Chapter 95: No Kneeling 

When Hu Zhaodi reached the village on the west side of town, she heard the crow of a rooster. After asking around, the three finally found the home of the old woman Wu Yinghai had mentioned.

The old woman’s home was simple, with an old man sharpening a knife in the yard and about twenty chickens roaming around. The woman herself was seated on a small stool, carefully slicing wilted vegetable leaves with a kitchen knife, likely to feed the chickens.

Hu Zhaodi approached politely and asked, “Granny, do you sell any of the chickens you raise?”

The old woman glanced at her, then at the well-dressed Han Dongsheng and Wu Yinghai, before shaking her head. “I don’t sell the hens; I need them to lay eggs so I can sell the eggs and pay for my eldest grandson’s schooling. I have three roosters, though. If you want, I could sell you one.”

Hu Zhaodi smiled sweetly. “Granny, I’d like to buy a few hens and a rooster to raise them. Once they start laying eggs, I plan to let the hens hatch chicks.”

“You’re not planning to buy them for the meat, are you?”

“Of course not! I wouldn’t dare eat them. If I did, I wouldn’t have any chicks to raise.”

The elderly woman hesitated, feeling somewhat conflicted. Though raising so many chickens was becoming challenging, she had grown attached to them, and the idea of someone buying them to eat made her feel reluctant to part with them.

After a moment, the old man beside her spoke up. “Wife, since the young lady wants to raise them, perhaps we could sell her a few. Keeping these chickens has become a struggle for us anyway.”

The old woman put down the knife and stood up, and only then did Hu Zhaodi notice that her back was bent, unable to straighten. She hobbled to the gate and, with a trembling hand, opened it. “Come in. But catching chickens in the middle of the day is tricky. If you come back early tomorrow, I’ll have them caught and ready for you.”

Watching the elderly woman’s hunched figure, Hu Zhaodi spoke earnestly, “Granny, how about I offer a bit more silver if you agree to sell me all of the chickens? I promise I’ll take good care of them.”

The old woman shook her head, her face filled with reluctance. At their age, they should be enjoying a peaceful life, but after their son passed away a few years ago, they were left with just each other and their dutiful daughter-in-law. Their grandson was hardworking and ambitious, and to support his studies, the elderly couple and their daughter-in-law toiled tirelessly, with the chickens being their only way to ease some of her burden.

The old man sighed deeply. “Young lady, we have twenty-eight chickens in total, and they lay about ten eggs a day. With our son gone, our daughter-in-law works day and night, yet it’s never enough to cover our grandson’s tuition. He’s a good kid, and we don’t want him to lose his chance at schooling. But we’re getting old, and caring for all these chickens is tough. If you genuinely plan to raise them, please name a fair price, and you can take them all.”

As he spoke, the old man’s eyes grew moist, a mix of sorrow and reluctance flickering in them.

Zhaodi was moved by their story. It was rare to see a family so devoted to supporting their child’s education despite their hardships. Looking at the couple’s bent figures, she said sincerely, “I’ll pay you thirty taels of silver for the chickens.”

The elderly couple was stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Han Dongsheng and Wu Yinghai were momentarily taken aback but quickly understood. After all, a single chicken typically sold for no more than forty wen, so twenty-eight chickens would usually only be worth a little over one tael.

But with her offer of thirty taels, Hu Zhaodi clearly intended to give the elderly couple a helping hand. For her, thirty taels wasn’t a big deal, but for an ordinary family, it was more than they could make in a whole year.

The old man, snapping out of his astonishment, waved his hands vigorously. “That’s far too much. We couldn’t possibly accept it. Just give us two taels, young lady.”

With a serious expression, Hu Zhaodi responded, “Grandpa, I’d like to offer you thirty taels, as a way to help support your grandson’s education. I hope he has a bright future. I’ll take all of the chickens, so you both won’t have to work so hard.”

The elderly couple lowered their heads, clearly reluctant to accept so much, but thinking of their grandson, they could only silently remember her kindness.

At that moment, their daughter-in-law returned from working outside, looking puzzled at the sight of the three visitors. “May I ask what brings you here?”

The old woman quickly introduced her. “Daughter-in-law! This young lady is here to buy chickens. She’s our family’s benefactor! You’ve had a tough time these years—quickly, go fetch Cheng’er from the school and bring him here.”

The daughter-in-law hadn’t quite grasped the situation but allowed herself to be nudged outside, jogging off toward the school.

Hu Zhaodi paid little attention, figuring the elderly couple probably wanted their grandson to come back to confirm the silver’s authenticity.

Meanwhile, the elderly couple brought out chairs, inviting the three visitors to sit and rest in the courtyard. Once seated, the old woman returned to chopping the vegetable leaves.

“Granny,” Hu Zhaodi began, “my home is a bit far from the county seat, so I’d like to take the chickens with me today if possible. Would that be alright?”

The old woman looked surprised, then smiled. “It’s not that I don’t want you to take them; it’s just hard to catch them in broad daylight. At night, they all go back to the coop, and then it’s easy to catch them.”

With a gentle smile, Hu Zhaodi shook her head. “That’s alright. I have a solution. As a doctor, I can add a tiny bit of anesthetic to their feed, which will allow me to catch them all. Once it wears off, they’ll be fine.”

“Oh, in that case, I’ll go prepare the feed.”

Hu Zhaodi nodded slightly.

Soon, the daughter-in-law returned, bringing with her a youth around fifteen or sixteen. The boy had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a slender frame. Though his skin looked a bit sallow, his gaze was crystal clear.

Seeing his grandson return, the old man stood up and pointed to Hu Zhaodi. “Cheng’er, bow down and thank this benefactor properly.”

The young man obediently moved to kneel, but Hu Zhaodi was taken aback, leaping up and grabbing his arm. “No, no! Please don’t kneel!”

The old man, eyes glistening with tears, insisted, “He must kneel! Such kindness deserves respect!”

The boy tried to kneel again, but Hu Zhaodi’s expression darkened. “You are not allowed to kneel!”

Startled, the young man quickly stood upright, while the elderly couple and their daughter-in-law froze in place, bewildered.

Why did this young lady’s mood change so suddenly? With her stern expression, she actually looked a bit intimidating.

“Sit down,” Hu Zhaodi ordered.

All four immediately sat down, sitting up straight and proper.

Then, her serious face softened into a sweet smile. “Grandpa, please don’t make me feel old! Your grandson even looks older than me. How could he possibly kneel for me?”

The old man hesitated, then cautiously asked, “Young lady, are you… not angry?”