False evidence

Chapter 343 Unlicensed Clinic (1)

I was so nauseous I was dizzy and unsteady on my feet.

Anxin asked me if I had a cold.

I shook my head and said it was my first time flying, and I felt a little dizzy and had some tinnitus.

After exiting the terminal, I got into the car I had booked in advance.

The driver was a middle-aged man in his fifties, with a receding hairline.

I told him in my local accent to go directly to Changhe County, and after chatting for a few more minutes, I wrapped my coat tighter, leaned back in my chair, and drifted off to sleep.

I felt a cold hand on my forehead, and I shivered and opened my eyes.

An Xin withdrew her hand and said to Yan Fengwei, "Brother Yan, he has a fever."

"First I got caught in the rain in Nanjing, and then I went down into the river in Yugu and messed around for a while. It would be strange if I didn't catch a cold."

Yan Fengwei asked the driver, "Sir, are there any hospitals or pharmacies nearby?"

"Oh, we're already out of the city. I'm not very familiar with this area. Wait a minute, let me use navigation."

The driver had barely finished speaking when it suddenly started raining heavily.

I said, "I'm fine. Just drive as usual, driver."

The driver asked, "Judging from your accent, are you a local?"

I said I am Chang He.

The driver asked, "Are you studying or working in another city? Haven't been back for a while?"

I told them that I had been studying in the south and hadn't been back for more than two years.

The driver said, "No wonder. It's colder in the north than in the south. The south is a damp cold, while the north is a dry cold. It's normal to have trouble adjusting after not being back home for a long time."

Yan Fengwei was still worried and said that once they got on the highway, they should stop at a service area to buy fever-reducing medicine, or at least buy some popsicles to apply as a cold compress to help.

Yan Fengwei couldn't help but complain: "This trip was like a battle with the Dragon King, rain followed me wherever I went."

The driver said, "I don't know if it's because of global warming, but the weather has become increasingly abnormal in recent years. Last year there was a severe drought, and this year it's only mid-March, and we've already had several heavy rainstorms."

We were almost at the highway entrance when suddenly there was a traffic jam.

The driver, rubbing the steering wheel, asked me, "Are you from Changhe County?"

I said, "No, I'm from Xiangluo Village."

The driver paused, turned around and glanced at me: "No wonder you were in such a hurry to rush back overnight. Are your family members alright?"

I was baffled: "What could possibly be wrong?"

The driver turned back again, surprised, and said, "You didn't contact your family? Just yesterday, there was a torrential downpour, and a landslide occurred on Xiangluo Mountain! The news said that Xiangluo Village was the hardest hit, and even the city sent troops there for disaster relief!"

My mind went completely blank.

Only after Yan Fengwei reminded him did he remember to make the call.

My grandfather never uses a cell phone. I tried calling several people from the same village, but I couldn't get through to any of them.

Just then, a motorcycle with flashing lights arrived in the rain, knocking on each driver's window to inform them that there had been a serious accident on the highway, which was temporarily closed, and that everyone should take a detour.

An Xin clung to the car window and shouted to the traffic police officer, "Officer, someone in our car has a high fever. Could you please help us buy some fever-reducing medicine?"

Before he could finish speaking, the traffic police had already driven to the back.

An Xin wanted to get out of the car and chase after them, but I stopped her. "Don't make things worse! What the hell do you need fever reducers for at a time like this!"

Yan Fengwei took out five red bills and handed them to the driver, telling him to find a way to get to Changhe as soon as possible.

It has to be said that money can make the devil turn the millstone.

Judging from the driver's expression, he seemed to have originally planned not to take the fare, but after taking the money, he immediately perked up and said he knew a side road that could detour to the national highway.

He was only going all out because of the money, taking detours and driving through villages and towns for over half an hour without seeing a main road. Crucially, at this point, perhaps due to the heavy rain, cell phone signals disappeared, rendering the navigation unusable.

The rain got heavier and heavier, and eventually we couldn't even tell which way to go, so we just drove aimlessly along the road.

The driver had no choice but to say that if he continued driving, something bad would definitely happen, and he had to wait for the rain to subside before he could leave.

Yan Fengwei and I had no choice but to ask him to find a house nearby so that at least he could get me some hot water to drink.

After driving for a while longer, I finally saw lights ahead.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a three-story building resembling a small factory.

We and the driver got out of the car in the rain and ran into the building. The lobby was empty. Behind the old-fashioned wooden counter was a row of medicine cabinets with peeling paint.

"It looks like a traditional Chinese medicine clinic!"

Yan Fengwei was overjoyed and shouted loudly, "Hey! Is anyone there?"

"Stop yelling!"

An impatient male voice came from behind the counter.

A young man wearing a white coat peeked out from behind the counter, frowned, and asked, "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

An Xin rushed forward: "Hello, my brother is sick and has a high fever! Do you have any fever reducers?"

The young man scratched his head, glanced at us, his gaze lingering on my face, and said in an icy voice:
"We have medicine, it'll cure you completely, but it's expensive."

Yan Fengwei took out his wallet, pulled out two large bills, and stuffed them into the wallet.

The young man didn't even glance at it. "The cheapest medicine I have here costs 30,000."

"Are you robbing me?" Yan Fengwei's eyebrows shot up.

Even the driver couldn't stand it anymore, "Doctor, this young man is a local, he often drinks here, he just caught a cold..."

"Are you a doctor and am I a doctor?"

The young man interrupted him coldly, "If you want to see a doctor, pay up, otherwise leave!"

An Xin blushed and took a crumpled roll of banknotes from her backpack, placing it on the counter:

"This is all the money I have. You're a doctor, don't go too far."

This wad of money, while not a huge amount, is still three or four thousand yuan. Even a simple cold or fever at a private hospital would cost more than that.

The young man replied, "I already said, the starting price is 30,000."

He glanced at me again: "Oh, it'll cost 31,000."

Yan Fengwei was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged. He turned his head, spat, and took out his phone, saying:
"Okay, whatever you want, I'll transfer it to you via WeChat!"

He was really anxious.

My fever is really high this time. I heard that there was a disaster at home and I can't get in touch with my grandfather, which makes me even more anxious. Right now, I can't even stand up straight.

Yan Fengwei transferred the money directly. The young man pointed to a door on the left and told us to go in and wait, but then suddenly gave An Xin, who was supporting me, a mischievous smile:
"Just taking money isn't enough. You have to stay here and chat with me for a while."

An Xin also got angry, "Do you believe I'll call the police?"

The young man scoffed, "Whatever."

Yan Fengwei gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! Whatever you say, I agree on his behalf! But let me make this clear: if you try to fool my brother with fake medicine, I won't let you off the hook."

The young man beckoned to An Xin with his finger, "Come here now and watch the counter for me."

He then pointed to the room on the left and said to me and Yan Fengwei, "You two, go wait over there. The one with the shivering, go inside and take off all your clothes!"

Yan Fengwei glanced at An Xin only once, then helped me towards the room without saying a word.

"Damn it! Just wait till I get back at him, I'll teach him a lesson!"

(End of this chapter)