Siheyuan: Started in 1950, third-level cook

"I have a mental illness, Xu Damao, you're bullying a sick person!" Jia Dongxu shouted, trying to get up from the ground, but he couldn't get his legs up and gave up after a few attempts.

"What kind of mental illness is this, staying up all night to scare people? You're just talking nonsense!" Xu Damao looked at Jia Dongxu lying on the ground with disdain, intending to make the Jia family lose some money.

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu cast a pleading look at Qin Huairu.

What kind of mentally ill person would run away and scare people?

Qin Huairu was extremely anxious. How could she know? The idea that she was mentally ill was just nonsense.

Hey!

and many more!

Qin Huairu had a sudden inspiration and blurted out: "Sleepwalking, Dongxu's mental illness is sleepwalking. He looks like a normal person during the day, but he may have an attack at night. Before, he would crawl around on the bed, but later it got so bad that he had to go out."

"The doctor said not to wake up a sleepwalker, so I didn't bother with him. He'll go home after he wakes up anyway."

"That's right, I have sleepwalking disorder, and my mind isn't working properly!"

Jia Dongxu disregarded his pride and quickly echoed.

This explanation is perfectly plausible. After all, Xu Damao and the others can't exactly go to the hospital to check if they really have a mental illness, can they?

Qin Huairu, you're amazing! You actually came up with such a great idea!

Jia Dongxu was incredibly excited. With this reason, he could not only avoid paying compensation, but he could even come out and scare people in the future. The happiness he had finally found could also be preserved.

Although Jia Dongxu thought so, the residents present felt that this excuse was too ridiculous.

What kind of nonsense about sleepwalking could make a person with two leg disabilities run into an alley?

The threshold of the courtyard gate alone was enough to stop Jia Dongxu.

Sleepwalking won't restore Jia Dongxu's leg to health.

Furthermore, sleepwalking is an unconscious behavior, so it's impossible for someone to wear white cloth to pretend to be a ghost and scare people.

Xu Damao knew Qin Huairu was talking nonsense, but he raised an eyebrow, as if he had thought of another way to deal with Jia Dongxu.

Don't you have a mental illness?

Then I, Xu Damao, will take pity on you and find someone to treat you.

"Oh dear, so it was sleepwalking. He really is mentally ill!" Xu Damao said with a click of his tongue.

Qin Huairu nodded quickly: "Yes, ever since Dongxu got this disease, I haven't been able to sleep well every night, afraid that something might happen to him."

"Then why didn't you take him to the hospital for treatment?" Xu Damao asked.

"Uh!" Qin Huairu's expression froze, and after a few seconds she said, "We're poor, our family has no money, so we've been putting off seeing a doctor."

Xu Damao grinned: "No money, huh? I'll show you a way out!"

"There's an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor in the alley behind. His acupuncture skills are amazing. He once even made a mute person speak again. If you get him to treat Jia Dongxu, he can definitely cure him!"

The old Chinese medicine doctor in the alley behind?

Upon hearing Xu Damao's words, the residents present couldn't help but gasp.

There was indeed an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and that doctor did indeed know acupuncture.

However, he was just old; he only started learning traditional Chinese medicine on his own when he was over fifty. After studying for two years, he began treating patients. Because he caused facial paralysis in a person with a cold by pricking them and made a mute person with a sprained ankle scream in pain by pricking them, he was summoned for a talk by the neighborhood committee.

After that, the old Chinese medicine doctor retired, but his learning never seemed to stop. He would still brew some Chinese medicine from time to time, but no one in the neighborhood dared to try it.

“Yan Jiecheng, hurry up and go to the back alley to fetch the old Chinese medicine doctor. Jia Dongxu is so sick, we, as his neighbors, should help him get treatment.”

Xu Damao's smile was about to burst out; if he invited the old Chinese medicine doctor to give him acupuncture, it would surely scare Jia Dongxu to death.

Aren't you faking a mental illness?

Then I'll really treat you!

"Don't, don't go!"

Jia Dongxu had also heard of the old Chinese medicine doctor's reputation, so he quickly called out to Yan Jiecheng.

Apart from his weak legs and slightly deficient kidneys, he was perfectly fine. That old Chinese medicine doctor was a complete quack; he only called himself a doctor out of hobby. Getting him to give you acupuncture was practically risking your life.

Qin Huairu naturally knew this as well, and quickly stopped Yan Jiecheng, who was about to call for help: "Xu Damao, I don't think it's necessary. Dongxu's sleepwalking isn't that serious. At worst, I'll just lock the door and not let him out."

"Once we have enough money, I'll take him to a big hospital for treatment."

Jia Dongxu shouted, "I don't want to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, there's nothing wrong with my head!"

Ouch?

Xu Damao was just wondering what excuse he had when Jia Dongxu walked right into his trap.

"Did you all hear that? Jia Dongxu said again that he's mentally sound, but he wasn't saying that just now. It seems this guy really does have a mental illness!"

“This little ailment will be fine with a few acupuncture needles. Yan Jiecheng, what are you waiting for? Go and get someone to treat Jia Dongxu as soon as possible so that the women in our compound can go to the public toilet with peace of mind sooner.”

Xu Damao pulled Yan Jiecheng over and patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to run faster.

"okay!"

Yan Jiecheng didn't hesitate and took off running.

Seeing this, Jia Dongxu's face turned green.

Finished!

This is truly a case of shooting oneself in the foot!

I originally thought I wouldn't lose money, but I never expected to have to get injections.

"I'm not sick, I don't want injections, I want to go home!" Jia Dongxu shouted, wanting to go home.

But Qin Huairu, standing to the side, was frowning and deep in thought.

Upon closer examination, it seems like a worthwhile deal to let Jia Dongxu get a few injections without losing money.

Even if that old Chinese medicine doctor caused Jia Dongxu to have problems, wouldn't it be possible to extort money from him?

Since Jia Dongxu is already in this state, things can't get any worse, right?

"Jia Dongxu, you can't be so selfish. You may have had a good time sleepwalking, but you scared all the women in our compound."

“I’m doing this for your own good, for the good of your family. When I was showing movies in the countryside before, there was a man in their village who had sleepwalking. At first, we didn’t do anything about it, but one night he suddenly went to the kitchen while sleepwalking, grabbed a knife, and killed his wife and child.”

"I don't care whether your family lives or dies, but what if you suddenly have a relapse and kill us?"

"You're just going to refuse treatment if you don't want to? Can't you think about what's going on with everyone else?"

Hey!

These words were met with agreement from the residents of the courtyard.

"Yeah, it's one thing if you're sick yourself, but what if you suddenly attack us?"

"It must be treated. If it can't be cured in one treatment, it will continue to be treated. Otherwise, if it dares to scare people today, it might dare to attack people tomorrow."

“That’s right, mentally ill people are capable of anything. Jia Dongxu, I don’t care what you say, you have to get treatment today.”

"If you're going to be stubborn and refuse treatment, then take your wife and kids and get out of the yard. We don't want to be your neighbors!"

Listening to the chatter of the people in the courtyard, Jia Dongxu felt a chill run down his spine.

"I'm not sick, I don't have any illness at all."

"Oh, so if you're not mentally ill, then you're deliberately pretending to be a ghost to scare people? Then I'll report you to the authorities for promoting feudal superstition." Xu Damao chuckled, as if he had guessed that Jia Dongxu would continue to argue.