Seeing Dr. Wang take the initiative to come for his wife’s follow-up consultation, Lin Dalang was deeply grateful: “Dr. Wang, I appreciate your trouble. My wife isn’t at home right now—my sister-in-law took her directly to our aunt’s house yesterday. I’ll go fetch her for the examination. Please wait a moment, Dr. Wang.” With that, he turned to leave.
“Wait a moment,” Dr. Wang called out just as Dalang took a step. “I’d better go with you. Your wife shouldn’t be moved around; she needs rest. Otherwise, her condition might worsen.”
“Oh, how could this be?” Dalang turned back, his face filled with worry and urgency. “She only said she was tired from work and needed some rest. How could it be this serious?”
Dr. Wang sighed. “Your wife said that to spare you worry. In truth, she’s suffering from emotional stagnation, which has already affected her spirit. Without proper care, it could become life-threatening.”
As Dalang spoke, his peripheral gaze occasionally flickered to his mother’s reaction. Not only was there no trace of concern on her face, but she even looked impatient. When Dr. Wang mentioned the life-threatening nature of his wife’s illness, a glimmer of expectation flashed in her eyes. Dalang’s heart turned cold. The faint guilt he had been harboring vanished instantly, replaced by resentment. Having spent years in the business world, Dalang didn’t let his anger show. Instead, he asked Dr. Wang with a solemn expression, “If it’s this serious, what should we do?”
Dr. Wang replied, “There’s no other way. Emotional ailments require emotional remedies. She needs proper rest and gradual recovery—it can’t be rushed. As her closest companion, Dalang, it’s best if you stay by her side. That will speed up her recovery. This illness is most sensitive to relapses, so you must be patient and ensure she recovers fully in one go.”
“Understood. I’ll follow your instructions carefully. Thank you, Doctor.” Dalang bowed deeply to Dr. Wang while holding Lin Fang. His bow was sincere. Hearing similar advice from his aunt, he realized that while the illness might not seem severe at first glance, relapses could lead to unpredictable consequences.
Lin Fang had listened to the entire private conversation between Dalang and Dr. Wang. The moment Dr. Wang entered, she knew the show was about to begin. Her big eyes had been fixed on her father’s face. At first, she found his exaggerated expressions amusing and mentally categorized him as a schemer. But now, seeing him bow so earnestly to Dr. Wang, she felt the weight in his heart. Though she had been sheltered by her parents and elder brother in her past life due to her fragile health, making her naive and inexperienced, she was still an adult at heart. The realization of how severely her mother’s health had deteriorated shocked her. She silently vowed not to repeat her past life’s mistakes of reckless behavior that had broken her mother’s heart. In this life, she would be filial to her mother.
This conversation provided ample justification for Dalang and Li Cuimei to stay in the rear courtyard. Moreover, the timing of their return would be decided by Dr. Wang. Though Dong Shi gritted her teeth in frustration, she dared not speak up again. That day, Lin Boshi had scolded her harshly for her careless words. Though not particularly bright, she understood the gravity of the situation.
After handling these matters, Dalang, who had ridden back overnight, finally relaxed and felt exhaustion wash over him. He slept through the entire afternoon in the rear courtyard before regaining his energy.
The layout of the rear courtyard mirrored the front: five main rooms. The three larger eastern rooms served as Lin Zhongsi and Tong Shi’s bedroom, while the two smaller western rooms were Lin Meng’s bedroom and study. The eastern side room was unoccupied but fully furnished with bedding and furniture, reserved for Dalang and his wife. The side rooms stored grain, farming tools, and other household items. Lin Erlang and his wife lived in the western side room with Lin Xia, while the adjacent side room housed Lin Juan. The other side room served as Erlang’s small blacksmith workshop. Behind the side rooms were smaller courtyards—one for the kitchen and another for livestock, though there were no pigs or chickens, only a cow and a flock of sheep that Tong Shi tended to when she had free time.
The second branch of the family kept only a dozen or so acres of land for themselves, leasing out the rest. Li Cuihong primarily worked these fields, with occasional help from Erlang and Tong Shi. However, the family didn’t rely on the harvest for income—the land was more for Cuihong to pass the time. With a small household, the rent alone was enough to sustain them. Other expenses were handled by Erlang and Tong Shi. Erlang was passionate about blacksmithing, finding joy in shaping iron into various tools. When in good spirits, Tong Shi would treat gynecological ailments, sometimes traveling far and staying away for days or even months. When Dr. Wang was unavailable, she also handled external injuries like bruises and sprains.
That evening, Dalang discussed opening his own shop with his father. As expected, Lin Boshi objected, citing the need to arrange marriages for the sixth son and prepare dowries for Cuiping and Cuie. He argued that the family couldn’t spare the capital and urged Dalang to focus on his current job, which brought in dozens of taels monthly. Dalang explained that his aunt would provide the funds, and he’d only contribute labor for a wage. After some thought, Boshi agreed, reasoning that his brother’s wife’s money might as well be used—after all, their parents had favored the second branch with undisclosed savings. He even advised Dalang not to be too scrupulous and take as much as he could.
Recalling Dong Shi’s retelling of Dr. Wang’s words earlier, Boshi couldn’t resist adding, “With your wife ill, I’m the only one managing everything at home. It’s too much. Why not have Wen attend school only half-days and help at home the rest of the time?”
Dalang’s heart turned cold. He replied sternly, “I hand over most of my monthly wages to you, Father, aside from essential expenses. The sixth son also contributes five taels monthly. The family isn’t so poor that we can’t afford Wen’s tuition. Why must we cut into his study time?”
Seeing his usually mild-mannered eldest son defy him, Boshi scowled. “There’s no such thing as a free ride in this world.”
“Is that so?” Dalang, no longer angry, retorted, “If that’s the case, then as an elder, the tenth son should set an example for his nephew and also attend school half-days, shouldn’t he?”
Boshi argued, “How can you compare the two? The tenth son is the only scholar among your brothers, destined to bring glory to our family through the imperial exams. How can we disrupt his studies?”
“Hmph.” Dalang was truly furious now, abandoning filial decorum. “Do you really think I’m unaware of what happens at home while I’m away? These past years, whenever I returned, I left some silver or bought fabric and jewelry for Cuimei. But the moment I left, Mother and Cuiping would take most of it. By family background, Cuimei is a general’s sister. By wealth, her family is well-off, and her dowry was substantial. My in-laws have frequently sent gifts to our family. For years, not just Cuimei but even the three children have been supported by the Li family. What right does the Lin family have to burden Cuimei further? She’s been virtuous and uncomplaining, even working daily. Now that she’s ill, instead of showing concern, you want Wen to replace her labor? Don’t you think that’s too much, Father?”
These were truths everyone knew but never voiced openly. Hearing his son speak so bluntly, Boshi flushed with shame and rage. “You beast! How dare you speak to your father like this!”
Dalang laughed coldly. “Choose your words carefully, Father. After all, I am your son.” With that, he turned and left.
At the door, Dalang paused and added, “By the way, Father, I ran into the teacher today. He told me the tenth son injured Li Jia Mingxiao. Last month, you said you urgently needed money, so I advanced this month’s wages to you. I have nothing left to cover Mingxiao’s medical expenses. You’ll have to handle it yourself.”
Ignoring his father’s furious shouts and the tenth son’s wails, Dalang returned to the rear courtyard with a cold smile.
Regardless of who Li Jia Mingxiao was, the next day, his mother arrived at the Lin household with a crowd of men and women, wailing and causing chaos. By the time they left, the courtyard and Boshi’s room were in shambles—clear proof that this was not someone to be trifled with.
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