Tian Jing paid the money with a decisive air. The villagers outside the courtyard gasped, two yuan for a dose of medicine, and who knew how many doses it would take.
How much money would it cost to feed and care for her properly? It was a good thing they didn't go to a big hospital, they really couldn't afford it.
Tian Jing emerged, one hand holding the medicine, the other supporting her mother-in-law. The crowd parted, offering words of comfort to the mother and daughter-in-law.
"Try not to worry too much. Doctor Yang didn't say it was definite; there's still hope."
"Yes, save up for two years, and then take her to a big hospital."
"You're not saying it right. Li Min doesn't want to go, and the state-run hospital doesn't look down on her, so why insist on going to a big hospital to throw money away? With that money, it's better to nourish Li Min more. If her body is well, all her ailments will disappear."
"You're speaking from a position of ease, aren't you? If she's not treated, is she just supposed to stay home and become an old maid?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Didn't Li Min already have a suitor arranged?"
"What do you know? Would that man, seeing her condition, still be willing to marry her? It's like marrying an ancestor, isn't it?"
"Hush, hush, hush, what are you two arguing about? Hurry up and move aside."
The two arguing women turned around and saw Li Zhengguo and Chen Suozhu carrying out the cooling bed. Uh oh, they had said the wrong thing. Su Dan Novel Network
"We're sorry, Li Min, we..." one of the young wives began to apologize.
"It's okay."
Li Min waved her hand gently, "You're right. I, I'll ask my elder brother to go tomorrow and break off the engagement. I can't let them marry someone like me."
"What if, if I go to that family, and they don't care about my condition and just make me work, then I'll have no hope at all. I, I'd rather stay home and recuperate."
The two young wives nodded busily, "That's right, that's right. In any case, you need to take care of your own body first. Once you go to your husband's family, won't everything be decided by them? Your elder sister-in-law is a good person; she doesn't look down on you. You should recuperate well and keep some hope for yourself.
The onlookers quickly pulled the two busybodies away. Were they trying to comfort her?
The Li family walked towards the end of the village, and the others dispersed, carrying the shocking news with them.
The cooling bed was carried into the east room. Li Zhengguo helped his sister onto the kang and gestured with his eyes for her to lie down properly. He then carried the cooling bed out with Chen Suozhu.
Tian Jing, shaking the medicine bag in her hand, asked Li Zhengguo, "Go and borrow some wine from someone's house."
She wasn't willing to waste the eight-yuan Maotai to fry it. If Li Min's injury was real, in her urgency, she might use it, but to perform a play and waste her Maotai, that wouldn't do.
"I'll go borrow it. My neighbor has some," Chen Suozhu said. Without waiting for Li Zhengguo's reply, he ran off quickly.
"What's going on?" Tian Jing looked at Li Zhengguo.
"It's exactly as you saw. It's a good opportunity to test it out."
Tian Jing shrugged. It was indeed as she had guessed at noon. Looking at Chen Suozhu now, he only seemed anxious, not disgusted, which was good.
"We'll go to the Tian family tomorrow. If Tian Lifu is concerned, he might come to see her. We need to boil the medicine in the morning. Did Doctor Yang say what kind of medicine it is?"
"It's nourishing. My mother can also drink it."
"Then we'll split it in half, mother and daughter sharing the hardships together." Tian Jing showed a wicked smile. "By the way, what about the scar removal ointment? Tell Li Min to start applying it the day after tomorrow."
"She was given it as soon as it was brought back. She also said she'd apply it after the Tian family's business is settled."
Tian Jing stopped talking and sat down by the stove to light the fire, because she heard footsteps. It was probably Chen Suozhu returning.
As expected, the next moment, Chen Suozhu rushed into the kitchen, panting, a half bottle of white wine in his hand, which he gave to Li Zhengguo.
Li Zhengguo took the wine and placed it on the stove. He then switched places with Tian Jing, as he couldn't fry the medicinal powder well.
Chen Suozhu took a few breaths and asked, "Do you need my help?"
"No need," Li Zhengguo waved his hand. "You can go home now."
Chen Suozhu, however, didn't leave. He stood to the side, head lowered, staring at his shoes which had split open.
Tian Jing and Li Zhengguo exchanged a look and continued with their tasks.
When Tian Jing poured the medicinal powder into the pot and mixed it with the white wine, the sizzling sound jolted the person who had been looking down. He raised his head and, as if going to his doom, stepped towards the stove.
"Brother Li, I, I like Li Min. If, if that engagement is broken off, can Brother Li consider me?"
"I don't have any skills, but I have strength. Brother Li and Sister Tian, whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it. I'll follow Brother Li and work for him."
"I, I don't care if Li Min can or can't... as long as she agrees, I, I will treat her well."
Tian Jing's eyes widened. This Chen Suozhu wasn't foolish; he knew how to seize the opportunity to promote himself.
Li Zhengguo's face was stern. "You can't make this decision. You're the only grandson in your family. We'll talk about this later."
"No!" Chen Suozhu shook his head. "I can make the decision. I don't care. I can adopt a child. Besides, didn't Sister Tian say she'd help Li Min recover her health? If I don't have one by the time I'm forty, I'll adopt one."
Li Zhengguo pondered for a moment. "You need to discuss this with your grandfather. You can't force your grandfather to agree. Of course, it also depends on whether I can break off this engagement at the Tian family tomorrow."
"Most importantly, it's Li Min. Her agreement is necessary. Therefore, none of the three conditions have been met yet, so it's useless for you to be anxious."
Break off the engagement? Is that what Brother Li means? To break it off directly, without asking if the other family is willing to wait? This means the marriage is definitely going to be called off, it's just a matter of whether it's troublesome or not.
With that thought, Chen Suozhu's heart brightened. "I'll go back now. I won't come to help tomorrow, but I'll keep an eye out if any help is needed here."
"No need," Li Zhengguo refused. "My mother is much better and can cook and make fires. Don't come when I'm not home, to avoid gossip."
"Okay," Chen Suozhu suppressed his happy mood and left the Li household.
The medicinal powder in the pot had already been fried into a paste. Tian Jing asked Li Zhengguo to get her old clothes from the cabinet in the west room to tear into bandages.
Li Min saw that it was serious and was a little worried. "This medicine?"
"This type of medicine is for promoting blood circulation and removing stasis. It's fine to apply a little," Tian Jing comforted her, then chided her, "You need to be honest with me. You must have this smell of medicine and wine on you. If someone comes to see you and finds out I didn't apply the medicine, wouldn't it ruin my reputation?"
"What about the oral medicine?" Li Min's worry continued.
"It's nourishing. Your elder brother said your mother-in-law can also drink it, so he decided to let you two share it equally, bearing the hardships together."
Li Zhengguo, who entered with the torn clothes, immediately caught a pot. He did so willingly. As long as Tian Jing wanted it, he was willing to catch as many pots as she threw.
The person who threw the pot, without changing her expression, took the cloth strips and sent him away. She was going to apply the medicine to Li Min.
As soon as she had applied the medicine to Li Min's right thigh and right hip, and before she had a chance to bandage it, she heard someone approaching. Li Zhengguo stopped them outside.
"Zhang Fangcao, you're not allowed in," Li Zhengguo's voice called out.
"Why?"