171 Don't want to get Invovled
Zhao Lingfeng sighed in relief. Mo Bei coolly led the way in the front while Lu Jiao followed. They went into the backyard and Qi Lei accompanied Lu Jiao toward the building in the back.
Behind them, inside the room, the leaders watched while shaking. They subconsciously wanted to follow but Zhao Lingfeng gestured for them to sit and explained, "Don't worry, Lady Lu will be okay. That person wants to see Lady Lu to thank her. She saved his life before."
The leaders silently mumbled… That didn't look like they wanted to say thank you, more like they wanted to fight.
They shuddered.
Lu Jiao and Mo Bei continued to walk. On the way, Mo Bei couldn't help but snicker, "You're so greedy for money."
Lu Jiao snapped at him coldly, "You sure are ungrateful."
Mobei's face turned frigid. He stopped walking and howled, "What do you mean by that?"
Lu Jiao wasn't scared of him and hissed, "I saved your master yet you treat me like this. What is that if not ungrateful? Are you telling me that your master's life isn't worth 5,000 taels of silver?"
Lu Jiao then continued to walk forward, making Mo Bei catch up to her with a frown. As he walked, he said, "I've never met anyone who charged 5,000 to pull out an arrow."
The reason why Mo Bei didn't like this woman was because he found her far too arrogant. How could a rural woman act in such a manner? Even those wealthy daughters from the Capital City don't dare to behave like this. Yet this woman here straight up asked for 5,000 to pull out an arrow. This made him dislike her.
Lu Jiao said unpleasantly, "Why don't you go find a doctor who would do it for free then?"
Not wanting any more exchanges, Lu Jiao headed to the building in the backyard.
There were two guards by the building. When they saw Mo Bei, they respectfully called out, "Leader Mo."
Mo Bei nodded and indicated, "The master wants to see her."
The guards let them in and they walked to the master bedroom.
There, a person was reading. When he heard the noises, he looked over.
For some reason, Lu Jiao felt like this person looked familiar. But upon a closer look, she didn't recognize him. She smiled, "I heard you wanted to see me?"
The young man had his hair in a ponytail and his visage was structured and three-dimensional. His eyes steamed with a sharpness that scared those who looked straight at him.
Quickly, he retracted the harshness in his gaze and spoke softly, "I heard you helped pull out the arrow that was in my chest?"
Lu Jiao responded mindlessly, "I'm a doctor. I do my job and I get paid."
On the bed, Xiao Yu stared at this nonchalant woman with interest. This woman didn't seem as arrogant and money-hungry as Mo Bei had made her sound. Her temperament was rather elegant and steady.
Xiao Yu glanced at Mo Bei, who had his eyes glued on Ku Jiao.
Xiao Yu smiled. Being his subordinate, Mo Bei was used to being treated with the utmost respect. He must've lost face because of this woman and that was why he was furious.
The reason why Xiao Yu wanted to meet Lu Jiao was that Mo Bei had brought her up several times. No matter how much this woman craved wealth or richness, no matter how arrogant she acted, according to Xiao Yu, she was simply down to earth and genuine.
Xiao Yu ignored Mo Bei and thanked Lu Jiao in a serious manner, "Thank you for getting that arrow out of me. I accepted kindness from you and therefore, in the future, if you ever need me, I will be there for you."
Lu Jiao didn't want to get involved with these people. These weren't the type of people to act in broad daylight. Who knew what kind of secret missions and ties they had behind the scenes?
"I took money for what I did. There's no need for you to be so polite."
The message was clear to Xiao Yu. That woman didn't want anything to do with him so there was nothing for him to say.
"Mo Bei, walk the lady out."
Mo Bei walked Lu Jiao out as ordered. On the way out, he didn't say anything. Lu Jiao also didn't speak. Some men just found women to be eyesores and that was why he acted so unreasonably with her. She didn't like men who were unkind to women.
Lu Jiao left Baohe Tang and went on her shopping trip.
Since her home was out of food, Lu Jiao bought a variety of meat – duck, chicken, fish, pork, pork bones, ribs, and pork hocks. She then got more flour, rice, oil, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and white sugar.
Since there were always so many guests visiting, her white sugar ran out often. Other than sugar, Lu Jiao got the four little ones candy and desserts. After all that, she went back to Baohe Tang, satisfied.
There, Zhao Lingfeng and the leaders had signed their contract.
The leaders saw her and asked her to read over the contract. Lu Jiao read the characters she knew and guessed the remainder in an attempt to understand it. In the end, she decided that Zhao Lingfeng wasn't trying to scam the villagers. Honestly, the amount of money was rather immaterial and there was no need for him to scam.
"It looks good. Clan Leader, you should keep it."
The Clan Leader did as told then the group left Baohe Tang.
On the way back, Lu Jiao said to the leaders, "Now that the contract has been signed, we can start leech keeping. This afternoon, you should gather everyone for a meeting and ask everyone to decide who in their family will be participating. Every family should sign a contract that states: one, the money earned will be managed by the wife and that the men will not be allowed to get concubines. Two, whichever household sent participants will be sharing the profit. A third of the money will be managed by the woman, the other two third will be used for family expenses."
The last point Lu Jiao came up with was to help out suppressed people like Xie Erzhu and Xiao Lian.
Lu Jiao then remembered the matter of Xie Laogen's entanglement with Widow Wang. If she hit the nail on this concubine matter, that meant Widow Wang would never be able to be accepted into the Xie family.
Lu Jiao quickly added, "Of course, you can still get concubines now. What I'm specifying here is that nobody is allowed to get concubines using the profit earned from leech keeping. Whoever does that needs to be kicked out."
Originally, Lu Jiao wanted to teach women the skill of leech-keeping in order to provide women security. Since that plan had changed, she needed all those men to sign.
She was fully aware of how rotten men could get, especially in this day and age where it was normal for a man to have many concubines. Once a man earns money, he for sure would get himself more women. Lu Jiao was helping these people make money but she didn't want to hurt the women and disgust herself.
The leaders didn't have any objections.
After their trip with Lu Jiao today, they discovered how capable Yunjin's wife was. Against those big characters with scary demeanors, she was not at all afraid. It was no wonder she was Yunjin's wife.
"Okay, we will go home now and host a meeting this afternoon."
By the time Lu Jiao got home, there were many people standing in her yard. In the living room, there were also several people chatting with each other.
When they saw Lu Jiao return, they greeted her happily.
The second grandma said, "Jiaojiao, go inside and see what Youcai made Yunjin. He said it was a 'wheelchair'. He said Yunjin will be able to sit on it and move around."
Someone else nodded, "Yes, he would be able to push himself around. Yunjin will no longer have to be stuck in bed."
172 Is Yunjin as Heavy as a Boar?
Lu Jiao knew right away that Uncle Youcai was done with the wheelchair. She happily entered her home with her basket.
Inside the bedroom, the four little ones heard noises and ran outside to sweetly smile at Lu Jiao.
"Mommy, you're back!"
Lu Jiao patted their heads and went into the bedroom with them.
Inside, Uncle Youcai explained the mechanics of the wheelchair to Xie Yunjin, "For this wheelchair, the most important thing is this wooden bearing. Regular wood is no good for this. So I went into the mountains to find a sturdier and harder wood. This is why it took me so long to finish."
Uncle Youcai chuckled out of embarrassment. Only now did Lu Jiao realize why this wheelchair took so long. He made a good point – if he used normal wood, the bearing would snap very quickly after a while.
Lu Jiao thanked Uncle Youcai, "Thank you."
Xie Yunjin did the same.
Uncle Youcai now felt even more embarrassed. He lent his arm to Xie Yunjin so he could get out of bed and try it out.
Xie Yunjin turned to Lu Jiao.
Lu Jiao didn't understand at first but then realized. He was asking her to carry him to the wheelchair.
Xie Yunjin's expression was natural and he didn't look at all stumped. Lu Jiao was astounded. Not long before, he refused to be carried by her and now he was asking for it?
Inside the room, someone laughed and rushed, "Third aunt, hurry and help third uncle into the wheelchair."
Now it was Lu Jiao's turn to feel embarrassed. However, since everyone was staring and waiting, she couldn't really say no. It wasn't like she's never carried him.
Lu Jiao leaned down and carried Xie Yunjin, then turned around and put him into the wheelchair.
The wheelchair was big and Xie Yunjin settled in well.
Once he was seated, he impatiently tried out the wheels – they worked. However, they were made out of wood, and moving around was a little difficult. Regardless, Xie Yunjin was satisfied to gain the ability to move around.
Everyone inside the room who witnessed this cheered, "Oh my, this chair could move by itself?"
"Uncle Youcai, you're amazing. How did you create such a thing?"
Uncle Youcai was again embarrassed, "It was designed by Yunjin's wife. No way I could come up with this."
Everyone then started to compliment Lu Jiao, "What is Yunjin's wife's brain made out of? She knows medicine, knows herbs, knows leech keeping, and now she can design stuff like this?"
"She's a miracle doctor. All miracle doctors are extraordinary, you know?"
Aunt Guihua entered at the moment and started her normal flattering figure of speech.
"Jiaojiao's brain is like no other. She's got a miracle doctor's brain. Everything complex that enters her head becomes simplified."
Lu Jiao didn't like this at all and pushed Xie Yunjin's wheelchair, "Let me bring you outside to soak up some Sun. Sunshine is good for bone regrowth."
Ever since Xie Yunjin's been injured, he's been in bed. To be able to get outside now made him ecstatic and he agreed right away, "Okay."
The wheelchair got stuck when it arrived at the front door due to the doorhill. That was not a problem for Lu Jiao. She carried Xie Yunjin and the wheelchair together and marched out.
The group of people in the yard couldn't help but laugh at this, "Yunjin's wife sure is strong."
"Of course. She was seen carrying a wild boar. Yunjin isn't as heavy as a boar."
Xie Yunjin had no idea how to respond to this. How did he end up in the same category as a boar?
While Lu Jiao lifted him and the two of them were pressed closely together, he smelled the faint fragrance of her body.
Xie Yunjin's face grew hot and the back of his ears turned red.
Since everyone was focused on the wheelchair, nobody noticed it.
He sighed in relief.
The villagers soon surrounded him and curiously asked him about the wheelchair.
Lu Jiao stepped back with a smile and went to the kitchen to organize the stuff she bought. Once she was done, she started to make lunch.
Outside, the villagers went back one by one. It was noon and everyone had to cook.
Xie Yunjin comfortably leaned back into the wheelchair and soaked up the Sun. What a pleasure it was to feel the Sun on his body. Though it was hot, he was very satisfied.
The four little ones circled around and said, "Daddy, where do you want to go? I'll push you!"
"I can push you too!"
The four little ones fought over it while Xie Yunjin grinned at them and said in a doting tone, "Don't fight. If I need to go anywhere, you can take turns pushing."
"Okay."
Lu Jiao came out of the kitchen with a few peaches. She said to the children, "Lunch isn't ready. Eat a peach first."
The four little ones were happy to see peaches and each grabbed one. However, they realized soon that their mom didn't have one for herself. The First Born instantly shoved Lu Jiao his, "Mommy, you take this."
The other three saw this and fought amongst each other to give her theirs.
Lu Jiao simply forgot to take one for herself and laughed, "I saved one in the kitchen. These are for you and your dad."
The four little ones didn't persist then. The First Born gave Xie Yunjin one and the sons and their father ate peaches and chatted. This image was unspeakably harmonious.
Xie Yunjin was all smiles as he studied his surroundings. Right now, he felt like everything was so great. It seemed that these days, everything was heading in the direction he imagined for himself.
Lu Jiao cleanly made some noodles and stir-fried some pork and smashed some cucumbers.
"I didn't have time to make a lot for lunch. Let's eat a simple meal."
Xie Yunjin and the four little ones saw all the food and commented, "This is really great."
Back at the Xie family home, they never got to eat until they were full. Compared to before, now was heaven, and back then was hell.
Xie Yunjin studied the four little ones carefully. Now, not only were they bright and tender, their cheeks grew chubbier. He felt that they grew taller as well.
Xie Yunjin's chest felt full as he looked at the cute boys.
When he looked at Lu Jiao, his gaze was filled with emotions.
"Sit down and eat. You ran around all day and must be hungry."
The four little ones chimed in as well, "Mommy, sit down and eat."
The four little ones held her hand and pulled her to sit. This was the first time everyone in this family sat around the same table for a meal.
Before, at their grandparents', there were far too many people. Everyone simply found any spot in the house to sit and eat. Today was the first time they could all sit together and share a meal. How delightful!
The Fourth Born was quick to put food in Lu Jiao's bowl, "Mommy, eat meat."
Xie Yunjin thought the Fourth Born acted inappropriately and wanted to lecture him.
Lu Jiao, however, ate the food he picked out for her and grinned at the Fourth Born, "Thank you, my son."
The Second and Third Borns then did the same. Not only did they give food to Lu Jiao, but they also picked out some food for Xie Yunjin.
Though Lu Jiao didn't mind, she still felt the need to educate.
"In the future, use a common chopstick to give food to people, got it?"
The four little ones asked her strangely, "Why?"
"See, we eat using our own chopsticks. If you pick out food for other people using your own chopstick, it's considered rude. You may also get stomach worms if you use your chopsticks like
173 The Astute First Born
The four little ones thought of the worms inside their belly and nodded. Their mommy had taught them to be hygienic and clean. If they should not eat dirty food, and should always wash their hands before eating, then naturally, they shouldn't use their used chopsticks to get other people food.
"Mommy, we got it."
Lu Jiao smiled and gestured for them to eat."
After dinner, Lu Jiao pushed Xie Yunjin back inside to rest.
"Though it's okay to use the wheelchair, you still need to rest in bed."
Xie Yunjin listened to Lu Jiao's kind reminders and immersed himself in her care. The deep emotions he felt came pouring out.
His eyes went soft and his usual cold and solemn demeanor evaporated. Now, he was so bright it was like he was injected with sunlight.
"I understand."
Lu Jiao leaned down and picked him up to put him on the bed.
For a moment, Xie Yunjin felt the urge to place his arms around her neck. In the end, he felt shy and controlled the heat he felt inside his body.
After Lu Jiao put him down, he felt ashamed of his thoughts. He immediately faced the inside of the bed and pretended to be asleep.
Lu Jiao figured he was tired and didn't overthink it. She went back outside to clean up.
The four little ones got Soot and Marble some food.
Lu Jiao ignored them. They normally don't just leave their home so she wasn't worried.
After cleaning, Lu Jiao went to practice writing in the east bedroom.
Xie Yunjin appeared asleep at this point. He appeared peaceful and tranquil while he slept.
Lu Jiao studied him and remembered the ending he received in the novel. Looking back at him, she felt like she should've done enough to change the ending for him and the four little ones. Given how bright and optimistic they were now, they shouldn't still follow the path they took in the book.
The four little ones in particular… Since Xie Yunjin had granted her custody, she vowed to raise them into four righteous and brave boys.
Lu Jiao grinned and started to write. She was completely unaware of the fact that the man on the bed was too afraid to move all this time given that she was staring.
In the middle of her writing, the First Born sneakily came inside and handed Lu Jiao a piece of paper, "Mommy, this is one of the pieces of paper you practiced on. Do you still need it?"
Lu Jiao shook her head, "No. Why?"
The First Born mysteriously smiled, "I have my uses."
He then ran back out with that piece of paper. Given how mysterious he appeared, she looked out the window to see what he was up to.
He saw that by the trellis, Xie Lan was there with an object that she traded the First Born with for the piece of paper.
Lu Jiao was confused but quickly it became clear to her. Xie Laogen and Lady Ruan had signed a contract with the leaders. Was Xie Lan trading something with the First Born for it?
The First Born knew the paper he took wasn't it, yet he still went to give it to Xie Lan.
That little boy sure was astute. Lu Jiao found it funny and didn't say anything.
Xie Lan took the piece of paper and ran off.
Behind the First Born, the other three went to the First Born and looked at the candy in his hand.
"We are not eating her candy. She's a bad person."
The First smiled at the other three, "We don't have to eat it. We can give it to our friends. The candy doesn't bite."
The other three agreed with that.
However, they were very curious about what the First Born gave to Xie Lan.
"What did you give her?"
"A piece of paper mommy used to practice writing. She said she had no need for it anymore."
The First Born put away the candy Xie Lan gave him, satisfied. This afternoon, he'll be able to give his friends candy. These days, so many kids from the village wanted to be their friends.
Xie Lan had no idea she'd been scammed and happily went home with what the First Born gave her.
At home, Xie Lan snuck her way to Lady Ruan, "Mom, I got it."
Lady Ruan grabbed the paper with excitement. Sadly, neither of them could read it and didn't know what it said.
Though Lady Ruan couldn't read, she felt that something was off.
The contract they signed didn't have as many characters as this one did. Plus, that night, both her and Xie Laogen stamped their thumbprints on the piece of paper. The ink they used was red. But this piece of paper didn't have those thumbprints.
Lady Ruan knew then they had fallen for a prank. She slapped Xie Lan on the back of her head.
"You idiot. You were scammed by a four-year-old! This isn't the contract we signed. It's something else. That day, we left red thumbprints. See, they aren't on this piece of paper."
Xie Lan was in disbelief and lost it, "That bastard dared to lie to me?! I am going to teach him a lesson! I even gave him candy…"
Xie Lan snapped her body around, "I'm going to get back at him."
Lady Ruan stopped her, "What are you going to say when you see him? If your third brother and sister-in-law find out, your dad and I are going to get scolded. We cannot do this thing like this."
With much hatred, she added, "Tomorrow, I will go visit them. I don't believe that I cannot get my hands on that contract."
Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao weren't aware of what was happening. One of them slept while the other practiced writing.
After some time, Lu Jiao went to wash up the four little ones and asked them to take their afternoon nap.
As for her, she went to brew more deworming medicine. Today, she made two giant gots. When the children arrive this afternoon, she'll be ready.
Today, the villagers dropped off their kids. They also each brought a bowl.
This was instructed by Lu Jiao. She said she could make the medicine if they brought their own bowls. So each family brought their own to get their children medicine.
Last night, Tong Xiaoyu wasn't the only one who was dewormed. Some other children also found worms. Therefore, everyone believed in what Lu Jiao had said.
"Thank you for this, Yunjin's wife."
"Thank you Yunjin's wife. You're our savior."
Everyone chatted with friendliness. Though the children hated medicine, they all drank it thinking about the worms inside their bellies.
After that was done, the villagers came over with a group of men.
Since there were too many people to fit into the bedroom, the group spilled out to the living room. Some even went to listen by standing outside the window.
Outside, the four little ones taught the village kids Three Character Classic.
Lu Jiao knew that there was no way the children could study in peace today and said to the four little ones, "Let's end the lesson for today. You can continue tomorrow. Today, mom and your uncles have business to discuss."
The four little ones were obedient and asked the children to go play with their toys in the west bedroom.
Everyone was already intrigued by their toys. The invitation from the four little ones made them run with anticipation.
Lu Jiao didn't mind them and asked everyone to come in.
Xie Yunjin sat on the bed while Lu Jiao sat beside him on the edge. All eyes were on them.
174 Everything is Voluntary
Xie Yunjin looked towards Lu Jiao, indicating to her that she should speak. After all, this whole idea was hers and she should be in charge of it.
Lu Jiao didn't decline. She asked for a meeting today mainly to get them to sign a contract and to help out the women in the village.
"I'm sure everyone knows why I asked you all to come. That's right, I want from everyone their thumbprint. I'm sure the leaders had already spoken to you about the promises you must make if you wish to participate in leech keeping. You cannot use the money you earn to get concubines; the women in the family must be in charge of the money; additionally, the money you earn will be proportionate to how many people from your family is doing the work; finally, two third of the money you earn should be put towards the entire family's fund and one third of the money can be kept by yourself."
The room instantly became filled with chatters.
Though the leaders had told everyone these conditions, everyone still felt that Lu Jiao was sticking her nose too much into everyone else's business.
Someone commented, "Yunjin's wife, it's up to the family whether or not they want concubines. Don't you think you are overstepping here?"
"Yeah, why must the women manage the money? Why can't the men?"
"If the whole family is living together, how can the younger generation keep a third of the money? The entire amount should be given to the parents."
Lu Jiao coldly glanced around the room and said calmly, "I am simply discussing the terms with you. If you don't agree with them, you don't have to participate. I also don't need to teach."
The leaders' expressions changed. By now, they were aware of Yunjin's wife's personality. She wasn't the most patient person and they shouldn't anger her.
They had already signed a contract with Baohe Tang and even took a deposit from the owner.
The leaders tried to scold those who spoke out of line.
Lu Jiao however, didn't let them, "I taught you all herb harvesting and leech keeping because I want your lives to improve. I hope the money you earn can go to your children's education so that more people can get out of this village. I want the children here to become useful scholars or businessmen who can make money. I am not doing this so you can get wealthy and screw around.
Did the Village and Clan Leader not tell you the details? If you are able to do so, get yourself a concubine now. If you are so capable, of course you can earn your own money and manage it yourself. If you do all that yourself, of course I wouldn't comment on it. But don't you dare think about doing all those things by using the money I help you earn."
Lu Jiao's face had dropped at this point and her expression was cold.
Everyone in the room was stunned. The leaders quickly tried to smooth this out, "Yunjin's wife, don't waste energy on those with an unclear mind."
Lu Jiao nodded, "Of course, if you don't agree with the way I want to do things, you can simply not participate. If you do participate, make your money, and still fail to meet the conditions listed, you can leave the village."
Lu Jiao then smiled with her eyes, "Okay, to reiterate, this is completely voluntary. I am not forcing any one of you to do this."
Inside the east bedroom, a lot of people commented, "Yunjin's wife is doing this to ensure our families are harmonious. She's doing it all for our village. We have no objections."
"We are also willing to listen to you."
"Yes, she's doing everything for the family."
Someone whispered, "Yunjin's wife, what if Yunjin ends up getting a concubine?"
Though it was a whisper, his voice was crisp enough that everyone heard. The room fell into silence.
Lu Jiao turned to Xie Yunjin. She found this so funny she wanted to laugh.
Him getting a concubine or not was none of her business.
Xie Yunjin, however, glanced around the room and looked everyone in the eyes, "I am never going to get concubines. Perhaps you doubt my statement today, but I will provide proof."
He then looked back at Lu Jiao, as if waiting for praise.
Lu Jiao stared at him in awe. Did she misunderstand him? Weren't they going to separate? Why was he looking at her like this then?
Just then, the Clan Leader reached the peak of annoyance and stood up, "If you want to be a part of leech keeping, leave a thumbprint. If you don't want to, don't. Nobody is making you do anything. Why do you have so much to say?"
The Village Leader raised his hand, "Yunjin's wife, I'll be the first to leave my thumbprint."
Many others stood up, "Me too."
"Me too."
"And me."
Lu Jiao had no time to think about Xie Yunjin's strange behavior. She asked, "Can you help us write out the conditions?"
Xie Yunjin agreed, "Yes. You speak, I write."
Lu Jiao went to get the brush, ink, and paper. She noticed it would be hard for him to write while in bed so she fetched the old small table they had and put it on the bed.
Since the table was short, he was able to use it to write while sitting in bed.
After Lu Jiao organized this, she said, "There are two conditions to write down. One, the money earned from leech keeping is managed by the women of the house. Men are not allowed to get concubines. Two, the money earned by those who participate in the leech-keeping business must give two-thirds to the family and keep one-third for his own family."
Xie Yunjin's eyes lit up. He knew the second condition was to help out his second brother. She truly did everything in her power to help his second brother.
He couldn't help but feel her sweetness and the look on his face softened.
"Okay."
There weren't many words needed for the contract and it didn't take Xie Yunjin long to write out. Afterward, people started to leave their thumbprints.
Though lots of people came, only one print was needed per family so it didn't take too long.
As for Xie Yunjin's family, it was Xie Laogen who came today. He knew that Lu Jiao was going to teach leech-keeping to Xie Erzhu.
The thought of Xie Erzhu being able to keep one-third of the money earned made Xie Laogen very unhappy.
One third… that was a lot of money. If Xie Erzhu earned 10 taels of silver, he would get to keep more than 3 taels of that.
Xie Erzhu only had daughters, why would he need the money? The money should go to his first son.
Xie Laogen couldn't keep his mouth shut, "My third son, isn't it not right for the worker to be able to keep a third of the money earned? The entire family lives together and we all need to eat and sleep."
Xie Yunjin's face cooled down right away and he gaped at Xie Laogen frigidly.
Xie Laogen shuddered. The contract he signed with the leaders before was still with his third son.
If he provoked his third son too much, he would need to move out of the village.
Xie Laogen quickly said, "Ah, no, no, pretend I didn't say anything."
He left his thumbprint, then carefully added, "Your first brother will be able to keep leeches as well, right?"
That meant his first son would be able to keep a third of the money. That would be pretty good.
Xie Laogen was still dreaming when Lu Jiao called out, "Next. Hurry up. It's late."
She was going to take her four children into the mountains still and she had no time to waste with this old man.
175 Did you see a Ghost?
Xie Laogen furiously glared at Lu Jiao before he left. Behind him, the next person came up to leave his thumbprint.
The matter of leech keeping was pretty much settled. Lu Jiao asked the leaders to get organized regarding the participants and assign duties. Right now, they needed people to get leeches, make a temporary leech pond for the caught leeches to stay in, and most importantly, construct the leech-keeping pond.
The leech pond construction was a big problem. If they had plastic film, they could use that at the bottom of the pond. Sadly, that did not exist in this era. The other option was to use cement, which also did not exist.
Lu Jiao then thought of using fired clay bricks on the bottom. She did some mental math and decided those bricks were too expensive for them. In the end, she suggested they send villagers to dig for rocks and use those as the bottom of the pond. That would save them labor costs.
After all, it'll take at least one to two years to get the permanent pond fully ready. This was a long-term business and required lots of work upfront. It'll get easier later.
The villagers became busy right away. The women from each household would harvest herbs while the men would capture leeches or dig for rocks. The leaders also sent some people to the hills to plant honeysuckles.
Though these businesses were not yet making money, the villagers were excited and optimistic.
At the Xie family, Xie Yunjin's legs were healing nicely. Though he still couldn't walk, he was able to move around freely in his wheelchair.
He started to teach the village children the Hundred Surnames and the Thousand Characters.
As for Lu Jiao, she stayed consistent with learning from Xie Yunjin. More and more, she learned those characters and her writing progressively got better. Now, she was able to write short and basic prescriptions.
Though her learning progress was decent, she felt that more and more, Xie Yunjin started to treat her like they were from the same family. She suspected that he had forgotten about their separation agreement. Should she remind him?
Lu Jiao pondered. Beside her, Xie Yunjin took out a boiled egg from the bowl, cracked it against the table, peeled it in an organized manner, then placed it in Lu Jiao's bowl.
"What are you thinking about so deeply? Have an egg."
Lu Jiao glanced at him and found him to be staring at her softly.
His gaze was like it had been injected with flowy water and he was staring at someone he truly valued.
Lu Jiao shuddered.
She must've interpreted it wrong.
She blinked hard and looked over again. Xie Yunjin chuckled and patted her head, "What is it? Why are you acting like you have seen a ghost?"
Lu Jiao couldn't help but mumble to herself.
She did see a ghost! Why was he treating her so nicely?
Was it because she was treating the quadruplets and the villagers well? Even if that was the case, there was no need to act in such an exaggerated way. It made her suspect that he didn't want to separate.
Lu Jiao denied that thought. That wasn't possible. The future first assistant was a logical man and there was no way he would change his mind about the separation. She must be overthinking.
At the table, the four little ones saw the intimate gestures between their parents and hid their faces like squirrels to giggle.
Xie Yunjin placed his hand against Lu Jiao's forehead and decided she had no fever. He then went back to peeling eggs for the four little ones while suggesting, "Let's have dumplings for lunch?"
The four little ones cheered, "Mommy, let's do that!"
"I love dumplings."
"I do too. I want to eat five giant dumplings."
Lu Jiao scanned around the table and reminded them, "We haven't eaten breakfast yet and you're already planning out lunch?"
Xie Yunjin smiled, "It's because your cooking is delicious. I bet the dumplings you make are also tasty."
The four little ones started to flatter Lu Jiao, "Mommy is a great cook. Everything she makes is tasty."
The First Born used a very serious tone and the other boys nodded, "That's right."
The Fourth Born then acted in a spoiled manner, "Mommy, then can we make dumplings for lunch?"
What else could Lu Jiao say? She'll have to wrap them.
"Do you want eggs and chives, or chives with pork?"
Xie Yunjin made the decision, "We can make a bit of both. We like to eat both kinds."
Lu Jiao joked, "You wrap?"
Xie Yunjin had no plans on pushing that off, "Sure!"
The four little ones wanted to try as well, "Mommy, I want to wrap too!"
"Me too!"
While the family happily chatted, a shrill voice came creeping through, "Ah, you're having breakfast."
That voice immediately put everyone in a bad mood.
Lu Jiao stared at the gate with a frown. Her mother-in-law only settled down for a few days and she was here asking for trouble again.
The four little ones cautiously kept their eyes on Lady Ruan. While the air around Xie Yunjin was cold, his expression remained casual. When he saw Lady Ruan, he greeted, "Mom, have you had breakfast?"
Lady Ruan glanced at the food on the table and sat down. She then ordered Lu Jiao, "I haven't had the chance to eat. Get me a bowl of porridge."
Though Lu Jiao didn't like Lady Ruan, she was still her mother-in-law. She didn't make a face and went to get the requested porridge.
The four little ones shriveled up right away and started to eat soundlessly.
The happiness that was just here evaporated quickly. Sadly, Lady Ruan was completely unaware. She asked Xie Yunjin caringly, "My third son, how are your legs? Can you walk?"
Though Xie Yunjin could now move around in the wheelchair and would try to do some light exercises, he could not walk yet. After all, his bones were crushed and it would take at least 100 days to heal. The only reason he was healing as fast as he was was because of Lu Jiao's spiritual stream water.
"Not yet."
Lady Ruan smiled, "Then, you must rest well."
Just then, Lu Jiao returned with porridge. Lady Ruan ordered, "My son's legs were injured, which means he needs bone broth. Have you bought pork bones to make him soup with?"
Though she acted like a kind mother, Xie Yunjin found her disgusting.
Lu Jiao's face remained collected. Xie Yunjin was recovering well and after another month, she'll be able to separate from him. Then, she'll have nothing to do with this old hag.
"He frequently drinks pork bone soup. Mother, don't worry."
Lu Jiao then placed the porridge before her.
Lady Ruan started to eat right away. Very naturally, she grabbed herself an egg, peeled it, and ate it. After she was done, she grabbed another one, then another.
The four little ones were furious and their tiny faces dropped. They had enough eggs to each have one – six eggs for the six of them. Their grandma ate three herself. What was there left for them to eat?
176 A Handsome Man and a Beautiful Lady
The four little ones were so furious they didn't want to speak to their grandma. However, they kept in mind what their mom taught them – they shouldn't butt heads against their elders.
The four little ones were now in a bad mood. They grabbed their bowls and tried to get away so they could eat alone outside. They didn't want to see this grandmother of theirs.
Sadly, Lady Ruan was unaware of this. When they saw the four little ones move, she scolded with a mean face, "Sit down. You need to settle down when you eat. What kind of behavior are you exhibiting right now?"
She then turned around to lecture Lu Jiao, "These are the children you've been raising? Look at how bad they act."
Lady Ruan spat out food as she ate and talked. This time, even Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao lost their appetite.
Xie Yunjin suppressed the exasperation he felt and asked, "Mother, what is the reason for your visit?"
Lady Ruan forced a smile and said, "I've been doing a lot of thinking at home… I think your wife is too busy taking care of all of you so I decided to help you out."
She was very worried about that contract and wanted to find it and take it back. With that thing existing, she couldn't sleep well.
Lady Ruan didn't bring that up of course and pretended to be a caring mother who wanted to help out.
She had no idea that her statement depressed Lu Jiao and the four little ones.
Lu Jiao wondered why the affair between Xie Laogen and Widow Wang still remained a secret. If Lady Ruan knew, there was no way she would be here today provoking them.
Since Lady Ruan didn't do anything out of line, Lu Jiao couldn't exactly kick her out.
After breakfast, Lu Jiao went to do the dishes while Lady Ruan grabbed a chair and sat by the door. Like a commander, she pointed around, "Though you're young, it's time for you to work. We are rural people and nobody should just sit around."
She then instructed, "First Born, get me some sugar water."
"Second Born, my shoulders hurt. Give me a shoulder rub."
"Third Born, go get a broom and sweep the yard. Look at how dirty it is."
"Fourth Born, get that sheep – that's a sheep, right? Go feed that sheep."
The four little ones remained unmoving inside the yard and pretended they didn't hear. It wasn't that they weren't willing to do work. Normally, they would help Lu Jiao get water or do the dishes.
It was that the manner Lady Ruan acted made them not want to do anything. Who was she to act like a director?
Since they didn't move, Lady Ruan's expression changed right away. She stared at the four little ones and was ready to get mad.
Lu Jiao came out of the kitchen and smiled, "Mom, aren't you here to help me out? How come you're asking the kids to do work? They're so little, what can they do? How come you aren't doing anything?"
Lu Jiao continued, "Mom, help me sweep the yard. Afterward, you can chop up some firewood for us. The dog house needs cleaning too. You can do that after chopping up the firewood."
Lu Jiao then loudly said to the four little ones, "Hurry and feed Soot and Marble. In a bit, your grandma will be cleaning their house."
The four little ones shouted back, "Roger, mommy."
The Second Born took the opportunity to stick out his tongue at Lady Ruan and yell, "Grandma, thank you so much for cleaning the dog house for us!"
Lady Ruan almost puked out blood from anger. She furiously glared at Lu Jiao but didn't dare to make a scene. After all, Xie Yunjin had the contract she and Xie Laogen signed.
Lu Jiao ignored Lady Ruan and went to the east bedroom. It was time to learn the Hundred Surnames from Xie Yunjin.
She had the surnames memorized but she wanted to learn how to write them from Xie Yunjin.
Inside the east bedroom, Xie Yunjin naturally heard the noises outside. He didn't blame Lu Jiao. Once he saw her enter, he gestured for her to sit.
Lu Jiao sat by the desk and Xie Yunjin sat in his wheelchair beside her.
Lu Jiao felt like they were sitting too close together so she nudged her chair to the side a little.
Xie Yunjin interpreted that as she was shy and softly chuckled. His eyes were dark as he stared at her and there was some affection in his tone as he spoke.
"What's wrong?"
Lu Jiao shook her head. She felt so uncomfortable all over and wondered if he was flirting. How did their relationship transform into something like this? Didn't they agree to separate soon?
Lu Jiao didn't know what the problem was and decided to remind Xie Yunjin of their agreement.
Just then, Lady Ruan entered and saw those two sitting side by side.
Lady Ruan's face dropped. Though the image of those two sitting together was a beautiful image, Lady Ruan didn't like seeing it.
She didn't want a daughter-in-law as unfilial as Lu Jiao.
Lady Ruan made a crying face, "My third son, look at your wife… she told me to chop wood and clean the dog house. How is that acceptable?"
Though Lady Ruan didn't dare to fight against these two, her teeth were clenched. She's never had to endure such humiliation all these years.
Now, her only option was to swallow the teeth that came off from clenching too hard. Her eyes reddened as she stared at Xie Yunjin, hoping he would take her side.
Xie Yunjin glanced at her and breathed, "Weren't you the one who said you were here to help her out?"
Lady Ruan was stifled and disgust filled her heart.
Honestly, she's hated this son of hers ever since he was born. She's never felt the slightest closeness towards him and never wanted to even go near him. She couldn't believe her in-laws favored this boy, which enraged her even further.
The people Lady Ruan hated the most were her in-laws. This was because her in-laws were against her marrying Xie Laogen. They told Xie Laogen that she was not a virtuous woman and would bring hardship to the family.
She only ended up marrying Xie Laogen because she seduced him. And the reason why Xie Laogen was adamant about marrying her was that he got a taste of the forbidden fruit young. Against his parents' wishes, he set out to marry her.
After all these years, Lady Ruan still felt hatred towards her in-laws, who had already passed away.
Inside the bedroom, Xie Yunjin no longer acknowledged Lady Ruan and turned to teach Lu Jiao.
"Yesterday, we got to this spot: Kong, Cao, Yan, Hua, Jin, Wei, Tao, and Jiang. Repeat after me."
Lu Jiao also ignored Lady Ruan and repeated after him.
By the door, Lady Ruan gaped at the two people who thought nothing of her. The rage inside her heart raced to her throat and almost ripped out. In the end, she held it back and went outside.
She didn't leave Xie Yunjin's home and instead, went into the kitchen and cursed at those two.
Of course, she only dared to do it silently.
177 How do we Spoil mom once we Grow up?
Lu Jiao thought Lady Ruan stormed off due to anger. Only after she was done studying and came out of the room did she realize that Lady Ruan had sat herself before their kitchen with a long face, looking like she was owed money.
"Mom, you didn't go back?"
Lady Ruan had been cursing silently for a while and now felt better. She raised her head and faked a smile, "Why would I go back? This is my son's home. I can be here when I want to."
She then suddenly got up and whispered into Lu Jiao's ears, "You think my son's yours just because you took care of him for a while? Quit dreaming. Once my son passes his exams and becomes an official, he is going to marry the wealthy daughters of high officials. He's going to leave you."
Lu Jiao grinned and was not at all annoyed. She was fine with him leaving her. She was looking forward to it.
"I'll wait for that day then."
Lu Jiao happily went to chop chives in the kitchen. She had promised her sons that she'd make dumplings for lunch.
Lady Ruan felt so much hatred after she saw how little Lu Jiao cared. She wanted to scratch up Lu Jiao's face but she didn't dare.
Lu Jiao chopped up chives and made two different fillings, one with eggs, and one with pork.
Once Xie Yunjin was done teaching the village children, the family started to wrap dumplings together.
Lady Ruan didn't help and stood by the side. She watched as Xie Yunjin, Lu Jiao, and the four children happily wrapped their dumplings. They were using bleached flour…
Lady Ruan once again felt anger. Her own family didn't have the luxury of eating dumplings every meal yet this little family was having rice porridge or dumplings every meal. Their lives were too good.
Lady Ruan couldn't help but guess that Lu Jiao made a sizable amount of money and that was why they were eating so well. Could she get some money from them and put that towards her fourth son's wedding?
Lady Ruan took action. She sat by the table and got ready to help.
Lu Jiao knew right away Lady Ruan was trying to do something. It didn't matter – she wasn't going to let anything go her way.
"Mom, we don't need your help."
Lady Ruan didn't wash her hands and Lu Jiao didn't want her to touch anything.
Lady Ruan stopped moving then, and smiled, "Third daughter-in-law, you are doing so well. Your mom and dad cannot afford to eat rice or bleached flour – you shouldn't keep all that for yourself and ignore your parents."
Xie Yunjin coldly glared at her while the four little ones cautiously stared. They were terrified that she was going to steal their dumplings.
Lu Jiao answered calmly, "The rice and flour were gifts from the villagers. I taught the villagers herb harvesting and they all gave me gifts as thanks. I was going to ask you, mom, I taught second sister-in-law herb harvesting as well, and she gave you all the money she earned from that. How come you didn't give me any gifts as a thank you?"
Lady Ruan's face dropped and she mumbled, "We didn't make much money. Not enough to buy you anything."
Lady Ruan wasn't going to tell her that they actually made quite some money. They even managed to earn over one tael of silver in one day. She saved all of that for her fourth son's wedding.
Since she wanted money from Lu Jiao, she had to play poor, "The fourth has his eyes on a girl and they were getting married soon. The fifth also needed to find a man soon. Since we don't have enough dowry to give, it's been hard finding a husband for her. For money, my hair has gone gray."
She then waited for Lu Jiao to respond. Lu Jiao acted like she heard nothing and continued to instruct the four little ones on how to wrap dumplings.
"First Born, tighten up the edges. Your dumplings may open up when you throw them into the pot."
"Second Born, you put in too much filling. It's going to rip. If we boil that, we'll get chive water."
"Look at the Third Born's dumplings! They're beautiful!"
The Third Born blushed at the compliment and his little chest straightened up subconsciously. The First Born was good at studying, the Second Born was good at climbing trees and shooting arrows, and the Fourth Born had a sweet mouth. He was the only one who hadn't found anything he was good at. Today, he wrapped dumplings well and his mommy complimented him!
The Third Born was very happy and became more focused.
The Fourth Born lifted his dumpling and said to Lu Jiao, "Mommy, look at mine."
Lu Jiao chuckled, "Are you sure you put any filling in there?"
The Fourth Born awkwardly laughed.
Xie Yunjin smiled at his children and his wife.
Nobody in this room full of people treated Lady Ruan like a person of significance. Everything she's said before may have as well been a fart.
Lady Ruan's heart started to get stuffy and she wanted to flip all the dumplings off the table.
The contract she signed was the only reason why she contained herself. She unpleasantly looked at Lu Jiao and said, "Lu Jiao, the fourth and fifth are your brother and sister. If you have money, you should contribute to their marriages."
Lu Jiao responded bluntly, "Mom, if those two bastards were my brother and sister, I would've drowned them."
Lady Ruan's face went dark and her teeth gritted together, "You…"
Lu Jiao beamed, "Mother, you should really educate those two well. Or else you'll be the one suffering in the future."
She didn't let Lady Ruan say anything before she continued, "If you don't know how, you can let me teach them a lesson. I guarantee you that I can straighten them up. Those two bastards need to be beaten to death in order to learn."
The four little ones sensed their mother's prowess and chimed in.
"Mom, we will fulfill our filial duties. We are all great kids."
"Yes, once we grow up, we will be nice to mommy and daddy."
Lu Jiao nodded in satisfaction, "Good boys. You're all mom's good boys. Everyone I raise turns out good."
The four little ones giggled and fought to join the conversation.
"Mommy, when I grow up, I'm going to study like daddy. I am going to get you a title."
The First Born vowed.
The Second Born followed, "I am going to become a general and beat whoever tries to hurt you."
The Second Born waved around his fist.
The Third Born pondered on what he could do for his mom.
He got an idea, "Mommy, I'm going to learn how to save lives like you. I want to be as capable as you. When people ask me, 'who taught you how to do all that?' I'm going to tell them, 'my mommy taught me.' Everyone will praise you!"
Lu Jiao stared at the Third Born in awe. Does this kid want to study medicine after her? That was not bad at all.
Lu Jiao nodded, "That sounds nice! My son is going to be a much better miracle doctor than me!"
The Fourth Born was jealous of the praises and stood up to shout, "Mommy, I'm going to earn money. I'm going to earn so much money that I will buy you new accessories and new clothes every day. I want you to be happy every day!"
Lu Jiao grinned so deeply her eyes disappeared.
"Ahhh, I am so happy. I'm going to count on my sons and enjoy all the nice things they are promising me."
178 Adding Fuel to the Flame
Lady Ruan watched as the group of people laughed and conversed and pretended that she didn't exist.
She felt like she was going to die from anger. It was fortunate that her third son didn't live with them anymore. If he did, she would die after a few days from rage.
Lady Ruan huffed loudly but was ignored.
The six family members wrapped dumplings happily. Since nobody acknowledged her, Lady Ruan left with her face dark.
Right now, it was a bad time to fight against her third son and his wife, so she had to endure.
Lady Ruan's never been so angry in recent years and she felt so stuffy.
For lunch, she managed to eat two whole bowls of dumplings. As she munched, she complained, "What kind of luxurious life have you been living? You eat white rice and white noodles every day and you don't even give any to your mother or father. Your mom and dad are so old and they have to chew on vegetables. How are you able to swallow your food?"
Lady Ruan's spit went everywhere as she ate, making the whole family lose their appetite.
Lu Jiao stared at Lady Ruan unpleasantly, "The rice and flour were gifts from the villagers. I taught everyone how to make money by selling herbs and everyone wanted to thank me by giving me rice, flour, eggs, and vegetables. The Village Leader gave me a whole bag of pork buns. Mother, I want to ask you, since I helped you make money, how come you don't gift us anything in return?
You and father are chewing on vegetables in order to save money for the fourth brother's marriage. I heard the engagement was going to cost 15 taels of silver in addition to new clothes and jewelry for your future daughter-in-law. You are voluntarily eating vegetables to save for the fourth. Why is that our business?"
Lu Jiao was too lazy to talk with Lady Ruan and cleaned up the plates.
She truly had no more patience for that woman. What woman truly acted like she was her mother-in-law?
Lady Ruan didn't expect Lu Jiao to give her attitude and turned to Xie Yunjin right away.
"My third son, did you see that? I only said two things and your wife gave me so much attitude. What kind of wife is she?"
Xie Yunjin's expression didn't change as he responded, "I imagine the daughter-in-law takes after the mother-in-law. Honestly, though, Lu Jiao is nothing compared to you. I heard when you first married into the Xie family, you managed to make my grandparents faint."
Lady Ruan's face went dark and she almost lost it. The thought of that contract, however, made her stop herself and she only ended up mumbling quietly.
In the living room, the four little ones looked up to Xie Yunjin, "Daddy, when is grandma leaving? I don't want her here."
"I don't want her here either. It puts me in a bad mood."
"Mommy is in a bad mood too."
The Fourth Born said angrily.
Xie Yunjin's eyes darkened and his breathing deepened. Since his mother had so much free time, he'll make sure she gets busy.
Since his mother was angered here today, she will for sure go home and take it out on his father. His father had someone who was willing to listen and counsel him now and for sure he will end up at her place asking for comfort.
Xie Yunjin thought about it and comforted the four little ones, "Your grandma will go back tonight."
The First Born followed up, "Will she come back tomorrow?"
Xie Yunjin's lips curled up, "She probably won't have time to come tomorrow."
Today, he will add fuel to the flame and do his best to out his father and Widow Wang's affair. Once that whole thing becomes public, his mother will be far too busy to come here.
The four little ones trusted their dad wholeheartedly and his comfort made them happy.
Xie Yunjin pushed himself outside. Lu Jiao had sawed off the door stall so Xie Yunjin could move around freely at home.
He went to the kitchen. There, Lu Jiao was washing the dishes with an ugly expression on her face. She barely ate any of the dumplings they made. How could she be happy?
Xie Yunjin entered the kitchen and Lu Jiao sensed him. She glanced at him, ignored him, and then continued to do the dishes.
Xie Yunjin pushed himself closer and tried to fetch a dirty plate to help Lu Jiao out.
Lu Jiao stopped him, "It's fine. There are only several bowls and plates, you don't need to help me."
Xie Yunjin didn't persist and asked, "You are in a bad mood?"
Lu Jiao snickered and looked back at him, "What do you think?"
Xie Yunjin moved forward even more to get closer to Lu Jiao. subconsciously, Lu Jiao inched backward. Her body wobbled and she almost slammed into the wooden bucket containing the dishes. Xie Yunjin extended his arm and grabbed her by the waist to help stabilize her.
Unprepared for any of this to happen, Lu Jiao fell straight into Xie Yunjin.
Her face landed right before his chest.
Above her head, Xie Yunjin's face turned red and his heart raced. He subconsciously felt like he should let go but his arm seemed to have been sewn onto Lu Jiao and he didn't want to let go.
Lu Jiao was a little stunned but she quickly snapped back to reality and struggled. Angrily, she looked up at Xie Yunjin, "If you want to talk, talk normally. Why do you keep moving towards me?"
If it weren't for this person getting dangerously close to her, she wouldn't have lost her balance and ended up in his arms.
Xie Yunjin felt his hand itching as he stared at her wide-eyed angry face. He wanted to pinch her chubby cheeks. However, given how angry she was, he was too scared to provoke her further.
He lowered his voice, "You don't want my mom to come here anymore, do you?"
Lu Jiao pursed her lips and remembered how he wanted to set up Lady Ruan last time. Today, he wanted to set her up again?
Lu Jiao's mood lifted and asked excitedly, "What good idea do you have now?"
"If my mom gets too angry with us today, she will surely project that anger onto my dad later."
He stopped talking.
Lu Jiao was not a stupid person and understood right away. He's telling her to make his mother angry so she would go home and give Xie Laogen a hard time.
If Xie Laogen gets mad, he would subsequently go to Widow Wang for comfort.
As Lu Jiao thought about it, Xie Yunjin spoke again, "Has Aunt Guihua been tired lately?"
Xie Yunjin then left. Behind him, Lu Jiao's big eyes grinned with her lips.
Xie Yunjin reminded Lu Jiao to go talk to Aunt Guihua. Aunt Guihua may actually be too tired lately and didn't keep an eye out for Widow Wang.
If she knew there was something going on at her neighbor's, she would miss sleep to see what was going on.
Lu Jiao very quickly formulated a plan against Lady Ruan – a plan that formed all thanks to a certain someone.
The thought of Lady Ruan made Lu Jiao cuss that she deserved what was coming. She knew her son didn't welcome her and kept on coming here to provoke him.
Lu Jiao just finished up with the dishes when someone rushed inside in a hurry, "Is the scholar's wife around?"
Lu Jiao went outside and found two women. One was elderly and the other was middle-aged.
These two were without a doubt, here to ask her for treatment. After Lu Jiao dewormed Tong Xiaoyu, even the neighboring villages learned of Lu Jiao's existence.
Rumor has it that her medical skills surpassed doctors from the town and the county. The key thing was that she treated patients for free. Therefore, other than the Xie Village, the neighboring Parasol Tree Village, Daliu Village, and Apricot Flower Village all made their way here to get treated by Lu Jiao.
179 Lots of Patients here for Free Healthcare
Lu Jiao's head hurt. It wasn't that she wasn't willing to treat the villagers, it was that everyone started to come to her no matter how mild the illness was.
She had her own life and she was busy.
Other than taking care of Xie Yunjin and the four little ones, she had to teach Xie Erzhu how to keep leeches. In addition, she had to read and learn how to write. The only lucky thing was that Baohe Tang hasn't needed her for consultation lately.
Lu Jiao asked the two women, "You are…?"
The two women walked over, "Scholar's wife, we are here from the Daliu Village. We heard you are a great doctor. Please examine my daughter-in-law. There are a lot of bumps on her neck and upper body. We went into town a few times but she never got better."
The younger woman nervously stared at Lu Jiao.
What more could Lu Jiao say at this point?
"Come in then."
She then remembered Lady Ruan and smiled at her, "Mom, help me clean up the kitchen. Feed the dogs then clean their den."
Lady Ruan's face dropped right away and she stared at Lu Jiao with anger.
This b!tch might as well go climb into the sky. How dare she order her mother-in-law around?
Before Lady Ruan could unleash her anger, Lu Jiao said to the two women, "This is my mother-in-law. She came here today to help me around the house since I'm so busy. She's a great person."
That one statement stifled Lady Ruan and she had to swallow back the curse she was about to spit out. Her anger rose to her throat and it felt stuck.
Lady Ruan continued, "Mom, take a break after you're done all that. Don't exhaust yourself. Once you are rested, you can water the vegetable garden for me then tie up the chopped firewood."
Lu Jiao then led the two women into the room. Behind her, Lady Ruan's eyes grew black but she didn't dare to curse out loud.
Lu Jiao brought the two women to the west bedroom.
"Show me what's wrong."
Lu Jiao gestured for the young woman to untie what was around her neck. The woman anxiously untied it and revealed her skin. Lu Jiao knew what it was right away. It was a skin disease, named nummular eczema. It was considered a fungal infection.
After Lu Jiao examined her neck, she said, "This is a skin condition that is easily treatable. The tricky part is that this disease always manages to come back."
The older woman nodded, "Yes, we got some medicine in town and she got better after using it externally for a while. However, the redness and itch returned quickly. My two granddaughters got infected as well."
The younger woman appeared anxious as the old woman told the story.
Lu Jiao scanned the old woman, "It's not a serious illness, it's just highly infectious. The infection targets those who are weaker. Those healthy would not catch the infection.
I will write you a prescription. Use it to wipe yourself down every day for at least a month. You need long-term medicine for this illness and you cannot stop."
The older woman asked, "She'll be cured once she uses this for a month?"
Lu Jiao nodded, "She'll be fine. Give her good food. For her to get this disease means her health was compromised."
Lu Jiao glanced at them and said, "Wait up. I will go write you a prescription."
The two of them thanked her profusely, "Thank you, scholar's wife. Thank you. You're such a good person."
Lu Jiao's lips twitched. If she knew treating people for free would end up troubling her this much, she would've charged for her services.
If she charged for consultation, there would be a lot fewer patients looking for her.
She didn't want to charge anything before because doctors here normally charged twenty to thirty tokens per consultation. She felt like that amount was spare change and that amount of money didn't matter to her. Who knew her free service would result in so much work for her?
Lu Jiao went to the east bedroom, a little frustrated. There, Xie Yunjin was studying.
Since he's been getting better and better, he started studying in addition to teaching children how to read. He planned to take next year's exam and needed to retain all the knowledge he learned.
When he saw Lu Jiao enter, he looked up and found her in a bad mood.
Xie Yunjin thought Lady Ruan had annoyed Lu Jiao. He put down his book and asked caringly, "What's wrong?"
Lu Jiao shook her head and went to write the prescription.
Lately, they've been sharing the same desk and Lu Jiao was used to it. She naturally sat by Xie Yunjin and took a brush for herself.
Xie Yunjin watched her write and seemed to have realized something.
Lu Jiao was in a bad mood because people continued to come to her for treatment.
Though Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao haven't been together for too long, he knew this woman was scared of trouble at times. These days, lots of people come to her for consultation and she must be out of patience now.
Xie Yunjin suggested, "If it's becoming too much, then start charging money. If you charge a high price, there would be a lot fewer people looking for you."
Lu Jiao sighed, "If it's a patient who's truly sick or injured, I have no complaints. But do you know who came to me yesterday? One person ate something bad and was having diarrhea, one person scraped his knee, one person with a scratched face after getting into a fight, and one person who had a slight cough."
Lu Jiao was speechless by the end. The people coming to her now had illnesses that didn't need a doctor's intervention. Since she was free of charge, everyone came to find her. Didn't they know that she was busy?
Lu Jiao vented a bit then waved her hand, "It's okay. I'll wait a while and see."
She remembered how she was going to separate from Xie Yunjin soon. Once she leaves this village, she will not so easily reveal her whereabouts.
Lu Jiao headed outside with her prescription. Behind her, Xie Yunjin thought it over. He should talk to the leaders and ask some children to guard the village. Out of all the people who were here to find Lu Jiao for treatment, they should allow those severely ill in. Those with non-serious illnesses should go to the doctor in town.
Lu Jiao went back to the west bedroom, "Here's the prescription. Put the medicine in alcohol and soak it for a while. Then use it to wipe the parts of your body that are infected. After a month, the illness should go away."
The two of them thanked Lu Jiao and Lu Jiao walked them out.
Right behind them were two elders. These two people came from her mother's Apricot Flower Village. Since they were older, Lu Jiao technically should refer to them as her aunt and uncle.
When those two saw Lu Jiao, they acted as such.
"Jiaojiao, you sure made it now. You even learned to treat illnesses? Your uncle's legs have been hurting. Hurry and examine him! Hurry and provide him with relief!"
"One of my legs hurt here. It feels numb and I can't fully extend it. Hurry up and cure me. I'm in so much pain. Ahh, treat me fast."
180 Lu Jiao is Beautiful
Lu Jiao's expression dropped. Where did this guy come from? Why was he acting so arrogant?
Lu Jiao responded unpleasantly, "I'm sorry. I cannot cure your illness."
The elderly woman was not happy to hear that and stared down at Lu Jiao, "You didn't even examine him! How can you conclude without checking him out?? I thought you were good?"
Lu Jiao raised an eyebrow, "No matter how good I am, I cannot cure everything. If you want to get better, go to the county."
She gave no chance for them to respond and ordered, "Enough, you should go home."
The elders' faces changed drastically. The elderly woman straight up sat on the ground and cried, "If you don't cure my old man today, I will not leave here!"
Before Lu Jiao could speak, Lady Ruan started to laugh, "What is this? I thought you were a miracle doctor. What kind of doctor are you if you cannot cure this?"
The noises startled Xie Yunjin and the four little ones, they rushed out and guarded Lu Jiao.
Xie Yunjin coldly glared at Lady Ruan, who shut up right away. He then asked Lu Jiao, "What's happening?"
Lu Jiao pointed at the woman howling, "I said I can't treat them so she's crying."
Xie Yunjin's face dropped and snickered at the two elders, "You think my family is to be taken advantage of? How dare you cause a scene inside my home?"
He called out to the First Born, "First Born, go to our neighbor's and tell brother Huzi to go to our county government office. Tell them there are people causing a scene at my home and ask the county magistrate to take these provokers."
The First Born heard the request and turned to run.
The two elders were terrified and got up right away. They tried to get out of there but the old man had a bad leg and almost fell on his face.
At the gate, they cursed into Lu Jiao's home, "What kind of doctor are you?? Miracle doctor my @ss! You can't even cure such a small illness. You're more of a scammer than a doctor!"
"I'm going home and telling everyone not to travel all the way here to seek treatment. It's all lies!"
The two of them left while they continued to curse. Behind them, Lu Jiao was furious, "What kind of people are they?"
Xie Yunjin looked at her, "Come here."
Lu Jiao glanced back and didn't move, "Just talk from there."
Xie Yunjin's eyes dimmed and he pushed himself toward her. Seeing how hard he had to push the wheels, Lu Jiao walked to him and looked down, "What is it? Speak."
XieYunjin gestured at her with his finger, telling her to bend down.
Lu Jiao knew right away that he had gotten another bad idea. Every time he came up with a scheme, he acted in this manner.
Lu Jiao was suddenly excited as she leaned down towards Xie Yunjin. Xie Yunjin whispered, "You can use this opportunity to announce to the public that you've been angered and you'll no longer be treating patients for free."
Lu Jiao's eyes lit up. That was true. She could say she had been deeply offended and will no longer offer consultation to the general public.
"Okay."
Lu Jiao smiled and Xie Yunjin's mood lightened.
From nearby, Lady Ruan watched those two and found them to be eyesores. She almost went up to them and pushed them apart.
Though she didn't end up physically doing so, she said with a long face, "How dare you act in such a manner under broad daylight?"
Lu Jiao snapped her neck towards Lady Ruan and grinned, "Mom, how come you still haven't cleaned the kitchen? Aren't you here to help me out? What have you done?"
Lu Jiao then retrieved the broom and shoved it in Lady Ruan's hand.
"Here, help me sweep the yard."
Lady Ruan was so angry she almost cursed. Lu Jiao's eyes went cold and lowered her voice, "Are you going to sweep or not?"
Lady Ruan shuddered and subconsciously started to sweep. After some time, she recalled herself back to reality. As a mother-in-law, why was she listening to her daughter-in-law? Sweeping the yard?! Who did she think she was?
Lady Ruan tossed away the broom and wanted to curse Lu Jiao.
However, Lu Jiao was long gone. Xie Yunjin and the four little ones also went back into the house.
Lady Ruan finally realized the situation. It was mid-afternoon and she was sweeping her daughter-in-law's yard by herself. Her son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons didn't give a crap about her. The anger made Lady Ruan's chest compress and her vision went dark.
She went into the living room in order to capture someone and cuss them out.
However, the village children arrived just then. It was time for their afternoon lesson.
The children included the Village and Clan Leaders' grandsons. Lady Ruan didn't dare to curse anymore. If she cursed, these children would tattletale and she would end up harming herself.
Lady Ruan swallowed her anger but the rage in her throat was suffocating. She wanted to walk out.
But that contract…
She endured.
No, she had to get that contract back.
She originally wanted to engage in a nice conversation with her son and ask him to give it to her. It appeared that there was no way that could happen.
Lady Ruan tiptoed to the east bedroom and peeked inside. There, Lu Jiao was practicing her writing.
Inside that old room, the lady was sitting up straight and tall. Her face had lost the chubbiness from before and she was now very pleasant to look at. Her skin was pale and bright, her eyelashes long and flapped up and down like two little fans.
Though Lady Ruan detested Lu Jiao, at this moment, she was stunned. She didn't want to admit this but she had to admit that her third daughter-in-law was actually beautiful. Though she remained somewhat chubby, it didn't impact her beauty.
Lady Ruan's mood once again plummeted given how nice Lu Jiao appeared. She cursed, then she thought of ways to get Lu Jiao out of the bedroom so she could steal the contract.
Xie Yunjin was teaching the children in the living room. If she could get Lu Jiao to leave, she could sneak in and find that contract.
Xie Lan may not understand, but she did. There were two red thumbprints on the contract.
Lady Ruan pondered this when Xie Erzhu approached from outside the trellis. Lady Ruan got an idea and ran into the east bedroom and said to Lu Jiao, "Erzhu's here. He wants to talk to you."
Lu Jiao looked at Lady Ruan curiously. She wondered what this mother-in-law of hers was thinking of now. However, she was too lazy to figure it out.
Lu Jiao went outside and saw Xie Erzhu right away.
Xie Erzhu said to Lu Jiao, "Sister-in-law, the temporary pond for the leeches is ready. Do you want to go check it out?"
Without her approval, he felt uncertain.