Chapter 36: Conceded

"This memorial portrait was likely brought to school by Zhang Shuya and picked up by your son. You must burn it; otherwise, the source of the resentment remains, and even if he is cured this time, your son will be afflicted again!" Chen Dabao said with a grave expression.

Chen Dabao could understand the situation regarding Zhang Shuya's mother. She had been young, beautiful, and possessed a happy family, but having died suddenly in a car accident in her early thirties, her resentment was undoubtedly intense. Such resentment was no match for an adult, but it was more than enough to bewitch a young child.

"Alright, alright!" Zhang Wei hurriedly pulled out a lighter, ignited it with a 'click,' and moved to burn the photograph.

But the next second, a chilling scene unfolded before them. As soon as the flame from the lighter neared the half-photograph, it turned a ghastly green, failing to ignite the paper at all. Even though the men in the room were seasoned figures of the underworld, they felt a cold sweat break out across their backs.

"Good heavens, this is hellishly strange!" A-Qiang’s eyes widened as he blurted out the words. Zhou Wan bit her lip hard, trembling with fear.

Zhang Wei quickly pulled the lighter away and struck it again; the flame returned to its normal color. Yet, as soon as he brought it back beneath the half-photograph, the flame turned that eerie green once more. The cold, ghostly light reflected on everyone's faces, creating a horrifying atmosphere.

"Divine Doctor Chen, th-this, what is going on?" Sweat beaded on Zhang Wei’s forehead. In all his years, he had never seen anything so sinister.

"The resentment has not dissipated; she died with lingering regrets!" Chen Dabao produced a silver needle, channeled the Heavenly Mystery Qi, and tapped it directly onto the photograph. "No matter how unwilling you are to let go, life and death are destined. You should not be haunting a child!"

The needle shattered the evil spirit!

*Sss!*

As the needle pierced the photograph, Chen Dabao saw the dense resentment being punctured and instantly dispersing.

"It is done!" Chen Dabao nodded slightly. Zhang Wei swallowed hard and struck the lighter again. This time, the flame did not change color; in an instant, the photo caught fire and burned away.

"It caught!" Zhang Wei breathed a sigh of relief, and Zhou Wan’s tightly clenched fists finally relaxed.

A-Qiang and the other sturdy men watched this scene in astonishment. Previously, they had suspected Chen Dabao might be a fraud, but they no longer felt that way. Chen Dabao possessed genuine ability.

"Divine Doctor Chen, is my son okay now?" Zhang Wei asked anxiously.

"He is fine!" Chen Dabao nodded. Channeling the Heavenly Mystery Qi, he tapped Zhang Wei’s son on the forehead, infusing a strand of the energy into his body.

The boy immediately opened his eyes. "Dad, I'm so hungry!" the child murmured weakly.

"Knowing he's hungry is a good sign, a good sign! Quick, get him something to eat!" Zhang Wei waved excitedly at Zhou Wan, who hurried toward the kitchen.

"He hasn't eaten properly for days, so his body is weak. Make him some thin porridge, boil two eggs, mix the egg whites into the porridge, and feed that to him first. Let him recover for a couple of days before returning to normal meals." Having finished his task, Chen Dabao put away his silver needles, ready to leave.

"Divine Doctor Chen, you are my son's savior. Let’s exchange numbers. If you need anything in the future, just say the word. I won't claim I can move mountains or drain seas, but if it's within my power, I will never refuse!" Zhang Wei said with great solemnity as they exchanged contact information. He didn't offer empty platitudes, but he was sincere about helping where he could.

Chen Dabao smiled and did not refuse; having more friends meant more paths to take.

"Mr. Chen, I had no filter earlier. I’m a rough man and don't know how to speak properly. Please don't take it to heart!" A-Qiang rushed over and, with a swift motion, slapped himself across the face twice before Chen Dabao could stop him.

"Forget it, I forgive you!" Chen Dabao waved his hand helplessly to show he hadn't taken it to heart. Afterward, Zhang Wei arranged for a driver to take Chen Dabao back to Peach Blossom Village.

"I got back one hundred thousand from Liu Fugui, and with this one hundred thousand, that’s two hundred thousand—nearly enough to buy a decade-old wild mountain ginseng!" Back at home, Chen Dabao put the money away. He needed wild ginseng to decoct the Return-to-Spirit Soup. The older the ginseng, the better; in his previous life, wild ginseng had been plentiful, and he had mostly used roots aged several decades or even centuries. In this life, he lacked those conditions and had to settle for second best—a decade-old ginseng would barely suffice.

"Dabao, are you home?" Just as Chen Dabao finished putting the money away and was preparing to head out to pick strawberries for Xianxian Fruits, a voice as clear as silver bells rang out from outside the door.

"Sister Ya, Sister Annie, why are you here?" Chen Dabao hurried to open the door, only to see two great beauties standing there, each more radiant than the other.

Chen Ya wore a dress, dressed conservatively, with her long, raven-black hair tied back in a ponytail. Huo Annie’s attire was far more provocative; she wore a miniskirt that revealed a pair of straight, slender legs, smooth as frost and white as snow, glowing under the sun. These legs were perfectly rounded and elegantly curved—truly a masterpiece. Her upper body was clad in a sexy camisole, and as she moved, her curves shifted subtly; when she leaned forward, a deep, bottomless cleavage was visible. Below the camisole, a sliver of her fair, delicate waist was exposed. As the saying goes, a woman's waist is like a lethal blade, and Huo Annie’s willow-thin waist certainly lived up to the reputation. It was truly stunning.

"Sister Annie, if you walk around dressed like that, I don’t know how many men in Peach Blossom Village are going to have their ears pulled by their wives today!" Chen Dabao laughed.

"That’s not my concern. A good figure is meant to be shown off. If we don't show it off, why go through all the trouble of maintaining it?" Huo Annie said triumphantly, generously displaying her beauty.

"Alright, enough showing off!" A flicker of unreadable emotion crossed Chen Ya’s beautiful eyes. She stepped forward, intentionally or not, blocking Chen Dabao's view. "Dabao, it's already so late; did you just get up?"

"Not at all, I just stepped out for a moment. Sister Ya, Sister Annie, come in and sit!" Chen Dabao opened the door wide to invite them in. "I’ll make you some tea!"

"No need for the trouble, Dabao. We came today because we wanted to see your strawberry field," Huo Annie waved a hand. "After the test sales of the 'Sweet-to-the-Heart' strawberries yesterday, the feedback was excellent. Many regular customers have messaged me wanting to place orders!"

"I asked Chen Ya to come with me today because we wanted to conduct a site visit to see if you can increase the supply!" Huo Annie had not expected that on the very first day of sales, the 'Sweet-to-the-Heart' strawberries would capture the hearts of so many regulars. Last night alone, twenty or thirty of them had messaged her wanting to order more. These regulars were all high-end, discerning clients, and Huo Annie had never seen them this proactive before.