Chapter 16 A Great Kindness Needs No Words of Gratitude
“Father, last year I went with Prince Heng to Xuandu Temple to perform a ritual for you. It started raining when we returned in the evening. A female Taoist asked for lodging, so I begged Granny Wang to let her stay at her house for the night.”
As Li Sanniang spoke, she observed the expressions of the other four people present. All four remained solemn and silent, waiting for Li Sanniang to continue.
People at the time highly regarded Taoism, believing that its central idea of "quietude and non-action" was very virtuous. Moreover, Taoist priests at that time also held the dual roles of chemist and physician. One of the more famous examples was Sun Simiao, who wrote "Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold".
Therefore, Li San Niang used this incident as a pretext, hoping to spread the knowledge in her mind and save more people, so there was still a glimmer of hope.
"Then the son found an unoccupied room for the female Taoist priest and served her vegetarian food."
The rain didn't stop the next day; in fact, it got even heavier.
The boy then told the woman that it would be better to stay another night and wait for the rain to stop the next day before leaving the city, otherwise the coachman would not take them out of the city.
The female Taoist said it was good, and added that the boy had a kind heart and was destined for the Tao, so she began to teach him the Tao.
Upon hearing this, the four members of the Li family couldn't contain their astonishment and their expressions changed drastically.
It is rare for a Taoist priest to preach on his own initiative; most believers go to Taoist temples to listen to the teachings and seek answers from the priests.
"On the third day, I saw the female Taoist off and even helped her call a donkey cart. But I couldn't remember anything the female Taoist had told me on the second day."
The child didn't take it seriously, thinking it was probably not important and didn't remember it.
Until today, when my sister-in-law and I encountered that young man at Xiang Gui Ji restaurant, who suddenly had a piece of candy stuck in his throat, I was there and, upon seeing his predicament, the voice of that female Taoist priest suddenly echoed in my mind. I then learned this first-aid method and used it to save the young man.”
After Li San Niang finished speaking, she was very uneasy. She didn't know if this lie, full of loopholes, could be believed by the people of the Tang Dynasty, who had not yet developed a complete scientific system, under the cover of kinship.
At this point, Li's mother was completely convinced. As a midwife, she had countless beliefs in gods and spirits when dealing with the women in the backyard. Regardless of whether they were effective or not, she would always offer prayers.
"Third Sister, you've encountered a true immortal. That female Taoist might be an incarnation of some venerable immortal who came to the mortal realm to teach you Taoist magic so that you can heal the people of the world."
"My son, this is a great act of merit, a truly good deed."
After Li's mother finished speaking, she clasped her hands and bowed upwards, saying that she would go to Xuandu Temple to invite the statue of the deity home to worship every day.
“Mother is right. Our whole family should go to Xuandu Temple to pray another day. This method of saving people is a great act of kindness and merit. We should go and thank her for her guidance.”
Li Erxiong echoed his mother's words. Because Li Daxiong often went to his master to learn martial arts when he was ten years old, he didn't spend much time at home. On the contrary, Li Erxiong spent more time with his mother when he was young, in addition to learning medicine with his father. He was deeply influenced by his mother. Although he didn't have a firm belief in anything, he generally believed that it was better to believe than not. If he encountered something, he would bow to it to put his mind at ease.
Not to mention, there was also Sun Simiao, an outstanding and officially recognized medical master who believed in Taoism; he truly was the pinnacle of medical practice.
In the end, Li's father and elder brother were the most cautious, and they told Li San Niang to keep this matter to herself and not to tell anyone else.
Li's father also said that he did not know whether the female Taoist had passed on this method to Li San Niang, or whether there would be other methods in the future.
Li San Niang could only say helplessly, "I don't know either. Perhaps it is. If I encounter this situation again in the future, I will know whether it is or not."
The four chatted until midnight, then exchanged information and decided to keep Li San Niang's extraordinary encounter a secret for now. They would wait until they went to Xuandu Temple to find a Taoist priest to answer their questions before deciding what to do next.
After the start of the dog days of summer, the weather became increasingly hot. Before noon, the sun was already scorching.
Li San Niang begged her brother Li, who was on leave, to take Lu Zhu'er to the carpenter to have a house custom-made for Xiao Huang. Although Xiao Huang was a mongrel, judging from its mother's size, it was quite big.
And having a shelter with a roof will protect them from the wind and rain. They're also counting on Little Yellow to take care of the children and accompany Dewdrop as she grows up.
Li San Niang waited at home for news from Chen Ya Lang, who had said it would be within the next day or two.
Just as I was wondering if Chen Yalang would come today, the young shop assistant in the front yard of the clinic led Chen Yalang in.
Li San Niang gave her mother some instructions, then took the household registration certificate and a small wooden box containing silver and went out with Chen Ya Lang.
In fact, the Tang Dynasty originally used copper coins and silk as its main currencies. It was only after Emperor Wu ascended the throne that he used maritime and military means to obtain a large amount of silver mines from Japan, which were then refined into official silver ingots and transported back to the Tang Dynasty by sea.
Years later, the main currencies in circulation in the Tang Dynasty were silver and copper coins.
Li San Niang and Chen Ya Lang called a donkey cart to pick up the original homeowner in Datie Alley, then went to the Ministry of Revenue to transfer the property, pay the money, and sign the official deed.
The original homeowner also gave the house key to Li San Niang, and from then on, Li San Niang was also a person with a house!
However, things changed regarding the rental arrangement.
The agreement had been made to rent a house near Qinglian Academy. Chen Yalang went back and contacted the landlord's servants who remained in Chang'an. When the servants heard that the house was to be rented to a divorced woman who had returned home with her daughter, they refused, saying that their master had said it was to be rented to a scholar.
The "scholar" here does not refer to an ordinary family, but to the male members of a family that has been engaged in farming and studying for generations.
After listening to Chen Yalang's explanation, Li Sanniang didn't think it was too bad. Although the Tang Dynasty was known for its upright and tolerant people, people should still be allowed to have their own likes and dislikes.
He thanked Chen Yalang and gave him a generous red envelope as a token of gratitude. He could only say that he would not rent out the property in the blacksmith alley for the time being, and would leave it for later.
When Li San Niang returned home, the Li family was waiting for her to have lunch.
As the weather gradually gets hotter, the Li family now eats breakfast and lunch at a table set up in the main hall, and dinner in the courtyard, where there is a slight breeze and it is a bit cooler.
Under the jujube tree in the courtyard, Li San Niang had already spotted a rather large wooden house. Lu Zhu'er and Xiao Huang were squatting in front of it, presumably admiring Xiao Huang's new home together.
Brother Li raised his eyebrows and said, "It didn't cost much. Uncle Li said it was all made from leftover scraps from when he made furniture for others. It didn't use much wood. He just gave me a fee for my work. It was quite fast. I was there for less than an hour and it was finished."
I see that Xiao Huang likes it quite a bit. As for the rest of the money, I'll give it to your sister-in-law for household expenses, as you suggested.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, elder brother. I still have to help my younger sister take care of the children and handle other chores during my ten-day break."
Brother Li waved his hand, saying, "We're family, no need for formalities. What's the big deal?"
After calling Dewdrop to wash her hands and eat, Dewdrop reluctantly went to eat with Li San Niang. Little Yellow, on the other hand, was not reluctant to leave its little friend, because it was already slurping down its lunch of rice bran disguised as potatoes.
Just as they sat down and before they even picked up their chopsticks, Brother Li said that while Sister Li was out today, a servant from Lady Qian's household had come to deliver a visiting card.
The calling card was from Qian Xiuran, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. The servant who delivered the card was very polite, bringing four gifts and praising Li San Niang. He then praised the entire Li family, from Li's father and mother to the four little ones and Xiao Luzhu. Li Er Xiong said that he had drunk a pot of tea with them and that he had never heard so many nice words in his life.
The post stated that they would visit to express their gratitude in three days, and asked Li San Niang to be present, as well as Qian Langjun, Qian Niangzi, and Qian Xiaolang would also be there.
When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it. Even if the Li family is worried that associating with officials in such important positions might cause more trouble, being coy and hesitant is not the Li family's style. There's nothing wrong with being open and straightforward.
Li's mother and sister-in-law were a little unsure of what to do. After all, such a family, who were so particular about food and drink, rarely interacted with ordinary people like them. They didn't know how to treat their guests properly, and what if they made a fool of themselves and embarrass the Li family?
Finally, Li San Niang said that it would be enough to just buy some slightly better tea. There was no need for us to put on a show and pretend to be rich. If they looked down on us, it would only be this once, and we wouldn't have any dealings with them in the future.
Li's mother felt that she should prepare better, since the invitation said that she would be disturbing them until 1-3 PM, which meant that they would be eating at her home. There were no special rules, so she should prepare more good food. Li's mother thought that she should invite a famous chef in the neighborhood who specializes in preparing wedding banquets to cook a meal at home, which would be the best hospitality that her family could offer.
After waking up from my afternoon nap, I took Luzhu'er to see Li Ersao and Xiao Wulang. Sure enough, after drinking breast milk for a few days, Xiao Wulang had transformed from a wrinkled little old man into a chubby young man.
It must be because Li Ersao was in good health and promptly washed the wound with liquor that Li Sanniang noticed the sutured side incision was healing well, with only a small knot remaining.
Li Sanniang thought that she should still make sure to get all the production-related equipment from the equipment pack rewarded by the task system, as she would definitely need it in the future.
To do a good job, one must first have the right tools. For Li San Niang, who received a modern Western medical education, suitable and easy-to-use medical equipment was very important.
After chatting with Li Ersao for a while, seeing that Xiao Wulang was about to nurse, Li Sanniang left with Luzhu'er.
The little dewdrop was still persistently talking to the baby Kogoro, hoping that her little brother would grow up quickly, faster than Little Yellow, so they could play together.
Haha, with Little Yellow by her side, Dewdrop has become much more lively.
During lunch, Li San Niang told the Li family that she had bought the house in Datie Alley and that the ownership transfer had already been completed.
After offering a few words of congratulations, Li's father said that after the Qian family came to visit, he and Li San Niang would go to the Ministry of Revenue to register as a female household.
Li's mother also said that when she has some free time in a few days, they can go and look at the house together, tidy it up, and see what to add to make it more convenient for people to live in.
Three days later, amidst the eager anticipation of the dozen or so members of the Li family, the young master of the Qian family, accompanied by his wife, young master Qian, and a dozen servants, arrived at the entrance of the Li family's herbal medicine hall in a carriage.
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