The spring in the mountains passed quickly, in just a few days.
It was now summer, and the sky was overcast.
This kind of weather, where it feels like it might rain but doesn't, is the most muggy.
The bus had no air conditioning, only a rickety fan in front of the driver that whirred and creaked.
"It's so hot, why won't these damned windows open?"
Someone complained from the back. The bus was packed, with barely any room to stand.
People were crammed together, shoulder to shoulder, breathing in stale air that made it hard to breathe.
The stench of sweat, body odor, and foot odor, mixed with the distinct smells of garlic and alcohol, was enough to make someone pass out.
"Young man, would you mind putting out your cigarette?"
"Yes, it's terribly hot on this bus. Please be considerate of us elderly people."
An old man gently tapped the young man in front of him, his face kind.
The young man was shirtless, with a row of cigarette burns on his arm.
On his chest, he had carved the character "Shan" with a knife and then poured blue ink onto it before it scabbed over, creating a makeshift tattoo.
He had a cigarette in his mouth, an earring in his ear, and bright red hair, looking utterly nonchalant.
"Old man, if you can't stand it, why don't you take a taxi? What are you squeezing onto the bus for? Are you crazy!"
Next to the red-haired guy were two other young men who looked like they were from the same crowd.
Each of them had a cigarette in their mouth, looking arrogant and belligerent.
"You! Cough, cough, cough..."
The old man coughed violently. "Smoking in public is against the rules. According to the regulations, you should be fined, and in serious cases, detained!"
"You old bastard, are you telling me what to do?"
The red-haired guy glared at him, then pulled out a cone-shaped tool from his pocket. "If you have the guts, call the police and let them arrest me!"
The entire carriage was filled with smoke.
The old man choked and coughed, looking at the others. "Everyone, please help me persuade them. Secondhand smoke can be deadly."
The red-haired guy swung the tool in his hand. "Let's see who dares to be a busybody!"
Everyone else was also uncomfortable from the smoke, but they dared not say a word.
These young men looked like gangsters. They might not dare to kill, but if a fight broke out, they couldn't afford to get hurt.
The most crucial thing was that once you messed with these scoundrels, you'd never get rid of them.
Someone advised the old man, "Old man, just bear with it."
Lin Fan wanted to help, but he was squeezed by the door and felt like he was being flattened into a pancake.
"Oh no, the old man has fainted."
Suddenly, someone shrieked.
The old man was clutching his chest, his face contorted in pain.
He was desperately trying to breathe, but all he inhaled was the secondhand smoke exhaled by the red-haired guy and his companions.
This made him feel even worse, his eyes rolled back, and he slowly collapsed.
Seeing this, the people around, fearing they might be blamed, quickly made space for him to lie down.
"Damn it! Old man, are you trying to scam us?"
The red-haired guy and his friends thought he was faking it to extort money.
Instead of putting out their cigarettes, they took a few more drags and exhaled large clouds of smoke directly into the old man's face.
"Do you really want to cause a death?" Lin Fan finally managed to turn around with difficulty and shouted.
"You damned punk, what do you think you are?"
The red-haired guy's eyes widened, and he brandished the tool in his hand.
Seeing this, the people around immediately scrambled away, afraid of getting involved in the ensuing conflict.
Lin Fan was finally free and let out a long sigh.
He squeezed his way over with difficulty and looked at the old man on the ground.
His chest was heaving, his mouth agape, and his face was flushed like a cooked pig's liver.
Without even getting close, Lin Fan could hear a wheezing sound like bellows coming from the old man's lungs.
This was a typical respiratory infection, possibly with asthma.
"Get lost, don't delay me from saving him!"
Lin Fan couldn't be bothered with these thugs. He pushed them away forcefully and prepared to crouch down to treat the old man.
The red-haired guy immediately became furious. "Damn it, you dare to push me!"
As he spoke, he thrust the sharp tool towards Lin Fan's thigh.
Lin Fan dodged to the side.
The tool went straight into the thigh of one of the red-haired guy's companions.
"Brother Qiang, why did you stab me? It hurts so much!"
"Damn it! You dare to dodge!"
The red-haired guy cursed as he pulled out the tool and lunged at Lin Fan again.
Lin Fan countered with a hold, grabbing his wrist and twisting it forcefully.
*Crack!*
With a crisp sound, the tool fell to the ground.
"Ah!"
The red-haired guy's face turned pale instantly, and he let out a pig-like howl.
"Get lost, you ungrateful wretch!"
Lin Fan kicked him away.
Then he squatted down to examine the old man's body, his brow furrowing deeper with each observation.
Indeed, the old man's lungs had partially fibrosed, severely affecting his respiratory function.
Normally, he couldn't engage in strenuous activity even in fresh air.
Let alone in such a stuffy bus carriage with three troublemakers smoking.
If it had been a few minutes later, the old man might have suffocated to death.
"Young man, can you cure him? Be careful, he might be trying to scam you!"
Some well-meaning people warned from a distance.
Lin Fan smiled. They say poverty and harsh environments breed ruffians.
That saying was absolutely true.
If it were in the past, he wouldn't have dared to rashly step in to save someone.
After all, an old man is still an old man!
But now, he possessed a mysterious inheritance, capable of healing and not afraid of a fight.
"Don't worry, this old man isn't trying to scam anyone."
Lin Fan placed his hand on the old man's chest and injected a surge of spiritual energy.
The secondhand smoke in his lungs was quickly cleared. Then he took out a few silver needles from his waist pouch.
"Goodness gracious, he's a traditional Chinese medicine doctor too!" someone exclaimed.
Lin Fan tore open the old man's shirt, revealing dry, withered skin.
He inserted the silver needles into several major acupuncture points.
A moment later, the old man gasped, finally waking up.
Lin Fan pulled out the silver needles. "Old gentleman, how do you feel?"
The old man took a few deep breaths, feeling incredibly comfortable.
"Great! Since I got this illness, I haven't been able to breathe this easily."
"Young man, thank you. You've saved my life!"
He held Lin Fan's hand, expressing his gratitude profusely.
"This is an old chronic condition. If you want to be completely cured, come to my clinic, Xiaofan Medical Hall, in Luofeng Village tomorrow or the day after." Lin Fan said kindly.
"My condition has been bothering me for over ten years, and it can be cured? Even the big hospitals in the city couldn't help!" the old man exclaimed in surprise.
"You're Lin Fan?!"
Someone shrieked, "Good heavens! So he's the miracle doctor from Luofeng Village! I never expected him to be so young!"
"Someone from our village saw him. They had a chronic illness that couldn't be treated by big hospitals, but Miracle Doctor Lin cured it in three days."
"Our village too. Miracle Doctor Lin not only heals marvelously, but he doesn't charge money either!"
In an instant, the entire bus carriage erupted.
They were all villagers from nearby villages. Although they hadn't personally sought treatment from Lin Fan, they had heard from word of mouth that there was a miracle doctor in Luofeng Village.
Even the ticket seller changed her attitude. "So it's our little miracle doctor! Forgive my poor eyesight. Please, come here quickly and sit in my seat."