Chapter 312 The Broken Brothers
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling immediately put down her spoon, wiped her hands, and walked over to Ah Lin.
She first carefully observed the boy's complexion, and then inquired about the symptoms and duration of his cough.
"It's probably due to wind-cold invasion, coupled with malnutrition and a weak body. If it drags on, it might even develop into bronchitis."
Jiang Ling had brought the appropriate medication, but these children didn't have antibodies, so she didn't dare prescribe it casually, as it would cause problems. After thinking for a moment, she said to Xiao Ran, "However, I only know a little bit about this. Xiao Ran, why don't you take them to the accompanying military doctor first and let the doctor take a closer look?"
"Okay," Xiao Ran replied, then gestured for them to leave.
The military doctor happened to have some free time at the moment. Seeing that Xiao Ran had brought two unfamiliar, poor boys, and after hearing Xiao Ran relay Jiang Ling's preliminary diagnosis, he asked A Lin to sit down and carefully examined his pulse, observed his complexion, and listened to his cough.
When Xiao Ran was being examined by the military doctor, she mentioned that Jiang Ling had already given a preliminary diagnosis.
The military doctor stroked his beard and spoke in a refined manner, but his conclusion was basically the same as Jiang Ling's: a cold had entered the body and the patient was weak.
However, the military doctor did not know what Jiang Ling meant by bronchitis, and his diagnosis was asthma.
He quickly wrote out a prescription and prepared the medicine for Alin.
Amu's tense expression finally relaxed a bit, and he pulled his younger brother to kowtow to the military doctor, but the doctor stopped him.
"No, no, get up quickly. Healing and saving lives is a doctor's duty."
He paused, glanced at the two brothers' clothes, sighed, and then added a few more slices of ginseng and astragalus root. "Add these in to replenish their energy. Sigh, so young..."
"Thank you so much, sir! Thank you so much, sir!" The two brothers were extremely grateful and insisted on keeping the half basket of mushrooms and wild yams.
Xiao Ran had no choice but to accept it and see them out.
They passed by the campfire again. The aroma of meat and vegetables wafted over once more, and this time even Xiao Ran could hear the rumbling in the two brothers' stomachs.
Just then, Shi Tou ran over with an empty bowl, wanting to add some more, and spotted Amu and Alin.
His smile faded slightly, and he paused in his steps.
Several other children from the village who were eating also noticed this and started whispering among themselves.
"Huh? It's Amu and Alin... What are they doing here?"
"Could it be that he smelled the fragrance and wanted to..." another child muttered softly, but didn't finish his sentence.
“My mother said to stay away from them, that they are dishonest.”
These comments were like tiny needles pricking Amu. His face turned pale instantly, his fists clenched, but then he helplessly let them fall back down.
He didn't argue, but simply pulled the coughing Ah Lin behind him.
Head down, trying to get away from this suffocating place as quickly as possible.
These words were spoken at a moderate volume, just enough to reach the ears of Jiang Ling and Cheng Jiaojiao.
Seeing this, Xiao Ran quickly stepped forward and frowned at the children: "Don't talk nonsense! They are not thieves!"
“We’re not making this up! That’s what everyone in the village says, that they’re always stealing from other people…”
"Look, what are they holding in their hands?"
"They've come to steal again!"
Upon hearing this, Ah Lin quickly hugged the medicine bag to his chest.
This is my brother's life-saving medicine! I absolutely cannot give it to him this time!
Upon seeing this, Xiao Ran immediately explained, "No, this is what I gave them."
Jiang Ling observed all of this, her brows furrowing slightly. Could these be two children with a long history of misbehavior?
However, one should not jump to conclusions about everything.
She walked up to the two boys, her tone gentle and without a hint of reproach: "It's alright, come with me first. Are you both hungry? There's some porridge here, have some too. You have to take your medicine after eating, taking it on an empty stomach will hurt your stomach."
Alin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Jiang Ling. He seemed surprised that Jiang Ling didn't question them about "stealing," but instead offered them food.
He wanted to refuse, but the instinct of hunger compelled him to stay and follow Jiang Ling.
Looking at the two boys' slender backs, Cheng Jiaojiao couldn't resist her curiosity. She quietly pulled Shi Tou aside and whispered her questions.
Jiang Ling led them to the other side of the tent, and then had a palace maid serve two steaming bowls of porridge with preserved meat and vegetables, placing them in front of the two boys:
"Let's eat first. You'll need the strength to recover when you're full."
The bowl of porridge was handed to me, steaming hot, and the aroma of cured meat filled my nostrils.
Amu froze. He didn't reach out to take it.
Ah Lin hid behind her brother, but her eyes were fixed on the bowl of porridge, filled with longing.
Are these two large bowls of porridge really for them?
A bowl the size of a washbasin, thick porridge made from fine rice, and topped with cured meat and green vegetables.
When there was no food in winter, they went outside the city to collect relief porridge. The porridge was as thin as rice water and contained sand that would gnaw on your teeth.
"Go on! You'll have more energy if you eat well, and you'll recover faster. Sister Jiang said you have to take your medicine after meals," Xiao Ran said from the side.
Amu finally reached out and took the bowl, his hands trembling.
He handed one bowl to his younger brother first, and then picked up the other bowl for himself.
The two of them ignored the heat and the strange looks from those around them, turned their backs, and began to eat almost wolfing down their food.
The warm porridge slid into my stomach, carrying a rich aroma that instantly dispelled the hunger in my stomach and the chill in my body.
The younger brother ate even faster, taking small bites and his eyes were full of satisfaction; he even forgot to cough.
A large bowl of porridge slid into my empty stomach, bringing a sense of satisfaction.
Looking at the bowl of porridge made from fine rice, cured meat, and vegetables, Ah Lin wondered how long it had been since they had tasted such delicious food. It seemed like they hadn't had it since their parents passed away.
At this moment, Cheng Jiaojiao, who had finished inquiring about the news outside, also came over.
Looking at Amu and Alin with eyes full of heartache, she said gently, "Why are you eating so fast? There's still some left in the pot. We can add more if you're not full."
Jiang Ling could guess what had happened just by looking at her expression.
Upon hearing this, Ah Lin lowered his head and whispered, "We didn't steal on purpose, we were just too hungry to stand it..."
“My father was a soldier of the Great Yu Dynasty. He died in battle five years ago.” Amu’s voice was calm, as if he had long accepted this fact.
"The imperial court provided some compensation, and my grandmother lived frugally. She fell ill last year and died."
When Ah Lin heard her brother mention the past, her eyes reddened, and she coughed softly.
It turns out that these two children are now orphans. Their father joined the army and died in battle when he was young, and their mother died of grief.
They used to have a grandmother who took care of them, but she passed away last year.
These two teenagers supported the family like this. Occasionally, when they were starving, they would steal food from other people's homes, which made the other children in the village hate them.
After listening, Cheng Jiaojiao fell silent.
She was the daughter of a military general. From a young age, she heard her father and brothers talk about the battlefield and knew how many broken families were behind those soldiers who died in battle.
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