Chapter 96 - 096: Maybe We Can Save Her
Actually, for Du Zhongshu, the horse was not particularly good, nor his usual mount; it was simply unloaded from the horse carriage in a hurry. Yet in the Mountain Village, where people could hardly afford to keep horses, it still looked incredibly impressive.
So, the moment Du Zhongshu entered the village, the sight of him stirred up gossip among the villagers. They wondered where this man, who exuded an aura of wealth, had come from.
When he was about to reach the Bai family’s house, he slowed down his pace to not appear too ostentatious. Outside the gate of the Bai family’s yard, he knocked on the door and asked, "Is Mr. Bai at home?"
Noticing that some villagers were watching with interest, he was cautious not to mention that he was looking for Ruozhu, to prevent idle chatter.
At this moment, all members of the Bai family were busy. Those who couldn’t go inside were chopping wood and boiling water, while inside, others were assisting Hao Baishuang. Lin Ping’er was busy arranging Ruozhu’s room to facilitate cleanup after the birth. Since Ruozhu couldn’t be moved, she would have to spend her confinement period in this same room.
So, when Du Zhongshu asked, no one in the yard heard him. He stood outside the gate for quite some time without anyone opening the door, leaving him a little embarrassed.
"Is Mr. Bai Yihong at home?" Du Zhongshu asked aloud again, this time significantly louder.
Bai Yihong was somewhat surprised to hear his name called. He replied, "Yes," and went to open the door. Upon seeing Du Zhongshu, he was taken aback.
"Mr. Bai, I am a friend of Chang Sheng. He has asked me to deliver some silver to Mrs. Bai," Du Zhongshu said, worried that the Bai family may not let him in. After all, their daughter was in labor, which was not the best time to receive a male visitor. Yet, if he represented the baby’s father, it would be a different matter.
Upon hearing this, Bai Yihong was a tad stunned. Only when Er Lang spoke up did Bai Yihong invite him in.
Ruozhu was too preoccupied with her labor to take notice of what was happening outside. Therefore, she didn’t hear when Du Zhongshu arrived. Hao Baishuang had told her that she was dilating about two fingers’ width, but progress was slow. She advised her to try and relax as much as possible and not strain herself. To alleviate her pain, Hao Baishuang did some massages, which were limited as her water had already broken.
Upon seeing Du Zhongshu, Bai Zehao couldn’t help but ask, "How come you’re here?" He remembered that he had threatened to hit Du Zhongshu once.
Seeing the surprised faces upon his arrival, Du Zhongshu felt a bit embarrassed. However, he quickly regained his composure, smiled, and said, "Hello again, Brother Bai. Chang Sheng asked me to bring some silver to you. He couldn’t make it back because he’s seriously ill, but he wanted to show his care for Ruozhu and the baby."
Upon hearing Du Zhongshu’s assertion, Bai Zehao was taken aback. However, didn’t Ruozhu make up this same story? How come this man is repeating it as if it were true? What exactly is happening?
Even Lin Ping’er was a bit puzzled, but she was too busy to think about it. After stealing a glance at Du Zhongshu, she turned back to her tasks.
In the end, it was Bai Zepei who greeted Du Zhongshu. "My sister is in labor today and we’re quite busy at home. Sorry for keeping you waiting, Mr. Du."
"No problem at all, you go ahead with your tasks," Du Zhongshu said, feeling more embarrassed. He suddenly realized that he has likely added to their stress. Why did he rush over without thinking?
"It’s getting late, and it’s not suitable to visit our sister while she is giving birth. Perhaps Mr. Du could return home and visit us another time?" Er Lang’s eyes sparkled with light, hinting that he might have figured out Du Zhongshu’s reasons for visiting.
Du Zhongshu considered this and replied, "Since I’m here already, I’d like to witness the birth of my nephew. Furthermore, my family owns a pharmacy, so I can offer some help if needed."
However, before Er Lang could reply, the curtain of Ruozhu’s room was suddenly lifted. Hao Baishuang stepped out, her face deadly serious.
"Then get ready an old ginseng, just in case."
At her words, the yard fell silent. Even those working stopped what they were doing. Peasant families might not understand medical theory, but they had some idea about the usage of herbs. For instance, old ginseng is used not only as a tonic but also to save lives.
Previously, when Bai Yihong had taken in the severely wounded Chang Sheng from the mountain, the substantial medical fees were largely due to the cost of ginseng used to stabilize his life. Otherwise, Chang Sheng would have died long ago. However, Chang Sheng was doomed by fate and fell off a cliff once again, his whereabouts and condition unknown.
If they needed old ginseng to save lives, the situation must be extremely dangerous. Lin Ping’er felt tears welling up in her eyes, yet she held them back. She knew her crying would only upset Ruozhu even more.
Looking at Hao Baishuang, Du Zhongshu realized that she wasn’t joking. He nodded and said, "I’ll get it now, and deliver it as quickly as I can."
Having said this, he left the Bai family’s yard, quickly mounted his horse, and dashed out of the village.
Ruozhu heard Hao Baishuang requesting the ginseng and only then noticed that Du Zhongshu had arrived. Before she had the chance to greet him, he had departed. She felt a surge of gratitude. Regardless of whether Du Zhongshu considered her a friend or was solely motivated by their business partnership, his thoughtful gesture was heartening.
...
In Anyuan Town, the officer from the County Government Office returned and reported the situation to his superior. Several people he had taken away were especially annoyed since they had spent the entire day just watching a childbirth without finding any spies. It was a complete misunderstanding.
"By the way, when we were returning, we saw the young master of the Du Family’s Pharmacy going to the Bai’s house. But he quickly left, saying he was going to get an old ginseng. I wonder whether there’s anything suspicious about it," one officer reported, hoping that if Du Zhongshu were deemed suspicious, the officer would receive some credit.
The official, upon hearing the report, stroked his chin and said, "It seems that Young Brother Bai’s sister is giving birth. Prepare some gifts tomorrow and send them to the Mountain Village for Brother Bai." The latter part of his words was directed to his assistant.
"Yes, sir," the assistant replied.
The official turned to the man in a casual mask next to him and asked, "Gentleman, what do you think? There’s nothing wrong with the boy from the Du Family, right?"
Jiang Yichun snorted. Everyone thought that this meant there might be a big problem with Du Zhongshu. Yet, after a while, Jiang Yichun responded, "No problem, it’s all private matters of the people."
The official simply nodded and didn’t ask further. If he said there was no problem, then there must be none – a certainty that would outweigh the result of their inquiries.
However, the eyebrows behind Jiang Yichun’s mask were knit together. He wondered, "Old ginseng? Are they preparing for a life-threatening situation? Could it be very dangerous?"
"I have something to attend to, I’ll leave first," he suddenly announced, standing up. He didn’t care about the official’s response and left the County Government Office straightaway. The official seemed to be used to this and showed no change in expression.
Using the cover of darkness, Jiang Yichun quietly left the town, riding toward the Mountain Village. Although she was a woman with a hard life and may be pitiful, he possessed some medical skills. Perhaps he could save her and the unborn child. That was how he rationalized his sudden departure.
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I’m sorry for the late update, I had some stomach issues, 555.