Chapter 20 Seeking Medical Treatment
These past few days, doctors from Huichuntang and Jimintang have been coming and going, so how could Madam possibly care about any other household chores? I guess it's because she hasn't received payment for firewood, so Old Tian hasn't been delivering any more.
Madam Mao paused for a moment, then said, "Let's prioritize the master's use for the next few days. It's hot now, so we servants shouldn't use hot water for bathing at night."
"It's just boiling a pot of water, how much firewood could it possibly use?" Li Xiaoxiao was just about to find an opportunity to go out when she heard this and said, "Since I have nothing to do at home anyway, why don't I go up the mountain and chop some firewood?"
Mao's mother looked up, her eyes filled with surprise: "You, do you know the way?"
Li smiled and said, "I heard Lao Tian say that he cuts his firewood on Qifeng Mountain, the closest mountain to the county town. It's an hour's walk west from the city gate. I have an oxcart, so I can transport the firewood back directly."
A complex mix of emotions, including relief and joy, flashed in Madam Mao's eyes. She smiled and smiled at the child's honest heart. Knowing that her master was in trouble, she was actually willing to do the work of chopping wood. Her eyes moistened: "I'll talk to Steward Zhao and ask him to send a servant to go with you."
Li Xiaoxiao quickly shook her head: "No need, I can go by myself. Don't worry, Aunt Mao, I'm strong. Three or five people can't get close to me. There won't be any problems." Without waiting for her objection, she went straight to the cowshed, put the cart on, and led the old ox out.
Mao's mother lifted the lid of the pot, took out two steamed buns, and then grabbed the wood-chopping knife from in front of the stove, chasing after her: "Knife, knife, how are you going to chop firewood without a knife?"
Li Xiaoxiao almost forgot, and awkwardly took the knife from Mao's mother: "I'll be back tonight."
As they drove the oxcart to the city gate, they happened to meet Officer Shi, who was heading to the countryside. Officer Shi had been busy helping the village heads settle the refugees. In just a few days, most of the refugees had built thatched huts with the help of the local villagers. Some quick-witted village heads even arranged for people to help them clear the land so they could rush to plant this season's autumn crops.
Although the newly reclaimed wasteland was mostly covered with stones and tree roots, and the soil was not fertile enough to grow rice, there was still hope of growing beans. Every little bit counted, and even half an acre could yield some grain to store for the winter so that they wouldn't starve. After the refugees settled down, they were very enthusiastic. Except for the very old and the very young, almost all of them went to reclaim wasteland.
Therefore, Constable Shi was so busy that he barely had time to breathe, and he had to walk one or two miles almost every day to inspect the situation.
Seeing Li Xiaoxiao leave, Officer Shi's eyes lit up: "Little sister, where are you going?"
Upon learning that Li Xiaoxiao was going to Qifeng Mountain to chop firewood, Officer Shi said, "What a coincidence! I'm also going to Hexi Village in the west of the city. We're going the same way. Come on, give me a ride."
The two of them rode together in an oxcart westward into the city.
After walking for a while, when there was no one on the road, Officer Shi frowned and asked, "Sister, I heard that the magistrate is not well. Is it true?" The doctor in the clinic was coming and going from the county government office. He was sharp-eared and had already heard the news.
Li Xiaoxiao glanced at him: "Who said that? The master is just sick..."
But Officer Shi was not so sure: "There's no one else here, sister, just tell me the truth, I won't tell anyone."
Just as Li Xiaoxiao was about to speak, she suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves behind her.
She moved the oxcart aside to let the horse-drawn carriage pass.
Ah Sheng, who was sitting in front of the carriage, waved to her, but before she could say anything, the carriage sped away.
Officer Shi frowned: "Isn't that the magistrate's carriage? Is he alright?"
Li Xiaoxiao shook her head: "No, the eldest young master is sitting in the carriage. He is going to the prefectural city to invite a doctor to treat the master."
Just as Officer Shi breathed a sigh of relief, his heart immediately tightened again. They were about to go to the prefectural city to fetch a doctor, which showed that Lord Meng's illness was indeed quite serious.
Although he and Lord Meng did not get along very well, Lord Meng could not afford to get into trouble at this critical juncture.
After all, he had brought more than 300 households of refugees directly to Biyang County without the permission of his superiors, and had even emptied the county government's granary. This was a huge responsibility. If he really died, who would take the blame?
Officer Shi has been restless these past few days.
Now he only hopes that Young Master Meng can really find a more skilled doctor in Lin'an to cure Lord Meng, otherwise he doesn't know who will clean up this mess.
Li Xiaoxiao drove him to Hexi Village. The head constable pointed to a small path and said to Li Xiaoxiao, "Go straight along this road. After crossing the river, Qifeng Mountain is not far away. It is close to Hedong Village. The old Tian who delivered firewood to you is from this village. They all cut firewood at the foot of the mountain. There are many snakes, insects, rats and ants in the deep mountains. I heard there are also wild boars. Don't go in. Just cut firewood at the foot of the mountain."
Li Xiaoxiao responded and drove the old ox along the path.
Sure enough, there was a big river. After crossing the river, it took less than half an hour to reach the foot of the mountain. In the fields and along the edges of the fields, you could see many people harvesting rice. Some had already finished harvesting and were turning the soil with hoes in order to rush to plant the next season. There were also many people pulling plows.
Upon seeing a stranger driving an oxcart approaching, the busy people immediately stopped and stared at her in surprise. After a short while, a middle-aged man ran over and stared at her, asking, "Where are you from?"
Li smiled and said, "I am from the magistrate's residence, and I've come here to chop firewood."
Seeing that he seemed unconvinced, she smiled slightly: "Is Old Tian, who delivers firewood to the county magistrate's office, from your village? He hasn't delivered firewood for several days."
Hearing her mention Old Tian, the man relaxed: "So you're from the magistrate's residence. That's right, Old Tian was indeed from our village, but he fell and died at home the day before yesterday, and was only buried yesterday."
He pointed to a newly erected grave mound not far away: "He's buried right there."
Li Xiaoxiao was extremely surprised. Old Tian looked to be only in his fifties. How could he have died from a fall?
The man was quick-witted. He glanced at Li Xiaoxiao's oxcart and immediately said, "Old Tian has no children or grandchildren, only his relatives. His passing was so sudden. Has no one been delivering firewood to you these past few days? How about this, I'll take over the firewood delivery job from now on. I can deliver firewood to you every three days, and the payment will be the same as Old Tian's."
Old Tian would earn twenty coins for delivering a cartload of firewood to the magistrate's house. He would make ten deliveries a month, which would amount to two hundred coins. Two hundred coins was a considerable sum for a farming family. The reason why no one had come to the magistrate's house to take on this job was that Old Tian's relatives were all vying to take it on, and they hadn't yet come up with a plan.
Now, they've actually run into the magistrate's servants at the foot of the mountain. If Li Xiaoxiao agrees, he can tell the villagers that the magistrate's family has agreed to give him the job, and no one will dare to say anything.
Before Li Xiaoxiao could say anything, other people came over. Hearing what the man said, they immediately became indignant: "Erzhu, why should you be given Lao Tian's job? Our family hasn't even spoken yet, is it your place to interfere?"
Erzhu immediately said, "This job isn't his inheritance, so why can't I get involved? As long as the master agrees, I can deliver it every day without any problem."
Before Li Xiaoxiao could speak, the people of Hedong Village started arguing amongst themselves, and more and more people gathered, even alarming the village chief.
The village chief was an elderly man in his fifties with gray hair, dark skin, and a face with prominent wrinkles. He immediately scolded the villagers: "What's all the noise about? Shut up! The important person may have come here for this very reason. Listen to what they have to say."
Li Xiaoxiao's lips twitched. A benefactor? Was he talking about her?
She coughed and said, "Well, I can't manage Old Tian's job. I'm just a kitchen maid in a master's house. We ran out of firewood, so I came to chop some."
What? The magistrate isn't buying firewood anymore and wants his servants to chop it themselves?
The people of Hedong Village looked at each other, their expressions not very good.
A job that pays 200 coins a month just vanished like that? That's such a shame.
But Erzhu, who had just had a fight with Lao Tian's relatives, felt great. Look, they don't want firewood anymore and want to go up the mountain to chop it themselves. This job is not for him, and no one else can have it either!
Since he couldn't get anything out of it, he decided not to waste his time here, as he hadn't finished working in the fields yet.
Seeing that there was no benefit to be gained, the onlookers all returned to their own fields to get busy.
But the village chief didn't leave. He looked at Li Xiaoxiao's ox and said, "Young lady, could you lend us your ox for a while? We only have three oxen in total, and the two villages take turns using them. This season it's Hexi Village's turn. So much land in the village needs people to pull the plows. If you go up the mountain to chop firewood, the ox will have nothing to do. Why not lend it to us and save us some effort?"
His expression was somewhat anxious, as if he was afraid that Li Xiaoxiao would not agree: "Don't worry, as long as you lend us the ox, I will cut grass for you for three days if you lend it for one day. It will definitely not be used for free."
Should I lend them my ox? Li Xiaoxiao looked at the men pulling the plow in the field. They were shirtless under the blazing sun, the rope leaving deep marks on their shoulders as they struggled to pull the plow across the field. They had to stop and rest after only a couple of rows, sweating profusely. Her old ox, on the other hand, although it looked a bit old, was well-fed and looked quite strong.
However, since she had other purposes for this trip, the village chief's conditions were clearly not enough. She quickly said, "I can borrow the ox, but for just one day, in addition to three days' worth of fodder, you also need to prepare 100 jin of firewood for me."
The village chief was overjoyed. A hundred catties of firewood was nothing to their village near the mountains, but borrowing an ox for a day could plow at least three or four acres of land. He was afraid that Li Xiaoxiao would change her mind: "Alright, a hundred catties it is. Please come to my house to rest for a while, young lady. I will return the ox to you in the evening, and give you the fodder and firewood as well."
He has three grandsons, the oldest is twelve years old and the youngest is eight. The grass that the three boys cut in a day is enough to feed the old ox for three days.
Li Xiaoxiao picked up the wood-chopping knife: "No, this hundred catties of firewood is not enough for us for two days. I need to go up the mountain to chop more. I will leave my oxcart here and come down the mountain in the evening. Please bring the fodder and firewood here before 5 pm."
The village chief nodded in agreement. Li Xiaoxiao handed him the cow rope, picked up her knife, and headed towards the mountainside.
As the village chief untied the oxcart, he said, "Young lady, everyone is gathering firewood at the foot of the mountain. Remember not to go deep into the mountains; it's dangerous there."
Li Xiaoxiao turned her back to him, brandished her wood-chopping knife, and quickly disappeared into the bushes.
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