Chapter 127: Looking After
The two teachers wanted to lift Xiao Yanci, but still couldn’t lift him.
While Su Yaoguang supported Zhou Wangshu and walked inside, she turned back and glanced at Xiao Yanci.
Xiao Yanci’s gaze lingered on Su Yaoguang’s body, his eyes full of anger.
Su Yaoguang rolled her eyes and muttered, “Sure enough, he’s sick.”
But this wasn’t strange. If he weren’t sick, he wouldn’t have taken a liking to Jiang Yihuan. Could one expect the brain of such an ungrateful and despicable man to be normal?
“Were you doing that on purpose just now?” Su Yaoguang leaned close to Zhou Wangshu’s ear and asked.
Zhou Wangshu scratched his ear and said, “What do you mean on purpose? I was so dizzy just now, everything in front of me was blurry. Luckily you came, otherwise I definitely would have fainted.”
Su Yaoguang looked at him with suspicious eyes.
Zhou Wangshu’s eyes were too clear and too innocent, completely harmless like a fawn when he looked over.
“I’ll believe you for now.”
“You stepped on him, and it hurt your heart?” Zhou Wangshu asked.
“I’ll add another dose of medicine for you later; you’re sick too.” Su Yaoguang said with a face full of disgust, “Am I crazy or stupid to feel sorry for that kind of man? Ugh…”
Su Yaoguang stood at the window looking outside and saw that the two teachers couldn’t lift Xiao Yanci, so they called two more people over before finally carrying him away.
“The situation at the academy isn’t looking good; we can’t wait any longer for the county office to test out the prescription. I see Zhou Wangshu’s condition is pretty good, so why don’t we just use that medicine for the scholars to take!”
“I think it’s feasible. Not to mention anything else, at least it won’t kill anyone; Zhou Wangshu is the best proof.”
Several teachers were discussing this matter. The headmaster wasn’t there, and in the academy, apart from the sick scholars and sick shop assistants, everyone else had run away. These teachers also wanted to run, but as teachers, they also needed to save face. If they ruined their reputation because of fearing death, after this matter ended, they wouldn’t have the face to stay here and continue teaching.
Seeing that Zhou Wangshu’s condition was good, Su Yaoguang made him braised pork ribs, fish head tofu soup, stir-fried celery with wood ear mushrooms, stir-fried chives with egg, and for the remaining fish, she made it into clear steamed style; the aroma was overwhelming.
Zhou Wangshu looked at the delicious food on the table, swallowing saliva nonstop.
“Where did you get these things from?” Zhou Wangshu said.
“You know there’s a dog hole in the east wall of the academy, right? I saw a few children passing by, so I had them get some fish for me, and I exchanged grain with them.”
“Is our grain enough?”
“There are just two of us; Jing’er packed enough grain for us to eat for a month. If it’s not enough, Jing’er will find a way to send more over; no need to worry.” Su Yaoguang said, “You were so seriously ill recently that you couldn’t eat anything at all. Now that you’ve finally recovered some energy, you need to nourish yourself well.”
As Su Yaoguang spoke, she pinched his cheek: “You’re so thin you’ve only got a layer of skin left. You were already skinny enough, and now you’re as thin as a bamboo pole. You don’t look good like this; I need to fatten you up.”
Zhou Wangshu’s appetite had indeed recovered quite a bit. For some reason, seeing Xiao Yanci’s miserable state made him hungrier the more he thought about it, and he ate even more until Su Yaoguang stopped him.
“Since you’ve recovered some strength, walk around in the room; don’t lie down right after eating.” Su Yaoguang said as she cleared away the remaining meal. “Next time I can’t make so many dishes; we two can’t finish them, it’s a bit wasteful. You don’t know, after this rain, grain can’t be transported in, and the rice in the outside rice shops has risen to one hundred copper coins per catty; that cornmeal and sorghum flour used to sell for three coins, now it’s fifty copper coins.”
Zhou Wangshu frowned: “Making money off this natural disaster, don’t they feel ashamed?”
“They don’t care about that; they only know this money is easy to make and can make them rich.” Su Yaoguang said, “I’ve instructed Jing’er that if the county office accepts her prescription, then hand over the grain we’ve stored to the county office for handling too. The county magistrate is a good official and won’t let us common people suffer a loss; he’ll always give us our capital back. At that time, those who’ve received our merit will know about our Peach Blossom Workshop.”
Such great merit, of course she wouldn’t do it silently without anyone knowing; she’s not a Bodhisattva reincarnated. Merit can be done, but this good reputation must also be spread.
“When I saw you storing grain before, I knew it wasn’t just for your own family to eat. If it was for family, you wouldn’t need to store so much; that amount could open a grain shop.”
“I just want to sell a favor to the county magistrate. We ordinary people doing business, it’s always right to have good relations with the government office. In the county magistrate’s territory, if there’s a problem, he can take care of us a bit.”
“If the county magistrate asks about you, what will you say?”
“I want to open a grain shop; is there a problem with storing more grain?” Su Yaoguang said, “The county magistrate won’t be so tactless. He’s gotten benefits and the people’s hearts; would he still question the person who gave him the opportunity?”
Wang Fuzi’s voice came from outside: “Young lady Su, I wonder if it’s convenient to come in?”
“Please come in.”
Wang Fuzi pushed the door open and came in, smelling the lingering aroma in the air, looking at Zhou Wangshu with envious eyes.
This boy is fortunate.
He had felt sorry for him when he heard about his situation before. But now it seemed that this boy was the most fortunate one.
“Young lady Su, it’s like this: there’s really no one left at the academy. I wonder if you could help out and make some meals for those scholars, and deliver the meals too?” Wang Fuzi bowed.
Su Yaoguang: “…”
Although she wanted to be a bodhisattva-hearted person, she didn’t look like a living bodhisattva!
“Sorry, men and women should not touch casually. I’m taking care of Wangshu because we are husband and wife. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to take care of other scholars.” Su Yaoguang said, “You can hire someone from outside.”
“That’s not possible. Things are a complete mess outside right now, and everyone is too busy taking care of themselves. No one is willing to risk coming to take care of patients. Young lady Su has never left the academy, so she doesn’t know how chaotic it is outside.”
“From Teacher Wang’s meaning, I can come and go freely?”
“Of course. Before, we were worried the illness outside would spread into the academy. Now the academy is full of patients, so there’s nothing to worry about. You can come and go as you please.”
“Then I want to take Wangshu away.” Su Yaoguang said, “I want to take him home to recuperate.”
“That’s not possible.” Teacher Wang refused, “Zhou Wangshu’s symptoms have indeed improved a bit, but no one can guarantee it won’t relapse later. Besides, if your family hasn’t been infected, bringing a patient back would increase the risk of others getting infected, right? Even if you place him in a separate room in the house and don’t let others see him, you still have to contact him, and your family contacts you, so there’s ultimately a risk of getting sick. The academy’s meaning is that you can come and go to procure things, but you cannot take Zhou Wangshu away.”
Su Yaoguang: “……Fine, we won’t leave. But sorry, I really don’t have the energy to take care of others. The academy can hire brave men with heavy rewards; there are always people in the world willing to risk for money.”
