Chapter 25 - 25: Naughty_l

Translator: 549690339

Yingbao led Youyou, watching her father drive away with a frown.

In her previous life, her uncle succumbed to lung disease. That year, Huzi was five, and his sister was eight.

After observing the 35-day mourning period at home, her aunt returned to her parents’ home, leaving her children with their uncle. She was rumored to have married a widower as his second wife within two months.

Now, Huzi was only three, and her uncle was already sick.

Was it because of her rebirth that the course of events changed? After all, in her previous life, there were no Five Dingzhi mushrooms, no Xiaolu, no big fish, and her father had never gone fishing with his brothers.

If they had refrained from fishing, her uncle wouldn’t have overworked himself in the cold, and he wouldn’t be ill now.

What should she do? Her uncle was such a gentle man, and just because of her rebirth, was he going to die prematurely?

Feeling guilty, Yingbao returned home sulkily, put Youyou into the shed, went back to her cave, and continued to harvest crops.

It wasn’t until noon that Jiang Erlang returned, washing his hands and face with hot water, and took out the warmed-up food from the steamer, placing it on the table to eat.

“How is your second brother?” Chunniang asked. Jiang Erlang shook his head and sighed, “Not so good.”

“What did the doctor say?”

“The doctor said he has lung disease. He prescribed some medicine for him to take first, and he should be examined again once it’s finished.”

Jiang Erlang sighed, regretfully said, “I shouldn’t have let him go fishing with us. He was already weak, and the overwork and cold…” it was not surprising he fell ill.

Chunniang comforted him, “If you had forbidden it, would there not be talk? When siblings make money together, if you leave one out, wouldn’t people gossip? Besides, you know what his wife is like. Her temperament is the strangest, and it would only create more unrest.”

Jiang Erlang fell silent, finished his meal in a few bites, wiped his mouth, and lied down on the Kang bed, pondering for a while before saying, “Anyway, my second brother caught a cold fishing with us. Sigh, from now on, my elder brother and I will split the cost of his medicine.”

This time his second brother went to the doctor, his sister-in-law didn’t give a single coin, their mother gave them a coin.

Fortunately, they accepted that coin, otherwise, the money she brought would not be enough to pay for the medicine.

“How much will our family pay?” Chunniang who didn’t know the specifics, asked tentatively.

Jiang Erlang thought for a moment, and said, “A prescription cost more than 800 coins, and that’s not even the best quality, I estimate it to be two to three coins.”

A prescription could only last three to five days, and considering how serious his brother’s condition was, it would take at least seven to eight prescriptions to heal.

Eight prescriptions would cost more than six coins, if he and his elder brother split the cost, each family would have to pay more than three coins.

“This… a single prescription cost that much?” Chunniang was surprised, “Normally, treatments for colds and coughs only cost about twenty or thirty coins per prescription, right?”

“The prescription contains slices of ginseng and ejiao. The doctor said that for my brother’s condition, he must slowly be nursed back to health, and ginseng and ejiao are indispensable.” Jiang Erlang said dejectedly.

After a moment of hesitation, he turned to his wife and said, “Chunniang, my second brother’s condition is severe this time. Elder brother and I can’t just sit back and do nothing, so… I need you to bear a bit more.”

“I understand.” Chunniang lowered her eyes, getting up to open the coin box: “Then… How much?”

Jiang Erlang waved his hand, “There’s no rush, get me a coin when I invite the doctor for a follow-up visit in three days.”

“Alright.’

Chunniang agreed, feeling a pain in her heart.

Their family had just managed to save a little money, and before they could even get used to it, they had to pay again, sigh.

But what could she do? Her husband’s siblings were very close. Seeing his brother severely ill, how could they just stand by and watch him slip away?

Two days later, Jiang Erlang’s condition had not improved; in fact, it worsened. Early in the morning, his daughter ran to her uncle’s house, crying and begging her grandparents to save her father.

Jiang Liu held her granddaughter in her arms and wept, saying to her husband,

“Old man, think of a solution, oh… Erlang is only thirty.”

“I’ll go check on him.” Old man Jiang was also upset, and he stood up to go outside.

Jiang Liu wiped her tears and followed him along with their eldest son.

At Jiang Erlang’s house.

Jiang Sanlang was about to feed his second brother medicine when he saw his parents and elder brother walk in. He placed the bowl of medicine on the small table and made room for them.

“How are you feeling, Erlang?” Jiang Liu approached and grabbed her second son’s hand, choking up as she spoke: “My child, tell me if you’re feeling uncomfortable anywhere.”

At this point, Jiang Erlang’s eyes were sunken, his cheeks had become thin and gaunt and he was unable to speak. He could only look at his parents tearfully in silence.

“Erlang…” Jiang Liu gently stroked her son’s face as she wept: “You must take the medicine. Your third brother will go to the town to fetch the doctor. Don’t be afraid, you will get better…”

Jiang Erlang nodded weakly.

Seeing his son in such a frail state, old man Jiang couldn’t help but sob. He quickly wiped his tears away with his sleeve and patting his son’s head, he comforted him: “Erlang, nothing serious. You’re just feverish. It’ll be fine in a few days, yes…”

Tears rolled down Jiang Erlang’s cheeks as he grunted a low acknowledgment.

Watching this made Yingbao, who had slipped in unnoticed, feel awful too. She looked at her grandparents and her second uncle, then at her oldest uncle and father with their red-rimmed eyes. She sneaked to the side of the table. While everyone was preoccupied, she quietly added a large amount of Five Dingzhi juice to the medicine bowl and stirred it with a spoon.

Suddenly, she felt a light tap on her head that made her jump.

When she looked up, she saw it was her father.

“Don’t be naughty.” Jiang Sanlang saw his daughter meddling with the medicine bowl and assumed she was being mischievous. He pulled her outside, “You should go home soon.”

Yingbao nodded and seriously said: “Second uncle will get better, Daddy. Make sure he drinks all the medicine, don’t let it spill.”

“Daddy knows.” Jiang Sanlang led his daughter out of the room and whispered: “Once you get home, tell your mom that I’m going to town in a bit and ask her to send a coin over.”

“Okay!”

Just as Yingbao was about to head home, she heard Leng scolding them from the eastern room:

“Keep your fake sympathy! Wuuu…you are all like rats delivering greetings to the chicken. Wuuuu, my lot in life is so miserable…”

Yingbao frowned.

This second aunt was really unreasonable.

In her former life, she did not have many interactions with Leng, so she was oblivious to her nature.

While her husband was ill, she did not care for him; and when her third brother-in-law tirelessly fed and cleaned her husband, all she did was spit out venomous words.

Yingbao felt rather annoyed by it, she hurried through the gate on her short little legs, where she saw Erni at the door wiping her tears, and Huzi, at three years old, sitting on the ground playing with snow, his hands raw from the cold.

Upon seeing Yingbao, Huzi ran up to her, reaching out to pull the twin tails on her tiger hat.

Yingbao: …

She brushed off the kid’s hand, ready to give him a slap, then remembered that in her former life, this little guy had protected her and her little brother. She paused, took a clean radish from her pocket and handed it to him, “Here, eat this. It’s sweet.’

Upon receiving the radish, Huzi promptly took a bite, munching on it with its skin sending delightful aroma, he smiled brightly and said, “It’s gooood.” Yingbao rubbed her nose and quickly left the courtyard.

Back home, she relayed her father’s message to her mother and then climbed onto the Kang bed to play with her little brother.

Her little brother was pleasant to look at; clean, adorable, and always smiling. Seeing her approach, he wriggled his little legs happily.

Her mother, Chunniang, quickly fetched a coin from the money chest and rushed out to send it to her husband..