Madam Qian was extremely anxious upon hearing this. "Why didn't you tell us sooner that something like this had happened in the family! A broken hand is no small matter. What will happen to my brother if we don't treat him quickly?"
"I was just afraid you'd worry, and your brother wouldn't let me come looking for you, afraid of causing you trouble." Mother Qian glanced at her, then patted her chest with relief, a bitter smile on her face.
"Fortunately, fortunately, we had already bought the fertility medicine beforehand. If it were now, I'm afraid even if I sold everything I owned, I still wouldn't be able to afford it..."
"What are you talking about with this fertility medicine at a time like this, Mother? The important thing now is how to heal Brother's hand!"
Madam Qian frowned. The first person she thought of was Su Hua. Su Hua could save lives, cure illnesses, and even prepare medicine. If Su Hua were to treat her brother's hand, there would definitely be no problem with it.
However, she and Su Hua had recently had a falling out, and Su Baishi wouldn't even let her family members into the house, so there was no way she would let Su Hua go to Qianjia Village to have her brother's hand treated.
If my hand is broken, but I can find a reliable doctor, get some medicine, and let it heal, there shouldn't be any problems.
This medicine will cost some money.
During this month, she and Erhu each earned ten copper coins a day, while Chunhua earned less, two copper coins a day, which added up to several hundred copper coins.
In the past, these several hundred copper coins would have been a considerable sum, but they were still far from six taels.
Madam Qian was so anxious that she became quite agitated. Although her brother had become somewhat distant from her after marrying his wife, the kindness he had shown her when they were children was genuine, and she couldn't just stand by and watch him die.
Wait! Although she doesn't have enough money, she has Yun Duan.
The cloud-patterned satin was a return gift from the Qin family to Su Hua. Each of their households received one bolt. She later secretly inquired and found out that this kind of cloud-patterned satin cost at least twenty taels per bolt.
Thinking of this, she bit her lip with a pang of regret. "Mother, wait here. I'll be right back..."
West room.
Chunhua had just finished making fish balls and returned to the house when she saw Qian Shi cutting fabric with scissors. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "Mother, what are you doing? Are you making a new dress again?"
"Why are you, a little kid, meddling in so many things?"
Madam Qian's hands moved swiftly, quickly cutting the cloud-patterned satin in two. She wrapped one half of the satin in a piece of coarse cloth and was about to leave when she saw Chunhua still watching. Instantly, she put on a stern face and instructed, "You are not allowed to tell your father about this cloth, understand?"
Seeing that she was angry, Chunhua dared not look at her anymore and simply nodded her head slightly, "I know, Chunhua won't tell Father."
"Yes, a good child is what a mother likes."
Madam Qian raised her hand to touch her hair, quickly stuffed the wrapped silk into her bosom, and then walked out as if nothing had happened.
Chunhua pursed her lips, her obsidian-like eyes filled with confusion. "Does Mother like obedient children?"
So, is it because her mother doesn't like her and only likes the little brother in her belly that she's not well-behaved enough?
Madam Qian walked to the outside of the fence and handed over the small coarse cloth bundle in her hand. "Mother, there is half a bolt of cloud satin in here. Take it to Qingshui County and find a reliable cloth shop to sell it. Use the money to treat my brother's illness, and use the rest to buy some good things to nourish his body."
"Cloud satin? You mean cloud satin that only wealthy families can afford?" Madam Qian was stunned, holding the bundle, her eyes full of disbelief. "A bolt of cloth that costs tens of taels of silver, how do you have such fine stuff?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Madam Qian put a finger to her lips. "This silk satin was a gift from my sister-in-law. If my mother-in-law finds out that I gave it to my mother, I'm afraid I'll get a scolding again."
It's getting late, Mother, you should hurry back. Remember to avoid people and don't let them see you."
"I know, I know." Mother Qian nodded like a chick pecking at rice, her cloudy eyes full of shrewdness. "I must say, Hua'er is really a lucky girl. Yue Niang, you must get along well with her. Even if she only peeks out from between her fingers, it will be enough for you to live comfortably."
She had just looked around outside and saw that the Su family had hired more than thirty people just to build the house. The foundation, which covered more than an acre, was densely covered with blue bricks and red tiles. The house alone must have cost several dozen taels of silver, or even more.
Furthermore, in the Su family's small courtyard, not only are the vegetables growing well, but the chicken coop and rabbit pen are also full, and a row of cured and smoked meats hangs outside the roof beams.
And those dogs and cats, so fat their bellies are all fleshy, they must eat and drink well every day, they probably live better than all of them.
Thinking of this, Madam Qian couldn't help but recall her earlier idea, "Yue Niang, how about the snail recipe? Since Su Hua and the others aren't making it anymore, why don't you have your brother make it? We won't take it for free; how about we share half of the profits with Su Hua..."
"No way!" Madam Qian refused outright before she could finish speaking. She didn't want to be forced to kneel outside the courtyard again, much less be divorced.
To prevent her family from taking any more of the snails, she thought for a moment and added, "Besides, we're very busy right now, preparing to open a restaurant in the county. We might need these snails then, so please don't bring it up again, Mother!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Qian's eyes widened even more. "Open a restaurant?"
Not a street stall or a restaurant, but a grand restaurant?
Seeing her daughter's growing impatience, she didn't ask any more questions, but simply kept the matter to herself.
She bent down and stuffed the five or six cucumbers she had just pulled from outside the fence into her bosom. "Daughter, Mother is leaving now. If you are bullied at Old Su's house, just tell your mother and your brother. We will definitely stand up for you, understand?"
Ms. Qian replied sullenly, "I know."
She also hoped that her family could support her, otherwise she wouldn't have given away half of the cloud-patterned satin that she herself was reluctant to use.
Of course, she hoped her belly would cooperate.
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