It was noisy outside. Song Wenqing did not know what was going on, so he apologized to the fulang who had come for a medical consultation before walking outside.
The weather had been cold lately. Shen Xiaolan was not wearing much, and the glamour she once possessed was completely gone; she sat slumped on the ground, her entire body limp.
Even though she always coveted petty advantages and had done many things to wrong the villagers, under these circumstances, it was hard to hold a grudge against her. An older woman hurriedly got up to support her, saying, “Oh, Lan’s aunt, what are you doing? What happened? Tell us properly.”
Seeing Song Wenqing standing at the doorway, Shen Xiaolan immediately burst into tears and choked out, “I don’t know what illness my Ming ge’er has contracted, but he is coughing up blood. That damnable Lin family, seeing that Ming ge’er fell ill, actually returned the marriage belt and refused to let Ming ge’er enter their family no matter what.”
She cried in deep sorrow. Unable to bear the sight, the older woman said, “Let us go inside first before talking.”
How could Shen Xiaolan listen to her? She was just waiting for Song Wenqing to respond. Unexpectedly, Song Wenqing merely gave her a faint glance, turned around, and walked back into the inner room.
Behind him, Shen Xiaolan seemingly did not expect him to be so heartless, and she cried even louder.
“Wen ge’er, you absolute scoundrel! To think that your uncle and I endured all kinds of hardships to raise you, and now that your younger brother is sick, you turn a blind eye and refuse to recognize your own family. You ungrateful white-eyed wolf!”
Not satisfied after throwing a barrage of curses, she raised her voice and said, “While everyone is here”
Before she could finish, Pei Jinrong appeared at the door at some unknown point, staring straight at her. Shen Xiaolan suddenly felt a chill rise down her spine. For some reason, she recalled the day of Song Wenqing’s wedding, when the youth had also kept a taut face and driven people away at the slightest disagreement.
Gradually losing her voice, she let out a resentful, soft snort. The older woman advised her with earnest words, “Lan’s aunt, it is not like we did not see how you treated Wen ge’er in the past. It is better to speak less of these words in the future.”
Anxiety and irritation flared on Shen Xiaolan’s face. Thinking of Song Ming who was lying at home, she began to wail again, “Wen ge’er, it was this aunt’s fault just now, but Ming ge’er is innocent.”
Saying this, she wanted to push her way into the house. Pei Jinrong intended to stop her, but seeing Song Wenqing give him a look, he dropped the matter.
It was warm inside the house, and with people around to listen to her grievances, Shen Xiaolan wished she could pour out everything she had experienced over the past few days.
“If I had known that a trip to the neighboring village would cause Ming ge’er to catch this illness, I would not have let him go no matter what.”
A fulang asked in confusion, “Since Ming ge’er is sick, why did you not go to the county seat to find a physician to try and treat him?”
Hearing this, Shen Xiaolan paused, her gaze shifting guiltily. “Qingyu County is too far away. With that amount of time, it is better to just come directly to Wen ge’er.”
Although the few people present felt something was off, they did not delve deeper.
Not long after, Song Wenqing stood up and saw off the fulang who had come for treatment. Shen Xiaolan’s eyes welled with tears, and just as she was about to speak, Song Wenqing beat her to it. “Aunt, I can treat Ming ge’er’s illness, but I have one condition.”
Hearing this, Shen Xiaolan instantly broke into a smile and said, “Just say it.”
“I do not want anything else. I only ask that Aunt returns the Song residence to me.”
This time, Shen Xiaolan could no longer smile. She froze and said stiffly, “What nonsense is Wen ge’er talking about? Your uncle and I already sold the Song residence to outsiders long ago. Were not all the silver pieces stuffed into your dowry?”
Song Wenqing remained silent. After a brief pause, he said, “Then please suit yourself, Aunt.”
The few people watching the scene also chimed in, “Lan’s aunt, Ming ge’er’s illness is what is most important. Why care about anything else? Do not deceive yourself either; with your personality, you probably pocketed that silver into your own family’s purse long ago.”
Shen Xiaolan was choked up by their words, her face turning green and purple with anger. She got up, wanting to leave, when she heard a sturdy voice trembling, “Wen ge’er, we will give it to you.”
Song Wenqing raised his eyebrows slightly. Shen Xiaolan was anxious and tugged at the corner of the newcomer’s clothes. “What mess are you joining in for?”
With red eyes, Song Fushun shook off Shen Xiaolan’s hand and said in a hoarse voice, “Ming ge’er’s illness can no longer be delayed! What use is money now? You and I only have this one sole child. If he is gone, we truly have nothing left.”
Thinking of something, the forty-odd-year-old tough man could not hold back and burst into tears. Only after calming his emotions did he continue, “Just now, Ming ge’er coughed up blood again.”
Hearing this, Shen Xiaolan finally snapped back to reality completely. Recalling what the physician in Qingyu County had said, she shook all over and said, “Wen ge’er, this aunt was wrong, this aunt was wrong. This aunt will give it.”
Song Wenqing expressionlessly said, “I want the land deed right now.”
Song Fushun seemed to have come prepared, immediately pulling the land deed out from his chest. “Your uncle thought there was nothing else to give you, and only this land deed is left.”
“I am going inside to pack my medicine box. Please wait for a moment.” He turned around to face the few people gathered around the fire pit and added, “I might have to go out for a period of time. If you all cannot wait, you may come back tomorrow.”
The surrounding people waved their hands. “Sigh, is not Ming ge’er’s illness more severe than ours? Wen ge’er, just go ahead without worry.”
Song Wenqing nodded and entered the inner room.
Pei Jinrong pushed his wheelchair and followed him inside. Song Wenqing carefully put the land deed away. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Do you think I am particularly mercenary?”
He did not care what others thought of him; he only cared about Pei Jinrong. Although Song Wenqing had always been taught to have a healer’s benevolent heart, whenever he thought of how Shen Xiaolan and Song Ming had treated the original owner of this body, he felt disgusted.
The youth did not speak. Song Wenqing’s hands, which were packing the medicine box, paused, and he let out a sigh.
Just as he turned around, he was tightly embraced by Pei Jinrong, who had stood up at some unknown point. The youth said, “Brother is still too soft-hearted.”
Song Wenqing froze. A warm lip touched his forehead as Pei Jinrong said, “If I were you, I would not even be willing to say a single word to them.”
He added, “Brother is truly good.”
Song Wenqing felt uncharacteristically shy, his ears turning red bit by bit. After a long moment, he pushed Pei Jinrong away and stammered, “I, I will head out first.”
Once he walked far away, the youth behind him let out a soft laugh, a shallow dimple appearing at the corner of his lips.
Song Wenqing’s mood really could not be called good, but after being interrupted by Pei Jinrong like that, it was completely thrown to the back of his mind.
He arrived at the entrance of the Song family home in a daze, only then snapping out of his thoughts.
Before the three of them could even step through the door, the sound of Song Ming coughing drifted out from inside. Shen Xiaolan’s eyes turned red. Ignoring the two people behind her, she stumbled and rushed into the room.
Song Wenqing frowned. When he asked about Song Ming’s symptoms earlier, both Song Fushun and Shen Xiaolan had been hesitant and evasive, only saying he had a bit of a cough. But if it were just a simple cough, how could Shen Xiaolan willingly let Song Fushun hand over the land deed?
The confusion in his heart grew deeper.
Song Fushun led him into the inner room. After closing the main door tightly, he knelt on the ground with a loud thud and said in a trembling voice, “Wen ge’er, we have wronged you.”
Connecting this to Shen Xiaolan’s previous expression, Song Wenqing’s heart pounded like a drum. He asked, “What are Song Ming’s symptoms?”
“Coughing, sometimes with blood in the phlegm. He starts running a fever in the afternoon and evening. The physician in Qingyu County said it might be consumption, so they refused to treat him.”
With every word Song Fushun spoke, Song Wenqing’s heart sank a fraction lower.
A trace of anger crept into his tone as he said, “Do you not know that consumption is contagious?”
Not to mention that Song Fushun and Shen Xiaolan had gone out and interacted with people today.
Song Fushun froze upon hearing this, but immediately countered, “How could Ming ge’er possibly contract consumption? Wen ge’er, go inside and diagnose him. His constitution has been robust since childhood; he has not even had an upset stomach more than a few times.”
Looking at the self-deluding Song Fushun, Song Wenqing only felt helpless.
Consumption was a major illness in ancient times. Coupled with its contagious nature, if the government found out, the afflicted would be taken away. There were even some instances where, if an entire village contracted consumption, the government, fearing it would spread to other villages, would usually wait until everyone died and burn the whole place to the ground.
Fortunately, he happened to know the medicinal formula to treat consumption. There were still leftover herbs sent over by Jishitang a few days ago; brewing a few doses of medicine for him to drink should be close to enough. However, what Song Wenqing feared in his heart was that if many people in the village caught consumption because of Song Ming, the remaining herbs would not be enough at all.
“Take me inside.”
Song Fushun hurriedly stood up, wiped the corners of his eyes, and tidied his clothes. Seeing Song Wenqing looking at him, he said self-consciously, “If Ming ge’er sees me like this, he will probably panic even more in his heart.”
Song Wenqing turned sideways, feeling an indescribable blockage in his chest. Shen Xiaolan and Song Fushun could not be considered good people, but they were good parents.
Yet, he had nothing.
But fortunately, he had Pei Jinrong, and that was enough, Song Wenqing thought to himself.
“Fill the prescription according to this medicinal formula. After gathering them, put Baibu (Stemona root), Baiji (Bletilla tuber), and Gualou (Trichosanthes fruit) together into the medicine pot, add fresh water, and decoct them. Keep only the liquid, then add honey and stir evenly. Remember, when you go to gather the herbs, minimize speaking and cover your nose and mouth with a silk kerchief. Every single time you come into contact with Song Ming, wash your hands with mugwort water.”
As he spoke, Song Fushun noted everything down.
“You and Aunt must also brew a few doses of medicine to drink.”
How could Song Fushun dare not listen? Right now, he practically looked upon Song Wenqing as a savior.
It was only after seeing him off that Song Fushun breathed a sigh of relief. Recalling what that physician in Qingyu County had said, that if even Song Wenqing had no way to treat it, then no physician in the entire Qingyu County could cure it, he felt a rare sense of surviving a disaster.
He turned around and said to Shen Xiaolan, “Do not go and provoke Wen ge’er ever again in the future.”
Shen Xiaolan nodded repeatedly.
The weather grew colder and colder, and Song Wenqing began to prepare the items needed to perform surgery on Pei Jinrong.
Having not performed surgery with a scalpel for a long time, he lacked confidence in his heart. Whenever he was free, he would buy rabbits to dissect. After dissecting them, he would either make spicy rabbit heads or use a needle and thread to sew them back up. Fearing that the wound might get infected when the time came, he used liquor to distill a barrel of alcohol.
However, before Song Wenqing could perform the surgery on Pei Jinrong, the event he had anticipated occurred first.
“Brother, I feel uncomfortable.” Pei Jinrong’s entire body was burning with fever, and his eyes were misty.
Song Wenqing touched his forehead, and with a cold face, he got up to boil water.
The youth’s coughing sounds entered his ears, making Song Wenqing incredibly irritated.
As he tossed firewood into the stove, he thought to himself that he really should have driven Shen Xiaolan away back then.
Only after brewing the medicine and feeding it to Pei Jinrong did Song Wenqing say softly, “It is fine. You will not feel uncomfortable anymore after you wake up from a nap.”
“Wen ge’er! Wen ge’er!”
The voice of the village chief’s wife came from outside the door. Song Wenqing tucked the blanket in tightly for Pei Jinrong before frowning and walking out.
“Wen ge’er, please go quickly and look at my man,” the village chief’s wife said, crying.
Before he could respond, another burly man’s voice came through.
“Wen ge’er, my fulang is about to breathe his last.”
Song Wenqing lowered his eyes and let out a sigh. He hurriedly grabbed his medicine box and followed them.