Chapter 177 - 177 Craft
177 Craft
Su Wenzhe said, “Uncle Fengzhi and his wife are great. They didn’t refuse when I asked them for sheep offal to make more haggis soup because they would’ve thrown them away if no one needed them.
“I also asked for some mutton, and they offered to butcher one of their sheep. I couldn’t allow them to give me the mutton, so I paid them according to the market price, but Uncle Fengzhi and his wife did not want much. They insisted on giving the mutton to me for cheap.”
Su Binglan realized her family always helped each other out so they could live good lives. For example, Su Fengzhi had helped her side of the family in the past, and now that their conditions had improved, they could repay Su Fengzhi’s kindness.
She knew that nose and throat issues were not good, especially for a chef and that she could treat that small matter with her acupuncture skills. However, she did not know if someone had poisoned Su Fengzhi.
After eating, Su Binglan handed her mother the silver note she received from Old Madam Feng and said, “Mother, take this.”
Shen Qiuhua was shocked when she saw the silver note. She looked at it carefully. “This is worth a thousand silver taels! Where did you get this, Binglan?!”
The whole family knew Su Binglan could earn money, but they could not believe she had earned a thousand taels that quickly.
Su Binglan simply explained how she had saved someone earlier that day, and the family was astonished by what they had heard. They looked at Su Binglan with admiration.
Su Wenzhe reached out to touch the silver note. “I’ve never seen a silver note worth a thousand silver taels before, Little Sister.”
He thought he and Liu Yinyin would be content with earning just a few silver taels daily but never expected his sister to earn so much just by using her medical skills.
Still, not everyone could master medical skills. No wonder Su Wenxiu wanted to be an apprentice at Hundred Herb Hospital.
Su Wenzhe’s expression became dispirited when he thought of his second brother, but he felt slightly relieved when his sister said Su Wenxiu was okay.
However, he still felt uneasy since he had yet to see his second brother. Su Wenzhe dared not show it because he feared his parents would get worried.
Meanwhile, Luo Jin’an lowered his head and remained silent. He was his usual quiet self and suppressed his presence, so it was easy for others to forget he was around.
Despite that, Su Binglan always noticed him. She put some food into his bowl and said, “Eat more, okay?”
“Okay,” Luo Jin’an gave a brief reply.
Shen Qiuhua handed the silver note to her daughter and said, “Binglan, you’ve earned this money, so you should keep it.”
Su Binglan pushed the money back to her mother and said, “I have enough, so take it.”
Shen Qiuhua argued, “You’ve already spent a hundred silver taels for the new house. If you give me this silver note, what money will you have left?”
Su Binglan insisted, “I can always earn more, so I will leave this with you for now. I will ask you for some if I need it.”
Su Binglan knew she would have to go to the capital in two days to look for Su Wenxiu. If she were not home, the family could use the silver note if there were any emergencies. Then she would feel more at ease.
Moreover, she would visit her third uncle to cure his throat and nose so he could help her side of the family if they needed it. She would feel even more at ease since another family member was around to help.
Shen Qiuhua seriously told Su Wenzhe and the others, “Binglan is being generous, but this is her money. Don’t take this silver note as an excuse to start slacking off. We still need to earn our own money by working hard. I won’t allow anyone to touch this money unless it’s an emergency.”
Su Wenzhe understood his mother’s words. He said thoughtfully, “Don’t worry. I know why Little Sister left us this money. I’ll continue working at the shop to earn more money.”
He possessed excellent willpower because he had suffered during his time with the Zhus. He knew to cherish these better days.
He remembered the difficult times when his family could not afford their needed medicine. He dared not be lazy and always worked harder whenever he thought of those tough times.
Su Wenzhe roughly understood his sister’s plans to look for Su Wenxiu and that she had probably left that money for them because she was concerned about their well-being.
Although they would do their best not to spend the silver note, they felt more at ease with it in their hands. The whole family was in good spirits.
…
After dinner, Su Binglan went to Su Fengzhi’s house alongside her father. Her third uncle was still eating when she entered the house.
Su Fengzhi’s family was sitting on the brick bed next to a table when they saw Su Fengmao and his daughter. Madam Liu hurriedly got down from the bed and said, “Brother-in-law is here.”
Then she saw Su Binglan, so she excitedly said, “Binglan is here too! Come in, come in. Please, sit with us.”
However, Su Binglan was speechless when she saw the food on the table. Her uncle and his wife only ate coa.r.s.e grain buns with wild vegetables. It was a simple dinner, and the couple looked relatively thin.
Su Fengzhi wondered why his second brother had brought his daughter over. Still, Su Fengmao said, “Fengzhi, I told my family about your condition.”
Su Fengzhi sighed. “That’s fine. I can’t hide it forever.”
Su Fengmao comforted his second brother. “Don’t be sad, Fengzhi. Your niece has medical skills, so she might be able to help you.”
Su Fengzhi’s initially dispirited expression changed when he heard his brother’s words. He looked at Su Fengmao and then at his niece. “Binglan has medical skills?”
Even Madam Liu was stunned. She collected her thoughts and became misty-eyed as she discreetly wiped her tears with the edge of her sleeve. It was not like she had no regrets over the past few years, but she still had to live a good life.
She also wanted to cheer her husband up so her family’s conditions would improve. However, Su Fengzhi could only rely on his cooking skills but could not even use them because of his throat and nose issues.
Madam Liu was excited yet nervous now that she heard Su Binglan could cure her husband.
Su Fengzhi was excited for a while before shaking his head. “It’s pointless. I’ve seen a doctor, but he said nothing could cure my nose and throat. I appreciate your kindness, Fengmao.”
Su Binglan did not say anything.
Madam Liu interjected, “You should give it a shot. Binglan’s medical skills are different from others.”
She remembered someone in the past mentioning that Su Binglan was the Su family’s lucky star. Perhaps her husband could truly recover.
Su Fengzhi dared not expect anything and did not want to see any more doctors. It was not because he was weak but because he did not want to experience any disappointments.
However, Su Fengmao had brought his daughter along this time, and Su Fengzhi could not help but appreciate his kindness. “I’ve troubled you, Binglan. It costs money to see a doctor, so I can’t let you treat me because I can’t afford to pay you.”
Su Fengmao feigned unhappiness and said, “You’re spouting nonsense, Fengzhi. You weren’t like this in the past.”
He was right. His brother was not like that in the past. Su Fengzhi had only given up on himself when he returned from Beijing. He was always worried his family would look down on him. That was why he was cautious whenever he spoke and did not take advantage of others’ kindness.