Chapter 69: You Don’t Deserve My Help

Hu Dashan stood stunned, his face filled with disbelief.

“Chunhua, are you kidding me? I raised her for eleven years, do you think I wouldn’t know whether she understands medicine or not?”

Ji Chunhua’s expression was full of contempt. “If you really knew, would you have severed ties with Zhaodi? There are plenty of things you don’t know. Did you know she could hunt? Do you know how capable she is? If you’d known that, would she have come to live with our family?”

Hu Dashan felt as though he’d been struck by lightning. He truly had no idea that Hu Zhaodi could hunt, and he certainly didn’t know how much she earned. If he had, he never would have severed ties with her.

But learning medicine wasn’t something one could just pick up overnight, right? At least it would take at least a decade or two to learn enough to diagnose and prescribe properly.

And how old was Hu Zhaodi? Fourteen? Who would trust a fourteen-year-old doctor?

Wait.

Hu Dashan suddenly remembered Yang Dahui’s wife. He’d heard that it was Hu Zhaodi who saved her life, although she was now paralyzed in bed. The villagers had said that when Yang Dahui’s wife was taken to the village doctor in the neighboring town, the doctor hadn’t given them much hope. But Hu Zhaodi managed to bring her back from the brink of death.

That was enough to prove that Hu Zhaodi’s medical skills were far superior to the village doctor’s.

Hu Dashan’s eyes widened as he suddenly realized something. “Zhaodi… Zhaodi, is she home?”

Ji Chunhua deliberately turned her head to look inside the house. “Zhaodi, someone’s here to see you.”

Hu Zhaodi immediately changed her expression, her face dark as she walked out from the inner room.

“What do you want?” she asked, pretending she didn’t know anything.

Hu Dashan looked awkward. “Zhaodi, I’m sick, my stomach’s upset. Can you take a look at your father?”

Hu Zhaodi’s face turned cold. “Who’s father? I, Hu Zhaodi, have no parents, no relatives—what father are you talking about?”

“Zhaodi, I was wrong, I misspoke. I’m sorry. Can you help me? I’ve run to the latrine over a dozen times today.”

“I’ll help you, but it’s going to cost you,” Hu Zhaodi replied coldly. “And my fees aren’t cheap.”

“How much do you want?” Hu Dashan asked, his face full of embarrassment.

Hu Zhaodi glanced at him coldly. “Thirty coins for a pulse check. If you want medicine, it depends on what you need. Some medicine is cheap, some is expensive. But from the looks of you, you’re suffering from food poisoning, and you’re already starting to dehydrate. You need special medicine that works fast.”

“If you don’t get that medicine soon, your condition could become life-threatening.”

Hu Dashan was stunned. He could barely follow what she said. All he heard clearly was the thirty coins for the pulse check and the part about the condition being life-threatening. As for the rest, he didn’t understand a word.

Wait, he did hear the part about food poisoning.

But they hadn’t eaten anything questionable today. How could he have food poisoning?

“Zhaodi, how much is that medicine you’re talking about?” Hu Dashan asked.

Hu Zhaodi held up one finger. “One tael of silver for ten pills, two pills per dose.”

“That expensive? Why don’t you just rob someone?” Hu Dashan exclaimed.

“Don’t like the price? You don’t have to buy it,” Hu Zhaodi said coldly. “My medicine isn’t something anyone can just buy. You could go to the village doctor in the next town if you want, but if you’re here, this is the price.”

Hu Dashan’s eyes shifted, and he began to beg. “Zhaodi, I really can’t walk anymore. Could you help me find your Uncle Ji?”

Hu Zhaodi extended her hand. “Running errands costs fifty coins. I’ll help you if you pay.”

Hu Dashan gasped with fury. “You… you’ve got money on your mind, haven’t you? Hu Zhaodi, what happened to you? Shouldn’t neighbors help each other out?”

Hu Zhaodi smiled coldly. “What happened to me? Neighbors should help each other, but it depends on who the person is. What are you to me? There are plenty of people in the village. Why not find someone else who’s willing to help you? Do you really think you deserve my help?”

“No matter what, I’m still your elder. What’s wrong with you helping me?” Hu Dashan persisted.

Ji Chunhua couldn’t hold herself back any longer. “By that logic, Zhaodi was your daughter for eleven years—why didn’t you treat her better? How did you treat her all these years? Now that you’re in trouble, you expect her to help you? Where do you get the face to ask for that? If I were her, I would’ve stabbed you long ago, and it would have been a mercy. You severed ties with her, and now you have the nerve to come and ask for her help for free? You think you’re still her father? Bah, you’re nothing!”

Hu Dashan’s face turned even paler. “Ji Chunhua, my father is the village head. He’s responsible for everyone in the village. If he doesn’t take care of us, why would he be the village head?”

Ji Chunhua sneered. “So what if my father is the village head? He never said he wouldn’t help you. Why don’t you go ask him? My father may be the village head, but neither I nor Zhaodi owe you anything. Why should we help you without payment? What do we owe you?”

Hu Zhaodi secretly gave Ji Chunhua a thumbs-up. She hadn’t expected Chunhua, who appeared so gentle, to be so fierce when confronting people.

Hu Dashan stiffened his neck. “So neighbors can’t even help with a little thing without charging money? Aren’t you afraid of people laughing when they hear about this?”

Hu Zhaodi’s face twisted in contempt. “If anyone else asked me for help with something small, I wouldn’t charge them. But you, you don’t deserve my help. You’re a beast.”

“You…” Hu Dashan stuttered, furious.

“What? What are you going to do? If you want help, go find someone else. If you can’t walk, crawl. Now get lost!”

At that moment, Hu Dashan’s stomach growled loudly.

He furrowed his brow, clutching his stomach with one hand while desperately trying to keep control of his bowels. He hurried toward Ji Chunhua’s latrine, but before he could get there, his pants were soaked, and a stench immediately filled the air.

Ji Chunhua couldn’t help but hold her nose and curse. “Hu Dashan, you worthless bastard. You couldn’t even walk far enough to do that? Why don’t you just shove a stick up your ass if you can’t hold it in? Coming here to make a mess at my house, what are you thinking?”

Hu Dashan’s face burned with shame. It was too late to make it to the latrine now, and he didn’t care about Ji Chunhua’s scolding. He clenched his teeth and hobbled back toward his own home, clutching his rear.

Unfortunately, he had run to the latrine too many times today. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground after only a few steps.

Luckily, he wasn’t unconscious. He struggled and managed to get back on his feet, stumbling forward.

Ji Chunhua continued to curse him until she could no longer see his figure, then turned to look at Hu Zhaodi.

Their eyes met, and they both burst into laughter.

“Zhaodi, don’t you think Hu Dashan’s family is getting their comeuppance? How did they end up with food poisoning? Haha…”

Hu Zhaodi smiled and nodded. “Maybe it really is karma. They’ve done so many bad things that even Heaven can’t stand it anymore.”

On his way home, Hu Dashan was seen by several villagers, who immediately caught the stench of his soiled pants and avoided him. No one wanted to get near him, let alone offer him any help.

By the time he returned to his own home, he was utterly disgraceful.

Yang, Zhang, and Hu Yaozu were all completely exhausted, unable to even get out of bed to run to the latrine. They could only use a basin at home for their needs.