There was no movement outside the door for a long time, and Jing Li raised his head.
He had his arms around his knees, his eyes slightly red, and his overly long shirt hung down to cover his bare legs, revealing only a bit of his white toes.
Jing Li tilted his head and listened attentively for a while. After confirming that there was no sound outside the door, he stood up, opened the crack in the door and looked out.
It was so quiet outside that there was not even a shadow of a cat.
Only then did Jing Li feel relieved.
Why does he have to encounter this kind of thing every time he goes out? How long will he be unlucky
Jing Li thought dejectedly.
He no longer had the heart to run around, nor did he dare go out again. He quickly put his clothes back in place and returned to the table.
There was a flash of red light in the house, and a small koi fish jumped into the water.
On the other side, Qin Zhao scooped up some water to wash his face and let out a long sigh.
After leaving the house, Qin Zhao actually felt a little regretful.
The little monster had appeared in his dreams several times, so he naturally wanted to see him in person. He wanted to see if the little guy really looked like he did in his dreams, and he also wanted to know how the little guy would react when he discovered his identity.
It would be a lie to say I didn't want to go in and take a look.
But he had concerns.
He was still not sure why the little guy stayed with him. Xiaoyu was so worried that he would discover the truth. Was there any hidden story behind this
If the little fish found out that he already knew his identity, would the little guy still stay with him like now
Qin Zhao wasn't sure and didn't dare to take the risk.
He is getting along well with the little fish now, so it would be better to keep it this way and wait and see what happens.
"Meow..."
A low cat meow came from beside him. Qin Zhao turned around and saw the orange cat squatting beside him, licking its paw.
Qin Zhao was about to touch it, but then he remembered what he had promised the little monster and put his hand down.
He said seriously: "Don't scare him anymore."
The orange cat looked at him with its round eyes. After a moment, it walked up and rubbed his leg.
… I almost forgot that not all animals can understand human language.
Qin Zhao sighed, thinking that when he repaired the yard, he would have to make the wall higher to prevent the kitten from running in again.
When Qin Zhao returned home, the little koi did not come out to greet him as before.
The little fish hid at the bottom of the barrel. Its tiny body shrunk even smaller than before, and even its fins drooped listlessly.
It was really scary.
Qin Zhao sighed in his heart.
He walked forward, put his hand into the water, and gently touched the little koi's head: "What's wrong?"
The little koi fish trembled all over, raised its head to look at him, and then dived into his palm.
If fish had the benefit of not having vocal cords and being unable to make any sound, Qin Zhao even felt that the fish could still make a few whimpering sounds at him.
The little koi hooked Qin Zhao's fingers with its tail and buried its head in Qin Zhao's palm, finally calming down its nervousness and fear.
He patted Qin Zhao's palm gently with his fin, feeling a little aggrieved.
Don't leave him at home anymore.
Nothing good happens every time I'm alone at home.
Although he was mentally prepared, Qin Zhao still felt a little guilty when he saw Xiaoyu's appearance.
The dream he had last night had disturbed him, and he did have some thoughts of avoiding this little fish today, but who knew it would turn out like this.
But he didn't say much, just gently stroked the little fish in his palm with his fingers. Noticing that the little guy gradually calmed down, Qin Zhaocai said: "The meat I bought yesterday hasn't been cooked yet. Should I stew it now?"
The little koi nodded at him.
When buying meat yesterday, Qin Zhao also bought some potatoes.
He first washed the pork belly and potatoes and cut them into pieces. In order to make it easier to feed the small fish, he cut the meat a little smaller.
The method of braised pork is simple. First, fry the sugar color in the pot, then put the cut meat into the pot. After the color of the pork belly changes, add seasoning, water and cut potatoes, cover the pot and simmer.
The aroma of meat had already filled the house.
While waiting for the meat to stew, Qin Zhao took out the flour, kneaded the dough, and steamed a basket of steamed buns.
Jing Li likes watching Qin Zhao cook the most, and his eyes were fixed on him for a moment.
It would take some time for the meat and steamed buns to be ready, so Qin Zhao took this opportunity to tell Little Koi about his next plans.
"… After the materials are ready in two days, we can start building the house." Qin Zhao fiddled with the dorsal fin of the little koi and said slowly, "As for the two fields, I plan to hire someone in the village to do the tillage work. I asked around today and found a skilled farmer. It takes two days to weed and till the two acres of land, and the wages are eighty cents."
Jingli wagged his tail.
It’s a bit expensive.
Eighty cents can buy sixteen pieces of white sugar cake.
Qin Zhao thought for a moment and said, "If we can borrow a plowing ox, it will only take half a day to finish the plowing. However, there are not many farmers in the village who have water buffaloes..."
The two-day wage is eighty cents. If you have an ox, the expenses, including the wages and the rent of the ox, will not exceed thirty cents.
It can be half cheaper.
But as Qin Zhao said, there are only a handful of farmers in the village who have oxen for farming, and it is still unclear whether they are willing to lend them to Qin Zhao for farming.
What should I do
Jing Li was a little worried.
Qin Zhao was not too worried: "I'll go to the village chief's house this afternoon to ask and write a notice to see if I can rent it."
Of course you can!
The little koi rubbed against Qin Zhao's fingertips.
Qin Zhao looked at the little koi that was gradually regaining its vitality, and a gentle smile appeared in his eyes.
Jing Li had no doubt at all why Qin Zhao said all this to a fish, but Qin Zhao did do it on purpose.
Let the little fish know everything about the family, which will make Qin Zhao feel that it is also a part of the family.
This wonderful feeling is extremely satisfying.
Jing Li pestered Qin Zhao to play for a while, and the meat had been stewed for a long time.
Open the lid of the pot and the aroma of meat will fill the air.
Qin Zhao brought the meat and steamed buns to the table. Jing Li swung his tail vigorously, waiting eagerly for him to feed him. But before Qin Zhao could feed him, someone suddenly knocked hard on the door.
Qin Zhao opened the door.
It’s Chen Yanan.
"You're in luck." Qin Zhao had made an appointment with Chen Yan'an yesterday to come to his house to pick up books this morning, so he was not surprised to see this man coming. "I just stewed some meat here, sit down and have some."
"No, no, come with me." Chen Yan'an panted, "My grandma is dying!"
Jing Li felt that every time Chen Yanan came to his house, there was nothing good going on.
Last time, Qin Zhao was almost driven out of the village, and this time he brought bad news again.
… He hasn’t had the braised pork he’s been craving for yet.
Although there were reasons for this incident, it cannot be entirely blamed on him.
Jing Li sank to the bottom of the small fish basket, thinking angrily.
Seeing Xiaoyu's depressed look, Qin Zhao shook his head and said, "I told you to stay at home."
If you stay at home, the little monster can transform into a human form and come out to steal food. It’s not the first time that the little monster has done this.
Of course Jing Li refused.
Nothing good ever happens when he stays at home. What if the cat comes back to him
"Are you talking to me?" Chen Yan'an asked, turning around.
"..." Qin Zhao was silent for a moment, then said, "Nothing, I just wanted to ask what happened? When I gave her acupuncture two days ago, she was clearly awake."
After taking Mrs. Chen's pulse, Qin Zhao went to Chen's house and gave her acupuncture for three consecutive days.
On the third day, Old Mrs. Chen was already conscious and could move half of her body slightly.
How come it suddenly stopped working again
"I don't know what happened. Last night, my grandma got out of bed and took a few steps. She looked like she was almost well." Chen Yan'an said as he walked quickly, "But she didn't get out of bed this morning. We thought she was still asleep and didn't dare to disturb her."
"When there was still no movement at this hour, my mother went in to check and found that the person was already unable to move!"
Qin Zhao frowned slightly, as if thinking about something.
They soon arrived at Chen's house. Just as Chen Yan'an was about to lead Qin Zhao in, a figure blocked the door.
He is the third son of the Chen family.
His physique was similar to Qin Zhao's, but he was strong due to years of work. He stood outside the door, blocking the way in completely.
Chen Yanan: "Uncle San, what are you doing?"
"Shut up." Chen Laosan shouted to Qin Zhao, "What are you doing here today?"
Qin Zhao said calmly: "Of course it's to save people."
"Save people? I think you are harming people." Chen Laosan sneered, "Last time, after you cured my mother's illness, her condition became worse and worse. Speaking of which, you made a bet with my sister-in-law last time that if you didn't save her within three days, you would get out of Linxi Village. Why don't you get out?"
Chen Yanan stopped him: "Third Uncle..."
"Saving people is the most important thing. We can talk about the rest later." Qin Zhao said, "Old Madam Chen is unconscious and in critical condition. Please get out of the way."
"you-"
"Third brother!" A voice came, and Mrs. Chen walked out of the yard quickly, "I asked Xiao An to find Qin Zhao. Get out of the way."
"Sister-in-law, but he clearly-"
Mrs. Chen interrupted him: "Will you let me go?"
Seeing that she was so determined, Chen Laosan didn't dare to say anything more and stepped aside to let Qin Zhao enter the yard.
They entered the main house and saw the whole family gathered in the outer room, arguing noisily about something.
“… How can you say that? Do you still have a conscience?”
"How can I be so heartless? I have been lying in bed for so long. Even if I am cured, will I be able to get out of bed in the future? You are the ones who are suffering by keeping me alive with medicine like this!"
"Actually, I think so too. It would be better to be freed sooner rather than later."
"Heh, you want to be freed sooner so that you can divide the family property, right?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Mrs. Chen said angrily, "Mom is still lying in there, is it appropriate for you to say this here?"
After she yelled at them, everyone in the room fell silent.
Jing Li poked his head out from above the fish basket, looked around, and then retracted his head.
If you put yourself in their shoes, these people have their own ideas and difficulties, and they are not completely wrong. But this idea... is really too cold.
How sad the old lady would be if she heard it.
Qin Zhao's expression did not change. He bowed slightly to the people in the room and said, "Please wait outside."
There seemed to be someone in the room who was not very happy. After being glared at by Mrs. Chen, he said nothing and walked out of the room in shame.
Mrs. Chen led Qin Zhao into the inner room, where a younger man and woman were standing by the bed.
"Fourth brother, take your wife out first." Mrs. Chen called out.
The man looked a bit like Chen Laosan, but he was not as tall. The woman next to him was even more delicate and looked up when she heard him: "Sister-in-law, who is this man?"
"It's Mr. Qin. You went back to your mother's house a few days ago, so you didn't see him. He was the one who treated the old lady before." Mrs. Chen said, "You two should go out first and let Mr. Qin take a look at mother."
The woman looked a little hesitant: "How about I stay here, in case I need any help..."
"No need." Qin Zhao said calmly, "Just go out and wait for me."
"But… "
The woman wanted to say something else, but her husband pulled her out of the house.
Mrs. Chen said, "I'm going out too. I'll be waiting outside the door. Just tell me if you need anything."
Qin Zhao thought for a moment and said, "There is indeed a favor I need your help with."
"…Are the drug residues from the past few days still there?"
The door was closed, and the old lady on the bed had a pale face and looked even worse than when she had seen her a few days ago.
Qin Zhao placed the fish basket on the small table beside the bed and sat beside the bed to feel her pulse.
The little koi poked its head out of the fish basket, its tail swaying gently and unconsciously behind it.
As soon as Qin Zhao mentioned the medicinal residue, he guessed the reason.
Someone must have tampered with the medicine.
He bet on a meal of braised pork.
Qin Zhao stayed in the house from noon to afternoon.
As the sun was about to set, the door of the main house was opened.
Qin Zhao didn't look very well, and his lips were slightly pale. When he walked out of the room, Mrs. Chen immediately came to him and asked, "What, what happened?"
Qin Zhao did not answer, but asked: "Where are the medicine residues?"
"Here!" Chen Yan'an came up with a bamboo basket full of medicinal residue. "The ones from the past few days have all fallen out. This is what's left from yesterday and today."
Qin Zhao searched among the medicine residue for a while and asked, "Who got this medicine?"
"I." Chen Laosan stepped forward, noticed Qin Zhao's expression was not right, and said, "Don't slander me, I just followed the prescription you gave me!"
Qin Zhao: "But the prescription I gave you does not include Chuanxiong."
"Chuan...Chuan what?" Chen Laosan didn't hear clearly, but realized something and argued loudly, "I don't know what you are talking about. I just prescribed the medicine according to your prescription!"
Qin Zhao explained: "Chuanxiong has the effect of promoting qi and relieving depression, promoting blood circulation and relieving pain. It is indeed suitable for Mrs. Chen. However, this medicine is extremely strong and is not suitable for patients with long-term illnesses and spleen and kidney yin deficiency."
"Besides, there is too much Chuanxiong in the medicine residue."
Mrs. Chen said: "So, my mother is really because..."
Qin Zhao nodded.
Mrs. Chen shouted angrily: "Chen Laosan, what on earth is going on?!"
"I don't know, I really don't know!" Chen Laosan said, "The medicine these days was made by Lao Si's wife. Why don't you ask her? Her brother is still an apprentice in the town's medical clinic!"
Everyone started to make a fuss and went to question the fourth son's wife. The weak woman was surrounded by people and didn't say a word. She started crying first.
Qin Zhao looked at all this indifferently and shook his head.
The answer is self-evident.
The sky gradually darkened. In the main house, Chen Yanan wiped the face of the old woman on the bed and asked, "Can my grandma wake up?"
Qin Zhao sat back on the chair next to him and pressed his brow tiredly: "She is suffering from the strong nature of the medicine, which has aggravated her blood stasis. I have already used acupuncture to clear her meridians. As long as she wakes up smoothly, she will be fine. But whether she can wake up depends on luck."
Chen Yanan threw the handkerchief into the basin and rubbed his face: "My fourth aunt wants to divide the family."
Qin Zhao: "I know."
"It's not just her. Everyone wants to split up the family." Chen Yan'an said, "My mother, my third uncle, and my fourth aunt, everyone has long wanted to stay together, and they don't want to spend their energy to take care of my grandma."
The elders of the Chen family were still arguing about tampering with the medicine, so they had no choice but to let the younger Chen Yanan take care of the patient.
Qin Zhao said: "But you don't want to?"
"I... I don't want to." Chen Yan'an said in a low voice, "I just don't want my grandma to get hurt at the cost of this."
Qin Zhao patted Chen Yan'an's shoulder, and the latter buried his head in his hands. After a while, Chen Yan'an's suppressed crying was heard.
"My...my grandma is very nice to me."
The little fat boy's shoulders were shaking from crying, and he looked a little funny.
Jing Li's fish basket was still on the small table next to the bed. As long as he propped himself up, he could see the old man lying on the bed.
The old man had gray hair and his breathing was steady, as if he was asleep.
This old woman has a very kind heart. If she had not saved the seriously ill Qin Zhao and rented the empty house in her home to him, Qin Zhao would not know what would happen to him now.
Good people should be rewarded.
Jing Li thought to himself.
Not far away, the little fat boy was still sobbing and saying, "… If grandma can wake up, I will study hard, pass the exam, and never cause trouble for her and my mother again."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man on the bed coughed lightly.
Jing Li: “…”
So amazing
He wagged his tail and looked back at Qin Zhao.
Qin Zhao naturally noticed it, retracted his gaze, and said to Chen Yanan: "Did you really mean what you said just now?"
Chen Yanan: "Why would I lie to you at this time, but... but..."
"Your grandma is awake."
"Don't lie to me, how can you-"
Chen Yanan's voice paused.
He raised his head and the old man on the bed coughed softly again, and the hand hanging by his side moved.
Chen Yanan: “… … …”
The old lady of the Chen family woke up and soon became a mess again. Only Qin Zhao looked at the little koi in the fish basket thoughtfully.
When Qin Zhao brought the little koi back home, it was already dark.
He put the little koi back into the barrel, then heated up the braised pork and steamed buns from the morning and brought them to the table.
"Get up and eat." Qin Zhao knocked on the edge of the wooden barrel.
The little koi's movements seemed to be much slower than usual. It took it a long while to wag its tail and swim up dazedly, even almost bumping its head against the wall of the barrel.
Qin Zhao quickly stretched out his hand to block him, preventing the little koi from hitting its head.
"What's wrong?" Qin Zhao poked the little koi, "Are you sleepy?"
No... Not sleepy...
If Jing Li was in human form now, Qin Zhao would be able to see that his eyelids were drooping so much that he couldn't lift them.
For some reason, after leaving Chen's house, he felt extremely sleepy and just wanted to have a good sleep.
I was in good spirits at the beginning.
The little koi tried hard to stay awake, and its fins managed to sway at its side.
No, he couldn't sleep yet... He had been thinking about the braised pork all day, but he hadn't even had a bite...
Qin Zhao also noticed that he was not in good spirits, and said, "Go to sleep first, and eat tomorrow."
"No..." Jing Li said stubbornly, "I want to eat meat..."
Jing Li was so sleepy that he was unconscious and didn't notice that what he just said was human language.
The clear and soft voice of the boy startled Qin Zhao for a moment. He spoke with a somewhat dry voice: "...Xiao Yu?"
But the little koi didn't respond to him.
Qin Zhao stretched out his finger and touched his head. The little koi floated down to the bottom of the water and stopped moving. Only the gills on both sides fluttered gently with its breathing.
… fell asleep