Chapter 160: Getting Paid to Do the Job

"How did you know her ring was fake?" Tang Banxia asked, looking puzzled.

Wen Mubai went into the kitchen and brought out some candied walnut kernels, placing them in front of Tang Banxia. "You must be tired from dealing with a fool. Have some snacks to recharge."

Over such a long time, he knew his wife well enough; she had never been willing to waste time on such pointless matters.

Especially petty squabbles.

Tang Banxia wasn't really hungry, but she had grown a bit tempted. She picked up a walnut kernel and looked at him inquiringly.

This man was truly full of surprises. He could tell the gold purity was wrong from that far away—just how many more secrets was this guy hiding from her?

Wen Mubai poured her a cup of red date tea before speaking, "The sound was wrong."

"The sound of gold hitting an enamel cup doesn't sound like that." So he had just given it a test.

If it worked, everyone would be happy; if it failed, there was no real loss, right?

Looking at it now, the outcome was good. Remembering the dark, ashen look on Yu Mengdi's face when she left, Tang Banxia couldn't help giving Wen Mubai a thumbs-up.

Brilliant job!!

Wen Mubai smiled brightly, exceptionally happy.

After a brief moment of warmth, the two of them went out again to enjoy themselves.

Having been through a busy spell, Tang Banxia wanted to properly unwind, so she simply set aside serious business and took Wen Mubai on a thorough tour of Beijing.

For half a month, their footsteps covered the entirety of Beijing.

Until Bai Qingfeng could wait no longer, tracked them down, and blocked Wen Mubai's path. "Did you do what I asked?"

"No," Wen Mubai replied righteously. "Pay first, work later."

The reward for saving Little Dog last time hadn't been given yet, and now he wanted to order him around for something else?

Not a chance!

Bai Qingfeng ground his teeth. "Fine, fine, fine! I'll have it delivered to you!"

"No," Wen Mubai refused. "You find me a house—a courtyard house style. Consider that the payment for my next favor."

"Once the house is secured, I'll figure out a way to bring it up with Banxia," he said with a smile.

His wife wanted a courtyard house, so as a man, he naturally had to find a way. However, since he was living off his wife and had no savings, he had no choice but to bleed Bai Qingfeng dry.

The poor sap Bai Qingfeng was laughed into a fury. "Do you have any idea how precious housing is in Beijing?"

Even his family of three still lived in a crowded shared courtyard compound, yet this little brat was demanding a courtyard house right out of the gate. Why didn't he just fly up to the sky?!

"I believe in you, Old Bai." Wen Mubai gave him an affirmative look. "You're Old Bai, after all. Is there anything that could possibly defeat you?"

The fake smile on Bai Qingfeng's face could no longer hold. "You must realize the importance of this matter?"

Many of the brothers in the unit retired due to disabilities. Even though they received hefty pensions, they still had parents and family members to support, and those pensions were merely a drop in the bucket.

In fact, many brothers, so as not to be a burden to their families, had chosen to commit suicide. Brothers who had fought shoulder-to-shoulder, living and dying together, ended up in such a plight. How could they bear it in their hearts, and how could the remaining brothers in the unit find peace of mind?

Wen Mubai certainly knew, but he said, "I have already withdrawn from the Dragon Unit. These are not my responsibilities."

Moral kidnapping didn't work on him. The only reason he was able to leave the Dragon Unit back then was because, under Bai Qingfeng's cover, he had taken on a mission where the survival rate was zero.

In the end, he completed the mission, and White Wolf of the Dragon Unit died along the way. He knew his manipulations couldn't fool Bai Qingfeng, but Bai Qingfeng hadn't exposed him either.

Reconciling with Hou Xingyun was an accident. When he went to that black market, Little Dog hadn't gone yet. Later on, Little Dog quietly became the boss of the black market, and he hadn't caught wind of it at all. Had he known, he would have avoided it long ago.

Admittedly, he sympathized with his colleagues in the Dragon Unit, but he owed them no responsibility or obligation.

With this thought in mind, he told Bai Qingfeng, "My name is Wen Mubai."

Not White Wolf, nor Liang Yuan—the boy picked up by him. Just Wen Mubai, an ordinary sent-down educated youth.

Bai Qingfeng fell silent. After a long while, he finally said, "I understand."

A few days later, Bai Qingfeng came again. The first thing he did upon meeting was toss a property ownership certificate at Wen Mubai. "Here, the thing you wanted."

Because of this item, he hadn't had a moment of peace these past few days.

Wen Mubai took it, checked it over, and tucked it into his pocket. "Alrighty, guaranteed to satisfy you."

Wouldn't it have been better to be this straightforward from the start?

Bai Qingfeng wearily rubbed the space between his brows. "As soon as possible. One of the brothers is in a really bad condition."

"Deal."

Wen Mubai agreed readily, and carried out the task just as promptly.

That very night, after Elder Tang returned, Wen Mubai pulled the old man into a room and muttered in low tones for a while.

The next day, Elder Tang sought out Tang Banxia.

"Baozi, there's something Grandpa wants to ask your opinion on." Elder Tang poured his granddaughter a cup of hot tea. "Grandpa knows a group of people and would like to ask for your help in treating them."

"Alright," Tang Banxia agreed without hesitation.

Elder Tang smiled. "Wait until Grandpa finishes speaking before you agree."

"Those people have rendered meritorious service to the country, but they cannot afford decent compensation. In other words, the consultation fee you receive will be very meager."

"I have no problem with that," Tang Banxia replied with the same stance.

Healing required a benevolent heart, let alone treating national heroes who had made contributions to the country.

She didn't ask why people who had contributed to the country couldn't secure good medical treatment; she understood the kind of person her grandfather was.

If there was truly no other way, he wouldn't have brought this up to her.

Elder Tang was immensely gratified. "Good, truly worthy of being my Baozi."

"Go call Mubai in." After rejoicing for a moment, the old man continued.

Tang Banxia was puzzled, but she still went to call Wen Mubai inside.

Once Wen Mubai entered, he exchanged a glance with Elder Tang, communicating silently. The old man said, "Baozi, it's not very convenient for you to go alone. Let Mubai go with you so he can lend a hand when needed."

"Sure," Tang Banxia had no objections.

Anyway, Wen Mubai staying at home all day was quite boring; having him tag along to help out wouldn't hurt.

Naturally, Wen Mubai had even less objection.

Just like that, Wen Mubai successfully acquired a house, and when Bai Qingfeng found out later, he almost gritted his teeth to pieces.

This cunning wolf cub had clearly thought of a solution long ago and still played dumb with him!

Thinking of the price he had paid for that house, Bai Qingfeng felt a sharp ache in his heart.

Yet he had to admit that what the wolf cub did was indeed the most appropriate and fitting choice for him.

After all, the wolf cub's identity had already been officially acknowledged and cleared in the hearts of the Tang family's heads.

Wen Mubai was completely unaware of Bai Qingfeng's internal monologue; he was busy following his wife to treat the sick and save lives.

The place Bai Qingfeng arranged was in a tranquil small courtyard. When Wen Mubai and Tang Banxia arrived, only Yu荨 (Yu Xun) was inside among the able-bodied people.

She had been instructed by Bai Qingfeng to pretend not to recognize Wen Mubai upon meeting him, and she dedicatedly introduced the conditions of everyone in the courtyard to them.

Combining her introductions with pulse-reading, Tang Banxia greatly improved her efficiency.

The people in this courtyard were either missing limbs, blind, or deaf; not a single one of them was whole.

After checking them one by one, Tang Banxia had a rough idea in her mind. Then she said, "I'll need a couple of days to prepare a treatment plan, and I'll also need some medicinal herbs. You'll need to get them all ready."

Yu Xun glanced subtly at Wen Mubai. Wen Mubai nodded, and Yu Xun said, "No problem."

Tang Banxia nodded and picked up a brush to write out a medicinal herb list. This time, she didn't embezzle any for herself; she wrote down purely the herbs required for treatment.

"In addition, this sheet is a medicinal bath formula. Before treatment, have them soak in it for a few days; it will be much better for their bodies."

These people in the courtyard were covered in scars. Especially after being injured, they hadn't received proper care, and their nutrition hadn't kept up, causing various bodily functions to deteriorate.

From the wounds on these people, Tang Banxia already had a clear idea of the profession they engaged in. If possible, she wanted to give these people the most meticulous care...