Chapter 40:
Li Sanmao looked back every few steps, limping as he glanced at her before going out.
The people nearby, especially that old man clutching his stomach, were a bit confused and dazed seeing them so clingy…
What’s the situation? The man looks fine, but… he’s a cripple! Understandable, probably couldn’t marry a wife, that’s why he’s so useless…
It really is a case of turtle matching mung bean, they’ve hit it off.
Who dares to compete? Afraid of getting bullied?
They’re the ones afraid of getting bullied, afraid she’ll cut in line, or pull off a carp leaping over the dragon gate… tsk!
Some women grumbled that their own men weren’t affectionate! Look at them…
Li Sanmao went out, Luo Zhi’er looked around with her eyes, with this crowd, who knows when it’ll be her turn…
Seeing the waiter from earlier pass by, her eyes rolled… she quickly grabbed him and said: “Young brother, let me ask something, does your apothecary accept herbs?”
The waiter sized her up and down: “This fat sister-in-law, are you here to sell herbs? Aren’t you here for a consultation…”
Luo Zhi’er was speechless, you sure meddle a lot, is fat now her nickname…
Being fat didn’t eat your family’s rice!
Earlier Chef Li called her ignorant fat woman, fine, but you too…
“Hehe! Yes, also for a consultation, it’s just that waiting in line is boring so I asked, but I see you’re all very busy here… I don’t know if there’s someone specifically in charge of receiving?”
Fawning tone!
Humph! If not for seeing him as a guardian of the white-clothed angel, she’d want to smack him with an iron ladle right now…
The waiter saw her fat, her eyes narrowed menacingly into slits…
“Then you came at the wrong time, the young man in charge of receiving herbs comes tomorrow, we have dedicated staff for it, today’s herb warehouse doors are all locked.”
“We receive on the 1st, 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th of every month, other times to reduce the apothecary’s crowd burden, we don’t receive!”
“Ah, so that’s how it is…”
“Heavens, if I’d known I wouldn’t have come…”
Eyes drooping…
“Mm, where are you from? How come you don’t even know this?”, the waiter saw her chubby and silly-looking, could she be so fat she’s dumb?
“First time coming, indeed not very clear… Waiter, look at my build, not like others, I live in Zhao Li Village which is far, have to walk home later, can I see the doctor a bit earlier?”
In the modern era aren’t there special channels?
The further in the line, the more suffocating it felt…
The waiter gave her a disdainful look, “Reminding you, if you keep getting fatter like this, it won’t be good for you!”
After speaking, he was called away by someone, spinning like a top as he busied off!
Before leaving, he deliberately shouted loudly at her: “Also, you fat lump, don’t even think of cutting in line, wait properly!”
Luo Zhi’er rolled her eyes, so she seems like a line-cutter who doesn’t follow rules? “Sigh, waiter I didn’t mean that!”
Stomped her feet, but they had no time for her, her appearance caused plenty of misunderstandings, speechless, she silently watched him go…
“Sigh, don’t move, the more you move the more it hurts, don’t you know your own tonnage? Standing here with you the ground shakes three times!”
The old man clutching his stomach earlier said with a face full of worry, Luo Zhi’er instantly felt he deserved a beating too…
“Oh!”
If not for seeing his face twisted in real pain, she’d make him pay!
Automatically moved a bit further from him.
A bit depressed, the further in she went, her body squeezed tightly in the middle, couldn’t go anywhere, had to keep waiting, hot enough that she clutched her chest taking big breaths…
Fanned herself, while waiting her eyes scanned over the people inside the apothecary one by one…
Those coming for consultations were all common folk, those with money probably all call doctors to their homes.
Why endure this hardship?
Still better to have silver!
“Wah! Wah! Wah!”
At that moment, a piercing cry from a little child sounded behind her.
Looking back, a woman of seventeen or eighteen was holding a little bundle standing behind her in line!
“Eh, little bundle, how’d you end up suffering here too?”
Hadn’t noticed earlier.
“An Ge’er be good, don’t cry don’t cry, we’ll see the doctor grandpa soon!”
The woman didn’t hear her say anything, just focused on soothing the baby.
The little bundle cried even harder, face red and neck thick with anger, eyelids flipping up as if about to faint, the woman anxious with sweat pouring, nearly crying too…
“Isn’t he hungry? Try feeding him some milk?”
The surrounding people squeezed sticky and huhu, noisy, hearing the little child cry everyone got irritated too…
“Sigh, where do I have milk, only rice water, didn’t bring it out here!” The woman took out her water to wet his lips…
The baby still cried nonstop…
“Did she poop? Or pee?”
“I checked, no… maybe body uncomfortable… but still have to wait in line…”
“Can’t keep making this noise! I had stomach pain, now headache! How do you even mother?”
Her mother-in-law behind her also started cursing her:
“If something happens to my family’s An Ge’er, just you wait… you jinx can’t even care for a child, no milk… how do you mother… my precious grandson.”
Luo Zhi’er frowned, carefully looked at the little bundle, his eyes bulging like transparent glass balls?
She didn’t want to butt in, but couldn’t hold back, that little bundle’s crying really tugged at the heart…
“Little sister, the treasure is crying so hard, isn’t it because he’s dressed too thick?”
The woman heard the person in front blaming her again, tears swirling wildly in her eyes, she was more anxious than anyone.
“What’s it to you? You woman know what? Dressed thick? What if my precious grandson catches a cold?”
The old woman grumbled.
Hit her sore spot, these clothes were forced on by her…
“This lady, thanks for your kind heart, my mother-in-law is right, my child catches cold easily… I’m scared too…”
“Blame me for no milk so the child lacks nutrition, causing An Ge’er to fall sick every few days.”
“Little sister, now’s not the time for that, look how red his face is, still wrapped in such a thick cotton quilt, hat on, diapered, you’re smothering him.”
“Look at me, so fat dressed so thin, hot can’t breathe, he must be hot too…”
Luo Zhi’er thought of the modern era, went with classmate to her home and saw her sister.
Her sister’s baby was this big too, also afraid of heat, got heat rash, daily powdered, butt still got rotten!
The woman saw Luo Zhi’er fat and serious-faced, eyes showing worry!
Earlier standing in front she’d grumbled her body wide blocking the way, this fat lady has a good heart!
“This…”
She’d suspected too, she had no experience but her mother-in-law wouldn’t allow…
“Is that so?”
The old woman spat hard at her, “You dead fatty, go away, who asked you? Are you a doctor?”
“Our family treasure, I dressed him, so what? Would I harm him?”
“His father as a child I raised the same way… you know nothing don’t harm people…”
The old woman immediately grumbled discontentedly, she couldn’t accept others criticizing her child-rearing ways.
She’d birthed six, three daughters survived, one son, only this one with a little bird.
Grown under her careful meticulous care…
The woman full of worry…
Her husband was the only child, finally pregnant, birthed An Ge’er, mother-in-law always interfering.
Making her man like a giant baby, at home hands-off boss, she had to manage this and that…
Miserly too, wouldn’t give her family’s good things to eat, she did housework, made sachets to sell, no milk…
Sick, thin, crying all her fault…
“Say, did you not birth a boy, jealous I have a grandson?”
Sized her up and down: “Look at your build, couldn’t birth one either…!”
Luo Zhi’er’s face went cold, this old lady getting more outrageous.
Her cold face, with all that flesh, still pretty scary,
“Big aunt, you’re overthinking, so what if it’s a boy?”
“Humph! To me my family’s daughters are the world’s best treasures, I just saw he was nearly suffocating, that’s why I said it.”
“If you want him to keep crying and have problems, dress him like that!”
The old woman swallowed saliva, muttered, “All talk, girls how can match boys?”
“Mm?”
Rolled up her sleeves, looked faintly at her, chill instantly covering her body.
That look as if whoever badmouths her daughter she’d toss them like a rag on the ground!
The old woman saw she wasn’t to be trifled with, didn’t dare say more!
At this time, Luo Zhi’er suddenly saw the bundle howling with face blue-purple, mouth wide, eyes bulging huge, startled,
“Oh no…”
“Waiter come quick look, is this little child about to faint…”
Her shouting drew everyone’s attention, the waiter saw, “You again fat lady? What’s it now?”
Still hurriedly dropped his work, ran over quick, “Make way, folks don’t crowd so close? Let me see…”
After all an apothecary employee, apprentice.
Had some real skill…
The waiter came over first had them clear an open space, laid the little quilt flat on the ground…
First felt his head, opened the chest clothing, uncovered the diaper and looked, expression darkening,
“You as his mother, how’d you dress him so thick?”
“Look his body’s all rash, bottom rotten how still diaper him, how painful for him?”
“Smothered all day like this, no illness would be smothered out!”
“Hehe, no can do waiter, my family’s An Ge’er has different constitution from other kids, so small what if catches cold?”
“He sweats a lot like this, wouldn’t catch cold from wind? Ignorant!”
“If you do this, don’t come to our apothecary, if problem arises you’ll blame us again!”
The old woman scolded silent!
The waiter undid the cloth belt around the baby’s waist, exposed his chest, took off several jackets, hat off, diaper removed too!
“Look, red like this, how’s he not crying? Later when he pees, get a vessel to catch it!”
“Eh! Eh!”
The woman full of embarrassment, especially that big lady didn’t dare speak again…
