[Please be warned. This chapter contains domestic violence.]
Chapter 009: Seeking doctor and medicine
Xue Li is carried back into his room. Until a little before dawn, then he wakes up, only to feel the tremor of pain between his legs. His hatred towards Xia Yue Chu makes his jaws sore, and he plots in his heart how he is going to teach that little slut Xia Yue Chu a lesson.
Xue Liang Ping loops up the cart early morning to go to the city, and he brings back Doctor Tang from the town right before lunch time.
Doctor Tang is an old acquaintance of the Xue family, he has a good heart. He is the only doctor in town who is willing to come out to a remote place like the Seng Head Village for an onsite consultation. So his reputation around the village is well established, back in the days when Xue Liang Ping's parents are sick, they would go to him too.
He is only two years younger than Xue Liang Ping, but probably due to his medicinal knowledge of taking care of himself, he looks just over thirty years old.
Except for when he smiles, the fine lines at the corner of his eyes reveals signs on his original age.
"Doctor Tang, the wind is strong, you go into the house and warm yourself." Xue Liang Ping cannot spare the effort to unloop the animal from the cart, he first invites the guest into the house.
"No issues, my clothes are thick, let's first look at the patient."
Qin Zheng sees that the doctor has arrived, hurries to open the door and lift the portiere out of his way, ushering the person in, rapidly saying "Doctor, my big brother's leg is like this because he fell down a slope previously when he wasn't careful, then he couldn't stand up anymore, on the way back he caught a cold, these few days he has been coughing continuously, in the day it is a little better, but in the night his coughing becomes more serious, please take a look at him quickly."
"Don't rush don't rush, let me examine his pulse." Doctor Tang takes out a cushion for the wrist from his box and his fingers rest upon Xue Zhuang's wrist.
"When you caught a common cold, it wasn't treated in time, now it has affected your lungs, that's why you have been coughing non-stop."
Doctor Tang says as he changes another hand to continue examining his pulse, his expression turning serious.
"This legs…" Doctor Tang is halfway through his sentence when he holds it back, gesturing Xue Zhuang to lay down on his stomach on the brick bed.
Doctor Tang presses down along his backbone, asking Xue Zhuang if he can feel anything from time to time.
Xue Zhuang cannot hide his disappointment as he keeps shaking his head, he has no conscious towards Doctor Tang's pressing or kneading.
Xue Liang Ping is by the side, perspiring in anxiety, fearing that his son has truly become useless like this, then in the future without a son or half a daughter, how is he going to spend his life.
The frown of Doctor Tang has gotten tighter and tighter, lastly, he takes out his needles bag from his box. Telling Xue Liang Ping "Brother, you have to take his pants off and move his clothes out of the way too, I will try acupuncture on him."
When Xia Yue Chu hears this, she gets up quickly, thinking to withdraw from here.
Who knows that Xue Liang Ping out of his anxiousness, his actions are quicker, pulls down Xue Zhuang's pants in one swoop, uncovering the two segments of blinding white butts and brawny tights.
Xue Zhuang is pressed down, still laying flat on his stomach, unable to stop any of this in time and he is exceedingly embarrassed.
Xia Yue Chu spins around forcefully, staring on the wooden knot of the trunk, yet, still seeing that blinding white before her eyes.
Her actions are exaggerated which attracted Xue Liang Ping's notice, asking curiously "Yue Chu, what happen to you?"
"No, nothing." Xia Yue Chu almost bites off her own tongue. "I just can't bear to see acupuncture with needles and the like, it's frightening."
After acupuncture for about a quarter of an hour, Xue Zhuang still has no reaction.
Doctor Tang pulls out his needles one by one and keeps them into his bag, sighs in respond "Hey brother, your son's situation…"
Xue Liang Ping is so nervous that his heart is about to stop beating, gathering all his attention staring at Doctor Tang's mouth, attentively listening to his every word.
Qin Zheng is also solemn for once, staring intensely at Doctor Tang.
Instead, Xue Zhuang himself is pretty laid back, as if he does not care about his illness at all.
"His waist at the back suffered an old injury, but at that time the treatment and nursing were lacking and up till now he has yet to fully recover. There are blood clots in between his bones which are hindering the healthy blood flow, that's why it leads to his disability to walk and cannot perform sexually. "
"Doctor, then what to do now?" Xue Liang Ping does not quite understand what the doctor is saying, his only concern is whether it can be treated.
"Brother, don't panic, if he can persevere to eat the medicine and go through the acupuncture therapy, blood clots and the others, give it some time, maybe it will slowly be absorbed or be cleansed, then by that time we cannot say for sure that there is a possibility he will get better."
Doctor Tang phrases his words in a reserved manner, there is no promises over anything, it is based on presumption and 'if'.
But Xue Liang Ping upon hearing the words 'get better', immediately he becomes agitated grabbing the doctor by the hand, shaking it in thanks.
Doctor Tang takes out a medical note, lifts his brush and prescribes two sets of medicine, handing it over to Xue Liang Ping.
"One of the prescriptions is for clearing the heat in his lungs, the other is for dissolving bruise and inflammation, eat this for half a month, then do a follow up consultation.
"Yes, yes!" Xue Liang Ping puts the two prescriptions into his pocket carefully like they are treasures.
After Doctor Tang packs up his stuff and exits, Qin Zheng consoles Xue Zhuang in the room "Big Brother, don't be anxious, if it doesn't work well with this doctor, I'll go find another doctor for you, surely you will be able to get better."
Xue Zhuang's expression turns complicated, after some time, he shakes his head "Leave it to the heavens it is!"
Xue Liang Ping follows Doctor Tang into the yard, then gets close to him and ask in a whisper "My son went to the military for so many years, the wife we married for him, they have not yet consummated. You see, can you prescribe any medicine, let him can, can try that?"
"Definitively not!" Doctor Tang rushes to stop him "Diagnosing the illness and saving the person, we cannot just solve the symptoms and ignore the causing problem, like what you are doing is messing him up, it will harm him throughout his entire lifetime!"
Xue Liang Ping does not understand the medical reasonings at all, it is but his own thoughts that he comes up with, seeing how serious Doctor Tang makes it out to be, he quickly assures him that he will not act recklessly.
Madam Sun has been standing at the door of the room in the east wing, seeing that Madam Sheng is not in the yard, she then carefully approaches "Father, last night Ni Er's father was also injured, can we let Doctor Tang take a look too?"
Xue Li hears that from the room, flips the bed desk over to the ground in fury and scolding "You stupid woman, still not coming in, I am fine, nothing wrong at all!"
Madam Sun jumps in fright and hastily waves her hand "He, he says no need, then, then forget it. Shouldn't keep Father from sending Doctor Tang back."
Xue Li is kicked in his family jewels by Xia Yue Chu, he can only stay at home and rest, unable to fool around outside.
Xue Li lays on the brick bed in the room in the East Wing, the more he thinks the angrier he gets, almost snapping his smoking pipe in half, swearing with his fouled mouth "Damn it, that stupid bitch, just you wait, see how I am going teach you a lesson after I get better."
Madam Sun sends Xue Liang Ping and Doctor Tang off, knowing that Xue Li must be fuming again, she quickly brews some hot tea and enters the room. With full intention of appeasing him, she asks him gingerly. "Head of the family, what do you feel like eating for lunch, I will make it for you separately..."
"Scram!" Xue Li overturns the teapot and teacup in one slap, huffing. "You can't tell that I am pissed off right now? You still make fucking tea, are you trying to make me run more trips to the toilet?"
The hot tea splashes entirely on Madam Sun, she cries out her pain in respond.
"You screaming for what? Still dare calling the doctor just now, you don't care about shame but I do!" the more he says the angrier he gets, grabbing Madam Sun by her collar, pressing her down against the side of the brick bed, throwing his fist at Madam Sun's scrawny frame.
"Head of the family, it's my fault, I know I'm wrong, I won't do it next time..." Madam Sun is beaten to tears and sobs, she does not know what she has done wrong, but her experience tells her that apologizing first may lessen her sufferings.
"Father, don't beat mother!" Big Ni Er is in the inner room when she hears the noise and runs out, but she does not dare to come close, she could only stand on the spot and cry.
Second Ni Er only three in age this year, she still stumbles as she walks and she staggers as she comes out from the inner room. The scene before her frightens her, holding onto the corner of her sister's clothes tightly, she too, lets out her voice and cries loudly together.
Xue Li gets even more annoyed, pushing Madam Sun aside, pointing to his two daughters. "Stop making a fucking noise, your father I am still alive, crying like for my wake!"
It is not the first time the children have gotten scolded by him, upon hearing that they quickly swallow back their cries and messily mops the tears on their faces, their eyes full of fear.
Madam Sun does not have the effort to spare any attention to her pain, she crawls up and pushes her daughters out, whispering "Big Ni Er you bring your younger sister to Big Madam's house and play for a while, your father is in pain, you both don't stay in the room and disturb him."
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Translator Notes:
Translated by Yellow. Aug 2022.