It was all because he had gone to town to buy medicine for her...
Yang Ruoqing silently lowered her head, her mood sinking heavily.
Just then, her hand, hanging limply by her side, was gently held by a large, rough hand.
She turned her head to look—it was Sun shi.
"Why are your hands so cold? Don't tell me you've got a fever again?" Sun Shi immediately grew anxious, raising her hand to feel Yang Ruoqing's forehead, but Yang Ruoqing caught that hand in return.
"I already checked myself. I don't have a fever. Maybe it's just that it's getting late, and it's a bit chilly," Yang Ruoqing explained.
Honestly, she couldn't help but resent the original owner of this body. Eating so much for no reason, stretching the stomach out, digesting things quickly, and after running around all afternoon, now that it was time for dinner, there was nothing in her stomach. With no energy left, of course, her hands and feet would be cold.
"Come, sit here with me. Let Mama warm you up," Sun Shi said firmly, not taking no for an answer. She moved her own body to the other side of the bench, creating some space, and pulled Yang Ruoqing to sit close beside her. Then she tucked Yang Ruoqing's slightly cold hands into her clothes, pressing them against her warm, flat belly, holding them tightly.
With one hand warming her daughter's hands, the other gently wrapped around Yang Ruoqing's thin back. Sun Shi's sigh drifted softly into her ear: "In my wildest dreams, I never thought your father would suffer something like this… This whole afternoon, my heart's been in a panic, I couldn't even take care of you. My poor Qing'er, you're still sick, and now cold and hungry too. My poor daughter…"
She hadn't spoken much before choking up, unable to speak any further.
Yang Ruoqing lowered her head, feeling that faint warmth gradually seep into her chilled hands, bit by bit driving away the cold that clung to her palms.
What she never expected was that even at a time like this, Sun Shi was still thinking about her, worrying about whether she had eaten, and whether she'd taken her medicine. Even with the sky seemingly about to collapse, Sun Shi was still using her own body's warmth to keep her daughter's hands warm…
In her previous life, she had been an orphan. The whole wide world was hers to roam, unrestrained. She never let anyone weigh on her heart, nor did she expect to be missed by anyone.
Whether she lived or died, whether she was sad or happy, it had always been her burden to bear alone.
Yet now, on this autumn night, in this impoverished farmer's courtyard, in this dim little house lit by a flickering oil lamp, held and protected like this by her mother, her nose suddenly tingled, and she, who had barely shed tears in her lifetime, suddenly had the urge to cry.
Yang Ruoqing turned her head sharply, forcing back the moisture in her eyes, and when she turned back again, her eyes under the lamplight were clearer than ever before—devoid of panic, only calm.
"Mama, don't worry about me. I'm already twelve years old; I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself. You just stay by Dad's side and take good care of him."
Hearing these words, Sun Shi was filled with relief and nodded, glancing at Yang Huazhong, who was lying on the bed. Tears once again welled up in her eyes.
"Doctor Fu said… your father's legs are likely beyond saving. If… if he really can't work the fields anymore for the rest of his life… how are we womenfolk going to survive?" Sun Shi's voice was full of helplessness as she cried again, afraid of disturbing Yang Huazhong, she tightly covered her mouth with her hand, her thin shoulders trembling slightly.
Yang Ruoqing knew that when Sun Shi said "we womenfolk," she wasn't just talking about the two of them mother and daughter—but also the two younger brothers who had just been taken to visit their maternal grandfather a few days ago, riding on an ox cart to play for a few days.
Her younger brother, Yang Da'an, was eight years old, and her youngest brother, Yang Xiao'an, had just turned three. If Yang Huazhong's legs were truly crippled from this point on, it would be as if the sky had fallen on this family. The burden of feeding five mouths would all fall on Sun Shi's shoulders alone. But in this ancient agrarian society, men were the main labor force in a household, with women only playing a supporting role. What's more, Sun Shi's body was already so frail—could she bear such a burden?
"Mother, don't worry too much. Uncle Fu also said that there's still a chance for my father's legs. As long as we all work together, we'll find a way!" Yang Ruoqing withdrew her now-warmed hand from inside Sun Shi's sleeve and tightly clasped her mother's hand, softly comforting her.
Sun Shi nodded but didn't speak. She knew her daughter was just trying to comfort her, and didn't want her to be too upset. But in her heart, she sighed silently. Even if the whole family worked together, what difference would it make? Without enough silver to send Huazhong to a large town or city to find a famous doctor and good medicine, his legs wouldn't recover.
But even so, these words were something Sun Shi would never say aloud in front of her daughter. This girl had just barely recovered from her serious illness, hadn't even spent a full day being pampered by her parents, and now had to start worrying about family affairs again—Sun Shi's heart simply couldn't bear it!
As for those thoughts in Sun Shi's mind, Yang Ruoqing could see right through them.
But she didn't say anything more about it. Words, when faced with hardship, were often the weakest form of comfort. Action—that was the true key to changing everything.
Her gaze once again fell on Yang Huazhong lying on the bed. The lighting in the room was dim, and her own body and spirit weren't in great shape either. She'd wait a couple of days until Uncle Fu came to change the dressing on her father's legs, and then she'd find an opportunity to take a close look at the injuries herself.
When it came to her medical skills, especially in the art of bone setting, she had absolute confidence. No matter what, she would find a way to cure her father's legs and help him stand again. This family could not go on without him!
The mother and daughter pair both fell silent again. Their eyes were fixed on Yang Huazhong lying on the bed, each lost in her own thoughts.
After a long while, the door to the side room creaked open, and a tall figure slipped inside.
Yang Ruoqing turned her head for a glance—it was her Fifth Uncle, Yang Huazhou.
Yang Huazhou, seeing that the usually silly and foolish niece was now unusually obedient, quietly sitting next to her mother with those big eyes full of calm, couldn't help but flash a trace of surprise in his eyes. If it were in the past, he would've teased her a bit, but right now, he didn't have that kind of mood.
"Fifth Brother, what brings you here so late?" Sun Shi recognized the visitor and stood up from the long wooden bench.
"Third Sister-in-law, how's Third Brother doing now? Has he woken up? Taken his medicine yet?" Yang Huazhou stepped to the bedside and looked at Yang Huazhong for a few moments before asking.
Sun Shi also walked to the bed, her gaze following, and she sighed softly, "He woke up about half an hour ago. I fed him half a bowl of medicine. Didn't say a word to me the whole time. He even kept his eyes shut while drinking. After that, he just lay back down again."
"As long as he's taken the medicine, that's good," Yang Huazhou nodded, then turned to Sun Shi and said in a low voice, "Third Sister-in-law, you can't push yourself too hard. With my third brother like this, at this critical time, you can't afford to collapse too. Qing'er, Da'an, and Xiao'an—they're all depending on you now."
Sun Shi nodded, her voice raspy as she replied, "Fifth Brother, we have to thank you for bringing the news back to us. Otherwise, we wouldn't have even known what happened to your third brother by now…"
"Third Sister-in-law, don't say things like that, treating me like an outsider. We're family!" Yang Huazhou said firmly.
(End of chapter)