Chapter 56: Secretly Happy
Lao Guan's shout startled Wang Deming into waking up and he quickly raised his hand.

Lao Guan said with a face full of resentment: "Man, even if you don't want to meet my daughter, you don't have to be so cruel, right?"

Xia Xi, who was standing next to him, said with a smile without changing his expression, "Lao Guan, how do you feel it now?"

“Is your lower back feeling better?”

"My little apprentice was born to do this job!"

"Just this massage has cleared up all the congestion in your lower back meridians!"

Lao Guan twisted his buttocks and said with a look of surprise: "Hey, it's true!"

"Doctor Xia, you are a great teacher and you have great students!"

"Haha, Lao Guan, you have learned to speak so elegantly now? Come on, get up, and pull the cart more slowly from now on."

"Well, it's not like the old days. When we were wrestling, I could give you an arm."

"Don't brag! With your skills, isn't there a Shen San on the overpass? You should go find him and practice when you have time."

Lao Guan supported his lower back and slowly stood up, while reaching into his pocket to pay. He still refused to accept the fact and retorted, "That's Shen San, if I were 20 years younger, he wouldn't be a match at all."

Xia Xiwu pushed a dollar back to Lao Guan and said, "Lao Guan, you are not rich, forget about the money."

"Well, you don't charge me this time, how can I come next time?"

"It's not just that I won't charge you. I'll help as much as I can. It's just a matter of effort. I can live a decent life now. I don't have to worry about food and clothing."

Lao Guan carefully stuffed the dollar back into his pocket. His eyes were slightly moist, but he pretended to laugh heartily and said, "Okay, I won't thank you anymore."

"If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know!"

"Row!"

Lao Guan stood in front of Wang Deming and looked him up and down carefully. He still asked with no hope, "How is it, man?"

"Shall I bring it here tomorrow?"

"It's no big deal to meet him."

"Uncle Guan, I'm really married!"

"That's not a big deal! Who has only one wife among the rich and powerful?"

"It's a deal." Lao Guan stood at the door, waved, and left.

Xia Xiwu laughed and teased Wang Deming, "Deming, it's okay for the old Guan family's daughter to take a look."

"I've seen that child before. He's good-looking, with thin eyebrows and big eyes, a good figure, and he's also very agile."

"Only two years older than you."

"Your sister doesn't lack a place to live anyway."

Well, it seems that even the master thinks that he is prevaricating. Wang Deming tilted his head slightly, smiled bitterly and replied: "Master, I am really married, and my wife is in the countryside."

Senior Brother Wu Dinghuan had already helped Yuan Dalu, who had broken his leg, to rub the bruises on his thigh. He took the two yuan from Yi Zhonghai and was surprised to hear that Wang Deming was married. He asked curiously, "Junior Brother, how come you got married at such a young age?"

"Where is your sister-in-law from?"

Wang Deming's eyes swept across the faces of everyone in the room who were listening to gossip. Damn, Jia Zhang, what's with that look in your eyes?
Are you jealous that I got married earlier than your son?
Are you staring at me so fiercely? Like an enemy?
The words "Qin Huairu from Qinjiacun" were already on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back.

A bold statement by Genghis Khan suddenly flashed through my mind.
Even though it has nothing to do with this life, why do I feel so happy in my heart?
“They are the people living near Wayao Village.”

"The elders all know each other, and we have been friends for several years."

"Isn't this the way I'll live in the city forever?"

"She's in the country taking care of my mom."

Wu Dinghuan put the two yuan in the drawer of the desk, washed his hands with soap, and nodded in approval, saying, "Your sister-in-law is great. She can help take care of the elderly at home and manage the household." "Bring her to the city next time so we can meet her."

Xia Xiwu also stroked his beard and agreed with a smile: "Well, Dinghuan is right."

"Deming, when you bring her into the city, let us all meet her."

"Well, that's for sure. I'm bringing my mother to the city this time, so there can't be someone missing at home. Next time, next time I'll bring her to the city. Haha." Wang Deming laughed very happily.

Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai helped Yuan Dalu to jump away. After hearing Wang Deming's description of Qin Huairu, Jia Zhangshi agreed 100% and followed behind Jia Dongxu, instilling: "Dongxu, I tell you, if you marry a wife, you have to marry someone who respects the elderly."

"Uncle, when we get to the country, can you help me find out about the girl?"

"Dongxu, when the girl gets married, you must teach her to respect me."

Yi Zhonghai added: "Dongxu, your mother is right."

The three masters and apprentices in the back room looked at this family, and somehow, they all laughed at the same time.
Just as Jia Dongxu and others left, several more people came in. They were two groups of people: one was a child with a dislocated arm; the other was a bricklayer who accidentally stepped on air and fell off the wall while working.
After that, there were continuous patients coming in, and we were so busy that it was already past 4 p.m.

Not only Xia Xiwu, but even Wu Dinghuan was so tired that sweat appeared on his forehead, he was panting heavily, and his arms were shaking.
Only Wang Deming, although he helped stretch and carry the patients under the guidance of his master, had just a little sweat on his forehead, perhaps because of the heat in the back room.

"Master Deming is right. You are born to be a bone-setting expert!"

"Haha, don't you see how discerning I am? Would I take the initiative to accept ordinary people as my disciples? Deming, go outside and take down the signboard of the clinic. That's it for today. If anyone comes, they won't be able to see it."

"Okay, Master."

When Wang Deming took down the clinic signboard at the door and carried it into the hospital, Xia Xiwu and Wu Dinghuan were waiting for him at the hanging flower gate.

"Come on, the three of us will have some tea, then take a few sips and go take a bath to cool off."

Wang Deming carefully put the plaque into the back room, turned around and explained with a smile: "Master, it won't work today. The roof tiles of my sister's house were trampled by pigeons last night."

"I have to go to Dabei Kiln to buy some cement tiles and tidy them up while the weather is good."

"By the way, Master, it's time to clean up your yard, right? I'll buy some of them later and unload this first. When the weather gets nice, I'll clean up this for you. You never know when the weather will get cold."

"No need. I can ask Ding Huan to go to Chaoyang Gate and call a mason over someday."

"Well, Master, don't bother with that. I'm quite good at making bricks."

"Hey, Deming, you can do this too? You are really good at it!" Wu Dinghuan was now in awe of this junior fellow apprentice.
"Haha, I've done it with the villagers. They're building a house in the countryside right now."

After drinking a cup of tea and chatting for a while with his master and senior brother, Wang Deming took the initiative to leave.

Before leaving, the master also told him to bring a few sets of clothes to change and leave them here tomorrow, and to go take a bath together after the consultation every day.

Wang Deming nodded in agreement.

The Dabei Kiln where Wang Deming was going to buy cement and lime was just outside Chaoyangmen.

Come out of Baoyu Hutong, ride east along Chaoyangnei Street, pass Chaoyangmen, then continue east along Chaowai Street, and you will arrive at Dabeiyao in a short while.

The origin of the place name Dabeiyao comes from the Japanese occupation period, when the Japanese dug soil, burned bricks and fired kilns here. Over time, the locals called it Dabeiyao.

Wang Deming asked around in Dabei Kiln and found a Huimin Brick and Tile Shop, which mainly sold green bricks and green tiles, and also sold cement from the Qixing Cement Factory.

I negotiated with the boss about the required bricks, tiles, cement and lime, and paid the money.

Wang Deming rode his bicycle in front to lead the way, and a donkey cart loaded with construction materials followed behind.

After unloading a batch of goods at the master's house, the driver, who also worked part-time as a Wobo'er, said goodbye to the master and senior brothers again and returned to his sister's house on Gulou East Street.

Wang Deming was just bringing the driver into the yard and directing the placement of construction materials when my sister came out from the north room with a happy look on her face.

"Deming, you're back!"

"Come and show Miss Zhang, she is going to make a whole set of autumn and winter clothes this time."

(End of this chapter)