The old physician was delighted to see Shen Li return. Without a word of protest, he handed over the remaining eighty taels of silver.
“Sir, in the purse you gave me earlier, there was already some loose change…” Shen Li started, feeling it wasn’t right to take the full eighty.
“Tut, take it,” the old man insisted, waving her off. “I know life has been hard for you, especially with an aunt like yours. My name is Wan. From now on, I’ll take any herbs you bring in, and I promise you a fair price! If I’m not here, just give them your name. I’ve already briefed the other doctors and assistants.”
As it turned out, the old physician was actually the proprietor of Anji Pharmacy.
Shen Li’s lips curved into a soft smile. “Thank you, Doctor Wan. Besides the silver, I’m here to pick up some supplies—prepared medicines, an apothecary stove, and a set of silver needles.”
Doctor Wan stared at her, dumbfounded. “You… you’re a healer?”
A young woman buying a medicinal stove and acupuncture needles was practically unheard of.
“I know a little,” Shen Li replied vaguely. “My husband needs care, and the village is a long way from town.”
Doctor Wan personally helped her select the stove, the needles, a heavy clay pot for decocting herbs, various medicinal ingredients, and a specialized salve for pressure sores. He even threw in a few small knives for slicing roots. He had his shop assistant carry the heavy load out to the ox cart.
Uncle Li had assumed she was just picking up a few tonics for Xiao Erlang. When he saw bundle after bundle being piled onto the cart, his voice trembled.
“Lass, how much silver is all this costing?”
Shen Li adjusted the packages, tucking them securely into the straw. “Not much. It’s all stuff we need for the house. Don’t worry, Uncle, there’s still plenty left over.”
She looked up and smiled at him before her gaze drifted across the street to a pastry shop.
“Wait for me here a moment; I’ll be right back.”
Inside the pastry shop, the air was thick with the sweet, buttery scent of sugar and flour. Shen Li bought three small parcels of plum cakes. As she turned to leave, she noticed a small tray of peach-blossom-shaped candies perched on a high shelf.
“How much for those candies?” she asked, pointing upward.
The clerk looked her up and down, noting her simple clothes, and offered a well-meaning warning. “Miss, those are expensive. Three hundred coins for a catty. Even a small pouch of just a few pieces costs ten coins.”
Shen Li chuckled. “Give me three pouches. They’re for the children at home. The price doesn’t matter.”
The clerk’s knees nearly buckled. Usually, even the wealthy patrons only dared to buy one pouch at a time. This girl, dressed so plainly, had just ordered three! Besides, she only looked to be seventeen or eighteen—did she really have three children at home?
He watched her climb back onto the ox cart, still reeling from the shock.
After the pastry shop, Shen Li made one final stop at a woodcarver’s workshop. When she returned, Uncle Li watched her hoist a heavy object onto the cart. It looked like a high-backed armchair, but the seat was wrapped tightly in oiled paper, leaving only the armrests and the back visible.
The cart was now completely full. Shen Li looked over her haul with satisfaction and gave a small smile to the gobsmacked Uncle Li. With that, they finally began the journey back to the village.
Back at the old house, Xiao Erlang was trapped in a nightmare.
In his dream, Shen Li was a monster. She loomed over him, her face twisted with malice as she stabbed at him with sharp branches. Though his legs were paralyzed, he still had sensation in much of his body, and the “old” Shen Li had always delighted in finding the spots where he could still feel pain.
When Sanlang tried to intervene, she would turn the branch on the boy, lashing him mercilessly.
The helplessness and despair of those long months weighed heavy on his chest. Xiao Erlang jerked awake with a gasp, his skin slick with sweat.
Unlike other times, he realized he was lying slightly on his side. He wasn’t putting pressure on the agonizing sores on his back.
Relieved by the lack of immediate pain, his mind cleared quickly. He glanced around. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting long, amber rays through the window and across the floor. Sanlang was fast asleep beside him.
He remembered that before he drifted off, Shen Li had taken Sanlang outside. She had paced the courtyard for a long time, refusing to come back in.
The memory of her face—pinched with panic and helplessness as she tried to stop Sanlang’s crying—flickered in his mind. It had been so out of character for her, and yet… strangely cute.
Cute?! He recoiled at the thought. I must be losing my mind to think that woman is cute!
Suddenly, he realized how quiet the house was. Shen Li was nowhere to be heard.
He tried to prop himself up to check the window, but as he strained, his back scraped against the rolled-up bedding. He hissed through his teeth, his body trembling with the sudden jolt of pain.
“Brother!” Xiao Sanlang woke instantly. Seeing Erlang’s pained expression, he scrambled up and pressed a hand to his brother’s forehead. He sighed in relief; at least there was no fever. Sanlang never dared to sleep deeply, terrified that Erlang might fall ill while he wasn’t watching.
Erlang looked at his brother, then toward the window.
Understanding the silent question, Sanlang hopped off the bed and ran outside barefoot.
A moment later, Erlang heard the sound of Sanlang crying. Panicked, he tried to lift himself higher, desperate to see out.
Sanlang came running back in, tears streaming down his face.
“Sister-in-law is gone! The yard is empty! Waaaah…“
She’s gone? Upon hearing those words, Erlang’s body went limp.
He should have known. Of course she wouldn’t stay to look after them. But at least she hadn’t sold them before she vanished.
Erlang let out a bitter, weary laugh. He looked at his young, sobbing brother and sighed deeply. Perhaps this was for the best. It was better than being near Auntie Cao and her son. If they could just hold on until Sanlang was a little older, he wouldn’t have to force himself to keep living.