Chapter 8: Just When the Roof Is Leaking, It Pours

Song Yuntang shook her head decisively. “I won’t marry, and I won’t give them a single copper coin. You don’t need to worry about this; I’ll find a way myself.”

Song Jinbao looked at her. “What can you think of? Go look for the Lin family?”

“I’m not going to look for them.” Song Yuntang walked closer to Song Jinbao and Song Jinyuan, checked their pulses to confirm they didn’t have any internal injuries, and then spoke again. “I’ll go to the mountains for a bit and gather some herbs for your wounds.”

After saying that, she left the main room, grabbed the basket and small hoe Liu Shi usually used for foraging, and headed outside.

Song Jinsheng quickly caught up to her. “Can your hand handle the hoe? Don’t let it get sore again, and then you’ll be in pain in front of us.”

The four people in the main room watched this scene in disbelief.

When had Song Yuntang ever actively gone to the mountains?

In the past, she was afraid of getting hurt. A single bug on a vegetable leaf could scare her pale; today was truly the first time.

Song Jinbao touched the back of his head, puzzled. “Did this girl suffer some kind of shock?”

Zhao Qiao’e shook her head. “After what happened yesterday, who would dare to provoke her again?”

Song Jinbao glanced at his injuries and then at his eldest son. “These injuries don’t seem completely useless after all.”

“Does Tang’er know how to gather herbs?” Song Jinyuan asked, puzzled.

Song Jinbao replied as a matter of course, “After all, she spent more than ten years in the Lin family; recognizing a few herbs isn’t surprising.”

Zhao Qiao’e sighed and, patting her chest, headed toward the kitchen. “The last few days, my heart has been all over the place because of that girl. Once the Huang family matter is settled, I’ll definitely take her to Qing’an Mountain to pray.”

Song Jinbao nodded. “Let’s go pray, just to have some peace of mind.”

…

Accompanied by Song Jinsheng, Song Yuntang climbed the mountain.

The outskirts of the mountain were desolate; there were hardly any wild vegetables or herbs, and even grass was rare. The ground was bare from being trampled.

The two walked deeper into the mountain for a while, and after wandering for a quarter of an hour, they managed to gather a few stalks of penetrating bone grass and even picked a few tangy sweet fruits.

After returning home, Song Yuntang found a stone mortar, crushed the penetrating bone grass, and applied it to the more severe wounds of the two.

Her movements were so practiced that it looked as if she had done this thousands of times before.

Upon closer inspection, her palms, including the spots where she had rubbed against the stone pestle, had turned red. Song Jinbao’s gaze followed her delicate hands up.

“Are your hands okay?”

“It’s fine; I’m used to it now.”

Song Yuntang spoke lightly, but to Song Jinbao, it felt somewhat unpleasant.

“In the future, just instruct your brothers to do these things. It’s your father and mother’s incompetence that we can’t provide you with a life like the Lins.”

Song Yuntang paused, then replied calmly, “I can’t rely on others for everything.”

“They’re not others; they’re your closest family.”

Song Yuntang remained unmoved. “Then let them shower more love on Zhaozhao. I don’t need it.”

Hearing this, Song Jinbao sighed.

“You are still our own after all; why compare yourself to Zhaozhao? She has already been taken away by the Lin family.”

“Even if she has been taken away, it doesn’t change her importance in your hearts, does it?” Song Yuntang’s voice was calm. “But she has lived here for over ten years. I can understand your reluctance to part with her, just like I couldn’t let go of the Lin family before. It’s all the same; I’ve come to terms with it. Parents and siblings can all be fake; only oneself is real.”

After applying the last bit of medicine, she turned and left the main room.

Song Jinyuan, pondering, looked at his father.

“Father, do you think Tang’er doesn’t want to be close to us because we always mention Zhaozhao and compare her to her?”

Liu Shi beside him spoke up.

“No girl wants to be compared to someone else, especially when you’re using someone else’s strengths against her weaknesses. You always bring up Zhaozhao; I’ve always thought you liked her more than Tang’er.”

Song Jinbao shook his head. “Zhaozhao lived with us for thirteen years, and we indeed liked her, but she’s not our own flesh and blood. How can she truly be compared to Tang’er?”

“But Tang’er doesn’t know that. Even I, as the later addition, thought you preferred Zhaozhao.”

After Liu Shi’s words, the father and son exchanged a glance, falling into silence.

…

After cleaning her tools, Song Yuntang placed them on the countertop at the kitchen door to dry.

She entered the house and counted the silver she had left from today. After deducting the ox cart and rice expenses, she had nine qian of silver and twenty-one copper coins left. Among that, five qian was the balance for the custom-made silver needles, which she couldn’t touch.

The remaining four qian and twenty-one copper coins were hers to freely use.

Just as Song Yuntang hid her money, there was a knock on the door.

“Tang’er, may I come in?” It was Zhao Qiao’e’s voice.

Song Yuntang furrowed her brows in confusion, got up, opened the door, and looked at her indifferently. “Is there something?”

Zhao Qiao’e entered the room, unfolding the handkerchief in her hand. Inside lay three small pieces of broken silver, about five qian in total.

“Jinsheng said he borrowed money from you to buy rice. Take this silver.”

Song Yuntang didn’t reach for it. “Forget it; I eat at home too.”

Zhao Qiao’e pressed the silver into her hand. “Take it. Our family is poor, but we can’t use your money. You’ve lived a comfortable life before, so having some extra money will make your life easier.”

After saying this, she turned and went to the kitchen to cook.

Song Yuntang calmly put away the silver, about to go out, when she heard Song Jinyuan’s anxious voice from the main room.

“Xiangyun, are you alright?”

Zhao Qiao’e, who was busy in the kitchen, dropped the tongs and rushed towards the main room, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Song Jinsheng, who was chopping wood, also dropped his axe and headed for the main room.

Liu Xiangyun was pregnant, a special situation. Song Yuntang knew she couldn’t go out as planned.

She walked to the main room and pushed aside the people anxiously surrounding Liu Xiangyun. “Give her some space.  Surrounding her like this will make it hard for her to breathe.”

After hearing her words, everyone stepped back.

Song Yuntang knelt beside Liu Xiangyun and took her pulse.

After a moment, she calmly said, “It’s nothing serious. Just improve her nutrition, give her some medicine to protect the fetus, and let her rest.”

Perhaps seeing Song Jinyuan injured and being scared, or perhaps hearing about the threats from the Huang family and the anxiety about the future, Liu Xiangyun had fainted.

In short, her fainting seemed somewhat related to her.

Zhao Qiao’e looked worried. “It’s just bad luck after bad luck. Where do we have the extra money to buy medicine for the fetus now?”

Song Yuntang stood up. “Let’s help her back to bed. I’ll write a prescription later. Whoever is free tomorrow can go to town. I’ll pay for the medicine first.”

Song Jinyuan looked up at her. “Shouldn’t we call a physician?”

“If you don’t trust me, then call one.” After saying that, she turned and left the main room.