Chapter 5

Wang Yang did not inquire about how Boss Sun dealt with Wang Chun and Xia Ping. He quickly bid farewell, as three classmates were waiting for him at the hospital.

However, judging from the changes in their expressions, Wang Yang had a good idea of Boss Sun's final decision. Sending these two to prison was the best punishment. In modern society, Boss Sun couldn't just kill them, and sending them to prison was sufficient.

"Where have you been? Why did you come back so late? I couldn't even get through to you on the phone!"

Inside the hospital, Sun He and the others were anxiously waiting. Wang Yang and Boss Sun had been out for quite some time. They had waited for the clinic to open, for the test results, for Qin Fang to arrive, and then to catch the adulterers at the hotel. The whole process took over five hours. The three of them had already eaten lunch, and they were naturally worried that Wang Yang hadn't returned.

"Sorry, I was helping Boss Sun with something, and my phone was dead!"

Wang Yang immediately apologized. He had forgotten to charge his phone the previous day, and it had run out of power in the morning. Since he had been with Boss Sun all day, he hadn't had the chance to charge it, which was indeed his fault.

Sun He walked over and, without pressing further on the matter of Wang Yang being unreachable, said with concern, "It's good you're back, Wang Yang. You were right yesterday; Pengchao really does have a lung disease!"

Yan Pengchao was looking down, lost in thought, while Ma Teng wore a worried expression. In the morning, while Wang Yang was away, they had accompanied Yan Pengchao for a medical examination. The preliminary diagnosis was that he had chronic pneumonia, and the doctor advised him to return home for treatment, as the Tibetan region was not suitable for his condition.

"Chronic pneumonia!" Wang Yang's expression became very serious. Chronic pneumonia was not easy to treat. Although it wasn't immediately life-threatening, it would be difficult to cure and would require a significant amount of money.

Among the four, Sun He's family lived in the city, while Wang Yang and Ma Teng were from the county. Only Yan Pengchao's family was from the countryside. While their conditions were not poor, they were not particularly well-off either. Yan Pengchao was not an only child; he had a younger brother who was in his final year of high school and about to go to university. The family was already under financial strain supporting two students.

His illness would certainly be a burden on the family, which explained the expressions on their faces.

"Second Brother, you guys can stay and have fun, but I can't accompany you. I've already checked the train schedule; there's a train passing through a nearby county tonight. If we leave now, we can still catch it!"

"Nonsense! If you're leaving, we're leaving with you. How could we let you go alone while we stay here to have fun?"

Wang Yang glared at Yan Pengchao, who lowered his head even more. Sun He and Ma Teng looked at Wang Yang with surprise. Wang Yang seemed a bit different from his usual self, though they couldn't pinpoint exactly what was different. He just seemed more mature and commanding.

"Boss, Third Brother, why don't we all leave tonight and go to Pengchao's place first? We might be able to help in some way!"

Wang Yang looked up and said to Sun He and Ma Teng. Usually, he called them by their names, but for important matters or serious situations, he would address them by their seniority, like Yan Pengchao did.

"I agree. Wang Yang is injured, and Pengchao is not well. There's no point in staying here to have fun. Besides, I really don't like the high-altitude environment here."

Ma Teng was the first to agree, and Sun He nodded. In fact, Sun He had already been thinking about going back before Wang Yang returned. With Yan Pengchao's condition, no one had the heart to continue their trip.

"You don't have to come back with me!"

Yan Pengchao looked up, his eyes slightly red. He understood that his brothers were giving up their trip to the Tibetan region for his sake. They had worked for half a year in different places to save money for this trip, and Sun He had even stayed away from his sick mother to fulfill their shared dream.

"Don't talk nonsense. We've already been to the Tibetan region and visited the Potala Palace. There's no regret in going back."

Sun He smiled. With everyone in agreement, their actions became much quicker. After confirming that Wang Yang was fine, they quickly checked out of the hospital. Wang Yang charged his phone and sent a text to Boss Sun, informing him of his decision to return. He didn't call, knowing that Boss Sun was busy and in a bad mood, and it wouldn't be appropriate to disturb him directly.

Yan Pengchao's home was in SMX City, LS County, Central China Province. After getting off the train, they took a three-hour bus ride to reach the county. Yan Pengchao's father picked them up on a three-wheeled motorcycle. By the time they arrived at Yan Pengchao's house, it was already past eleven at night, and everyone was exhausted.

Wang Yang fared a bit better but still showed signs of fatigue. The long journey had been tiring.

Yan Pengchao's home was a two-story house facing south, with a large yard and side rooms. Such houses were common in the countryside. Nowadays, regardless of their economic situation, most families would build a small house, and it was rare to see new houses built as single-story homes unless the family was very poor. Yan Pengchao's house was simple, with no exterior decoration, making it relatively inexpensive to build.

Yan Pengchao had a younger brother named Yan Pengfei, who had just graduated from high school and reportedly did well, possibly even better than Yan Pengchao. Having two college students in the family was a source of pride in the village.

Yan Pengchao's father looked to be in his fifties. He drove the three-wheeled motorcycle directly into the yard. After getting off, Sun He and Ma Teng shook their bodies vigorously, feeling as if they were about to fall apart. Only by shaking could they confirm that their bodies still belonged to them.

Wang Yang, however, frowned as he walked around the yard. The yard was quite large, about 300 square meters. Rural homesteads were spacious, and the yards were large. On the east side was a side room with a locked door, and on the west side was an open door leading to a room with a stove.

The room was dark, and it was hard to see what was inside. Wang Yang shook his head and soon followed Yan Pengchao to rest, as he was also quite tired.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, Wang Yang woke up early. After a good night's rest, he felt completely refreshed and even better than before. Feeling energetic, he immediately left the room, leaving Sun He and Ma Teng to continue sleeping.

Last night, the three of them shared a room and a large bed. The weather at the foot of the mountain was not hot, and with a fan, they slept comfortably. Based on Wang Yang's understanding, the two of them wouldn't wake up until late morning, and if they were at school, they would probably sleep until noon.

"Good morning!"

In the yard, Wang Yang was surprised to find someone already there, a teenager of about seventeen or eighteen, washing his face at the water pipe. The teenager was taller than Yan Pengchao, and they looked very similar, leading Wang Yang to guess his identity.

"Good morning! You must be my brother's classmate. Welcome to our place!"

The teenager looked up and smiled, confirming Wang Yang's guess. He knew Yan Pengchao had a younger brother, but he had never met him. Yan Pengchao often praised his brother, saying he was taller, better-looking, and more academically successful.

"Thank you. Why did you wake up so early?"

Wang Yang slowly walked over. In the countryside, there was no specific bathroom; a water pool and a water pipe were placed in the yard. The water pipe was powered by a motor, and a bucket of water was usually placed there for use.

"I've been having trouble sleeping lately, probably because the college entrance exam just ended, and I haven't adjusted yet."

Wang Yang had already reached the water pipe. Yan Pengfei had just finished washing his face and looked up. Seeing his face, Wang Yang was slightly taken aback. Yan Pengfei's complexion was very pale and weak, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

This was not the main issue. The most critical thing was that a layer of gray mist enveloped Yan Pengfei's face and body, indicating a severe curse that had affected his health.

"Ugly Ghost Six Sha Position!"

Wang Yang muttered softly. When he saw the curse, the name and explanation naturally came to his mind. After saying this, he immediately turned and looked at the kitchen on the west side.

The kitchen was newly built, and there was a pigsty nearby. The sky was already bright, and Wang Yang noticed this.

"What did you say?"

Yan Pengfei asked softly, looking at Wang Yang with confusion. Wang Yang's voice had been too low, and he hadn't heard clearly, only catching some words about "Sha."

"Nothing, I'm going to check out your kitchen."

Wang Yang shook his head and walked into the newly built kitchen. Inside, there was a large pot, and the interior was deep, filled with some weeds. Next to the door was a table with a cutting board and other kitchen items.

The stove had a firewood opening, but fortunately, it was not directly facing the door. Even so, the kitchen had almost committed every taboo, making Wang Yang sigh.

"Xiaofei, can I call you that?"

Wang Yang walked out of the kitchen and asked Yan Pengfei, who had just finished washing up. He had heard Yan Pengchao often refer to his brother as "Xiaofei."

"Of course, my brother calls me that too."

Yan Pengfei walked over, drying the towel and hanging it up. He had just finished the college entrance exam and did well, about to become a college student like his brother.

"When was this kitchen built?"

Wang Yang asked again. The brick walls were new, indicating it was recently built, but the exact time was unclear. Knowing when the kitchen was built would help Wang Yang make a better judgment.

"Less than a month ago, before the college entrance exam. I remember my father saying that the old kitchen collapsed during a rainstorm, so they built a new one. I was busy preparing for the exam in the county and wasn't at home."

Yan Pengfei was curious about Wang Yang's question but still answered. Before the exam, Wang Yang breathed a sigh of relief. The time was short, indeed less than a month. If it had been longer, something serious might have happened to their family.