This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Du Heng was a little curious about Zhao Bin's words, so he asked, "What happened that made you all feel a bit disheartened?"

"Our chicken farm is next to his plot of land. I wanted to expand the chicken farm, so I asked him to contribute his land as an investment. That way, he could have a stable income." Zhao Bin paused for a moment, hesitated, then continued with gritted teeth, "I don't know which son of a bitch Zhao Qiang listened to, who told him that by us using his land for a twenty percent stake, we were actually exploiting him, and that we would even steal his land. He actually believed it and caused a huge ruckus. My mother almost fainted from anger. We don't want to deal with someone so clueless. Let him do whatever he wants. If he'd rather believe outsiders, let him believe them to his heart's content."

Du Heng was also speechless. Was this person's intelligence a bit lacking? And whoever was sowing discord must be a truly nasty, rotten individual.

While they were talking, the two arrived at Zhao Qiang's house.

To the south were newly built bungalows with three rooms. On the west side were the collapsed ruins of an old house. Debris and scrap wood were piled in the courtyard, uncleared. Half of the earthen courtyard wall was also gone; it looked like it had fallen onto the road and, because it blocked people's way, had been cleared by someone else.

The yard was overgrown with weeds. The most vigorous ones were as thick and sturdy as small saplings. But what was most astonishing was that weeds were also growing thickly beside his newly built brick house. There were even two particularly tenacious, unnamed weeds that had stubbornly pushed through the brick seams, poking out their tender green heads. Like two playful children, they swayed in the wind, curiously observing this 'blessed land' that had allowed them to flourish.

There was one incongruous detail: amidst this jungle of weeds, a bare path, only twenty centimeters wide, had been trodden out. It was evident that the person who frequently used this path deeply "cherished" the weeds in his yard, never once straying even a single step to the side.

When they reached the gap where the courtyard wall was missing, Zhao Bin wanted to jump straight over, but Du Heng thought it would be impolite. After all, judging by the worn path in the courtyard, the owner of this house usually entered through the main gate. Climbing over the wall would be undignified; they should knock on the door.

Zhao Bin glanced at Du Heng as if he were looking at someone with neurological disorders, but then he seemed to find the idea amusing. He clapped the dirt from his hands, walked to the other side where the 'aloof and independent' main gate stood, and pounded on it, shouting, "Zhao Qiang, are you home? A leader from the township is looking for you!"

After shouting, he took a few steps to the side and peered at the house's entrance through the opening in the collapsed wall. Seeing no movement, he went back and pounded on the gate again. "Zhao Qiang, stop playing dead and open up! President Du from the Health Clinic is here to see you."

Zhao Bin was having fun, but Du Heng suddenly felt his earlier suggestion was truly idiotic. Wouldn't it have been better to just go in directly, instead of standing here knocking like a fool?

Zhao Bin paid him no mind; in fact, he seemed to have found an amusing new game. The sound of his banging on the gate even developed a rhythm. "KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK! Open up! BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG! We need to see you!" He was thoroughly enjoying himself.

The more Zhao Bin enjoyed himself, the more Du Heng felt like an idiot, but he was too embarrassed to change his mind.

After they had been shouting for a good while with no response from inside, and Zhao Bin had apparently tired of his game, he turned to Du Heng and said, "President Du, it seems Zhao Qiang isn't home. How about we go in and take a look?"

Zhao Bin had been pounding on the gate so thunderously and for so long without anyone appearing that Du Heng figured the house must be empty. He said, "Let's not go in. We can just sit here and wait for a bit."

Zhao Bin stretched his head to look inside again, then sat down with Du Heng on the remaining half of the wall.

Looking around, Du Heng saw that Zhao Qiang had neighbors on both sides, and their houses were well-built. Most importantly, the areas in front and behind their houses were very neat and tidy. Only Zhao Qiang's house lacked a courtyard wall, and the ruins of an old house were piled up in his yard.

"Zhao Bin, does Zhao Qiang have any family left?"

"Family?" Zhao Bin looked as if he'd heard a joke. A deeply ironic smile touched his lips. "Since Zhao Qiang isn't here, let me tell you about the bizarre happenings in his family. There isn't a single normal person among them."

"Go ahead, tell me." Since he was idle anyway, Du Heng figured he might as well listen to a story.

Zhao Bin adjusted his posture and moved closer to Du Heng. Perhaps realizing it wasn't good to gossip, he lowered his voice considerably. "Zhao Qiang's father had just finished building the house six years ago when he passed away. Half a year later, his mother remarried."

Du Heng's eyelids twitched. "That quickly? It had only been half a year."

Zhao Bin's smile deepened, a mix of mockery, disdain, and a trace of disgust. "Quickly? Bizarre, isn't it? Let me tell you something even more bizarre. The man Zhao Qiang's mother remarried was introduced to her by Zhao Qiang's own sister."

"His biological sister?" Du Heng felt his mind couldn't quite process it. Only half a year after her father's death, she introduced a suitor to her mother? And left her younger brother home alone? My Lord in Heaven, could the lack of intelligence in this family be hereditary?

"Yes, his biological sister." Zhao Bin laughed outright this time. "You think that's the end of it? If you knew who the man she introduced was, you'd die laughing."

"Who was it?" Du Heng's curiosity intensified.

"Zhao Qiang's sister's father-in-law."

"****! She introduced her own mother to her own father-in-law? Is she out of her mind?" Du Heng was flabbergasted by this news. Her father had only been dead six months, and she introduced her mother to her father-in-law? Was this to have her mother continue as her mother-in-law, making them even closer relatives? This kind of thing, Du Heng reckoned, no one with even a shred of sense would do.

"So, did it happen?"

Zhao Bin sneered. "It did. Within a month, Zhao Qiang's mother left. She went to help her daughter's father-in-law, serving his parents. The most ****ing outrageous part was, this 'aunt' of mine actually held a wedding ceremony in her son's house. The reputation of the Zhao Family was completely ruined that day."

"Didn't Zhao Qiang try to stop her?"

"Stop her? He ****ing personally sent his mother onto the car for picking up the bride! The reputation of the Zhao Family was trampled and repeatedly ground into the dirt by that mother and her two children that day."

Du Heng let out a long breath. Unbelievable people, a whole family of them.

"So now that Zhao Qiang is in this state, his mother hasn't come back to take care of him?"

"You're kidding, right? How could she come back? It's been over three years since Zhao Qiang's accident. She's only come back twice. Both times, she steamed two pots of bread for Zhao Qiang and then left."

Was this his real mother? Du Heng had his doubts.

"Maybe she came when you didn't see her?"

"Impossible. In a village this small, if someone farts at the end of the village, everyone at the edge of the village can hear it. How could we not know if a living person returned?"