Chapter 40 : Ambiguity

The next morning, just before the roosters crowed, Xiao Yi put on his clothes and left without having breakfast, heading straight for the town.

Ermazi, the ox-cart driver, was very puzzled. What was going on with the Xiao family lately? Why did they keep going to the town or county every day?

He couldn’t help but ask, but Xiao Yi said nothing and just gave vague answers to cover it up.

Upon arriving in the town, they went to Qingshui Lane as per Su Yanqing’s directions and found Zeng’s house.

Zeng’s house was a small one with two courtyards, where Mr. Zeng and his wife lived.

Xiao Yi knocked on the door, and a woman, about the same age as Mother Xiao, opened it. When she heard that he was looking for her husband, she frowned and gave Xiao Yi a few scrutinizing looks. After hesitating for a moment, she went inside to fetch her husband.

When Mr. Zeng came out, he first examined Xiao Yi carefully. Xiao Yi then relayed to him what Su Yanqing had asked him to convey.

Sure enough, when Mr. Zeng heard that Lin Xu was in trouble, his expression turned anxious.

“Where is he? What happened?” Mr. Zeng asked urgently.

So, Xiao Yi explained Su Yanqing’s condition. Mr. Zeng immediately went to prepare his things without a word. He gathered the medicine box and tool box that he hadn’t used in years, and instructed his wife to prepare enough silver. They would stop by the pharmacy in town to gather the necessary herbs for the journey.

Not wanting to waste any time, he even brought out the family carriage.

Mrs. Zeng also prepared some supplements for Xiao Yi to take with him. Once everything was packed, she and Xiao Yi set out in the carriage, heading for Xianhe Village.

Meanwhile, Mother Xiao was busy at home. She went to the village to buy two roosters and gathered dozens of eggs. She planned to slaughter one rooster and make a stew for Su Yanqing to help nourish his body, and the other rooster would be sent to her third daughter-in-law, who was still pregnant, in a couple of days.

When Hechuan got married, he had kept a few laying hens at home, but most of them had been slaughtered. There was no supply of eggs left, so she had to go to the village to collect some.

Su Yanqing was in so much pain that he couldn’t sleep through the night. He developed a fever again in the middle of the night. He tried to endure it, but fortunately, there were still some herbs to reduce fever and inflammation. He boiled them and drank the brew, which helped him feel a bit better.

Finally, Mr. Zeng had arrived, and there was hope in sight.

When Mr. Zeng saw Su Yanqing’s condition, his eyes reddened with heartache.

Mr. Zeng appeared to be in his forties. Unlike the usual image of a doctor, he had a beard and was quite a burly man. He looked more like a warrior than a physician.

Su Yanqing saw his uncle and tried to bow, but Mr. Zeng stopped him

“Don’t say anything. We’ll talk later. The most important thing now is to set your bones.” Mr. Zeng knew very well that setting bones was a critical task and couldn’t be delayed.

Everyone in the Xiao family waited outside. Only the two junior disciples were in the room. From time to time, Su Yanqing’s painful groans could be heard through the window.

It took two hours for him to come out. Su Yanqing was wrapped up like a mummy, with boards strapped to his feet.

Su Yanqing’s hair was soaked with sweat, his palms had scratches from where he’d gripped them, and his mouth had bite marks with blood stains, showing just how painful the process had been.

After Mr. Zeng came out, he first found Mother Xiao and bowed to her, thanking her for saving Su Yanqing. He then took out a purse containing thirty taels of silver.

“Madam Xiao, this is just a small token of my appreciation. Compared to the kindness your family has shown to Yanqing by saving his life, it really isn’t much. This is also Yanqing’s wish. He’s just had his bones set and cannot move for the time being, so I’ll have to trouble you for a while. During this period, I will also be here to look after him. This silver is a reward for your hard work caring for him, as well as for your accommodation and food during this time. Please accept it.”

When Mother Xiao saw the money, she was stunned. Thirty taels was a lot!

“Oh, Mr. Zeng, why such a large amount? This is too much!”

Previously, she had only spent three taels to hire a doctor, and she hadn’t eaten anything from their house, so there was no need for thirty taels. Ten taels would already be considered generous.

“Madam, you must accept it. Otherwise, Yanqing and I won’t feel at ease. This is what we should give. Your life-saving grace can’t be repaid by just thirty taels. Yanqing says that he owes your family a debt he will never be able to repay in his lifetime. If you ever need help in the future, we will surely assist you.”

Just as Su Yanqing had said, the grace of saving a life is like being reborn, something that cannot be measured in silver. This is the good karma created by the Xiao family.

Mother Xiao still felt reluctant to accept the silver, but Mr. Zeng insisted it be taken, no matter how hard she tried to decline. So, in the end, Mother Xiao had no choice but to accept it.

With that, she made sure to entertain them well during this time, offering them the best food and drink.

She asked Xiao Yi to go to the town again to buy several dozen kilograms of rice, fine white flour, and pork fat. Since they had paid for it, she couldn’t let them survive on simple meals.

She also prepared all the supplements that Mr. Zeng brought and sent them to Su Yanqing. No one in their family would need to worry about it.

From then on, Xiao Qin’s room, the eldest son of the Xiao family, became the place where Su Yanqing would temporarily recuperate. Mrs. Zeng later brought clean clothes, shoes, and socks for him.

It takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone, and the first month is especially important. You cannot move too much for fear the bone might set crookedly.

Xiao Lanlan took it upon herself to deliver meals to Su Yanqing and Mr. Zeng, which included chicken, fish, meat, vegetables, and fragrant white rice.

Every time Xiao Lanlan entered, she was too shy to meet Su Yanqing’s gaze but couldn’t resist sneaking peeks at him. To her surprise, Su Yanqing was also looking at her. When their eyes met, they both quickly looked away, their faces flushed.

Though they didn’t speak a word, the glances between them were almost enough to speak volumes.

Mr. Zeng didn’t notice any of this. He ate several bowls of rice at every meal, constantly praising Mother Xiao for her excellent cooking.

In the kitchen, Goudan looked at the few remaining mouthfuls of rice in the pot and swallowed. He mustered the courage to go find his grandmother and tugged at her clothes:

“Grandma, I want to eat white rice too.”

Mother Xiao had asked Xiao Yi to buy japonica rice, which is white, fragrant, and sticky when cooked. It even smelled sweet.

When Mother Xiao heard Goudan’s request, she felt a bit guilty. Not only did the children want to eat it, but she herself also longed for it. However, this was meant for entertaining guests. The japonica rice was expensive one dou cost one tael of silver, and one dou weighed just twelve pounds. She had bought three dou at once, spending three taels of silver.

Country people earn little, so how could they afford such good rice?

It was almost wishful thinking.

But the small amount left in the pot was the leftovers from Mr. Zeng and his friends. Mother Xiao thought it would go bad if left overnight, so it shouldn’t be wasted, and she decided to give it to Goudan.

When Goudan saw that his grandmother agreed, he was overjoyed. He scooped out all the rice in the pot, leaving not a single grain.

He also didn’t forget his uncle and happily shared the rice with Xiao Hechuan.