Doctor Li paused for a moment and said, “For now, we need to stabilize the fetus and gradually help her body recover.”
“I’ll prescribe a formula. You gather the herbs, decoct one dose daily, split it into morning and evening portions, and let her take it. I’ll come back for a follow-up in seven days.”
Lu Minggui nodded repeatedly in agreement.
The doctor added, “During this time, she must rest well. No overexertion.”
“Cook some millet porridge, stewed chicken—things like that will help her recovery.”
The consultation fee was fifteen coins, plus ten for the house call. Lu Minggui had already given Hu Cuihua ten coins, so she paid another fifteen.
As for the herbs, they would be purchased at Huichuntang. The seven-day supply would cost three hundred coins.
Shen Juye, overhearing that the medicine would cost three hundred coins, immediately refused.
“Mother, I feel much better now. Can we skip the medicine?”
Three hundred coins! That could buy a lot of coarse rice. She couldn’t waste money!
Lu Minggui refused to listen: “Better? What do you mean better? Didn’t you hear what the doctor said?”
“This isn’t about feeling better; you follow the doctor’s orders!”
“Lie down and don’t worry about money. Leave that to me!”
She felt the pinch of spending, but if it would save her second daughter-in-law and the baby, a bit of money was worth it.
If the second daughter-in-law’s pregnancy remained safe, she wouldn’t despair, and even Manman would survive.
Only then would the second branch of the family remain intact.
Doctor Li had originally assumed, seeing Shen Juye’s thin frame, that she must be ill-treated by her mother-in-law and had given Lu Minggui a rather cold look.
Now, seeing her dedication, his opinion softened considerably.
He instructed, “Send someone with me to get the herbs.”
Naturally, Hu Cuihua went along. She returned at sunset with several packages of herbs.
Because she had missed the town cart, she had to walk both ways twice—she was exhausted.
Looking at the dark courtyard, she muttered:
“Mother, the herbs are back. Why haven’t you cooked anything yet?”
Lu Minggui hadn’t cooked. She had no intention of serving the eldest branch, and she had already eaten well that afternoon.
Shen Juye and Manman were already full as well.
She glanced slowly at Hu Cuihua and said: “Cook? Who’s going to cook?”
“You didn’t hear what Doctor Li said? The second branch shouldn’t get out of bed.”
Hu Cuihua was momentarily stunned. If the second branch can’t get out of bed… doesn’t that mean it’s up to you?
Lu Minggui, sharp as ever despite her age, could see what the eldest daughter-in-law was thinking. She still did fieldwork every day and sometimes helped in the kitchen when Shen Juye was busy.
But now, having survived death once, and having been wronged by the eldest branch, there was no way she would serve these ungrateful people.
“Give me the herbs; I’ll decoct them. If you’re hungry, cook for yourselves!”
“You all have hands and feet. What are you waiting for?”
With a look of disdain at Hu Cuihua, she brought out a small clay stove and set it in the courtyard.
Manman quickly carried firewood over to help.
Grandmother and granddaughter worked together—one stoked the fire, the other washed the herbs—and soon they were decocting the medicine.
Hu Cuihua had no choice but to go into the kitchen and cook, dragging a sulky Erfen along to tend the fire.
From the kitchen came a noisy commotion.
Erfen rarely did chores and now fussed and sulked, pouting as if she had been wronged.
“Ugh, so annoying! Why do I have to work again?”
Hu Cuihua shot her a side-eye: “Why ‘again’? What did you do all day outside?”
“Didn’t I do chores? I washed so many dishes this afternoon!”
Erfen held out her hands to show her mother: “See? My hands are rough now!”
Hu Cuihua was suspicious: “You washed dishes? What dishes?”
Usually, the second daughter-in-law and Manman did all the work—why would Erfen wash dishes?
“Yes! I washed dishes for Grandma.”
Erfen then remembered to tattle: she whispered mysteriously to her mother, “Mother, today Grandma was sneaky with that wretched girl. I smelled eggs! They definitely stole some eggs!”
Hu Cuihua froze mid-action: “Really?”
“Really, really! When my brother and I came in, we saw the wretched girl washing dishes in the yard.”
“There was even oil in the water!”
“Plus, Golden Bao only scolded Manman a little, and Grandma nearly beat him…”
Listening, Hu Cuihua was almost convinced.
It seemed the death of the second son had a huge impact on the old lady, who had been harsh to the second branch before.
Today, upon waking, she seemed like a completely different person.
She had arranged for a doctor for Shen Juye, even cooked small meals herself.
She had even let Manman eat eggs—a rare treat.
Previously, Golden Bao and Yin Bao would have eaten eggs first. Today, they not only missed out, but Golden Bao was also beaten!
Hu Cuihua gritted her teeth, muttering under her breath: “That old woman actually hit my son! Serves her right her son is dead.”
She was cut off mid-sentence by choking on the smoke in the kitchen.
Erfen, lazy as ever, had stacked the stove so high it smothered the fire and produced thick smoke.
Hu Cuihua, already irritated, now had tears streaming from her eyes, anger boiling over.
“You useless girl, can’t even tend a fire!”
She picked up the rolling pin and swung at Erfen.
Erfen dodged, but still got hit on her back.
She screamed and ran outside: “Ouch! Mother, stop hitting me!”
“I know! I know I was wrong!”
Hu Cuihua seemed not to hear her, chasing her around: “Useless girl! Can’t do anything right, just eat all day!”
“You greedy little thing! I let you eat, eat alone!”
“Die, you glutton!”
Erfen screamed for mercy while running, wondering why she was being called greedy. She hadn’t even eaten dinner yet!
Manman, frightened by the commotion, shrank close to Lu Minggui, but didn’t dare cling to her.
Lu Minggui noticed her granddaughter’s fear and gently patted her back, then addressed the yard:
“Do you think I’m dead?”
Though her voice was soft, it carried an icy sharpness.
Hu Cuihua shivered, stopping in her tracks, giving a forced laugh: “Mother, that girl is too annoying.”
“See, I just asked her to tend the fire, and look, she nearly burned the kitchen down!”
“Look at this smoke! Almost choked me to death!”