Chapter 30: Delivering Medicine to Grandfather’s House

After returning home, Wang Chunlan first fed the pigs and chickens in the backyard, then soaked the dirty clothes in a basin of water.

Only then did she head to the kitchen to cook, leaving Song Liangzuo alone in the yard tinkering with a few things.

“Tinkering” was a generous term; he was simply smashing the soap pods with a small stone and soaking them in a cracked gourd along with the soapberry seeds.

At that moment, someone called out to him from the entrance, “Liangzuo, are you home?”

Looking up, Song Liangzuo saw it was his second uncle’s daughter, the unmarried Song Chunzhī, accompanying her brothers Jin and Yin.

“It’s my little aunt! My mother and I are home,” Song Liangzuo said, hurrying out to greet them.

Wang Chunlan heard the commotion and emerged from the kitchen. Upon seeing the bamboo basket on her sister-in-law’s arm, she smiled and said, “Chunzhī has come! Are you bringing herbs?”

“Yes, sister-in-law. We dug some up a few days ago and dried them at home for two days. We weren’t sure how they should be dried, so we brought them to show you.”

As Song Chunzhī spoke, she set the bamboo basket down, revealing small bundles of dandelion and plantain.

Wang Chunlan glanced at them; they looked similar to the ones she dried, but she dared not make a call without consulting her son first. Her gaze fell on Song Liangzuo.

Only needing to glance at the herbs, he nodded. “They’re dried well enough, little aunt. This method of bundling them makes it much easier to count. How many herbs are in this bundle?”

With that, he picked up one of the bundles and opened it in front of his little aunt not only to check the quality of the herbs but also to count how many were inside.

“This bundle has twenty herbs. We didn’t know what to do, so we just tied them up like this,” Chunzhī replied.

After counting twice, Song Liangzuo looked up and smiled, “Little aunt, this bundle actually has twenty-two herbs. Who divided them? You added an extra two!”

“Song Liangzuo, Grandpa told us to do it this way. He said to include two extras in each bundle. He was worried that some might be subpar and not pass inspection, so he said to add more so our count wouldn’t affect the sales,” explained Song Jingjin, her brother, who was eagerly hovering by Song Liangzuo’s side, and asked with anticipation, “Liangzuo, can we sell these herbs?”

“Of course, they’re good enough for sale,” Song Liangzuo confirmed after inspecting them further. These were well-chosen herbs that could certainly be used.

“Little aunt, tell Grandfather to keep using this method next time. I’m sure your family has other herbs that Grandfather isn’t sure about; bring those with you when you come back. I can have a look, and if there’s anything usable, you could make some extra money,” he suggested, taking the basket from her and heading toward the main room.

Hearing this, Song Chunzhī was elated and hurried after him, asking, “Really?”

“Of course! Why would I lie to you? Here, takes your basket back. Please make another trip for me,” Song Liangzuo said, handing it back to her.

“Alright, I’ll go right away!” Song Chunzhī said with excitement as she dashed out.

At that moment, her brothers, Jin and Yin, were left a bit perplexed, glancing at each other and then at Song Liangzuo. They were unsure whether to stay and wait for their sister or to follow her back.

Ultimately, it was Song Jingjin who decided first. He called out loudly and ran after her, quickly followed by Song Jingyin.

Before long, they returned, but this time they were carrying a basket filled with neatly arranged herbs that hadn’t been bundled.

Song Liangzuo inspected the herbs for a while, then selected thirty of them from the basket. “Little aunt, next time, don’t choose them at home after they dry. Bring everything to me for selection. Look, I picked thirty good ones from there; they should be worth six wen. That means you’ll lose out on one hundred and eighty wen each month. You barely earn that much selling handkerchiefs, and it strains your eyes!”

When Song Liangzuo mentioned six wens, Chunzhī felt a pang of heartache, but hearing about losing out on one hundred and eighty wen a month made her eyes widen with shock. She felt she could almost swear to bring every herb to him for selection in the future.

Nodding, Song Liangzuo added, “Little aunt, don’t rush off; I’ll have my mother get some money for you. Mom, bring out fifty copper coins for your aunt!”

He turned to call out to Wang Chunlan.

If it had been before, Song Liangzuo would have gone to the county first to sell the herbs and then settle the payment afterward. However, after his trip to the county, he understood the situation better. Plus, since dealing with family, he thought it better to offer them the money early, as it would motivate them even more.

“Okay!” Wang Chunlan replied, heading inside.

Moments later, she returned with fifty copper coins, delighting Song Chunzhī and her brothers.

After gratefully receiving the money, they rushed out excitedly.

Not long after they left, the old woman returned with her two granddaughters.

As soon as they entered the yard, Wang Chunlan rushed to help her mother-in-law take down the bamboo basket from her back. “Mom, you’re back!”

Seeing her daughter and grandson at home, the old woman felt relieved. She asked with concern, “How did things go at the county today? Was everything smooth? How much medicine did they want?”

“Everything went well. They said they would take however much we had,” Wang Chunlan replied enthusiastically, the thought of the cloth and silver still lingering in her mind. She took her mother-in-law into the house, her voice filled with joy. “Mom, come in; I want to show you something nice!”

The old woman, puzzled, asked, “Something good? What is it?”

Wang Chunlan playfully teased, “Just come in and see.”

The sky outside had darkened, and only a faint glow remained in the room. Having lived in that house her entire life, the old woman could still see that something new had been added to the kang (a traditional heated bed).

She hurried forward and reached out to feel the fabric in her hands. “Is it cloth? Did you buy cloth from the county today?”

“Yes, Mom, it’s been years since you’ve had new clothes made. I figured since the cloth in the county isn’t expensive, I’d buy six feet of it,” Wang Chunlan explained.

“What do I need new clothes for, just an old woman? You just can’t help but spend money whenever you have a bit! What? Is money burning a hole in your pocket?” The old woman feigned annoyance, but the joy in her voice could not be concealed.

“Grandma, this is a gift from Mom for you. You should praise her for being considerate,” at that moment, Song Liangzuo entered the room, carrying an oil lamp, illuminating the space.

His sweet words made the old woman laugh, and she playfully scolded him, “You little rascal! How can you say such sweet things? Fine, it is Grandma’s treat. Your mother has a good heart!”

Song Zhaodi and Song Pandai, who followed behind, watched in admiration as their younger brother interacted so charmingly with their grandmother.

Wang Chunlan basked in her indirect praise, her cheeks slightly flushed with happiness, and she pointed at something covered by a pillow nearby. “Mom, look over there.”