Chapter 7: Eight Qian

Chapter 7: Eight Coins

"A little pig, a little fish," the old man said with a smile, raising his hand and calling out, "The sugar paintings for the two little lads are ready!"

"Ah!" Gu Muan cried out in surprise, his hands reaching out eagerly toward the sugar paintings in the old man's hand.

Gu Wen, who had been turned sideways watching Chen Youyan, quickly turned back around to help his little boy out upon seeing this.

Chen Youyan found it amusing. He reached out and poked Gu Muan's bottom as the boy sat perched on Gu Wen's arm, and whispered to Gu Wen with a chuckle, "What a little sweet tooth. I wonder who he gets that from."

Gu Wen grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth, and teased playfully, "We'll buy you some green plum drink and cream dessert later."

Sure enough, no sooner had these words been spoken than Gu Wen saw Chen Youyan's eyes light up, the corners of his mouth unable to suppress a curve upward.

Who he took after was immediately obvious.

Chen Youyan also realized this, and flustered, poked Gu Wen in the waist.

Gu Muan paid no attention to whatever his two fathers were saying. After receiving the sugar painting, his first instinct was to open his mouth, but the moment the sugar painting touched his lips, his closed teeth turned into a gentle lick of his tongue.

Gu Muan's eyes narrowed into crescents as he smiled. "Sweet~"

Yin Hongxue likewise carefully accepted his own sugar painting. The bamboo skewer was smooth yet sturdy, its presence especially noticeable in his palm.

The little golden carp was flicking its tail, appearing especially translucent in the sunlight. Yin Hongxue could even smell the unique sweet fragrance of the sugar syrup.

This was his sugar painting, Yin Hongxue suddenly realized.

Not one of those countless afternoons when it was held in his younger brother's hands while he watched longingly—this was his!

It was... it was bought for him alone by his Die and his A-die.

Yin Hongxue held the bamboo skewer in his hand, feeling especially cherished and satisfied, looking at it left and right with his eyes, unwilling to eat it.

But this was bought for him by his Die and A-die. Yin Hongxue grabbed Gu Wen's shoulder with one hand and held the sugar painting out with the other. "A-die, Die, eat."

Seeing this, Gu Muan smacked his lips and imitated the gesture, holding out his own pig sugar painting, which was already much rounder from licking. "Eat!"

Chen Youyan and Gu Wen looked over, surprised and delighted. It was Chen Youyan who spoke first: "Xue Ge'er and An Ge'er eat it yourselves. A-die and Die will buy some for ourselves later."

Gu Muan remembered the yellow drink his A-die liked, nodded, and withdrew his little pig covered in drool.

With his other hand, he grabbed Yin Hongxue's hand and pushed the sugar painting toward his mouth. "Eat!"

Yin Hongxue secretly glanced at Chen Youyan and Gu Wen from the corner of his eye. Seeing that the two truly didn't want to eat, he finally leaned in carefully and licked the little fish's tail.

The moment the sugar painting, carrying a faint sweet fragrance of grain, entered his mouth, Yin Hongxue's eyes widened in surprise.

So sweet!

Yin Hongxue unconsciously curved his eyes into a smile and took another careful, savoring lick.

The sweet sugar melted on Yin Hongxue's tongue, and it felt like it flowed all the way down to his heart.

Once the children were settled, the two adults wasted no time and headed toward the south end of town.

There was a clinic the Gu family often went to when they were sick, called the Peace Medical Clinic.

The doctor there was highly skilled and reasonably priced, well trusted by the common folks in Ferry Town and the nearby villages.

The Peace Medical Clinic wasn't far from the town entrance. With Chen Youyan carrying the empty basket on his back and Gu Wen holding the two children, they arrived in just a few minutes.

A large sign hung above the clinic entrance, so that anyone seeking treatment could see it clearly at a glance.

So Gu Muan, who had been wholeheartedly licking his little pig sugar painting, looked up and immediately saw the Peace Medical Clinic's sign.

What entered Gu Muan's memory along with this clinic, besides the old man with the long beard, was the bitter herbal medicine that made him scrunch up his face.

Yin Hongxue, who couldn't read and had never visited a medical clinic, remained completely relaxed and carefree. At the same time, he looked on with some curiosity at his younger brother, who had suddenly wrinkled up his whole face like a little old man.

"What's wrong, little brother?"

"Dad!" Gu Muan ignored Yin Hongxue's question and even forgot about his sugar painting. He gave Gu Wen and Chen Youyan a coaxing look. "I'm okay~"

As if afraid the two wouldn't believe him, Gu Muan patted his chest hard with his hand and said sincerely, "I'm okay~"

Chen Youyan couldn't help but laugh, tapping this clever little rascal's forehead with his index finger. "Don't worry, it's got nothing to do with you."

Having his forehead tapped, Gu Muan didn't get upset. Hearing that it had nothing to do with him, he let out a sigh of relief and beamed.

Yin Hongxue, watching from the side, was completely baffled. He looked to the backbone of the family, Chen Youyan. "A-die, what's wrong?"

Thinking of the bitter medicinal soup prescribed by Doctor Liu—never mind Gu Muan, even Chen Youyan couldn't help but wince at the thought.

He stroked Yin Hongxue's cheek and said gently, "Xue Ge'er will find out in a moment."

*

At the Peace Medical Clinic.

Yin Hongxue sat in Gu Wen's arms, looking a bit dazed, gazing at the kindly old man before him. Gu Muan stood on the ground, hiding behind Chen Youyan.

Doctor Liu calmly removed his hand from the boy's wrist.

"He's a bit run-down, but nothing else is wrong. He's young, so it shouldn't be hard to build him back up."

Knowing they were ordinary folks, Doctor Liu didn't mince words. "I'll prescribe a formula—take it for six days and you'll be fine. After that, eat normally. The child is frail, so make sure he doesn't go wading in the river."

Chen Youyan accepted the prescription, thanking him repeatedly, but didn't leave.

He stepped forward again, carefully rolled up Yin Hongxue's sleeve, and whispered, "If you would, Doctor Liu, please take a look at these wounds as well."

Doctor Liu was startled. There on the little boy's arm, revealed from beneath the rolled-up sleeve, were large, connected patches of bruises, like blobs of ink that had bled together.

Especially on a child's tender skin, it looked even more shocking.

"This..." Gu Wen, who had no idea about this, was utterly shocked.

Those nearby, other patients seeking treatment, widened their eyes in horror at the sight. Seeing how calm and obedient the little boy with bruised arms was, they began to look at him with pity.

Doctor Liu instinctively started to scold, but then remembered Gu Wen saying this boy was a child groom they had bought for their son. He swallowed the scolding that was on the tip of his tongue.

Still, his brow furrowed, and his expression remained grim.

He carefully lifted Yin Hongxue's arm for a closer look. Seeing that no bones were injured, he checked the other arm, and only then did his expression ease somewhat.

"They're all superficial wounds," Doctor Liu said, beckoning to the pharmacy apprentice and handing over a medicine bottle. "This is a medicinal oil I prepared. Rub it on the bruises after his bath each day. Warm your hands by rubbing them together first, and be sure to massage the area for a good while."

"Yes, yes, thank you, Doctor Liu." Hearing this, Chen Youyan's anxious heart finally settled.

Thinking that if this little boy had this many wounds on just his two arms, there were likely even more on the rest of his body, Doctor Liu beckoned to the pharmacy apprentice once more.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Give me two more bottles."

Better make it three bottles to be safe.

Aware of Yin Hongxue's bruises, Chen Youyan, who had just been about to ask for two more bottles, fell silent, his respect for Dr. Liu growing even more.

"Alright, go get the medicine. If you're still concerned, you can come back for a follow-up in a month."

Gu Wen and Chen Youyan nodded repeatedly. Chen Youyan grabbed the little boy who was still hiding behind him and headed to the medicine counter together.

Six days' worth of herbal medicine, plus three bottles of medicinal oil, came to eight qian of silver all at once—with just the three bottles of oil costing three hundred wen.

No wonder everyone hated going to the town's clinic, saying that even the cheapest one was a money pit.

Chen Youyan felt a pang of reluctance, but thinking of the obedient Yin Hongxue, he brushed it aside.

Besides, once he was better, he wouldn't need to keep taking the medicine. Once his health improved, he wouldn't get sick easily in the future either. What was that saying—fix it once and for all!

Chen Youyan comforted himself this way, and was also a little pleased that he knew a thing or two himself.

Yin Hongxue had been dazed since entering the clinic, only coming to his senses when Chen Youyan took out his money pouch and paid. His heart was anxious, yet... he couldn't suppress a rush of joy.

He had seen the silver Chen Youyan took out—more than he'd ever seen in his whole life. He heard the people at the clinic say it was eight qian.

Yin Hongxue knew that a catty of pork cost eighteen wen, and a catty of white, fatty pork lard cost twenty-three wen.

How much pork and lard could eight qian buy?

Yin Hongxue couldn't figure it out, only knowing it must be an enormous amount—enough for everyone in the Gu family to eat their fill of meat.

Thinking of this, Yin Hongxue grew even more anxious and overjoyed.

His dad and his papa had brought him to the clinic for treatment, so it meant that even the good-for-nothing Yin Hongxue could come to a clinic to see a doctor.

His dad and his papa had brought him to the clinic, spending silver that could buy a ton of pork on treating and buying medicine for the good-for-nothing Yin Hongxue. Did this mean...

In his fathers' hearts, he, the good-for-nothing Yin Hongxue, was more important than pork?

His father and stepmother said pork was a precious delicacy, and his brother said pork was a great treasure. So did this mean...

The Yin Hongxue in the Gu family wasn't good-for-nothing at all, but a precious treasure?

At this thought, the knot in his stomach seemed to fade away. He couldn't help but break into a big, selfish, joyful grin.

*

"Ah! Cake!"

Ahead, they passed a pastry shop. Once they'd left the clinic and the sign was out of sight, Gu Muan excitedly tugged on Chen Youyan's collar.

This chubby little boy of theirs, with his teeth not even fully grown in, was already this greedy. What's going to happen to him when he grows up?

Though Chen Youyan thought this to himself, he still turned his steps, following Gu Muan's tug toward the shop.

Mung bean cakes, white rice cakes, and date cakes were all things they could make at home, so Chen Youyan deliberately skipped over them, looking instead at the varieties that were hard to make at home or only available in shops.

One package of cloud-slice cake, one package of poria cake, and one mixed package of sweet fried dough twists and crisp fruit.

Thinking of the bitter medicinal soup that would make Yin Hongxue's face scrunch up, Chen Youyan added a package of candied fruit.

The cloud-slice cake and poria cake were twelve wen each, while the sweet fried dough twists, crisp fruit, and candied fruit were pricier—fifteen wen and sixteen wen respectively.

That added up to another forty-three wen gone. Normally, Chen Youyan might have thought it expensive, but today, compared to the eight qian spent earlier, he was a bit more generous with his hand.

After all... it wasn't something they'd eat often.