The Fourth Section: The Scholar's Means of Livelihood (Part 1)

  "This is the chicken soup that our young mistress specifically ordered the kitchen to stew," Hua Ping said, ladling the soup into a delicate Qinghua porcelain bowl. "It's got ginseng, angelica, astragalus, and over a dozen other medicinal ingredients, very nourishing." She then took out two packets wrapped in oil paper and placed them on one side, saying: "One packet is for replenishing qi and blood, the other is for treating injuries...one is for you to use, the other is for Young Master Shen to use, don't get them mixed up."

  Shen Mo smiled slightly and said in a low voice: "Hua Ping, may I ask you a question?"

  His tired smile, like fragile Qinghua porcelain, made the screen girl's heartstrings tremble, and her cheeks suddenly turned red. She gently put down the bowl, and the mosquito hummed: "You ask, but what's too private can't be told to you."

  "It won't be so abrupt later." Shen Mo smiled wryly and said, "What I want to ask is about yesterday... after being bitten by the snake, I fainted. As for how my father met your young lady and how he came here, I don't know anything." He looked at her sincerely and said, "Can you tell me?"

  "Is that so," the screen painter said with a hint of disappointment, "Alright..." and put down a handkerchief on the long bench, sitting down across from Shen. In a soft voice, he began to recall: "Yesterday afternoon, I was accompanying Miss in my home, Jiren Hall, going over accounts when we heard a commotion coming from the front hall. Miss told me to go take a look. When I went to ask what was happening, I found out that Mr. Shen had rushed into our Jiren Hall carrying you and asking Doctor Da to save you. But according to the rules of Jiren Hall, patients have to pay 50 wen for consultation fees before the doctor will treat them..."

  Hua Ping anxiously glanced at Shen Mo, and indeed saw that his expression was not good. She softly explained: "Miss just took over Ji Ren Tang last month and didn't know about this rule at first, but now she's already had it abolished."

  She nodded silently and said in a low voice: "Miss Yin is kind."

  "That's right, my young lady is the best." The painter smiled with satisfaction and continued: "Mr. Shen couldn't pay the doctor, so the doctor wouldn't treat him. Both sides were arguing fiercely, and there was a bit of pushing and shoving, which startled the young lady."

  Shen Mo knew that things weren't as simple as what Hua Ping said, after all, the shop was someone's home, and you can't just bend your elbows outwards, right? Whether it made sense or not, he would definitely speak up for his own people. But he could almost be certain that the scratches and bruises on his father's face were 80% likely caused by those rascals from 'Ji Ren Tang'...

  It's not that he's psychologically dark, but rather he understands human nature too well... If it were just a chance encounter between two people, then Miss Yin would have waived his medical fees and given him some free medicine, which would have been more than enough. There was no need for her to send her personal maid to visit him the next day, bringing chicken soup and medicine... Still, it's injury medicine, isn't there a guilty conscience?

  Just thinking of the old man humiliating himself, having to put up with the looks on those petty people's faces, and even being beaten, made his blood rush to his head, his fists clenched tightly.

  Fortunately, he was mature and calm, not showing his emotions on his face. Moreover, this young lady and her mistress had been kind to him without any fault, so it wasn't right to vent his anger on them. Taking a deep breath, Shen Mo smiled at the anxious Hua Ping and said, "Continue telling the story."

  "You're not blaming us, are you?" Hua Ping was still young after all, and his next sentence gave him away.

  "What can I do?" Shen Mo smiled warmly and said, "Both the young lady and the miss are my lifesavers, I'm still grateful, how could I not distinguish between good and bad?"

  "That's good, that's good." Hua Ping held her hands together in front of her chest and said with a hint of embarrassment: "My young mistress said that no matter what, since the person is from our household, we must take responsibility to the end." If Shen Mo was a muddle-headed person, she would definitely not understand the meaning behind these words.

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  Shen Mo didn't want to talk about it anymore and slightly furrowed his brow, saying: "Wasn't I bitten by a snake? Why did you prepare so many nourishing medicines?"

  "The doctor said you've had malnutrition for years, with severe qi and blood deficiency," the screen board's face looked at him seriously: "After being poisoned by a snake, it triggered extremely severe yang deficiency symptoms. If not treated in time, the consequences are unthinkable."

  "It's not that serious." Shen Mo himself also knew some medical skills, and he slightly shook his head: "I'm at the stage of growing my body, with strong fire and sufficient qi and blood. As long as I pay attention to nutrition, strengthen my exercise, avoid cold and chill, I will recover quickly."

  "Last night, Old Master also said the same thing and even asked the incompetent doctor who was in charge yesterday to roll up his medical kit and leave." Hua Ping looked at him with admiration: "You're really something!"

  "Thanks for the compliment, but why did you scare me just now?"

  "Just now I spoke too seriously." The painter waved her small hand and smiled with crescent-shaped eyes: "Relax a bit, okay?"

  "Alright." Shen Mo was amused by her appearance and nodded: "Continue speaking."

  "Hmm." Hua Ping nodded and continued, "After you've finished seeing the doctor, your father will carry you away. My young mistress has arranged for a carriage to send you on your way, and someone will follow along to take care of you."

  Shen Mo said in a low voice: "Miss Yin is a kind-hearted person." In his heart, he added another sentence: 'Indeed, she has the makings of someone who can do big business.'

  "That's right," the painter said in a low voice, "but your father strongly disagreed and insisted on going back himself." Shen Mo knew that his father was a man who attached great importance to face, and he would certainly not want people to see him living in a grass shed.

  "The young lady had no choice but to agree, and told the carriage driver to take me and secretly follow behind, so I could remember your residence. The painter's face revealed a hint of unbearable emotion as he said: 'In the end, I saw your father wandering back and forth in an alley several times, before finally turning back. We quickly hid, fortunately he was in a hurry and didn't discover us.'"

  He was seen returning by the same route and went back to Yongchang Square, stopping in front of the Shen family's house. He hesitated for a while before going forward to knock on the door.

  The description of the painting is not very detailed, but it can be seen that the father's heart is entangled with pain and suffering at that moment... The doctor said he absolutely cannot get wet again, so he does not want to go back to the small grass hut by the river; but in this vast world, there are countless houses, yet the penniless father and son have no place to settle.

  Helpless, Shen He had no choice but to swallow his pride and seek help from the Ben family. He was indeed at a loss for what to do... As a scholar, Shen He would never utter the word "ask" as long as there was even a glimmer of hope. It can be imagined that when he knocked on the door of the Shen family, the old man's heart was filled with shame. Nevertheless, in order to save him, the old man abandoned all dignity.

  Living under others' roof and enduring cold shoulders are all for his sake!

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  Her heart was in a mess, she couldn't even remember when the little maid had left or what she had said before leaving. The bowl of fragrant chicken soup placed on her bedside table had long lost its warmth, with a layer of clear oil floating on top...

  The sky gradually darkened, and the slow footsteps sounded. Before long, the door opened, and Shen He appeared in front of him with two palm-sized carp, smiling brightly.

  Division line

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