Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 92 Flies Don't Land on Eggs Without a Crack

Now, let's talk about Jiang Zhushan. He was a lecherous and wicked man. He only appeared to be honest and humble, but in reality, he was treacherous and cunning.

Upon seeing Pan Jinlian, a woman of unparalleled beauty, he felt as if a thousand ants were crawling all over his heart, making him unbearably itchy.

However, intimidated by Zheng Tu's fierce and menacing appearance, they dared not make a move.

Back at the clinic, he was restless, feeling both frustrated by the man surnamed Zheng and envious of Wu Da for marrying such a beautiful woman.

At that moment, a sudden inspiration struck him, and he remembered a subtle symptom he hadn't investigated when examining Wu Da: the pulse was weak and hesitant, and there seemed to be an unusual color at the root of the tongue...

But at the time, he was only focused on stealing glances at Pan Jinlian and was startled by the fierce man surnamed Zheng, so he hastily diagnosed her with "wind-cold turning into heat".

Looking back now, it was indeed a missed diagnosis.

However, he immediately shook his head, cursing inwardly, "What merit does that short, stocky fellow, Gu Shupi, possess? Does he even deserve to marry such a beautiful woman? I, Jiang Zhushan, though short in stature, am a graduate of the Imperial Medical Academy, literate, and in every way superior to this fellow!"

In his words, he had already transferred all the resentment he had suffered from Zheng Tu onto Wu Dalang.

"The prescription I've given you won't kill you, it's just treating the symptoms, not the root cause, it'll only prolong your suffering! I'll let you, this tiny little thing, endure a few more days of torment, tossing and turning in bed, and enjoy it to the fullest!"

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhushan smiled slightly, and the pent-up anger in his heart dissipated, making him feel much better.

He couldn't help but feel secretly smug: "So what if that scoundrel is burly and fierce? He's offended me, Physician Jiang, and your brother will have to suffer for him!"

As his anger subsided, he couldn't help but recall Pan Jinlian's seductive face, her hourglass figure, and the alluring way she swayed her hips and moved gracefully as she walked...

A surge of heat rose in my heart.

Seeing that the sun was setting and there were no more patients in the shop, he simply packed up his writing brush, ink, and medicine box, closed the shop early, and went straight to the brothel to seek pleasure.

………………

What an absurd night.

The next day, when Jiang Zhushan came out of that courtyard, he was still quite pleased with himself.

He straightened his clothes and was about to return to the clinic when he overheard the maid who was keeping him company at night complaining to her sisters:

"What a worthless piece of trash! He has no strength at all! He bought some shoddy goods to fool me, a useless piece of junk! If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have taken this job last night..."

It turned out that Jiang Zhushan knew he was not very capable, so he bought some clever things, but he ended up making things worse and was disliked by the girl even more.

Upon hearing this, his face flushed red and then turned pale, overwhelmed with shame and indignation.

But facts speak louder than words, and he dared not turn back to argue. He simply lowered his head, pretended not to hear, and quickly left the brothel, slinking back to his own shop in disgrace.

With nowhere to vent his frustration, Jiang Zhushan's attitude towards patients who came to see him worsened when he returned to his clinic.

His language was rude, and his prescriptions were nothing more than perfunctory and hasty.

Those who came to see the doctor, especially the more hot-tempered ones, snorted coldly and immediately turned and left upon seeing his behavior.

Those with a gentle nature, though dissatisfied, could only swallow their anger, grab the medicine, and leave in a hurry.

Within half a day, the clinic became deserted.

After venting his frustrations, Jiang Zhushan felt better and didn't seem to care about the shop's quietness.

As long as his Imperial Medical Academy reputation remains intact, patients will naturally flock to him for treatment.

He breathed a long sigh of relief, and just as he was about to have some free time and relax with a cup of tea, two people staggered in through the door.

Both men were around thirty years old; one was tall and thin, and the other had a shifty, rat-like appearance.

The two men walked unsteadily, their eyes glazed over, as if they were drunk.

Upon entering, the two men didn't greet him but went straight to the bench in front of the consultation table and sat down, their four eyes fixed on Jiang Zhushan.

The tall, thin man spoke first: "Doctor Jiang, do you have any dog ​​roe in your shop?"

Jiang Zhushan was taken aback, thinking the two were drunk and talking nonsense.

Having just vented his anger, and seeing that two men had come to his door together, he dared not act rashly.

He smiled at the two men and said, "Sirs, don't try to fool me. In the herbal medicine business, we only sell bezoar, not dog gallstones."

The tall, thin man then asked, "Since you don't have dog's roe, you can have ice ash! Show it to me, I want to buy a few ounces from you."

"The herbal medicine shop only has borneol, which comes directly from the Persian Kingdom in the South China Sea. But where do they get the borneol ash?"

Jiang Zhushan frowned slightly and patiently replied.

Upon hearing Jiang Zhushan's words, the shifty-eyed man next to him immediately sneered and stopped his companion.

"Don't waste your breath on him! This fellow has only been running the shop for a few days; how could he possibly recognize these two precious medicinal herbs? Let's talk to him about serious matters instead!"

His face darkened as he stared at Jiang Zhushan. "Second Brother Jiang, don't play dumb! You borrowed thirty taels of silver from this Brother Lu three years ago after your wife died. With interest, it must be quite a sum by now! We're here today to collect the debt!"

It turns out that these two are none other than Lu Hua, the snake in the grass, and Zhang Sheng, the rat crossing the street!

Jiang Zhushan was completely baffled: "What, thirty taels of silver? I..."

"Why!"

Zhang Sheng, the rat crossing the street, interrupted him with a forced smile, saying, "When we first came in, we didn't ask you for the dog-yellow and ice-grey items directly to save face for you! Now that you've opened this shop and are dressed like a respectable person, if we directly ask for payment, it might ruin your reputation and make us seem heartless."

Therefore, I'll first use a few nonsensical words to teach you to admit your mistake. Since you're so ungrateful...

His smile vanished, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes: "You'll have to pay this money back eventually!"

Upon hearing this absurd debt-collection, Zhushan opened his eyes wide in fright and exclaimed, "I didn't lend him any money! You two must have mistaken me for someone else!"

The tall, thin man sneered, "You didn't borrow any money, yet we're asking you for it? There's an old saying, 'Flies don't fly into eggs without cracks'! Stop making excuses like that!"

Jiang Zhushan composed himself, carefully examining the two men. Realizing they were complete strangers, his expression turned cold: "I don't know your names, and we've never met before. Why are you asking me for money out of nowhere? This... what's going on?"

Seeing Jiang Zhushan's expression change, Zhang Sheng, the "street rat," chuckled slyly:

"Brother Jiang, you've made a mistake! Since ancient times, it has been said that 'officials are not poor, and those who default on debts are not rich.' Think back to when you were down on your luck, walking from street to street selling plasters with a string of bells on your back—how pathetic you were!"

"Wasn't it thanks to Brother Lu's constant help and support that you were able to save up some capital and open this clinic? And now, dressed in silk and satin, sitting here, you're turning your back on his kindness?"

Before Jiang Zhushan could react, the tall, thin man who called himself Lu Hua immediately interjected, "My surname is Lu, and my given name is Hua. People call me Grass Snake. Three years ago, your wife died, and you had no money for the funeral. You came to my door crying and begging for a loan of thirty taels of silver to send your wife and children off. We agreed on three-tenths interest at the time, and now, three years later, the principal and interest should amount to forty-eight taels. Today, I'm short on cash, so I have no choice but to ask you to pay me back!"

Jiang Zhushan felt a chill run down his spine and panicked, repeatedly saying, "Where would I borrow money from you? Even if I did, there should be a written agreement, a promissory note, or a guarantor! Do you have any proof?"