Chapter 9: “A Final Flicker”

It was mockery, curses, and jeers.

It was fists and feet raining down on him—blunt force, relentless, after his resistance.

He knew he had offended someone, but he never imagined they would want his life.

He Yunhuai felt himself dying. As his eyes closed for the last time, he knew he would never return home.

In his dazed state, time seemed to stretch endlessly. From the dark, empty void, faint voices called out. He listened intently, following the sound, even though he didn’t know where it led.

“Mother, come and see,” said He Ningwen, the youngest daughter of the He family, carefully spooning medicine into He Yunhuai’s mouth.

Today’s brew had an unusually strong aroma, and there was more liquid than usual despite using the same amount of water. Something about the brewing process had gone differently.

He Ningwen was used to preparing and administering medicine, but the overpowering smell of this batch made her hold her breath. She hurried to finish feeding her second brother, spooning the liquid into his mouth one after another.

Whether he had choked or the medicine was finally taking effect, the man who had been motionless for days suddenly furrowed his brow.

He Ningwen stared at her brother’s face. When the furrow deepened into a distinct frown, she snapped out of her trance. Hastily setting down the medicine bowl, she called out, “Mother!”

Hearing her daughter’s voice, Mother He abandoned her work and rushed into the inner room.

The figure lying on the kang first twitched his fingers, then coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of thick, dark medicinal broth. Soon after, his eyes fluttered open.

“Second Son!” Mother He exclaimed, startled and overjoyed. She rubbed her eyes to clear her vision, then rushed to his side.

He was finally awake. As his mother, she had feared she would never see her son again.

She understood what others had said. Even in the prefectural city, with its many medical halls and skilled physicians, few who fell into such deep comas ever recovered.

Now that he had awakened, Mother He was convinced that Su Yi’an deserved all the credit. They had been forcing medicinal broth down his throat daily, yet he remained unconscious. But after Miss Su’s arrival less than two days ago, he had finally stirred. What else could explain this but the good fortune she had brought?

The more Mother He pondered it, the more she cherished Su Yi’an. She truly believed the girl was a treasure.

Lying on the kang, He Yunhuai felt pain coursing through his body. Opening his eyes to find his family gathered around him, wiping tears, he assumed he had already died and they were mourning him.

“Mother…” His throat raw with grief, he croaked the word, not expecting them to hear. After all, he was dead—how could the living hear the words of the dead?

“My son, Mother’s here! I’m right here!” Mother He cried, her voice trembling with emotion. After countless nights of longing to hear that word, she gripped his hand tightly, tears streaming down her face.

He Yunhuai was dazed. “Mother, can you hear me?”

Mother He was both overjoyed and worried. She reached out and touched He Yunhuai’s forehead, relieved to find he had no fever.

“Second Son must still be confused from his sleep. Look at him, talking nonsense already. How could your mother not hear you when I’m right here?”

“Second Brother just woke up and is still weak. He needs to rest properly,” Wan Xu said, standing by the kang and dabbing the corner of her eye with a handkerchief.

She had been married into the He family for several years and had watched Second Young Master He grow up. After this ordeal, she, as his sister-in-law, felt deeply for him.

“That’s right, that’s right. Take your medicine and rest,” Mother He said, releasing him and gently straightening his body under the covers, tucking in the corners.

He Yunhuai had finally pieced together the conversation. He wasn’t dead—he was still alive.

But his body was still weak. Even lying still hurt, and drowsiness overwhelmed him. After finishing the bowl of medicinal soup, he couldn’t stay awake any longer.

Reluctantly, he glanced at his family before closing his eyes again.

Seeing her Second Brother awake, He Ningwen didn’t linger by the kang. Instead, she rushed out alone, eager to share the joyous news with Sister Su.

“Is he awake?”

“Sister Su, how did you know?” He Ningwen hadn’t even finished speaking when Su Yi’an guessed the truth.

The He family valued kinship deeply. If Second Young Master He had truly passed away, He Ningwen would never have been so composed.

Su Yi’an hadn’t expected Second Young Master He to actually recover. She had assumed he would succumb within days.

Still, his survival was a blessing. At least the He family now had hope. In this village, the strong preyed on the weak. With a healthy man in the household, those eyeing the He family’s fertile fields would likely think twice.

Moreover, with Second Son awake, the truth behind his beating and the specific debts the creditors were demanding could finally be uncovered.

“Sister Su, you haven’t seen my Second Brother with his eyes open yet! Come quick!” He Ningwen exclaimed, completely ignoring He Xingchen at her feet as she dragged Su Yi’an into the house.

“My Second Brother looks so much better with his eyes open,” she declared proudly.

Before they could lift the curtain to the inner room, Mother He and Wan Xu emerged.

Wan Xu gestured to stop them. “He’s still weak and just fell back asleep.” She glanced furtively at Su Yi’an, worried she might be upset.

Su Yi’an didn’t mind. As long as he was alive, he would wake up eventually. There would be plenty of time to see him later.

“Really asleep? Second Brother isn’t…” He Ningwen blurted out whatever came to mind without thinking.

Mother He smacked He Ningwen on the head for the first time. “What kind of thing is that for a younger sister to say? Your Second Brother is weak. He tires easily after being awake for a short time. Go to the village and ask Doctor Wang to come.” Mother He hesitated, then added, “Never mind, I’ll go myself.”

“Yi’an, go inside and rest,” Mother He instructed before leaving.

They had walked a long way that day and should have rested upon returning. But Su Yi’an hadn’t stopped for a moment, still rendering lard earlier. Mother He had been so caught up in her joy that she had completely forgotten about Su Yi’an’s exhaustion.

“Mother, hurry!” He Ningwen urged. “I’ll take care of Sister Su.”

Su Yi’an didn’t need their care, but she didn’t want to embarrass the child, so she agreed.

Seeing this, Mother He tucked the money into her pocket and hurried to Doctor Wang’s house in the village.

Doctor Wang lived at the other end of Eternal Sun Village, practically opposite the He household.

Over fifty years old, he was the village’s only physician, known for his kindness and fair prices. He never overcharged for his prescriptions.

Even when He Yunhuai’s prescription required herbs he didn’t have, he sent word to Mother He, advising her to purchase them from the town’s apothecary.

Now that He Yunhuai had regained consciousness, Mother He insisted on having Doctor Wang examine him and take his pulse.

She hurried through the village, arriving at Doctor Wang’s courtyard in no time.

The gate was closed. Mother He raised her hand and knocked. “Doctor Wang, are you home?”

Doctor Wang’s wife heard the commotion and emerged from the house with a sour expression. “I told you not to treat the He family! No one else in the village wants anything to do with them, but you insist on being kind.”

“Second Young Master He is already so weak. He can’t possibly survive. If he dies, the He family will surely try to extort you. What will you do then, old man?”

“You never learn from your mistakes. We’ll end up losing everything we have.”

“A doctor must have compassion. Besides, Second Young Master He is still so young. Enough. Go open the gate. I wonder what’s causing this urgency.” Doctor Wang climbed out of bed and pulled on a thick coat.

Doctor Wang assumed Second Young Master He was on the brink of death. After dressing, he gathered several more medicinal herbs and packed them into his medicine chest.

Mother He greeted Wang Shi, who opened the door, with a polite “Sister-in-law.”

Wang Shi ignored her, opened the door, and returned to her room—not to rest, but to press her ear against the door and listen intently.

“This urgency must be about Second Son,” Doctor Wang said, emerging with his medicine chest.

“Indeed. Thanks to your prescription, he woke briefly after taking the medicine today, but fell back asleep.”

“He woke up?” Doctor Wang stopped in surprise.

Mother He’s face glowed with joy. There was no reason to lie about such a thing.

“Yes, he even called me ‘Mother’ before drifting off again. He doesn’t have a fever, so I rushed to fetch you.”

“Then hurry! Don’t delay,” Doctor Wang urged, his heart heavy with worry. He feared this might be a final, fleeting rally and dared not offer Mother He any false hope.

He would wait until he had taken the young man’s pulse to make any assessment.

No sooner had Doctor Wang and Mother He left the courtyard than Wang Shi slipped out from behind the door.

Second Young Master He, who had been half-claimed by the King of Hell, had actually woken up!

This earth-shattering news she couldn’t wait to share with the village gossips.

If he could wake up, it must be thanks to Doctor Wang’s miraculous prescription.