C16 Apologizing Conference

After Yongzi returned, he immediately secluded himself in his room.

Wang Caifeng, too, had a rough time getting back home.

Upon returning that evening, Tang Fugui saw the barren table and grew annoyed.

"What's going on? Why isn't dinner ready?"

Unable to contain herself after Tang Fugui's complaint, Wang Caifeng burst out of the room.

"What's all the yelling for? If you're hungry, cook it yourself!"

Wang Caifeng was like a lit fuse.

At eight o'clock, Yongzi finally managed to get dressed and stagger out of the house.

Tang Fugui confronted him.

"Why are you going out so late?"

Yongzi shot a fierce glare in Wang Caifeng's direction.

"To make a fool of myself!"

Tang Fugui's expression turned grave.

"What exactly happened?"

Yongzi let out a cold snort.

"It's all thanks to my mother's wonderful actions! If you want to know what happened, ask her!"

With that, Yongzi stormed out.

Watching this unfold, Wang Caifeng felt a surge of desolation and pointed at Yongzi.

"Ah, after all the effort I put into raising him, I never expected to end up with such an ungrateful child. What's the point of my life? I might as well be dead!"

As she spoke, Wang Caifeng reached for a rope.

Tang Fugui quickly grabbed her.

"Don't talk like that. Yongzi is probably just upset. He's usually very respectful!"

...

Yongzi made his way to the crowded plaza, looking unsteady and noticeably pale.

Ergou spotted him and couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, isn't that our Village Secretary? What's happened to you?"

Yongzi pointed at Ergou.

"Say one more word, and I swear I won't let you off the hook!"

Yongzi was seething.

Ergou knew well that Yongzi, as the Village Secretary, could be handled by Tang Jin, but not by him.

Without responding to Yongzi's threat, Ergou turned and walked away.

Tang Jin, accompanied by Xia Churan and Little Milk Bun, approached at a leisurely pace.

He spotted Yongzi at the plaza intersection and made his way toward him.

"Village Secretary, we had an agreement! You can't renege on it now, can you?"

Yongzi caught sight of Tang Jin, his face breaking into a radiant smile, though his chest simmered with anger.

"Jin, we can have our fights and our jokes, but now, even if I don't apologize, the whole village knows what happened. So..."

Hearing this, the smile on Tang Jin's face momentarily solidified.

"What? Is the honorable Village Secretary considering breaking his promise?"

Tang Jin's voice boomed.

The villagers turned their heads, their gazes fixed intently on Yongzi.

Caught in a tough spot, Yongzi found himself unable to back down.

"Fine, I'll apologize, but make no mistake, Tang Jin, I won't forget this!"

Yongzi took to the stage.

"Today, I've made a grave error. Due to my own biases, I falsely accused Comrade Tang Jin. I hereby apologize to Comrade Tang Jin and vow never to repeat this mistake!"

As the crowd witnessed this, their faces were alight with barely concealed amusement.

Overwhelmed by their grinning faces, Yongzi collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Tang Jin had only intended to knock Yongzi down a peg, not anticipating such a strong reaction.

In that moment, he quickly passed Little Milk Bun to Xia Churan, who, feeling concerned, handed the child to Ergou.

"Please take good care of Little Milk Bun! I'm going to check on Yongzi with Tang Jin."

Ergou nodded in agreement.

"Sister-in-law, go ahead with Jin. I've got Little Milk Bun covered!"

Xia Churan nodded in return.

Tang Jin approached Yongzi, and without a word, hoisted him onto his back and dashed toward the town.

Back then, medical resources were scarce. Each village had an old doctor, but with the introduction of mandatory medical licensing, few traditional doctors managed to qualify. So for any serious ailment, villagers had to seek treatment at the town hospital.

The establishment of the Health Center finally made it easier for the villagers to access medical care.

Without a moment's hesitation, Tang Jin sprinted the entire way.

The news quickly reached Wang Caifeng and Tang Fugui, who immediately dashed toward the hospital.

Upon their arrival, the on-duty nurse swiftly arranged a ward for them. The attending doctor examined the situation and a look of grave concern crossed his face.

"Sigh, he's been overcome by stress. Some medication and an IV should do the trick! Don't forget to settle the medical bill later!"

Without any hesitation, Tang Jin went straight to the reception area and paid the hospitalization fees, totaling three dollars and forty cents.

Xia Churan, witnessing the scene, gave Tang Jin a disapproving look.

"You, why did you have to blow this whole thing out of proportion?"

Xia Churan frowned.

Tang Jin scratched his head in frustration.

"I didn't know it would come to this. If I had any idea, I wouldn't have insisted on him apologizing in front of the whole village, even under threat!"

Xia Churan gave Tang Jin another eye roll.

"Luckily, he's alright. Otherwise, you'd be facing jail time!"

Tang Jin could only offer a sheepish smile.

"I understand, I was just too upset! Besides, if he hadn't apologized, the village would probably be abuzz with rumors!"

Xia Churan understood Tang Jin's point.

"Yeah, you're right."

Just then, Wang Caifeng and Tang Fugui arrived in a hurry.

Entering the hospital, Wang Caifeng burst into tears.

"My son, what has happened to you?"

The other patients in the vicinity looked on with discomfort at the commotion.

A nurse approached.

"Please, this is a ward. We must keep the noise down."

But Wang Caifeng was inconsolable.

"My son is in trouble, and you're saying I can't cry as his mother?"

Tang Fugui's face was stern.

"Stop making a scene. Are you trying to curse our son? He's not dead!"

Upon hearing Tang Fugui's remarks, Wang Caifeng finally toned down her behavior.

Wang Caifeng and Tang Fugui arrived at the hospital ward, where they found Tang Jin and Xia Churan.