Thinking of this, Lin Feng quickly descended the mountain along the path he had come. As for the famous, ancient trees alongside the road, Lin Feng had neither the time nor the mood to admire them one by one.
Just as Lin Feng was running towards Talin and was about to leave Tanzhe Temple, an old man suddenly appeared at the roadside, blocking Lin Feng's way!
Lin Feng hurriedly stopped in his tracks, but due to the slippery road from the rain, combined with his quick descent, he couldn't stop in time and went "bang!" right into the old man!
"Ouch!" the old man screamed, then immediately fell to the ground!
"Young man, watch where you're going! Didn't you see an old man in front of you? Ouch, it hurts so much!" The old man sat on the ground, continuously rubbing his left foot, his face twisted in pain, and kept on complaining.
"How can you blame me? It was you who suddenly ran out!" Lin Feng was speechless inwardly, but he said aloud, "I'm terribly sorry, uncle! I hope you haven't been hurt? I am a doctor, let me have a look. If you're injured, I'll take you to the hospital!"
As Lin Feng spoke, he made a move to squat down and check the old man's left foot.
"A doctor, huh? No wonder you're so reckless! Nowadays, doctors strut around in hospitals, treat patients poorly, take red envelopes, get kickbacks from medications, and patients have to tolerate your attitudes. One slip-up and you'll refuse treatment! Oh, I dare not go with you to the hospital! If I go to your hospital, you'll chat with your colleagues, and even if I'm sick, you all will say I'm fine! I'm not a fool!" The old man shook his head vigorously, adamantly refusing.
"..."
Lin Feng was utterly speechless!
"Uncle, not all hospitals and doctors are as bad as you think! There are some who take bribes and kickbacks, but they are the minority after all. Most doctors are good! Besides, if there really is an issue, doctors won't cover it up or lie about it!" Lin Feng didn't want to explain too much, as society's misunderstanding of doctors was too deep, but it was necessary to persuade this old man to go to the hospital since he had fallen due to the collision.
"Save your breath! Today's doctors are just like those in office, all covering for each other! I don't dare go for a check-up with you!" The old man was still unwilling.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Feng said, "Well then, how about this? You name a hospital, and we'll go to the one you mention for a check-up. That should put you at ease, right?"
"Humph! Young man, don't try to deceive me! Who knows if you have acquaintances in other hospitals too? I won't fall for it!" The old man continued to shake his head firmly in disagreement.
"So, what should we do?" Lin Feng was out of ideas.
The old man seemed to think for a moment, then said, "How about this, you give me some money, and I'll go myself. That way, you won't know which hospital I went to, and I won't be afraid of you conspiring with the doctors there!"
Lin Feng thought to himself, "So, this old chap wants money!"
However, Lin Feng had no other option. Seeing the sky getting darker and a severe storm approaching, continuing to argue would only result in getting soaked, and no conclusion would likely be reached.
Thinking of this, Lin Feng asked, "If that's the case, then all right! I have two hundred yuan here, uncle. You can go to the hospital and get an X-ray to see if there's anything wrong with your ankle."
"Two hundred yuan? That's not enough even for a meal! What if there's something wrong with my foot? Where will I find you for compensation?" The old man looked disdainful.
"Two hundred yuan is enough for an X-ray! Besides, from what I see, your foot should be fine." Lin Feng's tone became increasingly stern, realizing the old man was taking advantage of him.
"You think just saying it's no problem makes it no problem?" the old man said disdainfully, "But seeing you just now, it wasn't on purpose, so here's the deal! My legs aren't what they used to be, and I have to take a taxi to the hospital. The ride there would cost me hundreds, so give me five hundred bucks, and we'll call it even! Otherwise, we should call the police and let them decide!"
"Five hundred? Why don't you just rob me!" Lin Feng cursed quietly to himself!
However, it was Lin Feng's night shift that evening, and it was already noon. If he went to the police station, even if it wasn't his fault, it would delay his night shift.
Thinking of this, Lin Feng sighed, reached into his pocket, and pulled out exactly five hundred and twenty yuan.
"Was this old man just saying anything, or did he somehow know I had exactly five hundred yuan in my pocket? Even I didn't know how much money I had!" Lin Feng muttered to himself, but he quickly pulled out the money and handed it to the old man.
"Old man, you go to the hospital yourself then! I'm leaving." Lin Feng finished and walked around the old man, ready to retreat down the mountain.
"Young man, what's the hurry? Wait a minute!" The old man, having taken the money, blocked Lin Feng's path.
Lin Feng stopped, furrowed his brow, and turned to ask, "Is there something else?"
"Hehe, young man, I see that your forehead is dark and your face lacks luster. Have you been having bad luck lately?" The old man then stood up, walked up to Lin Feng, and asked with a smile, showing no sign of injury in his nimble legs.
Lin Feng had already realized he had been scammed by this old man, but there was nothing he could do.
"What does that have to do with you?" Lin Feng said, clearly displeased, as anyone who had just been scammed wouldn't be in a good mood.
"Hehe, young man, don't be so impatient! Since I think highly of you, let me give you something that will rid you of your bad luck," the old man said, as he pulled a jade pendant from his pocket and handed it to Lin Feng.
"Uncle, you saw it yourself, I've only got twenty yuan left on me, I can't afford your pendant," Lin Feng hastily said.
"Young man, how can you talk like that? Considering you kindly, I took out this family heirloom Ancient Jade! How can you think like that?" the old man said, feigning outrage.
"Uh, thanks for your kindness, but I really need to go, it's about to pour down rain!" Lin Feng was in no mood to waste any more time with the old man and moved to leave again.
"Don't rush!" the old man grabbed Lin Feng's hand and said, "This is my family heirloom Ancient Jade! It changes misfortune to luck, and transforms difficulties to auspiciousness! It couldn't be more suitable for you!"
"But I really don't have any money left! Look, just twenty yuan, if you agree, I'll give it to you." Lin Feng was near tears, wondering how he had come across such a person!
"Twenty yuan? That's a bit little," the old man's gaze involuntarily scrutinized Lin Feng up and down, making Lin Feng very uneasy.
"Alright, let's make it twenty then! Since you seem like a very decent young man, I'll take a loss," the old man said, took the twenty yuan from Lin Feng's hand, pushed the so-called Ancient Jade into Lin Feng's hand, and then turned and walked away without looking back.
Lin Feng looked at the so-called Ancient Jade and couldn't help but wryly smile. What Ancient Jade? It was no different from a rock! But anyway, it was something he had exchanged for twenty yuan, so he couldn't just throw it away. With the rain about to start pouring down, Lin Feng hurriedly made his way down the mountain.
Just as Lin Feng's figure disappeared at the foot of the mountain, the old man suddenly reappeared on the mountain trail, watched Lin Feng's retreating figure, and revealed a mysterious smile, then suddenly vanished from the spot without a trace!