Chapter 46 Moved by Heaven, Rouge Saves a Life

"Uncle Wang, are you alright?"

Li Xian helped Wang Yonghou up and brushed the sand and snow off his body. Wang Yonghou, supporting his back, howled in pain, his face covered in bruises.

When he discovered a large hole in his clothes, his heart ached as if it were bleeding. He would rather take a few more punches than have such a large hole in his body.

"It's nothing, Li...Li Xian, thank you so much."

"I knew you were capable. Your martial arts skills just now were really impressive."

"You really helped me get revenge, thank you so much."

As he spoke, Wang Yonghou suddenly realized something and quickly said, "Um... I haven't chopped any firewood yet, could you... could you let Uncle Wang off this time?"

"I won't hit you, otherwise Aunt Liu will scold me to death," Li Xian said with a smile.

Wang Yonghou then relaxed, and the two returned to Qingning County together, traveling together as companions.

"Your greatest strength is that you never forget your roots."

Wang Yonghou remarked that Li Xian, seeing him limping and struggling to walk, bent down and helped him twist his ankle. After the procedure, although he was still in pain, walking was no longer a problem.

"Those bastards, they really went all out."

"If you hadn't come, I might have really died here."

Wang Yonghou gasped.

Li Xian asked, "Uncle Wang, why are you stealing firewood? Don't you know it's dangerous?"

"Alas..." Wang Yonghou sighed, "What can I do?"

"Your Aunt Liu fell ill a few days ago, with a high fever that wouldn't go down for several days. The doctor said that if she couldn't afford medicine, she should at least make sure she didn't catch a cold."

"Only in this way can things possibly improve."

"That doctor is talking nonsense. In the dead of winter, who can stay warm? Let that old hag freeze to death, damn it."

"I'm not going to care anymore, I'm not going to care anymore."

As she spoke, she began to sob, wiping her tears with her sleeve. Seeing the footprints on her clothes, she felt even more distressed.

Swallow all the sour and bitter flavors.

It all turned into a soft sigh.

"Is Aunt Liu sick?" Li Xian frowned.

At this time of year, ordinary people can't afford to get sick. Young and strong people are better off and might be able to pull through.

As people get older, their illnesses can worsen and eventually lead to death.

"Is it any wonder you got sick from that freak wind a few days ago?" Wang Yonghou cursed. "You old hag, why did you have to get sick now of all times?"

"You made me get beaten up for nothing."

Li Xian, however, could see that the couple were actually very loving. Wang Yonghou grumbled and cursed, but he still ran more than ten miles to steal firewood for Aunt Liu.

Unfortunately, they were unlucky and were caught.

Li Xian told Wang Yonghou that he was going that way anyway and asked him to go with him to visit Aunt Liu, and Wang Yonghou agreed.

Inside Louping Alley.

"You wretched woman, I'm back! Don't die of illness!" Wang Yonghou shouted several times.

A soft cough came from inside the house. "You bastard, you're going to curse me to death!" Aunt Liu cursed weakly.

Wang Yonghou gently opened the door a crack, almost "squeezing" into the room to avoid letting in the cold wind. But the room was already freezing cold, so what good did that do?

Li Xian also "drilled" into the house.

"Oh, is it Little Fairy?" Aunt Liu was taken aback, and quickly added, "Don't get too close to me, or you'll catch it, that wouldn't be good."

"Your Xiaofan went to take the winter exams a while ago. Who knows, he might be very successful when he comes back."

Aunt Liu said with a smile.

Li Xian was somewhat distressed. After their father committed suicide due to gambling debts, the two brothers had been relying on each other for survival, thanks in part to the help of Aunt Liu.

Putting everything else aside, just the fact that I borrowed the stove is a great favor.

Every time the two brothers came to borrow the stove, Wang Yonghou would curse and grumble, while Aunt Liu would take it upon herself to lend it to them.

"Aunt Liu, are you feeling any better?" Li Xian asked, getting closer.

"Sigh, this illness..." Aunt Liu said, "Whether it can be cured or not is uncertain."

"Shut up, you stinking woman!" Wang Yonghou cursed.

"Aunt Liu, what did the doctor say?" Li Xian touched her forehead to check her temperature and found that her palm was very hot, indicating a high fever.

"The doctor said I have a cold-related illness, and if I had money, a few doses of herbal decoction would help. But where would I get the money?"

"Moreover, those doctors are very unscrupulous, saying that it's not good to collect herbs in winter because the herbs are expensive."

As Aunt Liu was speaking, she suddenly noticed the bruises on Wang Yonghou's face and immediately sat up straight. "You old bastard, you got beaten up?"

"No...no..." Wang Yonghou shrank his neck.

"Did you go to steal firewood?" Aunt Liu frowned, her ailing body still bearing a certain intimidating authority.

“Yes…” Wang Yonghou was quite obedient at this moment.

"Your clothes are all torn," Aunt Liu said with heartache. "Come over here, I'll mend them for you."

The couple, both over fifty and childless, treated each other with utmost respect. The sight of the injured husband and wife leaning on each other, relying on one another, deeply moved Li Xian.

"No matter how chaotic the world is, there will always be genuine feelings revealed in unknown corners."

Li Xian observed silently, without disturbing them.

He had no money on him, but he had a box of rouge, the one he had bought last time but hadn't given to his wife.

The lady naturally looked down on this box of rouge.

But at this moment, it can save lives.

Li Xian turned and left, walking to the Mengxian Pavilion in "Shuisha Lane," where he saw the alluring middle-aged woman again.

"Hey, kid, you're still alive?"

The woman chuckled.

"I'm here to be the rouge, and I've never opened it before," Li Xian said bluntly, stating her purpose.

After some negotiation, the woman smiled and said, "Alright, you bought this rouge for three taels of silver. I'll only offer seven hundred coins to take it back."

"Don't think it's too little. Seven hundred coins is enough to save one life. It might even save two lives."

"You only paid a few hundred coins when you sold yourself, right? If you agree, then it's settled. If you think it's too little, then go find someone else."

"After all, people will pawn jewelry, calligraphy and paintings, and bronzeware, but pawning rouge... unless I'm kind-hearted, no one else will bother with you."

Li Xian readily nodded and said, "Okay!"

The woman smiled, took out a cloth bag containing seven hundred coins. Not a penny more, not a penny less.

"Shopkeeper, you're not usually this easy to talk to."

After Li Xian left, one of the staff members of Mengxian Pavilion couldn't help but say something.

"Go! Go! Go."

“I like him. I wish you were all as handsome as him.”

"Don't even mention becoming a rouge lady, I might even consider taking you as my own."

Upon hearing this, the waiter quickly replied, "No need, no need."

The words had barely left his mouth when two slaps landed on his face.

The woman slapped the waiter's face until it was swollen, then sneered, "You? You dare look down on me? Can't you tell who you're from?"

...

On the other side.

"Alright."

Aunt Liu put away her needlework; Wang Yonghou's clothes now had several patches.

"You, stop stealing firewood."

"Actually, we all know that I probably can't hold on any longer. Aren't our children and brothers in the family enough to pass away like this?"

"Take it easy, it's not a big deal."

Aunt Liu gently patted her husband's back.

"You wretched woman, now that you're gone, what's the point of me living?"

"You know, whether we're hungry, suffering, or tired on ordinary days, we count down the days and get through them one by one. It's kind of enjoyable, isn't it?"

"But this...this..."

Wang Yonghou turned his head away, and the couple secretly shed tears.

Suddenly.

Aunt Liu saw a brocade pouch that caught her eye, patted her husband, and gestured for him to take a look.

Upon opening the brocade pouch, they found seven hundred coins. Wang Yonghou was overjoyed; this unexpected windfall was tantamount to saving their lives.

"You old hag, you don't have to die. With money, we can take medicine and get better."

"It must be us who moved the heavens, hahaha."

Wang Yonghou said with delight.

"Pah, pah, pah."

"What's the point of moving Heaven? It's just about the money."

“It was… that Xiaoxian put it here.”

"It can only be him."

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(End of this chapter)