An Bihuai rubbed his clothes with his hands, his face as dark as soy sauce. He muttered, "Doudou, now it's about your second aunt's life or death, so don't keep it from your second uncle."
Yuan Doudou's lips curled up as she looked at An Bihuai with disdain: "Second Uncle thinks Second Aunt's life and death are very important, but he doesn't care about my life or death? You know very well what is most important to a widow."
No matter how enlightened the times become, a woman's chastity is still a topic that is constantly discussed and left no room for debate.
An Bihuai said with shame, "Second Uncle misspoke. But I really don't know who else to ask for help. I'm truly desperate, that's why I'm begging you. Dou Dou, please forgive my mistake and help me. I will repay you tenfold."
"Second Uncle, you're really flattering me. I don't expect anything in return. I'll help if I can, but you'll have to prepare the money. Without money, even a god can't help you." It's always been the same in every era that medical care is difficult and expensive.
When money was mentioned, An Bihuai's face darkened even more.
He had no money left.
The last time the doctor came, we had already spent all our money.
"DouDou, your second uncle has another favor to ask of you. Could you lend me some money?" He said shamelessly, not caring about the debts he already had. He had already borrowed twenty taels, so borrowing a little more now wouldn't be a problem.
Yuan Doudou was speechless. She had just tried her best to control her expression and not be too irritable, but An Bihuai was taking advantage of her and his greedy face was on full display.
“Second Uncle, I call you Second Uncle, but you act like an ancestor. If you want to borrow money, you can pay back the twenty taels you owe me first. As the old saying goes, if you borrow and repay, it’s not hard to borrow again. What kind of behavior is this?” An Bihuai was shameless, so Yuan Doudou didn’t give him any face.
Passersby nodded in agreement when they heard her words.
An Bihuai shrank his neck, regretting that he hadn't spoken up if he had known she would be so unreasonable; it was truly embarrassing.
"Second Uncle, I will do my best to help with what you asked, but I'm afraid I can't help with the money. Please leave." Yuan Doudou said, turned around, pushed open the door, and took Anji inside.
Watching his niece's indifferent back, An Bihuai sighed deeply.
He returned home dejectedly, and his three sons gathered around him, asking what had happened.
"Father, did she agree?" An Chang asked, craning his neck.
Anwang echoed worriedly, "Yes, how is it?"
Anping was the calmest, though he had a premonition that things wouldn't go well.
An Bihuai sat on a bench, lit a pipe, took a deep drag, and after a while opened his mouth to exhale a thick cloud of yellow smoke.
"Dad, stop smoking and say something." They didn't want to lose their mother at such a young age.
An Bihuai said irritably, "You agreed but then you didn't."
An Chang asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
They didn't understand what their father said.
An Bihuai took another deep drag of his cigarette: "She agreed to find a doctor, but she didn't agree to the money."
An Chang raised an eyebrow, furious: "She really has the nerve! How did my mother become like this? Doesn't she know the consequences? No way, I'm going to settle the score with her right now."
Anbi Huaimeng remained silent.
An Chang lifted his leg to leave, but An Ping grabbed his arm to stop him: "Isn't it chaotic enough already?"
Anping glared at him: "Brother, I think you've been bewitched by her. Don't forget she's your sister-in-law. Stop daydreaming."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Anping raised his hand and slapped Anchang across the face.
An Bihua scolded, "Enough! All of you, shut up! Eldest brother, your second brother was a bit impulsive. As the eldest brother, you need to be patient. An Chang, what good will your impulsiveness do for your mother? Since she agreed to help find Doctor Li, let's wait for her to finish this matter first. We can talk about other things later. Don't mess things up, understand?"
An Chang then realized that his father was right: "Father, you are the best."
"Of course, you've only eaten rice a few days ago," An Bihuai said with no small amount of pride.
In the middle of the night, Yuan Doudou got up to check the cabinet. The lock was intact, and all her belongings were inside.
My mother-in-law's jewelry consisted of ten taels of silver, five hundred and twenty copper coins, and pink pearls.
She lay back on the bed, feeling a little worried. It wasn't safe to keep the money here; she should deposit it in a money exchange.
Ping'an Town has only one money exchange, Kunming Money Exchange, with its main branch in Kyoto and branches all over Ling Kingdom.
She decided to deposit her money in a money exchange because it was safe and profitable, and she would keep some capital at home for business purposes.
The next day, before dawn, she went to Li Datou's house, paid for the griddle, and picked it up.
It must be said that Li Datou's craftsmanship is superb; the griddle she made was exactly the size she wanted, and the shape was also a perfect replica.
"Thank you, Uncle." Yuan Doudou carried the griddle home.
Li Datou looked at the money in his hand, which was five more than agreed upon. He smiled and looked at Yuan Doudou's back, muttering to himself, "This girl is honest."
On her way home, Yuan Doudou went to the greenhouse again, picked ten catties of oyster mushrooms, and delivered them to the village entrance.
The carriage arrived just then, and she carried Anji onto it. She wasn't setting up her stall today; once in town, she went straight to Haoqinglai to deliver some oyster mushrooms.
"DouDou, what's that over there?" Li Cai, with his sharp eyes, noticed that there were still things in her basket.
Yuan Doudou laughed and said, "This is king oyster mushroom, and it tastes even better than oyster mushroom."
"Why didn't you say so earlier? Give me ten pounds!" Li Cai said with delight.
Recently, most people who come to the restaurant want to eat some mountain delicacies, whether it's bamboo shoots or pine mushrooms, they love them.
I've probably eaten too many oyster mushrooms, so I don't find them very flavorful, but these king oyster mushrooms look plump and tender.
"I didn't bring much, so I'll send it over in a few days." She had brought these things because they were useful.
Li Cai was unhappy: "It's fine, less is less, I'll give you fifty coins a pound."
Yuan Doudou wanted to say that this wasn't about the money, but she held back. Hao Qinglai was her big customer, and offending him wouldn't do her any good.
“Okay, I’ll go weigh it.” Yuan Doudou ran to the kitchen quickly, and after weighing it, it was exactly three jin.
The accountant settled the bill for her, a total of six hundred and fifty coins.
"Manager Li, you're busy, I'll head back now." Yuan Doudou said goodbye, took Anji's hand, and hurriedly walked out.
Li Cai couldn't help but laugh; when did he become so impulsive?
Yuan Doudou was indeed in a hurry; she needed to go to Tianming Medical Clinic, and if she arrived late, Li Tianlang would be too busy to pay attention to her.
When we arrived at Tianming Medical Clinic, the waiter had just opened the door.
"Miss, you've come very early." The waiter recognized her face but couldn't quite place her.
Yuan Doudou smiled without saying a word and stood outside waiting.
The waiter wanted to invite her in, but was afraid of breaking a taboo.
According to the rules of the clinic, when a customer comes in, you cannot ask what they need.
A short while later, a simple-looking horse-drawn carriage slowly drove up.
After the carriage came to a stop, Li Tianlang, dressed in a moon-white robe, appeared handsome and elegant.
He spotted Yuan Doudou, dressed in simple clothes, and noticed she was staring intently in his direction. He seemed to realize something.
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