Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief, and the oppressive atmosphere that had been building up for so long dissipated slightly. The young men looked up, their eyes filled with relief, but also with a hint of guilt and embarrassment.

Taking this opportunity, the master solemnly began to continue the previous topic. His voice was not loud, but every word was firm and resounding, striking the hearts of everyone: "Old people are frail and their strength is limited. Old Wang is nearing sixty and should have been enjoying his retirement in peace. However, he has been working day and night to collect soldiers and grain for the village, resolve neighborhood disputes, and handle all kinds of miscellaneous tasks. He has been caught up in personal relationships, bound by government orders, and burdened by the turbulent times. Over time, his worries have become unbearable, which has led to his mental exhaustion and sudden fainting."

His gaze swept over the room full of young and middle-aged men, and his tone became more serious: "He is lucky to be unharmed today, but what about tomorrow, or the day after? Village affairs are complicated, and the laws are strict in this chaotic world. We can't rely on a few old men to hold things together forever. You are in your prime, strong and healthy. You should take on responsibilities, share the burden, relieve the worries of the old men, and shoulder the responsibilities of the village. You shouldn't shirk your duties and avoid responsibility."

These words filled the room with shame, and all the young men and women lowered their heads, no one daring to utter a single word in rebuttal.

Seeing the remorse on everyone's faces and their self-reflection, the master stopped his admonitions and appropriately ceased his words. He turned to Xingbao, gently gesturing for him to carry his medicine chest, and then calmly addressed the assembled villagers: "Today's treatment has concluded, and Old Master Wang is now stable and out of danger, so I will not linger any longer. Renze, come with me back to the residence; I will prepare two more doses of tonifying and restorative herbal decoctions. Take them back and decoct them regularly to help him fully calm his mind and replenish his qi and blood."

Several days of rest passed quickly. With the continuous treatment of herbal medicine and quiet rest, Mr. Wang's physical and mental condition gradually improved. His stagnant energy was completely relieved, and his depleted mental strength was slowly replenished. He was able to sit up, walk, speak, and live normally. However, his body was still weak, and his mind was no longer as sharp as before. He could no longer withstand any heavy pressure or overwork.

Following the consensus reached earlier, once Old Wang was lucid and his health stabilized, the village head and elders gathered at Wang's house to solemnly discuss the matter of the head of the village head's resignation. Having experienced this near-death experience, Old Wang himself had come to a complete understanding. He knew that age was catching up with him and that his body and mind were already exhausted. Continuing to manage affairs would only lead to his eventual demise. Therefore, he readily agreed and publicly resolved to resign from the position of head of the village head, which he had held for many years.

The news spread, and the entire village gathered outside the Wang family's gate. When the village head asked who was willing to take over as head of the village head, everyone had different thoughts. Everyone knew that being the head of the village in these chaotic times, seemingly the leader of the village, was actually a thankless and arduous job, filled with trivialities and constant pressure. He was responsible for overseeing conscription and grain requisition, mediating neighborhood disputes, and handling government orders. He was caught in the middle, offending everyone, with no personal gain to be had, only endless toil and burdens. Previously, all the able-bodied men in the village had shirked their responsibilities, no one willing to take on this hot potato. Everyone thought that this time it would be a long and drawn-out struggle before a candidate could be reluctantly chosen.

No one could have predicted that, after a long stalemate where all the able-bodied men in the village took turns shirking their responsibilities, the one who would ultimately take on this daunting task would be Uncle Bu, a notorious and domineering man with a large and powerful family, whom no one dared to provoke. Everyone else avoided him like the plague, but he alone stepped forward and volunteered for the heavy responsibility. The village head was overjoyed at the sight. With the heavy pressure of conscription and grain requisition looming overhead, someone willing to take on this responsibility would be a relief. He immediately nodded in agreement, registered the names on the spot, prepared to report to the township, and instructed Uncle Bu to find Old Wang to complete the handover of village affairs before leaving first.

The entire village was in an uproar, each harboring their own anxieties. No one could predict what would happen to the village affairs once this domineering and tyrannical person took power. The most wary were the Song family, though Xingbao's family clearly remembered the many old grudges between the two families. Although the past conflicts had long been openly resolved and forgotten, and they maintained a polite distance, Uncle Bu was narrow-minded, vindictive, and inherently a petty person who held grudges.

Once such a person gains power and holds real authority in the village, controlling matters like conscription, grain requisition, and official dispatch, old grudges become latent threats. Now that he holds the position of village head and wields authority, he will undoubtedly use his position to seek personal revenge and secretly sabotage the village. From now on, the Song family's breeding, education, shop management, and farm affairs will likely never be stable again; trouble and obstacles have already been quietly sown.

When the news reached his bedroom, Old Wang, who was resting peacefully, was instantly enraged to learn that the new village head was Uncle Bu. His chest tightened and his blood surged. He had served as village head for many years, tirelessly maintaining the village's stability, enduring hardship and mediating disputes among neighbors, exhausting his energy to achieve harmony and order. He had hoped for an upright, fair, and reliable successor to uphold the village's traditions, but he never imagined that the domineering, selfish Uncle Bu would take the position.

This person has always relied on the strength and numbers of his family to act recklessly and take advantage of others in the village, causing trouble and never being reasonable or fair. In the past, he has repeatedly disrupted village affairs and made things difficult for his neighbors. With such a mindset, once he holds real power, he will surely abuse his power for personal gain, oppress his neighbors, and turn a peaceful village into a place of unrest and chaos.

In an instant, anger, resentment, worry, and indignation surged into his heart, and the qi that had been stabilized by the medicine for days suddenly became disordered and turbulent. Old Wang's chest heaved violently, his face turned pale and then bluish, he experienced sharp pains in his chest, dizziness, and his limbs felt heavy. He froze on the bed, almost unable to catch his breath and his old illness relapsed.

Grandma Wang, who was by his bedside, was terrified when she saw his expression suddenly change and his breathing become rapid. She quickly reached out and gently patted his chest, urgently trying to soothe him: "Old man, calm down! Don't get angry! You've just recovered, you mustn't let stress harm your health!"

Hearing the commotion outside, the village elders and neighbors rushed into the house. Seeing that Old Wang was upset and in very poor condition, they all gathered around him, trying to comfort him and reassuring him not to worry and to rest. But Old Wang was filled with resentment and anger. Looking at the village affairs he had worked so hard to maintain for half his life, which had ultimately ended up in the hands of a villain, he was filled with a bitter disappointment and his eyes were filled with deep despair and helplessness.

The three of them, master and apprentice, spent most of the day working around the Wang family's house until dusk fell and the sky darkened. Only then did they pack up their medicine kits, bid farewell to their neighbors, and set off home in the cool evening breeze. Along the way, the village was quiet and still, everyone carrying the weight of the new head of the village, with no one talking or laughing, no one making a fuss.

On the way home, Xingbao was preoccupied with a concern. He truly couldn't understand it. His father's prestige in the village was growing stronger day by day. He was fair and just, and had spent years training the village children and managing the neighborhood. In terms of ability, reputation, and seniority, he far surpassed others. If his father had volunteered to take over as head of the village, how could the domineering Uncle Bu have gotten the vacancy? If his family had taken over, they could have upheld justice in the village, avoided the future threat of petty people gaining power, showing off their power, and seeking personal revenge, and prevent Song's grocery store and the school's breeding programs from being hampered and secretly sabotaged.