Chapter 22: Little Xue is Bullied

"The condition is temporarily stabilized!" Chen Dabao let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and added, "However, the patient is not yet fully recovered. He will need long-term medication, and we'll have to monitor his recovery progress."

Although Chen Dabao possessed the miraculous ability to restore health, Li Zhuang's father's illness was too severe for even the "Ghost Hand Thirteen Needles" to cure him in a single session. It would take a month or two of continued medication to have any hope of a full recovery. Even so, this was enough to shock the doctors at the health center. The methods Chen Dabao had used today were nothing short of bringing the dead back to life; it was truly incredible.

"Water, I need water!" Just then, Li Zhuang's father suddenly opened his eyes and spoke weakly.

"Dad, you're awake?" Li Wei wiped away her tears and hurriedly poured a glass of water for Li Dagen. Li Zhuang supported his father as he took small, hesitant sips of the warm water.

A flicker of intrigue crossed Huo Anni's beautiful eyes. She was deeply impressed by Chen Dabao; this young man was truly a hidden master.

"Xiaoya, where on earth did you dig up such an amazing, handsome young man?" Huo Anni nudged Chen Ya with her arm, asking with keen interest.

"Anni, Dabao is several years younger than you. Don't go getting any wild ideas!" Chen Ya immediately tensed up, her voice filled with a warning tone.

"Being a few years younger is perfect, isn't it? Don't old cows love to graze on tender grass? Brother Dabao is still young; he has no idea how wonderful a mature woman can be!" Huo Anni said with great enthusiasm.

"You!" Chen Ya gritted her teeth in secret, slightly regretting having introduced Chen Dabao to Huo Anni.

"Thump!" Li Zhuang suddenly dropped to his knees, his voice trembling with emotion as he said to Chen Dabao, "Dabao, you are our family's savior. From now on, if you need me to go through fire and water, just say the word—I won't hesitate. My life is yours!"

Li Wei set down the teacup and quickly knelt as well. She looked at Chen Dabao with curiosity, wondering how her brother had come to know such an extraordinary master.

"Zhuangzi, get up quickly. We're friends, don't be so formal!" Chen Dabao hurriedly helped Li Zhuang and Li Wei to their feet. He then wrote out a prescription for them, telling them to get the medicine filled and that he would return in a while to check on Li Dagen's recovery progress.

"Mr. Chen, is it? May I ask which hospital or clinic you are affiliated with? If you have time, would you be interested in becoming a special consultant at our health center?" As Chen Dabao prepared to leave, the director of the health center approached him personally, trying to persuade him to stay.

"I'm not a specialist. I don't even have a medical license. Being a consultant here would be practicing medicine illegally!" Chen Dabao shook his head, mounted his motorcycle, and rode off.

In this day and age, you need a license for everything; without one, you could get into trouble if you're not careful. Chen Dabao rode back to Peach Blossom Village. After a quick wash, he sat cross-legged and began practicing the Heavenly Mystery Divine Art to replenish the energy he had just consumed. By the time he finished and opened his eyes, it was already pitch dark outside.

Chen Dabao got off the bed, found some tools around the house, and fashioned two large baskets. He hung them on either side of his motorcycle's rear seat—these would serve as his temporary strawberry transport containers.

"I'll go pick some greens and make a bowl of noodles," Chen Dabao thought. After finishing his work, he felt empty and hungry. He turned to head out, planning to pick some vegetables from the garden to make a stir-fry with eggs for a bowl of noodles.

After nightfall, the village was filled with the gentle smoke of cooking fires, and lights glowed in every home. There were very few people outside, as most villagers had returned home. In the countryside, there wasn't much entertainment, so people usually headed in as soon as it grew dark.

Chen Dabao had not gone far when he suddenly heard the sound of shouting and cursing. He turned his head and realized the noise was coming from Liu Dafu's house. The Liu family had their own house in the village, but it was only two stories high and quite dilapidated, hardly comparable to the three-story villa Chen Dabao lived in. This was exactly why the Liu family had occupied his house while he was in his "foolish" state.

"You wretch, where is the money? I paid over a hundred thousand in bride price, and you haven't brought back a single cent?"

"There is no money, and you haven't even been able to produce a child!"

"I'll beat you to death!"

Liu Qiang's rough, abusive shouting echoed out, followed by a woman's sobbing and screams. Chen Dabao's expression changed instantly; it was clearly Xia Xiaoxue being beaten. When Liu Qiang married her, he had paid a hefty bride price. Xia Xiaoxue was beautiful and had even made it to university; Liu Dafu had thought it was a great bargain. Unexpectedly, after several years of marriage, she hadn't conceived. No one knew if the problem lay with Liu Qiang or Xia Xiaoxue, though the village was full of rumors.

Only Xia Xiaoxue knew the truth: Liu Qiang’s lifestyle of drinking and gambling had ruined his health. It wasn't her problem at all, but Liu Dafu and Zhang Guihua didn't see it that way. They were convinced it was her fault. Having spent a fortune only to end up with a "hen that wouldn't lay eggs," her situation was dire.

Hearing Xia Xiaoxue's screams, Chen Dabao grew increasingly furious. Normally, this wasn't his business, but he remembered how she had taken care of him during the year he was mentally incapacitated. Chen Dabao kicked open the door to Liu Dafu's house and charged inside.

In the courtyard, Xia Xiaoxue lay on the ground. A drunken Liu Qiang was brandishing a leather belt, viciously whipping her; her back was already stained with blood.

"Liu Qiang, you bastard, are you even human?" Chen Dabao roared, lunging forward to kick Liu Qiang over, glaring at the scoundrel.

"Dabao?" Seeing him, Xia Xiaoxue's beautiful eyes lit up, but they quickly dimmed. His appearance would only make Liu Qiang angrier. Once Chen Dabao left, she would likely face an even more brutal beating.

"Chen Dabao, you... what do you think you're doing?" Liu Qiang, seeing Chen Dabao, sobered up halfway, shrinking back in a mix of shock and rage. The last time they had clashed with Chen Dabao, they had suffered dearly; Liu Qiang's bones had nearly been broken, and he had no desire for another thrashing.

"Chen Dabao, how dare you break into my house! What are you doing?" Liu Dafu and his wife, who had been sitting comfortably inside, heard the commotion and rushed out, glaring at Chen Dabao.

"Oh, so you two adulterers aren't even hiding it anymore, are you? You slut, daring to have an affair with this big idiot and cuckolding my son! I won't let you off!" Zhang Guihua grabbed Xia Xiaoxue’s hair, her face twisted in malice. Xia Xiaoxue screamed in pain, tears streaming down her face.

"You old hag, let go!" Chen Dabao charged forward, landing a heavy slap across her face and knocking Zhang Guihua to the ground.

Half of Zhang Guihua’s face swelled instantly; she stared at Chen Dabao in shock and fury. This brat was turning the world upside down—was there truly no one in Peach Blossom Village who could bring him to justice?