Grandpa was conflicted. "The child is badly hurt. We should at least go see her, shouldn’t we?"
Grandma was silent for a mont, then said, "The porridge is ready. Go have a couple of bowls first. You haven’t eaten anything all morning, and who knows when you’ll be back if you go out now."
"It’s still hot..."
"The porridge has cooled down! Grandpa, co and eat! Grandma, you eat too!"
Xiao Man went into the kitchen and mixed so of the boiled water she had cooled last night into the scalding porridge, making it ready to eat.
They mixed the Spiritual Spring into their food and drinking water, and even added so to the water for their vegetable garden. However, they didn’t add any to the well in the courtyard because neighbors often ca to draw water, and they were worried that changing the water’s quality would attract attention.
The warm white rice porridge was served with water spinach stir-fried that morning and a bowl of a homade farr’s seasoning—a mix of salt, toasted black sesa seeds, and fresh chili peppers pounded together. It was a simple lunch for the family of three, but it was savory and satisfying.
After lunch, Grandpa went into his room. Xiao Man knew he was looking for money. In her last life, when Liu Fengying had injured her, Grandpa had also given them money. But Liu Fengying and Mo Guoqiang had taken the cash without ever getting Xiao Man dical treatnt, which had infuriated Grandpa.
Xiao Man followed Grandpa to the courtyard gate. He looked back at her, sighed, and said in a low voice, "When adults make mistakes, the children suffer. Xiao Feng is only eight or nine, she’s too young. We can’t delay her treatnt... Your grandma won’t say anything if she finds out. I’ll just give them fifty yuan, and that’s it. After this, I’m not giving them any more. They’re the parents, they can figure it out themselves! We need to save money to get your grandma’s eyes fixed..."
Xiao Man asked, "Grandpa, can Grandma’s eyes be cured?"
Grandpa nodded. "Yes! A long ti ago, your grandma fell seriously ill. I took her to Wancheng Hospital for treatnt. A doctor there told us that once your grandma recovered her strength, we could go back and he would operate. He guaranteed he could restore her sight... Later, when we’d saved up a little money and went back, that doctor was gone. They said he’d been transferred. The other doctors didn’t dare to perform eye surgery and suggested we go to the provincial city hospital. But we didn’t have enough money for the provincial city, so I thought we’d co back and save more... To be honest, I’ve failed your grandma. There were always things that needed money at ho: your second aunt had a difficult birth and was hospitalized; your third cousin was always sick with pneumonia or enteritis, constantly needing money; your second uncle wasn’t watching the oxen properly and let two large water buffalo fall off a cliff, so we had to pay for that; and then there’s your parents... *Sigh!* It just kept getting delayed, and I still haven’t been able to take your grandma to get her eyes treated."
Xiao Man said, "Grandpa, you sell herbs all the ti. Haven’t you ever heard of any folk redies?"
"Your grandma’s eyes can’t be cured just by taking dicine. She needs surgery."
"How will we know if we don’t try? Grandpa, you’ve gathered so many dicinal herbs. Let’s give so to Grandma, shall we?"
"Heh! You’re such a fanciful child. If it were that useful, what would I be waiting for? Do you know who I sell my herbs to in the city? It’s an old, highly respected doctor of traditional Chinese dicine from many years ago! He cos from an aristocratic family of physicians, but in these tis, they can’t operate openly. They just buy herbs discreetly. Only trusted acquaintances like can do business with them. The prices they offer are much higher than the state purchasing station’s. They make pills and ointnts and sell them secretly... *Sigh*, why am I telling you all this? That old doctor said your grandma’s eyes could be cured with Chinese dicine, but just taking dicine isn’t enough. All dicine has its toxins, and long-term use would harm her body and even shorten her life. It would need to be paired with acupuncture, but the old doctor is very old now and can’t wield a silver needle anymore. The other people in his family who know acupuncture are abroad! So, the only way is to save up enough money and go to a big hospital for surgery!"
Xiao Man let out a sigh. "It’s that complicated... I used to see Granny Han next door picking leaves from the fence, or loofah flowers, and making soup for Grandma Han to eat. She said that after drinking the soup, Grandma Han’s eyes beca clear and her vision stayed sharp. Can my grandma eat that too?"
Grandpa looked at Xiao Man, pleased. Not wanting to crush her hopes, he reached out, patted the back of her head, and said with a smile, "Those on the fence are goji leaves and sprouts, and there are goji berries too. They can cleanse the liver and improve eyesight. Loofah flowers are good as well... Of course your grandma can eat them. It will definitely be good for her eyes!"
"Really? Then from now on, I’ll go find so and make soup for Grandma!"
"Mhm, you don’t have to look for goji berries. I’ve picked so from the mountains. They’re in the room where we store the herbs. The key is hanging on the wall in the main hall. I’m so busy running around all day I don’t have ti for these things. Be a good girl, Xiao Man. When you have a mont, cook so for your grandma to eat. Half a bowl at a ti. You have so too!"
"Okay!"
Grandpa waved to Xiao Man, signaling for her to go back inside. "Close the courtyard gate. From now on, when you and Grandma are ho, keep the gate bolted. If soone cos, they have to announce who they are before you let them in!"
"Why?" Xiao Man asked, feigning innocence. ’Seriously?’ she complained to herself.
"After what happened today... it wasn’t your fault, but if Xiao Feng’s injury is serious, I’m afraid they’ll hate you even more. Don’t go out for a while. Stay ho and keep Grandma company. I’ll talk to the party secretary and see if I can stop working at the reservoir starting next month. School will be starting for you soon, and I need to be ho to keep an eye on things and walk you for a few days, to stop your muddle-headed father and Xiaoqiang from hitting you again!"
"I understand. Grandpa, be careful. Don’t get into a fight with them at the clinic."
"They wouldn’t dare. That’s the brigade headquarters. There are brigade cadres there. There won’t be any arguing or fighting!"
Xiao Man watched Grandpa walk away down the road, then turned, went back into the courtyard, and bolted the gate. She silently set a goal for herself: ’Starting today, I’ll drink a dozen or more extra glasses of spiritual spring water every day. So what if I have to run to the bathroom more often? And so what if I sleep two or three hours less at night to practice that Five Animals Qigong ten, twenty, even fifty tis? I have to get stronger, fast! At least strong enough to beat Mo Xiaoqiang! That’s the only way I won’t get bullied at school and can finally let Grandpa and Grandma stop worrying!’
Less than half an hour after Grandpa left, people showed up looking for a fight, just as she’d expected. Luckily, Xiao Man had bolted the gate securely. Unable to get in, the visitors started pounding on it.
From the voices outside, she could tell it was just a group of kids. Mo Guoqiang and Liu Fengying were surely too preoccupied to co settle scores with Xiao Man right now. It was Mo Xiaoqiang and Mo Xiaoneng, leading a gang of boys around ten years old, shouting outside the gate, "Mo Xiaoman! You bastard! You worthless piece of trash! Open the door! If I don’t chop you to death today, then my last na isn’t Mo!"
They were prying and smashing at the gate with firewood knives, sharp pieces of wood, rocks, and broken bricks, making it rattle and bang!
Fortunately, the Youth Corps Courtyard had been built to last. The bottom ter was stone masonry, topped with a ramd-earth wall nearly a ter thick, making it two ters high in total. The gate was also made of thick wooden planks. After smashing away for a long ti to no effect, the five or six boys grew furious from the humiliation and started hurling their rocks and broken bricks directly into the courtyard!
Xiao Man quickly helped Grandma back inside the house. Grandma gripped Xiao Man’s arm tightly, refusing to let her go into the courtyard, terrified she would be hit.
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