Chapter 264: Chapter 264: Rectifying Niu Baishun
264 Niu Baishun
At this moment, Sun Kang came over. He took a look at Niu Baishun’s hand, shook his head, and clucked his tongue. "Aiya, as they say, the ten fingers are connected to the heart! And these sores are on your fingertips. You’ve got a lot of poison in your body. If you don’t get rid of it, once the poison enters your liver, your life will be in danger!"
Sun Kang’s words frightened Niu Baishun so badly he practically lost his soul. "Physician, physician, what should I do? Please, save me!"
The poisonous sore on his hand had started to develop yesterday. At first, he didn’t pay much attention to it, but by noon, it began to throb with pain. He had consulted several physicians. However, after examining his hand, they merely stammered that it was very serious. They prescribed medicine, which he took. But by nighttime, instead of improving, his finger ached more and more intensely, so much so that he could neither sleep nor sit still. Finally, this afternoon, those physicians, sweating profusely, told him to go find De Ren Tang. Remembering the young girl who had seen at a glance that a poisonous sore would erupt on him in three days, he had eagerly rushed over.
Just then, Zhao Zhitong walked over.
Niu Baishun hastily stretched out his finger to show Zhao Zhitong, "Aiyo, my good niece, quick, take a look for your Uncle! I’m about to die from the pain."
Facing his attempt to claim kinship, Zhao Zhitong felt no sympathy for him. Instead, she reached out and pinched the very finger on Niu Baishun that had the festering sore. After examining it, she said, "Look at this poison. One glance tells me you’ve done plenty of wicked things!"
Niu Baishun immediately cried out in pain, "OUCH! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
"Niece, please take a look for me! It’s killing me! Any amount of money is fine! OUCH, OUCH!"
Xiao Guizi, standing nearby, quickly chimed in, "Young Physician, please examine my master’s hand! This hand is for earning silver; it’s very precious! It can’t be lost!"
Zhao Zhitong gave Niu Baishun’s finger a hard squeeze, and Niu Baishun instantly let out a loud shriek.
But Zhao Zhitong just chuckled. Sun Kang, watching from the side, couldn’t help but feel an urge to light a candle for Niu Baishun. Falling into his granddaughter’s hands today, he’s definitely not getting off easy.
After all these years together, he knew his granddaughter quite well. This child, don’t let her usual soft and sweet appearance fool you. She looks like an adorable, clever little imp, but once you provoke her, you can only wait to be thoroughly tormented by her.
He recalled how, years ago, his former son-in-law, who had tried to threaten their family by using divorce to extort money from them, had been tricked by this clever little imp into drinking a large bowl of a young boy’s urine!
Right now, Zhao Zhitong was pinching Niu Baishun’s sore-afflicted finger, applying pressure as she spoke, "Sigh, this illness of yours is precisely because of all that silver you earned. You’ve made too much dirty money, so your conscience has turned black. Look, all the poison has risen to the surface because of it."
"People with rotten hearts—we at De Ren Tang don’t treat them!"
Niu Baishun’s face twitched in pain, and Xiao Guizi, beside him, also cried out along with his master.
Gasping for breath, Niu Baishun said, "Good niece, what are you saying? The silver I earn is all clean! I’ve never done anything wicked."
"Besides, I’m your own uncle by marriage! You can’t just stand by and watch me die!"
The moment his words fell, Zhao Zhitong’s fingers suddenly applied immense force. Instantly, a scream like a stuck pig echoed.
Zhao Zhitong raised an eyebrow. "I don’t care who you are. In short, people with rotten consciences—we at De Ren Tang simply don’t save them!"
Niu Baishun groaned and defended himself, "I haven’t done anything wicked, I haven’t done anything wicked."
Zhao Zhitong had truly grasped Niu Baishun’s vital weakness.
She pinched his finger, forcing him to admit his transgressions.Zhao Zhitong: "You haven’t done anything wicked?"
Niu Baishun: "AH, AH, AH! It hurts, it hurts! I did them! I did them!"
Zhao Zhitong: "What exactly did you do?"
Niu Baishun: "I maliciously undercut prices to compete, driving all other medicine sellers on North Street away. I also acted tyrannically, threatening the physicians in the county town, forcing the common folk to buy medicine only from me, and I even jacked up medicine prices..."
Niu Baishun obediently confessed his transgressions; of course, he definitely hadn’t confessed everything.
Listening to how Niu Baishun bullied the common people, and then thinking of those poor souls who couldn’t afford medicine and could only wait at home to die, Zhao Zhitong became even more furious.
This man is truly despicable!
Niu Baishun gasped, "Alright, I... I’ve told you everything. Can you please look at it for me now? It’s killing me."
Only then did Zhao Zhitong release his hand, saying, "It’s not impossible for me to treat your hand."
Niu Baishun hurriedly latched on, "As long as you can treat me, whatever you say!"
Zhao Zhitong: "I remember when you came to our pharmacy the day before yesterday, you were quite imperious, weren’t you? You even wanted us to abide by some ridiculous rules you set, correct?"
Niu Baishun instantly became servile. "Aiya, a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! I just saw that you had newly opened and came over to joke with you. It was all a joke."
"Oh, a joke, was it!" A glint flashed in Zhao Zhitong’s round apricot eyes. "So, we don’t have to procure our medicines from your place, right? And we can continue to operate here on North Street, right?"
Niu Baishun quickly agreed, "Yes, yes, yes! Of course, you can! North Street really needs a pharmacy like yours."
"Alright then, that settles it." Zhao Zhitong nodded, sat down, and picked up a brush. "Words alone are no proof. Let’s draw up a written agreement."
Saying this, she swiftly started writing. Finally, she looked at Niu Baishun and said, "Come, press your handprint."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Niu Baishun repeatedly affirmed, quickly stepped forward, and used his uninjured left hand to press a large handprint on it.
Seeing the handprint on the written agreement, Zhao Zhitong was finally satisfied. She handed it to Sun Daqing and said, "Second Older Cousin, you must keep this safe. Don’t let certain people go back on their word later. This is all evidence."
"Got it!" Sun Daqing replied loudly, admiring Zhao Zhitong immensely. Little Cousin is truly amazing! She so easily resolved the crisis their pharmacy was facing.
He trotted over, took the written agreement from Zhao Zhitong’s hand, folded it neatly, and then scurried back to the rear courtyard to hide it carefully.
Niu Baishun: "You see, I’ve repented, and the agreement is made. Can you treat me now?"
"Yes, of course I can now." Zhao Zhitong was true to her word. Smiling, she said, "Come over, let me take your pulse."
Niu Baishun hurriedly went over, sat down, and extended his hand.
Zhao Zhitong raised her hand and moved to feel Niu Baishun’s wrist. Sun Kang and the others made no move to stop or interrupt her, simply watching from the side.
After a moment, Zhao Zhitong said with a solemn expression, "The poison in your body is quite potent!"
Niu Baishun anxiously asked, "Can it be cured?"
Zhao Zhitong, with a little scowl, said irritably, "Isn’t that a stupid question? If I couldn’t treat it, what would I be doing right now?"
Niu Baishun immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good, that’s good."
Zhao Zhitong, still maintaining a stern little face, said, "Currently, there are two methods to treat you. One is inexpensive and offers immediate results. The other is expensive, and its effects will manifest gradually."
Niu Baishun was stunned for a moment, then asked, "What do you mean?"
Zhao Zhitong: "You don’t even understand that? You really are quite dim-witted."