"I’m not sure," the doctor shook his head, saying, "The patient’s stomach and intestines were not in very good condition to begin with, so we can’t be certain what caused this. It might be related to what he ate the day before, but it’s not definite."
Although the doctor did not like Li Jianbin, when it came to things that were uncertain, the doctor wouldn’t say more than he knew.
"You’re talking nonsense, it was the chili sauce that made me feel unwell," as Li Jianbin listened to the doctor, he got up from the bed and lunged at the doctor with an expression that seemed as if he wanted to tear the doctor limb from limb.
The already crowded ward became even more chaotic due to Li Jianbin’s actions, causing everyone to back away. Li Jianbin pointed at Xu Yong and said, "What kind of reporter are you? Did you take money from the Xu Family? Always speaking on behalf of the Xu Family, huh?"
"I am a reporter, I only believe in the facts, and I only report the truth of the facts," Xu Yong pursed his lips and replied seriously.
Before Li Jianbin could even speak, he saw a skinny man rushing over and saying, "Jianbin, it’s all over for us, we’re doomed."
"Xiaoliu, what are you doing?" Li Jianbin felt a wave of panic upon seeing Xiaoliu, and as he looked up, he saw several police officers approaching, which made his panic escalate.
"It’s over, they know everything, we’re finished," the skinny man said, looking dazed.
On closer inspection, Li Jianbin saw the handcuffs on the man’s hands, which made him even more anxious.
"Li Jianbin, do you know him?"
The presence of the police gathered even more onlookers. As the police presented one piece of evidence after another, detailing how Li Jianbin got involved with Xiaoliu, then with Brother Niu, obtained a large sum of money, and finally, how he framed the Chili Sauce Factory, Li Jianbin’s face turned pale. Leaning weakly against the wall, the only thought in his mind was: it’s all over, completely over.
"This is even scarier than what’s written in novels."
"Who did you offend to go to such lengths to harm you?"
"I’m glad I didn’t return the chili sauce. I just knew it—that chili sauce is so delicious, how could it possibly kill someone, how could it make someone sick?"
The crowd of onlookers were chattering with each other.
"I remember now, that day, weren’t they eating river snails at their home?"
"That’s right, I remember now too. My Zhuangzhuang was so envious he started crying, and I gave him a beating for it."
"That smell was so spicy and so fragrant."
The neighbors talked amongst themselves.
The attending physician just happened to hear this, and he asked, "Are you sure they ate river snails? And they were very spicy?"
"We guarantee they ate them."
"Hu Aimei, you did eat them that day. I even mentioned it to you. I wanted to get some for my child, but you refused. Standing in the doorway, I could smell that scent—it was spicy and choking. It never stopped all night."
Hu Aimei wanted to argue, but she couldn’t.
"That big bucket of river snails, you really are too stingy," that neighbor spoke again.
Biting her lip, Hu Aimei recalled the taste of the river snails that day. They were indeed delicious, but they were also exceptionally spicy. She only had a little and couldn’t eat more. Her small children also didn’t eat. In the end, it all went into the stomachs of Li Jianbin and Xiaoliu.
"If that’s the case, then it makes sense. The patient’s stomach and intestines were already bad, and then to eat such spicy river snails, the stomach definitely couldn’t cope," the attending physician stated affirmatively. He thought, how could a bottle of chili sauce cause such a severe reaction, and in just half an hour at that?
After all, his wife loved that chili sauce and ate it nearly every day without any discomfort.