Chapter 21: Enlightenment
"Ah Shui, thank you so much this time. Without you, I really don't know what to do."
A thirty-year-old man was wiping tears with red eyes.
If Liang Qu had not stepped forward and paid the autumn tax for him, he would have been caught and taken to Lanzhou to dig a canal, where he would have been in great danger of death. Even if he had survived, it was unknown how long it would take for him to return.
By then, there would be only an elderly father and his wife raising two young children at home. How could the family not break up? How could the family not collapse?
Chen Qingjiang pulled Xiao Shunzi over from the side, pressed his head and was about to push it down: "Shunzi, hurry up, kneel down and kowtow to your brother Shui!"
"Hey, Uncle Chen, there's no need, there's really no need." Liang Qu was shocked and quickly pulled Shunzi over, smiling bitterly, "I saved Uncle Chen, so Shunzi has to kowtow to me. Then the last time Uncle Chen saved me, shouldn't I also kowtow to Uncle Chen? Uncle Chen thinks I haven't done enough and wants to remind me?"
"Ah this."
Chen Qingjiang wiped away his tears twice more, remained silent, and no longer mentioned kneeling.
Liang Qu felt relieved upon seeing this, thinking that the world was really fucked up and the poor people had no chance of getting out of this situation.
Fishermen like those in Yixing City work diligently all their lives, but their income is barely enough to support their families through food, drink and tax payments. Even if they are lucky enough to catch a precious fish, they cannot make a comeback and can only have a few drinks at best. A simple cold can easily kill them.
Since they couldn't even educate their children, let alone teach them martial arts, maybe joining the army was a way out? But that was a life-threatening fortune, and it was more likely that they would lose their lives and their fortunes would be taken away by others.
"A Shui is really generous. He gave the one-stone rice to him immediately. He went to learn martial arts, so he must have had a lot of money, right? I'm afraid he lost it all."
“It’s like a storybook novel.”
"Chen Qingjiang is lucky to know Ah Shui."
There were citizens on the roadside who had just returned from paying taxes. Some were spreading the news, while others had seen it with their own eyes. They were all amazed.
Liang Qu was speechless. He had no intention of being in the limelight. In these days, people were not recommended to be filial and honest officials. If he could make a fortune quietly, he would not publicize it.
"Brother Li, carry Shunzi on your back and send him home. By the way, inform my sister-in-law. Uncle Chen and I will take Grandpa Chen to the clinic first. That whipping must have been unpleasant."
Shunzi was only six years old. After such a great shock and crying, he was already exhausted and drowsy.
When Liang Qu was leading him for a walk just now, Xiao Shunzi hit his head on his legs several times. If he didn't rest well, he might get seriously ill, which would make the already poor family even worse off.
"it is good."
Li Libo agreed and looked at Liang Qu with a complicated look.
The two men were just acquaintances at first, and their relationship was not very good. It was only after Baldy Zhang was beaten that their relationship became familiar, but they were more like drinking buddies. You treat me to a meal, and I lend you a fishing net.
But now Li Libo found that he didn't know Liang Qu at all. That was one stone of rice, which was almost one tael of silver. Liang Qu learned martial arts. Where did he get this tael of silver? I'm afraid he won't have any food to eat in the future. What's the point?
Li Libo couldn't figure it out, but he felt that Liang Qu was an extraordinary person, just like the "characters" described by storytellers.
"Sorry to bother you, Brother Li."
"No problem, I'm reluctant to give a stone of rice, but I still have enough strength."
After carrying Shunzi on his back, Li Libo shouted - let’s go, and then he stopped talking and walked forward in silence.
"Sorry to bother Ah Shui too."
"Uncle Chen, stop joking. Let's go to the clinic right away. Otherwise, if we delay for too long, the wound will get infected and it will be troublesome."
The clerk's whip was so fierce and violent that it left a bloody whip mark on Chen Renxing's body. Chen Renxing was old and could not bear it. He was knocked unconscious and had to apply medicine and bandage the wound quickly.
"Infection, what is that?"
"It's a disease. A wound that has seen blood is prone to becoming sick and festering."
"Oh oh oh, let's go quickly then."
The two men carried Chen Renxing and quickly came to a small clinic in Yixing City to let the doctor treat his external injuries.
When the clothes were removed, the bloody wounds were terrifying to see.
Liang Qu watched the doctor's technique in its entirety. He first washed the wound with boiled and cooled water, then applied powder and bandaged it with steamed white cloth. It seems that there is no such thing as infection in this world, but there is a concept of infection.
"Your father is old, and he needs to be taken care of after this injury. Fortunately, the wound is not serious. I will prescribe a prescription for you. You can take the medicine according to the prescription and take it on time every day."
"Okay, thank you doctor."
"Xiao Zhang, take you two to get the medicine."
"You two, follow me."
Then Liang Qu and Chen Qingjiang went to get the medicine.
After getting the medicine, Liang Qu frowned and pointed at some of the lumps: "Doctor Zhang, can you help replace these medicines with ones with clearer edges and corners?"
The waiter named Zhang was stunned and looked embarrassed. He didn't say much and directly replaced the herbs.
Chen Qingjiang looked puzzled, but did not ask directly.
"Including the medical expenses, the total is eight cents and seven cents."
This is too expensive. Liang Qu was shocked. A simple external injury cost almost one or two taels of silver.
Chen Qingjiang asked: "Can I write an IOU?"
"can."
The clerk wrote out the IOU with ease, with the date and interest written quite clearly, obviously having done this many times.
After carrying his father out of the clinic, Chen Qingjiang asked Liang Qu, "Why did Ah Shui ask him to change the medicine just now?"
"His medicine has no edges or corners. Generally, medicine without edges or corners is old stuff. It is either used and then dried, or moldy and then cleaned. The former is fine, at most the effect will be worse and you will spend more money. The latter will cause problems. Of course, what I said is not certain, I just want to be on the safe side."
Chen Qingjiang was very surprised: "How did you know this?"
He watched A Shui grow up, and he never went to school, but in the past two months he seemed like a different person.
When Chen Qingjiang went home a few days ago, he heard from the elders at home that Ah Shui has not only learned martial arts, but is also very good at fishing. Now it seems that he has learned a lot of powerful knowledge.
Liang Qu scratched his head, but before he could explain, Chen Qingjiang gave his own understanding.
"Ah Shui, you've finally gotten the idea. That's amazing!"
Liang Qu smiled awkwardly.
Yes, I finally got it!
The unique understanding of cheating by Chinese babies is that as long as a person suddenly becomes powerful, it often means that this person has become enlightened.
My terrible academic performance suddenly became excellent, which means I have finally gotten the hang of it.
The dull and honest man suddenly becomes an expert in love and has opened his eyes.
The fisherman who originally couldn't catch any fish has become a master of fishing, which means he has gained some knowledge.
That’s perfect, so I don’t have to make excuses.
"What a pity! If only Brother Liang could see how successful you are now." Chen Qingjiang suddenly sighed, then suddenly realized that he shouldn't have said that. He fell silent again, and after a long while, he said, "I will pay back the one stone of grain I owe you as soon as possible."
Liang Qu wanted to say that he didn't need to pay it back, but seeing Chen Qingjiang's serious look, he guessed that he wouldn't listen even if he said it: "I'm not in a hurry. I'll pay the clinic's bill first. Besides, the weather will get colder soon. I can't let Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Kui starve. If they get sick because of paying off the debt, it will be more trouble than it's worth."
Chen Qingjiang nodded.
The two men walked home in silence.
(End of this chapter)
