"Uncle Si, Father wants to be by my dad’s side, I can’t move him—" Jinhoo hastily called out.
Wang Yongping finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the wood shavings off his hands onto his trousers, stepped forward, and lifted Wang Laozhu right in front of Wang Yongfu, letting the two of them sit close together.
Jinhoo busily propped a quilt and pillow behind Wang Laozhu, making him more comfortable to lean on.
Wang Laozhu and his son Wang Yongfu moved together and immediately grabbed each other’s hands, shedding silent tears first.
"Dad, what’s happened to you?"
"Wah wah... Eldest brother... woo wah..."
Wang Yongzhu was up front settling the medicine bill with Old Granny Zhang, but hearing the shouts from behind, she rushed over, fearing something had happened, and to her surprise, her elder brother Wang Yongfu had woken up?
Following her, Old Granny Zhang and Doctor Ma also hurried over and, seeing Wang Yongfu awake, they all let out a sigh of relief.
Doctor Ma took the pulse of both patients and observed their complexion before feeling reassured, "Both patients are showing improvement."
Leaving Jinhoo and Wang Yongping to watch over the two men inside the room, Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu followed Doctor Ma out to the main hall.
Doctor Ma was aware of the Wang Family’s situation, and seeing that Wang Yongzhu and her brother had just returned from the county town yesterday, and now Old Granny Zhang had come to settle the medicine bill, he took out two silver ingots, each worth five taels, and began to tear up.
Without anyone having to ask, he began to cry about the hardships of the Wang Family, explaining the origin of the silver; it turned out that the siblings had helped the Escort Agency on their way to the county town and nearly lost their lives, earning these ten taels of silver in the process.
If the illnesses of old Wang Laozhu and Wang Yongfu didn’t improve, the family really wouldn’t have any way out.
Being a compassionate doctor, Doctor Ma knew that since the Wang Family had lost their fields, even if a peasant family possessed some wealth, with the eldest son’s expenses amounting to dozens of taels, their savings must have indeed been drained.
Without any doubt, seeing the Wang Family was indeed in difficulty, he only charged them the cost price for the medicines and even waived the consultation fee.
Now that he had taken their pulse and seen both patients of the Wang Family improve, he knew that if they continued staying at the medical clinic, they wouldn’t be able to afford it.
After pondering for a while, he straightforwardly said to Old Granny Zhang, "I see that both patients’ conditions have stabilized. How about this, since staying in this town is costly for you, I’ll prescribe half a month’s worth of medicines for recuperation. You go back and take the medicine on time every day. In half a month, either you bring them here, or spare some money to hire an ox cart, and I’ll come over myself to check on them and decide whether the prescriptions need to be changed."
This truly was taking into account that the Wang Family was in such straits and had not given up on the two patients—Doctor Ma wanted to lend a helping hand wherever he could.
Upon hearing this, Old Granny Zhang was overjoyed, thanking Doctor Ma profusely, wishing she could enshrine and worship him three times a day.
Wang Yongzhu was also grateful. A doctor like Doctor Ma was not only skilled in medicine but also had great medical ethics, understanding the current hardships of the Wang Family and still considering the patient’s family.
If it had been before, she would definitely not have wanted to take such advantage of Doctor Ma, but now, having just settled the bill, six out of the ten taels of silver were gone.
She simply couldn’t afford to stay any longer.
Since Doctor Ma had said the patients could be moved back home, it meant that there was nothing seriously wrong.
This act of kindness, she, Wang Yongzhu, would keep in her heart and definitely repay in the future.
Doctor Ma said nothing, adjusted the prescriptions, personally prepared half a month’s worth of medicine for both patients, packaged them separately, and lastly, he cautioned them not to consult any quack doctors again, lest they damage their health beyond repair.
Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu listened closely, settled the payment for the medicine, thanked Doctor Ma, and then returned to their side room.
In the side room, Jinhoo had already recounted all the events that had happened over the past few days to Wang Yongfu.
Wang Yongfu was holding Wang Laozhu’s hand, crying his eyes out, "It’s all my unfilial conduct! I have dragged the family down!"
At the same time, he resented Wang Yongan, "Had I been around, our second brother surely wouldn’t have had the gall to do this!"
Wang Yongzhu wanted to say that even if there were ten of you, whatever Wang Yongan set his mind on getting, he’d probably have gotten it with ease, so don’t think too highly of yourself.
Seeing that Wang Laozhu took great comfort from Wang Yongfu’s words, she simply couldn’t bring herself to burst their bubble.
Old Granny Zhang gave a cold snort and tossed the medicine on the table, "What are you howling for? Once everyone gets a little better, do you plan on courting death again? If you howl yourself into a real mess, who do you think will suffer? It’s still us!"
Wang Yongfu, chastened by his own mother , wiped away his tears with an embarrassed look, "Mother, it’s my filial shortcomings! It’s all my fault! I’ve become a useless wreck, and it’s my own retribution! I swore in front of Mother before my wedding, and when I didn’t genuinely honor my father and mother, divine retribution came upon me. It’s all my own unfilial fault!"
Old Granny Zhang was taken aback and recalled the oath Wang Yongfu had made—something about a life of desolation if he didn’t truly honor his parents?
It took her quite a while to snap out of it, "What’s the use of saying all this now? Your old mother doesn’t have any hopes left for you lot. I’ll just live out my days with your younger sister. You can choose to honor us or just clear off if you don’t want to. Your old mother doesn’t care! Laosi, go hire an ox cart. We’re going home today." She said this as she began to pack.
Wang Yongping was stunned, "Why are we going home? What about Father and Eldest Brother’s illness?"
"Doctor Ma said Father and Eldest Brother’s condition has stabilized and that they can be treated at home. He has prescribed medicine for half a month, and after it’s finished, we’ll invite Doctor Ma to our home for a follow-up consultation, so it’s better not to jostle them with travel!" Wang Yongzhu explained.
"Really? I’ll go right now—" Wang Yongping left, bubbling with excitement to find a cart.
Jinhoo also relaxed and started busily packing up their belongings.
When Wang Yongping had hired the cart, he laid out the cotton quilts on the cart first, then helped Wang Laozhu and his son onto the cart, secured their belongings, and the family, after thanking Doctor Ma, began their slow journey home.
At the Lin Family home.
Another suitor, accompanied by the matchmaker with a grave expression, walked out of the Lin Family residence carrying gifts.
Reaching the doorway, the matchmaker, still feeling upset, turned around and spat, "I’ll tell you what, Lin Family, your niece is no spring chicken. She’s old enough to be marrying off her son and dandling grandchildren, yet she still acts like some precious and virtuous maiden? Blessed is she that any man wants her at all, and yet she’s so choosy! She doesn’t even see what she’s worth! While there’s still someone willing to take her, she should marry quickly, and bearing a couple of sons is what really matters! Can’t she take a look in the mirror? Who does she think she is? Pah!"
And with that tirade, she walked off without looking back.
Eldest Aunt Lin entered the house with a grim face, and Lady Lin was sitting in the chair with an air of displeasure.
Eldest Uncle Lin, looking at his sister, couldn’t understand why, after several potential suitors, she was still picky. In his view, being a widow and also advanced in years, she should just pick any man that comes along, preferably whomever offered the most money.
Yet, somehow, after those few good days at the Wang Family, she seemed to have forgotten who she was, turning her nose up at this one and finding fault with that one.
Doesn’t she realize whether she still has any right to be picky?
His patience was nearing its limit; so many mouths to feed at home, and in trying to get some money from marrying off Lady Lin, they couldn’t very well put her to work either. One more mouth to feed and one less pair of hands to work was a real problem, with the wife and kids making a fuss.