Chapter 3
The next day, the sun rose, and a ray of early morning sunlight pierced through the clouds, adding a touch of warmth to the entire Ganzhou County.
Lin Shuge pulled a cart and took Lin Qingyuan and Lin Xuan to Ganzhou County. Unlike the last time when he hired a doctor for his elder brother, Lin Qingyuan's face was full of happiness, and even Lin Xuan had a smile on her face.
Not only did my eldest brother recover from his illness, he also became closer to them, and now he has successfully become a Lingshi. The more I think about it, the more I feel that my eldest brother is so amazing.
"Ah Xuan, besides what Big Brother mentioned last night, think about what else you need to buy? Same with A Yuan."
“Without my elder brother, everything is already complete.” Lin Xuan replied.
Lin Qingyuan also shook his head and said no.
Lin Shuge looked at the two of them, um, what should a twelve-year-old child do? To read, you need to buy some pens and ink. Axuan, a girl, should buy some silk flowers or something, and Ayuan should buy a wooden hairpin.
When I read novels in the past, children would usually ask for candied haws. I don’t know if they are still available in this era. If not, you can just buy the ingredients and make them yourself. That’s it.
Lin Shuge had few relatives in modern times. Once he traveled through time, he saw two little kids running around for him. Last time he came home late, their worry and anxiety made him, an adult man, feel hot inside.
I consciously ignored the fact that this body was only seventeen years old.
Having made up his mind, Lin Shuge pushed the cart to the county town. There were people doing business at the city gate. Their special job was to help people look after vehicles and horses. They paid a coin to leave their vehicles at the city gate, which made it convenient for them to buy things.
As the twelfth lunar month approached, the entire Ganzhou County became extremely bustling with people coming and going on the streets. Some, like Lin Shuge, came out with their families to buy things, while others were selling food.
Lin Shuge saw the grain and oil store, called out to Lin Qingyuan who was rushing forward excitedly, and walked into the store.
"Boss, give me two pounds of soybean oil and half a pound of various seasonings." Lin Shuge said to the boss sitting in front of the counter.
"Fifty cents." The boss stopped calculating on the abacus, prepared the soybean oil, and prepared the seasonings and said.
Lin Shuge paid promptly.
Seeing how straightforward he was, the boss said happily, "Have a nice trip and come back next time."
After buying oil and seasonings, Lin Shuge went straight to the clothing store. It was cold in winter, and warm clothes were the most important thing.
The owner of the clothing store was a woman, about thirty years old, with a cheerful voice from the northwest: "What kind of clothes does this young man want? I have all kinds of cotton robes and fur coats here."
"My three siblings and I need cotton robes for the winter. May I ask how much the price is?" Lin Shuge asked.
"Young man, you are so handsome, a graceful figure, just right for this new garment my family has bought." The boss took out a navy blue cotton robe, which was obviously finely crafted with dense stitching.
"This cotton gown sells very well, and the price is fair, 150 coins," the boss actively promoted. "As for the young man and young lady, take a look at these two, especially this skirt, which is a style from the capital. It is said that young ladies in the capital all wear this, and it is the most popular nowadays."
"Young man, try this one." The boss said, pointing to a dark blue cotton robe.
"Do you like Axuan and Ayuan?" Lin Shuge asked them.
"I like it, but... is it expensive?" Lin Qingyuan's voice was as soft as a mosquito, and Lin Xuan was hesitant to speak.
Lin Shuge knew that the two were afraid that the price was too high, not that they didn't like it.
The boss was very smart and could read people's expressions. He said quickly, "Not expensive, not expensive. This one for the young master is eighty coins, and this one for the young lady is one hundred coins."
"Boss, I want all three. How about three hundred coins?" Lin Shuge bargained.
The boss's expression suddenly turned ugly. Seeing the three people dressed shabbily, he said, "If you don't have enough money, turn left and go to Chen's Clothing Store. We are not welcoming enough here."
Lin Shuge was about to speak when Lin Qingyuan and Lin Xuan beside him also looked angry.
"Brother Huaiting, what a coincidence, you are here to buy winter clothes too." Suddenly a voice was heard from the side, it turned out to be Zhou Du.
Before Zhou Du even stepped into the door, he excitedly said, "You left in such a hurry that day that I haven't even congratulated you on passing the exam. We will be colleagues from now on."
"I'm new here, and I hope Zhou Lingshi can give me some pointers."
"Okay, okay." Zhou Du smiled heartily, with a proud look on his face.
"Is this your brother and sister? Have you bought them?"
"My younger brother Lin Qingyuan, my younger sister Lin Xuan, Ayuan and Axuan, come and meet Zhou Lingshi."
"No, no." Zhou Du waved his hand.
The boss took the opportunity to say, "I bought it, I bought it, three pieces for three hundred coins. I was blind and didn't recognize you as Lin Lingshi. I was very rude to you." Then he took out another batch of silk and said, "This is an apology to you, sir. I hope you will be magnanimous and not take it too seriously."
Lin Shuge smiled and said, "Boss, you are polite. But you should know that everyone who comes in is a guest. You should not treat them differently based on their status." Then he only took away the three winter clothes he had bought. As for the batch of silk, Lin Shuge did not even look at it.
The boss was sweating profusely, his face full of fear, and he nodded his head and said yes.
After getting the clothes, Lin Shuge said goodbye to Zhou Du and the boss and left the clothing store.
"Brother Huaiting, wait for me. Did the boss make things difficult for you just now?" Zhou Du chased out and asked.
"Nothing, I just couldn't agree on the price and I'm trying to drive you away." Lin Shuge was calm and not at all angry about the incident that just happened.
"I know that everyone flatters the superior and looks down on the inferior. Today I look down on you because you are not dressed in silk and satin, but who knows if I will bow down to you again tomorrow because you have a lot of gold and jade."
Zhou Du is a straightforward person and stands up for Lin Shuge.
"Erlang, don't be angry. Isn't it true that Erlang can befriend anyone, rich or poor?"
When shopping in modern times, you will also encounter such sellers. Lin Shuge has seen this many times, so he naturally doesn't take it to heart. Besides, he has already bought the clothes at a low price, so it is not worth getting angry about it.
Zhou Du was delighted when he heard this. "Brother Huai Ting, I've made you my friend. You must come to my house next time and we'll have a drink. See you on duty tomorrow. By the way, don't be late. Your boss is not easy to mess with."
When it comes to leaders, Zhou Du is just like modern people, full of complaints.
"Okay, thanks for the reminder, Jiro. See you tomorrow."
The streets were still bustling, the mutton soup shop was doing a booming business, and the owner was greeting customers back and forth. It is almost noon, and most people would choose to eat a bowl of mutton soup. One sip of it will drive away the winter chill. Lin Shuge decided to have a bowl of mutton soup so that he wouldn't have to cook when he got home.
"Brother, why did the boss suddenly change his mind and agree to sell it to us? At that time, I could see from his face that he was reluctant." Lin Qingyuan sat at the table with a questioning look in his eyes.
"You're so stupid. It's because the boss knows your identity. The clerk's job is to balance prices and manage merchants. If it were you, you would sell well." Lin Xuan looked disgusted.
If you excel in study, you will become an official. Isn't it the goal of countless scholars to learn literary and martial arts and serve the emperor?
However, Lin Xuan has extraordinary knowledge despite her young age.
Seeing Lin Shuge's surprise, Lin Xuan explained: "I have read some of the books at home, but I don't quite understand some of them."
Children in ancient times matured precociously, but there were exceptions. Lin Shuge looked at another naive child.
The silly girl herself didn't notice anything and was looking at Lin Xuan with admiring eyes.
"Axuan is right. I will teach you to read after my elder brother is done with his work." Lin Shuge shook his head and walked ahead. "The clinic is in front. I'm going to pay the doctor back for the medicine. You wait here for me."
…
The sun sets early in winter, and Lin Shuge was afraid that it would be dangerous to walk at night, so after buying things, he prepared to take Lin Qingyuan and Lin Xuan home.
It takes about an incense stick of time to get from home to the county town. It’s okay in other seasons, but it’s too cold in winter and I’m freezing on the way to work.
Lin Shuge was calculating his salary in his mind. It was not realistic to buy a house in the county town at the moment. He would go to a real estate agent to ask about the price after the New Year. If that didn't work out, he could try renting a house first.
Suddenly I felt a chill on the tip of my nose. I looked up and saw snowflakes floating in the sky. The weather in the northwest is changeable. It was sunny at noon, but now it was covered with dark clouds and snow was falling.
"Ayuan and Xuan, let's hurry up. It looks like it's going to snow heavily."
Lin Shuge pushed the cart, Lin Qingyuan and Lin Xuan helped push the cart on the left and right, and the three of them hurried home.
The wind gradually grew stronger, blowing snowflakes into the air. A dead branch suddenly fell to the ground, startling the birds in the forest. The snow was getting heavier and heavier, and a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the road.
The wind and snow blocked my eyes, making it almost impossible to see clearly. The cold wind penetrated into the collars, and the group of people unconsciously rolled up their sleeves. A series of intermittent sounds came from the side, like someone coughing. A gust of wind blew past, and I felt creepy.
The three of them stopped unconsciously.
It was late at night. There were few people here, only a forest. Now the grass and trees were withered, leaving only bare branches.
"Help...help me." A cry for help came to my ears, the voice coming from far away and seeming to be nearby.
Lin Shuge walked towards the source of the sound.
Lin Qingyuan hurriedly shouted: "Brother, don't go. Who knows if it is a human or a ghost." There was a lot of fear in his voice.
"Don't be afraid, big brother will be back soon."
Lin Shuge slowly approached and saw a man lying under the tree, his hair covered with fallen snow, his breathing rapid, and his face covered with sweat.
"Wake up, can you hear me?" Lin Shuge asked, wanting to see if the man was still conscious.
The man snorted and didn't reply.
Lin Shuge held the man's arm and felt his hands were sticky. When he looked closely, he saw that they were covered in blood. Lin Shuge looked at his back and saw a clearly visible scar. His outer clothes had been pierced, probably caused by a sword. However, because he was wearing black clothes and it was dark at night, Lin Shuge did not see it.
"Ayuan, come and help, someone is injured," Lin Shuge shouted.
When Lin Qingyuan heard that someone was injured, he rushed over.
"Ayuan, help me lift him up. I'll carry him over. Axuan, make some room on the cart."
The three brothers and sisters worked together to put the person on the cart and hurried home.
The wind outside was freezing cold, but the kang in the house made it feel warm like spring. "Ayuan, go boil some hot water, and Axuan, bring the bag of medicine powder." Lin Shuge helped the man lie down.
Fortunately, when he went to the clinic to repay the money today, he thought about preparing some common medicines for the family. The old doctor gave Lin Shuge a packet of medicine with a gloomy face, which included medicine for treating external injuries.
"Wait, go to the kitchen and get some garlic and mash it into garlic juice."
Before the invention of antibiotics such as sulfa and penicillin, people in ancient times often used garlic juice to disinfect wounds to prevent wound infection.
The light in the room was dim. With the help of a candle, Lin Shuge took off the man's clothes. The underwear on his back was stuck to the wound, so he could only use scissors to cut the clothes next to the wound. Lin Shuge tore the wound open bit by bit with his hands.
The man's forehead was covered in cold sweat due to the pain, veins on his hands were bulging, and his face was full of pain. Lin Shuge then noticed that although this person did not look like a child, he should not be very old.
"Brother, the garlic sauce is ready."
Lin Shuge treated the wound with garlic juice and then applied medicine powder to the wound. The wound was too long, so he could only wrap it around his chest with a bandage.
After treating the wound, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "He should have a fever tonight, but he'll be fine once he gets through it."
"Brother, go and have a rest. You have to be on duty tomorrow. Axuan and I will stay with him tonight." Lin Qingyuan looked considerate.
"Let's take turns guarding it." Lin Shuge touched Lin Qingyuan's head. If something unexpected happens at night, the two children will definitely not be able to handle it.
The wind and snow gradually stopped, and Lin Shuge woke up from his dream. He seemed to hear someone talking in his sleep, and Lin Qingyuan next to him was already fast asleep.
"Father and mother, please wait for me, brother, brother, don't go..."
Lin Shuge hurried to check on him and found his forehead burning hot, indicating he had a fever. He went to get some water, soaked a towel in it, and wiped his forehead and body bit by bit.
Under current conditions, the only way to cool down is physical cooling. In ancient times, productivity was low and a slight cold could be fatal, let alone such a serious injury.
Seeing that his breathing had slowed down and the temperature of his forehead had dropped, Lin Shuge went to bed with his clothes on.
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