Luo Yirui glanced at the porridge. He could make fighting talismans and Spiritual Talismans, but he didn’t possess the skill his mother had of detecting poison with just a sniff and a look. So, after the woman left, he gently dabbed so porridge with his finger and tasted it on his tongue. Imdiately, he knew the porridge was not poisoned.
Once he was certain it wasn’t poisoned, the ravenous Luo Yirui didn’t hesitate any longer. He gulped down the bowl of porridge without leaving a single drop and even licked the remaining residue from the bowl.
One bowl of porridge couldn’t fully satisfy his appetite, but he couldn’t ask for more. Having so porridge was already fortunate enough. He reached for the inside of his jacket and found his money was still there, letting out a breath of relief.
At this mont, an old man wearing a blue robe entered, his back hunched over from age.
"Little lad is awake, looks like he’s in good spirits." The old man said as he placed two stead buns and a dish of pickles on the table, "Eat up. Our family isn’t wealthy, this is all we have."
Luo Yirui glanced at the buns and pickles. Though he often heard his grandmother talk about the hardships in the past, household als were always of high quality, and he’d never eaten such coarse food before.
He couldn’t bring himself to despise it, especially after hearing the old man’s words, his heart was slightly moved for inexplicable reasons.
"Thank you, Grandpa," Luo Yirui said softly.
The old man chuckled, "No need for thanks in our village. Hurry up and eat. We can talk about everything else once you’ve finished eating."
Luo Yirui nodded, took a bun, and began eating it with the pickles. He managed a bun and a half, but couldn’t finish the last half. He looked at the old man with so embarrassnt.
The old man took away the remaining half bun, then returned, sat on the bench, and asked, "What’s wrong, young lad? How did you end up alone at the village entrance? Where are your parents?"
Luo Yirui lowered his head slightly. Although the old man was kind to him, he hadn’t completely let his guard down, so he said, "I can’t find my Mom and Dad..."
The old man expected this answer. A five or six-year-old kid doesn’t understand much, especially a city kid, separated from his parents and unable to find his way ho, is normal.
"Do you know where your ho is? If it’s not far, I’ll find a way to send you back," the old man said.
Just as he finished speaking, soone outside shouted, "Oh my, oh my! Don’t be so good-hearted. Sending soone ho, without money, how will you send him? Carry him back? Runtian’s dicine hasn’t been paid for. Daily hardships, how will we manage?"
It was the woman who spoke, and as she talked, she began to cry.
Upon hearing his daughter-in-law’s cries, the old man felt a bit headache, sighed, and knew she was right. However, when he said ’find a way’, he didn’t necessarily an spending money. Their family truly had no money.
Luo Yirui noticed the hint of fatigue on the old man’s face. His brows were deeply furrowed because of the woman’s words, filled with thick worry, leaving Luo Yirui unsure of what to say.
The old man didn’t have much to say to a young child. Seeing that he wasn’t getting much information, he didn’t probe further. In the village, people didn’t have the concept of turning to the police for help, so this family never thought of seeking police assistance.
Originally, Luo Yirui worried they would do just that. Seeing no one ntioned it, he was secretly relieved. He hadn’t planned on staying here long, wanted to recover for a day or two, then find a way to leave, maybe look for a phone in the village to contact his parents if possible.
After eating, Luo Yirui felt reinvigorated and no longer wished to rest for a couple of days, fearing he’d be found. He decided it’d be better to leave quickly. Stepping outside the house, he realized he was in a firewood room, no wonder there was so much firewood piled on the floor.
In the yard, the woman was threading a large needle through the soles of shoes while the old man was weaving a bamboo basket. The yard was small, the northern house was very shabby, and the windows were papered. The paper had turned yellow, clearly neglected and unchanged for a long ti.
Seeing Luo Yirui co out, the woman snorted and ignored him, but the old man beckoned to him.
Luo Yirui walked over, sat on a small stool, and watched the old man weave the bamboo basket.
"Young lad, have you seen bamboo baskets being woven before?" The old man asked with a chuckle.
Luo Yirui shook his head, glanced towards the main house from where a strong scent of herbal dicine wafted out. He detected the sll of white peony and raw notoginseng powder. After careful discernnt, he knew what illness the person inside had.
The woman grimaced, continuing to stitch the shoe sole without bothering to speak. There wasn’t much to say to a young boy anyway, she’d rather they quickly find his parents, so maybe they’d receive a reward, and her husband could buy dicine.
Though she didn’t have much hope for a reward, city folks were of higher status and wealth yet thrifty. Gratitude often doesn’t translate into generosity, getting reimbursed for the food they provided would be fortunate enough.
"Grandpa, is there a phone in the village?" Luo Yirui asked.
The old man’s eyes lit up, "Do you know how to contact your parents?"
Luo Yirui lowered his eyelids slightly, and softly replied, "I want to try, but I can’t rember clearly."
Setting aside the half-woven bamboo basket, the old man said, "Think carefully. We don’t have one in this village, but the larger village does. If you can rember, we’ll find a way for soone to take you there."
"How far is the large village from here?" Luo Yirui asked.
"Not far. If you take the three-wheeler, it’ll only take half an hour, but walking feels quite distant," the old man said.
Luo Yirui nodded. As long as there’s a phone, it’s good. He wanted to leave, but glancing at the northern house changed his mind.
The kindness of food should be repaid, let alone the fact that if not for the old man bringing him in, who knows what could have happened to him overnight.
"Grandpa, is the person lying in the house your son?" Luo Yirui asked.
Hearing this, the old man’s smile faded slightly. He nodded but didn’t say much, his mood also dropped.
"Is Uncle sick? I sll dicine."
The old man sighed, "Yes, your uncle is sick. Don’t go in, it’s contagious."
Luo Yirui had pretty much confird his suspicions that the old man’s son had tuberculosis, and appeared to be coughing blood. After all, white peony has certain hemostatic properties.
He hadn’t tried treating such a complex illness, but he could attempt it. He’d seen his mother use Spiritual Pointing to make a Xuan Talisman to treat tuberculosis, so he should be able to try it. However, finding the supplentary herbs may be difficult.
As Luo Yirui was thinking, he heard the woman put down the shoe and turn to the old man, saying, "Dad, stop weaving already. Go and plead with Doctor Sun. Runtian’s dicine can’t be stopped!"
The old man also couldn’t continue weaving, a face full of worry. "dicine costs money too. It’s not wrong that they won’t help for free."
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