Chapter 38: Treating the Back Injury

“Grandpa Hunter, let me take a look at you. I’ve learned a lot at the clinic, and everyone says I’m quite clever!” Song Liangzuo exclaimed, opening his arms wide as if to show that he had enough skills to embrace them all.

“Really? Little Liangzuo is that skilled, huh? Alright, then take a look at what’s wrong with Grandpa. If you can tell me, I’ll let you treat me,” said the old hunter, indeed moving his hand away from his lower back.

Song Liangzuo laughed joyfully, stretching out his small hands to press against the old man’s waist with all his might.

Lin Shanye, who had retrieved the meat, watched with a hint of doubt but didn’t stop him.

Meanwhile, the old woman finally chimed in with curiosity, “My dear grandson, do you know what is wrong with Grandpa Hunter?”

Without pausing his actions, Song Liangzuo replied, “Grandma, let me take a look!”

After a short while, he confirmed, “Grandpa Hunter, it looks like you have a sprain. Thankfully, there’s no broken bone.”

“Your diagnosis is that clear?” Lin Shanye asked, somewhat skeptically.

“Yes! Even if I don’t know everything, I’m confident about this!” Song Liangzuo’s eyes narrowed into joyful slits, his face reflecting the innocent happiness only a child could convey.

“Do you know how to relieve the pain?” Lin Shanye asked again.

With one hand supporting his body on the shoulder of Song Liangzuo, the old hunter took slow, careful steps toward the room, chuckling as he made his way inside. “Aren’t you being a little too hard on Liangzuo? He’s still so young, and even the apprentices at the clinic have their limits.”

The old hunter interrupted his grandson’s whimsical thoughts.

Song Liangzuo blinked, glancing from the old hunter to Lin Shanye. “I really can! Do you have any alcohol at home?”

“Alcohol? Yes, yes! What do you need it for?” Lin Shanye asked, confused as to why Song Liangzuo needed alcohol. He promptly fetched out half a jar of liquor from their home.

With a mysterious smile, Song Liangzuo didn’t answer right away. Instead, he walked to the door, calling out to the old woman who was anxiously peeking into the room, “Grandma, Grandpa Hunter has a sprained back. I’m going to rub some alcohol on him. You should go home first; I’ll return myself later.”

Without hesitation, the old woman shook her head vigorously. “That won’t do! It will be dark soon. How can I let you go back alone? Just focus on treating Grandpa Hunter; I’ll wait here for you.”

The old hunter chuckled again, settling on the bed with a slouched posture and said to the two kids, “I’m fine. Let Liangzuo go home.”

“But you didn’t sleep well last night,” Lin Shanye chimed in with a comment that seemed out of context.

He followed it up by assuring the old woman, “Three Grandma, I’ll make sure he gets back safe without a scratch.”

“Grandma, I’ll be fine in the village! You just completed a day’s work in the fields; Mom must need your help!” Song Liangzuo added.

Seeing her grandson’s insistence, the old woman relented, nodding. As she left, she cautioned, “Don’t stay out too late.”

Inside the house, Song Liangzuo instructed the old hunter to lie on his side on the bed, lifting up his shirt to expose his lower back.

Then he asked Lin Shanye to bring over a bowl and poured half a bowl of alcohol, lighting it.

“I can’t come by every day to massage Grandpa with the alcohol, so let me tell you how to do it. For the first three days, you can use the alcohol daily, then ease back to every other day until Grandpa can walk again.”

Lin Shanye stared at him in surprise, unsure. “You want to teach me the method?”

Song Liangzuo was taken aback and blurted out, “You’re not planning to make me come over every day, are you? I have a lot of chores at home!”

Realizing he might’ve misunderstood, he quickly explained, “This isn’t a secret formula or anything.”

Lin Shanye nodded in understanding.

“Grandpa Lin’s injury is located here. You should gently pat and rub the area with the lit alcohol until it turns bright red,” Song Liangzuo instructed as he dipped his small hand into the still-burning alcohol and lightly slapped it on Hunter Lin’s back. “It might sting a little, Grandpa.”

The muscles in the old hunter’s lower back tensed from the stimulation, but he managed to say, “Just teach Shanye. Grandpa isn’t afraid of pain.”

The room filled with the rhythmic sounds of patting and rubbing, punctuated by Song Liangzuo’s occasional commentary.

“Even though it’s still hot, it can get chilly at night down in the valley. Grandpa Lin don’t be tempted to cool off and catch a cold,” he mentioned, snuffing out the flame in the bowl.

Lin Shanye, understanding the hint, quickly covered the old man with a thin blanket from the bed.

“Liangzuo, I appreciate your kindness. I feel warmer already,” the old hunter remarked, trying to sit up, but Lin Shanye could see Song Liangzuo’s warning glance and held him down.

“Grandpa, you need to rest at home. I’ll go see him off.”

“Grandpa Hunter, you take care and rest. I’ll come visit again soon,” Song Liangzuo said as he stepped out of the house. The sky was still bright, and he intended to head back home, but Lin Shanye wasn’t letting that happen.

Having imparted some essential skills to Lin Shanye, Song Liangzuo felt justified in taking the half-dried rabbit as a reward.

The walk from the foot of the mountain to Song Liangzuo’s home was not particularly long, taking them around ten minutes to arrive.

Lin Shanye safely delivered Song Liangzuo and the rabbit to the Song household, and as he prepared to leave, he said to the young boy, “I’ve memorized everything you’ve told me. In a couple of days, I’ll bring back some of those vines that you asked about.”

“Okay! I’ll also learn about more herbs. You just go find them!” They reached an agreement, and with that, Lin Shanye left.

Song Liangzuo handed the rabbit, which his grandmother insisted on getting, to her. “Here, Grandma, your rabbit.”

“Hahaha, this is the rabbit I got for you!”

In the past, documentaries showed children left behind becoming responsible caregivers, cooking for the family at four or five years old, standing on stools just to reach the pot.

Now, he found himself in a similar role.

Staying home, he was responsible for drying herbs and took on cooking duties as well. Especially on the first day when his grandmother and mother returned from the fields to find him had prepared a meal; they were so pleased they could have announced it to the whole village.

For the past few days, Song Liangzuo led a rather simple yet fulfilling life, repeating the same routine each day.

Until one evening, as they were about to have dinner, Song Jinjing burst into the yard, shouting, “Song Liangzuo, my father has found out about the private school!”

This news came as a pleasant surprise to Song Liangzuo. He dropped his chopsticks and hurried toward Song Jinjing. “Really? Did Uncle send you to call me? Is he home now? Grandma!”

After calling out the last part, he turned his head back toward the dining table with an excited expression, eagerly awaiting an answer from his grandmother, as if to ask if they should go now.

“My father and grandfather are here, right outside,” Song Jinjing pointed to the entrance.

Gazing in that direction, Song Liangzuo saw his granduncle and uncle entering.