Xu Ran refused to bring Liu Tong. At the very least, one of them had to remain at home. If both of them, who have the power to make decisions for the family, were away at this time, Xu Cheng would most likely bully the old man and his children.
The construction team's workers, on the other hand, were all outsiders. They had no involvement in this because it was Xu Village. Two Ge'ers who were Zhang Yue's acquaintances, as well as Spouse Chen, accompanied Xu Ran. Spouse Chen was, after all, the village head's spouse, but his words were more unbiased.
On the road, Xu Ran drove the carriage quickly, cutting the time it took them to get to town in half. Xu Ran had no idea where good doctors could be found in town. After all, Liu Tong was the one who used to buy him medicine.
Fortunately, Spouse Chen knew the place, saying that he had been there once or twice. Xu Ran drove the carriage into an alley after arriving in town, following Spouse Chen's directions. A hospital stood next to the alley, with a doctor waiting outside to diagnose the patients' ailments. Many people came to get treatment for their illnesses, and they formed a long line.
The two Ge'ers were the first to exit the carriage and dash to the hospital's gate to call a doctor. Xu Ran and Spouse Chen were behind. Zhang Yue was being slowly carried down from the carriage by the two. Even if it was inappropriate for a man like Xu Ran to appear here, he couldn't care less right now. After all, it was more important to save a life.
Soon after, the doctor arrived, accompanied by the two Ge'ers who were walking ahead of them. Xu Ran and Spouse Chen happened to be carrying the patient to the hospital's front entrance. Many people noticed Zhang Yue's facial injury. More importantly, they started whispering to one another when they noticed the pregnancy mole at Zhang Yue's ear. "I'm curious as to what kind of ruthless man would handle a Ge'er like that."
In town, the doctor was known for his kindness. Since he always gave away medication for free while treating patients and had excellent medical skills, many people in town came to him for care. Initially, a few people were annoyed by the patient's sudden appearance in line, but when they saw him being brought inside, they couldn't find the words to blame him. After all, human life was exceptionally important.
The doctor gave Xu Ran and Spouse Chen an instruction. "Put him on the bed quickly! Let me take a look."
When Xu Ran and Spouse Chen heard the doctor's instructions, they put Zhang Yue on an empty bed and asked the medicine boy to carry the medical kit. The doctor immediately inserted acupuncture needles into the patient after taking his pulse.
Zhang Yue showed signs of waking up after a few needles were inserted into him, but he did not wake up in the end. The doctor's opinion was similar to Doctor Liu's, but he had stated that the individual could awaken with time and a large number of herbs, many of which were costly. After all, Zhang Yue was extremely weak due to a severe nutrient deficiency.
Xu Ran nodded and said to the doctor, "Is it convenient for you to let him stay here for treatment for a while, doctor? If it's convenient, we'll leave him with you. We'll find someone to take care of him, and I'll pay you. What do you think?"
The doctor waved his hand and said, "It's not difficult to keep a patient here, but you'll need to ask someone to look after him. After all, this hospital only has young men, so it's inconvenient for a Ge'er to be here, especially because he spends his days here."
Xu Ran cupped one hand with the other to show his respect and said, "Thank you, doctor."
Just as he finished speaking, he took out ten taels of silver from his inner pocket and handed it to the doctor. "This is the diagnosis fee and medicine payment. If it's not enough, please tell me later."
"OK, don't worry!"
The doctor had not specified how much money was appropriate, but Xu Ran knew it was insufficient. The poor, whether in the twenty-first century or now, have never been able to afford to treat their illnesses.
Three married Ge'ers had accompanied him to this place. Spouse Chen had no choice but to stay because the other two were unable to. Since Spouse Chen was the village head's spouse, Xu Ran didn't want him to stay. He didn't have an option because the other two were hesitant.
Despite the fact that he seemed to be generous as he paid the ten taels of silver, he realized that his family would have to be more frugal in the future. He had already discovered a way to make money, but now this had occurred.
Xu Ran had no intention of paying the full amount, because he couldn't. Zhang Yue and Xu Cheng had not yet separated, and the former was still a Xu Family member. Besides, Xu Cheng's beating had left him with injuries from head to foot. And Xu Ran didn't want to be the one to end up footing the bill for this man's misbehavior. In the very least, he would do his utmost to help.
Xu Ran rode back to the village with the two Ge'ers in his carriage. He did not return home after taking them to their homes; instead, he went straight to the village's ancestral hall. In the ancestral hall, there were a lot of people. The village's clan elders were all present, as were Xu Houcai and Elder Daddy Xu.
When Xu Ran walked in, everyone's gaze was drawn to him. He went to the village chief and told him all that had happened. He purposefully stressed his ten taels of silver when speaking of them, so that Xu Cheng and his companions could hear him. He had shown his kindest heart by transporting the patient to town and paying the ten taels.
Others sighed as they heard him mention the ten taels of silver, but Elder Daddy Xu shouted at Xu Ran, saying that he would rather give the silver to the b*tch than to them. Xu Ran remained motionless and silent. The situation had progressed to this stage, but the family had yet to reflect. If Zhang Yue had really died, they would probably be too afraid to shed tears.
Elder Daddy Xu was silenced by the reprimands of the crowd. Xu Houcai seldom inquired about Zhang Yue's condition. Xu Ran replied truthfully. It would cost a lot of money to treat the guy, as well as to keep him in the hospital and hire someone to take care of his bills. They still had to pay for all of the expenses.
When Elder Daddy Xu heard that it would need so much money, his legs lost strength, and he started to curse, but his voice was much lower.
After thinking a bit, Xu Ran said to the village head, "It's best if you send someone to Zhang Yue's father, daddy, and other family members, village head. Their Ge'er is now like this. Nobody knows what is going to happen next. His father and other members of his family have a right to know."
The village chief pondered it and realized that Xu Ran was right. If Zhang Yue died in this manner, and Zhang Yue's father and daddy had no idea why, and Xu Village had no explanation, the consequences could be much worse. The village's prestige would be ruined if Zhang Yue's family said anything outside.
The village's reputation could not be ruined by Xu Cheng. The village head knew what was more important and his own choice.
Elder Daddy Xu wanted to say something again but was stopped by Xu Houcai, so he could only glare at Xu Ran.
Elder Daddy Xu and Xu Houcai had not defended Xu Cheng's act upon arrival, so Xu Cheng's crime was a fact.
Finally, the village chief expressed his opinion: someone should inform Zhang Yue's family that they should come here; Xu Cheng should be locked up in the ancestral hall; and Xu Houcai and Elder Daddy Xu should return home to scrape together the silver. Xu Cheng would be imprisoned or beheaded, not only locked up in the ancestral hall, if Zhang Yue died. As long as the couple wanted Xu Cheng to live on, they would have to gather all the money even if they had to sell everything they had.
The matter was finally resolved. Xu Ran went straight home, and the construction crew did not participate in the fun, instead returning to work. Mr. Hu was alone at home, watching the fire and smoking the dried bean curd, while Liu Tong took their two children out to cut grass.
The four dogs chased each other around the yard and rolled around. Tangtang and Guoguo, most likely, were the ones who persuaded them to stay. Xu Ran realized he hadn't been to the strawberry field since his return, so he decided to take advantage of the time he had today to go take a look.
The ten mu of land were connected so Xu Ran couldn't see the end of them, but only a large piece of greenery.
When he got close, he discovered that some strawberries were blooming while others were rotting, so he took out all of the dead strawberries. He would cut some strawberries and place them in the empty spaces while the other strawberries sprouted new sprouts.
The strawberry seedlings that were in bloom were healthy, but the majority of them were not. Additionally, Xu Ran noticed speckles on some of their leaves. He recalled strawberries contracting a disease. He couldn't remember what it was called, but he knew the consequences would be dire if he didn't get it under control.
Agricultural chemicals were not present. The only thing that came to mind for Xu Ran was to strew ash on them. The pests would not be able to ascend to their leaves if this was achieved. It was said and finished in the blink of an eye. He went home right away and got a bamboo dustpan full of ash from the back of their house, scattering it from field to field, but not much to either of them.
After all, It was not a good idea to disperse so much. A wide field covered ten mu of ground. Xu Ran knew he couldn't finish it on his own, so he worked on it while pulling weeds, doing as much as he could. He'd take care of the rest after he dug up the bamboo shoots.
Xu Ran stayed in their fields for about four hours and then realized that the sun was setting. At this time, he finally remembered that he hadn't eaten lunch, or that his family hadn't eaten lunch.
Xu Ran believed he had discovered something significant since it had been a long time since something similar had occurred. "Do the two kids and Mr. Hu feel hungry?" he wondered.
Xu Ran quickly picked up the empty bamboo dustpan and rushed home.
When he returned home, he spotted Liu Tong busy in the kitchen, Tangtang and Guoguo face down on the stools, and the four dogs prostrate and helpless on the grass. They were most likely all hungry.
Xu Ran himself didn't feel hungry. He walked over and touched the heads of Tangtang and Guoguo, saying, "You are all hungry, right? Is there anything to eat at home?"
Tangtang and Guoguo shook their heads weakly and said, "No."
"Wait a while, then. Let me help your daddy cook."
While speaking, Xu Ran entered the kitchen. Mr. Hu was staring at the fire, and Liu Tong was chopping vegetables with a curious expression on his face. He lifted his head and wiped the sweat from his forehead when he saw Xu Ran. "You've returned! You must be starving! We'll eat for a while."
Xu Ran rolled up his sleeves and went to help him wash the vegetables. "I don't feel hungry, but the two kids are quite hungry. I guess Mr. Hu is hungry, too."
Liu Tong said with an ashamed smile, "It's my fault. I forgot the time."
"Hey, Tongtong, that's not right. I don't feel hungry, either. You forgot because you were too busy."
Mr. Hu seemed to be concerned that Xu Ran might point the finger at Liu Tong. As a result, he began defending Liu Tong before Xu Ran could even speak.
Xu Ran said smilingly, "Right! I also forgot it, didn't I?"
He then recalled that he had invited Wu Mei's and others' families to dinner tonight, so he asked Liu Tong, "Have you prepared the meal for Wu Mei and all others?"
"Yes, Ran. You ask them to come here. I guess now they haven't started cooking yet."
"OK, I'm going, then. I'll be back to help you later," Xu Ran said.
"Go!" Liu Tong nodded and said.
When Xu Ran arrived at Wu Mei's home, they had just come back from the fields and really hadn't spared time to cook.
Xu Ran said, "I invited you to dinner at my house tonight. Allow the two children to go first, but the three of us should go separately to seek permission from others."
Xu An nodded and began to assign tasks. "OK, let me go to Xu Fa's home. Wu Mei, you go to Xu Zhen's home. What about you, Xu Ran? Are you going to the village head's home?
Xu Ran nodded and said, "Yes, I'm going there. Let's go!"
Wu Mei asked his two kids to go to Xu Ran's home first, and then the three adults headed in different directions.
When all the people arrived, Liu Tong's dishes were ready.
Xu Ran had also warmed the liquor and poured each of them a small cup. Xu Ran had plenty to say today, and everybody at the table knew it. Xu Ran started talking about business after they had eaten and drank enough to fill their stomachs.
"I invited you all to come here today because I have something to say. The village chief is also here today, but there's one thing I need to make clear: don't tell anybody about what happened today. I understand that as the village chief, you instinctively want everyone to live happily, but my approach is the result of my thinking. I don't want to hide it from anyone, but others should know it later. Do you agree with me, village head?"
The village chief was certain that Xu Ran was right. For some reason, he couldn't share his method with anyone. Apart from Wu Mei's family and a few other families, no one had come to his aid while he was in his most desperate situation. Putting himself in Xu Ran's shoes, the village head believed Xu Ran's actions were acceptable.
But he was the village chief, after all! How could he not think about the benefit of the village? Unless he didn't know about it.
The village head said, "Xu Ran, I've had dinner today, but I won't listen to your method. When you decide to tell everyone in the village someday, then you can tell me."
Xu Ran had anticipated the village chief's reaction. He didn't say anything, but he toasted the village chief with his cup. He didn't bring up the subject of money at the dinner table. Liu Tong was an excellent chef, and the vegetables were plentiful and fresh, so everyone at the table had a good time.
After dinner, the village head and Spouse Chen went home, while Wu Mei and the others stayed to help Liu Tong clean up the kitchen.
These few children were playing in the yard, and they would go and tease Big Black occasionally.
Xu Ran and the others went to the yard. Now it was gradually getting hot. Mr. Hu didn't have to stay by the fire at night, so he often took a walk in the yard.
After the Ge'ers in the kitchen were done with their work, Xu Ran then asked all the people concerned to start talking about business.
The bamboo shoots had emerged, and some people were digging them up and selling them on the market. Xu Ran had never considered selling the fresh shoots because everyone knew about it. Despite the seller's best efforts, he was unable to make a profit. It was a waste of time to do something that required a lot of work but would produce no results.
Xu Ran said, "You should also be aware that some people in town are now selling bamboo shoots! We're not going to join in the fun. Let's try something new: dried sour shoots and pickled sour shoots."
"What is that?" The group looked at Xu Ran in confusion.
Xu Ran said with a smile, "It's actually very easy. Carry the bamboo shoots we dug back to the house, boil them, cut them into pieces or slices, and dry them in the sun. We can make soup with them and bacon in the winter. It's very delicious.-"
"The pickled sour shoots actually taste the same as the pickled radish. They are sour and can be eaten with congee. Besides, they can also be fried with fat meat. It tastes good too."
Xu Ran imagined the taste as he spoke, his mouth about to water.
"Can we make money in this way, Ran?" Liu Tong asked.
"Of course," Xu Ran said confidently. "We can sell pickled sour shoots at any time of year, but we can only sell dried shoots when winter arrives. When selling fried chestnuts, place a large pot next to them and make soup with the bones and dried shoots. For two cents, you can buy a bowl of soup. Then, you put it in the market, right?"
All began to trust Xu Ran's words after recalling the chestnut incident from the previous year. Quite likely, no one has ever tried anything like this before. People liked fresh foods, so they were able to sell a lot of them.
"We have no objections. We all listen to you," Wu Mei said to Xu Ran.
"Neither do we," Liu Qing and Wu Lan echoed.
Xu An and the rest didn't speak anything to object, either. Xu Ran was willing to help them, which made them very happy.
Xu Ran remembered that these few families also had relatives, so he specifically gave them a reminder. "I'm sure each of your families has several sons. Some people are still looking for a piece of the money-making pie. This is the approach I devised, to put it plainly. I don't want to tell anyone else, so please don't tell anyone else, or none of us will be able to do it."
Everyone nodded. Speaking of this, their family members had leaked lots of information about selling the chestnuts last year.
Fortunately, they were all independent of the families of their parents, and none of them was the eldest son. Anyway, they just needed to give the monthly money to support their dads and daddies. With that done, they were basically free to do other things.
Their children had grown up and wanted to go to school and marry, but there were no houses available. In any case, it was a substantial amount of money. These few families realized even if they couldn't make a lot of money but could raise a little bit at a time, they wouldn't know when they'd have enough.
Wu Mei's family was a good example of this. He told Xu An that he wanted to leave the old family and start a new one after discovering that Xu Ran, of the Xu Family, had bullied Liu Tong because of his mental illness.
Xu An was the family's second son, and his rank was neither high nor low. He had not been favored as a result of this. However, since he had worked in town and learned skills from others, he had contributed to the family's income to a large extent. His eldest and third brothers had never been gluttons or slackers, but they had never been attentive either. They had always been trying to get money from his pockets, but he had handed in all his money to his daddy, so how could he have been able to give them money?
Wu Mei and their two children would have had a difficult life if money had not been brought back. Wu Mei, being a strong-willed person, believed that they could no longer live like this. As Liu Tong reflected on his life, he realized he wasn't as capable as he thought. As a result, he told Xu An that he wanted to leave this family and start over.
Initially, Xu An had not agreed, but when having seen their children and his spouse bullied several times, he had hardened his heart and agreed to Wu Mei's request.
After moving out, the two had only relied on themselves, but their life had become better.
Taking Wu Mei into account, Xu Ran made the decision to look after their family. They will, of course, be aware of the current situation. Besides, Xu Ran's method was a viable means of earning money.
No one raised any objections after the discussion. Xu Ran had planned to go to the mountain the next morning and dig bamboo shoots. The site had been selected by Liu Tong. The path was not difficult to navigate. No one would remember them if they arrived early.
Xu Ran had no intention of bringing the shoots home to rest. After all, their house was being constructed, and a lot of people were here; now that Xu Ran wasn't taking the primary imperial test, a lot of people wanted to talk to him. If this was discovered, it would be disastrous. Members of the four families would all go up the mountain together, even including children and elders because they could help peel the shoots, gather firewood, and watch the fires.
Xu Ran started assigning tasks after giving it some thought. He outlined all in detail, including what each family could bring on their backs to the mountain, what to do once they arrived, and how to complete each task.
They wouldn't have to dig too many bamboo shoots tomorrow, but they needed to plan all of the equipment they'd need, as this would make their job easier in the future. Fiddleheads could also be processed in this manner, but their season had passed this year, so it was too late. When winter arrived, this would be a great option.
With their discussion closed, each family's parents took their children home, but all of them would gather at the Xu Ran's home the next day.
Xu Ran started telling his two children and the old man after seeing Wu Mei's family and the other relatives. When the kids found out they were heading up the mountain, they were ecstatic. Mr. Hu had stated that there would be no issues. If he was left behind, he would simply stay at home, because it was acceptable to go up the mountain to see something.
Since arriving in Xu Village, he hadn't spent much time outside. He didn't need to help because the strawberries in the fields were delicious. He didn't want Xu Ran's family to believe he couldn't do anything but feed, so no matter what Xu Ran said, he was still proactive.
After that, Liu Tong took the two kids to bathe and sleep, while Xu Ran went to take care of Mr. Hu.
Xu Ran and Liu Tong kept looking for things after they had both fallen asleep. They had a lot of bamboo mats in their house that they could use when the bamboo shoots were basked, so they decided to take some to the mountain.
Besides, every household had to prepare hoes.
No one will be at home throughout the day starting tomorrow, but Xu Ran's house had animals to feed. Pigweeds and horseweeds need to be checked ahead of time. He would only go up the mountain after feeding them the next day, and he would return at noon to check on their condition.
Eating would also be a little troublesome. It was impossible for them to come back and cook!
Xu Ran had a headache as he thought about it. After telling Liu Tong something about what he hadn't finished, he went out to Foreman Li.
Foreman Li and his companions were about to retire for the night when he saw Xu Ran and joked that he had come to huddle with them because he was frightened by what had happened earlier in the day. With a smile, Xu Ran responded quickly and escorted him out.
Foreman Li looked at Xu Ran with a confused expression. "Xu Ran, you don't want me to help you work now, do you? It's dark."
Xu Ran hit him once with his fist and said, "It isn't today, but rather tomorrow. We're going to the mountain with a few friends tomorrow. Please prepare meals for us tomorrow, and I'll cover the cost of the dishes."
"Hey!" Foreman Li waved his hand and said, "I thought it should be something eventful! Just tell me the number. I'll ask them to help cook the meals."
"Seventeen, including my family members." There were four in each of the other families, and there were five in their family. In total, there were lots of people.
"Don't worry. Come back for meals tomorrow when it is time."
"Thank you, Foreman Li," Xu Ran said with his gratitude.
"You're welcome. Now go back and sleep. Leave this to me."
"Then I'm leaving."
Xu Ran returned after completing this task. The two washed up and went to bed after Liu Tong had packed everything.
05.3.21