NOVEL NEXT 16
Chapter 16 Money
“Don’t worry too much, both of you,” seeing He Ze’s gesture, Xu Qingsheng put on a smile and said to He Youcai, “Although your injury is due to long-term damage to your muscles and bones, as long as you rest assured and recuperate, there is still hope for recovery.”
“Doctor Xu, are you serious?”
He Youcai’s eyes lit up, and he kept turning his head to look at Dad Li several times. He was also teary-eyed with excitement. “You mean, you mean, my husband’s hand can still be the same as before?”
“Of course, but it will require a long period of recuperation, and during this time, you must not overexert yourself. I’ll write you a couple of prescriptions later.”
Xu Qingsheng lowered his head, put the medical pad on the table into the medical box, and closed it with a snap.
“Dad, see? I told you Doctor Xu is highly skilled. Now you can be at ease.” As He Ze spoke, he exchanged a glance with Xu Qingsheng, and both of them nodded slightly.
“Yes, dad, stop crying. This is good news!” He An rolled up his sleeves and wiped Dad Li’s tears, his face beaming with joy. “Brother’s injury is no longer a concern, and Father’s injury can be healed too. You don’t have to worry anymore!”
“Yes, I know, I know. Doctor Xu, we are so grateful to you, I…” Dad Li started to choke up again, and He Ze quickly supported his shoulders. “Dad, it’s getting late. I should escort Doctor Xu back home. It could be dangerous on the road if it gets too dark.”
“Right, right, I almost forgot. Doctor Xu, let me see you out!”
As Xu Qingsheng stood up, he was surrounded by the three of them and led out the door. He Ze smiled faintly and quickly followed them outside.
Outside, Dad Li hesitated for a moment before speaking with a troubled expression, “Doctor Xu, how much do we owe you for today’s consultations for Xiao Ze and his father? Could you give us a few days to gather the money?”
“No, no—” Xu Qingsheng started to speak but was interrupted by He Youcai, who grabbed his arm, “Doctor Xu, we know this puts you in a difficult position, but…”
“That’s not what I meant to say,” Xu Qingsheng interrupted.
“Father, dad, what are you talking about!” He Ze stepped forward and, sensing the situation, smiled gently at Dad Li. “I’ve already paid Doctor Xu’s fee. Don’t worry about it.”
“Xiao Ze, you…”
Dad Li’s eyes widened in surprise, and both He Youcai and He An looked at He Ze with puzzled expressions.
“Yes, that’s correct. Your son has already settled the payment for the house calls. There’s no need for concern.” Xu Qingsheng bowed to Dad Li and He Youcai.
By now, the sun had set, and the sky was ablaze with the red glow of the evening light.
Seeing their stunned expressions, He Ze walked over to Xu Qingsheng. “Father, dad, I’m going to borrow Uncle Zhao’s ox cart to take Doctor Xu home. There’s rice and meat in the basket I brought back. You can eat it for dinner; no need to wait for me.”
“Xiao Ze—”
“Dad, don’t worry. I’ll explain everything when I get back.” He Ze waved his hand, then turned to Xu Qingsheng. “Doctor Xu, let’s go. We can also pick up some medicine on the way.”
“Alright,” Xu Qingsheng nodded. The two of them walked out of the courtyard together. Dad Li finally snapped out of his daze and took a few steps forward, calling after them, “Be careful on the road! Take it slow tonight…”
He Youcai called out several times, then walked into the courtyard. Seeing Dad Li still standing there, he called out, “Come back, the kids are already far away!”
Dad Li turned around absentmindedly. He Youcai frowned at his expression and finally said, “What did Xiao Ze mean just now? Where did he get the money to pay Doctor Xu?”
“How would I know…” Dad Li glared at He Youcai irritably, then seemed to remember something and rushed into the house.
“Hey! You…” He Youcai and He An exchanged puzzled glances and followed him inside.
The bamboo basket He Ze had brought back was placed in the corner of the room. Dad Li spotted it with a quick glance and brought it to the table. As he started rummaging through it, his expression became increasingly puzzled.
“What’s wrong?” He Youcai asked anxiously as he walked in. Without waiting for an answer, he moved to the table and tilted the basket, revealing its contents. “How did Xiao Ze buy so much? This must have cost a lot!”
He An looked at both his parents, then quickly approached the table. He pulled out a large white cloth bag, “This is white rice. It’s heavy, probably a whole dou.”
(T/N: I looked into it and dou is said to be a unit for volume with 1 dou = 10l. Imagine a 10 litre container and how many kilograms or pounds of rice can be stored.)
He placed the bag on the table and reached back into the basket, pulling out a smaller cloth bag. Opening it, he dipped his finger in and tasted it, “This is salt. Dad, I haven’t tasted something this salty in ages.”
He An licked his fingers again, savoring the taste.
Salt was a luxury, monopolized by the government and very expensive. Villagers rarely used it in their cooking. He Ze remembered how bland Dad Li’s meals were and decided to bring some back.
“Wow, Father, dad, look at these big chunks of meat!” He An exclaimed, holding up two long pieces of pork. “Brother said he’d bring something tasty for me. We get to eat meat tonight! Haha… Father, dad, what’s wrong?”
His joy faded as he noticed the worried expressions on his parents’ faces.
Dad Li glanced at He Youcai and saw the same concern reflected in his eyes. He stood up first, taking the meat from He An and putting it back in the basket. “An-ge, put the rice and salt back too.”
“Dad…”
“Do as I say!”
He An, sensing something was wrong, reluctantly complied, carefully placing everything back into the basket.
“Father of my children, what do you think…” Dad Li hesitated, looking at the full basket of goods.
“Let’s not touch these things until Xiao Ze comes back and explains,” He Youcai sighed. “I just hope the money he used wasn’t obtained dishonestly. If it was, we can’t keep it. Our family can’t use money that goes against our conscience!”
He slapped his forehead in frustration.
“Father, Brother wouldn’t do something like that…”
“Yes, Father of my children, we need to trust our son. Don’t get upset. We’ll ask him when he returns,” Dad Li quickly consoled, worried about He Youcai’s temper.
“I know, I’m just worried! You know how Xiao Ze used to be. What if…”
“Alright, alright, don’t get worked up. A few days ago, Yu-ge brought over a basket of eggs. I’ll go boil a couple, and we can wait for Xiao Ze together.”
With that, Dad Li left the room. He An, sitting at the table, didn’t dare say a word, glancing nervously at He Youcai and occasionally peeking out the courtyard gate, his face full of worry.
The town was far, and given it was already evening, it wasn’t until the moon was high in the sky that He Ze returned with two doses of medicine. The moonlight stretched his shadow long across the courtyard.
“Brother! You’re finally back. We were worried sick about you!”
He An, who had been squatting by the door, felt a rush of relief. Seeing He Ze, he immediately jumped up.
Author’s Note: I… was wrong. I won’t dare say good morning to you all anymore, I’ll reflect on my actions ╥﹏╥…