Chapter 12: I Can Cure Your Illness

Hearing about finding a husband from a distant village, Zhao Qiao’e wept with heartache.

“Tang’er has only been back in the Song family for three years. If she marries far away, it will be difficult to see her.”

Wang Hongying sighed. “It’s unavoidable. If Huang Heyu gets his way and forces Tang’er to be his concubine, she’ll suffer countless hardships.”

She had four sons and no daughters. Among her nieces, she previously favored the well-behaved Lin Zhaozhao. Now, she also liked Song Yuntang, who looked like a porcelain doll.  She disliked Song Zhimei, whose personality was like Ma Zhaolan’s, thinking that girl was full of schemes.

The more Wang Hongying thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt, so she nudged her husband with her elbow.

Song Jinzhu reacted and looked at Song Jinwen with a serious expression.

“Old Second, when you go back, talk to Ma Shi. Don’t always think about making money; in the end, it’s your own family that suffers.”

The eldest brother had spoken, so Song Jinwen could only nod in agreement.

The fact was that his wife was the one who had arranged the match.  Before, she had spoken so highly of the Huang family; now, the Huang family’s actions were so despicable.

He couldn’t refute.

After Song Jinzhu finished speaking, he winked at his wife, hoping for praise.

However, Wang Hongying only glared at him before turning to Song Jinbao and Zhao Qiao’e.

“Third sister-in-law, I’ll go home now. There’s still a lot to do.”

“Alright, eldest brother and eldest sister-in-law, go ahead.”

Song Jinzhu and Wang Hongying took their four sons home. Song Jinwen also left. Song Jinbao and Song Jinsheng sent Zhao Shi and Song Yuntang home before returning to the fields.

Song Yuntang spread the mugwort to dry in the courtyard and fetched boiled water from the earthenware pot on the stove to clean the dirt around her wound.

Liu Xiangyun, who was sewing by the door, occasionally glanced at her.

“Tang’er, you shouldn’t do this kind of work anymore. You’re not suitable for it.”

Song Yuntang looked up at her, then lowered her head to clean her wound.

“I’m not suitable, but you are?”

Liu Xiangyun didn’t get angry. She held up the baby clothes she had just made, her expression gentle.

“When I feel better, I can go up the mountain.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” Song Yuntang dried her hands with a clean cloth. “People will think we’re mistreating pregnant women.”

Then, she went back into the house.

Liu Xiangyun watched Song Yuntang return to the room without saying anything.  Through recent events, she had realized that although her younger sister-in-law was cold, she was definitely not bad; she was the type who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

She went back into the room, found a thicker piece of cloth, cut it according to her palm size, and sat back under the eaves to sew.

Lunch was brown rice porridge and amaranth that Song Yuntang had picked. After blanching and stir-frying, it tasted surprisingly good even without oil and salt.

Before Zhao Shi ate, she had already placed the medicine bought by Song Jinyuan by the stove to simmer. After dinner, the medicine was ready.

Liu Shi knew the medicine was expensive, so she didn’t hesitate and drank it all.

After drinking the warm medicine, she broke out in a sweat, washed up, changed her clothes, and felt refreshed.

The midday sun was intense, and the Song family’s three men weren’t idle; they went out to work after lunch.

Song Yuntang wasn’t idle either. She went out and headed towards the private school.

As she walked, many people pointed and whispered at her.

“Young Master Huang said those words in our village today.  Song Laosan’s girl will probably only be able to marry him.”

“Who says not? This morning, Young Master Huang blocked her in the mountains and then loudly declared that Song Yuntang was his. Maybe something happened between them.”

“You know, after all this, she’s still acting like nothing happened? Doesn’t she always act like a young miss from the Lin family?  Ordinary girls wouldn’t be so calm when faced with this.”

“Who knows what she’s thinking? But I think her delicate nature isn’t suitable for a farmer’s family.  Being a concubine for Young Master Huang is quite good.”

“Exactly, marrying into a farmer’s family, she’d surely cause trouble.”

…

Hearing the whispers around her, Song Yuntang frowned slightly but didn’t pay them any attention.

There was a small courtyard behind the private school, where Mr. Xu lived. Song Yuntang didn’t hesitate and knocked on the courtyard door.

After a couple of coughs from within the courtyard, Xu Qingye opened the door for Song Yuntang himself.

Upon seeing her, he was startled, then glanced at the villagers peeking around, his expression slightly distant.

“Miss Song, why have you come to my place?”

Song Yuntang nodded. “Thank you for your help today, sir.”

“It was a small matter, not worth mentioning. I live alone and it’s inconvenient to invite you in. If you have nothing else, please leave.” He started to close the door.

A fair hand stopped the door. Song Yuntang looked at him. “Mr. Xu, I want to propose a trade.”

Xu Qingye was taken aback. “Please tell me.”

Song Yuntang said earnestly, “Mr. Xu’s illness, I can cure it.”