Tang Wan definitely wasn't awake.
As Chen Wenyan followed Tang Mu out, he kept trying to convince himself: if she were awake, Tang Mu wouldn't have come asking for money, but would have stormed his door to cause a scene.
Behind them, Old Shen and Ge Sanniang exchanged a glance and silently followed.
They had wanted to check on Tang Wan's condition anyway, but more importantly, they needed to see with their own eyes whether Chen Wenyan was genuinely concerned or just putting on an act.
The group of four entered the Tang family's small courtyard. The house was silent.
In the inner room, on the kang bed, Tang Wan lay with her eyes closed under an old quilt. Her figure was thin, her breathing shallow. Without a close look, it was hard to see any sign of life.
The heavy weight on Chen Wenyan's heart lifted slightly.
He tiptoed closer and carefully looked at the unconscious woman on the kang.
The girl's face was pale, her brows slightly furrowed as if trapped in a nightmare, yet she also looked as if she might wake at any second.
A knot of tension formed in Chen Wenyan's chest, and a cold sweat broke out on his back without him realizing it.
Behind him, Tang Mu approached and said in a low voice, "My sister has been unconscious for most of the day. The doctor said it's nothing serious and she should have woken up by now, but she still hasn't…"
He trailed off, his eyes turning red.
Old Shen and Ge Sanniang quickly offered words of comfort.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Chen Wenyan hurriedly interjected, "Why don't we ask the doctor to come take another look?"
Tang Mu pressed his lips together and didn't immediately agree.
Although this was what his sister had arranged, he was a little afraid to leave, afraid to leave the man who had nearly killed his sister alone in the house with her.
Chen Wenyan thought he was worried about money. With two neighbors watching, he couldn't very well refuse, so he took the initiative to say, "Don't worry about the money. I brought some."
As if he had seen through something, Old Shen tapped his long-stemmed pipe against the wall and said in a deep voice, "Go on, Mu Ge'er. Your Ge Shenzi and I will stay here and watch over things for you."
Ge Sanniang also patted Tang Mu's shoulder. "Go on."
Chen Wenyan's expression stiffened.
How could he not understand what Old Shen and Ge Sanniang meant? They were guarding against him.
Tang Mu was finally reassured. "I'll be right back," he said in a low voice.
With that, he turned on his heel and ran out.
Chen Wenyan forced a smile. Under Old Shen's pointed gaze, he had no choice but to follow him to a long bench in the outer room and sit down, unable to check on Tang Wan's condition any further.
The doctor was summoned quickly.
The old doctor's surname was Wu and his given name was Rang. He lived in Blue Stone Alley, right next to Elm Tree Alley. He had once been a soldier in Su Bei Camp and had served as an orderly for an old medical officer for several years, learning some rudimentary skills in treating injuries and filling prescriptions. After retiring, he began treating his neighbors for minor ailments. Although his medical skills were not exceptional, he was kind and benevolent, earning him considerable respect in the area.
When Lao Tangtou had been ill the previous year, he had often been called upon, so he was quite familiar with the Tang siblings.
Doctor Wu was rather surprised to learn that Tang Wan was still unconscious.
He had examined her at noon. Although she had swallowed water and caught a chill, and her body was a bit weak, her pulse had been steady and her breathing smooth. Logically, she should have woken up long ago.
Puzzled, Doctor Wu came to the Tang residence again.
The room was dimly lit. On the kang, Tang Wan lay quietly, her face still somewhat pale.
Doctor Wu placed his fingers on her wrist to take her pulse, frowning in thought for a moment. "Her pulse is weak but steady. There's nothing seriously wrong, so why hasn't she woken up?"
Beside him, Tang Mu lowered his head and said nothing, his eyes downcast.
Chen Wenyan wanted to get a closer look, but he didn't dare make any sudden moves that might arouse suspicion. He could only suppress his anxiety and watch from the doorway.
Completely baffled, Doctor Wu muttered to himself, "I'm afraid she suffered a great shock, and her spirit hasn't settled yet."
Tang Mu shot an imperceptible glance at Chen Wenyan and, feigning anxiety, asked the doctor, "Then what should we do?"
Doctor Wu didn't doubt the boy's sincerity. He was even reminded of the boy's recently deceased grandfather, and a pang of sympathy struck him. He sighed and said, "I'll prescribe a calming medicine. Perhaps she'll get better after taking it."
But Tang Mu hesitated. "But the money for this afternoon's medicine… we haven't paid for it yet."
It was no lie that his family had no money. They had already exhausted their savings on his grandfather's illness last year.
Just as Doctor Wu was about to wave his hand and say it didn't matter, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw that Tang Mu had secretly grabbed it. The boy's eyes were filled with tears, but they also held a hint of suggestion.
Doctor Wu was slightly taken aback.
But Tang Mu had already turned to look at Chen Wenyan.
When their eyes met, Chen Wenyan's heart, for some reason, gave a sudden leap.
He had been about to say a few words to make sure the neighbors noticed his contribution, but under that pair of dark, shining, red-rimmed eyes, his hand trembled, and he pulled the purse from his robes.
"How… how much money is owed?" he stammered.
Doctor Wu glanced at the boy beside him, then at Chen Wenyan in the doorway. Although he lived in the next alley, he heard just as much news as the local neighbors due to his frequent house calls, so he had a rough idea of the situation between the two families.
Without hesitation, he stated the amount.
Chen Wenyan gritted his teeth, counted out the copper coins, and handed them over.
He then turned back to Tang Mu and forced a smile. "Don't worry too much. Your sister should wake up soon."
Doctor Wu glanced at him but said nothing. He put away the money and said to Tang Mu, "I'll write another prescription for a calming medicine. Go get it filled later, then brew it and give it to your sister. Have her take it twice a day. If she still doesn't wake after taking it, come get me again tomorrow."
"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Doctor Wu." Tang Mu stood up and respectfully saw Doctor Wu to the courtyard gate.
A moment of silence fell over the room.
When Tang Mu returned, his voice was once again tinged with sorrow. "My sister has been unconscious all day and hasn't eaten anything. I'm afraid she'll be hungry when she wakes up, but we don't have any food left in the house."
Seeing this, Ge Sanniang quickly said, "Don't worry, Mu Ge'er. I'll make some rice porridge and bring it over later."
Old Shen chimed in, "That's right. Your sister is weak. She should eat something mild to recuperate first."
Tang Mu offered a simple thanks but said, "Ge Shenzi, your family isn't well-off either. I don't want to trouble you for nothing… I heard that Chen Dage was recently promoted to Xiaoqi and got a raise in pay. Could you perhaps…"
At these words, Chen Wenyan's expression changed slightly.
He had only told his mother about his promotion to Xiaoqi and had never mentioned a word of it to the neighbors.
How did this boy know?
Could it be that Tang Wan heard it from a soldier when she went to the camp to find him that day? Did that mean… she was actually already awake?
A cold sweat suddenly broke out on his back.
He was so shaken that for a moment, he forgot to respond.
Tang Mu thought he was still playing dumb. A look of contempt appeared in his eyes, and his voice took on a hint of anger. "When Grandfather was alive, he lent your family no small amount of money and grain. Chen Dage, could you first repay a portion of it? I plan to buy a few eggs to make a stew for my sister to help her regain her strength."
This speech made Chen Wenyan's face flush red and then turn pale.
When Lao Tangtou was alive, he had indeed helped him and his mother out a great deal. The old man had genuinely treated Chen Wenyan as his grandson-in-law, so of course he never kept accounts, let alone asked for an IOU. If he were to deny it outright like his mother, Miao Guizhi, the two helpless Tang siblings truly couldn't do anything to them.
But Chen Wenyan was not Miao Guizhi. He had a guilty conscience and didn't dare to do so.
If Tang Wan had died, it would have been one thing, but she hadn't. Since she wasn't dead, he couldn't afford to be too ruthless.
Chen Wenyan's mind raced.
While she hadn't had a chance to say anything yet, he would first repay all the kindness the Tang family had shown him over the years. On one hand, it would serve to appease her; after all, revealing what happened would do neither of them any good.
On the other hand, if he put on a proper display now, the neighbors would have nothing to say. That way, even if she woke up and said this or that, other people might not believe her.
With this in mind, Chen Wenyan became generous.
He decisively took out his purse, placed it directly in Tang Mu's hand, and said with a smile, "Alright. Take this money for now. You can use it for medicine and food."
Tang Mu looked at the purse and sneered inwardly. He took it, untied it, and emptied its contents onto the table.
With a soft jingle, the copper coins landed on the table, forming a small pile.
This sudden action stunned both Old Shen and Ge Sanniang.
But Tang Mu began to count the coins right in front of them. When he finished, he looked at Chen Wenyan and said crisply, "There are fifty-six coins here. Plus the twenty you just paid Doctor Wu, that's a total of seventy-six coins."
Only then did Old Shen and Ge Sanniang understand his intention. They exchanged a look and nodded to themselves in silent approval.
He had made it sound so nice, telling him to buy medicine and food, but it turned out to be only seventy-odd copper coins in total, not even a single piece of loose silver.
It was a good thing Tang Mu was sharp enough to count it clearly in front of them. Otherwise, who knows what the Chen family might have claimed later.
Tang Mu gathered the coins and said, "Chen Dage, find some time in the next two days with Auntie Miao. Our two families should settle the accounts from over the years."
He looked at Old Shen and Ge Sanniang. "When the time comes, I'd also like to ask Grandpa Shen and Ge Shenzi to be witnesses."
Although the two neighbors were puzzled, they quickly agreed.
Tang Mu looked at Chen Wenyan, whose face had darkened, and gave a slight smile. "Back then, my grandfather gave you grain and money every year to foster good relations between our families. But he also said that those things were for my brother-in-law. Since your Chen family now has better prospects and no longer wishes to honor this marriage, you should calculate what you've eaten and taken from us over the years and return it."
After he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.
Chen Wenyan had never expected that this usually mild and harmless boy would be so merciless today.
He could no longer feign a pleasant expression. With a taut face, he said, "Mu Ge'er, you're an educated person. Why must you speak so harshly?"
Tang Mu sneered. "Chen Dage, is there anything I said that wasn't the truth? How is it harsh?"
Chen Wenyan was choked for words. He wanted to say something, but Tang Mu spoke again. "Besides, what's wrong with being an educated person? An educated person still has to survive, don't they? If my grandfather were still alive, or if our family were well-off, naturally there would be nothing to pursue. But now, my sister is unconscious, and we can't even afford to pay the doctor. Am I supposed to cling to the high-mindedness of a scholar and not settle accounts with you? I'm afraid we'd be picked clean to the bone."
The words were laced with barbs. No matter how thick-skinned Chen Wenyan was, he couldn't say anything more.
Tang Mu didn't let him off, landing another cold blow. "If Chen Dage can't produce the money right away, you might as well ask your new sister-in-law. I hear her family is quite wealthy. Since she was capable of ruining someone's engagement and snatching their husband, she probably wouldn't mind helping you…"
Before he could finish, a fine layer of sweat broke out on Chen Wenyan's forehead. He quickly cut in, "That won't be necessary. Let's do it tomorrow. I'll find a witness, and we'll calculate everything face to face. I will return everything the Tang family has given mine over the years. I won't hold back a single coin."
He paused, his expression turning grim. "But speaking of which, Mu Ge'er, we've known each other for years. Why must you… be so ruthless?"
Tang Mu looked slightly surprised. "What do you mean by that, Chen Dage? Repaying a debt is only natural and right. I'm just asking you to pay back the money. Is that being ruthless?"
Old Shen had been watching from the side for a while. Mu Ge'er was handling things with propriety, so he hadn't needed to interfere, but now he couldn't listen anymore.
His face darkened. "Yan Ge'er, that's a very biased thing to say. If it weren't for your Grandpa Tang back then, you and your mother would have starved or frozen to death. Now that their family is in difficulty, they aren't pursuing you for breaking the engagement and betraying their trust, only asking you to return what you've used over the years, and you're going to hold a grudge?"
Chen Wenyan was instantly silenced, repeatedly saying he wouldn't dare.
Although Old Shen had retired from the army, his son was still a Zongqi in the military. While not his direct superior, a higher rank was enough to crush a man. How could he possibly afford to offend him?
Seeing that he had been put in his place, Old Shen let it go and turned to Tang Mu. "Alright, go get the medicine and take care of your sister."
He looked at Ge Sanniang, then at Chen Wenyan. "Let's all go. We'll come back tomorrow."
Tang Mu thanked them profusely and saw the group out of the courtyard. After bolting the gate, he turned and hurried back to the inner room, closed the door, and tiptoed to the side of the kang.
"Sister?"
When he had gone to fetch the doctor earlier, Tang Mu had been secretly observing his sister. He felt her unconsciousness was too natural, and he had even worried that she had truly passed out.
Tang Wan opened her eyes a crack and asked in a small voice, "Are they all gone?"
Tang Mu's heart relaxed, and he nodded vigorously. "Yes, they're all gone."
He said in a very low voice, "You were right, Sister. Chen Wenyan really wouldn't confess. I just said everything you taught me."
A look of satisfaction appeared on his face. "Sister, it's a shame you didn't see it. He was so rattled just now, he must have been terrified."
The corner of Tang Wan's lips curved up. "You did very well."
She said faintly, "Our family's money and grain were saved bit by bit by Grandfather. For those few years, he would rather skimp on his own food and clothes to make sure the Chen mother and son were well-fed, all for our sake. If he knew in the afterlife what kind of person Chen Wenyan is, he would not rest easy. Chen Wenyan will certainly get what he deserves, but before I make him confess his crime, I'm going to make him spit out everything he took from our Tang family over the years."
Tang Mu's expression turned solemn, and he nodded heavily.
Remembering something, he took out the purse Chen Wenyan had given him and asked Tang Wan, "Then… should I go get your medicine?"
Tang Wan smiled. "No need. I'm all better. I feel very energetic right now."
Tang Mu's heart filled with joy, but then he saw Tang Wan rub her stomach. "But I really am hungry. Didn't you just mention buying a few eggs? Go buy them. We'll make steamed egg custard."
A faint smile appeared on Tang Mu's lips as he whispered, "Okay!"