Xinqiao Town.
At Xu Zheng's mahjong parlor, San Pang was in the thick of a game. Today was their last day of cheating there. The parlor was nearly empty now, with only three or four games played daily across six tables, mostly by San Pang and his crew.
Once this last game was finished, Yang Jian's entrusted task would be complete. After they left, the mahjong parlor would essentially be deserted.
San Pang had already contacted Gao Daqiang and was set to start working at the repair shop tomorrow.
"San Pang, hurry up and play, what are you dawdling about?"
Opposite him was a young woman in her late twenties, a regular at the parlor. She had lost over three thousand yuan recently, and her luck wasn't good today, making her agitated.
"Sister Yu, what's the rush? How much money do you have that you can't lose? Why don't you look for your child, you're glued to the牌桌 (pai zhuo - mahjong table) all day."
San Pang was using subtle hand gestures to signal his partner at the next seat, telling him what tiles he needed. He ignored the woman's impatience, even retorting.
"How much I lose is none of your business! Hurry up and play, or it'll be dark before we finish."
As Luo Xiaoyu spoke, she glanced around. She indeed couldn't see her three-year-old son, but the game wasn't over, so she didn't search further.
"Oh my god, help! A child fell into the congee pot!"
A woman's scream came from the kitchen behind the mahjong parlor. Everyone in the parlor froze, then rushed towards the kitchen.
Luo Xiaoyu's face turned ashen. She was the only one who brought her child to play mahjong. Not seeing him now, he must have gone to the kitchen.
When she rushed into the kitchen, she saw a middle-aged woman in her forties pulling a little boy out of a large iron pot.
The stainless steel pot was sixty centimeters high and about fifty centimeters in diameter. It was half-filled with scalding hot congee, prepared by the parlor for its patrons, congee served with meat buns.
The little boy's upper body was sticky with congee, his scalp and face were red from the burn, and his body was trembling uncontrollably, unable to speak.
"Pengpeng, what's wrong?"
Luo Xiaoyu immediately recognized the little boy as her child and lunged forward, not even minding the scalding congee.
San Pang, being familiar with Luo Xiaoyu, saw that the child was still alive and quickly stepped forward. "Sister Yu, hurry and take him to the hospital, or it'll be too late."
Luo Xiaoyu finally reacted, and as she rushed out with the child, she tripped and fell, mother and son tumbling to the ground.
San Pang hurried forward, scooped up the boy, and rushed out.
The town clinic was less than a hundred meters from the mahjong parlor. San Pang ran there in one breath.
The clinic provided emergency treatment, but the little boy's eyes, mouth, and respiratory system were severely scalded. The clinic's medical equipment was insufficient for such complex surgery.
After administering oxygen, the doctor advised immediate transfer to Hancheng Children's Hospital, as even hospitals in the county seat couldn't perform such a procedure.
Luo Xiaoyu, already in a state of panic, could do nothing but cry out in anguish.
It was San Pang who suggested to the doctor that the People's Hospital arrange an ambulance to take the child to Hancheng.
While waiting for the ambulance, Xu Zheng and Luo Xiaoyu's family members arrived.
A sturdy young man slapped Luo Xiaoyu across the face as soon as he entered the hospital.
"You're always glued to the mahjong table, not even looking after your son! What good are you to me?"
The young man, clearly Luo Xiaoyu's husband, proceeded to beat her.
Luo Xiaoyu was left bruised and swollen, lying on the ground, convulsing, but no one stepped forward to intervene or help her up.
This woman was truly not to be pitied. Her family was quite well-off. Her husband ran the largest agricultural supplies store in the entire town, selling eighty percent of the fertilizer in Xinqiao Town. They had some backing.
Her in-laws were still young, and besides taking care of the child, they didn't let her do any housework, which led her to become a frequent visitor at the mahjong parlor.
Now that such a serious incident had happened to her child, her good days were over.
Seeing that his help was no longer needed, San Pang left the hospital, met up with his companions, and headed to the county town.
In a private room at "Taste of Time," Brother Mao was already waiting for San Pang and the others with food and drinks ordered.
"Master, hello."
As soon as San Pang and the others entered, they greeted Brother Mao.
"Mm, you've worked hard. How was it today? Any accidents?"
"No, the mahjong parlor's business is getting worse by the day. Xu Zheng has been suspicious lately, but he can't find the reason. Our skills are still sufficient in these small places, and with your planning, Master, Xu Zheng could never have detected our cheating."
San Pang reported, not forgetting to flatter Brother Mao.
"Mm, very good. Tomorrow, spread rumors to deliver the final blow to Xu Zheng's mahjong parlor, and we will have completed Yang Jian's entrusted task."
San Pang chuckled, "Master, there's no need to spread rumors. Xu Zheng's mahjong parlor is already on its last legs, and it might even face lawsuits."
"Why?"
"About half an hour ago, Luo Xiaoyu, who was playing at my table, was so engrossed in her game that her three-year-old son wandered into the kitchen and accidentally climbed into the freshly cooked congee pot. He was severely scalded, and it's uncertain if he'll survive."
"Damn, that's serious. Gambling and playing mahjong are truly harmful! Children are precious these days. How will that family bear it?"
Brother Mao, having experienced the heartache of having his younger brother and daughter fall ill, could deeply empathize with the pain of being a parent.
"Exactly. Luo Xiaoyu was almost beaten to death by her husband just now."
"Serves her right. Such a woman addicted to gambling is the most detestable. She has a good life but chooses to court disaster. Xu Zheng is also implicated in this. The mahjong parlor will inevitably be shut down, and they might face huge compensation, depending on whether Luo Xiaoyu's family has connections."
"Yes, Luo Xiaoyu's husband is no pushover. He almost monopolizes the fertilizer market in Xinqiao. He must have someone behind him. I heard his family has relatives in the city, otherwise, they wouldn't get so many fertilizer quotas. They definitely won't let this go."
"Mm, this saves us some trouble and allows us to give Yang Jian a satisfactory answer. By the way, San Pang, do you have any news about Yang Jian?"
Brother Mao had planned an attack on Yang Jian's hometown, which accidentally led to the death of Yang Jian's grandfather. He had been fearful, expecting Yang Jian to retaliate fiercely against Lao Gui and hoping they would both suffer, but Yang Jian had been out of prison for nearly a month with no activity. Not only could his phone not be reached, but he had also disappeared.
"No, I only saw him sitting at his grandfather's grave for an afternoon the day he returned, and I haven't seen him since. Even his neighbors don't know where he went. He's probably not home."
San Pang was from the same village as Yang Jian and would check outside Yang Jian's house every day.