"Please sit down. I have a lot of food. It would be a waste if we couldn't finish it all. Let's eat together."
"Grandpa, what's your name?" Ye Ye's hands were dirty, with mud under her fingernails. She picked up a chicken leg and started gnawing on it, still asking the question.
"You can just call me Doctor Wang." He really is a doctor; no wonder he has such a kind and gentle face.
Their group was dressed rather shabby, except for Xixi, whose clothes were clean and tidy, and who kept drooling. I turned to look at the food; they hadn't eaten much, but I'd lost my appetite.
“Ying’er, there are still poor people in Linyang. If you mind, let’s all go out.”
"No, I'm just feeling a bit down. Don't spoil me too much, or I'll eat you out of house and home!"
"No, if Ying'er eats me out of house and home, I'll earn it back!"
We spoke very softly, so softly that no one on the other side could hear us, not even the people next to us.
The restaurant, which had been bustling with noise just moments before, suddenly fell silent, with people glancing over every now and then. I then noticed that Ye Ye was taking care of Xi Xi, feeding him, wiping his mouth, her face full of affection. Her mother-in-law did nothing, only feeding him meat.
Dr. Wang had stopped eating and sat down in his chair. He ordered two more dishes: "You must all be hungry. Eat slowly, there will be more dishes later."
"Thank you, Dr. Wang." Ye Ye was very polite, but she lacked manners. She spoke with food in her mouth and almost spat it out onto Dr. Wang's face.
I turned around and chuckled to myself. They were poor, but they got along well. Ye Ye was probably a child bride; she was alright-looking, but her skin was rough, dry, and cracked. Her toes kept twitching and scratching on the ground, and she looked rather dirty.
I put down my chopsticks, and Xie Yuancheng personally brought me the cup of felt wine. He had already finished a pot of Taiqing wine.
"Drink slowly, it's a bit spicy." He was so gentle. I could smell the strong smell of alcohol, but I forced myself to drink it.
It was spicy, and it was bitter too. I looked at him with teary eyes, but Xie Yuancheng's smile was so gentle that I couldn't bear to say anything to him!
"Dr. Wang~" Ye Ye spoke again. I was still energetic, so I turned to look at him: "Could you take a look at Xi Xi? He's so pitiful~ He tasted some rice wine last time and fell into a deep sleep. If I hadn't found him early, he would have caught a cold."
But that day I ate honey, and it was so sweet, just like the meal Dr. Wang treated us to today.
She was so good at talking; she would often tilt her dirty little face up with pitiful eyes, making anyone who saw her feel sorry for her.
"Alright, let me take a look." Doctor Wang was in a good mood, and he began to take Xixi's pulse and examine her. However, I saw his brows furrow, and Xixi's face was covered in oil from eating.
Every night she wanted to wipe it, but she would reach out her hand and then pull it back, timidly looking up at Doctor Wang.
I couldn't bear to watch this scene any longer, so I turned around to tell Xie Yuancheng that we should leave, but he was still watching, and the people next to him were watching too.
I had no choice but to follow the crowd and go with them. After Dr. Wang finished examining me, he gave me a long explanation, and all I remember is getting the medicine, acupuncture, and so on.
Every night, with teary eyes, she would ask, "Dr. Wang, is it very expensive? How much silver does it cost?"
"No need, I'll bring the medicine for you to take for free. However, you'll have to buy more medicine yourself after you finish it. As for acupuncture, I'll perform one treatment. After a month, you can find a clinic, explain your requirements, and go for acupuncture every month for three or four months to see the effect."
Doctor Wang wrote out a prescription and sent his servant to fetch the medicine. The people nearby were discussing whether to help. At this moment, Ye Ye spoke again.
"Dr. Wang, my family is very poor. I've been married into the family for six months, and we're struggling to even have enough to eat and wear. Could I learn medicine from you so I can treat my husband in the future?"
“Young lady, learning medicine takes time; you can’t learn it in a day. I’m returning to Linyang this time because I have family here, and I need to pick them up to go to the capital with me.”
"Dr. Wang, please, my husband is a very diligent student. Before I married into the family, my mother and the others all said he would be successful in the future, and if he can't be cured, our family will not survive."
She wiped her tears with dirty clothes every night. Her mother-in-law wiped her mouth with her sleeve and also pleaded, "Yes, Doctor Wang, we didn't have any money to go out today. It was only because my daughter-in-law sold her handkerchiefs that we had some money."
You even treated us to such a delicious meal. My son isn't stupid; he only became like this after hitting his head. All I have on me is a book he often reads; I'll pawn it to you, please help me.”
The old woman took out a worn book from her bosom. I couldn't see it clearly, but the onlookers were all laughing. Someone snorted coldly, their words somewhat sarcastic.
"Hmph! You are shameless. This doctor spent twenty coins to buy you a handkerchief, treated you to a meal, and prescribed medicine for you. Now you are taking advantage of his kindness and want to be treated like a servant, expecting him to cooperate with you."
These days, even the poor have pride. You're not crippled or stupid. With your smooth talk, how could you not make money? You're just lazy and want to reap the rewards without so much. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
We earn our meals in restaurants through hard work. Your wife is only a teenager, yet she acts pitiful and resentful while eating, but who is she trying to impress by swinging her stinky, worn-out feet under the table?
"When you came in, the restaurant reeked. We paid money and went through all that trouble to come here to relax. The doctor already spoke up, but you still wouldn't let it go, holding up a 'Book of Ghosts'—are you trying to fool the ghosts?"
My head was spinning. The old woman was arguing with that man: "My wife is only fourteen years old. My family feeds her eggs and rice. How have we mistreated her?"
She wasn't careful; she's used to being wild in the mountains and likes to cross her legs while eating. You, with your dirty mind, misunderstood her, and you should apologize to us.
Besides, how do you know we're lazy? We have extra money at home. If you don't know about the hardships we've endured, then shut up. You look decent enough, but you can't even speak properly.
Every night, she would cry in Xixi's arms, feeling wronged. Xixi was really silly; she would clap her hands and laugh, occasionally humming a few words.
Dr. Wang was probably very restless; his face turned a deep purplish-red. I was both angry and amused.
"Stop arguing, Auntie. I really can't teach him. My medical skills aren't that great. Since you've said that you have money, I'll write down the prescription. You can go to a clinic and have the doctor examine it. It'll be the same treatment."
"That's right! Since you say you're well-off and can afford to eat eggs, why don't you buy your daughter-in-law a pair of shoes for her stinky feet? Who are you trying to fool with your pitiful act!"
It was a fat man who said it. He was well-dressed and didn't look bad, but I don't know why he got so angry. I was completely confused. It seemed like he would kneel down and kowtow three times to Doctor Wang every night, claiming to be his apprentice and insisting on taking him in.
"Yingdi~ you're drunk, let's go back." Xie Yuancheng put the silver on the table, and I followed him out in a daze. I had only had one cup, I shouldn't be drunk.
I remember getting into the carriage and seeing Xie Yuancheng's exquisite face, and then my memory became blurry.
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