Volume 1, Chapter 40: Impatience

"Ren Guangyuan, you spineless coward! I told you your father left all his money to others, but you just wouldn't believe me."

"Well, look at it now. Look at that car, look at those gifts on the car—why aren't they giving them to you? Aren't you his son?"

"All you ever do is tell me to be patient. Can we even go on living like this?"

The sound of the argument outside drifted clearly into the courtyard.

As the silver needles were pulled from Ren Guoliang's ears, the shrill, shrewish scolding from outside became impossible to ignore.

"What's all that noise out there?"

Guo Dong, busy cleaning the silver needles, smiled. "It's my eldest aunt."

Ren Guoliang’s expression darkened, and he immediately headed toward the courtyard gate.

"Grandpa, just stay here. Going out there will only make things worse."

Ren Guoliang looked back at Guo Dong, his face looking rather grim.

"Dad, just let her talk. I'm used to it," said the younger aunt, rubbing the spot on her face where she had been struck the day before.

It was an act so transparent that even Guo Dong couldn't stand it. She was clearly trying to stir up trouble.

"Who is she arguing with? Guangyuan?"

The younger aunt shook her head. "She's complaining that you’re biased, that you left more land to our family than theirs. She makes a scene every day. Guangkun can't take it anymore, which is why he's rarely home lately. And today, she’s brought up the family heirloom again."

In the past, Ren Guoliang couldn't hear a thing. He would sit in the courtyard with a book, and everything outside had nothing to do with him. But now, with his hearing restored, all he could hear was the abrasive, shrew-like shrieking. How could he endure that?

*Bang!*

He pulled the courtyard gate open and stepped out.

"What are you arguing about? What is there to argue about? I’m not dead yet!"

The noise came to an abrupt halt. The eldest aunt, who had been grappling with her husband, suddenly spun around.

"Dad... you can hear? Your ears are better?"

Ren Guoliang’s face was livid as he looked at his son and daughter-in-law. "Argue, keep arguing! You’re both making a complete fool of yourselves!"

"Dad, that’s not fair. If you weren't playing favorites, would I be arguing with him?"

"Playing favorites?" Ren Guoliang laughed in anger. "Then tell me, how exactly have I been playing favorites?"

The eldest aunt seemed a bit afraid of Ren Guoliang, but she persisted. "If you aren't, then where is our family heirloom? Don't think I don't know that ever since you hung up your practice and stopped seeing patients, those dozen needles all went to Guangkun’s family. Our family didn't get a single one!"

What needles?

Guo Dong stepped out of the courtyard, about to pull out the silver needles to defend his uncle, but Ren Guoliang stopped him.

"Who told you those silver needles were given to Guangkun?"

The eldest aunt replied indignantly, "Didn't you give them to him? If not, where are they? I've searched every corner of where you live and couldn't find them. Don't think I don't know that those things are antiques; you can't buy them even with money. Someone told me last time that those thirteen needles are made of a special material. They’re worth more than gold!"

She didn't seem satisfied yet; in fact, she grew more excited, stepping forward a few paces.

"Everyone, judge for yourselves. We’re both his sons, so why does all the good stuff go to the younger one? Is the older son not a son too? Someone said those needles are worth eight hundred thousand! If he had sold them and given each family a few hundred thousand, would I be making such a fuss?"

*Slap!*

A hand landed on the eldest aunt's face. It was Guo Dong’s eldest uncle who had struck her. The blow was so fierce that five finger marks instantly appeared on her cheek.

The eldest uncle had poked a hornet's nest. The eldest aunt immediately collapsed to the ground, wailing and shouting that she couldn't go on living like this.

Ren Guoliang was also trembling with rage. He waved his hand, signaling for Guo Dong to come over.

"Fine. Since that’s how you feel, I won't hide it from you! Those silver needles are indeed our family heirloom. But they were passed down by our ancestors, and I can give them to whomever I please. If any of you had shown some ambition, I wouldn't have had to give them to someone else!"

Guo Dong had already taken the box of needles from his pocket and placed it in his grandfather's hand.

"These needles—I am passing them on to Guo Dong!"

*Boom!*

His words landed like a thunderclap, impossible for them to accept. As just mentioned, this box of needles could fetch eight hundred thousand.

Ren Guoliang held the needles, his eyes slightly moist. "I am not giving him silver needles; I am passing on a legacy! You all looked down on it, didn't want to learn it, and wouldn't even master the family skill, so why should I pass it to you? Sell it for money? How can you even say such a thing!"

Ren Guoliang took out one of the silver needles, seemingly lost in memory.

"Your great-grandfather relied on this ancestral medical art to support the whole family and bring it to prominence. By your grandfather's generation, during the famine, he relied on this same medical art to keep all eight of us siblings alive. Even though Traditional Chinese Medicine isn't highly regarded these days, it is still our heritage. How can a person forget their roots?"

Ren Guoliang’s voice grew louder, and by the end, his body was shaking.

"Eight hundred thousand? You really underestimate our ancestral treasure. These dozen needles—forget eight hundred thousand; even if you offered me eighty million, I wouldn't sell them!"

With that, he handed the needles to Guo Dong and turned his gaze to Ren Guangyuan.

"Guangyuan, keep your wife in check. Since Guo Dong cured my ears today and I’m in a good mood, I won't hold it against her. If there’s a next time, kick her out yourself. I have no use for a wife who ruins the family reputation!"

Having said this, he took Guo Dong by the hand and walked back into the courtyard. "Number Two, tell Guangkun to buy some good food. Today, I’m going to have a few good drinks with my in-laws!"

Guo An, who had been standing at the gate watching the show, suddenly started clapping.

"Well said! Old friend, you’ve finally made me look at you with new respect today. A person can forget anything, but they must never forget their roots! Don't let the current lack of respect for Traditional Chinese Medicine fool you; there are some illnesses that simply must be treated by it."

For once, the two men were on the same side, and the person they were criticizing was none other than Ren Guoliang’s daughter-in-law.

...

Meanwhile, at the Xianghe Hotel in Hongwu County.

"Miss, where is your manager?"

"Why are these dishes so much more expensive when the ingredients are the same?"

"And this one too! It’s several times more expensive!"

The beautiful waitress smiled upon hearing this. "Sir, it’s a matter of the ingredients. The cabbage and spinach used in these two dishes were purchased by our chairman at a very high cost. The raw materials are expensive, so these dishes are priced accordingly."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Initially, it hadn't seemed like much, but the waitress's explanation piqued the customers' interest.

"Then bring me one of each. I want to see what's so different about these dishes!"

It was the first time the cabbage and spinach were being used in the hotel, and Liu Yang wasn't sure what the effect would be. He was waiting, too.

He sat in his office, flipping through documents, but his heart wasn't in it. He opened his computer to browse, but still felt restless.

The phone on his desk remained silent, and he was becoming increasingly anxious. If this phone didn't ring, he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight!