Chapter 55

Chapter 55: Collecting Debts

Li Er Niu and her son heard Tang Ji Zu’s threat and immediately shrank back.

They’d seen what happened to the other villagers—no silver left, nothing in the pot, digging wild greens on the mountainside just to keep their bellies from collapsing. They didn’t want to become the next cautionary tale.

“Apologize,” Tang Ji Zu snapped. “Or do I need to pry your mouths open?”

“My younger brother is still unconscious,” Qin Hui Yin said, her voice cool as winter water. “An apology like this doesn’t sound sincere.”

Tang Ji Zu stiffened. His gaze flicked to Tang Yi Chen, and his tone softened into something almost pleading. “Brother Chen, our two families are still within five degrees of kinship. For the clan’s sake, could you…”

“Uncle,” Tang Yi Chen cut in, steady and unyielding, “the ones who don’t care about clan ties aren’t us. My sister’s right. My younger brother still hasn’t woken up, and my mother isn’t even here. An apology like this isn’t sincere.”

Qin Hui Yin didn’t waste time. She turned toward the old doctor, bowing slightly. “Doctor, it’s so late—we’ve disturbed your rest. Please check them quickly so everyone can go home.”

Her eyes slid to Li Er Niu, then to Tang Bao Yu’s neck. Her tone stayed polite, but her words were sharp as needles. “This auntie is strong and burly. It should mostly be superficial wounds, right? And that Chubby… my brother bit his neck. It looks like a lot of blood, but he’s still full of energy. After my younger brother was beaten like that, he couldn’t have had much strength left. The bite can’t be deep.”

The doctor understood immediately. The little girl wasn’t asking him to lie, but she was making it very clear who deserved sympathy—and who didn’t. More importantly, she didn’t want these shameless people turning around and claiming their injuries were severe, using it to extort the Tang family later.

“I’ll clean the wounds first and examine them properly before I say anything,” the doctor replied, stifling a yawn. Then he looked up. “But ointment for external injuries is expensive—three taels of silver. Do you have the money?”

“Three taels?” Li Er Niu’s face twisted. “You might as well rob us!”

“Oh? You don’t want to pay?” The doctor lifted his chin toward the door. “Fine. Go home. Rinse the wounds with salt water, pour a little liquor over them. They’ll heal on their own in a few days.”

He yawned again, the kind of slow, bored yawn that made it clear he meant every word. “If there’s nothing else, leave. I need sleep.”

“Mother, it hurts…” Tang Bao Yu clutched his neck with trembling fingers. “That madman Tang Yi Xiao bit right through it. There’s so much blood—what if I die?”

Li Er Niu’s expression wavered. Three taels felt like being skinned alive, but Tang Bao Yu was her precious son.

She swallowed, then forced out, “If you only bandage him—and only use the medicine on him—it shouldn’t cost much, right?”

“That would be cheaper,” the doctor said. “Two taels.”

“Just him?” Li Er Niu’s eyes flew wide. “He’s just a child, and it’s only a tiny wound on his neck…”

Tang Ji Zu looked like his teeth were about to crack from grinding them. If Li Er Niu insisted their injuries were serious, he could at least haggle from that angle. But she was so desperate to save silver that she’d just declared, in front of everyone, that Tang Bao Yu’s wound was small. What was he supposed to bargain with now?

Qin Hui Yin didn’t miss the opening. “Uncle, did you hear that? Your son only has a minor injury.” Her gaze stayed fixed on him, calm and merciless. “My younger brother is different. He was beaten badly, and his body can’t take that kind of hit.”

“Yes, yes.” Tang Ji Zu managed a placating smile, as if his cheeks weren’t twitching. “I’ll teach them a lesson when we get home.”

Qin Hui Yin tilted her head slightly. “Uncle isn’t planning to refuse them treatment so their wounds look worse—then use that to smooth everything over, is he?”

Tang Yi Chen raised an eyebrow and shot Qin Hui Yin an amused, sidelong look.

So that was why she’d insisted on coming. Concern for Tang Yi Xiao was only half of it. The other half was making sure no one could twist the situation against them.

“Oh, right,” Qin Hui Yin continued, as if it had just occurred to her. “Uncle, my mother was hurt too. Shouldn’t we buy a bottle of ointment for her to apply?”

“We should, but…” Tang Ji Zu’s smile became strained. “A bottle isn’t cheap. I truly don’t have that much silver.”

“That’s fine.” Qin Hui Yin’s voice turned brisk and practical. “Uncle works in town. You must be someone who earns big money. Write the doctor an IOU, press your fingerprint on it, and list your home address and the address where you work. If a month passes and you still haven’t paid, we’ll go to your door and collect.”

She looked at the doctor. “Doctor, is that acceptable?”

A fat sheep had walked straight into his yard and laid itself on the chopping block. Doctor Shi would be a fool to refuse.

He stroked his beard as if reluctant, sighing like a man burdened by virtue. “Fine. It has to be this way. A healer’s heart is compassionate—I can’t just watch wounds fester.”

Qin Hui Yin nodded, satisfied. Then she pressed on while Tang Ji Zu was still reeling. “Since we’re buying on credit, a little more won’t hurt. Bandage Auntie Li and Tang Bao Yu too. Otherwise, if their wounds worsen, it’ll have nothing to do with our family. Some people’s hearts are black—they might even use it as an excuse to cause trouble for us later.”

She turned to the doctor again, sweet as sugar. “Doctor, while you’re at it, tell us. Are these injuries truly serious?”

“The wounds aren’t serious,” Doctor Shi said, wiping his hands on a cloth, “but if you deliberately don’t treat them—or deliberately let them worsen—that would be easy enough.”

Tang Ji Zu finally swallowed the last of his pride. He only wanted to end this and leave. “Doctor, how about this—you apply the medicine and bandage them, but we won’t buy a bottle to take home. Charge less.”

“Just applying and bandaging?” the doctor asked. “One hundred wen.”

“Fine.” Tang Ji Zu didn’t even blink. “Do it.”

Li Er Niu stared at Doctor Shi’s hands as if she could measure each smear of ointment.

Since she was paying, she wanted him to use as much as possible. But his fingers were steady and stingy. Each time, he dabbed the tiniest amount—barely enough to glisten—and then it was gone.

Still, the medicine worked. As soon as it touched the torn skin, the burning eased.

“Hiss… ah, it hurts…” Li Er Niu hissed through her teeth.

“Son, hold on,” she told Tang Bao Yu, trying to sound firm. “Mother just had medicine put on—it doesn’t hurt. You’re just too nervous.”

“Mother, it hurts!” Tang Bao Yu grabbed his neck and squirmed. “Did you have him use the painless medicine on you and the painful one on me? The two medicines aren’t even the same color!”

“Your mother’s wound is a scratch,” Doctor Shi said smoothly, not even pausing as he wrapped the cloth, “and yours is a bite. How could you use the same medicine? Otherwise, why would yours cost more?”

Qin Hui Yin lowered her head and laughed quietly.

She’d seen it. While Li Er Niu’s eyes were glued to the ointment, Doctor Shi had mixed in a pinch of salt before touching Tang Bao Yu. How could it not hurt?

This doctor was interesting. He loved money, but his sense of justice hadn’t been entirely sold off.

When he finished, he went inside to wash his hands.

Qin Hui Yin immediately said, “I’ll ask the doctor how to use the ointment and what foods she should avoid.”

She followed him into the back kitchen, waited until the door curtain fell, and then lowered her voice. “Uncle, do you have any other medicine? Give me a few more bottles…”

Doctor Shi paused mid-wash and stared at her, his irritation loud even without words.

“Do you think my medicine blows in on the wind?” he finally snapped.

“Of course it doesn’t.” Qin Hui Yin didn’t flinch. She smiled like a little fox. “But we were the ones who brought that fat sheep to your door tonight. You got to slaughter it to your heart’s content. Spare a little pity for us, too.”

“You little girl…” Doctor Shi clicked his tongue, but he didn’t deny it. He jerked his chin toward a shelf. “I have a few bottles left. Come pick. If you see anything you want, I’ll give you some.”