Chapter 44

Chapter 44

As dawn broke, Old Lady He finished filling the bamboo tubes with water, then pondered what else her grandson and granddaughter-in-law might have forgotten.

Catching sight of her grandson’s short hair, she suddenly remembered something crucial.

Old Lady He returned to the house and soon reappeared with a hat resembling a traditional headscarf. She said to her grandson, "Sheng'er, lower your head. Let your grandmother put this hat on you."

Qi Cheng obediently lowered his head.

Lu Yuan, having just finished her packing, remarked, "That’s a good idea. His appearance is far too striking. If I tell others he’s my husband, they might think I’ve abducted a little monk to be my man."

Little monk Qi Cheng: …

Old Lady He, seemingly accustomed to Lu Yuan’s frequent startling comments, showed no reaction, calmly placing the hat on her grandson’s head.

Lu Yuan turned to the two children and said, "Your father and I are going to the city to see a doctor about his eyes. If we can’t return tonight, we’ll definitely be back by tomorrow. You two must be good at home, don’t run around, and especially don’t go near the river, understand?"

Chun Hua nodded, "I’ll listen to Great-Grandma and take good care of my sister."

Lu Yuan patted her head affectionately, smiling with satisfaction, "Our Chun Hua is such a good girl."

She then looked at Qiu Hua, "Qiu Hua, make sure to listen to Great-Grandma and your sister, alright?"

Qiu Hua nodded firmly, "I will listen."

Lu Yuan smiled and ruffled her hair as well.

After a short while, the village head and his younger son arrived outside the courtyard.

Since the journey to the county town was long and there was a fear of rain, the village head had his son build a makeshift canopy on the oxcart, using bamboo poles for support and woven reed mats for the roof.

Looking at the temporary canopy, Lu Yuan fell silent.

If they could build a canopy, why hadn’t they done it earlier?

All those times she had traveled back and forth between Anping Town and Weishan Village, hadn’t she just endured the scorching sun for nothing?

After a moment of silence, Lu Yuan helped Qi Cheng onto the oxcart and then placed the back basket on it.

The village head asked curiously, "It’s just a one-day trip. Why are you bringing a back basket?"

Lu Yuan replied, "I’ve brought some pancakes, water, and a few odds and ends."

Qi Cheng silently added in his mind:

She also brought clothes, a palm fan, and a light blanket.

She said that if their clothes got dirty, they would have something to change into.

If it got hot, they could use the fan.

When the sun set and it turned chilly, they could cover themselves with the light blanket.

She had even brought along the dried fungi from their home and Second Sister-in-law Chen’s supply.

Using the prices Second Sister-in-law Chen usually sold them for, she planned to sell them in the county town.

As she put it, they couldn’t just spend money without earning any, nor could they make the trip for nothing.

Besides, the dried fungi were delicious and would probably fetch a higher price in the county town than in the village.

Qi Cheng told her that they wouldn’t be staying long and might not be able to sell everything in one day.

But she insisted that she was bold enough to go from restaurant to restaurant asking—she might get lucky and find a buyer.

Qi Cheng was momentarily speechless.

Her mind was truly always occupied with ways to make money.

The oxcart was slow but steady.

The scenery along the way was beautiful. In Lingnan, autumn resembled summer—the plants, trees, and landscapes remained lush and green, unaffected by the season.

But with life’s constant struggles, she wasn't really in the mood to appreciate the view.

After what felt like a long time, Lu Yuan grew sleepy and simply fell asleep leaning against the basket.

When she woke up, she found they were still on the road.

She glanced at the village head, who was lying on the cart sleeping with a straw hat over his face. Then she turned to Qi Cheng, who had his eyes closed as if in a light doze, and gently tapped his arm to see if he was awake.

Qi Cheng opened his eyes and turned toward her, asking in a low voice, "What is it?"

"How long have we been traveling?"

Qi Cheng thought for a moment and replied, "About an hour."

Lu Yuan murmured, "That means there’s still a long way to go."

Qi Cheng suggested, "Why not sleep a bit more?"

Lu Yuan shook her head, "I’m not sleepy anymore."

She took a bamboo water container from the basket and handed it to him, "Have some water."

Qi Cheng accepted it, and Lu Yuan took another tube for herself and drank some.

After drinking, she brought out some pancakes, giving one to Qi Cheng and offering one to Liu Sanlang, who was driving the oxcart.

Liu Junsheng replied, "We brought our own pancakes. They won't last long, so we should eat them. You two have yours."

Lu Yuan took hers back and started eating.

The pancake was made by mixing eggs and rice flour with malt syrup into a sticky batter. A thin layer of oil was brushed onto the pan, and the batter was scooped in and fried until golden. Even after some time, the outside remained crispy while the inside stayed soft and chewy.

After eating and drinking her fill, Lu Yuan leaned against the cart rail, feeling the cool breeze as she gazed into the distance.

As the sun grew stronger, even with the canopy, the sunlight still streamed into the cart. Lu Yuan shifted her position, getting Qi Cheng to block the sun for her.

She kindly handed him the palm fan, saying, "If you feel the sun's too hot, use the fan to shade yourself."

Qi Cheng took the fan and, instinctively, moved a bit to block the sunlight with his back.

Seeing what he did, Lu Yuan smiled and leaned closer to him, saying quietly, "A man who treats his wife well is sure to prosper. You’re not far from wealth now."

Qi Cheng smiled helplessly.

She really knew how to sweet-talk. If she wanted to, she could probably coax the birds right out of the trees.

As the cart swayed along, Lu Yuan spotted a stone wall in the distance.

As they drew closer, she realized that everyone entering the city had to have their travel permits checked.

The village head took the permits and went ahead to explain the situation to the guards.

After a short while, the village head waved her over.

Lu Yuan stepped forward, and the guard looked her up and down before asking sternly, "Where are you from? What's your name? What's your husband's name, and where is he from?"

Lu Yuan replied, "I'm from Sanshui Village, Yu'an County, Guangnan Prefecture, Qianzhou. My name is Su Liniang. Due to the drought in Qianzhou, I fled with my two children to Lingnan. I've remarried into the Qi family in Weishan Village."

The guard asked further, "What brings you to the city?"

Lu Yuan answered, "My second husband has an eye disease that couldn't be treated in the town, so we came to the city for treatment and to settle here."

"Which one is your husband?" the guard asked.

Lu Yuan pointed to the man beside her. "This is my husband."

The guard glanced at the man, then at her, thinking their appearances didn't quite match.

But since he was blind, it made sense for him to marry someone like her.

After the questioning, the guard let them pass.

They entered the city.

The village head asked someone for directions to the clinic and then had his son drive the oxcart there.

Lu Yuan sat on the cart, looking left and right, her eyes never resting.

The city was much livelier than the town, with shops, stalls, and street vendors everywhere.

The streets were bustling with people.

If she could set up a stall or open a small shop in the county, life would become much more stable.

The oxcart stopped outside the clinic.

There weren't many people, but they still had to wait.

After waiting for over a quarter of an hour, it was finally their turn.

Lu Yuan carefully explained Qi Cheng's condition to the doctor. When the doctor heard that he had been unconscious for several months, he grew interested.

"Many people with head injuries pass away after being comatose for just a month. It's extremely rare for someone to wake up after nearly three months."

"How did he wake up? Which doctor treated him?"

The doctor looked eager to discuss the case academically. Lu Yuan replied, "It was Doctor Wu from Wu's Clinic in Anping County. He said my husband still had consciousness and that talking to him and stimulating him could give him a chance to wake up."

"But after he woke up, he lost his sight."

The doctor said, "That kind of treatment is quite common." Then he stood up and carefully examined the patient's eyes, asking, "Can you still perceive light?"

Qi Cheng nodded. "Yes."

The doctor had him extend his hand and took his pulse, then praised, "Your body has recovered quite quickly."

He then examined the site of the head injury.

The short hair made it easier to inspect.

Feeling a slightly raised area, he said, "There's a blood clot in his skull. It needs to be dissolved for him to possibly regain his sight."

Lu Yuan quickly asked, "Do you have a method, Doctor?!"

The doctor replied, "Apply hot compresses to the injured area on the head for several days, followed by daily acupuncture. After three consecutive days, we'll reassess the situation."

The village head asked what he most wanted to know: "How much will this cost?"

The doctor said, "The medicine for the compress uses herbs to dissolve blood clots and promote circulation. The herbs aren't expensive, about thirty copper coins per dose. Each acupuncture session costs fifty copper coins."

For one course of treatment, it would amount to two hundred and fifty copper coins, and it would likely require further spending later.

However, if it could be cured for under one tael of silver, Lu Yuan thought it would be worth it.

The village head looked at Qi Cheng's wife and asked, "What do you think?"

Lu Yuan nodded. "We'll proceed with the treatment!"

Hearing this, the doctor said, "Then I'll write you a prescription to get the medicine. Steam the herbs in a cloth bag for about half an hour, then apply them to the head when the temperature is suitable. Reheat them when they cool down and reapply for another half hour. Do this once in the morning and once in the evening."

"I'll prescribe four doses, enough for four days. Come back for acupuncture on the fourth or fifth day."

"Also, his eyes must not be exposed to sunlight. Wrap them with a dark cloth daily."

Lu Yuan memorized all these instructions.

The consultation fee was five copper coins, and the medicine cost eighty copper coins.

With hope for a cure, everyone looked much more relaxed after leaving the clinic.

After the eye examination, they went to the government office to register their residency.

For just thirty copper coins, Lu Yuan and her two children were registered under the Qi family.

Holding the freshly issued travel permit, Lu Yuan felt reassured.

She finally had an identity and was no longer an unregistered resident.

The village head said to them, "The old ox needs to rest. We’ll probably have to wait another hour before heading back. A Cheng's wife, if you want to look around, go ahead. We’ll meet at the city gate where we entered earlier."

Then, turning to Qi Cheng, he asked, "A Cheng, what about you?"

Qi Cheng said, "I'll go with Li Niang."

The city was crowded and chaotic, and he was worried she might encounter scammers or troublemakers. Staying with her would put his mind at ease.

But Lu Yuan said to the village head, "It's almost noon. Let's go to the noodle stall for a bowl of noodles first, then we can go our separate ways."

The village head thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

At the noodle stall, everyone ordered plain noodles, but Lu Yuan quietly asked the vendor to switch theirs to minced meat noodles and paid in advance while the others were talking.

One bowl costs eight copper coins, so four bowls cost Lu Yuan thirty-two copper coins.

Altogether, this outing cost Lu Yuan one hundred and forty-seven copper coins.

She had brought three hundred and twenty copper coins to the city, and now only one hundred and fifty-three remained.

Money really disappears faster than anything.

When the noodle vendor brought the bowls over, the village head was surprised and said, "Sir, you brought the wrong order."

The noodle vendor laughed and replied, "It's no mistake. The lady beside you just asked to change the order, and she’s already paid."

The village head frowned and asked, "A Cheng's wife, what are you doing?"

Lu Yuan took the chopsticks from the bamboo container and handed them out one by one. "The village head and Third Brother Liu have worked so hard and gone to so much trouble for our family’s sake. If I couldn’t even spare a bowl of meat noodles, the old lady would give me an earful."

The village head said disapprovingly, "Right now, the most important thing is to treat A Cheng’s eyes. After he’s cured, you can treat me to ten bowls of meat noodles and I’ll gladly eat them all. But for now, we need to pinch every penny."

Lu Yuan nodded and replied, "Yes, yes, I won’t do this again."

As she spoke, she placed the chopsticks into Qi Cheng’s hand and gently poked his palm, signaling him to speak.

Catching her meaning, Qi Cheng said, "Village chief, since the order’s already been placed, let’s not waste Li Niang’s kindness. Let’s eat."

The village head had no choice but to pick up his chopsticks and start eating.

After the meal, they parted ways.

Qi Cheng asked her, "Where do you want to go?"

Lu Yuan glanced at his eyes and said, "Let’s go to the cloth shop first. We’ll sell Grandmother’s handkerchief and get some cloth to shield your eyes from the light."