Chapter 40

"Knock knock knock—"

"Knock knock knock—"

Just as she regained consciousness, Shu Wanxiu heard two knocks on the door.

"Are you awake?" It was Xun Yi's voice.

Shu Wanxiu quickly pushed the blanket off, sat up, and said, "You're awake!"

"Two elderly women who had fallen and injured themselves were suddenly carried in from outside. We'll probably need to use the inner room."

"Okay, I'll be right out."

After tidying up her bedding, Shu Wanxiu quickly left the inner room.

Xun Yi stood to the side of the doorway. When he saw Shu Wanxiu come out, he raised his chin towards Shu Shouyi and said, "He's awake and wants to see you."

"aunt!"

Shu Shouyi woke up half an hour ago. Xun Yi called Li Langzhong to come and check on him. After confirming that everything was fine and that he could eat, Xun Yi went to his sister's house to get a bowl of hot porridge. After he drank the porridge, he also took some medicine.

Lying down for too long was uncomfortable, and since there was a brazier in the room, Shu Shouyi just sat on the bed fully clothed to help with his digestion.

"Hey!" His voice was loud, and Shu Wanxiu was delighted to hear it. She walked a few steps to the bedside and touched his forehead and cheeks.

"How long have you been awake? Are you still feeling unwell?"

Shu Shouyi shook his head decisively, "I don't feel uncomfortable!"

As for how long he had been awake, he hadn't paid any attention to it, but when Shu Wanxiu asked, he looked at Xun Yi with expectant eyes.

Xun Yi then told Shu Wanxiu that she had slept for two hours, and also told her when Shu Shouyi woke up and what he ate after waking up.

"Doctor Li said we can go home now."

Shu Wanxiu touched his forehead and cheeks, and then touched his little hands; they were indeed all at a normal temperature.

Looking closely at his complexion, apart from his slightly dry lips, everything else was fine; in fact, his eyes were even more vibrant than before he fell ill.

"Are you really not feeling unwell anymore?"

Shu Shouyi pondered for a moment, then pointed to his throat, "It only hurts a little bit here."

Yesterday's perilous appearance really terrified Shu Wanxiu. She thought he would be frightened for a long time, so his current state was truly unexpected.

Shu Wanxiu hugged him tightly, comforting him by rubbing the back of his head: "Don't be afraid. When we get home, your aunt will cook you some thick porridge. Drink more of it, and the pain will go away in a couple of days."

"Yes! I'm not afraid of pain."

Shu Shouyi raised his hand and patted Shu Wanxiu's arm, "Auntie, let go, I have something good to show you!"

This child is in such good condition.

Shu Wanxiu finally realized this at this moment.

Amid his excited words, she slowly released her grip, and saw Shu Shouyi take out several items from the side of the bed against the wall, carefully placing them one by one on the back of the bed.

After everything was arranged, he solemnly introduced the newly acquired toys to Shu Wanxiu.

"This is a rabbit, this is a pony, this is a calf, this is a piglet, this is a monkey! Uncle Xun made them up for me!"

He would place one item out, and Shu Wanxiu would look at it one by one. By the time he finished placing them all, Shu Wanxiu had already observed them from beginning to end.

The rabbit at the very front lunges forward with both front paws, as if it's about to run into its burrow and hide at any moment. The monkey at the very back has one arm raised and the other bent in front of it, in a posture of climbing upwards with one hand, as if it's about to hang from a tree at any moment.

Five little trinkets, all woven from dry straw.

The materials are simple, but the techniques are extraordinary; each animal is woven in a three-dimensional and expressive way.

Shu Wanxiu marveled inwardly for a moment before praising, "It's so well woven, it's like a living thing."

"May I pick it up and take a look?"

She looked at Xun Yi.

Xun Yi said, "I have already given it to him."

Shu Shouyi grinned from ear to ear, "Auntie, feel free to look around!"

Shu Wanxiu chose that cow.

This is the largest of the five little gadgets we made. Its lower abdomen is bulging, its spine is straight and slightly protruding, its long tail is swung to one side, and its head is tilted back, as if it might moo at any moment.

Shu Wanxiu pinched its belly and found that it was not hollow, but solid.

She could weave butterflies and dragonflies from green palm leaves, but to weave small animals from dry straw, and to do so with such lifelike detail, was truly a sight I had never seen before.

"Brother Xun's cooking is truly excellent," she exclaimed, admitting defeat.

"Uncle Xun can weave all twelve zodiac animal zodiac animal brochures! Aunt, if you had woken up a little later, Uncle Xun would have woven them all for me!"

Shu Wanxiu smiled helplessly, "It seems you'd love for me to get up even later?"

Shu Shouyi chuckled and remained silent.

Xun Yi, however, said, "Even if you haven't woken up, we can't keep making this up."

The aunt and niece both looked up at him, and he pointed to the area under Shu Shouyi's bedding, saying, "The straw underneath is all gone."

Of course, this was a joke. There was a thick layer of straw under the bed, and Xun Yi took a dozen or so strands in total.

But when this usually taciturn person suddenly made a joke, it actually made Shu Wanxiu laugh.

Just when the atmosphere was harmonious, the door was suddenly opened from the outside.

"Ouch—ouch—" No one entered the room, but the three people inside could already hear one painful groan after another.

"Lift them all up and level them! Mother, don't move, we'll carry you inside."

A man of medium build carried one end of the door panel, talking as he slowly entered the room.

Shu Wanxiu and the other two stopped talking and watched them go into the inner room.

"It's getting late. Shall I ask Physician Li to come and take another look before we head back?" Xun Yi asked Shu Wanxiu for her opinion.

Shu Wanxiu, of course, had no objection.

Before long, Physician Li hurriedly entered behind Xun Yi, examined Shu Shouyi's tongue, and took his pulse.

"You can go home now. Go back and finish the medicine I prescribed. You should also keep in mind what I said last night."

This presumably refers to the advice not to be greatly frightened or experience extreme joy or sorrow within the next year or two.

Shu Wanxiu immediately assured her, "I remember everything and will definitely keep it in mind at all times. Thank you very much, Doctor Li."

As she was about to leave, Shu Wanxiu clutched her purse tightly and asked how much the consultation fee and medicine cost.

"Your nephew's condition worsened last night. The prescription he received contained two slightly expensive ingredients, while the prescription I gave you to take back..."

Dr. Li stroked his long beard and explained in detail the origins of the consultation fee and medicine costs.

Shu Wanxiu was terrified, fearing that she wouldn't be able to afford the medicine with all her savings. Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm. The final amount quoted by Doctor Li was within her budget, a total of seventy-two coins.

"Please order some more."

She took the money out of her purse, counted it, and handed it to Doctor Li with both hands.

After taking the money, Doctor Li did not count it again, but simply said, "Come with me to get the medicine."

"I'll go, you stay with the child." Xun Yi immediately followed, giving Shu Wanxiu a look.

The old woman inside was still groaning and moaning. Her family was with her in the room, and their look was a signal for Shu Wanxiu and the others to stay there and be careful.

"Um!"

Shu Wanxiu agreed and obediently sat down by the bed.

A moment later, Xun Yi returned with the medicine, and she was somewhat surprised: "So fast?"

"The medicine was prepared a long time ago; I just went to get it." Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept Shu Wanxiu and the other person waiting here.

Shu Wanxiu stood up.

She left in a hurry last night and didn't bring Shu Shouyi his shoes, so she could only wrap him in a blanket and carry him around when she got back today.

At this moment, Shu Shouyi was covered by two quilts, one from Doctor Li's place and the other from her family.

She folded the doctor's bed neatly and placed it at the foot of the bed, then used her own bed to wrap up Shu Shouyi and the five straw trinkets.

As expected, Xun Yi stepped forward, preparing to hug the person.

Shu Wanxiu stopped his hand at the right moment and said firmly, "Brother Xun, I'll carry him for a while today."

Sensing Shu Wanxiu's determination, Xun Yi had no choice but to back down: "Alright."

The three of them embarked on their journey home, with Xun Yi leading the way.

As they were about to leave Turtleback Village, Shu Wanxiu asked, "Brother Xun, would you like to say goodbye to your sister?"

"No need, I've already said that before."

Shu Wanxiu hummed in agreement and stopped talking, trying to conserve her energy to carry Shu Shouyi a little further away.

Fearing that Shu Shouyi might fall, Shu Wanxiu walked with extreme steadiness.

Gradually, Shu Shouyi's breathing became softer as he nestled in her arms.

Xun Yi turned around to look and saw that Shu Shouyi's eyes were closed, and he was indeed asleep. He spoke softly: "Those two thieves yesterday were the criminals in the grain robbery case. Last night, the village head led everyone to search for them in the mountains, and soon after, the yamen runners came to the village."

"I heard they were refugees who had fallen into Wuli Village. Their surname was Liu. The person they trapped was a yamen runner from the county town. Fortunately, the runner was young and was still alive when he was found in the trap."

These follow-ups were secondary to Shu Wanxiu. When she heard that the thief was from Wuli Village, she immediately panicked.

"Brother Xun, do you know if they have harmed anyone else?"

Xun Yi knew what she was worried about. The last time she went to the county town to collect grain, he had escorted her to the entrance of Wuli Village.

"Don't worry, I've asked around carefully, and I haven't heard of anyone being injured in Wuli Village."

Shu Wanxiu breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that her uncle's family was safe and sound.

On second thought, Xun Yi must have been gathering so much information that he hadn't rested for a moment during the two hours she was asleep. She couldn't help but feel guilty and asked him if his body could still hold up. She wished she had rested a little longer with Physician Li.

Xun Yi chuckled softly upon receiving Shu Wanxiu's concern.

“I have been staying in Guibei Village all day. I asked my brother-in-law to go out of the village to inquire about this news this morning.”

Although he was concerned about the origins of the two thieves from yesterday, how could he dare to abandon them and go back to inquire while Shu Wanxiu was asleep?