The Spirited Daughter-in-law and the Mountain Man

Having received the payment, Sun Changde handed him two packages of medicine, “Decoct it using five bowls of water into one. Take one dose today and another tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Xiao Yishan, seeing him taking the money directly, said, “Doctor Sun, aren’t you going to count? A tael of silver is eight hundred copper coins, just in case it’s not enough…

“I know your character, Xiao Yishan, so, I won’t count it,” Sun Changde tidied his medicine box and glanced at the swollen body of Yuchuan, his face so swollen that it was hard to recognize. “Yuchuan, your injuries aren’t light either, do you want me to examine you?”

Xiao Yuchuan hurriedly waved his hand, “I don’t need it.”

Sun Changde knew the Xiao family was very poor. The most Xiao Yishan could probably earn from hunting during the daytime was one tael of silver. The Xiao family didn’t have much money left.

After thinking, he took a small bamboo tube out from his medicine box. The opening on one end of the bamboo tube was stuffed with cloth. “Chuan, here. This is a wound healing medicine, and it’s not premium, not worth much money. Just use it for external application. I’m giving this to you.”

Xiao Yuchuan didn’t accept it, “You keep it. It’s not easy for you to collect medicinal herbs in the deep mountains and sell it for money. I’m young and will automatically recover in a few days.”

“Alright then.” Sun Changde put the bamboo tube back into his medicine box. Wushan Village was a big village with too many poor households. He had been a doctor for several decades and was used to witnessing the realities of birth, aging, sickness, and death. There were too many people he wanted to help, but he was powerless to do so.

Carrying his medicine box, he walked outside, “Oh, and remember, for the next ten days and a half month, don’t let your wife do anything. The beating she received in town nearly took her life. She shouldn’t do any hard work.” “Yes,” Xiao Yishan and Yuchuan responded simultaneously.

Yuchuan called out, “Doctor Sun, it’s dark outside, walk slowly.”

“It’s all right.” With decades of frequent nighttime visits, he was used to walking in darkness.

“Second Brother, I’ll go decoct the medicine for my wife.” In the house, Xiao Yuchuan took the medicine bag and headed for the kitchen.

Xiao Yishan adjusted the bedding for Su Qingyue. His tough face filled with guilt, “Wife, I was wrong. You were stealing the steamed bun in town, and I shouldn’t have stood by and watched you being beaten like this… If I had intervened earlier, your injury wouldn’t have been this serious.”

What he didn’t know was, if he had intervened sooner, the original owner of Su Qingyue’s body would not have died.

Looking at her closed eyes, his cold voice was filled with unease. “Qingyue, your second brother stood there watching as you were beaten in the town, do you hate me? You must blame me.”

After giving it some thought, he sighed deeply, “I don’t know why, but I was so angry that you stole eight taels of silver and ran away. I felt it would be better for you to just die like that. But after the steamed bun stall owner thought you were breathless, and then you opened your eyes again, I don’t know why but my feelings towards you changed. Qingyue, my wife… get better soon. Your second brother will cherish and love you, and I won’t let you be bullied anymore.”

Su Qingyue was in a deep sleep, oblivious to the man pitying her in her dreams.

When Xiao Yuchuan brought the bowl of decocted medicine in, he said, “Second Brother, let me feed her the medicine. It’s not convenient for her to be lying down. Help her sit up.”

Xiao Yishan helped Su Qingyue sit up in the bedding, tilting her little head on his sturdy shoulder. He wrapped his strong arm around her waist. He only felt her body was so thin and frail that it tugged at his heartstrings

With one hand holding the medicine bowl, Yuchuan scooped up a spoonful of the medicine liquid to her lips. “Wife, open your mouth..”