This batch of herbs need not be delivered to Mingxintang…
On the other end of Chenjia Village,
Chen Houkang had woken up early that morning to harvest the final batch of herbs from their field with his wife. After stacking the herbs in their storage shed, the tension that had been lodged in his throat finally eased considerably.
They had been racing against time these past few days to gather the herbs before the rainy season arrived. These herbs represented not only the family’s hard work over the year but also their income for the next six months. If they were soaked by rain, it would spell disaster.
Now that he could finally relax a little, Chen Houkang looked at his wife, Chen Ru, who was so exhausted from days of labor that she could barely straighten her back. He offered her an awkward, apologetic smile.
“A Ru, we owe the life we have now to Auntie. I must repay her kindness. Last time we rushed to the hospital empty-handed… It’s been almost half a month since she was admitted. This time, I have to do something to show our gratitude.
Think of it as lending me the money, alright? I’ll make it up to you and our daughter in the future.”
“What nonsense are you talking? Auntie isn’t just your relative—she’s mine too. Do you think you’re the only one with a conscience, and the rest of us have none? I don’t like hearing you talk like that, as if it’s only your responsibility.”
Chen Ru shot her husband a glare, as if accusing him of underestimating her.
“No wonder you’ve been tossing and turning in your sleep lately. Keeping it bottled up inside must be eating at you. I’ve already prepared the bank card. Since we have time today, I’ll go with you to visit Auntie at the hospital.”
On the fourth floor of the hospital, Shen Jiang was standing by the window, on the phone with the bank.
She needed to find out how much she could borrow by mortgaging Mingxintang. When she turned around, she noticed someone standing behind her. Looking up, she saw it was Little Uncle, whom she hadn’t seen in days. Little Aunt had come along too. The couple looked travel-worn, dressed simply, their sun-darkened faces etched with genuine concern.
“Little Uncle, Little Aunt, what brings you here?”
Both had overheard Shen Jiang’s conversation on the phone. Little Aunt noticed the document in Shen Jiang’s hand. From a distance, she had already sensed something was wrong with Shen Jiang’s expression. Without hesitation, she took the paper from Shen Jiang to read it herself.
Shen Jiang’s surprise was written plainly on her face.
As soon as Chen Ru saw the bold words “Outstanding Balance” on the document, she understood. She was never one for pleasantries. After glancing at the directional signs nearby to confirm the way, she simply said, “I’ll go take care of the payment.”With that, Chen Ru strode off purposefully, leaving her husband and Shen Jiang with only her determined silhouette.”
Chen Houkang was unfazed by his wife’s abrupt action—her decisiveness and efficiency were just as they had been in her youth. Still… being left alone with his niece now felt more awkward than if he had been the one sent to handle the payment.
“How is Auntie doing?” Chen Houkang frowned. He hadn’t expected that even after coming to the hospital today, he wouldn’t be able to see Auntie. They could only wait outside the ICU ward.
“Grandma’s condition has stabilized quite a bit. The doctors say there’s hope as long as the family doesn’t give up.” Shen Jiang didn’t mention that “not giving up” required substantial financial support. She didn’t want to indirectly ask Little Uncle for money.
“Mm.”
Unsurprisingly, the conversation stalled once again. Shen Jiang thought for a moment and decided to speak up, to tell Little Uncle that he need not reserve this batch of herbs for Mingxintang. She carefully considered her wording.
Little Uncle suddenly spoke up first: “Even if we have to sell the pots and pans for scrap, we must get her treated. If you’re short on money, just tell me. I’ve saved up over the years, and this money originally came from Auntie anyway. It’s only right to use it for her.”
Shen Jiang’s originally anxious and restless heart gradually calmed as these words lingered in her ears.
The actions and words of Little Uncle and Little Aunt today, who usually only nodded in greeting when they met her, had taken her by surprise.
“Mhm!” Shen Jiang condensed all her emotions into that single word.
The usually quiet and reserved Little Uncle and Little Aunt, through their actions and words at the hospital today, had suddenly given Shen Jiang a true understanding of these elders.
Whether it was Little Aunt directly taking the bill and paying the fees, or Little Uncle telling her they would sell everything to ensure treatment, it had stirred Shen Jiang’s nerves, which had been numbed by exhaustion and anxiety.
For a moment, Shen Jiang’s heart felt indescribably soft and comforted.
So she wasn’t fighting alone after all.
These past few days, she had experienced too much—she feared the money in her card wouldn’t be enough to save Grandma’s life, worried that Grandma’s reputation would be tarnished and she’d be forever condemned in the annals of traditional Chinese medicine, dreaded dying at the hands of the Great Dragon and never seeing Grandma again, and was terrified that Grandma might end up in the bleak and miserable state from her dreams.
Suddenly realizing that someone had been silently standing behind her all along, a pang of sourness passed through Shen Jiang’s nose.
If she really went to the different world and couldn’t return, Little Uncle would surely take good care of Grandma. Though their interactions hadn’t been many, Shen Jiang had now come to know this familiar yet unfamiliar elder in a new light.
With this comparison, Shen Jiang suddenly realized what had felt off to her earlier.
Why had Great Uncle specifically mentioned to her that he had advanced money for Mingxintang? Knowing full well that Grandma was in the hospital, given Great Uncle’s usual perceptiveness, he shouldn’t have done something so out of character.
Grandma had always been very strict with the villagers’ cultivation requirements, so as long as the herb farmers followed her instructions, they would always end up with satisfactory and generous rewards.
Even if Great Uncle hadn’t advanced the money, relying on the cultivation experience Grandma had carefully imparted, those villagers would surely have been able to sell their medicinal herbs—it just would have taken longer than usual to get paid.
“Little Uncle, what about your herbs?” Shen Jiang tried to find common ground between them.
Unexpectedly, Little Uncle had more to say this time: “They’re stored in the warehouse. We’ll start processing them tomorrow. If you’re in a hurry, you can use them next month.”
“Mingxintang doesn’t need them for now. If you have other buyers, you can sell to them first.”
Shen Jiang waited for a long time but received no response. Instead, she noticed something unusual beside her. Puzzled, she turned to look and saw Little Uncle glaring at her with some anger.
“Will Mingxintang not reopen?”
Shen Jiang was taken aback: “Who said that? Once Grandma is discharged, I’ll reopen Mingxintang.”
“Then my herbs can’t be sold elsewhere,” Little Uncle said with a serious, stern expression. “Auntie said that outside herbs aren’t as good, not as reliable as what our own family grows. My processing skills were all taught to me personally by Auntie. My herbs must supply our own family.”
Shen Jiang was rooted to the spot by his simple, heartfelt words and, as if guided by some unseen force, said: “Mingxintang received a batch of fresh medicinal herbs recently. Would you help me process them together?”
Chen Houkang nodded: “Alright. I’m free these days. How about I go to Mingxintang this afternoon to start processing?”
Seeing he didn’t seem to be joking, Shen Jiang couldn’t help but marvel at how sincere Little Uncle was.
“No, that’s alright. Let’s do it tomorrow. Those medicinal herbs won’t arrive at the shop until tomorrow.”
“Oh, understood.”
The conversation between them died down again.
Fortunately, Little Uncle’s wife Chen Ru returned at that moment. The couple usually didn’t interact much with this niece, so she wasn’t surprised to find her husband and Shen Jiang trapped in awkward silence. She directly took the empty seat beside her husband.
She didn’t know what to talk about with Shen Jiang either. Recently, someone in the village had been offering to buy medicinal herbs at forty to fifty percent above market price—this was definitely not something she could mention, as it would only upset Shen Jiang.
Although she and her husband had rejected this windfall, she knew her brother-in-law’s family well enough—they would surely pocket this unexpected fortune. As for the other villagers, they’d undoubtedly be thrilled to sell their herbs at higher prices.
Her sister-in-law loved flaunting that she had given birth to two sons, but Chen Dabao loafed around all day like a street idler, while Chen Xiaobao, though shrewder than his brother, was full of mischief and already learning bad habits at a young age.
Chen Ru always found it amusing whenever she saw her sister-in-law proudly showing off her sons.
What was wrong with having a daughter? In her view, her own daughter was far more promising than those two good-for-nothings.
Thinking of her precious daughter softened Chen Ru’s heart. Her girl had been admitted to a key university and even completed a master’s degree—she was the village’s most educated golden phoenix. Far more accomplished than those two uneducated cousins of hers.
Her daughter had always insisted on staying in the big city after graduation, making Chen Ru wonder if the girl was secretly dating someone. But when the Mingxintang scandal broke online, her daughter unexpectedly changed her mind, saying she’d return to Nanze City for work after finishing her graduation thesis this year.
How wonderful! Next year, when her little “warm jacket” moved back home, she could cook delicious meals for her every day. She’d heard those toxic takeouts out there were truly poisonous.
Counting the days, her daughter would be home again next month for the Dragon Boat Festival.
Looking at Shen Jiang, who wasn’t much older than her daughter, Chen Ru felt a wave of tenderness. Her elder sister hadn’t raised this child in vain—she appeared gentle and refined, yet could shoulder heavier responsibilities than men when it mattered.
At three in the afternoon, Shen Jiang yielded the visiting opportunity to Little Uncle to see Grandma in the hospital ward.
Little Uncle didn’t decline, though his typically wooden face showed rare signs of nervousness. He became completely flustered while putting on the isolation gown, earning him disapproving looks from his wife.
Their behavior actually made Shen Jiang chuckle inwardly.
Their actions and expressions today were more vivid than anything she’d witnessed from them in over twenty years. It was as if two soulless paper cutouts had suddenly come to life before her eyes.
Shen Jiang’s current plan was to transport those rare, high-quality medicinal herbs from the Great Dragon’s mountain. With quality herbs being scarce in the market currently, she wouldn’t have trouble finding buyers once she encountered physicians like Grandma who had strict requirements for medicinal materials.
She didn’t pin her hopes on major hospitals’ Traditional Chinese Medicine departments—they strictly sourced their herbs from several large domestic TCM companies. She neither met their entry thresholds nor could supply the quantities they required.
However, small clinics like theirs were commonplace across China. Shen Jiang was confident that as long as she could bring back the medicinal herbs, her grandmother’s medical expenses would soon be covered.
Shen Jiang also considered keeping the herbs for their own use, but the reputation crisis at Mingxintang had not yet been resolved. The number of patients willing to seek treatment there could be counted on one hand. Moreover, seeing only her young face at Mingxintang, few patients would likely trust her, leaving her no time to wait things out slowly.
The dream hadn’t mentioned exactly when her grandmother would be discharged from the ICU, but Shen Jiang clearly remembered that Su Qing started working at Mingxintang right after graduation, by which time she had already brought Grandma home to care for her.
By mid-June at the latest, Grandma’s condition was bound to improve. At the very least, she needed to endure these difficult days first.
It wasn’t that Shen Jiang hadn’t thought of trying traditional Chinese medicine treatments for Grandma, but the ICU had strict nursing controls, making it impossible for her to bring herbal decoctions inside.
But perhaps…
She could prepare the follow-up medicinal herbs for Grandma in advance.