Chapter Thirty-Nine News

  Zhen Shining returned to her ancestral home, where Qiu Ju and Xi Que were standing anxiously at the door. As soon as they saw her, Qiu Ju rushed up to her and asked in a flurry of questions, "I heard that Liu Er has contracted the plague? Is it true? Will Miss be infected? Will there be an outbreak here? Do we need to move?"

  But in less than half a day, the news of Liu Ergui's illness had spread throughout Wutong Town, scaring Xi Que and Qiu Ju out of their wits. If it weren't for Zhen Shi Niang's status, Qiu Ju would have gone to fetch him long ago.

  So, Xīquè still sent Qiūjú to sneak a peek at the pharmacy twice.

  "There's something...". Zhen Shi Niang's face turned serious, "Pack up tonight, we'll move out early tomorrow morning."

  "Really!" Qiujie suddenly stood up.

  "You...!" Zhen Shi Niang patted her head, "You're so gullible, don't you trust my medical skills?" Her tone was playful and teasing.

  Standing there for a long time, Qiu Ju finally came to her senses, discontentedly rubbing the back of her head, "Miss is always bullying people, and slaves are all being fooled by you." With her emotions rising and falling, Qiu Ju actually forgot to continue asking questions.

  Seeing Zhen Shining's calm face, with a hint of smile in her eyebrows and eyes, Jixiao's heart that had been hanging for a day also put down, knowing that Zhen Shining was not willing to talk about the diagnosis, so she didn't ask again.

  Although it wasn't physically demanding work, after a day of fussing about, Zhen Shining still felt extremely tired. After dinner, she told Jian Weng and Jian Wu half the story before falling asleep.

  No words were exchanged that night. The next morning, I woke up early and couldn't help but think of Liu Ergui's illness, so I sent Qiuju to Rui Xiang Medicine Shop.

  Qiuju quickly returned, saying, “... Li Shu said that after you left yesterday, the Liu family left soon after. Don't worry, they paid for the medical expenses and room fees.” Remembering something, she chuckled and continued, “I heard that you left a prescription, and last night people started buying medicine one after another. Today, as soon as Rui Xiang opened its doors, there was already a line of people two miles long outside, all of whom were afraid of contracting the plague and wanted to buy medicine for prevention. Li Zhanggui went out early this morning to purchase medicinal herbs... I stood there for a while and heard that some people were specifically asking where you lived, wanting to invite you to diagnose their illnesses at a high price.” With a joyful expression, she looked at Zhen Shiniang, “This time, Miss's reputation has been thoroughly spread!” Remembering that Zhen Shiniang's body couldn't withstand hard work and that they wouldn't be able to earn much silver, Qiuju suddenly stopped speaking.

  Zhen Shiniang was somewhat absent-minded and didn't notice the unusual color of the chrysanthemum.

  Although they also understand medicine, they hope that people who go to Rui Xiang for medical treatment can cure their diseases, but Li Qi and his wife are purely businessmen. As long as they make a profit, everything is fine. Whether the patient recovers or not, and what happens afterwards, has nothing to do with them.

  Unless they come knocking on our door.

  But this time it's different, Liu Ergui got the plague. Although she said confidently in front of people that the disease would not break out on a large scale in the deep autumn season, this is ancient times, and the sanitary and medical conditions are limited. Many things are not under her control, and she dare not guarantee that there will be no accidents.

  It's not afraid of ten thousand, just afraid of one in ten thousand. Once an accident occurs, Wutong Town will face a devastating disaster.

  By then, she had become an eternal sinner!

  She hesitated for half a day, and Zhen Shining had the intention of letting Qiuju go and deliver a message, asking Li Qi to go to Liu Mazi's house to see the condition of Liu Ergui. However, she remembered the standoff between the two families yesterday and swallowed her words again. After all, this was not modern times, hospitals have follow-up systems for patients' conditions and revisit them, but in ancient times, as long as the patient did not come to the door, the pharmacy would never take the initiative to visit and ask questions. If she let Li Qi go see Liu Ergui, he would definitely think of her as an oddity.

  Otherwise, she might have thought he had fallen in love with her.

  A widow's door is prone to gossip, and Liu Ergui is after all a big man of similar age to her. If she shows even a little concern, she will be misunderstood by others and spread indecent rumors.

  The evil old society!

  In the past five years, Zhen Shiniang has also integrated into this era, but every time she encounters such a helpless thing, she still curses in her heart and sighs softly. Zhen Shiniang ordered Qiuju to carefully listen to the outside news and pay attention to whether there are similar cases.

  Winter is approaching, there's no major work to be done, and Zhen Shiniang feels lethargic all over again. She finds a medical book and reads it leaning on the kang.

  Before you know it, a day has passed.

  On the third day, early in the morning, Zhen Shi Niang was hesitating whether to let Qiu Ju go to Rui Xiang medicine shop again, when Li Qi's wife came in with two pairs of deer antlers, beaming with joy.

  Just as she was dozing off, the pillow arrived. Seeing that it was her, Zhen Shiniang was extremely excited, but her face remained expressionless. "...Sister-in-law has arrived." She put down her book and instructed Qiuju to "Quickly pour water for Sister Li."

  "...Ah Yu really has a good fortune." Seeing Zhen Shining lying leisurely on the kang reading a book, Li Qizhi's wife looked at the book she had just put down with envy.

  Those who can recognize characters and understand the text are different.

  Looking at Zhen Shining's calm and quiet demeanor, thinking of the people in the town who were so resentful that they couldn't dig three feet into the ground to find this elusive but divine doctor, Li Qizhi's expression became even more envious.

  "What's the use of having good fortune when one's body is no longer capable... it's all just a hassle now..." Zhen Shi Niang sighed and shook her head, "There's a pile of chores waiting at home, look, Qiu Ju brought back some cabbage the other day, I've been staring at it but didn't feel like moving, it's still sitting in the courtyard, not even pickled yet..."

  Zhen Shiniang was a northerner in her previous life, she liked to eat sauerkraut, and every winter she would pickle two large jars. In the past, there were magpies helping her, but this year the magpie is pregnant, Zhen Shiniang's body is so soft that she can't even hold a needle, and she has been worried about the pile of white vegetables in the courtyard.

  "You should take good care of yourself, look at your pale face, it's almost like a dead person! Li Qizhen's wife was originally straightforward and quick-witted, she nodded after hearing this, "I know it's not easy for you to raise two children on your own, you want to save some money for them, but if you don't take care of yourself, how can you enjoy life? So, taking care of your body is the most important thing!" Pointing at the pile of white cabbage in the courtyard, "Don't worry about that either, I'll come over tomorrow and help you pickle it." Smacking her lips, "And let me tell you, your pickled vegetables are really delicious, my family loves to eat them, as soon as autumn arrives, they start asking me to buy white cabbage for pickling... Ha ha, I'll come over tomorrow to learn from you..."

  Every year after the sauerkraut is pickled, Zhen Shiniang would send some to each household. After Li Qizhi's wife finished eating, she would bring a large basin again to ask for more.

  "I'm worried that Joy's body is getting heavier and can't do this kind of work anymore..." Seeing her words were true, Zhen Shiniang smiled and nodded, "Alright then, I don't have any wages to give you."

  "How can that be?" Li Qizhen's wife joked, "If you shortchange me on my wages, during the New Year I'll bring a big basin to your place and scoop up some sour vegetables to eat."

  Qiu Ju covered her mouth and giggled.

  Everyone laughed, and thinking of Liu Ergui's illness, Zhen Shiniang asked, "...... Early in the morning, the medicine shop hasn't opened yet, what are you doing here chatting idly?" Her eyes fell on the deer velvet that Li Qizhi's wife had just put down. "What is this for?"

  "Thanks to you, we're not idle!" Li Qi's eyes and eyebrows were all smiles. "These two days, the pharmacy has been busy with its feet stepping on its own back." He reached out and took a deer velvet, "This is, received someone's request, specially came to deliver tonic medicine for you."

  "Bribe?" Zhen Shi Niang frowned, taking the deer velvet from him. "I'm not an official, I have no power or influence, who would bribe me?"

  "She's Liu Ma Zi's daughter-in-law, and she came to the pharmacy with Liu Er Gui early this morning looking for you..."

  Zhen Shi Niang sat up straight and said, "How..."