Chapter 33.1

Zhou Jing hurriedly ran over, picked up Shen Mo, and noticed that Shen Mo’s face was as pale as paper, lacking even a hint of color.

He seemed entirely limp as if he had lost his breath.

Zhou Jing’s hand, reaching out to check his breath, trembled uncontrollably.

Although faint, there was indeed some breath left.

“Xiao Di… Xiao Di… go call Doctor Zhong!” Zhou Jing had just instructed Shen Lin when Shen Lin vanished into the village in a flash.

Zhou Jing pressed down hard on Shen Mo’s acupoint while continuously calling out, “Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo, you…”

Zhou Jing his hand remained on Shen Mo’s, then took a moment to calm down, but he had no idea how long it had been.

He was so anxious that beads of sweat, as large as soybeans, dripped from his forehead onto Shen Mo’s eyelids.

It seemed that Shen Mo’s thin eyelids could no longer bear such heavyweight, and he finally stirred awake.

“Xiao Mo…” Zhou Jing called out, a mix of joy and tears in his voice.

At that moment, a strong and courageous man of seven feet, who feared nothing, was unexpectedly shedding tears like rain. “Xiao Mo, you finally woke up; you finally woke up.”

Shen Mo only felt exhausted, particularly fatigued.

He wanted to lift his hand to wipe away Zhou Jing’s tears and tell him not to cry, but his hand lost strength halfway up, swaying in the air before beginning to drop.

Zhou Jing, quick on his feet, caught him just in time.

“I’m fine, really. Don’t worry,” Shen Mo thought about how Zhou Jing was a man, and crying like this in public would only be a source of ridicule.

Zhou Jing responded to whatever came to his mind—he didn’t know what to say.

He simply wanted to talk to Shen Mo nonstop—he was afraid that if Shen Mo didn’t say something, he might faint again.

“Xiao Mo, I’ll carry you inside, and your little brother went to find the doctor. He’ll be back soon,” Zhou Jing said.

He carefully picked up Shen Mo and turned to head towards the bedroom, holding him as if he were carrying an extremely fragile piece of glass.

Although he longed to have wings to fly into the bedroom, Zhou Jing’s steps were steady as he walked, each movement deliberate, as if he were pressing firmly into the ground—as if he was afraid that he might faint again from the impact.

When he reached the bedside, he was even more careful, gently placing Shen Mo down on the bed.

At that moment, Shen Lin rushed into the room with Doctor Zhong, who was already quite old and was often made tired by Shen Mo, a younger generation.

He was panting heavily from the run, and before he could catch his breath, Zhou Jing pulled him over to the bedside.

Doctor Zhong first placed a piece of ginseng under Shen Mo’s tongue before carefully checking his pulse. He said, “This young lad was too nervous, causing a surge of anger that led to his fainting. There isn’t any serious issue for now, but he can’t keep doing this; it’s very harmful to his health.”

Zhou Jing repeatedly agreed, taking the prescription written by Doctor Zhong and handing it to Shen Lin.

“Xiao Di, go to Uncle Wang’s place and explain our situation to him. Ask him to hurry and take you to the town to get this prescription filled. Remember, don’t let anyone go for free; you need to pay them,” Zhou Jing said, pulling out a few silver coins from his pocket and giving them to Shen Lin.

Shen Lin nodded, saying, “I understand what you mean.”

Zhou Jing whispered something to Shen Lin, who looked puzzled but didn’t ask any further questions.

“Wait a moment,” Doctor Zhong called out to Shen Lin as he was about to leave. He continued, “Young man Zhou since you want him to go to town and you have more than enough money at home, it would be better to directly invite a doctor from the clinic to come back and check on Shen Mo properly. That way, you can feel more at ease.”

In fact, that was exactly Zhou Jing’s intention. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given Shen Lin so much silver. When Shen Lin accepted it and specifically said he “understood what he meant,” it was their private code, both wary that Doctor Zhong might misunderstood their actions.

After all, Doctor Zhong was the only physician in the village. Regardless of his medical skills, he was needed in emergencies for headaches or other ailments, and he was not someone to be easily offended.

However, Doctor Zhong’s skills were entirely sufficient for treating minor illnesses in the village. He was aware of his own limitations and did not overestimate his worth, which was why he spoke to Zhou Jing in that manner.

Zhou Jing immediately nodded, naturally instructing Shen Lin, “Make sure to go to the reputable clinic and bring back a good doctor, no matter the cost. Tell him about your brother’s symptoms and make sure he doesn’t hold back on the herbs. The primary concern should be the treatment.”

“Yes.”

The Zhou family’s bedroom was also designed in the style of the town’s houses, divided into inner and outer rooms. The outer room of a wealthy household was used for the young servants, allowing them to listen for any movement from the master in the inner room so they could attend to him at a moment’s notice.

At that moment, the outer room was just what was needed. Although Doctor Zhong was a physician there to treat Shen Mo, it was not convenient for him to sit in the bedroom after examining him.

Since Zhou Jing didn’t allow him to leave right away, he settled onto a couch in the outer room to wait.

Zhou Jing knew that Shen Mo had been worried since he woke up, anxious about his situation. He immediately took Shen Mo’s hand to reassure him and gently said in his ear, “Xiao Mo, you don’t need to worry or be afraid of Aunt Wang. It’s okay, I already have a plan to deal with it. Now, I will tell you.”

“Aunt Wang claimed that I was not her son, but I believed she was just saying that without any evidence in hand. As for the scar you mentioned, it appeared later. Aunt Wang had driven her son away for so many years and had never cared for him, so she definitely wouldn’t know. Even if other people could recognize him, I was not afraid of her. It was incredibly difficult to verify whether two people were biological mother and son here, almost equivalent to having no definite method at all. The only way was the blood test for kinship recorded in ancient books.”

“I have heard of this method. People in the village said it can determine whether two people are biological relatives. What if Aunt Wang brings up this method later? What should we do then?”

Zhou Jing sat at Shen Mo’s bedside. Seeing that he seemed anxious, he immediately leaned down to embrace him, speaking soothingly to comfort him.

“Don’t worry, listen to me. This method is not accurate. I have a way to make sure that both Aunt Wang and Wang Cheng can blend their blood with mine,” Zhou Jing said, leaning down close to Shen Mo’s ear. “Alum, as long as we have alum, anyone’s blood can merge with another’s. You have to believe me, don’t panic. You know I have studied in our place, and these things are recorded in books. Many people have verified it; it is foolproof.”

“What about the alum…?”

“I already instructed Xiao Di to make sure to buy the alum and bring it back.” Zhou Jing replied.

Shen Mo did not feel relieved; instead, he expressed his concern, “But what if they found Wang Jing’s body? Even if he is really dead, as long as there is a body, you…”

Zhou Jing interrupted Shen Mo, saying, “No, absolutely not! When you saw him, he was already full of holes from the wild boar’s tusks, and then he was even pushed away by the boar.

That means he was seriously injured at that time. Under such severe injuries, let alone in this era where medical resources are scarce, even in our place, it wouldn’t be easy to save him. Just losing too much blood alone would guarantee his death!

As long as he is dead, even if he wasn’t eaten by beasts on the mountain, after so many months and with the weather warming up, meat left outside for a few days would have spoiled.

By now, it would have long rotted. Even if Aunt Wang found him now, it would just be a decayed corpse that couldn’t be recognized.

You see, a body that is unrecognizable compared to me, who looks exactly like Zhou Jing and can merge blood with the “relatives”, the villagers would definitely believe us and trust our words.

Even when it comes to the County Magistrate, he would only believe us, thinking that Aunt Wang lied for money and wanted to seize our family property. So, don’t be afraid; just rest assured. Everything will go smoothly.”

“Mm, I believe you.” Shen Mo grasped Zhou Jing’s hand in return, quietly lying in his embrace.

Wang Gui knew the Zhou family was anxious and drove the mule cart as if it would fly.

The round trip took an hour and a half. After being comforted by Zhou Jing for a while, Shen Mo, feeling weak, fell asleep.

The doctor they had invited was one of the more renowned physicians from a very famous medical clinic, but he was not the best. The most prestigious doctor tended to only see influential families in the town, and Shen Lin couldn’t afford to hire him.

They could only use the money to secure this one, who agreed that no matter how the medicine was priced, the consultation fee would be 5 silver coins.

The doctor’s surname was Cong. When he followed the people into the Zhou family home, he discovered that the Zhou family was completely different from the peasant family he had imagined. Once he entered the house, he no longer dared to underestimate the Zhou family.

“Doctor Cong, my husband just fell asleep. Do you think we can avoid waking him? Let’s quietly take his pulse, and you can ask me about the rest.”

“Sure.” Doctor Cong, unconsciously following Zhou Jing’s lead, spoke in a lowered voice.

Shen Mo’s pulse was weak and faint, beating softly and feebly—characteristic of a deficiency in both qi and blood. “The patient is not in serious condition for now, but he is too weak. You must not let him become so agitated again. Fortunately, I brought a few medicines that he needs. I will prepare a few doses for you now. He should take them morning, noon, and night. After taking them for a month, come back to the clinic to find me.”

After Doctor Cong reminded them of some precautions regarding the medication and herbal decoction, he was sent back in a mule cart by Wang Gui. The cost of just one month’s worth of medicine amounted to 15 silver coins.

Doctor Zhong, who was watching Zhou Jing pay both the consultation fee and the cost of the medicine without blinking an eye, was left stunned when Zhou Jing casually pulled out 20 silver coins.

20 silver coins! That amount could only be earned from a bountiful harvest in the fields.

Yet, in just a moment, Zhou Jing spent it without a flicker of his eyelid. How wealthy could the Zhou family possibly be!

In fact, Zhou Jing did not have as much money on hand as Doctor Zhong imagined.

Previously, when he solely engaged in the sausage business, he sold only a small quantity in the first few days and earned little.

Later, when he increased production, he could make over 700 copper coins in a day. With an additional profit of over 200 copper coins from duck products, he barely managed to earn one silver.

This had only been a few days—about seven or eight—and it could be said that Shen Mo’s illness had drained about eighty percent of Zhou Jing’s savings. Now, Zhou Jing had less than five silver coins left.

However, no matter what, Shen Mo’s condition was so serious that he had nearly crossed the gates of death; in terms of money, even if he had to borrow, Zhou Jing had to ensure Shen Mo received treatment!

The Zhou family tossed and turned half the night before finally falling asleep, while in the village, Aunt Wang also struggled to sleep, turning over for the entire night.

The next day, when she inquired about Shen Mo and learned that he was not dead, but instead had cost her twenty silver coins, it felt to her like her flesh was being cut.

She didn’t pity her son-in-law for suffering; rather, she resented him for not dying right away—if he died, all of the money would fall in her pocket.

Later, Aunt Wang suddenly thought of something and hurried off to Shenjia Village.

Zhou Jing got up early and prepared a bowl of silver fungus and red date porridge for Shen Mo.

He also steamed a light egg custard and fed it to him.

After coaxing Shen Mo to take his medicine, he did not let him get up—insisting that he lie in bed and rest.

Shen Mo said: “Brother Jing, the doctors in the town and Doctor Zhong have both examined me. They said that I just had a surge of anger affecting my heart and that there was nothing serious. A few days of rest, and I will be fine. You don’t need to worry. You and Xiao Di should still set up the stall.

I know that if you don’t tell me, the expenses for my treatment will probably exhaust most of the silver at home. If we don’t sell these goods, we will incur a loss that we can’t afford. We can’t just stop living because I’m sick. Moreover, you should set up the stall for my sake; otherwise, after a month, our family might not even be able to afford the follow-up medicine.”

Zhou Jing replied, “I have considered everything you said. We still need to set up the stall, but I can’t go along these few days. That old woman was startled when she saw you faint yesterday, which is why she sneaked away. Now that she heard that you’re fine, she will surely cause more trouble. I will leave Xiao Di at home to keep you company because I’m worried you won’t be able to handle her. I can’t rest easy unless I’m at home.”

“What about the stall?”

“I plan to ask Aunt Shen’s son to help out for a while. We signed a long-term contract with their family, so with that connection, Aunt Shen’s family will surely help us.

We won’t let them work for free; Wang Dali carries sacks in town for 30 copper coins a day, so we will pay him 30 copper coins as well. That is 10 copper coins more than what others pay their workers, and it’s much easier than carrying sacks. It won’t interfere with his morning and evening work either, so he will definitely be willing to earn that extra money.”

“Right, how did I not think of that? Asking him is suitable, but having only Xiao Di and Wang Dali go out alone to do business might raise some gossip,” Shen Mo said.

“This matter can only inconvenience Xiao Di. I will go talk to him. Once we get through these few days, it will be fine,” Zhou Jing replied.

Zhou Jing explained the situation to Shen Lin, and without a second thought, Shen Lin agreed.

“Brother, you can rest assured. I won’t have any other thoughts. I am well aware of what you and my elder brother have done for me. Besides, my reputation has long been lost; I am not concerned about this matter. You truly need to guard the house; otherwise, if that old woman causes a ruckus, my elder brother and I probably won’t be able to handle her. You just focus on taking care of your elder brother at home; I will take care of the business outside. I will definitely do well.”

Zhou Jing patted Shen Lin’s shoulder and said, “Your elder brother didn’t dote on you for nothing!”

—o—o—o—

Zhou Jing let Shen Lin eat first.

He boiled some sausages and then went to Aunt Shen’s house.

Because the Zhou family had to conduct business and also rush to the morning market in town, they had to get up much earlier than the average farming household. Therefore, he knocked on the door for quite a while before Wang Dali finally came out, draped in his clothes, to answer the door.

As soon as Wang Dali saw Zhou Jing, he hurriedly let him into the house.

“I came today to ask for your help. You know that Aunt Wang caused a scene at my house yesterday; my husband was pushed by her and fainted. I was afraid he would feel unwell today, so I didn’t dare to leave. But you also know that in the food business, this time is the worst for keeping things; even with a cellar, they can’t be kept for long. So I wanted to ask you to help out at the stall with Shen Lin. As for the wages, I will definitely not shortchange you; I will pay you 30 copper coins for a day.”

Wang Dali was taken aback when he heard 30 copper coins. He thought it was a large sum for carrying heavy sacks, which left him exhausted. Now, running a stall in town for a day compared to carrying sacks felt like child’s play. He immediately agreed, saying, “Sure.”

“Alright then, have some breakfast and come to my house. You don’t need to worry about lunch and dinner; Shen Lin will arrange your meals.”

They were even providing meals! Wang Dali was even more delighted.

After Zhou Jing left, Aunt Shen also got up.

“I heard some noise from the inner room, and it seemed like Zhou Jing. What is he doing here so early? Could it be that he found out that Shen Mo took it upon himself to sign such a large deal with us and is here to go back on it?” Aunt Shen asked anxiously.

“It’s not that!”

Wang Dali replied cheerfully. “After you left yesterday, that old woman from the Wang family caused a scene at the Zhou house and knocked Shen Mo out, right? Zhou Jing was worried about Shen Mo being at home alone, and he couldn’t let Shen Lin go out to do business by himself, so he came to ask me for help, offering 30 copper coins for the day. I thought it wouldn’t be tiring and wouldn’t interfere with raising ducks. I can get up early to feed them in the morning, and in the evening, I can gather food for the ducks for the next day. You just need to feed them at noon; it’s completely manageable, so I agreed.”

Aunt Shen gazed deeply at Wang Dali, leaving him perplexed. He asked in confusion, “Mother, what do you mean by that look?”

Aunt Shen chuckled and replied, “My silly son, why are you so slow to understand? The Zhou family’s intentions are already quite clear; they are just lacking the direct approach to talk about becoming in-laws since they have a pair of gers”

“Think about it: Shen Mo is ill and needs someone to take care of him at home, but why does that person have to be Zhou Jing? Why can’t it be Shen Lin? Shen Lin is Shen Mo’s younger brother; having him take care of Shen Mo would surely be attentive. This way, Zhou Jing could manage the stall. If Zhou Jing went out to run the stall by himself, even though he would be busy, he could still manage just fine.”

“But the Zhou family, on the other hand, insists on going around in circles to ask you to help out, and they are even willing to pay a high price of 30 copper coins a day! Isn’t this just a way to give you and Shen Lin the chance to be alone together and develop your feelings?”

“Ah!” Wang Dali stood there with his mouth agape, completely unaware of the intricacies involved. If his mother hadn’t pointed it out, he would never have thought of this. Now that she mentioned it, the more he thought about it, the more he felt it made sense.

Aunt Shen covered her mouth and watched her foolish son with amusement.

“Dali, this is a good thing. You don’t need to have any other thoughts; just focus on getting along well with Shen Lin. If you do well, I will ask a matchmaker to propose to you in a few days!”

But Wang Dali frowned and said, “But Shen Lin is a ger after all, and ger generally give birth to ger. Isn’t that going to leave our family without descendants?”

Aunt Shen scolded, “Why are you so stubborn, my son? Didn’t I promise you that I would find you a good girl from a respectable family?”

“But our family doesn’t have the money to support another mouth,” he replied.

“What do you know! You’re earning 30 copper coins a day working for the Zhou family, and Shen Lin is also working there. Even at a normal rate, he would earn at least 20 copper coins a day. Our family continues to have the duck-raising business with the Zhou family, which brings in six silver coins in four months. Plus, we’re growing crops; with so much income, how could we not be able to support one more mouth? Why are you so stubborn?”

After being scolded by Aunt Shen, Wang Dali finally realized that their family was not what it used to be. Not to mention anything else, even just from the duck-raising business, they could afford to support one more person. He then chuckled foolishly, no longer dwelling on the matter.

Wang Dali hurriedly finished his breakfast and went to the Zhou house to find Shen Lin. The two of them set off to town in a mule cart. As a simple farmer, Wang Dali didn’t have many schemes; he couldn’t keep secrets. When his mother told him that the Zhou family had intentions of marrying Shen Lin to him, he genuinely believed that Shen Lin was aware of and agreed to this.

Therefore, throughout the day, he subtly probed Shen Lin, sometimes even intentionally putting on a show of authority to gauge Shen Lin’s reaction while secretly observing him.

Shen Lin was naturally clever, and during this time spent working with Zhou Jing in business, he encountered many different kinds of people and broadened his horizons.

He quickly discerned Wang Dali’s intentions.

He recalled the sequence of events and understood that Wang Dali had misunderstood their intentions.

However, he did not clarify this. He knew the situation at home and that he could not let his brother-in-law go out to do business; otherwise, Aunt Wang would come to their house to cause a scene, and neither he nor his elder brother would know how to handle it. But without engaging in business, they could not afford to eat, and his elder brother still needed medical treatment.

Therefore, he felt it was best not to address the matter directly.

If he did, and Wang Dali became furious and refused to work with him, what would happen to their business? After all, it would only be a little over a month; if he could endure it, it would eventually pass, and it would not amount to anything serious—just some gossip at most.

Shen Lin’s forbearance led Wang Dali to believe that the Zhou family truly meant what they had implied, and he had already regarded Shen Lin as his fiancé in his heart.