong Juntao froze.
But seeing the stern look in Xu Renfeng’s eyes, he could only grit his teeth and accept it.
“Director Qiao, you misunderstand.
It’s just a measly Phoenix Tail Root.
If you want it, please, accept it as a gift.”
Qiao Haishan didn’t bother being polite.
He took the Phoenix Tail Root and turned to Yang Yi.
“Divine Doctor Yang, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to treat you to a meal.”
Yang Yi did not refuse.
And so, Qiao Haishan led Yang Yi to a nearby restaurant.
「Back at the marketplace.」
Hong Juntao looked aggrieved.
“Grandpa Xu, why did you make me give away the Phoenix Tail Root?”
“The Hong Family could have gone head-to-head with that Qiao Haishan!
It’s not like we’re afraid of him!”
Xu Renfeng frowned.
“A true man must know how to endure small setbacks.
What’s the big deal?”
“If your Hong Family wants to gain a foothold in Nanzhou, you absolutely cannot afford to offend Qiao Haishan!
You must understand this!”
Hong Juntao asked, frustrated, “Then what about that punk Yang?”
Xu Renfeng sneered.
“That punk Yang?
He’s a nobody.
We’ll have plenty of time to deal with him later.
There’s no rush.”
“Remember, I just saved Shen Wanqian’s life.
He owes me a massive favor!”
“All I have to do is say the word, and that punk Yang will be utterly destroyed!”
Hong Juntao’s face lit up.
“Really?
Grandpa Xu, you’re incredible!
Even the richest man in the province has to curry favor with you!”
…
After lunch, Huang Wenqing noticed Yang Yi didn’t have a phone and insisted on buying him one.
She also gave him a hundred thousand yuan as a treatment fee, and insisted he take the Phoenix Tail Root as a gift.
The couple wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Back at the Su Family villa, Lin Gengfang, who was in the middle of her embroidery, quickly set down her work.
“Xiaoyi, have you had lunch?
I completely forgot I had no way to reach you since you don’t have a phone.”
“I’ve already eaten, Aunt Lin.
I bought a phone.
Here’s my number, it’s 188…”
Lin Gengfang quickly saved the number.
Noticing the bags in his hand, she asked, “Are those medicinal herbs?”
Yang Yi replied, “Miss Su still has some residual toxins in her system.
I went out to buy some herbs to make a detoxification soup.”
“Thank you for all your trouble, Xiaoyi!”
The two of them went to the kitchen and began to brew the herbs.
「At the same time, in the villa complex opposite the Su Family’s.」
Shen Wanqian, the wealthiest man in Jiangnan Province, was on the phone.
“Old Qiao, didn’t you say you were coming over today?
How come you haven’t arrived yet?”
The person on the other end of the line sighed.
“Don’t even ask.
My wife nearly died!”
Shen Wanqian was taken aback and quickly asked what had happened.
As it turned out, the person on the phone with Shen Wanqian was none other than Qiao Haishan, the very man who had just treated Yang Yi to a meal.
After hearing the story, Shen Wanqian was astonished.
“So, Divine Doctor Xu couldn’t cure her, but some young man could?”
Qiao Haishan chuckled.
“That’s right!
If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it either!”
Shen Wanqian’s interest was clearly piqued.
“If you get the chance, you have to introduce me!”
“Of course, no problem.
I’ll ask him later if he’s interested in meeting the richest man in Jiangnan Province!”
Shen Wanqian smiled.
‘Was there even any doubt?
Who wouldn’t want to meet me, Shen Wanqian?’
Suddenly, Shen Wanqian’s smile froze.
His face twisted in agony, and his phone fell to the floor with a CLATTER.
Hearing the commotion, Qiao Haishan shouted frantically into the phone, “Old Shen?
Old Shen, what’s wrong?!”
But Shen Wanqian only clutched at his chest in agony before passing out.
A moment later, a girl with an extraordinary air about her came flying down the stairs.
She wore a long, cinched-waist dress, and her hair flowed behind her like a waterfall.
“Dad!”
The girl was none other than Shen Wanqian’s daughter, Shen Youwei.
She frantically pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
“Divine Doctor Xu!
My dad just suddenly collapsed!”