The little boy looked up at her, then pursed his lips, looking aggrieved.
Seeing his tears dripping from his face, Luo Lan touched his head with some reluctance and asked:
"What's wrong with you? Why are you crying? Did someone bully you?"
The little boy lowered his head and shook his head. "No, the waiter said that my mother doesn't need to take medicine anymore and can just wait to die. But I don't want her to die. I don't want to be without a mother. I don't want to be a child without a mother to call."
His words stunned Luo Lan, and made her feel sad.
A child without a mother is the most pitiful person in the world.
She patted the child's shoulder and asked softly:
"What's wrong with your mother?"
The little boy shook his head. "I don't know. My mom just has stomachaches sometimes, and they go away after a while. But the pain has been getting worse these past few days."
"Is there no one else in your family? Where's your father?"
The little boy pursed his lips and shook his head. "I don't know where my father is. He's probably dead. My mother won't tell me. If she dies again, I'll be the only one left at home."
When the little boy said this, tears began to fall. Luo Lan felt a pang of pain in her heart. As a medical worker, she couldn't ignore such a thing.
She patted his shoulder and comforted him:
"Where is your mother? Take me to see her."
The little boy looked up at her with wide eyes and asked, "Sister, do you know medicine?"
Luo Lan pursed her lips and smiled, "I understand a little."
"That's great! I've already consulted several doctors, but I don't have the money to pay for their consultations. No one wants to go. I offered to trade my old hen at home, but they disagreed. Sister, if you go, can I use the chicken as payment for your consultation?"
Using chicken as medical fee?
Luo Lan suddenly felt that the little boy had a very clear mind. He knew how to exchange things for money at such a young age.
She nodded and chuckled, "Okay, I agree."
The little boy then happily took her hand and prepared to run home.
Luo Lan turned around and said to Ah Cai and Ah Hong:
"You guys go back first and make the chicken soup. I'll serve it to the prince when I get back. Save the pig's trotters for tomorrow."
Ah Cai looked at her with some concern, "Let me accompany you. Ah Hong can go back alone."
"Need not."
Luo Lan shook his head directly, "I'll be back soon, you guys go back and wait for me."
"But……"
Acai was still a little worried, afraid that something might happen to the princess.
Seeing the girl's stubborn temper coming out, she could only say to Ah Hong:
"Okay then. Ah Hong will go back and make the medicine first. Ah Cai will accompany me."
After hearing this, Acai finally smiled. She stuffed the black chicken in her hand into Ahong's hand, gave her a few more instructions, and then walked away quickly with Luo Lan and the little boy.
On the way, the little boy told Luo Lan that his name was Xiaozhi. He had never seen his father since he was a child. His mother earned some money by sewing and mending for others. The family raised three old hens, and they sold the eggs they laid. The family lived a decent life, but it was a big expense for his mother to buy him pens, ink, paper and inkstone.
He kept muttering all the way and seemed to be a very talkative child.
Luo Lan couldn't help but ask:
"Can you read?"
"Yes."
The little boy replied directly and confidently:
"My mother can read, so she taught me to write since I was young. She said that when I grow up, I must pass the imperial examinations to gain fame and honor for her, earn money for her, and let her live a good life. Oh, and I can also recite the Three Character Classic, the Analects of Confucius, the Book of Songs, and the Hundred Family Names."
Looking at his arrogant look, Luo Lan suddenly became very interested in his mother.
A woman with a child who can actually read.
In this era, there were not many women who could read and write. Girls from ordinary families would not be sent to school. Those who could read and write were either daughters of officials or daughters of wealthy families.
They walked a long way, through several alleys, before Xiao Zhi pointed to a dilapidated courtyard not far away and said:
"That's my home."
Looking at the dilapidated house, Luo Lan had even more respect for the woman living in it. She was a great mother who managed to teach her children to read in such an environment.
The door was open. I guess since this place is so poor, thieves won't come here. Besides, it doesn't seem to make much difference whether the door is closed or not.
As soon as Xiao Zhi entered the courtyard, he began to shout:
"Mom, I'm back. I brought the doctor with me."
After a while, a voice came out from inside.
"Hey kid, didn't I tell you not to go to the doctor? Why did you do that? What will you do if you run out of money for pens, ink, and paper next month?"
As she said this, the woman came out of the house. When she saw Luo Lan, she was stunned for a moment, then asked curiously:
"Who is this?"
Xiao Zhi hurriedly explained:
"Mom, this is a female doctor. She said she can use our old hen to pay for the consultation. Please let her take a look, otherwise Xiaozhi will be scared."
The woman touched Xiao Zhi's head, sighed softly, and then said to Luo Lan:
"Then I'll trouble you, young lady."
She lowered her head and said to Xiao Zhi:
"Go get the other sister a glass of water. Mother and the doctor will go into the house to talk."
Xiaozhi nodded happily and ran to pour some water.
Xiaozhi's mother gave Luo Lan a wry smile and welcomed her into the house.
This was a tidy house, though it looked shabby. Luo Lan stood at the door and looked around. The woman tucked her hair in front of her forehead a little embarrassedly and said softly:
"Sorry, it's a bit messy here, girl, please sit anywhere."
Luo Lan chuckled and shook his head, "No, it's nice here, really clean."
The woman smiled bitterly, "I'm sorry to have made a fool of myself, my family is poor and I don't have anything nice."
As she spoke, she sat at the table, poured Luo Lan a glass of water, and pushed it in front of her, "Miss, please drink some water."
Luo Lan waved his hand and refused:
"No more drinking, let me check your pulse first!"
The woman shook her head directly, her hands kneading each other restlessly. After a long silence, she finally couldn't help but say:
"Girl, can I ask you for a favor?"
Luo Lan looked at her in surprise, "Please speak."
The woman pursed her dry lips, raised her head, looked at her with longing eyes, and pleaded in a low voice:
"Can you please tell Xiaozhi directly that my illness is not serious?"
"Why?" Luo Lan looked at her puzzledly, "I haven't even taken your pulse yet, how can I know what's wrong with you?"
The woman sighed deeply. "You don't need to see to know that my illness is incurable, but I don't want him to know. I want to make more money during this period so that when I really die in the future, he won't be left without anything."
At this point, the woman's eyes turned red, tears kept falling down her cheeks, and she whispered:
"Xiaozhi is a thoughtful child. When he saw me in pain, he ran to find a doctor. If he couldn't find a doctor, he would go buy medicine for me. I wouldn't listen to him, so I can only beg you, please help me."
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