Chapter Twenty-Five: In High Spirits

When Xiao Ding and Zhao Lai Xi carried everything from the horse’s back and the donkey cart into the house, the Tian family had yet to recover from their astonishment.

So many things—how much must all this cost! Tian Da Bao, who had lived half his life, had never bought so many things at once.

“Tell me, Lai Xi, are all these things really ours?” Tian Da Bao asked, leaning on his cane, suspecting the goods were for someone else.

“Yes, everything was bought today,” replied Zhao Lai Xi.

“Bought? Where did you get the money?” Tian Da Bao knew that even if they sold the wolf in town, it would fetch no more than five or six taels of silver. That amount could never buy so much.

“Well, it’s like this…” Zhao Lai Xi recounted their trip to town in detail.

Hearing the story, Tian Da Bao stamped his foot repeatedly, muttering, “That fool, that fool! Ah, what a spendthrift!”

Meanwhile, Xiao Ding was carrying the girl in red, along with the quilt beneath her, to the fireside, pondering where she should sleep tonight.

The girl in red had not yet awakened. Er Niu, Xiao Zhu, and Xiao Fu followed closely behind Xiao Ding.

“Who is she?” Er Niu asked.

“I don’t know her either. We met her on the road; she was wounded by bandits, so I brought her back,” Xiao Ding replied.

At that moment, Mrs. Li, Xiao Ya, and Xiao E also noticed the girl lying by the fire and came over. Tian Da Bao watched from the other side, leaning on his cane.

“We should invite Doctor Wu from the village to examine her injured leg,” Mrs. Li suggested, feeling compassion because the girl was about the same age as her second daughter.

Xiao Ding thought for a moment and said, “Good idea. Let Lai Xi go fetch him.” He had no medicine on hand, and while the village physician could not reset the broken bones in the girl’s leg, he could prescribe remedies for bone injuries.

By now, the donkey cart was empty. Zhao Lai Xi had unharnessed the donkey and tied it in the backyard with the little red horse. He gave both animals water from a wooden bucket and fed them dry straw.

Following Mrs. Li’s instructions, Zhao Lai Xi lit a torch and went to fetch the doctor.

Xiao Ding saw his family gathered around him, their eyes wide as if expecting some explanation. Especially Xiao Zhu and Xiao Fu, who gazed at him eagerly.

He understood: since his return, he had been busy, and though the two children were young, they were very sensible and didn’t disturb him.

Seeing everyone watching him, Xiao Ding remembered that he had bought many things for the family today and should distribute them.

He led everyone inside, lit the oil lamp, and briefly recounted their trip to town. Pointing at the pile of goods on the bed, he said, “These quilts and pillows—one for each person. The straw mats can be removed from the beds, or kept under the quilts if preferred.”

He gestured at the stack of clothes. “Everyone gets two sets of clothes and shoes, both inner and outer garments. I bought according to approximate sizes, so they may not fit perfectly—pick what suits you, and if anything doesn’t fit, Er Niu and Xiao E can alter them. I’ve bought plenty of thread, fabric, and cotton. My two sisters and Er Niu, when you have time, please make everyone some properly fitting clothes, including cotton jackets for winter.”

He looked at Xiao Ya, Xiao E, and Er Niu, who all nodded.

Then Xiao Ding pointed to the rice, flour, and meat, continuing, “Each sack of refined rice and flour weighs a hundred pounds. From now on, we can eat freely, and there’s plenty of meat—don’t be frugal. When it’s gone, we’ll buy more. I’ll find ways to earn more money.”

Everyone was stunned—whether with joy or disbelief, it was hard to tell. Their eyes were wide, and Mrs. Li’s eyes were even red-rimmed.

Xiao Ding pointed to the four bath tubs. “One for Father and Xiao Fu; one for Mother, Xiao E, and Xiao Zhu; one for me and Er Niu; one for Xiao Ya and Lai Xi. The donkey cart couldn’t carry more, or else I’d have bought one for each of you. In the future, I’ll build a proper bathhouse, so you won’t have to bathe outdoors in the backyard.”

“Wonderful, Brother Fool, I never expected you to be so thoughtful!” Normally quiet, Xiao E exclaimed in rare praise.

Their family had never used bath tubs for bathing; they usually drew a bucket of cold water in the backyard after dark, ladling it over themselves or wiping down as best they could.

Xiao Ding went on to introduce the other miscellaneous goods—pots, bowls, plates, oil, salt, sauces, and vinegar. At last, he uncovered a wooden bucket draped with cloth, revealing a barrel full of meat buns, at least forty or fifty.

“These buns are cold now. We’ll warm them up for dinner tonight,” Xiao Ding said, knowing that even if the family had already eaten, it was likely only thin porridge—never enough to fill their stomachs.

He noticed Xiao Zhu staring at the meat buns, reluctant to leave. Smiling, he picked her up and said, “Zhu’er, we’ll have meat buns soon. Look what else I bought for you!”

He rummaged through a wooden basin and drew out a cloth bag filled with sugar figurines.

“Ah! Sugar figurines! Thank you, Brother Fool!” Xiao Zhu exclaimed delightedly, accepting the treat. She had waited all afternoon, and when her brother returned, he hadn’t paid her any attention. She feared he’d forgotten to buy them.

Xiao Ding distributed sugar figurines to Xiao Fu, Xiao E, Xiao Ya, and Mrs. Li as well. When he offered one to Tian Da Bao, the old man refused.

“These are for children—not for me!” Tian Da Bao turned away. Though everyone else was cheerful, he could not share their joy. How much had all this cost? According to Lai Xi, they had seventy taels of silver, and now only seventeen remained. The thought pained him deeply.

The family busied themselves with their new possessions, happier than they were during New Year’s celebrations.

Just then, Zhao Lai Xi returned with Doctor Wu. Xiao Ding hurried out to the fireside, followed by Mrs. Li and Er Niu.

In these times, doctors were called “Langzhong.”

Doctor Wu was about fifty or sixty, with a goatee and a lean frame, but his face was ruddy. He took the pulse of the girl in red and examined her injured leg before saying, “Her unconsciousness is no cause for worry, but her leg injury may never heal. The bones in her calf are shattered beyond repair. She will likely walk with a limp for the rest of her life. Such a pity—a beautiful girl!”

He sighed.

“Doctor Wu, is there nothing more you can do?” Mrs. Li asked, sighing as well.

“With such a severe bone injury, I am powerless. Not just me—all the doctors in the land cannot restore shattered bones to their original state,” Doctor Wu said, shaking his head.

“Then please prescribe some medicine for her injury,” Xiao Ding said. He had never expected the doctor to cure her; he simply wanted some remedies.

Doctor Wu prescribed both internal and external medicines, totaling twenty-five copper coins. Xiao Ding handed over all the coins he had scavenged from the bandits—about twenty or thirty in all. Doctor Wu thanked him profusely. The medicines were common herbs for promoting circulation and reducing bruising, which he’d gathered himself in the mountains, hardly worth much.

After sending Doctor Wu away, Xiao Ding asked Er Niu to help prepare the decoction. Then he squatted beside the girl in red, pondering how to heal her leg.

As he was deep in thought, the girl suddenly awoke. She opened her eyes and saw Xiao Ding crouching nearby. Instantly alert, she shouted, “You scoundrel! What are you trying to do?”