Sister-in-law Wang and others returned from the town sobbing and wailing. If any villagers happened to bump into them and curiously asked what happened, they would learn of the affair. The more astute villagers could guess the reason behind it, and were unsure whether to laugh or sympathize.
Wang Dali and his group were not fools. After hearing the whole story, they quickly understood why. However, aside from cursing the doctors for their greed and lack of medical ethics, they had no choice but to sullenly allow their wives to carry the chest of silver back to town and humbly request the doctor to treat their injuries at home. They were the pillars of their households, after all. If they were to become disabled or useless, that would be a true loss of life.
