"Oh! What a pity, such good seedlings are ruined!" sighed Xu Laosan.
"Who says it's not true? But his illness really doesn't allow him to be a teacher, and there's a chance he'll be infected with others." Shopkeeper Hong said.
Qibao asked, "Grandpa Hong, can you take me to meet this person?"
Shopkeeper Hong was surprised and said, "But his illness..."
Qibao said, "It's okay. If this person is really good, I might be able to cure his illness."
"Girl, are you serious? He has been taking medicine for a long time but there has been no improvement. Are you sure?" said Manager Hong.
Qibao said, "We'll discuss the details after we meet in person. Even if there's a way to cure him, it depends on whether he's worth my while."
"Okay, he often comes to me to buy medicine. I know where his home is. I have time now, so I will take you there personally!" said Manager Hong.
"Okay, then I'll trouble Grandpa Hong."
The three of them got on the carriage. Manager Hong and Kui Wu agreed on a location, and the carriage started off.
Qibao said, "Grandpa Hong, you haven't told me this person's name yet!"
Shopkeeper Hong said, "His name is He Jie, and he lives in the slums on the outskirts of town."
They quickly arrived at their destination in a carriage. Kui Wu said, "Miss, the carriage can't pass ahead. The road is too narrow! We need to walk the rest of the way."
Everyone got off the carriage, leaving Kui Wu to watch. Shopkeeper Tong led the father and daughter into the narrow alley. As they walked, he said, "This is the slum that everyone in Huamen Town knows about. The environment is not good, and most of the people living here are from families with similar circumstances to theirs."
When Qibao walked into the alley, his nose was filled with a smell like that from a sewer. The houses next to him either had a big hole or a corner of the roof had collapsed. People could only live on the side that was not collapsed, but living in such a house was quite dangerous.
As they walked along, they saw some people sitting at the doorsteps of some houses. They had dull eyes, shiny faces, and their clothes had some holes in them. They looked at Qibao and the other two passing by with surprise on their faces.
After all, the clothes worn by Qibao and the other two were symbols of wealth to them, so how could they possibly come to a place like theirs?
The three of them came to the door of a mud house and knocked on the shabby and colorful wooden door. A woman's voice came from inside.
"Here they come, who is it?" Then I heard footsteps getting closer and closer.
With a creak, the wooden door opened from the inside. The woman stared at the three people in front of the door in surprise. She knew Shopkeeper Hong, so she immediately said, "Shopkeeper Hong, why...why are you here?"
Qibao carefully observed the woman in front of him. In fact, she looked to be in her forties, but her hair had turned a lot whiter, which made her actual age look much older. She was also very thin and had a pale face, which was obviously caused by poor living conditions.
Shopkeeper Hong said politely, "Sister, if it's convenient, can you please come inside and talk?"
The woman said a little embarrassedly, "My home is simple. If Manager Hong and the two distinguished guests don't mind, please come in and talk." Then she made way to let the three people in.
As soon as Qibao entered the house, he could smell a damp and moldy smell, but the house was quite clean.
The woman said embarrassedly, "There are only two stools in my house. Please forgive me, my dear guest."
"It's okay, we can talk while standing. I wonder if He Jie's cough has improved?" said Manager Hong.
"Thank you, Manager Hong, for your concern. Jie'er is still the same. He locks himself in the house all day long to copy books to supplement the family income. I advised him to take a break, but the child just wouldn't listen." The woman's eyes turned red when she talked about her son.
"Cough cough, mom, it's... cough... who is coming? Cough cough." A man's voice came from the inner room, mixed with the sound of coughing.
"Oh, Jie'er, it's Manager Hong who is here, and he has brought two distinguished guests with him." The woman replied.
The tattered curtain door was opened from the inside, and a man in brown linen clothes walked out. He was thin and pale, but his facial features were still quite regular.
"Ahem, it turns out to be Shopkeeper Hong... Ahem... Shopkeeper Hong is here. I wonder if Shopkeeper Hong has anything to do with his visit to my humble abode? Ahem..."
"There is indeed something going on. The father and daughter next to me asked me to find a suitable teacher for their village school, so I thought of you and came here specifically to ask Mr. He if you are willing?" said Manager Hong.
"Ahem... Shopkeeper Hong, stop joking. How can I be a teacher in this state? Ahem." He Jie said with a wry smile.
"Grandpa Hong has already told us about your situation. If you are the person we are looking for, maybe we can actually cure your cough." Qibao said.
"What? Miss, are you serious? Can you really cure my son's illness?" The woman said excitedly. Although she also felt that it was unlikely, it was just what a child said and should not be taken seriously, but as long as there was a slight possibility, she did not want to give up this opportunity. She also did not want to see her son suffering from illness every day. Whenever she heard her son's rapid cough in the middle of the night, her heart ached like a needle.
"Well, otherwise we wouldn't have asked Grandpa Hong to come find you." Qibao said.
The woman became even more agitated. She believed in Shopkeeper Hong's character and believed he would never bring anyone to play tricks on them. She pleaded, "Please save my son! I'll agree to anything you say, even if it means costing me my life!"
"Mom! What are you talking about! Ahem... I don't allow you to say that! Ahem... You are the only relative I have... Ahem..." He Jie said a little excitedly, but he didn't dare to get too close to his mother, for fear of passing his illness to her, so he just stood at the door curtain and kept a certain distance from everyone.
Qibao also had a good first impression of this man and secretly tugged at his father's clothes.
Xu Laosan immediately said, "As long as Mr. He is willing to come to our village to be a teacher, we will find a way to cure your cough without you having to pay a penny."
"This...even Leshan Pharmacy can't cure it. I guess the possibility of curing my son's illness is very slim. It's all my fault. I harmed Jie'er and ruined his future... Woo woo." The woman was already sobbing when she thought of the sad things.
"Mom... cough cough... don't cry, it's not my fault, cough cough, it's my own weak body... cough cough... how can you blame it on you... cough" He Jie felt anxious when he saw his mother crying, and hurriedly comforted her.
"Mr. He, why don't you choose to trust us this time? Give us more hope. Maybe our method can really cure you?" said Xu Lao San.
"Yes, He Jie, if I wasn't sure, I wouldn't bring them to see you." Manager Hong also said.
"Manager Hong, please don't misunderstand me. Ahem, it's not that I don't trust you. Ahem... It's just that I've never been a teacher... Ahem, I'm afraid I'm not suitable... Ahem."
"It's okay. The children in our village have never received any enlightenment. We just want them to learn to read and acquire some knowledge. I believe that with such a good diploma as yours, you can do it. This is also an opportunity for you. Do you and your son really want to live in a place like this?" said Xu Laosan.
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