Chapter 79: CH 79

Now they knew Mr. Cao was fine, everyone let loose a breath of air they didn’t know they had been holding. The two young men who tried to break down the door left afterwards.

Daqiang went in and asked, “Sir, are you alright?”

Uncle Pingshun felt Mr. Cao’s forehead, “His forehead’s really hot, what should we do?”

Mo Yan replied, “If he’s lucid, ask him what we should do.”

Mr. Cao mumbled, “Charhu Soup.”

She thought back to that time she took medicine after having a fever. It was already pre-made and in his in-home clinic. Cao Zhang had just heated it up.

She ran there and started searching for the medicine packets relying on her memory. Eventually, she found a packet of medicine with the words ‘Charhu Soup’ written on them.

“Found it!” She wanted to heat it up, but didn’t know where to heat it.

Daqiang came and said, “How about I call Ms. Li? She knows how to heat it up.”

Ms. Li arrived shortly after and quickly started heating up the medicine. While tending to the fire, she sighed, “I offered to make meals for him, but he refused. The weather is cold, and he’s probably been skipping meals, how could his body handle it?”

After the medicine was prepared, Daqiang served it to him. Mr. Cao was very mindful of etiquette, and didn’t let any woman aside from his wife into his bedroom.

Ms. Li asked Mo Yan about the situation. “From now on, I’ll be making his dinner for him whether he likes it or not.”

Daqiang said, “I’ll be living here for now, so at least one person’s looking after him in case something happens.”

After drinking the medicine, Mr. Cao went to sleep for half an hour and sweated it out. When he woke up, he felt much better and came out after changing his clothes.

“Mr. Pingshun, why have you come?”

“Mo Yan noticed you haven’t been to the clinic, and heard from your disciple that you were ill yesterday, so she wanted to come over to check on you. Then, she encountered me and I accompanied her here.”

Mr. Cao said, “Yan’er, you’ve really saved my life this time!”

Uncle Pingshun said, “It’s all due to the good karma you’ve accumulated.” [1]

“Alright, all of you probably have something important you need to get back to. However, I’l have to trouble Daqiang and Ms. Li to stay behind for a while.”

Ms. Li was making congee in the kitchen, while Daqiang helped him back to his bedroom. Uncle Pingshun told Mo Yan to leave first.

Mo Yan thought about how Ms. Hua and Zhao’er were worried about him, so she returned to the city and told them about his condition.

They only relaxed when they knew he was fine.

There weren’t many people on the road today, and business wasn’t very good. Mo Ling wanted to close early for the day when Chuzi ran over excitedly with a letter in his hand. [2]

“Yan’er, big sister Mo Ling, your letter.”

Mo Ling asked, “Is there just a letter?”

“Yeah. This should be for you, since I remember you saying you’re the only Mo family in Chenzhong Village.”

Mo Yan accepted it, and it was written to Mo Feng as always. The letter’s contents were meant for Mrs. Liang.

There wasn’t anything pressing written in the letter. Mo Zhenian just said that he’d return home for the New Year’s early this year. He also said he had good news, but he was vague about the details.

When they returned home, Mrs. Liang heard about the news and was so excited she started coughing again. While coughing, she got out her sewing kit, “I haven’t sewn on a pair of shoe soles yet! I have to hurry before he returns home.”

Mo Ling put it back to a side, “There’s no rush, there’s still over a month until the New Year’s!”

“Didn’t he say he’s coming back early?”

“He won’t come back over a month early. First guess what his good news is.”

“What good news can it be? He’s definitely found a good job for Feng’er!”

In her eyes, there was nothing more important than her son. If it was good news, there was no way it wasn’t related to him.

When she thought about her son dressing well with a good job in the city, and marrying a sensible wife, she couldn’t help but smile.

“I have to prepare clothes for the New Year now. This year, I have to make a nice set for Mo Feng, he can’t become a laughingstock when he arrives in the city. I’ll make a nice set of clothes for your dad too.”

She hadn’t thought about her two daughters at all. While Mo Feng hid at home during the cold winter, they were out during business.

“Then go to the market to pick out good fabrics! We can’t make our own judgement on that,” After Mo Ling said that, she left.

Mrs. Liang was illiterate, but she still looked at the letter happily, “If anyone’s driving a carriage to the market, I’ll go with them.”

When the sisters went back to their room, Mo Ling said angrily, “When it comes to good food and drink, she only thinks about her son. We only get thought of when there’s work to be done. Look at what you’re wearing, but she doesn’t care at all. Her first thought is to make new clothes for her son. But a moocher like him won’t become an emperor just by wearing an emperor’s robes!”

Mo Yan reminded her, “This isn’t anything new, there’s no use being mad.”

“How can I not be? How is there a mother like this?”

“Then leave this family, and go enjoy your little slice of heaven.”

Mo Ling knew she was referring to marrying someone, and she had lost all her feelings towards Mr. Tian long ago. However, she was slightly unwilling to marry Zhong Cheng, as she felt like this wasn’t someone she chose.

“I’m just worried there will be complications about leaving.”

“At least you’ll have final say in your own household.”

“I’ll have to co-exist with my mother-in-law. If she’s unreasonable, what can I do?”

“You’ll have to work hard to prevent that, then.”

“You’re speaking about this like you know all about it. Besides, what the books say won’t necessarily work in practice.”

“Ok, let’s leave this for now. I’m going to the Upper Valley in a few days, think about what you want to buy.”

Mo Ling thought, “Nice clothes. I want the nicest clothes in Chenzhong Village, no, the entirety of Qianshui City and the surrounding villages.”

“No problem, now I just need to think about how to convince her to go.”

“She’s currently still ecstatic over the good news dad promised and won’t care. This is one of the good things about winter.”

Mo Ling temporarily gave up on her grudges. She thought about how it’d be best if Mo Zhenian took Mo Feng away over the New Year. There would be one less freeloader in their family, and there’ll be less drama within the family.

The next day, the earth had defrosted. When they were going to the market, they encountered Mr. Cao, who was being driven by Daqiang via carriage.

When he saw them, he offered to give them a ride, which they didn’t turn down.

“Sir, are you better now?” Mo Ling asked.

Mr. Cao nodded, “Yes, it was just a regular fever.”

The three got off in front of the clinic, and Daqiang asked him when he’ll go back. Mr. Cao said, “There’s no set time, you don’t need to pick me up.”

He drove off, and Ms. Hua and Zhao’er over went over, asking if Mr. Cao was fine.

Post-translation notes: As always, thank you so much for reading.

[1] Mr. Cao is really nice from what little we’ve seen about him.

[2] Chuzi is the beggar who Mo Yan used to give a wrap to every now and then.