Eternal madness

Chapter 13 The Miraculous Healing Technique (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Zhang Laifu knew the bandits would come, but he didn't expect Old Zheng to arrive so quickly.

His first instinct was to run for his life, but he quickly calmed down.

After spending three whole days with Lao Song, Lao Zheng, and Lao Yu, Zhang Laifu realized one thing for sure: there was no way he could escape from these bandits.

But if we don't run, aren't we just waiting to die?

First, we need to know where Zheng Pipa is.

Following the sound of Pingtan, Zhang Laifu looked around, but he couldn't find Lao Zheng's location. Instead, he felt his feet moving uncontrollably towards the side of the street.

The line of reasoning is flawed.

Don't focus on Pingtan (a type of storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect), otherwise you'll definitely be led astray by Lao Zheng (Old Zheng).

He hid in the shadows and didn't attack me directly. Instead, he tried to lure me to the side of the street. Why was that?
He's a bandit, he can't live in the light!
He is cautious in his actions, and his temperament is quite different from that of Lao Song and Lao Yu.

He wouldn't easily make a move in broad daylight or on a busy street.

The more people there are, the less he dares to make a move.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Laifu suddenly called out to a vendor next to him, "What do you sell?"

The vendor was startled and replied, "I sell glutinous rice balls!"

"Tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) also have fillings, why don't you sell steamed buns?"

The man selling glutinous rice balls thought for a while, then tapped the strainer in his hand: "Why should I sell steamed buns? Are you crazy?"

The two of them started shouting, which attracted the attention of passersby. The noise of the crowd diluted the sound of the storytelling.

Zhang Laifu carefully controlled his steps and arrived at the next stall: "Do you sell steamed buns here?"

"I sell cold noodles here."

"They're all made with flour, why don't you sell steamed buns?"

The man selling cold noodles rolled up his sleeves and glared at Zhang Laifu.

Zhang Laifu walked to another stall: "Do you sell steamed buns here?"

"I'm selling pig's head meat!"

Can't you make steamed buns with pig's head meat?

"It's not impossible, it depends on how much you want..."

"Then why don't you sell steamed buns? Don't you know how to do business?"

"What the hell do you want?" The man selling pig's head meat picked up his cleaver.

He just started cutting without warning. Why is this pig head meat seller so temperamental?
The entire street was staring at Zhang Laifu.

The rice dumpling seller asked, "Where did this fool come from?"

The tofu seller was also angry: "Don't you know the steamed bun seller? What are you asking here for?"

The sugarcane seller said angrily, "I'm selling sugarcane, and he comes here to buy steamed buns too!"

The man roasting mutton was very wary: "Everyone be careful, this kid doesn't seem like a good person."

The pig's head meat vendor gritted his teeth and said, "Whoever puts up with his bad behavior and dares to mess with my stall, I'll break his legs!"

Old Zheng frowned and distanced himself from Zhang Laifu.

Zhang Laifu's judgment was correct; in broad daylight, Lao Zheng did not want to lay a hand on Zhang Laifu.

The Suzhou storytelling became increasingly indistinct. Zhang Laifu had managed to break free of about 70-80% of his control, but his strength was almost completely exhausted.

He walked up to a table and asked, "Do you sell steamed buns here?"

A man sat behind the table. He looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He was thin and wore a gray-blue long gown. The fabric and workmanship were not very good, but he was very clean.

He was quite handsome, with regular features, clear eyes, and a pair of eyes that were calm yet sharp, as if they could see through people's thoughts.

"Sir, I don't sell steamed buns here." The man pointed to the sign behind him, which read: "Master of Incantation Therapy, Li Yunsheng".

Zhang Laifu read it carefully once and asked, "Your name is Li Yunsheng?"

Li Yunsheng nodded, then emphasized, "I am a doctor."

Judging from his clothes and appearance, he should be a local doctor. Zhang Laifu stretched out his hand: "Take my pulse."

Li Yunsheng pointed to the two characters "Zhu You" on the signboard: "I don't know how to take a pulse."

Zhang Laifu: "How can you be a doctor if you can't take a pulse?" Li Yunsheng was taken aback: "Sir, where are you from?"

Zhang Laifu retorted, "Tell me first what kind of place this is?"

Li Yunsheng stared at Zhang Laifu for a moment and understood the situation: "Sir, this is Wansheng Prefecture, where a thousand people are a thousand faces and ten thousand lives are ever-changing. You have come to a place that is hard to find in the world!"

Zhang Laifu raised his voice and asked again, "What kind of good place is Wansheng Prefecture? What do you think is so good about it? Tell me!"

Li Yunsheng looked at Zhang Laifu and asked calmly, "Are you really here to cause trouble?"

The surrounding vendors, diners, and passersby all gathered around to watch the spectacle.

"Is this man sick?"

"I think he is quite ill."

Old Zheng was also in the crowd, waiting for his chance to make a move, but the opportunity was hard to find, as all eyes were on Zhang Laifu.

Zhang Laifu took a breath, looked at Li Yunsheng, and then asked, "You heard that, right? They all say I'm sick. I am sick. Aren't you a doctor? Can you treat me?"

Li Yunsheng looked Zhang Laifu up and down: "Tell me what illness you have."

Zhang Laifu pointed to his chest: "Can't you tell I have chest tightness and shortness of breath?"

Li Yunsheng shook his head slightly: "You're not sick, you're just tired. You'll be fine after a rest."

Zhang Laifu persisted: "You didn't take my pulse or do any tests, and you're just saying I'm not sick? Aren't you lying to me?"

The practice of incantation therapy is one of the 360 ​​professions.

They are a special type of doctor who treat illnesses without needles, herbs, surgery, or Western medicine; they rely on incantations and talismans.

They were used to setting up their stalls on the street. When they encountered patients who came to see them, they would not take their pulse or give them medicine. Instead, after inquiring about their symptoms, they would immediately draw talismans and chant incantations to exorcise evil spirits and cure their illnesses.

Zhang Laifu, ignorant of the ways of the trade, was still making a fuss, which annoyed Li Yunsheng: "Friend, we are complete strangers, why are you tearing down my signboard?"

“I didn’t take down your signboard, I just came to see a doctor!” Zhang Laifu said confidently, he really hadn’t touched Li Yunsheng’s signboard.

Some onlookers in the crowd started jeering: "Go see someone else for your medical treatment! All those doctors at the Zhu You Ke clinic are frauds!"

Li Yunsheng looked up at the man and said, "Sir, you've been cheated by someone, but that's not my problem. I have real skills."

"Stop talking nonsense!" someone else shouted. "What kind of skill does the Zhu You Ke (祝由科) have?"

"He hangs up a tattered curtain to swindle people like this, and he won't even let people talk about it. Just tear down his facade!"

As more and more people gathered, Zheng Pipa found himself increasingly embarrassed in the crowd. He dared not sing Pingtan, dared not make a sound, and dared not even raise his head.

Zhang Laifu felt the time was right and got up to leave, but Li Yunsheng reached out and grabbed him: "My friend, you've come here to cause trouble, so we need to make things clear."

You say I'm lying? Who did I lie to? How did I lie? If you can give me a clear explanation and provide concrete evidence, I'm not doing this business anymore, I'm not staying in Heishakou anymore, and I'll pack up and leave right here in front of you.

If you can't give a coherent explanation, you'll have to stand here and properly apologize to me!

Zhang Laifu thought this made sense: "You say you're not a fraud, then show us by curing someone! If you can cure someone, I'll apologize to you in front of everyone!"

Li Yunsheng looked around. He really wanted to prove his skills, but he had no way to do so now: "There are no patients right now, let's wait until they come."

Zhang Laifu asked, "When will the patient arrive? Do you have a definite answer?"

Li Yunsheng couldn't answer this question either: "I can't say when the patient will arrive. I haven't even opened for business yet. Please wait a bit."

Zhang Laifu really wanted to wait. He wanted to see how long Lao Zheng could hold out against him: "If you don't open for business for a day, I'll wait for a day. If you don't open for business for a year, I'll wait here for a year!"

Li Yunsheng, Zhang Laifu, and Zheng Pipa, two in the open and one in the shadows, were locked in a stalemate.

A man emerged from the crowd, about forty years old, wearing a melon-shaped hat, with a plaster on his left eyebrow, carrying a birdcage, and swaying as he approached Zhang Laifu and Li Yunsheng.

Zhang Laifu was startled. Wasn't this the plaster man?

The man with the plaster looked at Zhang Laifu first: "Young man, I told you to go buy some steamed buns, what are you doing here causing trouble?"

Zhang Laifu had no way to explain, and Li Yunsheng looked at the man with the plaster: "You came with him? Are you both here to tear down my signboard?"

The man with the plaster smiled and said, "Let's talk things out. We're all men. It's not dignified to argue in the street."

Li Yunsheng, fanning himself, looked at the man and asked, "Who are you?"

The plaster-wearing man also took out a folding fan from the back of his collar and fanned himself a few times: "My name is He Yunxi, and I am the sixth child in my family. Everyone in the neighborhood calls me Sixth Master He. Today, I will be your judge. Will you two give me this face?"

P.S.: The art of Zhu You Ke also has a founder!
One more chapter, coming soon.

(End of this chapter)