Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Following the Jardine Matheson incident, undercurrents surged beneath the surface of Foshan's apparent calm. The Shahe Gang seemed to lie low for the time being, but the oppression from the foreigners intensified. Under the pretext of "reorganization," Jardine Matheson dismissed many "troublemakers," including those who testified for Ah Qiang, and brought in more cheap and obedient laborers. The situation for dockworkers became increasingly difficult.

That day, Wang Huanbo accompanied Huang Feihong on a house call to treat an elderly woman living in a slum. In their low, damp shack, the old woman lay on a tattered mat, coughing and wheezing incessantly—a severe case of asthma. Huang Feihong carefully examined her pulse, wrote a prescription, and left some money. The old woman was extremely grateful, tears streaming down her face: "Master Huang, you are a good man…it's just that life is so hard in this world…the tax collectors just came and even took the last few chicks to pay the taxes…"

Looking into the old woman's desperate eyes, Wang Huanbo felt a pang of sorrow. This was a true reflection of the lives of ordinary people at the bottom of society in late Qing Dynasty, struggling to survive amidst the double oppression of government officials and the bullying of foreigners.

On their way back, they saw a group of Qing soldiers escorting several ragged men past, saying they had arrested "rebels." People by the roadside whispered among themselves that these men were dissatisfied with foreigners occupying land and building churches, and had gathered to argue against it, only to be arrested on charges of "troublemaking" and "anti-Christianity." The government treated foreigners with obsequious subservience, yet treated its own people like wolves and tigers.

"Oppressive government is more ferocious than a tiger, and foreign troubles are as deep as the sea." Huang Feihong looked at the departing soldiers and said in a heavy tone, "Huanbo, do you see this? This is our people, this is our court."

Wang Huanbo nodded silently. He knew that individual chivalry could only solve the tip of the iceberg. The root of the problem lay in the corrupt system and the backward national strength.

Back at Po Chi Lam, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive. Pork Wing was sullen because of his cousin Ah Qiang's affair and the foreigners' arrogance. Liang Kuan brought news that Zhao Tianba of the Shahe Gang had recently been getting quite close to Jackson of Jardine Matheson, seemingly plotting something. Toothpick Su brought a worried newspaper report about a conflict in the north caused by a missionary incident, with foreign warships threatening the court and forcing it to cede territory and pay reparations.

"These foreigners are going too far! The government is weak and incompetent! Are we just going to let them shit on our heads?" Liang Kuan, young and hot-blooded, pounded the table indignantly.

"Fists alone cannot solve all problems." Wong Fei-hung calmly analyzed, "The Shahe Gang's collusion with foreigners must be for some ulterior motive. We need to be careful and on guard, but more importantly, we need to make more people understand the truth and unite."

Wang Huanbo chimed in, "Master is right. The reason foreigners are so arrogant is twofold: first, they rely on their superior ships and cannons; second, they use scoundrels like the Shahe Gang to oppress our compatriots. What we need to do is first, strengthen ourselves; and second, awaken the people, so that everyone knows that foreigners are not invincible, and that we only have strength when we unite."

He seized the opportunity to suggest that the Baozhilin medical center could be used to subtly promote simple principles such as unity and mutual assistance, the importance of hygiene, and the need to learn new knowledge while providing medical care and treatment to the people. Huang Feihong wholeheartedly agreed.

Thus, in addition to practicing medicine and saving lives, Po Chi Lam gradually became a small center for information exchange and mutual assistance. Wang Huanbo would sometimes share his overseas experiences, comparing China and other countries to stimulate everyone's thinking; Huang Feihong would use traditional chivalrous stories to teach principles of life. Although the effects were slow, like a seed, it began to sprout in the hearts of some.

Aunt Thirteen would sometimes bring news from the outside world. She greatly admired Wang Huanbo's insights, and the two often discussed the differences between China and the West, and the path to national strength. Wang Huanbo discovered that although Aunt Thirteen was educated in the West, she deeply loved her motherland. Her confusion and reflections were a microcosm of many progressive people of this era.

However, things didn't go smoothly. A few days later, even worse news arrived: with the support of Zhao Tianba and Jackson, the Shahe Gang forcibly seized a stretch of mudflats near the dock that fishermen depended on for their livelihood, intending to build warehouses for foreign trading companies and ordering the fishermen to relocate within a specified period without any compensation! The fishermen were left with no way to seek help, filled with grief and indignation, and an even greater conflict was on the verge of erupting.

Huang Feihong and Wang Huanbo realized that the Shahe Gang and the foreigners were now directly targeting the most impoverished people. This time, they could no longer remain uninvolved.

"Master, it seems that this battle is unavoidable." Wang Huanbo looked at the gloomy sky outside the window and said in a deep voice.

Wong Fei-hung's gaze was resolute: "The purpose of Po Chi Lam's existence is to uphold justice and protect the weak. Huan-bo, get ready, we're going to seek justice for those fishermen!"