Now that Fumanlou has its own share, Su Luo went to Ji'antang to buy more spices to take back. She could make as many spice packets as possible, and Nangong Qing would give her an extra three taels of silver for each packet.

Su Luo had obtained all the spices she could buy at the pharmacy, but when she offered the money to Du Xiuyuan, he refused to accept it.

"Dr. Du, business is business, but you should still accept this money."

Du Xiuyuan was acting strangely today, behaving very respectfully towards her. Su Luo wasn't sure if it was just her imagination.

"No, no, no... Madam Su, consider these a gift from me. Consider them a small token of my appreciation. If you need more, I have more."

"Dr. Du, if you continue like this, I don't want the medicinal herbs." Su Luo said coldly, her resolve unwavering.

Seeing Su Luo's reaction, Du Xiuyuan said somewhat embarrassedly, "Madam Su, it's like this. Yesterday, I went to Dongcun to make a house call and met a woman from Changping Village. She saved a child using some kind of first aid method. I asked her about it, and she said you taught it to them. Now almost everyone in Changping Village knows it, so..."

"So you also want to learn..." Su Luo said.

Du Xiuyuan lowered his head and smiled faintly. As a doctor in his forties seeking to learn from Su Luo, his pride was not important; what mattered was that he was afraid Su Luo would reject him.

"Yes, Madam Su, could you teach me too?"

"What's the big deal? Even if I don't teach you, you can find out by asking around in Changping Village. If you want to know, I'll explain it again."

Du Xiuyuan immediately looked up happily, his eyes crinkling with amusement, and said, "Good, good! Madam Su, wait for me a moment, I'll go get the paper and pen."

He was running a bit too fast, and Du Xiuyuan tripped and almost fell when he entered the counter.

Su Luo carefully taught Du Xiuyuan the Heimlich maneuver, and Du Xiuyuan diligently took notes. This kind of first aid knowledge was too new to Du Xiuyuan.

He greatly admired Su Luo's willingness to share her knowledge; Su Luo was worthy of his respect.

Ever since returning from Wang Dayong's place, he had been thinking about becoming Su Luo's apprentice and learning a medical technique he had never seen before. However, he was afraid that Su Luo would look down on him because of his age, so he had been hesitant to ask.

When Su Luo left, she still left the silver in the shopkeeper's ledger. Taking things from others for free was not Su Luo's style.

...

On the oxcart back to Changping Village, there were only three people on board: Su Luo, Aunt Li, and Wang Tiezhu's father. The others who had gone to the county together that morning had decided to walk back together to save two coins on the fare, since it was still early.

Aunt Li was carrying a large bundle, which she must have obtained from folk remedies for conceiving a child.

As soon as the oxcart entered the village, Su Luo saw Yan Chuan and Yi Huan lingering at the village entrance, looking around as if they were waiting for her.

"Mother, mother..."

When the two younger children saw the oxcart entering the village, they excitedly ran over to greet Su Luo.

"Be careful, don't fall."

Su Luo got off the car and handed two coins to Aunt Li.

"Mom, did you buy me a pen?" Yan Chuan asked Su Luo, raising his little head.

"I bought them, and I also bought books for you."

"Really, that's great."

Aunt Li smiled enviously at Su Luo and her two children: "Yan Chuan's mother, you haven't even returned home yet, and your two children have already come to the village entrance to meet you. That's so kind of you."

Aunt Li felt heartbroken. When would she be able to have a child?

"Aunt Li, don't worry, and don't take any medicine indiscriminately. When you get better, you will have it at the right time."

Aunt Li assumed Su Luo was just trying to comfort her; no amount of sweet talk could put her at ease compared to the fertility-enhancing medicine in her arms.

Watching Aunt Li and Uncle Li's oxcart drive away, Su Luo took Yan Chuan and Yi Huan's hands and asked, "Why did you come here to pick me up? Where is Grandma?"

Yan Chuan: "Grandma is in the newly bought yard. She said she wanted to come and take a look."

Zhao Ruyun arrived at the courtyard at the entrance of the village, and Su Luo also went to the back of the house, pulling the two children inside to see Zhao Ruyun.

The moment she entered, she saw Zhao Ruyun sweeping the yard and exclaimed, "Grandma, Mom's back!"

Upon seeing Su Luo, Zhao Ruyun put the broom aside and said, "You're back. Let's go back and have dinner."

Zhao Ruyun was happy to buy this courtyard. She could do whatever she wanted with it, since she couldn't stay idle anyway.

After having lunch at Wayaoyao, Su Luo took out the pastries. Yi Huan ate two pieces and then refused to eat anymore. The summer sun was very strong, so Su Luo moved their only dining table to the shade of a tree.

The brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone were laid out on the table. Yan Chuan couldn't take his eyes off them. Su Luo then ground the ink before letting the two children sit down to practice.

Su Luo had some free time today, so she became the teacher of the two children.

"Today, in addition to practicing calligraphy, we will learn the Thousand Character Classic. If we want to read good books, we must lay a solid foundation."

"Yes, Mother! We will definitely study hard."

Su Luo had the brother and sister read a book of the Thousand Character Classic together, while she held a copy in her own hand and taught them step by step.

Zhao Ruyun couldn't help much in this regard. She washed the pots and pans at home, cleaned up the kiln, and took all the dirty clothes to the river to wash.

Half an hour later, Zhao Ruyun returned and saw that Su Luo and the others were still teaching. Afraid of disturbing her grandson's studies, she took a basket and went to the field.

The June beans in the dry field have finally grown a bit bigger. I'll pick some to take home, otherwise they'll get too old. The chives have also started to grow. I've been eating well lately, so I haven't been cutting them.

Turning over the cucumber vine, Zhao Ruyun saw that it had produced a lot of cucumbers this time, big and tender. As she picked them, she was overjoyed, thinking how well the cucumbers were growing.

It was still early, and the eggplants that Su Luo planted were growing well. However, weeds started to grow under the eggplants. Zhao Ruyun couldn't stand it, so she pulled out all the weeds before going back.

As the sun set, Su Luo told the two younger children to rest, but they both refused. Today was their first time writing, and they both wanted to practice more.

When Zhao Ruyun returned, she washed some cucumbers and gave them to Yanchuan and Yihuan as fruit.

Su Luo ignored them; practicing calligraphy would be beneficial for him.

Su Luo decided to cook for them first. Seeing that Zhao Ruyun had picked a lot of cucumbers, Su Luo decided to make a cucumber salad tonight.

Stir-fry some June beans, make some other home-style dishes, and then we can have dinner.

"Luo Luo, you're so busy every day, and you still have to teach them to read when you get back. It must be too tiring. Why don't we send Yan Chuan to school?"

Su Luo had also thought about it, but it wasn't possible now. Yan Chuan was only five years old, which was too young. Besides, the school was only in the county, and they would need to buy a carriage to pick up and drop off Yan Chuan.

"Grandma, let's wait until next year. We'll send Yanchuan to school next spring."

Zhao Ruyun tended the fire for Su Luo: "Next year is fine too. I heard that things are different now than before. The county schools only accept children who have received basic education. I don't know if it's true."

Do you have to be able to read to go to school? Su Luo was puzzled. If that were really the case, then only wealthy people could afford to send their children to school if they hired someone to give them early education.

Su Luo lamented that studying was too demanding in this era.