Beiguan Village. BBQ and Hot Pot Restaurant!
By the time Li Yi had cleared away the leftovers and cleaned up, it was already 3:30 PM.
After seeing off the complaining Ye Jianhua, he was just about to take a short break.
After all, he’d been up since 5:00 a.m. and hadn’t had a moment’s rest yet—even a steel-willed person would be worn out by now.
However, just as he closed the shop door from the inside and was about to curl up in the chair by the front desk for a while, he heard urgent knocking from outside.
When Li Yi returned to the door with a frown, he was surprised to see Jiang Longcheng standing there, and behind him was a middle-aged man with a weathered look.
“Brother Li Yi, open up—it’s me!”
Li Yi opened the door with a sigh and said, “You sure know how to pick your timing. You didn’t show up until I’d finished cleaning. Was that on purpose?”
“No, I…”
Jiang Longcheng was at a loss for words right now. He desperately wanted to tell Li Yi, “Do you think I wanted to come? I was practically forced to come!”
But seeing the “Icy-Faced Yama” standing right beside him, he dared not get angry, let alone say anything more!
Seeing the look of utter helplessness on his face, Li Yi had no interest in listening to his excuses. He cut straight to the point: “Alright, spit it out. What’s the deal?”
Jiang Longcheng replied immediately, “I’m just here to show you the way today. It’s my third uncle who wants to see you!”
Hearing this, Li Yi’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively glanced at the man standing beside Jiang Longcheng.
Gray-haired, with a cold expression—it was him, all right!
Thanks to Jiang Longcheng, Li Yi had paid quite a bit of attention to the Jiang family in his previous life, so he had a general idea of what the second and third generations of the Jiang family were really like.
So Li Yi had always known that Jiang Longcheng’s grandfather had three children, all of whom were sons.
Jiang Longcheng’s father, Jiang Shirong, was the eldest son, and his second uncle was Jiang Shiming; both had retired from ministerial-level positions.
However, the most accomplished member of the Jiang family was not Jiang Shirong or Jiang Shiming, but Jiang Longcheng’s third uncle, Jiang Shiying.
Uncle Jiang, who had a head of white hair by middle age, was undoubtedly a legend in the political arena; he struck fear into the hearts of officials throughout the southeast with his ruthless methods.
During his three-year tenure as the head of a certain province, he personally sent 10,086 officials to prison.
Though ruthless, he was not one to simply crack down indiscriminately; under his leadership, both the economy and public order in his jurisdiction were remarkably sound.
Consequently, his reputation was polarized among both officials and the public. In political circles, he was infamously known as the “White-Haired Butcher,” while among the common people, he was hailed as the “White-Haired Just Judge.”
Although Li Yi had no connection with this man in his previous life, he was still aware of his reputation. He simply hadn’t expected to encounter him so soon in this lifetime.
As Li Yi looked at Jiang Shiying, Jiang Shiying was also sizing up Li Yi.
Li Yi’s first impression was that he was young, but after exchanging just a few words with his nephew, he realized this young man was no ordinary person.
From their conversation, it was clear to him that this young man actually outshone his nephew.
That was no small feat!
He knew his nephew’s temperament all too well—ever since he was a child, he’d been the type who feared nothing and wouldn’t back down even if he hit a brick wall.
Looking at all the third-generation young people in the compound, aside from his eldest nephew—who had fallen on the front lines—who could subdue him with his fists, he had never seen him submit to anyone.
Now, to be spoken to like this by this unknown youngster and not get angry—it was clear this young man had some real skill.
With that in mind, Jiang Shiying extended his hand and said, “Jiang Shiying, Uncle Jiang Longcheng’s third uncle!”
Li Yi also extended his hand, gave it a light shake, and said, “Li Yi!”
“Comrade Li Yi, I’ve come to see you today mainly to ask you about something!” Jiang Shiying said.
“Is it about the Prozac?”
Li Yi had previously heard from Jiang Longcheng that the medicine had been procured for his third aunt—that is, Jiang Shiying’s wife.
Given that, Jiang Shiying’s visit must certainly be about the medication or the illness.
“Yes, we’ve already had someone bring the medicine back!”
“That fast?”
To be honest, Li Yi was genuinely surprised by the Jiang family’s speed.
This was the 1980s, after all. By Li Yi’s estimation, it would take the Jiang or Ye families at least a week or two to obtain Prozac from Eli Lilly.
But he never expected they’d managed it in just over two days—the speed was truly astonishing, especially considering it takes over a dozen hours to fly from the U.S. to Beijing.
Jiang Shiying didn’t dwell on the matter and immediately said, “Although we’ve obtained the medication, the supplier mentioned that it’s only just been developed and hasn’t undergone clinical trials yet. They advise against administering it to patients.”
“So we’re really torn right now—we don’t know what to do!”
Li Yi paused briefly, then said in a grave tone, “Since you’ve come all this way, it means the patient’s condition is not looking good. We simply don’t have time to wait for the drug to be tested. You want to take a chance, but you’re not confident about the outcome, are you?”
“Yes.”
“If the patient is experiencing low mood, reduced interest, slowed thinking, lack of initiative, self-blame and guilt, poor appetite and sleep, and is exhibiting suicidal thoughts and behaviors—then go ahead and administer that medication. You’ll be satisfied with the results!” Li Yi said calmly.
Prozac contains the active ingredient fluoxetine, which is specifically designed to treat depression; it can be considered a targeted treatment for depression at this stage.
It is particularly effective for depression triggered by emotional trauma, such as that experienced by Jiang Shiying’s wife.
Of course, for his own protection, Li Yi didn’t make any guarantees.
Jiang Shiying’s eyes lit up instantly, and he asked right away, “How long will it take to see results?”
“If it works well, you’ll start to feel a difference in a week, see noticeable results in a month, and your body will gradually recover in three to five months!”
“That fast?”
“Yes, but this condition is highly dependent on medication. Whether the patient can fully recover and wean off the drugs depends on their individual circumstances!”
“I understand!”
After that, Jiang Shiying looked at Li Yi again and said, “If this medicine can truly save my wife’s life, I’ll owe you one!”
“No need—it was no trouble at all!” Li Yi replied.
“We’ll talk about that later. I’ve got a good handle on the medicine situation now!”
After saying that, Jiang Shiying turned to Jiang Longcheng and asked, “I’m heading back to the old family home. Are you coming with me now, or are you going back to your little run-down factory?”
“Um… Third Uncle, you go ahead. I’ll have a few words with Brother Li Yi, then I’ll head back on my own in a bit!” Jiang Longcheng said.
“Alright!”
With that, Jiang Shiying paid no further attention to Jiang Longcheng and walked straight toward the door.
Before long, the sound of a car starting up could be heard outside the shop.