Chapter 166 Doubts

In the west shed, Sang Zhixia, who was sleeping uneasily, frowned and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

As the night deepened, she threw off the quilt without warning and sat up, subconsciously reaching out to cover her pounding heart.

In the dream, I missed a step and felt like I fell off a cliff. The remaining palpitations from the dream spread along the paralysis of my limbs to my fingertips, and that inexplicable uneasiness inexplicably expanded in my heart.

Sang Zhixia turned her head to look out the window with a small crack, and simply got out of bed.

It was not yet daybreak, but she didn't want to sleep.

Sang Zhixia grabbed the coat hanging on the rack and put it on. Just as she was about to push the door open and go out, she suddenly heard a rustling noise coming from outside the courtyard wall.

who?

Many thoughts flashed through Sang Zhixia's mind as she held her breath without saying a word. In order not to alert the visitor, she simply opened the window and jumped out nimbly, silently approaching the corner where the noise came from.

Under the cover of night, Sang Zhixia raised her eyebrows after seeing clearly.

old lady?

What is she doing out at this hour?

Sang Zhixia's suspicions grew stronger and stronger. After carefully hiding her figure from the night, she waited for the old lady to leave the house and followed her as if possessed by a ghost.

Xu Yu said he wanted to teach Sang Zhixia the art of light kung fu, and he really put a lot of thought into it.

Sang Zhixia was also willing to work hard. Although the progress in one year was not very fast, it was not difficult to hide his body and follow an old lady who was not very fast.

Following the old lady all the way to the big locust tree at the entrance of the village, Sang Zhixia hid herself nervously. She saw a man hiding in a haystack emerge and skillfully handed the old lady something whose shape could not be seen clearly.

Under the big locust tree, the two people spoke in very low voices.

Sang Zhixia vaguely heard a few words saying that it was difficult to handle and that the dosage needed to be increased. The fog in her heart dissipated as if she had caught a glimpse of something extraordinary.

She secretly suppressed her fear and waited until the old lady and the man whose face she could not see clearly had left. Then she suppressed the pounding heart in her throat and took a long detour. She wandered outside restlessly until dawn before returning.

It was bright as day. Sang Zhixia entered the house clutching a handful of dandelions. Second Aunt Xu, who was cooking, turned around and looked at her in surprise: "Xia Xia, it's still early, why are you up so early?"

Sang Zhixia took a large bowl and placed the pinched dandelions in it. She smiled and said, "I heard yesterday that there's a small patch of dandelions growing well west of the river. They're really fresh and tender. I thought I'd pick some and bring them back to make some tea for Grandpa."

The doctor said that the old man had lung heat and internal fire, and eating more heat-reducing foods would help with the symptoms. Aunt Xu didn't suspect anything after hearing this.

Xu Yanran, who also got up early, came out rubbing her eyes. She drowsily bumped into Sang Zhixia's arms, hugged her waist and said innocently, "Sister-in-law, you should sleep a little longer."

"I already agreed with Xu Mingyang and the others yesterday that we would go find some herbs for Grandpa to boil water. You taught us before, so we all know them and won't make the mistake!"

Sang Zhixia raised the corner of her lips and tapped her brow, then smiled and said, "Okay, I won't look for them next time. I'll keep them all for you to show you, okay?"

Xu Yanran went to wash her face contentedly. Sang Zhixia scooped up water from the wooden basin to wash off the dirt on her hands and said casually, "Second Aunt, is it time to start boiling grandfather's medicine?"

"Is the medicine the doctor prescribed two days ago enough? If not, I'll go get some back."

"That's enough."

Second Aunt Xu lifted the lid of the pot and stirred the thick millet porridge inside. She turned her head to glance at the main hall and sighed helplessly, "So many doctors have come, and the prescriptions they prescribe are similar. The medicine is sufficient, but..."

But even after taking so many medicines, the old man’s illness has not improved.

No one in the family dared to tell anyone, but everyone was worried and anxious.

Sang Zhixia hummed and said lazily, "Where are the medicines kept? Did Second Aunt keep them?"

"The old lady kept it."

Aunt Xu scooped out a bowl of millet porridge and set it aside to dry. Without even turning around, she said, "Your grandmother said that medicine shouldn't be left lying around, for fear of moisture or insects. It's been kept with your grandmother ever since she prescribed it. Just go get it when you need it to boil."

"Why did you suddenly think of asking this?"

Sang Zhixia smiled and shook her head, wiping the water droplets from her hands and said, "Nothing, just asking out of the blue."

"Second Aunt, is this porridge for Grandpa?"

Second Aunt Xu slapped Sang Zhixia's hand that was holding the bowl away and frowned disapprovingly: "Isn't the work in the fields enough for you? You can't sit idle at home."

"If you really don't want to sleep, eat breakfast quickly and rest for a while. I'll take it to your grandfather."

The old man had a poor appetite during his illness and could only eat light meals. He couldn't even finish a few sips of the old mountain ginseng chicken soup that Xu Wenxiu specially prepared yesterday. The rest went into the stomachs of Xu Mingyang and the other little ones. I don't know how many sips he can finish of this bowl of millet porridge.

Everyone in the family got up one after another. Uncle Xu, who had slept on the floor to keep watch all night, came out like a zombie. He only woke up a little after a handful of cold water was poured on his face.

Uncle Xu said vaguely, "Xia girl, you said yesterday that you were going into the mountains today?"

Sang Zhixia said absentmindedly, "I do have this plan."

"Rice borer damage is only treated by ruthlessly pulling out the seedlings, not the root cause. If we want to eradicate it permanently, we have to ask some little creatures in the mountains to help."

"What little thing?"

"Parasitic wasps, assassin bugs, and the like are all fine. Whatever we can find to lure back will be fine."

If no effective medicine can be found, the best way to prevent and control the pests is to attract the pests' natural enemies to build nests near the rice fields.

By planting flowers and plants to expand the nectar source, the natural enemies of rice borers will be attracted to the nectar source, and the rice borers in the rice fields will naturally not be able to spread and cause harm.

She gave a brief outline, and Aunt Xu understood and interrupted, "Since we're going into the mountains, the path is slippery and steep, what are you going for? Let your uncle go."

Aunt Xu stuffed a white flour bun into her husband's hand and urged him, "Xia Xia still has to go to the fields. You take the people into the mountains to look for her."

Sang Zhixia was not very reassured: "Does Third Uncle understand what I'm talking about?"

"I don't know him, but doesn't he know someone he's traveling with?"

Uncle Xu said nonchalantly, "The people you found yesterday are all experienced. I can just go along and follow their instructions. It's just a matter of lending a hand. How hard can that be?"

Sang Zhixia paused, wanting to speak but hesitant, then thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Uncle San."

Uncle Xu waved his hand and ignored the incident. Seeing the old lady coming out with a bad look on her face, he bowed his head respectfully and called out, "Grandma."

As always, the old lady didn't even look at her. She walked over to eat breakfast without looking away. After just two sips of her bowl of porridge, she said stiffly, "It's getting late. Why haven't you taken out the medicine and boiled it yet?"

"Everyone in the main room was coughing like crazy yesterday. Didn't you hear that everyone was dead?!"

Xu Wenxiu, who had been taking care of Xu Mingxu and Xu Jinxi and had gotten up a little later, quickly apologized with a smile and explained, "Don't worry, old lady. I'll go and prepare the medicine right away."

Sang Zhixia said, "I'll help," and followed him in.

In the small cabinet in the main room, the medicines were placed in packages and left open so that anyone could get them.

Xu Wenxiu took out a packet. Sang Zhixia frowned slightly when she saw it. "Grandma, did the doctor prepare these medicines and keep them here?"

"yes."

Xu Wenxiu carefully glanced at the old man who seemed to be still in a coma, and said in a low voice, "This room is the driest. It's not easy for moisture to affect the efficacy of the medicine here."

Sang Zhixia lowered her voice and said softly, "Is it always Grandma who endures the pain every day?"

Xu Wenxiu smiled bitterly and said, "How can that be possible?"

"Whichever of your two aunts or I have time will do it, but it's all the same."

The medicine is all the same, and no matter who makes it, the efficacy will not change. There is really no difference.

When Sang Zhixia heard that the old lady didn't touch these medicines, the strange feeling that spread from the bottom of her heart became even stronger.

She knew her suspicions were unfounded and she couldn't bring herself to speak of them. She took the medicine from Xu Wenxiu and said, "Then I'll do it today."

"It just so happens that my uncle went to the woods for me, and I have nothing on my hands now."

Xu Wenxiu didn't argue with her about this. She just reminded her a few times not to overcook the food, and then went out to look after the two children.

Sang Zhixia found a small medicine pot and placed it on the stove to slowly boil out white steam. She stared at the flames rising in the stove, as if thinking about something.

She had read the prescription written by the doctor. Most of the herbs on it were common herbs. When she first got the medicine, she opened it and read it, and she almost remembered what it said.

I took a look through the medicine bag when I opened it just now, and didn't find anything strange or extra in it.

She also cleaned the medicine jar carefully several times, but found nothing.

The problem doesn't seem to be with the medicinal materials.

Ever since the old man fell ill, the old lady's face became gloomier day by day. She was in a bad mood and often spoke angrily. The family members reached a tacit understanding that they did not want to offend her at this time, so the trivial matters of taking care of the old man's medicine and meals were done by other people, and the old lady was not allowed to interfere.

What on earth was that thing that the old lady brought back late at night without telling anyone?

Could that shameful thing be related to the old man’s medicine?