sbdcsierra Chapter 56 Desperate
Chapter 56 Desperate
Madam Nangong has been having really bad luck lately. First, her housekeeper stole her gold and silver treasures, and then with Zhao Shouyi's help, she bought a lot of ingredients to continue making breakfast to earn money. But in less than a week, her breakfast shop went out of business.
When she returned from buying groceries, everything in the shop was reduced to ashes. If it weren't for the kind neighbors who came to help put out the fire, the shop would probably still be burning. She gave all the remaining money to the landlord, since redecorating the shop would cost a lot of money.
Madam Nangong arrived at Nangong Xue'er's door, weeping and pleading, begging for her to take her in. However, Xue'er, remembering how her mother had been bullied by Madam Nangong for decades, was filled with rage and coldly informed her...
“We don’t need outsiders to stay in our home. If Madam Nangong has nowhere to go, I’ll have the steward send you back to your hometown in the northern desert.”
Madam Nangong waved her hands repeatedly in refusal, "No, no, no, I don't want to go back!"
"Then you'll have no choice but to sleep on the streets," Nangong Xue'er replied with a cold laugh.
At this moment, Madam Nangong pleaded with Zhao Shouyi again, "Young Master Zhao, please have mercy and let me stay here to take care of you."
Zhao Shouyi has a good relationship with his wife now, so naturally he dotes on Nangong Xue'er, doing whatever she says without ever arguing.
"Didn't Xue'er say that you should go back to where you came from, or you'd better find your own way out?"
"But... Master Nangong won't forgive me. I betrayed our relationship. I was wrong. I have nowhere to stay when I go back," Madam Nangong said with a troubled expression.
"Then you can't just stay here, can you? I'm not your biological daughter, and I've never received any of your favors. I have no reason to take care of you in your old age," Nangong Xue'er replied dismissively.
“Alright, I’ll go back to the Northern Desert.” Lady Nangong replied sadly.
Nangong Xue'er and Zhao Shouyi exchanged a smile; this annoying person was finally leaving.
Afterwards, Zhao Shouyi gave the steward some travel money and dry rations, then patted him on the shoulder and instructed him, "Be careful on the road, and come back soon!"
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will be there and back as soon as possible." The steward replied respectfully, then took Madam Nangong and rode swiftly towards the northern desert.
Lady Nangong wept and sobbed all the way, feeling that she had suffered a great injustice. Little did she know that her own daughter was in an even worse situation, and was currently cleaning the dirty and smelly sheep pen.
Beyond the grasslands, a blanket of snow had transformed the landscape into a pristine, silver-clad world. Meanwhile, in a safe location, Alliance Leader Cade was studying blueprints with several of his men, planning to reclaim his territory.
However, Michael, one of his trusted subordinates, voiced his objections.
"Leader, although our territory is flat and has fertile pastures, it has been repeatedly raided. In my opinion, it is not a good place to set up camp. We might as well move to another place and rebuild our tribe."
This angered Cade, who slapped one of his men and yelled, "Get out!"
The helpless subordinate could only retreat, filled with grievances.
In front of the others, Cade boasted, "As long as we work together, we will definitely be able to reclaim our territory. We will build multiple watchtowers and station heavy troops there. We will be able to safely garrison there."
Another subordinate bowed and suggested, "Alliance Leader, I think it's too early to talk about this now. The Alliance Leader's wife is still in danger. Rescuing her is the most important thing."
Cade objected, "I disagree. I've already sent a maid to inform the Alliance Leader's wife, so she can stay there peacefully. We'll coordinate an attack from the inside and take over the territory."
The others exchanged glances, then made a decision together.
"I'm sorry, Alliance Leader, but the other side is too powerful. We have neither funds nor connections, so we cannot take the risk with you. We withdraw!"
Then, the group of people were about to leave the tent.
Cade panicked and hurriedly tried to stop them.
"Can't we talk this out? We can discuss taking back the territory in a more detailed way. Give me your suggestions, and I'll make the decision, okay?"
The others shook their heads and left one after another.
Only Cade's coachman remained, and he replied with a troubled expression.
“My Lord, I have elderly parents and young children to support. If something happens to me, who will take care of my family? I know you care deeply about the territory; it is your home. But please, think of us servants as well.”
Cade calmly replied, "Vic, think about it carefully. If the other side knew you were my subordinate, do you think that kind of ruthless guy would let you go?"
The bearded coachman shook his head and said in a low voice, "No."
Cade responded, "We can only take care of our families in peace if we eliminate the other side; otherwise, it's all out of the question!"
The groom nodded in agreement, "The Alliance Leader is right. I'll go and invite those gentlemen over right away!"
Cade nodded and smiled. "Go ahead."
The streets and alleys of the Song Dynasty capital were bustling with activity. Various food stalls offered enticing aromas, instantly conveying the vibrant atmosphere of the capital. The streets were lively, with noble carriages and ordinary pedestrians moving about in an orderly fashion. Shop signs swayed in the wind, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares blended together, creating a vivid and lively scene.
Upon arriving in the city, Chestnut Girl was completely transformed from head to toe. She wore a light, soft, light blue silk long gown that reached the ground, making her walk graceful and ethereal, as if each step she took was a lotus blossom. The fashion-conscious Chestnut Girl also wore a floor-length skirt, and tied a gorgeous ribbon around her waist, making her waist appear even more slender.
Besides her clothes and skirt, the chestnut girl styled her hair in a single bun, adorned with a pink beaded hair ornament. She also wore pearl earrings, a gemstone necklace, and a jade bracelet, among other jewelry. She looked every bit the part of a young lady from a wealthy family in the capital.
In order to win over Chestnut, Zhou Jundong changed his usual lazy ways. He not only worked overtime to deliver orders, but also often went shopping with Chestnut. Whenever Chestnut lingered in front of a piece of jewelry for more than three seconds, Zhou Jundong would immediately take out his money and buy the beautiful piece of jewelry for her.
Chestnut Girl asked curiously,
“Brother Jundong, why do you insist on following me? There are countless beautiful girls in Beijing. You are capable of making money and you are good-looking. You can easily find a city girl as your girlfriend.”
Zhou Jundong's ears turned red, and he scratched his head shyly. "Because you are different from other girls. You are kind-hearted, hardworking, and a good cook. That's why I've decided on you. I want to marry you!"
Now, Chestnut Girl blushed and said, "Okay, but I want to stay in the city for a few more years and earn more money to save for our future."
“No problem! I’ll stay in the city with you!” Zhou Jundong replied with a smile.
In the village, Fatty's father began treating Yingzi's illness. He first stated that...
"Tianqi, let me be clear from the start. Although you spent a lot of money and I bought all the medicinal herbs, I've never treated this kind of illness before, and I'm not entirely confident I can cure her. Just in case, just in case she doesn't recover, you can't ask for a refund, since I've invested a lot of money in purchasing the herbs."
The village chief's nephew nodded in agreement, "I understand. Divine Doctor, please treat Miss Yingzi!"
Fatty's father nodded in agreement, then continued to give Yingzi acupuncture, then used medicinal herbs to fumigate her for an hour, and finally had Tianqi brew the medicine and feed it to Yingzi.
Afterwards, Sakura took her medicine and fell asleep. The village chief's nephew went outside to chat with Fatty's father.
"Dr. Doctor, when will Miss Yingzi recover?"
Fat Girl's father shook his head and answered truthfully.
“I don’t know either. Didn’t I tell you? She’s the first deaf-mute patient I’ve ever taken on. I’ll do my best. Don’t rush me. The more you rush me, the more anxious I get.”
The village chief's nephew could only nod helplessly and agree.
Afterwards, Fatty's father arranged for him and Fatty to go up the mountain to collect some common medicinal herbs.
The village chief's nephew asked, puzzled, "Will the medicinal herbs gathered from the mountain help with Yingzi's illness?"
"No, they're just medicines for treating headaches and fevers, used for the free clinic," Fatty's dad replied.
The chubby girl tried to pull the village chief's nephew away, but he wasn't having it.
“What does your free medical consultation have to do with me? You can’t use me as free labor. That’s not fair. I paid for it. I’m a patient’s family member, not your little apprentice.”
Fatty's father neither hit nor scolded him, but simply replied calmly, "I used to have plenty of time to go up the mountain to gather herbs, but now I have to take care of patients, prepare medicines all day long, and do acupuncture and such. How about we take turns? You treat Yingzi's illness, and I'll go gather herbs?"
The village chief's nephew shook his head. "There's no need for that. I'll go gather the herbs myself."
Then, the chubby girl handed a large bamboo basket to the village chief's nephew, carried a basket herself, and happily went out with two small shovels.
Afterwards, the two gathered herbs on the mountain and chatted idly.
"Fatty, has your dad introduced you to someone again?"
"No, no, all the young people in the surrounding villages think I'm too fat and don't want to go on blind dates with me, let alone find a boyfriend. It's completely untrue," the chubby girl said honestly.
"There's something I'm not sure if I should say..." The village chief's nephew hesitated, wanting to speak but then stopping himself.
"Go ahead and say it. We're already familiar with each other, what's there to be embarrassed about?" the chubby girl replied casually.
"You should lose weight first," the village chief's nephew replied tactfully.
The chubby girl looked unwilling. "My dad said the same thing, but losing weight is too hard. Not only do I have to keep running, but I also have to eat a lot of bland vegetable soup and can't eat any meat at all. What's the point of losing weight?"
The village chief's nephew smiled and then responded in a friendly manner, "Losing weight doesn't necessarily mean drinking vegetable soup. You can eat some fresh fruits and vegetables, or you can eat some low-fat meals."
"A weight-loss meal? This is the first time I've ever heard of one. Do you know how to make weight-loss meals?" the chubby girl asked curiously.
The village chief's nephew shook his head. "I don't know how to make it, but I have a colleague who can make low-fat meals. Plus, he's a sports enthusiast. He's good at everything: football, horseback riding, archery, and wrestling. If you become friends with him, I guarantee you'll lose weight and become a beautiful girl."
"Really?" the chubby girl asked in surprise.
The village chief's nephew nodded and continued, "My colleague is not only a good cook, but he's also a single young man. He's older than me, but he's very honest and kind-hearted. If you can get together with my colleague, I guarantee you'll live a comfortable and happy life."
"But... I've never been to the city, how am I supposed to know him?" the chubby girl asked anxiously.
The village chief's nephew chuckled and patted his chest, replying, "Isn't that right? I can be your matchmaker! I'll be your go-between!"
The chubby girl seemed shy, or perhaps she had something on her mind. She turned around and continued digging for medicinal herbs, refusing to respond to the village chief's nephew.
"Fatty, what's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?" the village chief's nephew asked, puzzled.
His response was nothing but indifference.
As the two walked, they came across a field of yams. The yam beans were ripe, and the chubby girl quickly called him over to pick them together. Although the village chief's nephew didn't recognize the herb, he still diligently helped with the picking.
"What is this? Small beans? Shouldn't they grow in pods?" the village chief's nephew asked, looking rather clueless.
"These are called yam beans. They are both a medicinal herb and a food ingredient. Yam beans strengthen the spleen and stomach and aid digestion. They can also be cooked into porridge, roasted, or made into candied yam beans," the chubby girl replied with great familiarity.
"As expected of a doctor's daughter, she knows so much about pharmacology! I admire her!" the village chief's nephew complimented.
The chubby girl grinned and said, "Haha, of course! I've been wandering around medicinal herb warehouses since I was a child. I know hundreds, if not thousands, of medicinal herbs."
"By the way, what does your dad mean by 'free clinic'? When is it?"
“Free clinics are free medical treatments, my dad often sees and gives medicine to villagers in the surrounding villages who don’t have money,” the chubby girl replied nonchalantly. “The hours aren’t fixed. When my dad is busy, he sees patients at home, and when he’s not busy, he carries his medicine bag around the area. People of all ages from the surrounding villages come to him for treatment.”
"What I mean is... won't he delay treating Miss Sakura's illness?" The village chief's nephew hesitated for a moment before finally expressing his concern.
"Don't worry, my dad isn't stupid. He prioritizes things. Sakura's illness is so serious, of course he'll treat her first," the chubby girl replied with a smile.
"That's good, that's good!" The village chief's nephew breathed a sigh of relief and responded slowly.
"I'll wait for you here. Why don't you go back and get a shovel?" the chubby girl suggested.
"What are you doing with the shovel?" the village chief's nephew asked.
"There must be yams growing in the ground under the yam vines. Let's dig some up and take them home. Yams are much more nutritious than yam beans, and there are many ways to cook them. They're a great food and medicine ingredient," the chubby girl explained with a smile.
"Alright, I'll go get the tools. Be careful on the mountain by yourself!" the village chief's nephew instructed. After the chubby girl nodded in agreement, he felt relieved and hurried back.