Chapter 174: Seeking Medicine
The three of them arrived at Baiyang Commune Team Six in a dusty rush to invite Teacher Ge, then hurried back to Hongqi Commune Team One without stopping.
Stepping into the night under the starlight, they returned to the Su Family Ancestral Home. In front of everyone, they set down the picked Red Ganoderma, and their tightly strung nerves finally relaxed completely, all slumping into chairs together.
Seeing this scene, everyone couldn’t help but feel heartbroken, especially Su Ning and Luo Shuangshuang.
The two girls looked worse than each other, and Su Ning even felt guilty and upset because her arm was injured because of the Fu Family members.
“I’ll go make you something to eat!”
The look in Yan Bei’s eyes deepened, he took a breath, forcibly resisted the urge to step forward, and turned to go to the kitchen.
He quickly cooked a steaming bowl of noodles for the four of them, topped with a golden fried egg and a sprinkle of chopped green onions, then brought them out and handed them to each one by one.
The few who were truly starved didn’t stand on ceremony and all dove in to slurp the noodles.
They finished a big bowl of eggs and noodles along with the broth, and light finally returned to their eyes.
“It’s late today, Ning Yatou, you all should rest early tonight. We’ll talk about anything else tomorrow.”
After Yan Changrong spoke, he turned his gaze to the tightly wrapped Red Ganoderma on the table. “Xiao Qi, you sneak over to Old Liu with this while it’s dark.”
“Okay, Grandfather.”
Once Old Liu confirmed the Lingzhi Mushroom could be used, with the medicinal ingredient secured, they just needed to carefully wait.
“Doctor Ge, thank you for making this tiring trip. Should we start the treatment tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
Although he found it a bit strange what background this imposing-looking old man had, out of trust, Doctor Ge chose not to ask more.
He was just a rural Barefoot Doctor, there to treat an illness, and what did the mess in the cattle shed have to do with him?!
……
The next morning, Yan Bei, still puzzled, brought everyone good news.
After Old Man Liu’s confirmation, that Red Ganoderma met the conditions to serve as the medicinal ingredient. Both its age and freshness were sufficient, and they would start preparing the medicine that evening.
The other Fu Family members were all overjoyed, while Fu Rong himself unexpectedly remained calm, showing little emotion.
After breakfast, aside from Yan Bei and his grandfather and grandson who had to go to work, even Su Ning wasn’t as diligent and proactive as usual, choosing to stay and observe Teacher Ge performing acupuncture.
As one golden needle after another turned Fu Rong’s head into a hedgehog-like state, everyone who felt pain just looking at it stepped back a few paces together.
Ignoring their fussing, Doctor Ge twisted the last slender golden needle steadily into the acupoint, his forehead covered in dense fine sweat.
“Teacher.”
Su Ning thoughtfully wiped it clean for him with a handkerchief, glanced at the person with eyes closed—unclear if resting or asleep—and asked softly, “How many more times does it need?”
Shaking his head, Doctor Ge didn’t answer but instead asked back, “The Liu Lao you mentioned last night—is that Liu Wenbo?”
“Teacher, you know Old Man Liu too?”
“I know him, but he doesn’t know me.”
If it really was that Liu Wenbo skilled in prescriptions and treatment, then combined with his own acupuncture, the injury could indeed be cured.
If it were just him alone, while the intracranial blood stasis could be resolved, clearing and recovery wouldn’t have as much certainty.
“Acupuncture can be completed in two or three days, then it’ll depend on his herbal medicine conditioning for recovery.”
The others who had been openly eavesdropping perked up their ears and were instantly overjoyed, exchanging looks with eyes unconsciously moistening.
After watching Teacher Ge finish the acupuncture, the satisfied Su Ning didn’t choose to stay home waiting for further treatment. After greeting everyone, she headed out to the village health clinic.
Although already at the age of discussing marriage, Luo Shuangshuang still felt a bit uneasy around her future in-laws and went with her as usual, calling it practical learning.
Upon arriving at the health clinic and seeing the person squatting at the door, both had some surprise in their eyes.
“Doctor Su! You’re here?!”
Zhu Yuhua immediately looked up at the two shadows in front of her, and upon discovering the eagerly awaited arrivals, she revealed a shy smile.
“Elder Sister Zhu, what’s this?”
“I heard from villagers this morning that you were back, so I hurried over to wait. Um, the checkup you mentioned for my man—he’s done it.”
She pulled a crumpled, folded checkup report from her pants pocket.
“Let’s go inside first to talk.”
“Okay, sure.”
“Xi You…”
Luo Shuangshuang waved it off nonchalantly with a smile. “Ning Bao Gai, you tend to this elder sister first. I’ll clean up inside the room and the yard, don’t mind me ha~”
Seeing her get right to it, already picking up the bamboo broom leaning against the wall before the words were out, Su Ning turned back to Zhu Yuhua, who was rubbing her hands with a somewhat nervous expression. “Then Elder Sister Zhu, let’s go inside.”
They entered one after the other, opened the window a crack for ventilation, and only then did she somewhat headache-ily take the stack of checkup reports.
The results matched Zhu Yuhua’s own condition—most people nowadays were in a state of not having enough to eat or wear, and few weren’t anemic.
But for having a baby, logically it shouldn’t affect much.
“Doctor Su…”
“Elder Sister Zhu, can I ask why you suddenly thought to come to me for medicine to have a child?”
Rubbing her fingers, Zhu Yuhua smiled embarrassedly. “That day after my man and them sent that patient to your home, Doctor Su, I thought since others came specifically seeking treatment, I came with the idea of giving it a try…”
She swallowed, seeming to realize that sounded off—like treating a dead horse as a live one—and lowered her eyes, a faint sorrow and despair rising on her face.
Old Liao’s family was famously struggling with heirs in the surrounding villages, with only one only seedling per generation.
Looking at neighbors, which family didn’t have babies year after year? After years of marriage, how could the two of them not envy?
But they didn’t want many—just one only seedling like their ancestors would do. Why was even that one so stingy with them?
Village women who married around the same time—which one didn’t bring a string of radish heads back to her parental home on the second day of Lunar New Year?
Yet she always came with two big and no small ones, a full eleven years. If not for truly liking her man at home…
“Doctor Su, I know having a baby isn’t like other things. If you don’t have a secret recipe for babies, it’s fine, really fine!”
Saying it was fine, her eyes already held two pools of tears, the despair emanating from her heart even thicker.
She hadn’t held much hope anyway—just wanted to seize the opportunity, even if just a tiny bit, what if?
With that idea, over the years the couple had seen Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, even sought shamans and priests, and tried plenty of folk remedies.
But no was no. Maybe they really should accept fate, like her old woman said—pick a likable one to adopt so they wouldn’t truly become childless.
Unaware that Zhu Yuhua had thought so much in that moment, Su Ning looked at her increasingly dim eyes and sighed silently.
They say every woman who gives birth has one foot in the gates of hell, and plenty of mothers have died for their children. But given another chance to choose for the child, they would still plunge in without hesitation.
With death, no regrets.
She hadn’t been a mother yet, couldn’t experience that great emotion.
But she had a mother.
These words came from Xu Zixin, said to be Mom’s dying words. Not seeing her last moments was Maternal Grandfather and her life’s greatest regret.
Thinking of that mom who was perfect except for her poor eyesight in picking the wolf Xu Zixin, and the eight-month unborn younger brother.
Su Ning seemed to make a decision, lifted her head, and looked straight at her. “Elder Sister Zhu, the Su Family Ancestral Home does have a handed-down secret recipe for having children, but…”
“Really? Doctor Su!”
Zhu Yuhua suddenly looked up, her eyes bursting with unusually bright light, urgently asking.
“But what? Danger? I’m not afraid. Even if there’s any issue afterward, we absolutely won’t trouble Doctor Su. If you’re worried, we can do that statement note in advance.”
“Not that. This prescription is a bit unusual, different from other prescriptions. And if you really plan to try it, without my permission, you can’t give the medicine to anyone…”
“No problem! I guarantee! Oh right, I can write it down too!”
Zhu Yuhua was practically swearing to the heavens—as long as it gave her a baby, she’d do anything.
What’s more, protecting the secret recipe from leaking was only right?!
