The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 24p1

Chapter 24: Follow-up in the City p1

The next day, Lin Shuang and Jiang Huaizhen woke up early.

Old Madam Jiang was already awake. When she learned they were taking her to the city for a follow-up appointment at the clinic, she refused to go. But she knew her granddaughter’s temper. Even if she didn’t want to go, Jiang Huaizhen would carry her to the city if she had to.

So, she could only grumble as she complied and changed her clothes.

The doctor had said she could eat something light before the appointment. Lin Shuang made porridge, and the old woman ate a small bowl. Then the three of them left.

The jiaogulan and fangfeng they had gathered were almost dry, but since they were carrying the old woman today, it was inconvenient to bring anything else. So, Lin Shuang didn’t take them, planning to bring them all to sell in a couple of days when they came to the city again.

They took the small path to the main road. Seeing the ox-carts passing by, the old woman said, “Didn’t you earn money from selling this and that? Why are you so reluctant to take an ox-cart? Do you have to walk to the city on your own two feet?”

She still couldn’t bear to see her granddaughter suffer.

With Jiang Huaizhen’s current status, she avoided interacting with people as much as possible. Besides, a half-hour walk was not that far for her.

Lin Shuang, however, saw through the old woman’s thoughts and smiled. “I have money with me. The carts just now were almost full. We’ll get on the next one that has space.”

Old Madam Jiang snorted.

When an ox-cart came by and the owner saw the three of them standing by the roadside, he called out enthusiastically, “Are you heading to the city?”

Lin Shuang glanced at the cart. “Yes, we are. Could you give us a ride, old man?”

The cart stopped. There were three other people on it: two young men and an old woman. Jiang Huaizhen helped Old Madam Jiang sit down next to the old woman, then sat down beside her, supporting her.

Lin Shuang sat on the side with the two young men, facing Jiang Huaizhen, their knees touching.

The two young men were both about sixteen or seventeen. Seeing the two women get on, they couldn’t help but sneak glances, especially at Jiang Huaizhen. Their intentions were written all over their faces.

Today, Jiang Huaizhen was wearing a blue dress. The white undergarment contrasted with the outer layer, making her look even colder.

Her long, black hair was down, giving her the appearance of a beautiful young woman. No one would have connected her with the executioner who had beheaded five condemned prisoners in a row at the execution grounds a few days ago.

For someone from a village to have such an air, how could it not be captivating? It was no wonder the two young men opposite her were reacting that way.

The old woman next to them smiled at Old Madam Jiang, her tone warm. “Old sister, your two granddaughters are so beautiful. I’m afraid no one in a ten-li radius can compare.”

As the saying goes, you don’t slap a smiling face. And Old Madam Jiang’s harshness was usually reserved for those close to her. With strangers, she knew how to put on a front.

“They’re just two noses and a mouth. Looks can’t be eaten. When they get old, won’t they be as wrinkled as old tree bark, just like us? In the end, it’s being able to manage a household that matters.”

The old woman clearly agreed with her and asked, “How old are they? Are they betrothed?”

In her eyes, both were in their late teens and not dressed as married women, so they were probably not married yet.

Hearing this topic, Old Madam Jiang’s interest was piqued.

She had always been unwilling to accept it. Her granddaughter had become an executioner, and everyone said that executioners could never get married. But she didn’t believe it. How could her beautiful granddaughter not be able to get married? Were all the men in the world cowards, with none having the courage to marry her granddaughter?

Just as she was about to speak, Jiang Huaizhen suddenly grabbed her hand and said to the old woman, “They are already married. There’s no need to inquire further, madam.”

Hearing this, the disappointment in the two young men’s eyes was unconcealed. They lowered their heads and looked at their knees, no longer daring to stare so openly.

The old woman’s mouth immediately fell silent. She said sheepishly, “It’s good to get married early. Have children while you’re young…”

Jiang Huaizhen ignored her and glanced at Lin Shuang opposite her.

Since getting on the cart, Lin Shuang’s eyes had been fixed on Jiang Huaizhen. Seeing her like this in front of strangers, so different from how she was at home, seemed to give her a new kind of beauty.

Seeing the other’s gaze sweep over, the corners of her lips couldn’t help but lift, and she gave her a soft smile.

Jiang Huaizhen’s eyes flickered, and she looked away at the distant scenery.

Old Madam Jiang, having been cut off by her granddaughter, was fuming. She wanted to shake off her hand, but Jiang Huaizhen’s palm was like a root, holding her arm firmly to prevent the shaking of the ox-cart from throwing her from her seat.

The cart entered the city, and the old woman and the two young men got off. Seeing that the old woman had difficulty moving, the cart driver drove the cart to the vicinity of the Everlasting Peace Hall.

The young apprentice at the Everlasting Peace Hall was busy. He looked up and saw them arrive, and quickly greeted them. “Doctor Xue is seeing a patient inside. There’s one person ahead of you, so you’ll have to wait a little while.”

Lin Shuang said, “No hurry. Just call us when it’s our turn.”

She knew of this Doctor Xue from the Everlasting Peace Hall. He was the owner of this clinic. He had hired a shopkeeper to manage the shop and the medicine business, while he himself was in charge of seeing patients.

The last time she had come to sell yams, Doctor Xue had been seeing a patient in the inner room, so Lin Shuang hadn’t been able to see him.

Doctor Xue’s medical skills were well-known within a ten-li radius. When prescribing for the common people, he always prioritized using cheap but equally effective medicinal herbs. For the poor, minor ailments like headaches and fevers could always be relieved in the most affordable way at the Everlasting Peace Apothecary.

However, it was precisely because of this way of practicing medicine that he had offended many local apothecaries.

And in her past life, the Qin family had used the Everlasting Peace Apothecary as an example. Doctor Xue had been framed and fallen into a trap, ultimately losing his shop. He couldn’t stay in Changping County and had to go far away.

As for this life… Lin Shuang didn’t know if it would be the same as her past life. Although she was a reborn person, she only knew the general outcome of the Qin family’s Benevolence Hall framing the Everlasting Peace Apothecary, not the process.

When she had the chance in the future, she would see if she could give him a warning.

After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, it was finally their turn. The two of them helped the old woman to Doctor Xue’s consultation room.

Old Madam Jiang muttered under her breath, “I told you, I’m already halfway in the grave. If it can be treated, treat it. If not, don’t spend the money.”

Doctor Xue had sharp ears. He looked up at them and smiled. “Old lady, don’t be angry. When you’re hungry, you eat. When you’re sick, you do your best to get treated. By living well, you won’t let down your family’s good intentions.”

After taking her pulse and a thorough examination, a trace of relief appeared on his face. “It’s better than I thought. Your pulse is also much more stable. How is your daily diet?”

Jiang Huaizhen, who was standing to the side, said, “I was busy the first few days, so it was two meals a day. These past few days, it’s been three meals a day, mainly porridge, with some pasta. Occasionally, there’s meat. If there’s no meat, we have steamed eggs.”

She used to cook like this before, but she wasn’t a good cook. The old woman would scold her for making pig slop and would often just drink some porridge and not eat anything else. She was always sick and listless, with no energy. But since Lin Shuang had arrived, she had been able to eat half a bowl of porridge at every meal and could even finish a whole steamed bun.

Doctor Xue nodded. “That’s good. When you have time, help her get out of bed and walk around. Don’t stay cooped up in the room all the time.”

Jiang Huaizhen thought for a moment and said, “She gets out of bed to go to the latrine every day. She can walk a hundred or two hundred steps at a time—”

Before she could finish, the old woman interrupted unhappily, “Do you have to say that too?”

Doctor Xue smiled. “It’s good that she can get out of bed and walk. When the sun is good, she can sit outside. But if the wind is strong, forget it. Don’t let her head get cold. The previous prescription was for urgent symptoms. I’ll prescribe a new one now, mainly to cultivate the primordial qi and consolidate the foundation. It will be cheaper.”

After writing the prescription, he added, “Although the condition has eased, the symptoms are stubborn and cannot be cured at the moment. It can only be resolved slowly. If you can afford it, you can use some tonics. If not, it’s alright. The most important thing is to build up her body first. When her body is strong, the illness will go away on its own.”

“When you go back, you must maintain a happy mood. And, in another half a month, it will be winter. You must keep the old lady warm. When the body gets cold, problems tend to arise.”

Jiang Huaizhen said, “We’ve built an earthen kang at home, so we don’t have to worry about that.”

Doctor Xue was a well-traveled man. Hearing her mention the earthen kang, his eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, “Is it the kind from the north that you can heat from below?”

“Yes.”

“Is it good? If you have time, could you come and help me build one at my house?” Doctor Xue said with great interest. “Of course, I will pay you.”

He also had a seventy-year-old mother at home who was very afraid of the cold. If he had a heated kang, she would be more comfortable in the winter.

Jiang Huaizhen hesitated.

Lin Shuang, who was next to her, smiled and took over the conversation. “Doctor Xue, you know what kind of profession our Huaizhen is in. Others avoid the baleful aura on us like the plague. Don’t you mind?”

Hearing this, Doctor Xue laughed heartily. “I am a doctor. If I believed in evil spirits, how could I diagnose and treat patients? I might as well just pray to the gods and buddhas.”

Hearing this, Old Madam Jiang’s originally drooping eyebrows lifted again. She said to Jiang Huaizhen, “If the doctor thinks that earthen kang is good, then you two girls should go and help him build one.”

She had completely forgotten her own disgust when they were building the kang yesterday.

Jiang Huaizhen turned to look at Lin Shuang. After all, she was the one who had taught her how to build the heated kang. If she didn’t agree, she couldn’t make the decision on her own.

Lin Shuang smiled. “A heated kang is not a big deal. The kang at home will be ready to use in a few days. You and your family can come and see it first before you decide whether to build one.”

Doctor Xue readily agreed and called for the young apprentice to get the new prescription.

“I’ll prescribe seven doses first. Come back for a follow-up after you’ve finished them.”

…