Instantly, the villagers swiveled their heads around to see Fade walking out of the crowd behind Faariq.
For a moment, he was met with curious and dubious gazes all around.
"Faariq, who's this young man?"
"He says he's a doctor, is that true?"
"Who would just show up here in the middle of the night?"
Faariq answered their questions by saying, "This young man is named Fade. He is a tourist who lost his way and came to our village to rest for the night."
It was then that Fade went to Ta bro's bedside. He said, "I can cure Mr. Miao."
"Really?" Ta bro's wife and daughter asked, as they looked at him.
Fade took out a silver needle and nodded. "It's true. I guarantee that I'll cure him in ten minutes."
When they heard that, the two women rejoiced. Hurriedly, they urged, "Then treat him, hurry."
However, just as Fade was about to begin the treatment...
The crowd of villagers began to voice out their suspicions.
"Ten minutes and he guarantees that Tabro will be cured. That's way too much of an exaggeration. At your young age, are you really that impressive?"
"Old Ma may not be a good person, but at least he is skilled in medicine. Even he would require at least two hours."
"This late at night, and a young man suddenly appears in our remote village. It appears..."
Tabro and the two women's expressions all changed when they heard the crowd's doubts. They looked right at Fade.
Of course, Fade knew that they would have their worries about him. He explained to the villagers, "I'm a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner from Capital City. I have certifications. I'm a proper doctor. Additionally, I've learnt from the best doctors in Capital City."
After saying so, he swiftly produced his certifications. He also showed them the photos of himself, Master Choi, and Mr. Tu on his phone.
At that point, the villagers nodded their heads, displaying their trust. Ta bro's wife and daughter once again asked Fade for help.
However, then, a tall and thin villager, who had started the whole tirade against Fade, once again asked, "How are we so sure this certificate is real? Fake certificates nowadays are shockingly real. As for the photo, I've heard of this application called photoshop that is used to doctor photographs and make them look real too. Who knows if that photo is genuine?"
"I guarantee that these are all genuine." Fade went on, "If something goes wrong, I will take full responsibility."
"Can you take the responsibility for a human life?" The slender, tall man asked again. "What's more, Tabro had just been poisoned. Then, an outsider happens to appear saying that he is a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who can treat the wound. It's too much of a coincidence. I suspect that there are bad intentions at play here."
As soon as the villager was done talking, the crowd's looks towards Fade evidently shifted. Suspicion colored more and more of their gazes.
Fade was also frowning. He hadn't anticipated the villagers to be on such high alert.
Just as Fade was wondering whether or not he should forcefully commence
treatment, Faariq stood up and stared at the lanky man, wide-eyed. He exclaimed, "Eddy, you aren't one to talk much usually. What's up with you today? Why did you go on a rant?"
"I- I'm just concerned about Tabro. Am I not allowed to be?" Eddy hurriedly retorted, looking a little flustered.
Faariq gave a cold snort. "You? Concerned about Tabro? Usually, you and Tabro never get along this well!"
"We're all from the same village. I may seem aloof usually, but I care on the inside," Eddy continued.
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