Tranquility

When Tangning arrived home, it was already dark.

Tang Yun was boiling water in the kitchen. When he saw Tangning, he hurriedly called him into the kitchen, took his bookcase, poured him a bowl of hot water, and said, "Don't go back to the room, it's full of women and it doesn't smell good. If you're hungry, Are you done? From the looks of it, it may take a long time."

Tangning took a big sip of water. Hearing the yelling and noise in the east room, she didn't feel like eating. She asked anxiously, "What's going on? Isn't the baby born in two months? Is mother alright? Where are dad and elder brother?"

Tang Yun added some firewood to the firepit, and said, "When Mrs. Wen said it was a dystocia in the morning, Dad went to the town to ask for a doctor. The meeting should be here soon. My eldest brother went to the next-door aunt's house to borrow a pot to cook."

Tangning didn't understand, so she interrupted, "You still cook at this time?"

Tang Yun laughed, patted him on the head, and said: "What do you know about your child, and you will have dinner when the eldest brother comes back."

Tangning muttered unconvinced, "Aren't you a kid too, so you're not as old as me."

Tang Yun couldn't hear clearly, so he said to himself, "Looking like this, you still have to toss and burn. There are some steamed buns on the pot. You should fill your stomach first. Big brother has to take care of a lot of people, so you may not be able to take care of it by then." we."

After hearing this, Tangning asked worriedly, "Is mother okay?" Suddenly, she remembered that Niu Niu usually followed her mother, so there should be no one to care about this meeting, and she must be hungry, so she asked, "Where is Niu Niu? Has she eaten yet?"

Tang Yun curled his lips: "Mother doesn't know what's going on, it doesn't look good, we don't care about this matter, Niuniu is guarding in the main room, I called her a few times, and I can't do anything if she doesn't come."

Tangning sighed, "I usually see her unruly and willful appearance, but I didn't expect her to be quite filial. It's not in vain for her to spoil her so much. I'll call her here."

Tang Yun snorted lightly, looked left and right to see if there was no one there, then picked up Tangning who didn't know why, sat by the firepit to watch (kān) catch fire, and whispered, "She did something wrong, she felt uneasy, I heard that she Early this morning, I was arguing to buy a new head flower, but my mother didn't give it to me, so she took the money from her mother's box and ran out to buy it by herself while her mother was feeding the chickens. Didn’t see her? Mother called her to stop her, but she ran out desperately. Mother chased her for a few steps and tripped over something. No, that’s it. In the field, it’s in the yard again, hey, our family is going to be gossiped about again, luckily the three of us brothers weren’t there at that time.”

Tangning suddenly remembered that Zhang Ergou brought back a basket of flowers yesterday. He said that they were made by a girl from Mr. Zheng's family in the town.Mr. Zheng is Tang Yun's owner who sells mountain products. His maid just came back from Beijing and made a lot of fresh tricks. Many girls and daughters-in-law love this. This girl loves beauty, so it's normal to want to buy it.But Tangning still underestimated her love of beauty, or how willful she was, she actually thought of stealing money to buy it.Tangning knew that this little girl's character was wrong, but he was powerless to change it, and didn't want to bother with that. She thought that a six-year-old girl could cause all kinds of troubles, but she didn't expect that this girl could cause big troubles.

Originally, Tangning thought that her stepmother's premature birth was because she always put on powder. Although he knew that it had nothing to do with him, for some reason, he still felt a little guilty after hearing the news.Now, regardless of whether there is a factor of makeup or not, the stepmother's dystocia should be blamed on Niuniu.

As soon as he thought of this, there was a commotion outside. Tang Yun hugged Tang Ning and stood at the kitchen door, only to see Carpenter Tang hurriedly dragging an old doctor into the door, crossing the courtyard, and entering the east room in a blink of an eye.The two looked at each other, turned and went back to the kitchen. After a while, De Zhu's family ran over to ask for hot water. Tang Yun hurriedly filled a basin of hot water. De Zhu's family bumped into Tang Mu as soon as he arrived at the door, and hurriedly ordered Tang Mu to bring the sugar water. The egg was brought over, and as soon as the words fell, the person walked away.

Tangning felt a little uneasy, she crawled back into her second brother's arms and asked, "Is mother's situation very bad?"

Tang Yun didn't answer, he was in a very complicated mood now, he really didn't like his stepmother, but he didn't want anything to happen to his stepmother, but what should he do if his stepmother gave birth to a boy?Tang Yun was a little confused.

After a while, Carpenter Tang came in hurriedly with a medicine bag, and scolded Tang Yun to remove the kettle from the stove. He found a casserole to fill in the water, put the medicine in, and watched the stove to start boiling the medicine.No one in the room spoke anymore, and the woman's groans and groans and the woman's yelling came faintly from the east room, making the kitchen even more silent and depressing.

Tang Yun looked at the fire pond and dialed it from time to time.However, Tang Ning quietly stared at Carpenter Tang. He huddled next to the stove. This posture made the tall and broad man look very cowardly, faintly revealing the exhaustion and fragility of being overwhelmed. Tang Ning thought that this mother is now his third wife. Having sent away two people who were supposed to be with her for the rest of her life, both of them had dystocia, and now the third one is also having a difficult labor. Tangning wondered if she would have the courage to go through such a thing again if it were her.For the first time, he wished his stepmother to be safe from the bottom of his heart. In the past, he didn't want his stepmother to have an accident just out of morality, but this time he prayed for his stepmother's safety as a family member.Because he hopes to have someone to accompany Carpenter Tang to grow old slowly, no matter how little she thinks, no matter how bad she treats him, he will bear it for his father.

Tang Ning had just made up her mind to be filial to Carpenter Tang when she saw Carpenter Tang take out a veil and unfold it layer by layer, revealing a ginseng the size of a thumb.Carpenter Tang was silent for a moment, then quickly threw the ginseng into the casserole with Dongwu's high-pitched scream.Tangning looked at it and felt that his heart was also thrown in. After being in this world for so long, he has fully realized how difficult life is, how valuable money is, and the Tang family can't afford to buy ginseng of this size. Carpenter Tang must have used his mother's relics.Tangning didn't feel sorry for the money, no amount of money was worth mentioning in front of human life, but he really wanted to yell at Carpenter Tang, that's not how ginseng is used, it doesn't matter if you put it in whole, at least you have to cut it. Besides, if you put it all in, it will make up for it.

Tangning had no choice but to speak cautiously, "Father, will putting the whole ginseng in it be too nourishing?"

Carpenter Tang didn't look back, and said sullenly, "The doctor said it's all right."

Tang Ning choked. He really didn't understand Chinese medicine, so she turned around awkwardly. Tang Yun hugged him tightly, put down the fire stick, and rubbed his head. Tang Ning nodded to show that he didn't care.Nestled in his brother's arms, he felt the most protruding and most protruding third rib on his back. He rubbed against it very reassuringly, and then stopped moving. He only watched his brother's black and thin hand stuff a handful of firewood into the fire pit.

The fire in the pond was on and off, like light elves dancing gracefully on the black earth. Tangning followed them with eyes, in a trance, as if she had entered their world.

Tangning was awakened by a desperate and shrill female voice. He opened his eyes in a daze, and heard a lot of joyful voices: "I gave birth, I finally gave birth. It's a boy, congratulations."

Tang Ning hadn't figured out the situation when he heard this sentence. Hearing that he was a boy, he felt mixed feelings. It wasn't that he was petty and couldn't tolerate his stepbrother, it was just that the birth of this brother meant trouble.The stepmother will have more calculations for him, and the father will change some principles for him.

So, how should he treat this half-brother? He knew that his brother was innocent, but he knew very well that he was not even a little bit happy about his brother's birth.For some reason, he thought of his half-brother in his previous life. Did he feel the same way back then?Perhaps the elder brother was in a worse mood because he was the victim.And his current younger brother didn't harm him. His mother entered the door dignifiedly, and he was born dignifiedly. He should be blessed like other babies.

Tang Ning suppressed the discomfort in her heart and got up from the firepit. Tang Yun was no longer here, and he must have gone to work. Tang Mu hadn't slept all night. Hearing the noise of people outside, Tang Ning hesitated. Do you want to go out and see your brother?Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered that he didn't seem to hear the baby's cry just now, could something have happened?So, he didn't care about anything, and hurried out.

At this time, the sky had already turned white. The ancients got up early, so many villagers had already arrived. The house was in a hurry. Tangning, a child, entered the east room and no one noticed.The room was filled with a foul smell. Tangning frowned, covered her nose and looked at a small cloth bag on the kang. Mrs. Tang was sleeping next to her, and the small cloth bag didn't move.Feeling strange, Tangning removed the water basin on the pedals beside the kang, stood up on it, and tried her best to look at the cloth bag with her neck bent. Just as she saw the bright red face, she was pushed off the stool and fell on the ground. on the ground.

Tangning looked up angrily, and saw Niuniu glaring at him fiercely, as if she wanted to grab him.Suddenly there was movement outside, Niu Niu hurriedly turned around and hid in the cabinet, Tangning was not slow to react, looked around and lay down behind the box.

Immediately, Carpenter Tang rang out in a pleading voice, "Doctor Chen, I know it is unlucky to enter the blood room, but human life is at stake. My daughter-in-law has been tossing all day and night, and the child seems to be unable to cry. I'm afraid there is something wrong, ah, bah, doctor, saving a life is better than building a seven-level pagoda..."

"Okay, didn't the old man come in now? The apprentice of the old man got the medicine box, what's the hurry." The old doctor waited all night, and he was not in a good mood.

The old doctor stepped forward to feel the pulse of Mrs. Tang, frowned, and then checked the little baby, and frowned even deeper.Carpenter Tang wanted to speak several times, but he stopped him coldly.After a while, his apprentice came in with a medicine box, and the old doctor gave Mrs. Tang a few needles.He took out a pen and paper, wrote a few prescriptions, and handed them to Carpenter Tang, saying, "This one is for your daughter-in-law, decoct it for three months. This one is for this child, for taking a bath every day. This one is for He took it internally, don't rush to use it, it depends on the situation, if the condition is good, there is no need to use it if you don't have a cough or fever, if it still doesn't work after taking it, then come to the town to find me."

Carpenter Tang asked anxiously, "Doctor, how are my wife and children doing?"

The old doctor frowned, but he didn't care about his rudeness. He stroked his beard and said slowly: "Your daughter-in-law is fine, there should be no signs of bleeding, and she can recover after resting in bed for two months. However, she hurt her body after all. , it will be difficult to conceive in the future.”

After hearing this, Carpenter Tang breathed a sigh of relief, as long as he is fine, he does not lack a son.Then I heard the old doctor say slowly:

"As for this child, hey, he was born with a weak spleen and stomach. He can't eat many things, and his constitution is also weak. He is prone to fever when he catches the cold. However, if he takes care of him carefully, he won't have to worry about taking care of him. It's just that he won't be able to do heavy work in this life. Don't worry too much. , Seven lives and eight don't live, it is a great blessing for him to be able to do this."

Carpenter Tang heard this, and his heart sank to the bottom of the valley, as if he had fallen into a dark world. The doctor coughed several times before calling him back.He looked at the old doctor in a daze, the doctor was impatient, and snorted, his apprentice hurried forward, "This elder brother, he has already seen his illness and prescribed a prescription, the consultation fee..."

Only then did Carpenter Tang suddenly realize that he slapped his head and asked embarrassedly, "I don't know how much?"

The apprentice replied: "Five taels."

Carpenter Tang said in surprise, "It's so expensive."

The apprentice is not happy anymore: "It's not expensive, you have hired the best doctor in the town, my master usually only treats wealthy families, if it wasn't for the fate of your life, you are begging pitifully, and it happens to be nothing important, otherwise Why did the master come to your farmer? Besides, we also sent three days of medicinal materials."

Carpenter Tang hurriedly nodded: "Sure, wait a moment." After saying that, she turned around and searched. Tangning quickly lowered her head, and when she looked up again, she saw Carpenter Tang opening a wooden box. Tangning was very familiar with that wooden box. It was for her mother. Wooden box for jewelry.

He was a little surprised. It wasn't that Carpenter Tang used his mother's belongings. He had already guessed this when he saw the ginseng. To his surprise, Carpenter Tang's expression changed instantly. Dad reacted like this?