111 Mom has to Thank you
The First Born emotionlessly concluded, "This woman must be here because she wanted to be my daddy's concubine. She wants to have my daddy's kids."
The Second, Third, and Fourth Born freaked out. They snapped their heads around to stare at the First Born.
Lu Jiao raised an eyebrow, "So you asked her to clean the dogs' house?"
The four little ones carefully observed to see if Lu Jiao was angry. She didn't seem to be.
Lu Jiao educated, "You can give her tasks to complete because your grandma invited her over to help us out. Don't intentionally hurt her though, okay?"
Lu Jiao didn't want the four little ones to go down the villainous path so she was determined to nip their evil thoughts.
The Second, Third, and Fourth Born all nodded to show they understood. The First Born, however, appeared dejected. He remembered the time he poisoned his mom and wondered if she never forgave him for it. Was his mom certain that he was not a good kid?
The First Born was intensely sad.
Lu Jiao didn't notice this right away and went back to cleaning the water tank.
After she was done, she brought out two wooden buckets to fetch more water from the village.
She turned around and suddenly saw a little shadow walk to the back of the house. That thin and fragile silhouette seemed to be drowning in sadness. Though she couldn't see his face, Lu Jiao was certain that the little guy was blue.
Lu Jiao put down the buckets and followed the little shadow. The young boy walked to the back of the house, squatted by the wall, and played with the mud on the ground.
The little guy appeared extremely sad.
Lu Jiao walked over and squatted down. She caught sight of the little boy's red eyes and the bean-sized tears that rolled down his face.
This sad boy was the First Born.
Lu Jiao was in shock. Out of the quadruplets, the First Born was the calmest and most restrained. Very much like his father, he was logical and rarely showed emotions.
Her heart ached when she saw how hurt he was. Lu Jiao grabbed his hand and asked caringly, "First Born, what's wrong? Tell mom."
The First Born was surprised to see Lu Jiao. Her question, however, upset him even more and the tears poured out violently.
He couldn't make a sound at this point and whimpered like a kitty. His current state could worry anyone.
Lu Jiao hugged him and asked warmly, "What's wrong? Tell me?"
Lu Jiao searched her brain to try and figure out what happened. He was fine moments ago and now he was so somber. Did something happen?
Lu Jiao then remembered what she had said – she had warned the children how not to cause harm to others.
Did the First Born remember the time he tried to poison her?
The First Born cried harder and harder. Lu Jiao patted his back and whispered, "First Born, did you remember that one time you tried to hurt mom?"
The First Born was startled and his little body froze.
Lu Jiao knew that was it. She hugged him and spoke softly, "I don't blame you. I wasn't a good mom back then and that was why you did what you did. I have to tell you a secret – it's because you tried to poison me, and that was why I changed."
This information made the First Born stop crying. Shocked, he looked up at Lu Jiao. Lu Jiao loosened her grip on him and leveled her gaze toward him.
"Because you poisoned me, I realized how awful I was. For my own son to want to hurt me meant I had failed as a mother and as a person. That was why I decided to change myself and treat you better."
Lu Jiao reached out and patted the First Born's head, "I want to thank you. Thank you, my First Born, for waking me up."
Her words lifted the giant rock that sat in the First Born's heart. His big eyes brightened and softened.
Lu Jiao was happy to see that and hugged him, "Let the bygones be bygones. Let's all forget about what happened. How's that?"
The First Born finally smiled a little. He reached out and put his arms around Lu Jiao's neck, "Okay", he responded softly.
His mommy didn't blame him and even thanked him.
Lu Jiao held him for a while then added, "You do have to promise me something though."
The First Born nodded, "What is it?"
"Don't do something like that again. Doing those things will only hurt you. I want you to be safe and sound."
The First Born felt so warm because of those words. His little head nodded again, "I promise you, mommy, that I won't do things like that anymore."
"Good boy. Let's go back then."
Lu Jiao let him go and grabbed his hand. They walked back to the yard together. The First Born occasionally looked up to admire his mom. His heart was full of joy. His mom didn't blame him and even thanked him. His mom was so great.
By the time the mother and son duo got back to the front yard, someone rushed inside.
It was Zhou Xiaotao. Zhou Xiaotao rushed to the water tank to clean it only to find it already clean and empty.
She then saw the two wooden buckets on the side. She picked those up and immediately went out to fetch more water.
Behind her, Lu Jiao watched this in shock. Why did that woman come back?
Lady Ruan must've comforted Zhou Xiaotao and reiterated the benefits of this plan to tempt her. Then, she swallowed her pride and came back.
Lu Jiao didn't really care but the four little ones were obviously unhappy. They angrily complained.
"Mommy, she came back."
"Does she really want to be my daddy's concubine?"
"She wants to have my daddy's babies."
"Hmmph, she better not think about it. We need to keep an eye on daddy."
Since they stood by the window, Xie Yunjin managed to catch every word.
His face was unspeakably dark. What were they saying? What did Lu Jiao say to those kids?
Xie Yunjin gritted his teeth.
Though Lu Jiao didn't see Xie Yunjin's reaction, she was scared of getting found out and so she acted angry.
"If she dares to try anything with your father, I will beat her up."
She then comforted the children, "Don't worry. Treat her like a helper. I will give her things to do."
The four little ones worried despite Lu Jiao's efforts.
"No, we need to keep an eye on daddy."
"Yeah."
The children ran into the east bedroom. Lu Jiao made a face. Their dad had very picky taste and there was no way he would like someone like that.
Since it was late, Lu Jiao went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Xie Yunjin just had surgery and could not eat anything spicy, meaty, or salty. She had to make something bland.
For dinner, they will have vegetable stir-fry with peanuts, and some side dishes. Lu Jiao really wanted to make steamed buns for the four little ones. However, since they didn't have the right pot, they had to compromise.
112 Pale and Pudgy
Lu Jiao went to harvest some of her vegetables from the garden. Outside her gate, Lin Chunyan walked over. Lin Chunyan was extremely grateful for Lu Jiao and her eyes were full of love as she looked at Lu Jiao.
"Third aunt."
Lu Jiao instantly remembered that she promised Lin Chunyan a prescription, "Ah, Chunyan! Let me get you your prescription."
Lin Chunyan quickly said, "Third aunt, there's no rush. My mother-in-law is asking Huzi to get me my medicine tomorrow morning. I came over to see if you need help with anything around the house."
Lu Jiao wanted to decline but Lin Chunyan was already inside and picked up the broom.
Lu Jiao stopped her, "Don't! Put it down. I have someone doing that already."
Lin Chunyan thought Lu Jiao was being nice and said with determination, "Third aunt, don't be courteous. I can help around. I'm used to doing housework."
She then started to sweep the yard without letting Lu Jiao speak.
Lu Jiao knew then that Lin Chunyan was determined to help and that she probably felt better if she helped.
A better mood would help her with her illness. Lu Jiao went to the east bedroom.
Inside, the four little ones were conversing with Xie Yunjin.
"Daddy, don't let that ugly woman in."
"If she dares to come back, tell her off."
"Daddy, she's not as pretty as mommy. Mommy's chubby with her face so pale like a big steamed bun. She's so pretty."
After he heard what the Fourth Born had to say, he speechlessly stared at him. Will this boy's perception of beauty get very skewed as he grows up? A face like his mother was considered pretty?
The First Born stared, "Daddy, we don't want you to have kids with other people. You are only allowed to have kids with mommy."
Lu Jiao was just about to enter the room when the First Born said that. Lu Jiao felt extremely awkward.
Xie Yunjin coldly stared at her and said calmly, "Chubby with a pale face like a big steamed bun. Truly beautiful."
Honestly, Lu Jiao had lost a bunch of weight and was not as unbearable to look at as before. After some time together, he didn't find her ugly, but rather cute.
Xie Yunjin would never admit that. This woman taught his sons about concubines, which caused them to be so worried every day.
Lu Jiao didn't speak. The Fourth Born excitedly responded, "My mommy is beautiful! Look, so pale and so pudgy! She's also very strong. Not only can she carry us, but she can also carry you!"
The First, Second, and Third Born stared. Something about that statement sounded weird.
Xie Yunjin started to laugh like he had just heard a joke. His handsome face emitted rays of an evil charm.
He checked out Lu Jiao from head to toe then sarcastically commented, "Pale, pudgy, and as strong as a bull."
The four little ones couldn't sense the mockery but Lu Jiao could. He was mocking her for not being pretty and acting like a man.
Hmmph.
Lu Jiao wasn't going to humor him. She went to the side of the room to write a prescription but soon realized…
She didn't learn how to read yet so she didn't know how to write.
She was a little dumbfounded. First, she stared at the paper, then she looked at Xie Yunjin, and finally, she grinned.
Xie Yunjin noticed her expression and knew right away that she needed him to write on her behalf.
He closed his eyes right away and acted exhausted, "I'm a little tired. I'm going to sleep."
The four little ones instantly shouted, "Daddy, go ahead and sleep."
The four children then hid outside to discuss what tasks to give Zhou Xiaotao next. That woman was sent here to help them out.
Inside, Lu Jiao went to the bed and smiled with her eyes, "Xie Yunjin, help me out and write me a prescription."
Xie Yunjin opened his eyes a little and smirked, "That's your business. How is it my problem?"
Lu Jiao whispered, "I am doing this for a Xie villager."
Xie Yunjin responded, "I didn't ask you to."
Lu Jiao then asked in disbelief, "Don't you care about the villagers a lot? You should be happy that I am looking after them."
Xie Yunjin said mindlessly, "You made promises to others, not me."
He then closed his eyes to ignore her.
Lu Jiao glared at him. This guy was probably angry because she taught the four little ones what concubines meant. He was doing this on purpose.
Lu Jiao pondered and then her eyes rested on Xie Yunjin's legs. She smiled.
"Since you don't want to help, then whatever. Ah, I forgot to tell you something. The stitches on your legs need to be removed in a week. Dr. Qi taught me how, but it looks like you don't need me to help you."
Xie Yunjin half opened his eyes and angrily looked at her.
Lu Jiao was not at all scared. By now, she's learned what Xie Yunjin's personality was like. As long as she didn't cross his line, he wouldn't go as crazy as killing her. There was no reason to be afraid.
These two people silently fought. Though there were no words, their gazes tortured each other.
In the end, Xie Yunjin broke the silence, "I can help you write. In exchange, you need to keep an eye on Zhou Xiaotao and don't let her in here."
"I can do that. From now on, you write all my prescriptions until I learn all the characters."
Lu Jiao decided then to learn the Three Character Classic from the four little ones as soon as possible.
Xie Yunjin agreed, "Alright."
Lu Jiao extended a hand to shake Xie Yunjin's hand, "Nice working with you."
Xie Yunjin stared at Lu Jiao's hand that gripped his. Different from his hand, her hand was soft and pudgy. There was even a dimple there. Her hand was hot, cushioned, and smooth.
Lu Jiao didn't think too much. Only when Xie Yunjin lowered his head did she realize she was holding his hand.
This would be considered normal usually. However, at a time like this, it felt like she was taking advantage.
Lu Jiao tried to take back her hand but Xie Yunjin grabbed onto it hard. His hands were slender without any fat yet it was very powerful as he held onto hers.
Lu Jiao couldn't help but exclaim over his masculinity. Though he appeared sick and weak, he had a lot of strength.
Just then, Xie Yunjin pinched the skin on her hand.
Instantly, she felt like she'd been played.
She retracted her hand quickly and glared at him, "Hurry up and write it for me."
Then, she went to retrieve paper and a brush.
113 Have you ever Looked in a Mirror?
Xie Yunjin couldn't help but chuckle. This woman was all bluff.
Lu Jiao calmed down very quickly. She took some paper and a brush and asked Xie Yunjin to write out the prescription.
Xie Yunjin didn't make fun of her again. He sat up straight to help her write.
Though he just had surgery, his organs and his concussion were mostly healed. As long as he didn't use his legs, he could move around decently.
Lu Jiao wasn't worried.
"Rehmannia glutinosa, 5 grams. Kousa dogwood, 4 grams. Yam, 4 grams. Licorice, 1.5 grams. Ophiopogon, 7 grams. Alisma, 3 grams. Peony bark, 4 grams. Poria, 4 grams. Goji berries, 6 grams."
Lu Jiao spoke slowly. By the time she was done, Xie Yunjin had finished writing.
Lu Jiao took over the paper and nodded in satisfaction. Honestly, Xie Yunjin had really pretty handwriting. His writing was crisp and sharp, yet benevolent. His writing made it obvious that the writer was no ordinary being.
Lu Jiao blew at the paper. She then asked Xie Yunjin to write out another prescription for Changmei. After he was done, she took away the paper and brush.
Xie Yunjin asked, "Who are these for?"
Lu Jiao pointed in the direction of the Second Grandma's place and mouthed, "Lin Chunyan and Changmei."
Xie Yunjin noticed that when she whispered, she looked almost playful.
He narrowed his eyes and checked her out.
Lu Jiao seemed to have lost a lot of weight. When he looked closely, he saw that she's lost a lot of fat on his cheeks, revealing her facial structure. He could tell now that the Second and Third born looked a lot like her.
Slimmed down, this woman was rather attractive. Plus, she no longer looked like the person she used to be.
Now, Xie Yunjin was no longer reminded of that woman from before.
Lu Jiao was unaware of his thoughts. She left with her prescriptions.
Inside the yard, Lin Chunyan finished sweeping. She was now chopping firewood with Zhou Xiaotao.
Zhou Xiaotao was ecstatic to have someone offer to help and she only stood up to hide her laziness.
Lu Jiao instantly shouted, "Chunyan, let her do it."
Lin Chunyan eyed Zhou Xiaotao then looked back to Lu Jiao. Lu Jiao walked over and explained, "This is someone my mother-in-law sent to help me around the house. You don't need to worry about her."
Zhou Xiaotao wanted to curse. Helper?! This was so different from what she was told.
She wanted to go home but Lady Ruan talked her into coming back.
Zhou Xiaotao was 17 years old this year. She wasn't good-looking and her family wasn't wealthy. Despite all that, her parents wanted her pursuers to give them lots of dowries and that was why she still hasn't married.
Zhou Xiaotao remembered how handsome Xie Yunjin was and swallowed her pride. If she could seduce Xie Yunjin and get rid of Lu Jiao, she'll be the scholar's wife one day.
Zhou Xiaotao felt heated by that thought and no longer minded the housework. After all, she'd be doing all this work at home anyway. At least if she did it here, she had a chance to seduce her cousin.
Lin Chunyan understood the situation right away. She glanced at Zhou Xiaotao and couldn't find anything attractive about her. She definitely wasn't as pretty as her third aunty. Just what was her fourth grandma thinking?
Lin Chunyan decided not to help Zhou Xiaotao. However, she still wanted to help.
"Third aunt, then let me cook dinner."
Lu Jiao really didn't want to trouble her. Lin Chunyan was already weak. Low iron, tired kidney, and an aging uterus… this woman had a pitiful life and Lu Jiao didn't want her to do more work.
However, Lin Chunyan wanted to repay her. After all, if it weren't for Lu Jiao, she would've been kicked out by her mother-in-law. If that happened, she would've died. Lu Jiao saved her life! It was right for her to do housework for Lu Jiao.
Lin Chunyan went to the kitchen. Lu Jiao couldn't stop her despite her efforts.
In the kitchen, Lu Jiao gave Lin Chunyan the prescription.
"Tomorrow, ask Huzi to get medicine accordingly. Get 10 portions. Drink one portion in the morning, one at night."
"Okay, I got it."
"This prescription is for your aunt. Give it to her for me."
Lu Jiao thought about it and then secretly took out a hose and asked Lin Chunan to take it.
"This is for your aunt. Boil some water with wormwood in it, fill this up with that water, then use it to cleanse her lower half."
Lin Chunyan's face flushed red right away. Like a thief, she took it and hid it.
Then they started to cook dinner. While doing so, Lu Jiao got Lin Chunyan a cup of water and snuck in some spiritual stream water. Lin Chunyan drank it.
After dinner was done, Lin Chunyan went home.
She refused to stay for dinner so all Lu Jiao could do was walk her out to the gate. She cautioned, "Stop doing work for me. Your body isn't the strongest and you need time to rest."
Lin Chunyan didn't respond and walked home. Lu Jiao went to the kitchen to get porridge for the four little ones. Before she got there, she heard angry yelling from the east bedroom.
"My daddy doesn't need you to feed him. My mommy can feed him."
"Get out of here."
"You are not allowed to come into my daddy's room."
"If you dare to come in here again, we will call you shameless!"
Lu Jiao knew right away that Zhao Xiaotao managed to sneak into the east bedroom while Lu Jiao walked Lin Chunyan out.
Lu Jiao didn't plan to interact with that woman. If she wanted to try to seduce Xie Yunjin, she could go ahead. As long as Xie Yunjin's eyes still worked, he wouldn't acknowledge that woman.
However, Lu Jiao remembered the deal she made with Xie Yunjin. He would write her prescriptions and she would stop Zhou Xiaotao from harassing him.
Her face clouded and she leaped towards the east bedroom.
Inside the room, Zhou Xiaotao was shocked that the four children would block her way and curse at her.
She was furious and silently cursed back. These four bastards were so damn annoying. Once she marries their dad, she will teach them all a lesson. They must learn the consequences of offending her.
Though angry on the inside, she showed sadness on her face as she stared at the quadruplets, "Your daddy is hungry. I need to feed him. How will he heal if he doesn't eat?"
She then ignored the four and looked to Xie Yunjin, "Cousin, look at them!"
Xie Yunjin arrogantly glimpsed at Zhou Xiaotao, "Have you ever looked in a mirror?"
Zou Xiaotao didn't get the message. Shyly, she nodded, "Elder cousin, I have looked in a mirror."
Xie Yunjin snorted, "You have? Then you must know how ugly you look. Do you think I would like a woman who has no skills and is this ugly? You aren't good enough to even carry my shoes. Got it?"
Zhou Xiaotao's brain buzzed. What did she just hear? What did her cousin just say to her?
All the color drained from her face.
Lu Jiao entered and grabbed Zhou Xiaotao by her collar and started to drag her outside, "Zhou Xiaotao, you are not permitted to enter this bedroom. Try and see what will happen to you if you do this again. I will beat you up every time you do this. Do you believe me?"
Just then, the four little ones chimed in.
"Don't you even think about being my daddy's concubine. He would never take someone as ugly as you!"
"Don't you even think about having babies with my daddy."
"We don't allow him to have children with other people."
"We will keep our eyes on you!"
114 The Fourth Born is a Man of his Words
Zhou Xiaotao was already sad. After she heard what Lu Jiao and the four little ones said, she could no longer contain herself and started to weep out loud. She stomped her feet, left the room, and screamed, "You're all bullies! Your whole family is bullying me! I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to go home… I want to go home! Your whole family is bad!"
Zhou Xiaotao left crying. Behind her, Lu Jiao was a little regretful. With Zhou Xiaotao gone, all the housework now came back to her.
How unfortunate.
It was late. Lu Jiao went to scoop some porridge for the four little ones, then got a bowl to feed Xie Yunjin.
Xie Yunjin's handsome face was rather frigid. His dark pupils reflected cold white light similar to the stars at night.
He stared at Lu Jiao dully like that.
Lu Jiao was a little weirded out, "What is it? Do your legs hurt?"
Xie Yunjin said depressingly, "Did you do that intentionally?"
Lu Jiao was confused, then realized he wondered if she intentionally let Zhou Xiaotao in.
Lu Jiao denied, "You're overthinking it. That woman snuck in while I wasn't paying attention."
Xie Yunjin studied her and found her to be collected and genuine. So she was telling the truth.
Finally, he felt better and his expression softened.
"Remember the deal you made with me. I write your prescriptions and you stop Zhou Xiaotao from coming in here. She dampens my mood."
Lu Jiao didn't fight it and was serious as she vowed, "Don't worry. If she tries that again, I will beat her up."
Xie Yunjin was satisfied and snickered.
Lu Jiao asked about his legs, "How are your legs? Did the pain go away?"
Xie Yunjin nodded, "Better than before. The level of pain is something I can endure. Don't worry about me."
Lu Jiao very much wanted to tell him that she wasn't worried about him. She simply wanted him to heal faster.
Though she thought about it, she didn't say it. She studied his legs. The pain may have gone away, but his legs were just cut open and needed more hypertonic saline.
Since Zhou Xiaotao was here all day, she didn't get the opportunity to hang a bag of saline for him.
At night, two of the boys will be sleeping with Xie Yunjin. If she hung the IV tonight, would the children see it?
Lu Jiao didn't know what to do.
Outside the room, the Second Born's unhappy voice echoed, "Tonight, it's the First Born and my turn to sleep with mommy. You two, sleep with daddy tonight."
After Lady Tian went home, the four little ones agreed to take turns and split up at night. Two of them would sleep with Lu Jiao every night, while the other two would sleep with Xie Yunjin.
It was the First and Second Born's turn to sleep with Lu Jiao tonight.
This was something that was agreed on before. However, every time it was the First and Second Born's turn to sleep with Lu Jiao, the Fourth Born would pout and fall into a bad mood.
Tonight, he tried to negotiate with the Second Born to see if he could sleep with his mom. Sadly, the Second Born got angry and scolded him.
The Fourth Born mumbled, "Mommy's bed is big. We have the space. Why don't the three of us sleep with mommy?"
The Third Born angrily stared at the Fourth Born, "Then what about me?"
The First Born stared at the Fourth Born with a humorless expression, "You're a man. A man keeps his word. We discussed this before and you agreed to what we discussed. Since you agreed, you cannot break the rules when you want to."
The Fourth Born's eyes reddened. He slid down his chair and ran into the east bedroom.
"Mommy, I want to sleep with you."
Outside the room, the other three raced over as well. They all gaped at the Fourth Born unhappily.
The Fourth Born hogged onto Lu Jiao's legs and refused to let go. He didn't even look at the other three.
Lu Jiao's eyes brightened. She was just troubled about what to do about the IV drip when these four fought over the sleeping situation. This was an opportunity.
She looked at the Fourth Born, "Fourth Born, you want to sleep with me tonight?"
The Fourth Born looked up at her like a puppy as he nodded violently, "Yes, I want to sleep with mommy tonight."
Lu Jiao frowned, "But you already promised your brothers that you guys would take turns. To break a promise so easily isn't a good quality.
However, since you asked, I don't want to reject you. You can sleep with me tonight. But after tonight, you must take responsibility for your own words."
Lu Jiao's expression was resolute. If it weren't for the fact that she needed to hang the IV drip for Xie Yunjin tonight, she wouldn't be tolerating the Fourth Born's behavior right now.
Lu Jiao asked the Fourth Born, "Tell me, can you do that?"
The Fourth Born didn't want to say yes. Lu Jiao's serious expression, however, scared him. He carefully nodded.
"Yes."
Lu Jiao patted his head and said softly, "I believe you are a good kid who does everything he says he would do. You are simply attached to me, aren't you?"
The Fourth Born nodded hard. His eyes were bright and clear. Lu Jiao leaned down and kissed him.
"Fourth Born, you're going to keep your promises going forward, right?"
The Fourth Born was ignited by Lu Jiao's encouragement and he loudly announced, "I am a good kid who's a man of his own words. I will do everything as I say going forward."
Lu Jiao looked at the other three children, "Why don't you all sleep with me tonight? Tomorrow, you can start taking turns again."
The Second and Third Born all smiled.
The First Born wasn't happy and walked up to the bed, "Then, I will sleep with daddy tonight."
It was so sad for his dad to sleep alone.
Xie Yunjin could tell that the First Born wanted to sleep with Lu Jiao as well. He said, "Go sleep with your mom. I'm okay. My legs don't hurt anymore. I didn't sleep well last night and really want to have a good sleep tonight."
"I…"
The First Born wanted to say more but Lu Jiao had gotten up, "Okay, come out and have a bath. After your bath, I will tell you guys a bedtime story."
The other three followed Lu Jiao. The First Born hesitated, which made Xie Yunjin urge, "Hurry, go wash up and sleep. I'm fine."
The First Born agreed. However, before he left, he ran to Xie Yunjin and kissed him.
"Tomorrow, I will sleep with daddy."
The other three were already at the door, but after they witnessed the First Born's actions, they went back in and each kissed Xie Yunjin's face once.
Xie Yunjin's face was now full of saliva. He speechlessly watched the children leave. They sure were copycats.
After Lu Jiao bathed them, she told them a story. After they fell asleep, she warmed up the medicine and fed it to Xie Yunjin. Like before, she added the anxiety pill to his medicine, which caused him to fall asleep really quickly.
Scared that the four little ones might burst inside while she hangs the IV, she carefully shut the door before she took a hypertonic saline bag from her space. She hung the drip for Xie Yunjin.
115 Ginseng and Ganoderma
Xie Yunjin slept deeply and had no idea a needle was stabbed into him.
After the drip, Lu Jiao yawned and went to sleep in the west bedroom.
The next time, after she woke up, she heard Xie Yunjin call for her, "Lu Jiao."
She thought he wanted water so she walked over and asked caringly, "What is it? You want water?"
Xie Yunjin stared at Lu Jiao dimly.
Lu Jiao knew right away that he was in a bad mood. She asked hesitantly, "What happened?"
Xie Yunjin lifted his arm, showing Lu Jiao the hole in his arm. So this man was upset because he saw the hole in his arm?
Lu Jiao's brain worked hard as she tried to figure out a way to explain this.
Xie Yunjin was not friendly when he demanded, "Tell me, why is there a needle wound on my arm? Did you stab me in the middle of the night?"
He narrowed his eyes. Why was this woman stabbing him? For revenge? But she wasn't the original host.
Xie Yunjin couldn't figure it out. Lu Jiao jumped on the chance to explain, "You were sleeping really deeply last night. I couldn't wake you up no matter what. So I stabbed you with a needle."
Xie Yunjin was skeptical, "Before, it was also you who stabbed me?"
He saw the wound on his arm last time. He thought it was done by Dr. Qi from the surgery. That didn't seem to be the case.
Lu Jiao changed her story, "Dr. Qi was the one who told me that trick. During surgery, he used certain medicine on you. The effects of those medicines haven't faded just yet. He told me to keep a close eye on you for three days. If you sleep too deeply, I need to stab you. You shouldn't sleep that deeply."
She then quickly added, "Don't worry, Dr. Qi said it's just for three days. The effects should dissipate soon."
Xie Yunjin thought about it and eventually chose to believe her.
For the surgery, lots of medicine was used on him, he knew that. He also didn't think Lu Jiao had a valid reason to hurt him. If she was who she used to be, he would be suspicious. The person she was today held no grudge against him so why would she stab him for no reason?
Xie Yunjin cleared his throat and apologized to Lu Jiao, "I thought you were stabbing me on purpose. I'm sorry."
Lu Jiao sighed in relief. She naturally accepted his apology, "Okay. don't be so suspicious next time."
She then turned away, afraid of leaving behind evidence. After spending time with him, she was fully aware of how careful, smart, and scheming this man was.
He was crippled and couldn't do much independently. Once he healed, she was sure he would become more and more capable. It was no wonder that his character progressed to the final villain.
After breakfast, the Xie villagers arrived with their own small stools. They knew Lu Jiao didn't have enough chairs for everyone so they brought their own.
During last night's meeting, the Village Leader had asked them to bring stools. If they didn't, they would need to stand.
Other than those from the Xie Clan, there were also outsiders.
Every single person warmly greeted Lu Jiao, "Yunjin's wife, have you had breakfast?"
"I think you lost a lot of weight. You're so pretty."
"Yunjin's wife, the Second and Third Born look just like you."
"Yes, yes."
Lu Jiao greeted everyone back one by one.
Many villagers think of Lu Jiao as generous and capable now – night and day compared to who she used to be. These days, everyone was convinced that Lu Jiao was the way she was before because of Lady Ruan. Why else would she transform for the better the moment she left that household?
A lot of those infamous rumors about Lu Jiao were spread around by Lady Ruan. That woman had no credibility.
Since Lu Jiao agreed to teach, she didn't say much to everyone. She stood at the front of her yard and scanned around. There were 80 to 90 people here today – they were all women of different ages. The number of people here was truly astonishing.
Lu Jiao cleared her throat and said to everyone, "I'm sure everyone is aware of the reason why you are here. I don't want to waste anyone's time so I will start with the lesson."
Lu Jiao went to her kitchen and took out more than 10 types of medicinal herbs.
"Everyone, take a look at these leaves. Palmately compound leaves have a long stem and a dark green color. There are usually three to six whorls on one herb and five separate leaves…"
Before Lu Jiao could finish, someone shouted, "Yunjin's wife, we don't understand all that. Just tell us what they are."
A lot of people nodded in agreement, "That's right. Just tell us what they are."
This was a wake-up call for Lu Jiao. She remembered that last time, she tried to teach Lu Gui but he didn't understand anything. These villagers were no different from Lu Gui. No matter how much she explained, they didn't understand what she was saying.
Lu Jiao skipped the details and went straight to it, "Look at the shape of these leaves. These are ginseng leaves."
People started to howl, "Ginseng is very valuable!"
"Yes, ginseng is very valuable. I heard a century-old ginseng can be sold for this much." A woman raised her two hands.
Others asked impatiently, "How much is that?"
"A hundred taels of silver."
Everyone else wailed, "Oh my, is that true? Ginseng is that expensive?"
Aunt Guihua straight up asked Lu Jiao, "Jiaojiao, is ginseng really that expensive?"
Lu Jiao was confident when she responded, "Yes, it's true. Even those that are 20 to 30 years old cost more than 100 taels of silver. A century-old ginseng would cost you 700 to 800 taels of silver."
This was the market in a smaller town. If one tried to sell in a larger city, it would cost even more.
The crowd buzzed as they excitedly discussed. They were reacting as if they could dig up ginseng that old whenever they wanted.
Some people even started planning what they would buy with the money they get.
Lu Jiao was speechless. Did they think it was that easy to get ginseng?
She gestured for everyone to quiet down, "Okay, next, Ganoderma."
Lu Jiao didn't want to take Ganoderma from her space as educational material. So she described what a Ganoderma looked like.
"Ganoderma likes to grow in moist places, such as near the roots of a tree. Ganoderma is also very valuable. A 50-year-old Ganoderma is around 200 taels of silver."
Again, this was the market in a small town.
The crowd buzzed again. Lu Jiao continued on to describe bupleurum chinense, "The important part of the bupleurum chinense is the root, not the leaves. Don't get it wrong.
This is forsythia. It looks very similar to winter jasmine. Don't get it mixed up. Forsythia is bigger in size and their stems don't tend to droop. Winter jasmine sags easily and dangles."
116 Who's more Shameless?
Lu Jiao taught everyone more than 10 medicinal herbs before she stopped. She was worried that the villagers wouldn't be able to retain any more information.
Even with that in mind, near the end, people started to stare at her soundlessly.
The yard got quieter and quieter until Lu Jiao finally asked, "Did you memorize everything?"
From the crowd, someone whispered, "No."
The others chimed in then, "There's no way I can remember all that."
"I was able to follow along for the first two. I already forgot the rest."
Many people started to say different things. They were all insecure and wondered if they were too dumb. Yunjin's wife explained it pretty well but how come they just could not memorize everything she said?
Lu Jiao was silent as she listened to everyone. It took her some time before she started to comfort, "There's no rush with this. You've never seen this stuff before so it's normal to find it difficult today."
She cleared her throat, "Honestly, I did take this into consideration before and that's why I harvested some samples for you. You guys take some back with you and get familiar."
The crowd cheered, "Yunjin's wife, you are great."
"Yes, yes!"
Lu Jiao watched as the crowd got rowdy in order to take samples. She quickly raised her hand and stopped everyone, "Don't get disorderly. Line up."
She ended up going to the kitchen and taking out all the herbs she saved from her space. She originally wanted to harvest some this morning but couldn't because of Xie Yunjin. She'll have to divide up what she had.
After Lu Jiao took out what she could, she asked Xie Xiaojun and Lin Chunyan to help her.
Xie Xiaojun and Lin Chunyan happily helped her take out the rest.
Lu Jiao didn't give entire herbs to everyone. There were too many people and too few herbs. She divided up one plant into several pieces. Some people got only two to three leaves.
Since Xie Xiaojun and Lin Chunyan helped her carry those herbs, Lu Jiao let them have first picks.
"These are ginseng leaves and these are bupleurum leaves. Slowly, you'll be able to recognize them. Remember, when you go into the mountains, watch out for snakes. Don't go in too deep and stay on the outskirts, where there are fewer snakes. Even then, be careful.
Also, go into the pharmacy in town and get some snake poison antidotes. Something like a horse chestnut can protect you against snakes. Of course, the pharmacist will give you the correct recommendations. Bring those medicines with you for emergencies. If you get bitten, rub it onto your wound to detox."
"Understood, Yunjin's wife."
"We will buy some when we are in town."
Everyone laughed and chatted as they left. The Xie Village may have always been rather peaceful, but it's never been this harmonious.
Xie Xiaojun and Lin Chunyan were the last to leave. Since it was late, they decided to stay and help Lu Jiao make lunch.
"Third aunt, we'll stay and help you with lunch."
Lu Jiao was about to speak when a shrill voice arose from outside, "Lu Jiao, you wicked wrench. I invited Xiaotao here to help you and you decided to kick her out just because she fed my son a spoonful of porridge?"
Enraged, Lady Ruan pulled Zhou Xiaotao towards the yard.
Many of the villagers haven't left. When they heard what Lady Ruan had to say, they stopped and looked back.
Lady Ruan's eyes darkened as she pinched Zhou Xiaotao's hand.
"Aunty, I simply noticed that my cousin was hungry and that was why I fed him. I had no other intentions. Don't kick me out."
Zhou Xiaotao cried so sadly as if she had been massively wronged.
Aunt Guihua was the first to speak up, " Lady Ruan, you're telling me that you are so kind you sent someone here to help out? How come I find that difficult to believe?"
Lady Ruan glared at her upon hearing aunt Guihua's words.
This woman once pinned her to the ground and beat her up. Back when her son still listened to her, that woman kissed her @ss every chance she got. Now that her third son no longer showed interest, that woman grew the guts to hit her.
Lady Ruan was puking blood on the inside as she once again got more determined to force Lu Jiao out of this family. It was all because of this woman that her son was now evil. Before, her third son was a great human being.
Lady Ruan bore her gaze into aunt Guihua, "Ding Guihua, you're a b!tch! You used to suck up to me all the time. Now that you find Lu Jiao useful, you go kiss her @ss. How can someone be so shameless?"
Aunt Guihua wasn't at all angry to hear that, "I do what I want. Why do you care who I suck up to? Also, when it comes to shamelessness, why not ask around this place and see which one of us is more shameless?"
The crowd started to mutter and they all talked poorly of Lady Ruan.
Lady Ruan's face twisted into a twine. She wanted to go up there and bite Aunt Guihua to death. Sadly, she was so small and thin that she was no opponent against aunt Guihua. All she could do was give her the death stare.
Behind the crowd, Chen Liu noticed that her mother-in-law was losing. She squeezed inside and stood by Lady Ruan.
"Mom, did you forget what you came here for? Why are you fighting against Lady Guihua?"
Lady Ruan snapped back to reality and angrily said to Lu Jiao, "Lu Jiao, you are an unfilial and ungraceful woman. Because Xiaotao fed Yunjin porridge, you kicked her out. You must apologize to Xiaotao."
Zhou Xiaotao straightened her back and waited for an apology. Occasionally, she remembered to blink out some tears.
In the garden, Lu Jiao laughed. She looked at Lady Ruan, "Mom, is your eyesight worsening?"
Lady Ruan froze and she did not fully understand Lu Jiao's words.
Zhou Xiao was worried when she heard that. Fear rose inside her.
What Xie Yunjin said to her before echoed in her mind.
Subconsciously, Zhou Xiaotao grabbed onto Lady Ruan and suggested nervously, "Fourth aunt, let's go back. Let's go."
Lady Ruan was determined to ruin Lu Jiao's reputation tonight. This woman was getting more and more loveable each day and if she didn't take action soon, her son would refuse to leave her.
Lady Ruan ignored Zhou Xiaotao. Lu Jiao did the same. She continued to speak to Lady Ruan, "Mom, don't you know that your son has a very specific taste? How can someone like her feed him porridge? He wanted to puke at the sight of her, let alone eat porridge."
Lady Ruan didn't even get a chance to speak when the four little ones ran outside towards her and started to chirp.
"My daddy said she's ugly and she's not allowed to go into his room."
"She wanted to feed daddy porridge, my daddy wanted her to go away."
"She wants to be my daddy's concubine and wants to have his babies."
"My daddy would never have babies with her. Look at how ugly she is! Her children would be hideous."
117 Needle Stabs
The crowd received this information from the four children. Everyone turned to look at Zhou Xiaotao and some people rudely chuckled.
Aunt Guihua laughed the loudest. She pointed her finger directly at Zhou Xiaotao and said to Lady Ruan, "Old woman, I always knew you were evil, I never knew you were also blind. If you want to shove your son a concubine, you should find someone pretty. You found such an ugly girl for him to use as a maid or what? This kind of woman is worthy enough to be a concubine? What a joke."
A lot of people laughed at Aunt Guihua's words. Zhou Xiaotao glanced at the crowd in terror as she listened to everyone's mocking laughter. Finally, she had a mental breakdown as she started to yell at Lady Ruan, "This is all your fault! I told you I want to go home but you forced me to stay to seduce my cousin! You're the reason I'm being laughed at!
Ahhhh, you're all bullies! I'm not staying here, I want to go home! I want to go home!"
This time, Zhou Xiaotao cried out loud as she ran away, ignoring Lady Ruan. Lady Ruan wanted to scream at her but Zhou Xiaotao was running like she had gone crazy.
Behind her, Lady Ruan's expression grew bitter. The crowd wasn't going to let her off this easily.
Someone said, "Fourth grandma, why are you trying to find Yunjin another wife?"
"Yunjin's family is already having a difficult time and Yunjin's wife is the only person supporting the whole family. Why are you trying to get him another wife? Are you planning on giving them money so they can support another woman?"
Lady Ruan's face could not get any darker. Lu Jiao grinned ear to ear, "Mother, how much money are you planning on giving us on a monthly basis?"
Lady Ruan's face twisted and she turned to leave. Just then, a horse carriage dashed down the street. Looking at the horse carriage, Lady Ruan managed to pass out from shock.
Chen Liu held onto Lady Ruan and shouted, "Third sister-in-law, mom passed out. Come and help!"
Lu Jiao calmly walked up to Lady Ruan. She wasn't faking it, she passed out from anger and shock.
Lu Jiao took out some silver needles and stabbed them into Lady Ruan. Most of the stabbing points were trigger points for pain.
The pain woke Lady Ruan up. She yelled, "Ah, it hurts!"
Everyone around them cheered for Lu Jiao, "Yunjin's wife is amazing. She woke up Lady Ruan so quickly!"
"Yeah, one needle in and she woke up. This is an incredible skill."
Lady Ruan and Chen Liu looked at the needles on Lady Ruan's body. Was that one stab? There were 20 to 30 needles on Lady Ruan's body right now.
She was sure Lu Jiao did it on purpose.
By now, Lady Ruan realized that she'd been stabbed by needles. Her face squished together due to the pain and she gritted her teeth.
"Lu Jiao, you b!tch. You did all this on purpose!"
Lu Jiao didn't remove her needle right away since someone got off the horse carriage in a rush. Lu Jiao looked and found out it was Qi Lei from Baohe Tang.
Qi Lei wanted to call Lu Jiao right away, "Mas-"
Lu Jiao glared at him and he swallowed the word "master" down.
"Lady Lu, we received a very sick patient. I'm wondering if you can help diagnose him?"
Lu Jiao removed the silver needles from Lady Ruan. By now, Lady Ruan was sweating from the pain.
She angrily pointed at Lu Jiao's face and cursed loudly, "Lu Jiao, speak, are you doing this on purpose?!"
Then, without giving Lu Jiao a chance to speak, she howled, "Everyone, come and see this! My daughter-in-law stabbed me with needles! What a ruthless woman! Why hasn't she been struck by lightning?!"
The crowd looked at her in disdain. Some people couldn't help but to comment, "Fourth aunt, stop faking this. We all saw what happened. You passed out and Yunjin's wife woke you up with acupuncture."
"Fourth grandma, Yunjin's wife saved you, yet you are accusing her? You're being very unappreciative."
Lady Ruan's eyes almost went dark again. She wanted to ruin Lu Jiao's reputation, not her own. How come she was the one getting lectured today over everything?
Chen Liu realized now that they weren't going to gain anything out of this today. She pulled on her mother-in-law's sleeve, "Mom, you are not feeling well today. Let's go back and lie down."
Lady Ruan didn't want to give up like this but Lu Jiao was no longer paying attention to her. She went to Qi Lei and asked, "What's the problem?"
"There's a patient who came in dizzy with a headache. He then puked and passed out. I checked him out and I think there's trauma to the head. I don't know how to help him?"
Lu Jiao pretty much had an idea of what happened based on that description. She walked towards the horse carriage.
However, once she got there, two people got out of the horse carriage. One of them was an older woman – Xie Yunjin's master's wife.
When Lady Chen saw Lu Jiao, she was also shocked. Very quickly, however, she grabbed Lu Jiao's hands, "I heard from Dr. Qi that there's a very capable doctor around. Are you that doctor?"
Lu Jiao nodded and asked, "Lady Chen, then the patient is…"
Lady Chen started to cry, "It's Master Chen."
"Master Chen?"
Lu Jiao didn't expect the patient to be Xie Yunjin's teacher. She took this even more seriously now as she walked to the carriage and peeked inside.
Lu Jiao saw Master Chen passed out inside. She ordered people to carry him out.
"Help him lie down in my house. I will do an examination."
The young man inside the carriage carried Master Chen off the carriage and walked into Lu Jiao's home.
The villagers started to gossip, "Are they here to seek medical advice from Yunjin's wife?"
"Baohe Tang's doctor is asking Yunjin's wife for help. Does that mean Yunjin's wife is a better doctor than him?"
"Of course, Yunjin's wife brought someone back from life. Xia Lian was dead when she jumped into the river yet Yunjin's wife revived her."
"Yes, yes, Yunjin's wife is a miracle worker."
Lu Jiao was too nervous to look any of these villagers in the eye. It was her priority to save Master Chen and she was too lazy to explain herself.
Lu Jiao asked Lady Chen, "Was Master Chen suffering from headaches, dizziness, and nausea?"
Lady Chen nodded.
Lu Jiao asked another question, "Did his limbs go numb?"
Lady Chen thought about it, "No. But sometimes, he would have a shortness of breath and chest pain."
Lu Jiao nodded. Her initial thought was that Master Chen suffered from a cerebral infarction caused by hypertension.
Just as Lu Jiao pondered over a treatment plan, Lady Chen started to cry, "Yunjin's wife, will he be okay?"
The older you got, the more important your partner became. Lady Chen didn't want anything bad to happen to her husband.
118 Cerebral Infarction caused by Hypertension
Lu Jiao turned to comfort Lady Chen, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Lady Chen's anxiety subsided a little after she saw how collected Lu Jiao was.
Everyone walked into Lu Jiao's home. Lu Jiao gestured to place Master Chen onto her west bedroom bed.
Once Master Chen was laid flat, Lu Jiao went up to examine him. Suddenly, Xie Yunjin's fear-driven voice was heard, "Lu Jiao."
Worried that Xie Yunjin would get out of bed due to fear, Lu Jiao went to him. His legs could not touch the ground right now. If his bones dislocate again, he will need a second operation.
She rushed to him. On top of the bed, Xie Yunjin's handsome visage was full of anxiousness. The moment Lu Jiao appeared, he asked, "Master is sick? Is he okay?"
Lu Jiao tried to soothe him, "It's okay. I will save him. Don't worry."
Xie Yunjin stared at Lu Jiao and his tone was deeply sincere, "Lu Jiao, you have to save him. if you save him, I will agree to one of your favors. Whatever you want, I can work to achieve it."
Lu Jiao's eyes flickered, and her lips curled up subconsciously. This was a nice surprise.
Xie Yunjin was going to be the First Assistant one day. Once he's in that position, she could redeem this favor.
Lu Jiao was just as earnest when she responded, "Don't worry, I will save him."
She then walked over. Master Chen likely had a cerebral obstruction. The optimal time for treatment is within the third and sixth hours.
Inside the west bedroom, Lady Chen saw Lu Jiao return and asked hastily, "Yunjin's wife, please examine him. What's wrong with him?"
Lu Jiao nodded and knelt down to examine Master Chen. As she did that, she asked Lady Chen lots of questions.
"Did his vision ever go blurry? Did he ever have nosebleeds?"
Lady Chen nodded instantly, "Yes, sometimes. I thought it was because he was getting older."
Lu Jiao was now certain that Master Chen had a cerebral infarction caused by hypertension.
She looked toward Lady Chen and the two young men behind her. They looked similar to Master Chen – likely they were his sons.
"Master Chen has hypertension. This means his liver is always hyperactive and he has renal insufficiency. When his blood pressure rose too high, it caused cerebral infarction. This was why he passed out.
The early signs of cerebral infarction aren't obvious. For him to pass out, it means he's been sick for a while."
Lady Chen and her two sons were getting nervous, "Is he going to be okay?"
Lu Jiao shook her head, "Don't worry, I will give him medicine right away."
If she could give him saline, it would open up his blood vessels right away. However, with so many witnesses here, Lu Jiao wasn't going to whip that out. So she decided to give Master Chen an injection – a combination of antiplatelet and medicine to calm the nerve.
Even though it was just an injection, she didn't want anyone from the Chen family to see it. She said to Lady Chen and her sons, "You guys wait outside, Dr. Qi can stay and help."
The family wanted to stay but they were worried it would interfere with treatment, so they left.
After they left, Lu Jiao went to the corner of the room and pretended to be searching the drawers, she took out a syringe from her space and some medicine.
Qi Lei stared in shock. He's never seen anything like this, "Master, what are those?"
Lu Jiao responded calmly, "These are things my Master left me. It's used for injection. I don't have a lot left though."
Suddenly, she realized that she didn't have much medicine left in storage in her space. If she saw more patients, she'll be out very soon. What will happen then?
Lu Jiao thought of her spiritual stream and thought of the lack of medical supplies in this era.
She abruptly got an idea. She could open up her own pharmacy and make medicine that would benefit the villagers. Things like getting a cold were no big deal. However, due to a lack of medicine, many people die from it.
Lu Jiao felt that her spiritual water could benefit the whole nation.
While Lu Jiao thought of this, she never stopped moving. Quickly, she filled up her syringe and injected the medicine into Master Chen's arm.
After the injection, she took out antithrombotic aspirin and CDP choline to nourish the nerves. She fed them to Master Chen.
Qi Lei watched all this happen and he was speechless. He's never seen any of this stuff. Even those pills were unfamiliar to him.
"What medicine did you give Master Chen?"
"Antithrombotic medicine and nerve calming medicine."
Lu Jiao then explained the diagnosis for Master Chen and her treatment plan.
Qi Lei was stunned, "What are antithrombotic medicine and nerve-calming medicine?"
"Antithrombotic medicine includes antiplatelet agents that prevent platelets from clumping. Nerve calming medicine helps nourish the brain." She then added, "We can also use ginseng, Panax notoginseng, safflower, or leech to treat the symptoms."
Qi Lei nodded, understanding. So the patient had blood clots and needed to get rid of those.
That should be what his master meant with all those big words.
When Lu Jiao fed Master Chen medicine, she used some spiritual stream water. Her stream water helps condition the body, and the meridians, and increases the effects of medicine.
Some time after the pills were taken, Master Chen woke up.
Both Lu Jiao and Qi Lei were shocked as they stared at him.
Qi Lei was the first to speak, "Master Chen, you are alright?"
Master Chen thought Qi Lei saved him and thanked him directly, "Thank you."
Qi Lei brandished his hand and pointed to Lu Jiao, "It was my Mas…"
Lu Jiao eyed him and Qi Lei quickly changed his wording, "Lady Lu saved you."
Before Master Chen could speak, the Chen family heard noises and walked in, agitated.
Seeing that Master Chen was fine, they went to hug him.
"You're okay?"
"Dad, are you fine now?"
Master Chen nodded at his wife and sons before he to looked at Lu Jiao. He had a lot of complex feelings at the moment. Honestly, towards the woman who stole her daughter's husband, he didn't like her much.
If it weren't for her interference, Xie Yunjin would've been his son-in-law. At the time, he had already requested his daughter and Xie Yunjin to marry.
They didn't end in marriage all because of this woman. All this time, he thought that his daughter got sick and ended died because she was depressed over Xie Yunjin marrying someone else.
Who would've thought that this woman would become his saviour?
"Thank you."
119 Gratitude
Lu Jiao shook her head and informed Lady Chen and her two sons, "Other than using the medication, Master Chen will need to stop eating oily, spicy, or salty food. Don't even touch pickled products. Remember to drink lots of green tea to stabilize his blood pressure."
Lady Chen nodded and promised to keep an eye on Master Chen.
Lu Jiao asked Qi Lei to come out and headed to the east bedroom.
"I'm going to come up with a prescription, you write it."
Qi Lei was so impressed with Lu Jiao right now. He was very happy to have found this Master whose medical skills far surpassed his. A patient like Master Chen would've taken a lot longer to wake up if he was his doctor.
Ah, no. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to wake Master Chen up.
"Okay."
The two entered the east bedroom. Before they could get started on the prescription, Xie Yunjin anxiously asked, "Lu Jiao, how did it go? Is the Master okay?"
Lu Jiao smiled and shook her head, "He's fine. Master Chen has taken medicine and is now awake. I'm going to write him a prescription for three months. After that, he just needs to be careful about what he eats."
Xie Yunjin exhaled deeply in relief. There was much appreciation on his face as he stared at Lu Jiao.
"Lu Jiao, thank you."
Lu Jiao shook her head, "There's no need."
This future First Assistant had promised her a favor. To have traded today's event for a favor was a gain for her.
Lu Jiao was in a great mood.
Qi Lei found these two to be a little strange. Why were they so polite with one another? They didn't act at all like husband and wife.
He didn't get to think too much since Lu Jiao gestured for him to write, "Astragalus, 8 grams. Codonopsis, 7 grams. Rhizoma gastrodiae 7 grams. Uncaria, 5 grams. Uncaria rhynchophylla, 5 grams. Cyathula officinalis, 4 grams. Safflower, 3 grams."
Lu Jiao walked up to Qi Lei and checked out the prescription he wrote. After she confirmed that there were no mistakes, she headed out the door. However, the two sons from the Chen family walked in.
When they saw Lu Jiao, they paid their respect immediately, "Thank you."
Lu Jiao nodded and handed the prescription to the young men, "Use this prescription for three months – one bowl in the morning, one at night. After that, just remember to keep a healthy diet."
The Chen family's second son, Chen Muwu, said in a grateful tone, "Thank you, Lady Lu. If you ever run into trouble and need me, please ask for me."
The Chen family had four children, three sons, and one daughter. Their eldest, Chen Muwen, was a successful candidate in the provincial imperial examinations. Their second son, Chen Muwu wasn't a gifted student so he conducted business in town. Their third son, Chen Mushuang was still young yet he was already a pupil.
Their second son, Chen Muwu was similar in age to Xie Yunjin. They've always hung out until the incident with Chen Ying. Since then, their friendship ended and Xie Muwu never visited again.
Who knew the next time he visited was because Lu Jiao saved his father's life?
Xie Muwu felt a lot of emotions at the moment. As he looked at the bedridden Xie Yunjin, he asked caringly, "I heard you got an operation. How did it go? Are you okay now?"
Xie Yunjin's mood lifted greatly, "I'm fine now."
He then turned to Dr. Qi, "Dr. Qi, thank you for performing surgery on me last time. I was asleep last time after the operation so I never got to thank you personally. Today, I must thank you."
Qi Lei quickly shook his head and chuckled, "There's no need to thank me. It's my mission as a doctor."
Xie Yunjin then looked to Chen Muwu, "Is the Master okay?"
Chen Muwu nodded, "He's fine and somewhat energetic. Today, my mom was almost worried to death. Thankfully, Lady Lu saved my father, which means she also saved my mother."
The couple has been together for decades. If something were to happen to one of them, the other one likely would fall ill as well.
Therefore, by saving Master Chen, Lu Jiao also saved Lady Chen.
Xie Yunjin smiled at Lu Jiao. This smile of his was not at all calculative but was fully genuine and appreciative.
"Thank you for everything today."
Lu Jiao shook her head, "I did what I should've done. As a doctor, I should be saving lives."
Beside her, Qi Lei gawked at Xie Yunjin with his dark eyes. He wondered what the scholar would think if he found out that it was his Master who operated on him.
Chen Muwu and Chen Mushuang chatted a little more with Xie Yunjin before he asked Lu Jiao, "Now that our dad is awake, can we get back?"
Lu Jiao nodded, "Yes, but don't let him lie down too much. He should walk around, do light exercises, and drink some tea."
"Okay, I got it."
Chen Muwu and Chen Mushuang waved at Xie Yunjin, "We'll get back then. We'll visit you later."
Xie Yunjin waved back gently, "Once my legs heal, I'll visit the Master and the Lady."
"Okay."
Now that these two families resolved their conflict, they sounded very close.
Chen Muwu and Chen Mushuang left. Xie Yunjin asked Lu Jiao to walk them out.
"Okay."
Qi Lei followed. In the west bedroom, Chen Muwu had already picked up Master Chen and was ready to leave.
Lady Chen thanked Lu Jiao, "Thank you, Jiaojiao. Without you, your Master may have lost his life."
Lu Jiao quickly comforted, "The Master isn't terminally ill. You just have to keep an eye on him. Ah right, don't let him drink."
"I've noted down everything you said. Once Yunjin heals, you must come visit."
Lu Jiao didn't respond and changed the subject, "Have a safe trip home."
"Yes."
Everyone left the Xie family home. Qi Lei whispered to Lu Jiao, "Master, remember the two woks you asked me for? I got them. You can come pick them up from the shop."
Lu Jiao's been longing for woks. Qi Lei's update made her beam, "Okay, I will go into town tomorrow."
"Okay."
Lu Jiao then remembered the height problem with her sons and she glanced at Qi Lei.
However, she felt a little bad for inconveniencing him with everything.
Qi Lei noticed this right away and guessed that his Master needed more help.
He quickly spoke up, "Master, whatever you need, just let me know. He who teaches me for one day is my father for life. You've been teaching me so much and I should repay you somehow."
Lu Jiao stopped the politeness then. She'll work harder to teach him more things in the future.
"Thank you in advance then. I'm looking to get a female sheep. Look at my four little ones… They are malnourished because they were premature babies. They need lots of nutrition so I want to get them some milk. Cow milk is too expensive right now so if I get myself a cow just for its milk, the villagers will start rumors about me.
So I want to get my hands on a female sheep so they can drink sheep milk. That way, they can grow taller. Our village is rather south, therefore, sheeps are somewhat rare. Since you're from the Capital City, I'm wondering if you can get your hands on a female sheep."
This really wasn't a big deal. It was honestly easier than getting a wok.
120 This is the Best Cake I've ever Eaten
Qi Lei agreed right away and promised, "How about this, I will get you a female sheep from the prefectural city. I promise that I will get one by tomorrow. Tomorrow, when you go into town to get your woks, you can also bring back the sheep."
"Ah, you can get it that quickly?"
Qi Lei nodded, "People from the prefectural city love to eat lamb so there are lots of sheeps there. I will get you a female one that produces milk."
Lu Jiao was very excited to hear that, "Great! Thank you for doing this."
Qi Lei wasn't a fan of her reaction, "Master, you don't need to be so polite with me."
Lu Jiao smiled, "I won't in the future."
Satisfied, Qi Lei walked out with her. As they walked, he remembered something suddenly and asked, "Master, do you think the Qinghe District is suitable to plant medicinal herbs?"
Lu Jiao raised an eyebrow, "Planting medicinal herbs? Why do you want to plant medicinal herbs?"
Qi Lei was embarrassed to admit, "To make money."
Lu Jiao was shocked, "There are so many ways to make money, why must you plant medicinal herbs to make money?"
Qi Lei lowered his voice, "We want to build a large-scale pharmacy, which would require plenty of medicinal herbs. If we import the herbs, our cost of goods sold would be too high. If that's the case, we won't make much money. So we are thinking of producing our own herbs."
Qi Lei stopped suddenly and looked up at Lu Jiao, "Master, you just said there are many ways to make money?"
Lu Jiao nodded and several ideas popped into her head. Before, she had thought of opening a large-scale pharmacy. Since she had spiritual stream water, she could add that to her medicine, which would make them more effective. That would greatly benefit the nation.
Who knew Qi Lei was cooking up a similar idea? Ah no, likely the owner of Baohe Tang was thinking of opening a pharmacy. She wondered if he would want to work together.
Lu Jiao was tempted. When she heard Qi Lei's question, she nodded, "That's right. There are plenty of ways to make money. A pharmacy won't make you any money short-term. You need to first establish a brand for the pharmacy before you can make any money."
Qi Lei was excited, "Master, you have lots of ideas to make money?"
Lu Jiao nodded, "That's right. Lots of ideas."
Such as soap, vinegar, soy sauce, and clothing design… after all, she came from an era where lots of information was readily available.
Qi Lei was so thrilled by the prospects he tried to grab her hands.
Lu Jiao dodged his attempt. Though he was her apprentice, she needed to be careful when she was outside.
Qi Lei was embarrassed as he retreated his hands.
"Master, if you want to start a business, would you be willing to team up with our owner? Master, you're smart enough to know that to make big money, you must have someone powerful supporting you. Without that safety net, people will always keep an eye on you. In the end, you may not make any money and your family may get hurt in the meantime."
Of course, Lu Jiao was aware of that reality. The reason why she hasn't tried anything was that she had four weak and one handicapped boy at home.
What if she teamed up with the owner of Baohe Tang?
Lu Jiao asked Qi Lei, "Is the owner reliable?"
Qi Lei was about to answer when the Chen family, who was already waiting in the horse carriage, called out, "Dr. Qi, it's time to go."
Qi Lei had no choice but to postpone this conversation, "Master, come by Baohe Tang tomorrow. We can have a chat together with the owner. Don't you worry, the owner is a very reliable person. Trust me."
Lu Jiao nodded. Once Xie Yunjin heals fully, she will need to move out of the Xie family. She agreed to be an on-call doctor at Baohe Tang because she needed to make herself independent. In this era, it was extremely difficult to be a divorced woman. Without any power or position, others will take every chance they get to hurt her.
Since she was already entangled with Baohe Tang, they might as well work together long-term.
"Alright."
Qi Lei was exhilarated to have heard that "alright". He reminded Lu Jiao, "Master, you have to show up tomorrow."
Lu Jiao smiled, "Okay."
She went up to the horse carriage to say bye to the Chen family again, "Master, Lady Chen, once Yunjin's legs heal, he'll for sure bring the kids and visit."
"Okay, come with him."
Lady Chen's gaze softly landed on Lu Jiao. Though she once hated this woman, she realized Lu Jiao wasn't fully responsible for the death of her daughter.
By saving her Husband, Lu Jiao also saved her. The knot in her heart had untangled. Now, when she looked at this chubby girl, she felt warm.
"You come with them."
Lu Jiao pretended to agree, "Okay."
Qi Lei got onto the horse carriage and they rode off.
Nearby, Lu Jiao's neighbor, the Second Grandma, and Lady Zhao came out and asked caringly, "Yunjin's wife, how's Master Chen?"
Master Chen had always been kind and generous. Many children within Qili town sent children to study under him. Therefore, Lady Zhao and the others didn't want anything bad to happen to Master Chen.
Lu Jiao smiled, "He's fine. I wrote him a prescription. If he takes that regularly and is careful with his lifestyle, he will be fine."
"That's great. That's great."
The Second Grandma stared at Lu Jiao lovingly, "Jiaojiao, thank god for you. You truly have saved the Xie Village."
Lady Zhao nodded in agreement.
Lu Jiao chatted with them a bit before she returned back to her yard. The moment she entered, she saw Xie Xiaojun and Lin Chunyan exit the kitchen. They smiled at Lu Jiao.
"Third Aunt, we've made you lunch. Hurry and eat. We'll go home now."
Only now did Lu Jiao realize how late it was. Xie Yunjin and the four little ones haven't even eaten.
Thankfully, Xie Xiaojun and Lin Chunyan cooked for her. Or else they wouldn't be able to eat anytime soon.
Lu Jiao wanted to ask the girls to stay, "Why not have lunch with us today?"
The two women had long escaped.
Lu Jiao was helpless and went to the kitchen.
Xie Xiaojun and Lin Chunyan cooked them white rice and two dishes – steamed eggs with green onion and fungus vegetable stir fry.
As Lu Jiao scooped the rice, she thought over her conversation with Qi Lei. She was ecstatic. On top of that, she was getting two woks and a sheep. This put her in an even better mood.
Outside the kitchen, the four little ones skipped their way inside. The First Born was holding onto a piece of osmanthus cake. This was a gift from Xie Yunjin's classmates. Other than the one she gave the Lu family, Lu Jiao had stored the rest in her space. Every day, she would take out a few pieces to give the four little ones as a snack. Today, only a small piece was left.
"Mommy, you must be hungry. Have this."
Lu Jiao didn't expect the four little ones to offer her cake.
She shook her head, "I'm not hungry. You guys eat."
Sadly, the First Born was persistent.
The other three were also determined as they stared at her, "Mommy if you don't eat this, we are not going to let you go."
"You must be hungry from treating patients."
The Fourth Born hogged onto Lu Jiao's legs and behaved in a spoiled manner, "Mommy, eat it. We'll only be happy if you eat it."
Lu Jiao's heart felt extremely sweetened by this. She truly wanted to pack these four little ones to go once it was her time to leave.
However, she could only dream.
She felt a little sad but she didn't show it.
"Okay, then let's eat together."
She took over the piece of osmanthus cake and bit into it. She exclaimed, "This is the best cake I've ever eaten, all because my sons saved it specifically for me. It's tastier than everything else I've ever eaten."
The four little ones' faces lit up brighter than the Sun.