156 For the Sake of Money
“The total is 6 taels. Apply this ointment again tonight. The swelling will slowly go down in three or four days. She should recover fully in half a month.”
“She will heal quicker if she takes the medicine. The swelling and fatigue should be reduced by tomorrow. If she rests properly, she’ll be fully recovered in seven or eight days.”
In fact, he recommended the medicine, which could reduce the pain.
However, it was indeed expensive, and many people would rather spend less money and suffer through it.
He had been in Qingshi Town for a long time, and he had seen many similar situations.
In the past, he thought that the most important thing was to cure the patient. Now, he felt that the most important thing was to cure the patient at the lowest cost.
Aunt w.a.n.g looked at her daughter who was lying on the side and could barely open her eyes. Her heart ached.
“Doctor, please prescribe the medicine.” She finally said.
How could she bear to see her daughter suffer like this?
The doctor looked at Aunt w.a.n.g again.
“Alright,” he said. He went to write a prescription.
He had seen many who were reluctant to see a doctor and get medicine, especially if it’s a girl. He didn’t expect her to say that.
Soon, the doctor finished writing the prescription and got his a.s.sistant to get the medicine.
Aunt w.a.n.g paid 5 taels of silver, then, together with Lin Xiaoyue, helped w.a.n.g Erya onto the ox-cart.
w.a.n.g Erya had already recovered some of her strength by now, and was not in as much pain as before.
Leaning on the ox-cart, she comforted her mother, saying that she didn’t blame her.
“How did you get so badly injured?” Lin Xiaoyue finally asked the two of them while riding the ox-cart.
The wound was treated and the medicine was taken. Now, the mother and daughter felt more at ease and finally had the mood to explain to Lin Xiaoyue.
“You mentioned that black locust thorns have medicinal benefits and can be sold for some money. In the afternoon, I went to the clinic in town to inquire about this matter.”
Lin Xiaoyue frowned.
“They said that they would buy them from me for 10 wen per catty,” Aunt w.a.n.g continued.
“I thought I could earn some money with this. Early this morning, Shuanzi and his father left and I took Erya up the mountain to harvest the black locust spines.”
“It’s all my fault for being greedy and wanting to harvest more. Erya was p.r.i.c.ked when she climbed up a tree.”
She knew that the black locust thorns were poisonous, she should have stopped Erya when she wanted to climb the tree.
It was all because of her greed. If she had not been so greedy, Erya would not have been in trouble.
Lin Xiaoyue understood.
She turned back to look at w.a.n.g Erya and the regretful-looking Aunt w.a.n.g.
“You don’t have any tools, and you’re not professional herb gatherers, so it’s better not to touch the black locust thorns.”
Aunt w.a.n.g’s face was full of worry, but she did not respond.
Not only did she not earn any money, she had to spend 5 taels on medical expenses.
She didn’t have any skills, and she only knew that the black locust thorns could be sold for some money.
If she didn’t do that, how would she be able to get back the 5 taels of silver?
She needed to sell 50 catties of black locust thorns to get that money. She even made her daughter suffer so much. She regretted it in her heart.
She had hired a matchmaker to look for a wife for her son, but nothing came from it.
It wasn’t that no one liked Shuanzi, but their family was too poor. They didn’t have a big house nor a good piece of land. In addition, she didn’t even have enough money for the betrothal gift.
She and her husband were both worried about this.