A Good Country Wife
Chapter 303 - 297 Can’t Rest Easy_1

Chapter 303: Chapter 297 Can’t Rest Easy_1

Zhao Erhu’s mind was filled with a whirlwind of thoughts, but with his little wife in this state, everything was still uncertain. No amount of worrying was going to help, and no matter what, as long as she woke up healthy and well—even if she remembered the scholar, what of it? She was already his wife, and as long as he treated her doubly well, his little wife wouldn’t bear to leave him.

Then there were the children; his little wife doted on them the most. It would be even better if she could carry a child of their own, but she was still too young, and the doctor had said that it was dangerous for her to have a child now. It would be best to wait a couple more years. Sadly, Zhao Erhu really wanted to have a child with Lin Yue, something to tie his wife to him. At the end of the day, Zhao Erhu was somewhat insecure, feeling that his little wife was too good for a brute like him.

Worried that he would jar Lin Yue, the carriage wasn’t moving fast. Lin Yue was cradled in Zhao Erhu’s arms the whole way, and he didn’t mind the fatigue, only willing to hold her this way to keep her more stable.

Upon arriving at Jimin Hall, Doctor Zheng was astonished to see Lin Yue covered in wounds. How had she gotten like this in such a short time since he last saw her? This couple seemed to be beset by a continuous string of disasters; no sooner had one recovered than the other was injured.

"Quick, follow me to the inner room," Doctor Zheng said, also ordering a young boy to bring his medicine chest along.

For the usual patient injured to this extent, Doctor Zheng would not neglect their care, but since the patient was Lin Yue, he dared not take any chances. He hurriedly arranged for people to enter a private room in the inner quarters, a place normally reserved for the rest of Doctor Jiang when he visited Xin’an City. It was elegant and quiet, rarely used otherwise. Given the emergency and the fact that Doctor Jiang was on good terms with Lin Yue, Doctor Zheng thought it appropriate to use the room, confident that Doctor Jiang would understand and not blame him.

After taking Lin Yue’s pulse, Doctor Zheng’s expression loosened somewhat. Lady Lin’s external injuries seemed severe, but internally they were not too serious. At the very least, he was seventy or eighty percent sure he could cure her. When Lin Yue had tumbled down the slope, she had instinctively used her arms to protect her head, partly hoping to avoid disfigurement, which had lessened the injuries. Moreover, although the slope was steep, apart from some jagged rocks, it was mostly loose soil that also played a part in her injuries not being too severe. This was indeed fortunate.

After taking her pulse, Doctor Zheng examined Lin Yue’s external injuries, checking everything that could be checked. For the less accessible parts, he entrusted this task to Zhao Erhu.

Zhao Erhu already had an idea of Lin Yue’s injuries when he had changed her clothes earlier, but considering the gravity of the situation, he had focused on getting to the city quickly to see the doctor and didn’t dare to move Lin Yue too much. Thus, he had not bandaged her external injuries, only giving cursory treatment to the more serious ones.

Doctor Zheng handed the medicine he had mixed to Zhao Erhu. This ointment was particularly effective for external injuries, and it was even developed from an old prescription that Zhao Erhu had used. When Doctor Zheng had previous;y treated Lin Yue, he found that the medicine Zhao Erhu had used was quite effective, even better than his own concoctions. He had intended to buy the recipe from Zhao Erhu with money, but Erhu, considering that Doctor Zheng had been a great help to the Zhao Family and that it was Zheng who had managed to bring Jiang Ziqi to help them—which was beyond his duty as a doctor—gave Zheng the recipe for free and refused any payment as a way of showing gratitude.

The old prescription had passed through the hands of Doctor Zheng, who improved it, and then Jiang Ziqi added another herb into it, enhancing its effects several times over than before. Not only did it reduce inflammation and relieve pain for external injuries, but it also had the effect of reducing scars. It was considered a miracle medicine, and even Jiang Ziqi praised the drug’s effectiveness.

The important task of applying medicine to Lin Yue naturally fell onto the shoulders of Zhao Erhu. Doctor Zheng had seen that during the time when Lin Yue was sick, Zhao Erhu took care of her personally. After all, they were a husband and wife; there was nothing to avoid in their relationship.

Zhao Erhu shared the same thought; if it had been someone else, he would not be pleased to let others see his wife’s body, not even other women. Previously, he had no choice but to ask Madam Liu to help him change Lin Yue’s clothes. Now that conditions permitted, it was natural for him to do it himself.

"Thank you, Doctor Zheng. I’ll go and clean my wife’s wounds and change the dressing right away. We left in such a hurry that, except for a change of clothes, I didn’t bring anything else with me. I’ll have to trouble Doctor Zheng to prepare the rest for me, and I’ll find a way to properly express my gratitude to Doctor Zheng later." After hearing the diagnosis from Doctor Zheng, Zhao Erhu knew that his wife’s internal injuries were not too severe. Although he still felt heartache for his little wife, the tightness in his heart had finally eased, and his previously stern expression softened a great deal. He was very grateful to Doctor Zheng.

"Brother Zhao, we’re pretty familiar with each other by now, so there’s no need for such formalities. I’ve already had someone prepare the things you need, and they’ll be sent over shortly. Treat this place like your own home and don’t be shy. If you need anything, just instruct the boy, and I’ll go out to prepare medicine for your wife,"

Zhao Erhu expressed his thanks again and escorted Doctor Zheng out the door.

Outside the door, Sister Chunhua and Zhao Dahuo and his wife were all waiting for news about Lin Yue. Since the carriage couldn’t accommodate everyone, only a few of them had come along. The younger ones had stayed in the village after seeing their mother. After Doctor Zheng came out, they all gathered around to inquire about Lin Yue’s condition. Knowing that her internal injuries were not too severe, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Blessed be the Bodhisattva, I knew Yueyue was a good person. She’s sure to be safe and auspicious, nothing bad will happen."

Now that Lin Yue’s condition was confirmed, everyone felt much more at ease. The Zhao Family’s old house was currently managing Zhao Jingen’s funeral rites, so Zhao Erhu couldn’t leave—he had to stay with Lin Yue. Zhao Dahuo and his wife went back first, as they were needed at the old house, where it was a busy time. No matter what, Zhao Dahuo was the eldest son and had duties to attend to. Sister Chunhua didn’t go back immediately; since she didn’t really have anything to do with the Zhao Family’s old house, she had only gone there to help at Zhao Erhu’s request. Now, she naturally stayed to help the couple, ensuring there was someone to back them up should anything happen.

Dalang and his brothers hadn’t been able to go with the carriage because there wasn’t enough space, but seeing their mother in her current condition, they couldn’t stay at ease. The brothers thus decided to take an ox cart to the city to see Lin Yue. On the way, they happened to run into Wu Qiang returning from a delivery. Originally, Zhao Erhu had bought two horses, which meant there were two horse-drawn carriages available. However, one had been used for delivering goods. Now that Wu Qiang was back, the brothers ditched the ox cart in favor of taking the horse-drawn carriage to the city, which was much faster than the ox cart. Perhaps they could catch up with their mother and the others.