Doctor Su arrived at the small house where Mr. Mo and Denim were staying. Just as expected, he found that Mr. Mo had a fever and swelling on his face.
He checked Mr. Mo's eyes and pulse, then asked Denim to help him turn Mr. Mo over. When they did, many red bumps were visible on Mr. Mo's back.
"It's nothing serious. Your father's just been lying down too long, and now there's some skin inflammation. He has a mild fever, but he'll be fine. I'll give you some medicine. Boil it and give it to him to drink. The weather is getting warmer, so even if he can't move, he'll sweat. You should turn him over more often and wipe off his sweat. Also, this bedding is too thick. Change it."
Denim felt a weight lift from his heart. He raised his head, showing a red mark on his forehead, and thanked Doctor Su over and over.
Doctor Su saw how pitiful he looked. His old clothes were stained and stiff from dried blood and eggs. He sighed. Remembering what Mira had said, he felt Denim was innocent. Whatever happened between their parents shouldn't fall on him.
"Come here. Let me check the wound on your head."
Knowing that his father was alright, Denim felt relieved. But when he heard Doctor Su's kind voice, he looked uneasy. "It's alright, Doctor Su. I'm fine. Thank you for helping my father. You've been here for a while, let me walk you back."
"Are you the doctor or am I? Come over here, let me check it."
Doctor Su got a little louder, annoyed by Denim's hesitation.
"Um, Doctor Su... I don't have much money."
Denim said this softly, ashamed.
A year ago, he had been a proud young master. Now, he couldn't even afford a doctor's fee. He felt embarrassed and helpless.
"Oh, that's what you're worried about? Don't be. Your father used to be a kind man. A lot of people remember what he did for them. On my way here, a few people secretly gave me some silver for you. If something comes up, come to me again. But next time, be more careful.
I don't know who your father offended, but someone really doesn't want you two to live peacefully. That's all I can say. Talking too much won't be good for me either. You're still young. Don't be so stubborn. Learn to be flexible. It's lucky that young girl helped you. If she hadn't, were you just going to let yourself get beaten to death in front of my shop?"
Denim stayed silent. He knew exactly who those people were.
When he found out that someone had paid for the doctor, he felt uncomfortable.
These past two years had been full of bullying and humiliation. Hearing that someone helped him suddenly felt unreal. When Doctor Su mentioned Mira, her round, soft eyes came to mind. He also remembered the gentle way she called him "Denim." His ears turned red.
"Hey, are you even listening to me?"
Doctor Su noticed Denim was distracted and wasn't happy about it. When he saw Denim's red ears, he understood. That expression was familiar. He had been through it himself. At one time, he had even thought about letting Denim marry into his family. But since giving up on that idea, he treated Denim like any other young man.
"What's this? Falling in love already? That girl really is smart and kind. No idea where she's from, or if you'll meet her again."
Hearing that, Denim's lips lost their color. The warmth in his ears faded away.
"Doctor Su, please don't say that. Don't ruin Miss Mira's name. I'm not someone who's good enough for her."
Doctor Su didn't like hearing that.
"What kind of talk is that? Young men should be brave. Go for what you want. You used to be one of the top young men in the city. Why would you think you're not good enough? I only mentioned it because that girl seems really decent, and I wanted to help. Don't look down on yourself. Nothing happens unless you try.
Sure, you don't have money for a dowry right now. You have no power. But you're still an outstanding man. Some women don't care about those things. They want a strong man to raise good children. Even if you can't be her first husband, being the second is still good.
Look at me. I used to be just a little helper in a pharmacy. But I had the courage to go after my wife. And she's a wonderful woman, kind and loving. She never looked down on me. From the moment I met her, I decided I would treat her well for the rest of my life."
Doctor Su smiled as he spoke about his wife. His round face turned red with happiness.
"Sigh, why am I telling you all this? Your head wound is fine. Just clean it properly. Come to my place later to pick up some medicine. First, go boil this and give it to your father. Be quiet when you come. Don't make a scene. I'll tell my student to keep the medicine for you. No need to walk me out. Stay here."
Then Doctor Su turned and left.
Denim stood still, holding the medicine tightly in his hands.
Doctor Su spoke and then opened his umbrella and walked out, leaving Denim lost in thought.
He looked at the pale face of Mr. Mo and muttered, "Is it really worth fighting for? Will there be any results?"
If it had been before, he would have believed it. But now, he didn't dare to think that way anymore.
As he continued thinking, he seemed to recall something unpleasant, and his eyes went blank again.
"Dad, why did you choose Mom back then? You married her and lost everything, even ended up like this. Was it worth it? Today, I met a girl. She's nothing like Mom. She's really special. When I saw her, I couldn't control my heart. Dad, is this the feeling you used to talk about?"
Denim seemed to be talking to himself.
In front of others, he was always quiet and withdrawn. But in front of his father, he was different. He had asked these questions so many times. He didn't even know if he was asking his dad or himself.
He touched his chest. Today really felt different, but he was afraid of this feeling.
Mr. Mo still lay on the bed without any response.
Denim thought for a while, then went outside to get a basin of water, planning to wipe down his father's body.
The sun was blazing, and on the streets, only laborers and vendors were still moving around. Most people had gone into shops or entertainment places to avoid the heat.
Inside the Yixian Building, Assistant Shane didn't dare to waste a single moment and hurried to the room Lady Lian had rented to report the message.
"Little Lady, Miss, it's bad. Madam already found out you're here. She knows you didn't go to the countryside with the old ancestor to escape the summer. She said if you don't go back now, then don't bother going back at all."
Lady Lian was eighteen this year. She didn't look like her father or her mother. The flirtatious look in her eyes made her seem very wild. She wore a thin blue gauze summer robe that clearly outlined her figure. At that moment, she was lounging with men on both sides, her face glowing with pleasure.
When she heard what Assistant Shane whispered in her ear, she jumped up like a firecracker had gone off beside her. Her expression changed again and again.
"What? Who told her? I've been here for days. How did she suddenly find out?"
The young entertainer beside her was startled by her sudden reaction and quickly spoke gently to calm her down. "Oh no, Lady Lian, what's wrong? Why are you so flustered? Don't worry. Come, let's keep playing."
Normally, if she heard him speak like that, Lady Lian would have already softened. But now, knowing that her mother had discovered her whereabouts, all she could think of was how hard her days might be from now on. She might even be punished and locked at home. There was no way she would listen to him now.
Lady Lian pushed the young entertainer away. "Get lost. Can't you see I'm upset right now? And you keep clinging on. So annoying."
The young man wasn't expecting to be shoved and fell to the ground with a loud noise, waking up the rest of the people in the room.
"What's going on, Lian? Who upset you?"
Someone asked.
"Nothing. I just need to head home for a bit. Something urgent came up. Everyone, and Sister Man, I'm sorry. I can't stay with you all today. I have to go."
She grabbed Assistant Shane and left quickly.
Someone noticed that Wang Man's face darkened and laughed awkwardly. "Haha, what's with Lian? Didn't she promise to cheer you up today, Sister Man? You just got better and she's already gone. Not fair. Next time we have to make her drink more as punishment."
Wang Man's expression softened a bit after hearing that girl's words. She said, "Forget her. Let's keep drinking."
If Mira had been here, she would definitely recognize Wang Man as the same woman who caused trouble on the street this morning.