Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 632 - 588 Mu Yuanxiu’s Theory of Succession (1)
Speaking of it, Song Baoshun is only fourteen this year, at the age of youthful impulsiveness.
His dear aunt was dismissed; how could he tolerate it?
In his rage, wouldn’t he just go pick a fight?
"Even if you’re angry, you have to endure it!" Baoshun’s mother walked in with tea, glaring at Song Baoshun on the bed.
Song Baoshun shut his mouth, but he was still unconvinced inside, his face puffed up with anger.
"Li San Niang, have some tea." Baoshun’s mother placed the tea bowl on the small table by the bed.
Li Yuzhu thanked her, "I’d better check Baoshun’s injured leg first."
She walked to the bedside and unwrapped the bandage on Song Baoshun’s injured leg.
The misplaced fracture hadn’t been properly adjusted, and with such careless bandaging, even if the leg healed, walking wouldn’t be smooth.
Fortunately, the fracture wasn’t very serious. The two bones in the lower leg, the thicker tibia was intact, and only the thinner fibula was broken, so surgery was not needed.
Li Yuzhu used the equipment in the space to realign the broken bone of Song Baoshun to the correct position.
During the process of setting the bone, Song Baoshun screamed like a slaughtered pig.
Baoshun’s mother, distressed, comforted her son to bear it, not forgetting to scold his aunt Baoshun once more.
Outside the house, Song Chunniang, hearing Song Baoshun’s cries of pain, looked pale with guilt, sitting silently in the chair.
Her three daughters, standing at the door of a wooden house, peeked in cautiously, not daring to come over to the main brick room.
"Alright, don’t move, I’ll re-bandage your leg now." After setting the bone, Li Yuzhu pressed down on Song Baoshun and instructed him not to move, "If you move randomly and the bone gets dislocated again, it will have to be reset like just now."
The pain of setting the bone was excruciating, and Song Baoshun didn’t dare to taste the same ordeal again.
With his face pale, he obediently lay there, "I won’t move, I won’t move."
Li Yuzhu took strips of plaster soaked in the clay basin from the table and re-bandaged Song Baoshun’s leg.
With the leg fracture, there was no need to wrap the foot, so Song Baoshun could still wear shoes and ground himself, but he could only walk on one leg.
Once wrapped, Li Yuzhu said to Baoshun’s mother, "Once this plaster hardens, it becomes solid. There’s no need to worry about bone displacement. You can resume walking on one leg as usual, and it will be fully healed in a little over a month."
Baoshun’s mother breathed a sigh of relief, "That’s good."
Li Yuzhu also inquired about the medication and, seeing nothing wrong with the prescription, gave some additional medicine pills to Song Baoshun, advising him to continue taking the herbs prescribed by Doctor Lu.
She added, they’d come back in ten days to check the situation.
Baoshun’s mother thanked her profusely and, after inquiring about the consultation fee, she went to the door, calling out for Aunt Bao Shun, "Chunniang, come in here."
"I’m here, sister-in-law." Song Chunniang quickly entered the room, "What’s the matter, sister-in-law?"
"Baoshun’s leg has been re-bandaged, plus the medicine cost, it’s a total of one hundred eighty coins. You pay it," Baoshun’s mother said coldly.
Song Chunniang looked embarrassed, "Sister-in-law... I... I have no money. I still owe two hundred coins for Doctor Lu’s consultation fee from yesterday."
Upon hearing she had no money, Baoshun’s mother was so furious her voice rose a few notches.
"You have no money? How do you have the face to stay in my house? You caused my son’s leg to break, didn’t bring a penny, but brought three leeches, get out!" Baoshun’s mother angrily pushed Song Chunniang out of the house.
"Mom, don’t chase Aunt out; she was dismissed and has no money? Mom!" Song Baoshun slammed the bed in anger, trying to get out of bed.
Li Yuzhu held him down, "Song Baoshun, don’t move. Your father will arrange everything."
She was worried that Song Baoshun would get excited and rush out, so she didn’t dare leave, staying by the bed to guard Song Baoshun.
Outside, Baoshun’s mother pushed Song Chunniang out roughly.
Baoshun’s father came storming in, "What’s going on again? Why does this never end?"
"Am I the one who never ends, or is she the one not acting decently?" Baoshun’s mother fumed, "She got Baoshun into trouble and injured, won’t even pay for the consultation fee, yet has the nerve to stay at her parent’s home? If she came alone, fine, but she brought three leeches back!"
"Sister-in-law, I just don’t have money today, but if I have money in the future, I’ll definitely pay back." Song Chunniang looked down.
"In the future? When exactly? Next month? Next year? Ten years later?" Baoshun’s mother sneered, "Cut it out. If you’re planning to hole up here, just say it. No need to pretty it up."
"How much is the consultation fee?" the village chief asked.
"Two hundred coins for Doctor Lu and one hundred eighty coins for Li San Niang," Baoshun’s mother replied coldly.
The village chief took out a string of coins from his pocket and handed it to Song Chunniang, "Here’s five hundred coins, pay off the consultation fees, and keep the extra for expenses."
Song Chunniang looked shocked, "Brother Laixi..."
"Just pay me back when you have the money." The village chief waved generously.
Song Chunniang, moved to tears, said, "I will definitely pay it back."
She took the money and went into Song Baoshun’s room.
Baoshun’s parents looked at each other awkwardly and turned their gaze together to the village chief.
Baoshun’s father continuously expressed his gratitude.
The village chief waved his hand, "We’re all from the same clan, let’s not speak as if we’re from different ones. You better take care of your sister’s matters. A woman with three young children, life isn’t easy for her."
With his hands behind his back, he shook his head and went home.
Seeing the village chief leave, Baoshun’s father wanted to scold his wife. But seeing that Mu Yuanxiu was also sitting in the yard, he held back his words.
Li Yuzhu heard all the noise outside.
When Song Chunniang handed the consultation fee to Li Yuzhu, Li Yuzhu said, "Your days aren’t easy now, pay me back when you have the money."
But Song Chunniang insisted on giving it, "I don’t like to owe money. When you have money, you should pay it back. The village chief is my kin brother, his money can be returned later, but I can’t owe Li San Niang’s hard-earned money."
No matter what, she insisted on giving it.
Li Yuzhu had to accept it.
At this moment, Baoshun said, "Aunt, don’t worry. When my leg heals, I’ll take you to find work."
Song Chunniang gave a bitter smile, "Alright, alright, when your leg heals, I’ve already earned money, and then I’ll buy you a new robe."
After attending to Song Baoshun’s injury, Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu took Baili Rui and left.
Baili Rui, knowing that the injury of Song Baoshun was not caused by him, breathed a sigh of relief and the tension on his face disappeared.
He sat in the mule cart, playing with the wooden toy Li Jing had left in the cart.
Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu sat in the driver’s seat, talking about Song Baoshun’s family affairs.
"Baoshun’s aunt’s husband is really no good, divorcing her for not being able to bear a son," Li Yuzhu said angrily.
"That family has been a single lineage for three generations, and they have quite a bit of land, so they want a son to inherit it," Mu Yuanxiu said.
Li Yuzhu didn’t know how to respond.
In this era, a family without sons would have people pointing fingers at them in the village.
Thinking that she was now married to Mu Yuanxiu and would have children in the future, Li Yuzhu sternly asked Mu Yuanxiu, "Mu Yuanxiu, what if I only have daughters in the future and can’t bear a son? Will you divorce me?"
Mu Yuanxiu turned his head to look at her and said earnestly, "Li Yuzhu, I don’t have lands for a son, only three wooden houses and a vegetable plot, so it’s okay if we only have daughters in the future."
Li Yuzhu continued, "But what if in the future we earn a lot of lands? And build many big houses? What if all the daughters marry off, who will inherit?"
Mu Yuanxiu held back his laughter; she was already worrying so much before they’ve even shared a bed, "Grandchildren inheriting is the same."
Li Yuzhu raised an eyebrow, thinking he had quite a modern perspective, not old-fashioned at all.
"Remember what you said today, don’t look down on the daughters I bear in the future," Li Yuzhu teased him with a glance.
Mu Yuanxiu smiled and said, "I will remember."
Baili Rui poked his little head over, "Aunt Li, Uncle Yuanxiu, I also remember what you said."
Li Yuzhu laughed and patted his head, "Yes, indeed, we have a witness here. Mu Yuanxiu, you can’t go back on your word."
Mu Yuanxiu patted Baili Rui’s head and laughed, "I dare not forget."
They returned to the Li Family School just as classes had let out.
The other children cheered as they walked out of the school and went to the dining hall for lunch.
At the Li Family School, they had also hired a village woman to cook meals.
She came every day to prepare a lunch, wash dishes, and clean the kitchen, earning a thousand coins per month.
Prince Luling sometimes ate with the children, and other times went home to eat with his family.
He walked out of the school just as Li Yuzhu was getting down from the mule cart, and she then lifted Baili Rui out of the cart.
Prince Luling walked over, "Yuzhu, why didn’t Song Baoshun come to school?"
"He really is injured, but it wasn’t Baili Rui who hit him; he got hurt fighting with his uncle," Li Yuzhu said.
Baili Rui looked up at Prince Luling, "Grandpa Li, Baoshun’s aunt was divorced, and Baoshun couldn’t take it and went to fight."
"So that’s how it is," Prince Luling nodded in realization, then shook his head and said, "He’s still just a child, rushing off to fight like that will only suffer losses, too reckless."
Li Yuzhu said, "I told him the same."
Prince Luling said with a deep voice, "When he gets better, I must have a good talk with him. There are plenty of ways to teach someone a lesson, but throwing oneself into a fight at such a young age will not only accomplish nothing but also lead to major setbacks. It’s the least wise approach, mere foolishness."
