Early the next morning, a new notice was posted outside Siye’s Mansion. One of them summarized the number of donations made by wealthy households yesterday, thanking them for their contributions to the people of Beiyuan City. One is a list of children who have recovered today, allowing their parents to come and pick them up.
Chen Nong is a scholar, but also an unpromising scholar. He knew Chinese characters well and was familiar with various texts, but he was not good at writing imperial examination articles. After several failed exam preparations, he took a low-paying job copying books, and occasionally received ghostwriting letters from neighbors to make extra money.
The hardships of life over the years have gradually smoothed away the pride of his youth, and he just wants to live a stable life.
His parents died young at home, so he married a wife who wandered from other places, gave birth to a daughter, and there were only three people in his family, and their life was pretty good.
Who would have thought that a disaster would break the barely stable life. My daughter has disappeared since the day before yesterday, and her life or death is unknown. His wife also suffered a disaster and is now lying weakly on the bed. She told him her last words this morning, claiming that she was going to see her daughter.
Chen Nong heard the words and advised her to hold on, her daughter would be saved and they would get better in the future, so he did not dare to face his wife and went out to the drugstore to buy a life-extending ginseng tablet with the little money at home.
After buying the ginseng slices, there was still some broken silver left. Chen Nong looked at a poison he knew in the drug store and asked the waiter to help him get some.
He thought with despair that if he could not save his wife, he would not be alive.
The waiter looked at him strangely and said, “This medicine cannot be sold casually without getting him any medicine.”
Chen Nong smiled bitterly, “Don’t worry, I don’t mean to use it to harm anyone.”
The waiter knew as soon as he heard that he understood medicine, and he didn’t dare to sell it casually. “Then what are you going to buy? We can’t just give people medicine without a doctor’s prescription.”
Chen Nong was about to explain when the sound of gongs passed by outside, accompanied by the crisp voice of a young man, “A child in Si Ye Mansion has recovered. A child has recovered.”
“Has a child in Si Ye Mansion recovered?” The waiter exclaimed, “No, I have to ask the shopkeeper for leave to have a look.”
After the waiter finished speaking, he ran away. Chen Nong had no time to shout. After a while, he heard the two people arguing behind the curtain.
“You are illiterate. What are you going to do? You can’t even understand what you are doing!”
“My younger brother is in there. In case one of the children who recovers is my younger brother. Shopkeeper, why don’t you deduct two days’ wages from me?”
“Don’t you have parents? Let your parents go see you.”
“My parents are getting older…”
“Don’t do it again!”
After a while, the waiter came out with a gray face and saw Chen Nong still standing there. He was about to lose his temper and paused. He looked at Chen Nong carefully and suddenly said: “This brother is a scholar at first glance. Literate?”
Chen Nong was stunned for a moment and nodded.
The waiter immediately held his hand and said excitedly: “Well, brother, please help me go to Siye Mansion to see if there is a boy named Feng An, nicknamed Xiaodouzi, in the new announcement.”
After he finished speaking, he took out a few copper coins from his arms and gave them to Chen Nong, “Brother, if you don’t run away in vain, please help me see this time. Regardless of whether it is available or not, I will also find a way to see if I can sell the medicine you want.” Here it is, it’s settled, please, brother.”
Chen Nong took the copper coins stuffed into his hand and was thanked and pushed out of the door by the waiter.