Chapter 35 Can I call you Mother?
Jiang Nuanzhi got up and dusted herself off: "Although you can move, you still need to be careful. It's best to rest."
The pain in your arm is due to a fracture, not a complete break, so it won't affect anything. You just can't do heavy work. Take good care of yourself. As for the wound on your arm, I've stitched it up for you. You need to change the dressing daily. Come to my house in seven days, and I'll remove the stitches.”
After giving them a routine set of instructions, Jiang Nuanzhi held out her hand to the stunned group: "Two taels of silver, for the consultation fee."
Xie Liangchen didn't delay this time and used his skillful hands to fetch silver for Jiang Nuanzhi.
With the two ounces in hand, Jiang Nuanzhi couldn't help but laugh: "In that case, we're even."
Goodbye, you two.
As Jiang Nuanzhi spoke, she mounted her horse.
To be honest, earning two taels of silver from this house call would have been quite good, but these two insisted on giving her three taels more. Jiang Nuanzhi felt that this money would almost be enough to repair the house.
Seeing Afu leading their horse and trying to hitch it back onto the carriage, Jiang Nuanzhi, in a good mood, added, "Hey, you'd better not overwork it. Horses with this condition shouldn't be agitated, tired, or frightened. It's okay for one person to ride back slowly. But letting the horse pull the carriage again is probably not feasible. It still needs medication. I've written a prescription; you can go get the medicine and give it to the horse for now."
"It's fine if we don't let it pull the carriage, then can your horse help us pull it back?" Afu said, a calculating glint in his eyes.
Jiang Nuanzhi smiled and said, "You wish! I'm more worried about my Xiaoli."
After saying that, she patted Xiaoli's broad and sturdy back: "Wait, Mommy will make you something delicious when we get home."
As if she understood, Xiaoli kicked the horse's legs twice.
It successfully made Afu, who was not far behind, eat a mouthful of mud.
Seeing Afu's rather unpleasant expression, Jiang Nuanzhi patted her own Xiaoli as a reward: "Good Xiaoli!"
"Jiang Pangya, I'm not finished with you!" Afu was furious. Turning to Xie Liangchen, she said, "Young Master, she's just deliberately saying the horse can't be used! She's definitely trying to swindle us out of our money again! Who knows if she's really a doctor? Maybe she just got lucky!"
"Anyway, I've said what I needed to say. If you don't believe me, then go find another doctor." Jiang Nuanzhi smiled and looked at Xie Liangchen: "Xie Liangchen, you can actually get on your horse. It shouldn't be a problem for it to take you back."
As for the carriage, Afu can simply tow it back. "We've been raising an army for a thousand days; now it's time to use it."
After saying that, Jiang Nuanzhi smiled and patted Xiaoli's broad back muscles: "Xiaoli, let's go home."
Seeing that Jiang Nuanzhi had really walked away, Afu's expression cracked.
"Young master, you're not really going to make me pull the carriage, are you?"
Xie Liangchen: "Are there any other methods now?"
"Young Master, listen to me, Jiang Nuanzhi definitely didn't leave. She'll definitely be back soon. Think about it, she used to be so infatuated with you, how could she bear to see you suffer like this now? Oh! I know! All this commotion is just to attract your attention."
Xie Liangchen frowned slightly: "Whatever she's plotting, I'm tired. Let's go home."
"Young Master, then I..."
"Take the carriage back."
After everyone had gone far away, Li Junping emerged from the woods behind him.
He stared at the direction they had left, glanced at them thoughtfully, tore off a piece of cloth to tightly wrap his wound, then slung a large bundle of firewood over his shoulder, carried the pheasant he had hunted, and slowly made his way home.
When Jiang Nuanzhi returned home, she noticed that Li Junping hadn't come back yet, and couldn't help but ask, "Does your brother usually come home this late?"
The waiter said, "Brother left a little late today. We tidied up the house before we went. He should be back soon."
Jiang Nuan belatedly realized that half of the dirt on the ground of the house on the left had been cleared away, and the roof had been covered with a thick layer of thatch.
"You two did all of this? That's amazing!"
Xiao Er scratched his head sheepishly: "My brother climbed up and did all the work. I was just running errands for him."
Even so, Jiang Nuanzhi still found it unbelievable. She had a hard time managing the house herself, let alone her two teenagers.
The piles of dirt cleared outside were huge; I wonder how long it took them to finish.
“That’s already amazing, but your brother is even more amazing. I’m going to pick him up.”
With that, he led the horse out.
She had just stepped outside when she saw Xiao Baozhu chasing after her, saying, "Can I go with you?"
Seeing the little girl's expectant eyes, Jiang Nuanzhi simply picked her up and put her on the horse.
It was already dark, and the moon hung high in the sky, seemingly covering the entire ground with a layer of silver gauze.
"Can you sing that song for me again?" the little girl asked, snuggling close to Jiang Nuanzhi and looking up.
Jiang Nuanzhi was taken aback: "What song is it?"
"It's the song about the moon and the wind."
"The moon is bright, the breeze is gentle?"
"Yes, that's right!"
Jiang Nuanzhi never expected that Xiao Baozhu would remember the song she hummed casually.
He then gently hummed a song to her.
"Sunrise and sunset, deep within deep. A small square table with one meat dish and one vegetable dish."
"The moon is bright, the wind is gentle, but are you knocking on my windowpane?"①
"It sounds great." Little Baozhu grinned and said, "It sounds much better than Wang Xiaohua's mother's singing."
Jiang Nuanzhi couldn't help but pat her head: "Who is Wang Xiaohua?"
"Wang Xiaohua is so annoying! She says her mother has the best singing voice and the best cooking. She's lying! You're the one who sings well and you're the one who cooks the best!"
As she spoke, she suddenly grabbed Jiang Nuanzhi nervously: "Wang Xiaohua also said that one day you would sell me."
"No." Sensing her insecurity, Jiang Nuanzhi said, "I will never sell you."
"Last time, when you took me to town, were you trying to sell me?"
The little girl clung tightly to Jiang Nuanzhi's clothes, speaking in a low voice.
"Yes." Jiang Nuanzhi's voice was soft. Seeing that her eyes dimmed instantly, she quickly said, "But I regret it. They want to give me a lot of money, but I think our Baozhu is the most important."
So I refused them and took Baozhu home.
From that day on, I made up my mind that even if someone wanted to kill me, I would live a good life with Baozhu.
Little Pearl blinked her bright, sparkling eyes and suddenly said, "Don't kill, don't."
Jiang Nuanzhi lowered her head: "I meant hypothetically."
Little Baozhu shook her head like a rattle drum.
“If someone else kills you, sell me. Then, like Sister Tao in the village, I’ll go to other people’s houses to earn money for you to spend.”
Jiang Nuanzhi met the little girl's clear eyes and inexplicably felt a lump in her throat.
How could the original owner bear to harm such a sensible child?
In this life and the last, no one had ever said such a thing to her.
“Baozhu, your stepmother is very powerful. She will earn a lot of money in the future. You are still young now, so just think about how to grow up happily.”
"Um, can I call you Mother?"
As Xiao Baozhu spoke, she suddenly became nervous, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes with her little hands, and dared not look at Jiang Nuanzhi.
Jiang Nuanzhi was also taken aback. She hadn't expected the little girl to accept her so quickly.
"sure."
"Mother," the little girl said softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Yes, I'm here."
Jiang Nuanzhi responded.
"Mother."
"I'm here."
"Mother."
"I'm here."
She had to say it three times before the little girl finally looked up at her.
"Mother, from now on, I'm not a bastard anymore, am I? I have a mother now."
Jiang Nuan was taken aback, her eyes slightly cool, but she simply patted the little guy's head reassuringly: "Yes, Mother will always be here."
"Yes!" The little girl nodded vigorously.
"Mommy, look, isn't that my brother?" Little Baozhu suddenly exclaimed.
Jiang Nuanzhi looked over and couldn't help but wave her hand, "Ping'er!"
"Brother! Brother! We're here. Mother and I have come to pick you up!"
① This is a dish of meat and vegetable from teacher Mao Buyi.
(End of this chapter)
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