The Quack (2)

"Doctor Su, to be honest, I'm not afraid to embarrass myself in front of you kind people. My family is very poor, I'm an orphan, and I grew up with my grandparents."

Su Ziyang hadn't expected Er Biao's background to be like this, so he could only pour tea for Er Biao to indicate that he had no other opinion.

"Two thousand yuan was my living expenses for a year at the time. I really didn't have any money; it was money my grandparents had saved up for me by scrimping and saving. I even borrowed some money from relatives for my tuition!"

After taking a sip of tea, Er Biao continued, "I told them I didn't have any money and I didn't want the medicine, but the security guards and staff there said the herbs had already been prepared and couldn't be put back; I had to pay."

"Isn't this a rip-off?" Su Ziyang was a little surprised that such a place even existed. "How did you resolve it later?"

"Later, I said I was this teacher's student, and the security guard called the teacher down. This teacher actually said, 'Let me contribute; the herbs are indeed ready and can't be put back, the clinic can't afford the loss!'"

Er Biao chuckled bitterly, then looked at Su Ziyang with a helpless expression. "Two thousand yuan, two thousand yuan. Even a hero can be brought down by a penny, let alone two thousand yuan. And I'm no hero, I'm just a student who knows nothing! I called my classmate, took all the two thousand yuan in cash I had in my bag, and then paid the fee!"

"The people in the clinic all looked at me strangely, like I was an idiot. Haha."

At this point, Er Biao laughed again, but it was a bitter laugh, "Two thousand yuan worth of medicine, I decocted each dose four times and tried to eat even the dregs. But I still have diarrhea, it's completely ineffective."

"Sigh~" Su Ziyang sighed upon hearing this.

He knew what two thousand yuan meant to a child going to a place he didn't know for the first time. He also knew what two thousand yuan meant for a family like Er Biao's.

"I've lost a year's living expenses, and I still need to eat. So I went out to do part-time jobs and odd jobs. But I got ripped off even when I was doing part-time jobs, and people bullied me even when I was doing odd jobs!" Er Biao's eyes were a little glazed when he said this, as if he was recalling the hardships he had endured.

"It wasn't until later that I gradually found out that this teacher was a complete fraud. He taught first-year students every year, and for students who were just starting out with Traditional Chinese Medicine, he portrayed himself as a god, then ripped them off. Since the students were mostly newcomers and from out of town, they all had to suffer in silence!"

"But other people's families are well-off, so it doesn't matter if they get ripped off. I can't afford that; if I get ripped off, I'll starve to death."

"So you dropped out of school because of this?" Su Ziyang thought Er Biao dropped out because he couldn't afford food and couldn't survive.

"No." Er Biao shook his head. "Doing odd jobs doesn't earn enough money, and it wastes time. I can't attend classes during the day, and I often fail roll call. If I don't go out to work for a day, I can't eat."

"Haha!" Er Biao suddenly laughed at this point, "Once, when I was working part-time at a hotel, a guy asked me if I wanted some easy work that paid quickly. It was definitely not illegal!"

"What kind of job?" Su Ziyang was a little surprised; there was such a good thing.

"What kind of work are you most familiar with, Doctor Su? Hahaha. Medical disputes, you know. The first time I went there, it was to hold a wreath for people, 100 yuan an hour!"

"Damn, you were doing this kind of work when you were in college?" Su Ziyang cursed.

When Su Ziyang swore, Er Biao realized that Su Ziyang wasn't the stereotypical serious old scholar, so he spoke more relaxed.

"Yeah, I got into it. I hated quack doctors so much back then, and I took it all seriously. Not only did I earn back the two thousand yuan I'd been ripped off, but I even managed to save some!" Er Biao shrugged and chuckled. "When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can be a problem. I don't think even TV dramas could portray this!"

"After a few tantrums, I landed a big job. I'm the deputy lead troublemaker. Guess who I'm tantrumming about?"

Er Biao relaxed completely and even started to keep everyone in suspense.

"It's not some stupid teacher from your school, is it?" Su Ziyang boldly guessed.

"Haha, right!" Er Biao slapped his thigh. "That's the idiot! Turns out he has a good memory, he recognized me! That bastard took revenge and fired me!"

Su Ziyang listened to Er Biao's dramatic experiences, he couldn't help but sigh at the myriad aspects of life, its joys and sorrows.

Sometimes friends just hit it off immediately. Listening to Er Biao's enthusiastic narration, Su Ziyang downed three cups of hot tea, and his stomach started rumbling again.

"Let's go, I'm hungry. Shall we go out and get something to eat?"

Su Ziyang found Er Biao interesting and actually started inviting him over.

"Huh?" Er Biao was surprised that Su Ziyang would invite him.

"Oh, what? I haven't eaten dinner yet. Let's go out for something to eat; it's boring alone. My treat. I think your stories are interesting. Come on, let's grab something to eat together!"

Su Ziyang pulled Er Biao up and started walking outside.

Er Biao does the work of a scoundrel, but he's not a scoundrel himself; he's young and has a bit of character.

Following Su Ziyang, they walked out, but Su Ziyang suddenly stopped after taking a step. He picked up the Dong'e Ejiao and Zhonghua cigarettes from the table and stuffed them back into Er Biao's pocket.

"What's going on?" Er Biao asked, puzzled as he watched Su Ziyang put the things back.

"Alright, keep the money you made from this commotion for your grandparents. I don't smoke or take supplements, so take it back! Fine! Stop arguing with me, let's go! Let's go!"

Su Ziyang spoke with an air of unquestionable authority, and then, with his arm around Er Biao's, he walked out.

Su Ziyang and Er Biao were about the same size, but Su Ziyang was much stronger than Er Biao because he had been training his body for a while. He put his arm around Er Biao so that Er Biao could not push him away, and the two went out directly.

They randomly picked a barbecue restaurant on the street and sat down inside.

"You order!" Su Ziyang told Er Biao the food.

"You order, you order!" Er Biao politely pushed the menu back to him.

"Okay, I'll order!"

Su Ziyang ordered some lamb skewers, beef skewers, chicken wings, and a variety of cold dishes and snacks.

"Doctor Su, we can't possibly eat all this!"

Er Biao realized the value of money when he was in college, so he lived a very frugal life.

"Yes, I can eat it!"

Because of his practice, Su Ziyang had an astonishingly large appetite and never worried about not being able to finish his food.

"Doctor Su, I have a question. Can I drink alcohol with this injury?"

Er Biao licked his lips with a smile.

"Sure, no problem. Want a drink?"

Su Ziyang raised an eyebrow and looked at Er Biao.

"Have a drink!"

When the beer arrived, Er Biao rushed to pour Su Ziyang a glass, then poured himself a full glass as well.

"Doctor Su, it's a pleasure to meet you, a true gentleman. I am not a gentleman, but you are, so I salute you!"

Er Biao actually held the wine glass with both hands and toasted Su Ziyang.

"No, no. We're not doing that. We're all around the same age! Let's have a drink!"

Su Ziyang picked up his wine glass, clinked it with Er Biao's, and then downed the wine in one gulp.

"We've been chatting for so long, and we haven't even introduced ourselves yet. My surname is Su, and my given name is Su Ziyang. 'Zi' is from the Rat and Ox, and 'Yang' is from the Sun!"

Su Ziyang filled his glass and introduced himself.

"My name is Li Jinghu. Because I'm a bit impulsive in my work, people gave me the nickname ' Er Biao)! Haha. Just call me Biaozi!"

Er Biao also clinked glasses with Su Ziyang in a hearty manner and downed another glass.

"Haha, what an interesting name! Let's eat skewers, eat skewers, and order more if we're still hungry. It's on me!"

The skewers arrived, and after Su Ziyang finished eating a lamb skewer, he said, "I really hate you medical malpractice troublemakers. I've seen some when I was in college. They were pretty scary! All that smashing and vandalism!"

"Hey Ziyang! Those were all low-level tactics!"

When talking about his profession, Er Biao became even more energetic, picked up a skewer, and began to talk animatedly as he ate it.

"There's a difference between different levels of skill?!" Su Ziyang was quite surprised.

"Of course, I've roughly categorized these into several types: civil disturbance, military disturbance, and disturbance involving both civil and military elements."

Er Biao threw down the skewer and began to explain to Su Ziyang.

"And then there's the difference between making a reasonable fuss and making an unreasonable fuss."

"How can you explain this? There are so many intricacies!"

Su Ziyang's eyes lit up, his curiosity piqued.

"Of course. 'Civil protest' means using tactics, like sit-ins and acting like a rogue. 'Violent protest' means vandalism, you've seen that. 'Rational protest' means claiming there was indeed medical malpractice, and the family is dissatisfied with the compensation and wants more money! 'Unreasonable protest' means claiming there was nothing wrong, and it's just pure extortion!"

Er Biao poured Su Ziyang a drink, then continued, "Doctor Su, it's not that I'm being righteous. I hate quacks, so I only take action when there's a valid complaint. In other words, I'll only intervene if the hospital is truly at fault!"

"Wow, that's amazing! My goodness! What's that saying? It's like, 'In every profession, there are top performers.' You're truly incredible!"

Su Ziyang gave Er Biao a thumbs up repeatedly.

"You flatter me, you flatter me!"

Er Biao chuckled, and the two clinked glasses and downed another drink.

The two chatted and laughed, and after three bottles of beer, the atmosphere became even more lively.

"..."

Er Biao began to tell Su Ziyang about his experiences of causing trouble at a hospital and the strange things he had encountered.

"One year, one year!" Er Biao's face began to flush. "One year, I encountered something. It was also the most idiotic doctor I've ever met in all my years of practice. There was a girl who had vaginal bleeding during PE class. She went to the hospital for a checkup, and this doctor... you know... did that to her! Can you believe it? Isn't that the work of a beast?"

"Damn it, what did you do with that scumbag?"

Su Ziyang stared at Er Biao.

"To be honest, Ziyang, I think this is one of the best things I've ever done. We really stood up for justice!"

Er Biao waved his hand and downed another cup.

"This little girl's family is also poor. That hospital only protected this doctor, shirking responsibility. Because he's a deputy director, and he'll be promoted to chief director in a year. I gathered a few buddies, we made a scene, and helped this family get that old man arrested. We even got a lot of compensation! Although the damage can't be undone, we did our best to make up for the girl's losses!"

"Well done, brother! Well done!"

Su Ziyang toasted Er Biao three times in a row.

Er Biao was even happier to have gained Su Ziyang's approval, and quickly refilled Su Ziyang's glass.

"Honestly! Er Biao, quit this job. I don't deny your chivalrous deeds, but what about people like me? You've come here too! If I'm not capable, does that mean I have to suffer, be punished, or even be kicked out?"

The two poured each other drinks, Su Ziyang began to advise Er Biao.

"I quit, I quit! I promised you, and I'll do it. A man's word is his bond, you trust me!" Er Biao, a little tipsy, patted his chest and reassured Su Ziyang once again.

"Ziyang, me? I wasn't planning on quitting anyway. Even though I was fired, I've been studying massage on my own all these years. I've saved up a little money, and I'm going to go home and rent a shop. I'll open a massage parlor!"

"That's good, that's good! I wish you success! Come on, Biaozi, let me toast you!"

Su Ziyang downed another cup in one gulp.

"Uh~" Er Biao hiccuped. "But Ziyang, you've misunderstood me about this!"

"What is it?" Su Ziyang was a little tipsy from drinking, and he propped his elbows on the table as he looked at Er Biao.

"It's not that I don't understand you that's why I came to cause trouble at the hospital. I came because Fu Xinyu told me that you're stealing his patients, prescribing expensive Chinese medicine, cheating them, and then bullying them. That's why I came!"

Er Biao picked up a vegetable roll, ate it, and explained.

"That's what he told you?" Su Ziyang scratched his head, surprised by Fu Xinyu's character.

"That's right!!! If he said, 'Your acupuncture needles are all excellent, your medicine is very effective, and you have a good temper,' I wouldn't even come! Really! Lying is my son's fault!" Er Biao adopted the same posture he had just used when he swore an oath.

Do you know how I offended him?

Su Ziyang countered with a question.

"That's exactly what I was going to ask you! Why? Even though it's our first day meeting, you have such a good temper. If someone treated me like that, I'd kick them the moment I saw them! You're not like that, you're a true scholar!"

Er Biao is now completely convinced by Su Ziyang's actions.

"It's because one of his patients fainted during the injection, and I helped him!"

Su Ziyang recounted to Er Biao the whole story of how he helped Fu Xinyu resolve the issue of a patient who fainted during a needle that morning.

"Holy crap, this kid's such a scoundrel! He's biting the hand that feeds him!" Er Biao shouted out, drawing strange looks from those around him.

"How did you two meet? You're a few years older than me, but Fu Xinyu is younger than me!"

Su Ziyang was a little curious as to why Fu Xinyu, a recent graduate, could know Er Biao, a professional medical dispute mediator.

"Hey, don't even mention it. Once we were eating at a barbecue stall near his university, and he got chased and beaten up by a few guys. We yelled at them a couple of times, just like when you see injustice, you have to speak up. I later found out that this guy was cheating on his girlfriend, that's why they beat him up! This guy's got some connections; he paid for our meal that day, and afterwards, whenever he needed something, he'd call me and ask me to give him some money so I could find a couple of people to help him out or something. We got to know each other pretty well after a while."

Su Ziyang was amazed by the coincidence of Er Biao meeting Fu Xinyu; it was something even novels wouldn't dare to write.

"That kid's a rich kid, and a real troublemaker. He's always getting into fights. By the way, Ziyang, you better watch out. That kid even asked me to find someone to mess with you today! I ignored him, but he'll probably go find someone else. You can't be too careful! You need to be careful!"

Er Biao warned Su Ziyang to be on guard!

"Okay, I got it! Come on, drink up!"

Er Biao a high alcohol tolerance, Su Ziyang was someone who could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. The two of them went back and forth, exchanging toasts, and actually drank three and a half cases of beer!

In the end, Er Biao was really drunk, his words were slurred, while Su Ziyang circulated his True Qi, took two urinations, and was nine-tenths sober.

After paying the bill, I helped Er Biao walk home.

Er Biao put his arm around Su Ziyang's shoulder, muttering, "Ziyang, Ziyang! Quack doctor... quack doctor! Quack doctor, quack... doctor, they all deserve to die!!!"