Chapter 21: Doctor

Sun was carried in by Liu Si from next door, followed by Old Zhou with a grim-faced and Wang with red, tearful eyes. 

A crowd of people trailed behind them.

Wang was crying hysterically, "Mother-in-law, oh my poor mother-in-law. Two sons at home refuse to work the fields, forcing their old parents to do it instead, what sin have we committed? Oh, my poor mother-in-law."

Wang cried all the way into the courtyard.

Zhou Huailin saw Sun being carried in, his face turned pale with fright, and he quickly rushed over to take Sun from Liu Si and carried her into the main room.

Wang stood in the courtyard, crying and cursing, pointing at Zhou Qing, "Are you satisfied now? Making trouble every day, and now your grandmother is like this. Are you happy? What are you up to, urging your father and third uncle not to work, forcing your grandparents to work instead?"

As Wang cried and cursed, the villagers who had come along began to mutter among themselves.

"That's right, I’ve never heard of such a thing, forcing the elderly work while the sons do nothing."

"Truly unfilial. If my son did this, I’d break his legs."

"Huaishan used to be so honest, how could he do something so heartless?"

...

Hearing the accusations and seeing Wang’s dramatic outburst, Zhou Qing frowned.

"Aunt, even though my father isn’t working in the fields, he gave grandfather a hundred copper coins to hire someone for three days. Why didn’t grandfather hire anyone? Did the money go to the first branch?"

The onlookers were shocked...

"What? Huaishan gave money?"

"I knew it, Huaishan isn’t unfilial. See, he gave money to hire help."

"Why didn’t they hire anyone then?"

Seeing the tide turning, Wang shouted, "Everyone, judge for yourselves. What kind of girl wanders around outside all day? Is there some wild man bewitching you, making you never stay home? And when you do come home, you’re always causing trouble."

It was no secret that Zhou Qing followed Cheng Wu to town to find work. 

But when Wang put it this way.

After all, Wang was Zhou Qing’s aunt.

Could it be that Zhou Qing was really...

Listening to Wang’s malicious words, Zhou Qing sensed something fishy about Sun’s fainting.

From the field to home, it wasn’t a short distance. First uncle should have known by now, so why wasn’t he here?

And if Grandma was sick, why wasn’t anyone rushing to get a doctor? Why was Wang focused on scolding her?

With these thoughts, Zhou Qing headed towards the door.

"Where are you going, you ungrateful girl? Your grandmother is on the brink of death, and you’re still running off? Do you have no conscience?"

Wang shouted as Zhou Qing walked out.

"Is there really some man bewitching you out there?"

"I’m going to find uncle. With Grandma fainting like this, what’s keeping him? Why isn’t he back yet?"

Zhou Qing responded loudly and walked out.

The onlookers...

Right, why wasn’t the eldest son here?

What was he doing?

Didn’t someone go to inform him?

Why wasn’t he hurrying back?

"Come back here! Your uncle doesn’t need you to find him. Your grandmother is on her deathbed, and you’re just looking for an excuse to run out. Who knows if you’re really looking for your uncle or some wild man? Shame on you."

Zhou Qing ignored Wang’s vile words and went straight to the clan leader’s house.

After Zhou Qing left, Wang cursed a few more times before turning to enter the main room.

Sun lay on the kang with her eyes closed, moaning in pain, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed.

Wang threw herself on Sun.

"Oh, my dear mother, you must be okay."

Old Zhou sat with a dark expression in a corner, holding a tobacco pipe, fidgeting with the cord wrapped around it.

"Father, we should get a doctor. Mother can’t just be left like this." Zhou Huailin, standing by Sun’s side, was worried sick.

Wang turned and glared hatefully at Zhou Huailin.

"You’ve got some nerve. If you hadn't been fooling around with Qing, would mother have collapsed? Why did she collapse? Because she was working the fields for you."

Zhou Huailin looked at Sun’s condition and felt a pang of guilt.

Zhou Ping, standing next to Zhou Huailin, looked up at Wang, "How is it for my father? The grain harvested from his fields and sold for silver, wasn’t it all given to you?"

Wang glared at Zhou Ping, "Such a young age and already learning to defy elders like Qing? Look at your big brother, why can’t you be like him?"

Zhou Ping replied, "I want to, but Grandpa won’t let me study. How can I be like big brother?"

Wang was at a loss for words and started wailing again.

At this moment, Zhou Huaihai rushed in from outside.

"What happened to mother? Mother, are you alright?"

As soon as he entered, he spouted words of concern for Sun but aimed a punch directly at Zhou Huailin’s face.

With a bang, Zhou Huailin, caught off guard, almost fell backward.

Zhou Huaihai, his face flushed with anger, yelled, "Are you satisfied now? Look at what you’ve done to this family! Mother is lying on the kang because of you. Are you happy now?"

Zhou Huailin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said to Old Zhou, "Father, let’s get a doctor. I’ll go right now."

Zhou Huaihai grabbed Zhou Huailin.

"Calling a doctor won’t fix everything. If you keep following Qing’s nonsense, can mother’s health stand it? If you hadn’t refused to work the fields, would she be like this? Forget calling a doctor, I think breaking your legs would be more useful, you unfilial son."

Just as Zhou Huaihai was scolding, Zhou Qing’s voice came from outside.

"Please come in."

Everyone inside was stunned.

Zhou Ping ran out immediately.

Zhou Qing led the doctor from the clan elder’s house into the main room.

When she arrived at the clan elder’s house, the doctor had just finished treating the elder’s wife and was about to leave.

Right place, right time.

This doctor was from the medicinal hall in town, known throughout the surrounding villages.

As soon as the doctor entered, Wang and Zhou Huaihai exchanged glances.

Zhou Huaihai grabbed Zhou Qing’s arm, "Qing, what are you doing?"

Zhou Qing, looking puzzled, shook off Zhou Huaihai.

"Grandmother is sick, so I brought a doctor. He was at third grandpa’s house, how convenient. Why are you yelling at me, Uncle? Grandmother is so ill, will scolding me and third uncle make her better? If people didn’t know better, they’d think she was faking it."

Zhou Huaihai’s face darkened immediately.

"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting."

He raised his hand to slap Zhou Qing, but it was caught by Zhou Huaishan, who had just entered.

"Mother is sick, and my daughter brought a doctor. What’s the problem with that?" Zhou Huaishan stood by the door, glaring at Zhou Huaihai, "Why don’t you want the doctor to treat her?"

The doctor stood by, looking at Old Zhou, "The consultation fee has been paid. Shall I examine the patient?"

Old Zhou’s face twitched.

Before he could respond, Zhou Qing directed the doctor to Sun, "Please, examine her."