As the winter was approaching, the cold was brought in by wind. Leaves of the laurel tree in the courtyard swirled around. Under the tree stood numbly a woman.
With a squeal, the outer door was pushed open, and a boy about ten years old came in. At the sight of the woman under the tree, he gently called, "Madam…madam?"
When Mo Qianxue returned to ground earth, she found Shuanzi standing before her.
No matter how sad and depressed she was, she wouldn't turn a cold shoulder to a child. Mo Qianxue forced a smile, asking, "Why are you here Shuanzi?"
"Madam, I knocked the door for a long time but there was no answer, so I came in."
Shuanzi explained. But seeing the tea leaves and tea stain all over Mo Qianxue as well as her smile uglier than crying, he asked out of confusion, "Madam what happened to you?"
"Nothing. I just broke a teacup by accident. Does your mom send you here? What can I help you?" Mo Qianxue understated with one simple answer and started another subject.
Shuanzi saw her calm face already absent of the numbness and sadness, so his doubts disappeared, and he replied, "Mr. Ning didn't show up at school, so I decided on my own to visit him. Is he well?"
Shuanzi's words surprised Mo Qianxue and her heart plunged at the moment.
At this time, Ning Shaoqing should be at school rather than lying at home!
A responsible person like he wouldn't neglect his duties without rightful explanation.
He was also a man of etiquette and cultivation who wouldn't knock over tables and bowls, neither would he easily spit out insulting words against anyone…
There must be something when things went abnormal!
Suddenly she rose to her feet and rushed in the door.
It was she that had been careless! She hadn't had tea for so long that the smell of it made her brain rusted.
Upon entering the room, she saw Ning Shaoqing lying on the bed on his stomach and the quilt was put next to him.
Her heart plummeted again!
Ning Shaoqing had always been a symbol of elegance. Be it eating or sleeping, his manner was always as graceful as soft spring breeze.
At this moment, Mo Qianxue had no time to care about manners and the so-called rules and sprinted over, calling, "Sir, what's the matter with you?"
Her shout was so loud and anxious, but Ning Shaoqing didn't move a bit. At this time, there seemed to be a titanic stone pressing on Mo Qianxue's heart. She held out a trembling hand.
Cold! Heart-penetrating cold!
A shocking second later, Mo Qianxue immediately shouted continuously to outside, "Shuanzi…Shuanzi…hurry…come in…"
"Madam, what's wrong with Mr. Ning?" Hearing the heartbreaking scream, Shuanzi sprang inside the room.
"Shuanzi, hurry, get your mom here!"
"Yes!"
Although Shuanzi didn't know the exact situation, he could sense the crisis in Mo Qianxue's voice. He responded her and quickly ran out for home.
After a while, sister Fang came.
Another while later, the elders showed up too.
And then, the witch from the neighboring village was here too.
"Sister Fang, isn't there a doctor in our village?"
After the village head and elders left, Mo Qianxue's eyebrows furrowed to be able to catch a mosquito when she saw the chanting and dancing witch in the inner room.
She was no fool. The village head's expression and the elders' whispering to one another made her realize how serious the disease was. She didn't buy a single word of them, that the witch could summon back Ning's soul and wake him up, to comfort her before they left.
"A subscription requires knowing characters. There isn't one person like that here." Seeing Mo Qianxue's expression, sister Fang tried to comfort her, "Relax, sister. The witch is real! When someone has a fever or headache, they get well just after drinking some of the talisman water she gives."
Ignorant!
Headache and fever were syndromes of cold. Only plain water could cure cold.
Mo Qianxue despised that to herself, but she didn't want to waste time in arguing with sister Fang, "If I want to find a doctor, should I go to Tianxiang city?"
"Of course. But the doctors in Tianxiang city don't visit patients at night." Sister Fang thought for a while, "But I heard there is a great doctor at the village of Li clan, a dozen miles away from here. Sometimes even people from downtown turn to him for medicines. It's just…he charges very high…"
"Sister, please let brother Fang go to the village of Li clan for me."
In the winter, it got dark earlier, so the work at dock should be finished and brother Fang was supposed to be back at home.
"Sister, is this good…?"
While asking, sister Fang gestured with her eyes looking to inside the inner room. It meant that if they went to find a doctor, the witch would feel offended.
"Don't worry sister Fang. Just let brother Fang go. Could I harm my own husband?" She wouldn't put the life of Ning Shaoqing to a witch liar! Mo Qianxue stopped crying and collected herself. Without sorrow and fluster, her expression now looked freezing.
"Sister, it's very expensive to send for a doctor…"
Mo Qianxue's expression got colder. No wonder when the elders were here, and when she suggested to find a doctor, elder Wanger scolded her as an ignorant woman!
The village head also hesitated without saying a word while the other elders just glanced at one another.
It turned out that they were afraid to spend money. They were afraid that the clan property might be touched.
"Don't worry about money, sister…" Mo Qianxue fought back her emotion and took out some silver to stuff into sister Fang's hands.
Sister Fang shook her head again and again, "I don't mean this; you keep the money…"
Sister Fang pushed to put the silver back into Mo Qianxue's sleeve. Thinking for a while about the pitiful gaze of the village head, elders and the witch at Mo Qianxue after they had discussed and shaken their head, sister Fang turned to leave.
"Sister please be fast; I think it'd better to go on an ox carriage…"
"You just stay here and take care of Mr. Ning. I'll handle other things. Don't worry, before the nightfall, I'm sure to get you a doctor here."
As soon as sister Fang left, Mo Qianxue got in with a cold face, shouting at the witch who was still pretending to dance and chant something, "Get out!"
The witch wearing a ghost mask was just in high spirits. The freezing growl made her hands suddenly pause in midair in a funny gesture. However, at this moment Mo Qianxue didn't have the mood to appreciate or laugh.
"What did you say?"
Mo Qianxue stepped forward to glare at the witch, saying word by word, "I said, get out!"
"What? Disrespect for heaven will be punished, you…"
When the witch still muttered, Mo Qianxue already sat on the bed side and looked intently at Ning Shaoqing. Without looking up, she said once again, "Get out."
The witch glanced at her, huffing with anger, thinking to herself: anyway she had gotten the money. Now she didn't have to work any longer and shook off the responsibility, why just did as Mo said. She was old already. To dance for a whole night was really tiring.
Taking a glance at Mo Qianxue who was in horrible anger, the witch collected her staff and fled with a sneer. Before leaving, she also made her plan. As soon as Mo's husband died, she would give Mo a title of unlucky fate that could kill husband and relatives. A person should stay alone for her whole life! Have a taste of a witch's trick!
*
At the house of the village head.
Elder Wanger said, "Head, I think Mr. Ning can't survive this time."
Village head remained silent for a while and sighed, "Just try out best while depending on heaven! A lucky person will be blessed by heaven. I hope Mr. Ning is able to go through this…"
Elder Fang said, "I'm afraid he can't. He's already dying. The money on the witch is wasted. Earlier, we have given him much tuition fee…"
Elder Li add, "What a fucking waste of my corn powder. But I heard that Mrs. Ning is able to cook a kind of food, tasty and fresh. It must sell well downtown. Maybe we can make a fortune out of it. It'll be even better if our wives could make it. Before selling her out, we must try to get the recipe…"
Elder Gao said, "Living here as a new-comer is not easy. We should have some conscience. Let's just wait."
Elder Li and elder Fang sprang up instantly on hearing elder Gao's words. Elder Li responded, "Who doesn't have conscience? Gao, make it clear, who? Their lives were saved by us…"
Elder Fang, "Gao, I think you're…"
They were about to fight. Elder Wanger pretended not seeing that while the village head pulled a long face and stood up, "Alright! It's late now. You should have a rest. As for Mr. Ning, let's discuss tomorrow."