Chapter 68: Uncle, You Can’t Avoid Treatment Just Because You Don’t Like It!

A series of heart-wrenching wails reached everyone’s ears, drawing the attention of the group that had just gotten up.

When Song Jiuyuan turned his head to look at Jiang Wan, he happened to catch a glimpse of the slightly meaningful smile on her face, and his scalp tingled instantly.

Could it be that Song Lao’er’s current pain had something to do with her?

If that was true, then he really hadn’t understood her well enough.

“What’s with all that ghost-like wailing? He’s disturbing the officers—he should be beaten up!”

Song Jiuli couldn’t comprehend Song Lao’er’s thought process. She broke open a sweet potato and took a bite. It was sweet and delicious—truly tasty.

Song Jiuchi sneered, “Maybe he’s trying to pull some trick so he can escape.”

Right now, the entire Song family looked down on the old Song clan. Upon hearing this, they all just focused on eating their breakfast, pretending not to hear anything.

These were sweet potatoes produced from the spatial dimension. Jiang Wan had secretly swapped them with the ones in the basket. Sure enough, when she tasted it, her mouth was filled with fragrant sweetness.

“Why do I feel like the sweet potatoes taste especially good today?”

Song Jiuchi raised a curious brow. Ever since their exile, he had matured a lot and become quite reserved.

“They do.”

Song Jiuyuan looked toward Jiang Wan, and the insight in his eyes made her heart skip a beat.

“You guys are overthinking it. I think it’s just because Song Lao’er is down on his luck. You’re in a good mood, so even the sweet potatoes taste better.”

“That makes sense.”

Madam Song gave a satisfied smile. The sweet potatoes really did taste better than usual.

While they were chatting, they heard the officials go next door. Song Lao’er received another brutal beating, and Madam Song II was on her knees begging the officers to find a doctor for him.

In the end, nothing came of it. When Jiang Wan and her group finished packing and got ready to head out into the courtyard—

The members of the old Song clan came out supporting a haggard-looking Song Lao’er. In a short time, their whole family had gone mad or fallen into misfortune—it really was pitiful.

Just as Jiang Wan was happily placing the basket on the wooden cart, a certain saintly figure walked over to the old Song clan with a pitiful expression.

“What happened to you all?”

Hua Xiao asked gently. Although Lin Tingyu kept his distance from her, it didn’t stop her from traveling with them.

Seeing Hua Xiao dressed in simple, modest clothes, Madam Song II’s eyes flickered. She said sorrowfully, “My husband woke up this morning in pain all over, but we couldn’t find any wounds. I suspect he’s sick.”

“Sick?”

Hua Xiao frowned with concern, truly feeling sorry for Song Lao’er. “You can’t identify the source of the pain?”

“No, it’s just full-body pain.”

Madam Song II shook her head, eyes full of sorrow. Suddenly, she turned sharply to Hua Xiao and said, “Miss, I know you’re a kind person. Can you help us? You have a horse—can you go find a doctor for us?”

“Xiaoxiao,”

Father Hua quickly tugged at her sleeve. He honestly didn’t understand why his daughter insisted on tagging along with these exiles.

Feeling the occasional glance from the officers, Father Hua grew uneasy, silently wishing his daughter wouldn’t meddle too much.

But Hua Xiao remained willful as ever. She sighed faintly, “I’m not familiar with this area. I’m afraid it would be hard to find a doctor.”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she looked excitedly at Jiang Wan.

“Oh right! Before, Madam Song even treated Young Master Lin. She’s a doctor!”

With that one sentence, everyone turned to look at Jiang Wan. Song Jiuli and Song Jiuchi glared fiercely at Hua Xiao, but she acted like she didn’t notice, and gently said to Jiang Wan:

“Madam Song, we’re all exiles here—you wouldn’t be so heartless, would you?”

She didn’t know about the bad blood between Song Lao’er and Jiang Wan’s group. She just wanted to show her kind nature in front of Lin Tingyu.

Jiang Wan silently twitched her mouth and looked at Song Lao’er and his wife. “Do you even dare let me examine him?”

She looked at Song Lao’er with a half-smile and lightly cracked her fingers—producing a crisp popping sound.

“I don’t need you to look!”

Song Lao’er felt the pain intensify throughout his body. It felt exactly like when Jiang Wan had beaten him before. His face twisted from the pain.

Hua Xiao hurriedly tried to persuade him: “Uncle, you can’t avoid treatment just because you don’t like it. If your body feels unwell, you should see someone.”

“Shut up!”

Song Lao’er shouted, already irritated, and now Hua Xiao was pestering him—she became an easy target for his anger.

Madam Song II gave Hua Xiao an awkward smile. “Miss, I apologize. My husband must be in too much pain, which made him speak rudely.”

“It’s fine.”

Hua Xiao forced a stiff smile. “But Madam Song’s medical skills are really good. Letting her take a look would be for the best.”

“There’s no need. Thank you for your kindness!”

The smile on Madam Song II’s face disappeared, and her expression darkened slightly.

Only then did Hua Xiao realize there might be bad blood between Jiang Wan and them. Meeting Jiang Wan’s half-smiling gaze, she awkwardly returned to her father’s side.

The group had already set off. Jiang Wan and her family still walked at the back, occasionally picking edible plants along the way.

Lin Tingyu, with his frail health, followed behind them at a steady distance, driving the carriage. Song Jiuli couldn’t help whispering to Jiang Wan:

“Big Sister-in-law, why are they walking so slowly?”

She honestly couldn’t understand their thinking. If he was weak, he should’ve just returned home to rest.

“Let them be.”

Jiang Wan frowned slightly. Although she was happy to have split up the male and female leads, she still didn’t want too much contact with the female lead.

Besides, even the officials didn’t drive them away, so naturally, they had no right to either. She didn’t want to be the one always stirring up conflict.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Madam Chen, who was sitting in front of them, staggered and almost fell. Fortunately, Chen Ce reacted quickly and caught her.

Even so, Madam Chen’s face turned pale. “Husband, my stomach hurts a bit.”

“Don’t move.”

Chen Ce, carrying his wife, quickly jogged up to Jiang Wan. “Madam Song, my wife nearly fell just now, and now she says her stomach hurts.”

“Don’t panic. Put her on the cart first.”

Jiang Wan casually placed the herbs she had just picked onto the cart and then lifted little Wenhao onto it as well.

“Okay, I’ll help push the cart.”

Chen Ce was very cooperative, which eased Song Jiuchi’s burden. Fortunately, the cart was big enough to comfortably fit them all.

The two of them worked together, one pulling and the other pushing, while Jiang Wan stood beside the cart and placed her fingers on Madam Chen’s wrist.

“Madam Song, the baby only kicked me once before and hasn’t moved since. Do you think something’s wrong?”

Her face was filled with anxiety, and her fingers clutched tightly to the side of the cart, knuckles turning white.

Jiang Wan carefully felt her pulse before speaking. “Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong. As for the fetal movement—

It might have just been your imagination earlier. Fetal movement typically begins after three months.”

Her earlier abdominal pain was most likely psychological—there wasn’t anything actually wrong.

“Really?”

Only then did Madam Chen let out a sigh of relief, gently stroking her belly with a soft and loving expression.

“Maybe I was dreaming. In the dream, there was even a pretty little girl calling me ‘Mom’.