RPAGF Chapter 162 Applying Medicine
Chapter 162 Applying Medicine
When the mother and daughter returned home, Lin Qingchuan had already cleaned the raw pig's trotters that had been singed of their hair. He then filled several buckets with water and carefully rinsed the trotters twice.
In the past, he did most of the heavy work in the fields, while his wife did the housework. Since they separated and started a business, he has learned to do these delicate tasks and has become more and more proficient at them.
Sitting next to her father, watching him carefully clean the pig's trotters, Xiaoyu saw her mother and older sister return and immediately jumped up and rushed over with a smile.
"Mother, elder sister, you're back?"
Seeing her younger sister running fast, Lin Xiaotang immediately stepped ahead of her mother, intercepted her sister, and pulled her to the side.
"Xiaoyu, why are you running so fast again? Are you going to hug your mother again? Have you forgotten what your older sister told you? Mother is pregnant now, and there are our younger brothers and sisters in her belly. We must be careful and make sure that Mother doesn't bump into anything."
Only after her older sister reminded her did Xiaoyu realize that she had forgotten again. Her smile faded, and she said with some guilt, "Sister, I forgot again."
Liu comforted her gently, "Alright, Tang'er, I'm being careful. Yu'er is still young and not very strong, she won't bump into me. I'm a rough woman, I was still working when I was pregnant with you, you really don't need to be so nervous."
Lin Xiaotang then released Xiaoyu and flicked Xiaoyu's nose.
"Alright, just be more careful next time. If Mom doesn't mind, I certainly won't either."
Liu brought out her sewing basket and began cutting fabric and sewing clothes.
Lin Qingchuan quickly cleaned the pig's trotters, blanched them, and put them into a large pot so his daughter could start braising them that night.
Having prepared everything, he found his woodworking tools, put them in the carriage, and told his wife, "Fengniang, I'm going back to the village to check on the fields. I'll be away, so please take good care of the children. Make sure to lock the gate tightly tonight."
Liu looked at her husband with a worried expression, feeling extremely distressed. "Dad, I'm pregnant and can't help at all. I'm just a burden. You and Tang'er have had a hard time. If this pregnancy hadn't come at such an inopportune time, I could have accompanied Tang'er to the county to deliver the goods, and you wouldn't have had to run back and forth to the village to look after the fields."
Lin Qingchuan immediately said, "Fengniang, you can't say that. No matter when you get pregnant, it's the right time. When the child comes, it means that the child is destined to be with us as parents and with our family. How can you get pregnant beforehand to see how busy the family is?"
That's true. Liu felt that her husband made sense. However, she and her husband were parents, so they could bear the hardship, but their eldest daughter was still a child. Being busy all day long was really heartbreaking.
So she added, "It's only right for us parents to suffer a little, but it's hard on our Tang'er. She's so young and has to do so much work. Now we can only hope that Jiu'er gets better soon so she can help Tang'er with some of the work."
Lin Qingchuan also hoped that Jiu'er's injuries would heal quickly. He and Tang'er had a moment of weakness and couldn't bear to see Granny Chen beat Jiu'er like that, so they bought a child with physical injuries instead of a perfectly healthy one. Since the child couldn't help with chores right away, it was indeed a bit of a delay.
However, he did not regret saving a child who had been whipped and was covered in bruises.
"Fengniang, don't worry. The doctor said that Jiu'er's injuries will heal in four or five days. Let's just wait a few more days and things will get better."
Lin Xiaotang carried a freshly heated cornbread, two boiled eggs, and a bamboo tube filled with hot water to her father.
"Dad, don't worry about the fields. I'll take care of things at home, and Mom will help me too. A few days will pass quickly."
"Okay, Tang'er, you've worked hard."
Lin Qingchuan took the food and hot water, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He thought to himself that he must listen to Tang'er and rent out the fields after this season's harvest, so that Tang'er could no longer be so tired.
He drove the carriage away from the town and back to Guihua Village. Shuisheng had already cut down the wood and bamboo, and the amount he brought home was enough to make three new beds. He hurriedly took out one hundred coins to give to Shuisheng, but Shuisheng declined for a long time and was only willing to accept thirty coins.
“Brother Qingchuan, you know what the daily wage is in town. I’ve been cutting these things for a whole day, so how can I charge you so much? Even if you’re doing business, you’re still earning hard-earned money. Tang’er is so young, and she’s been running around with you. Your money doesn’t grow on trees.”
Seeing that Shui Sheng was determined not to accept the money, Lin Qingchuan had no choice but to put the remaining seventy coins into his pocket. He planned to buy a few pounds of meat on his way back tomorrow so that Shui Sheng could give his sick mother a good nourishing meal.
"Fine, if you don't want more, that's fine too."
Before it got dark, he quickly made a wooden bed in Shuisheng's courtyard. When Shuisheng was making dinner, he took out the cornbread and eggs that Tang'er had prepared for him, asked Shuisheng to heat them up, and then he and Shuisheng and her son ate a meal together.
In Qinghe Town.
Lin Xiaotang quickly prepared dinner, finished her own meal, and let her mother and sister eat slowly. She then squatted down in front of Xiao Jiu, holding his portion, and helped him up so he could hold the bowl and eat by himself.
Xiao Jiu glanced at Lin Xiaotang, then quietly finished her meal.
He thought to himself, "This little girl is so young, yet she looks like a little adult. She can cook, brew medicine, and even braise pig's trotters. She seems quite extraordinary. With such abilities, she doesn't seem like a poor family's child at all. Moreover, her parents seem to dote on her and take her words very seriously."
After Lin Xiaotang finished cleaning up the dishes and prepared the medicine, she brought it over for Xiao Jiu to drink. She glanced at Xiao Jiu's wounds; the redness and swelling had subsided, and the wounds were slowly scabbing over.
She took out the ointment, intending to apply it for him, but Xiao Jiu refused.
"I'm not going to apply the medicine anymore."
Lin Xiaotang was a little surprised, "Didn't you apply it yesterday? Why aren't you applying it today?"
Xiao Jiu's fair face flushed slightly. He said awkwardly, "Yesterday is yesterday, today is today. My wound doesn't hurt anymore and will heal soon. I don't need to apply it anymore."
"What kind of logic is that? Just because it doesn't hurt anymore doesn't mean you don't need to apply it. How can you get better faster without applying the medicine?"
How can he go to the county to deliver braised pig's trotters with her if he doesn't get better soon?
So she put the medicine bottle on the ground and said matter-of-factly, "No, the money for the medicine has already been spent. You have to apply the medicine and get better soon. Don't expect me to keep serving you food and drink."
After saying that, she reached out to roll up Xiao Jiu's sleeve, but Xiao Jiu's arm happened to pull back, and with a "rip", Xiao Jiu's clothes were torn even more completely, and the tear from the whip instantly widened into a fishing net.
The air instantly became quiet and awkward again.
Xiao Jiu blushed as she looked at Lin Xiaotang, while Lin Xiaotang stared wide-eyed at Xiao Jiu. Their eyes met.
Lin Xiaotang was the first to react. She coughed lightly, picked up the ointment, and began to apply it to him, as if she wasn't the one who had just torn Xiao Jiu's clothes.
"Ahem... Well, as I said, if you want your injury to heal quickly, you have to apply medicine. Don't move around. I'll apply it for you right away. I have other things to do."
Looking at the little girl in front of him, who was five years younger than him and only seven years old, yet was even calmer than him, Xiao Jiu fell into deep self-doubt.
Could it be that all country girls are this straightforward? Am I just too ignorant?