After Mingyue came back from collecting herbs, she boiled the medicine in a bamboo tube and asked Yizhi and Muzhi to drink half a bowl each.
She waited until the medicine was no longer too hot before feeding it to Xingzhi. Fortunately, although Xingzhi did not wake up, he was still able to swallow normally and finally drank half a bowl of it.
Then Mingyue gave Xingzhi acupuncture, applied medicine on his face, and stayed with him ever since.
She touched Xingzhi's forehead and arms from time to time until the heat in his body subsided, and then she breathed a sigh of relief.
The moon was already high in the sky, and Mingyue was sure that Xingzhi did not have a fever. She was just about to take a rest in her quilt, but as soon as she stood up, a small hand grabbed her arm.
Mingyue turned her head and saw a pair of eyes brighter than the moonlight under the moonlight pouring in through the broken window. The owner of the eyes raised the corners of his mouth and whispered to her, "Mom, I feel so happy now!"
Mingyue bent down and touched his forehead. After testing the temperature, she found it was normal. Then she said in surprise, "You don't have a fever. Why are you talking nonsense?"
Even after being beaten like this by his own father, he still felt happy. Isn't he just sick and confused
But Jiang Xingzhi just smiled at her foolishly without explaining anything further.
"Okay, silly boy, go to sleep. When you wake up, your illness will be cured." Mingyue said as she tucked the quilt for him and then went back to her own bed.
Jiang Xingzhi's eyes followed his mother all the time, and he was reluctant to look away until his mother fell asleep.
He didn't say anything nonsense, he really felt so happy now. It felt so good to be protected by his mother. Even though he lived in a dilapidated temple, drank bitter medicine, and his whole body ached, he still liked such days.
As long as he is with his mother and brothers, he is not afraid of anything.
The next day, the morning light was dim and the sun was rising.
Mingyue woke up a little late today. When she woke up, the fragrance of wild vegetables was already rising from the dilapidated temple.
It turned out that Xingzhi and his two younger brothers followed Mingyue's method and cooked wild vegetable soup in a bamboo tube, adding a little lard to it to add a bit of fragrance.
Seeing his mother wake up, Mu Zhi smiled like a flower, and ran over with his short legs, pointing at the small earthen stove and asking for credit: "Mom, mom, my elder brother and second brother have prepared delicious food, you can eat it when you get up."
Mingyue patted his head and praised him generously: "Wow, our Muzhi and Xingzhi Yizhi are both amazing!"
Mu Zhi's face flushed, but he straightened his chest and swore loudly: "I will be more powerful in the future. I want to be as powerful as my mother."
Mingyue tapped his forehead and said jokingly, "Okay, okay, in the future you will be more powerful than mother, and Xingzhi and Yizhi will also be more powerful than mother."
Mu Zhi was very happy and smiled brightly.
Xingzhi and Yizhi on the side blushed with embarrassment and pretended to be busy. They poured the wild vegetable soup into four broken bowls, added a little bit of salt, and placed them on the altar, waiting for their mother to come and eat together.
After the family of four had a simple breakfast, Xingzhi and Yizhi got up to wash the dishes.
At this time Mingyue stopped them and said, "Xingzhi, Yizhi, don't bother, we have to leave here."
Now, except for Mingyue, all the other children in the family were injured, so she had no intention of taking these worn-out quilts, broken bowls and other items with her, so she naturally didn't need to pack them up. Xingzhi and Yizhi looked at her blankly, not understanding what leaving meant.
Only Mu Zhi had not been completely tamed by this world. He still had the innocence and liveliness of a child. He didn't understand, so he came up to his mother and asked curiously, "Mom, where are you taking us?"
"I've decided to take you to the county town," Mingyue smiled and announced to the children, "We won't be coming back anymore. We're going to live in the city."
Of course, the city Mingyue is talking about here is the imperial city.
But in the hearts of the three children, the county town is a very far away place, so far away that they have never dared to think about it in their entire lives.
Because their whole life was supposed to be about getting married when they were old enough, and then doing housework and working in the garden.
Mu Zhi's eyes widened, shining: "Wow, a county town, mother, is it the county town where my third aunt studied?"
Every time Third Auntie came back from the county town, she would bring some beautiful snacks to Jiang Xueer. He saw Jiang Xueer eating them with great relish. Jiang Xueer would not let him eat them nor would she let him look at them. She said those snacks were so expensive that she could not afford them even if she sold herself.
He didn't want to eat snacks, but the family didn't even have money for medical treatment. His mother could only go to the mountains to find some grass for his eldest brother to apply on him. There was nothing edible at home, so they had to eat grass on the roadside. What if they couldn't find any grass in the county town
Thinking of this, Mu Zhi lowered his head in frustration, pointed at two fingers, and whispered: "Mom, there is nothing good in the county town. Let's stay here and not go to the city, okay?"
Yizhi hesitated for a moment, but still reminded her: "Mom, we don't have money, so we can't live in the county town." He knew that his third aunt always came home to ask for money, always saying that it would cost a lot of money in the county town.
"Yes, mother. We are fine now." Xingzhi bit his lower lip. A man could not find a job outside. If he went to the county town, he and his brothers would become a burden to their mother.
Mingyue's heart softened instantly when she looked at these children who had different personalities but were equally sensible.
She said to her sons seriously, "Don't worry, I will find a way. Just follow me."
Hearing his mother say this, Jiang Xingzhi tugged at the sleeve of his second brother who was about to speak again, and shook his head slightly at him.
They should all believe in their mother.
Mu Zhi's worries came and went quickly, and he threw himself into Mingyue's arms, looking up and saying, "I believe in mother, mother is the best and most powerful mother."
Mingyue smiled, checked Xingzhi's pulse, rubbed the medicine on him, sorted out several old clothes of the original owner and the children, and then announced: "Let's go into the city."
Mu Zhi cheered and ran to the front, laughing as he ran: "Let's go into the city, Mu Zhi is going to the county town~"
Yizhi followed beside his eldest brother, paying attention to his health all the time. He remembered that his eldest brother was knocked unconscious yesterday.
Xingzhi still felt some pain in his body, but his feet were not injured, so he refused his second brother's support and insisted on walking behind his mother.
Mingyue took one last look at the dilapidated temple, her gaze fixed on the intact statue of the Goddess of Heaven, then left with her sons without looking back.
Next target: the Imperial City.
(End of this chapter)