Under Lin Chun’s guidance, Ling Chen arrived at the village entrance and saw the road blocked by the landslide. Several dozen ters of road were obstructed by soil, rocks, and collapsed utility poles and trees. Not only were motorcycles unable to pass, but it was also extrely troubleso for people to make a trip out. Plus, the village’s equipnt was rather rudintary, making it impossible to clear these things away, leaving them with no choice but to wait for a rescue team to arrive.
While strolling around the village for a while, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Little one, who was the madman you talked about that day?"
Upon ntioning ’madman,’ a trace of fear appeared on Lin Chun’s young face. "Big brother, that madman is an old man from our village. He left when he was in his teens and disappeared without a trace for about fifty years before returning. Ever since he ca back, for so reason, he’s been screaming every night inside his house, like crying ghosts or howling wolves, scaring many villagers. Besides, the madman is sowhat ntally unstable. Once he has an episode, he turns unrecognizable, shouting to hit and kill people, injuring many villagers."
"He’s just an old man, isn’t there anyone in the village who can subdue him?" Ling Chen found it a bit strange.
"Big brother, you don’t know, the madman is incredibly skilled. Even seven or eight young and strong n are no match for him. Every ti the madman goes crazy, the entire village has to mobilize. To prevent the madman from randomly hurting people, the village even specially crafted several iron chains and cages to deal with him. But you haven’t seen it, those iron chains and cages are useless against the madman. When he goes mad, he can even break the chains. Later, it was only thanks to my sister’s return that we figured out how to use tranquilizers to subdue him."
Obviously, the madman was feared by everyone in the village. At the ntion of him, Lin Chun’s face was full of fear.
Breaking chains... Ling Chen’s eyes lit up, and he imdiately understood. Possessing such skills, the madman was surely soone who practiced martial arts, and a strong one at that. How interesting, I didn’t expect to encounter a master here. What a pity the madman has gone insane; otherwise, I could have had a good exchange with him.
Thinking of this, Ling Chen asked with great interest, "Little one, where does the madman live?"
"Why are you asking this?"
"Just curious," Ling Chen replied.
"The madman doesn’t live in the village," Lin Chun said. "Although he sotis goes mad, when he’s not, he acts quite normal. He knows the villagers dislike him, so to avoid harming them, he moved out and lives on the mountain over there."
Lin Chun pointed to the mountain opposite, "There is a natural cave there that the madman lives in, and he forages for wild vegetables on the mountain when he’s hungry."
"What’s the madman’s na?"
Lin Chun thought for a mont and said, "If I rember correctly, the villagers used to call him Yang Junfeng. His parents died early, and he never married, so the villagers pitied him and let him stay in the village; otherwise, they would have driven him away long ago."
Ling Chen nodded without asking further. He guessed Lin Chun didn’t know much. After wandering around for more than an hour, Ling Chen felt a bit sleepy due to his still weak body. Returning to the clinic, his keen eyes noticed a crossbow in the corner, with a quiver next to it containing over a dozen crossbow arrows.
"Is that your sister’s stuff?"
"Yeah," Lin Chun said. "It’s all used to deal with the madman. When he’s in a frenzy, no one can get close to him, so we have to fit tranquilizer darts onto the crossbow arrows. Practically every household is equipped with such things."
Tsk tsk! Who would have thought the villagers of Xianghe were so professional, even equipping themselves with such weapons to deal with the madman.
That day, after Lin Han finished changing Ling Chen’s bandages, she took him out for a walk as usual. After chatting for a few days, Ling Chen got to know more about her situation. After graduating from dical school, Lin Han interned at a major hospital in East Sea City. Her professional skills were so strong that she received praise and acknowledgnt from the hospital managent. If she continued to work at the hospital, it wouldn’t take long for her to beco an outstanding doctor.
However, due to her parents’ accident, Lin Han had to abandon city life and return to Xianghe Village, living a mundane life. Still, one could hear from Lin Han’s tone that she yearned for life outside the village. If not for her younger brother, she would have returned to East Sea City long ago.
"Lin Chun is not young anymore; are you planning to send him to school?" Ling Chen asked.
"I’m planning to send him to school in town next year. By then, I’ll find a job in town and rent a place," Lin Han replied.
"Why not just take him to East Sea City?"
"Living in a big city is nice, but you need enough financial strength. Rent, tuition, living expenses—do you think a newly graduated university student like can afford it? It takes at least one or two years as an intern before becoming a full-ti employee in a hospital, and interns’ salaries aren’t high. I can’t afford to support two people. Besides, my parents left quite a bit of debt before they died, and I have to repay it."
Ling Chen pointed to his nose and smiled, "I can help you. You saved , and I haven’t paid you dical expenses yet."
"You?" Lin Han smiled slightly, "Forget it, you’re not exactly rich."
"Oh?" Ling Chen asked with interest, "Why do you think I’m not rich?"
"When I was in East Sea City, I t many wealthy people. A few rich second-generation kids even pursued . They drove luxury cars, wore designer brands, and the watches they wore cost tens of thousands of yuan. Moreover, the rich second-generation kids who pursued gave lots of branded clothes and bags. Although I refused them, I have seen the world. Look at you; your clothes are ordinary, similar to mine. You’re not picky about food, eating whatever is available, and you don’t talk down to people with that superior attitude. Anyone with a slightly better family background tends to think highly of themselves, but you don’t, which ans you’re like —maybe a bit better off, but that’s it.
Ling Chen chuckled, "Your analysis makes sense."
"Am I wrong?" Lin Han seed to recall sothing at his words and gently sighed.
"What’s wrong?" Noticing Lin Han’s change in mood, Ling Chen couldn’t help but ask.
"It’s nothing, just thinking of so unhappy things." Without waiting for Ling Chen to ask more, Lin Han changed the subject, saying, "It’s getting late. Let take you back. My brother cooked braised taro for lunch today."
"Your brother’s cooking skills aren’t bad,"
Lin Han laughed, "Of course, you should see who taught him."
In the blink of an eye, a few more days passed.
Under the ticulous care of the Lin siblings, Ling Chen’s injuries gradually healed, and he could already walk on the ground. However, this quick recovery speed surprised Lin Han quite a bit.
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