Chapter 10: Gossip Always Travels Faster

After taking He Yunhuai’s pulse, Doctor Wang breathed a sigh of relief, his furrowed brow smoothing.

The pulse was stable, but He Yunhuai remained weak and needed careful recuperation.

Mother He paid the consultation fee and asked, “Doctor Wang, do you think he’ll need more medicine?”

“Of course. I’ll revise the prescription and bring more medicine later,” Doctor Wang replied, closing his medicine chest and preparing to leave.

But then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he turned back to the Eldest Son of the He Family and said, “Let me take another look at your leg.”

Su Yi’an couldn’t resist Little Sister He’s insistence and obediently returned to the house.

The kang was cold, but she warmed up a bit after covering herself with a quilt.

Su Yi’an had intended to lie down for only a short while, but drowsiness overwhelmed her. She fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes, completely missing the commotion outside as Mother He excitedly saw Doctor Wang off.

Mother He checked on her later and, seeing her still asleep, decided not to wake her.

With only a few family members at home, there was no urgency about meal times. They could wait until Su Yi’an woke up.

Su Yi’an slept soundly, and when she finally opened her eyes, it was already the next day.

She hadn’t expected to sleep so long, but the rest had completely banished her fatigue, leaving her feeling refreshed and invigorated.

“Sister Su,” Little Sister He murmured without opening her eyes, shuffling closer. “Are you hungry? You were sleeping so deeply yesterday that Mother didn’t want me to wake you for dinner.”

Su Yi’an hadn’t felt hungry before, but the question suddenly made her stomach growl.

“I’m fine,” she replied.

“Let’s stay in bed a while longer. Mother said she’d make breakfast this morning, so we don’t need to get up.”

Though the sky outside was still dark and Su Yi’an was no longer sleepy, she settled back down upon hearing this.

Snuggled warmly under the quilt, the two lay close together, chatting idly.

Su Yi’an picked at the topic she was most curious about. “What did Doctor Wang say after examining Second Brother yesterday?”

He Ningwen perked up at this, her drowsiness vanishing.

A smile curved her lips. “Second Brother just needs more rest. Doctor Wang said he’s a blessed man—‘Those who survive great calamities are destined for greater fortune.’”

“Most importantly, Doctor Wang also examined Eldest Brother yesterday. Though his leg won’t fully heal, he won’t have to spend every day bedridden anymore.”

When the Eldest Son of the He Family had broken his leg, no clinic in the prefectural city dared to treat him. By the time they reached this village, it was far too late.

Though he received medicine, his bones hadn’t set properly, and the Eldest Son of the He Family had resigned himself to his fate.

Now, hearing Doctor Wang’s words, a flicker of hope rekindled in his heart.

A man couldn’t stay bedridden forever. Even if he was crippled, it would be better than being confined to the kang.

Su Yi’an was delighted to hear this. She had bought bones yesterday, which would come in handy now.

The two stayed snuggled on the kang for a while longer, until the day had fully dawned, before finally getting up.

Joyful news invigorated Mother He. Since waking up, she couldn’t stay still and had already started preparing food early in the morning.

Today’s meal was no longer watery gruel. Each bowl contained a small spoonful of coarse rice.

Though not as tasty as refined rice, coarse rice was much cheaper, costing nearly ten copper coins less per pound.

A plate of pork cracklings, rendered by Su Yi’an the previous day, sat on the table.

Despite the lack of other dishes, the family ate with gusto.

After all, this was the best meal they had had in days.

While the He family enjoyed their breakfast, they were completely unaware of the uproar that had erupted in the village.

The news of Second Brother He’s recovery had spread like wildfire overnight, reaching every household in the village.

Some skeptics even went personally to Doctor Wang’s clinic to confirm the truth.

“You old gossip! You blab everything to the world. You couldn’t even wait until he was fully recovered before spreading the news,” Doctor Wang grumbled as he saw off yet another nosy neighbor. He hurried back to his courtyard and slammed the gate shut.

If he didn’t close it now, there was no telling how many more would come prying.

Wang Shi grabbed a handful of melon seeds and continued cracking them on the kang, unconcerned. “What’s the big deal? The whole village would find out sooner or later anyway. By telling them, I made sure they know he woke up thanks to your prescription.”

Yesterday, she had spent hours chatting with Old Lady Li from the Li family, practically claiming Doctor Wang’s prescription was a divine elixir capable of raising the dead.

Doctor Wang glared at her. “Do you think the villagers actually want him to recover? They just want to see the spectacle. You’re always stirring up trouble!”

“How dare you say that! Everything I do is for our family’s good!” Wang Shi threw her melon seeds onto the table, stood up angrily, and stormed out of the room.

Doctor Wang was annoyed, but he knew his wife’s intentions were good—to drum up business for him. After all, a man brought back from the brink of death was a rare occurrence in the village, especially when his treatment had been under Doctor Wang’s care.

If this reputation spread, Doctor Wang would undoubtedly become the most renowned physician in the surrounding villages.

Being a doctor is tough, he sighed, resting before rising to organize his prescriptions.

The man who had just left Doctor Wang’s clinic immediately plunged into the crowd.

He recounted the story with vivid details: Second Young Master He of the He Family, who had been on the brink of death, had miraculously recovered.

“Really? Did you see it yourself?” Yu Family’s Daughter-in-Law pressed closer, her eyes wide.

“I didn’t see it personally, but I just asked Doctor Wang himself. Would he lie?” The man raised his voice. “If you don’t believe me, go check the He Family yourself!”

“No need,” Yu Family’s Daughter-in-Law said, raising an eyebrow at Chunyan, the girl beside her in a coarse cotton jacket. “Speaking of which, Chunyan, isn’t your family related to them? How could you not know?”

“Exactly! That’s your own paternal uncle’s family. How could you not know? Don’t tell me you’ve been hiding this from us aunties on purpose!” Yu Family’s Daughter-in-Law pressed, seizing the opportunity.

Chunyan felt a mix of anger and injustice. How could she possibly know about the affairs of the He Family’s eldest branch?

Yesterday, Chunyan’s own mother had returned home and given the He Family’s Eldest Branch a thorough scolding.

“What would a junior like me know? If you aunts want to find out, you’d be better off seeing for yourselves,” Chunyan said, picking up her wooden basin and walking away.

This was too big a matter to delay. She needed to hurry home and tell her mother.

“Second Aunt He even had a fight with the Eldest Branch yesterday, cursing their son to die!” Yu Family’s Daughter-in-Law said with a knowing wink once Chunyan was out of earshot.

“Wow, how did you hear about that?”

“Well, I ran into Second Daughter-in-Law Yang yesterday, and she told me.”

“How did she know?”

“How else? She saw it with her own eyes.”

“Look at that! Second Aunt He cursed him, and now he’s recovered. She must be furious!”

“Who knows if he’s really awake? We haven’t seen him ourselves.”

The remaining women exchanged a few more words before dispersing.

Curiosity lingered, but none dared venture near the He Family. Though Second Young Master He had survived, the family remained a source of ill omen to the villagers—best avoided at all costs.

The He Family’s meal was lively and cheerful.

With each passing day bringing more hope, how could they not be in good spirits?

“Mother, are you going up the mountain today?” Wanxu asked, only speaking once her youngest son, He Xingchen, had left the room.

Mother He nodded. “Yes. Winter’s coming soon, and we need to gather firewood.”

They had originally planned to go yesterday, but a trip to town had delayed them.

It didn’t matter much. The mountain was full of firewood, and one day wouldn’t make a difference. The resources wouldn’t disappear.

Su Yi’an, hearing about the mountain trip, grew interested.

Late autumn mountains often held edible treasures, especially in the north. Finding some to bring back for dinner would be wonderful.

Even if they found nothing, two adults could chop more firewood together, which would still be worthwhile.

“I’d like to go too,” Su Yi’an said, leaning close to Mother He and gazing at her. “I’ve never been to the mountains before. I want to see what they’re like.”

Her wide, watery eyes made it impossible to refuse.

“Mother! I want to go too!” He Ningwen exclaimed, emerging from the house with a bowl of medicine she had just given her second elder brother.

The mountains had wild berries, though she wasn’t sure if any remained this late in the season. He Ningwen wanted to check.

Mother He usually forbade the children from going to the mountains alone. Now that she finally had a chance, she wasn’t about to miss it.

Seeing their eagerness, Mother He couldn’t resist.

The three of them packed their baskets, grabbed their hatchets, and were about to leave when Wanxu’s urgent voice called from inside the house.

“Mother! Quick, come look!”