Chapter 23 Somewhat Helpless

Is my mother alright?

In the wooden bedroom, Song Jin stood by the bed, watching the person tossing and turning on the bed with a worried expression.

Niu Tielan kept her eyes tightly shut, her brows furrowed. Her already pale face was completely devoid of color, and the only visible signs of her discomfort were the fine beads of sweat and the veins bulging in her skin.

After Qi Zheng and Song Xingzhi left, she claimed to be tired and returned to her room. Song Jin initially assumed she was upset and didn't want to talk about it. Although worried, seeing her exhausted appearance, she didn't argue with them and just stood outside the room, lost in thought.

Noticing something amiss in the room, Song Jin hurried to find a doctor.

The town doctor's skills weren't as good as Old Liu's, but they weren't bad either. He had learned medicine from him since childhood and had even studied at Huichuntang Hospital. He was experienced and skilled at taking Niu Tielan's pulse.

"For most people, this kind of emotional distress isn't a big problem, but your mother's health isn't good to begin with, and she can't handle such extreme joy or sorrow. You yourself have studied medicine, so you know that. Get her some mild tonics to drink, let her rest properly, and don't upset her anymore."

Song Jin clenched her fist at her side, her face tense, and said without rebuttal, "Understood, Dr. Lin, thank you for your hard work."

Seeing her like this, Dr. Lin shook his head helplessly.

Niu Tielan's health had always been poor, recurring over the years, requiring him to lie in bed for a while each time. If the local doctors couldn't cure him, they could comfort him by suggesting he go to a bigger city to see a doctor, but even the old imperial physician at Huichuntang was helpless.

Dr. Lin sighed, "Your mother's health has always been like this; she'll get better with rest. Don't worry too much."

Song Jin was naturally aware of her mother's health condition; such situations had occurred many times over the years, but she couldn't help but worry each time. She tightened her chin and said, "I understand. You can go back now. Xiao Er, get the consultation fee for Doctor Lin and take him home."

The little girl in the house, Xiao Er, whose ear was missing a piece, ran over.

She was a year older than Song Jin, lively and cheerful, with round eyes and a round face that looked like a red apple, very cheerful. Her voice was crisp and clear: "Alright, Dr. Lin, this way please."

Dr. Lin waved his hand: "I don't treat patients or prescribe medicine, so why would I charge a consultation fee?"

Xiao Er said in a clear voice, "Although you don't treat patients or prescribe medicine, you're like a pillar of strength. We feel at ease after your visit, so we have to take the money."

Dr. Lin: ...

They just use him as a mascot.

Forget it, he won't argue with Xiao Er. After all, the Niu family isn't short of money.

After the two left, only the mother and daughter remained in the room. Song Jin glanced at Niu Tielan, who was tossing and turning in bed, then turned and went to the family's small pharmacy to get the medicine, handing it to Xiao Mei who was waiting: "Just cook it as usual."

Xiao Mei's face showed worry. She wanted to say something, but then swallowed her words, took the things, and whispered, "Okay, Miss, don't worry too much. Madam will definitely be alright."

Song Jin hummed in agreement, then went back into the room, sat on the edge of the bed, took out a slice of ginseng and put it in Niu Tielan's mouth. She then gently brushed away the sweat from Niu Tielan's forehead, wiping her brow with a soft voice.

"Let's move once you're feeling better."

Niu Tielan, who hadn't slept a wink, opened her eyes and said weakly, "I think you've lost your mind. You were living perfectly fine, why did you move? Don't you want your tiger daughter anymore?"

Song Jin felt her pulse, which was sometimes strong and sometimes weak, and lowered her eyes, saying, "Nothing is more important than you."

Even without her, Tiger Girl would still be the queen of the forest, with her own territory, cubs, and a boyfriend; her mother, on the other hand, only had her.

"Don't be silly, it's not a big deal. I thought you were too young to talk to you about these things before, but as you grow up, I'll wait until you're more mature." Niu Tielan suppressed her discomfort, carefully got up and leaned against the pillow, reached out and gently patted Song Jin's hand, her eyes soft and smiling.

"I feel like there's no point in talking to you, so let's just leave it at that."

Song Jin pouted: "Fine, so you think I'm not smart enough?"

Niu Tielan said softly, "How could I dislike my daughter? I'm just afraid you'll dislike me."

Song Jin stretched her neck: "Bullshit, my mother is the best mother in the world, how could I possibly despise you? Even if you used to kill, set fires, and be a bandit who indiscriminately slaughtered innocent people..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" If she kept going, she'd become the world's number one villain. Niu Tielan was both amused and exasperated. "It's not that exaggerated. It's just that I sometimes had no choice in the situation. Let me think where to begin."

She lowered her eyes and fell into deep thought.

Song Jin didn't wait for her, but instead helped her up, pressed her back down, pulled the blanket over her, and wiped her sweat. He was unusually serious and earnest as he spoke.

"You just need to rest and recover your health. Nothing else matters, and I'm not interested in anything else."

Niu Tielan rarely saw her so serious, so she was taken aback for a moment before laughing again: "Alright, Mother will take good care of herself, don't worry."

As she spoke, her throat began to itch again, and she felt like coughing, but not wanting Song Jin to worry, she tried hard to suppress it.

Song Jin lowered her eyes, pretending not to notice, and said, "Alright, Mother, you should sleep for a while. I'll go outside and check on Xiao Mei as she prepares her medicine."

Niu Tielan coughed lightly: "Go ahead, don't worry about me."

...

Song Jin quietly closed the door and left. Her eyes were lowered, her expression indifferent. As she turned the corner of the corridor, she kicked a large ornamental tree, snapping it in two.

A creaking sound came from outside the yard, and Little Ear, who had just returned, turned around in fright and hugged a pillar, hiding her head and trembling.

This girl is the most clever and lively, but also the most timid, especially afraid of loud noises.

After leaving in one breath, Song Jin felt a little more at ease: "Go sit by my mother's door and listen to what's going on inside. If you're unsure, go call Xiaomei. I'm going out for a bit."

Little Ear hugged the pillar, her big, round eyes brimming with tears, and said in a soft voice, "Miss, I... I ran into Lin Jiaojiao at the door. She seemed to want to talk to you."

Upon hearing the name, Song Jin recalled the man's strange behavior upon his return. She nodded, her usually playful face becoming expressionless, her aura heavy and powerful, and walked outside.

The sky was already getting dark, and the once bustling streets were now less crowded. Unless something serious happened, most people stayed home at night. In the age of candlelight, going out at night was risky; one could easily slip and fall, or encounter poisonous snakes and insects.

Song Jin stood at the door of her home, where she had lived for over ten years, glanced at her unchanging neighbors, and strode towards Mayor Lin's house.

Mayor Lin's house is not far from the Niu family's house; both are located in the very center of the town and are among the best houses in town.

Over the years, Niu Tielan had been collaborating with him on her rouge and fragrance products. She only needed to provide the formulas for money, plus a small year-end bonus—a sum unimaginable to ordinary people. And whatever she earned, Mayor Lin's family earned even more, though he didn't outwardly show it.

This old man is timid; he won't cause trouble for himself.

Although he didn't flaunt his wealth, he also didn't pretend to be poor. As a town mayor with a hundred acres of land and his own business, his house occupied three acres, with three small courtyards and about twenty rooms—it sounded large, but he had six sons and daughters, not to mention his grandchildren. All things considered, the house was actually a bit small.

Mayor Lin had no wife and never remarried after his first wife's death, which sounds quite affectionate. However, his two concubines in the backyard were not just for show; for several years, they even had designs on Niu Tielan, like a toad lusting after a swan...

That's just how things are these days; what's worse than the apocalypse is the excessive restrictions placed on women.

In a post-apocalyptic world, men and women, as long as they are powerful, can have as many partners as they want without anyone interfering. In ancient times, however, only men could freely have multiple wives and concubines; women couldn't. The only advantage is that this dynasty has a more open social atmosphere; many women go out to play and do business, and chastity for their husbands is not encouraged; remarriage is commonplace.

In other words, it barely passed.

Whether in her past life or this one, Song Jin had never been interested in marriage. However, with Niu Tielan's presence in this life, she wasn't so opposed to it. She had already planned it out: in a couple of years, when her body was more developed, she would choose a suitable live-in son-in-law, have two kids, and then kick her husband out.

The family of four lives happily; just thinking about it makes me feel wonderful.

All of this is predicated on the fact that both she and her mother are indispensable; anyone who tries to undermine this premise...

Song Jin stood expressionless at the door of Mayor Lin's house, his gaze fixed on the red-lacquered gate, as if he wanted to kill the half-dead person inside through the door, and then kill the person at the door as well.

The servant standing there, seeing her murderous aura, froze, his legs trembling. He even wanted to slam the door shut and hide inside to avoid her gaze.

Song Jin turned and left

If you don't eliminate potential problems from the beginning, you'll only be able to react passively later.

Fifteen years after transmigrating, this was the first time Song Jin had suffered such a major setback due to her audacity, carelessness, and nonchalance. It was also the first time she had so vividly felt powerless in the face of power.

She remembered this lesson.

Song Jin, her face grim, strode away, arriving at the stone steps where the ox bones had been broken earlier. She looked at Lin Jiaojiao's tightly closed gate, the empty red lanterns swaying gently in the wind, and the house devoid of any candlelight.

As Mayor Lin's younger brother, he naturally enjoyed the good life as well as his older brother.

Lin Laosan and his wife Meihua were not exactly low-key people. Whenever they bought something nice, they wanted everyone in town to know. They even kept candles lit in front of their house all year round, ostensibly to make it easier for passersby to see, but in reality, it was just to show off their wealth.

Now the lights are out and the candles are lit, and the spiderwebs that appeared this morning are ignored.

Song Jin glanced at it twice, then stepped on the small stones at the corner of the wall, using them for leverage to nimbly climb over the wall and skillfully enter her yard.

The Lin family, the mayor's family, separated more than 10 years ago. After the separation, the third son of the Lin family and his wife built a new house here. It's not as big as the mayor's house, but it's still a two-story house with two courtyards. The main house and side yards are quite nice, but there aren't many permanent residents.

Lin Laosan was a playboy who had caused all sorts of trouble outside. He was eager for more people at home to liven things up, but Meihua wasn't someone to be trifled with. Her messy behavior outside was one thing, but bringing people home? She'd smash the house up.

So their family size is relatively small.

The couple had four children in total. The eldest was Lin Jiaojiao, and the youngest was their two-year-old baby who was still breastfeeding. There was also a little maid that Meihua bought for Lin Jiaojiao, making a total of seven people. Even though Lin Jiaojiao was often away from home, the house was always noisy and chaotic.

But the house was unusually quiet at this moment, even the fourth child, who was usually the most prone to crying, was silent.