Earning money and taking revenge on the Xu family was important, but he had to return home first. His father was gravely injured, and his younger brother had a broken leg. He had to return home immediately for treatment.
His family had not seen him for three months. He wondered how much they missed him.
"Let's go, Shen!" Tian Heng's godson, Thirteenth and Fourteenth, said, "Do you want us to carry you back?"
The two of them would keep an eye on Shen Lang at all times, not giving him a chance to escape.
Shen Lang stretched his body before he continued walking home.
…
The State of Yue was located in the southeast of Great Yan. It was a hilly area. The mountains were not tall, but they were numerous.
Despite the complicated terrain, the roads were well-maintained. Even the roads in the villages were about four meters wide. Moreover, they were smooth enough for three horses to pass side by side. This should be better than ancient China.
When the sun rose, Shen Lang saw many farmers coming out to work. They were dressed like ancient China, but their physiques were slightly better. They were taller and more muscular.
Along the way, almost every village had a sturdy stone fort. There were also militiamen patrolling the fort with sabers at their waists. Some of them even carried bows and arrows. This was surprising. In most of the dynasties in ancient China, bows, arrows, and sabers were contraband. Now, they were openly displayed in the villages. The martial spirit of this world far surpassed that of ancient China.
Shen Lang finally arrived at Maple Leaf Village, where he lived, at noon the next day.
Maple Leaf Village was located in a valley. It had a population of about 600. The village also had a stone fort and more than 20 militiamen. Most of the villagers lived together. There were more than 100 houses on both sides of the river. Shen Lang's house was the only one far away from the village. It stood alone at the mountainside.
Shen Lang's family was from another place. They had only moved to this place about a dozen years ago.
Villages like this were very conservative and xenophobic. On top of that, Shen Lang's parents did not interact with the villagers. Hence, he had not been able to blend in until now.
When he was halfway up the mountain, Shen Lang looked at the mud house before him. This was his home.
It was simply too broken, even more broken than the memories from three months ago.
The yard was originally very flat by his father, but now it was full of weeds. Due to the wind and rain, there were a few holes in the mud walls. The roof didn't even have tiles, it was all thatch.
This kind of poverty was really shocking. They couldn't even shelter themselves from the wind and rain.
Before he reached the door, Shen Lang heard his mother's sobs, his father's violent coughs, and his brother's pained cries.
"Quickly go to the Xu family and bring Dalang home. Bring Dalang home …" Father said in a hoarse voice, coughing as he spoke. This was a lung injury that hadn't healed for a long time. Furthermore, it sounded like he was having difficulty breathing, so it must be a rather serious inflammation or even a hematoma in his lungs.
"Father, I'll bring big brother home tomorrow," said the younger brother.
His mother cried, "Old man, you've been coughing up blood and can't get out of bed. One of Erlang's leg bones was broken. How could he go? I'll go to the Xu family tomorrow. If they don't bring Dalang, I'll bang my head against the Xu family's door and die. "
"My Dalang, he's so honest and kind. I don't know how badly he's been bullied in the Xu Family. My son …" His mother cried as she spoke. "I don't know if he'll be able to eat his fill, or if he'll be warm."
"My son, you've never suffered since you were young. You've never left our side since you were young. I don't know how much suffering you're going through now."
When his brother heard his mother cry, he couldn't take it anymore. "Mother, I'll get a pair of crutches in a while. Tomorrow, I'll go to the Xu family and bring big brother home. At most, I'll risk my life."
Upon hearing this, Shen Lang's body heated up as his heart ached.
He rushed in and knelt in front of his father and mother. He said with a trembling voice, "Father, Mother, I've been unfilial. I'm back."
His parents and brother were stunned at first. Then, they were overjoyed.
Mother rushed up and hugged Shen Lang. She cried loudly, "Dalang, it's really my Dalang. You're back. I thought I'd never see you again. I'm not dreaming, am I?"
His father was so excited that he struggled to get off the bed. He coughed violently, and blood foamed at the corner of his mouth.
His brother sat up abruptly and let out a cry of pain.
Shen Lang said, "It's me. I'm back."
Mother said, "My son, it's good that you're back. We'll never leave again. The Xu family is vicious. Don't go there anymore, okay?"
Shen Lang nodded vigorously. "Yes, I won't go to the Xu family anymore."
"Good, good. That's right. That's right." Mother was so happy that she wiped away her tears.
His father also said happily, "My son is so sensible."
This pair of parents spoiled Shen Lang too much. He just said that he wouldn't go to the Xu family, and they thought that he was sensible.
Shen Lang hurriedly went to help his father up. He focused his spiritual power in his eyes and checked his father's injuries.
Sure enough, it was internal injuries. His lungs and stomach were damaged. There was a lot of congestion in his lungs. There were also cracks in his ribs. After three months of growth, the broken ribs had already healed. However, it was very uneven and there were many osteophytes.
It could be seen how ruthless the Xu family's servants were three months ago. His father's internal injuries were so serious. Fortunately, his brother borrowed ten gold coins to find a doctor to treat his father's internal injuries. Otherwise, Shen Lang would never see his father again.
Ten gold coins to treat an injury was an astronomical figure for an ordinary farmer. But even so, his father's internal injuries were not completely healed. If he couldn't be treated, his father's life would still be in danger.
In almost an instant, Shen Lang had already formulated a treatment plan. He would make a very small incision in his father's lungs and drain the hematoma out. Then, he would use herbs to reduce the inflammation and nourishing medicine to restore his vitality. He would be fully recovered in a few months.
"Father, your son is unfilial. I won't let you two worry anymore." Shen Lang said as he placed his palm on his father's forehead.
He had a fever. It was obvious that there was inflammation. It must be treated immediately. Otherwise, his life would be in danger within a few days.
His father's eyes were fixed on Shen Lang's face. He desperately held back his cough. His eyes were filled with incomparable love.
"Dalang, you've become smarter."
His father, who loved his son as much as his life, was very sharp. He immediately noticed the change in Shen Lang.
His parents doted on Shen Lang very much. However, they were also very clear about their son. He was a … person with low intelligence. Although they were unwilling to admit it, they knew deep in their hearts that the eldest son they doted on was trash. Moreover, his eyes were dull and his expression was dull.
He didn't expect that he would become smarter after coming back this time.
That was enough. His father was very happy. Even if he was still a waste, he looked smart. He might even be able to marry a wife. Even if she was a widow, it didn't matter.
His mother went forward and held Shen Lang's face for a while. Then, she said happily, "That's right, that's right! My family's Dalang has become quick-witted. His eyes are too attractive, too lively. God bless you, God bless you. "
Shen Lang was still thinking about how to explain his change, but there was no need for him to explain at all. His parents loved him so much. After seeing that he had become smarter, they were infinitely happy. There was no need for Shen Lang to explain at all.
"Brother, did the Xu family chase you out?" His younger brother asked.
Shen Lang nodded.
"It's good that you were chased out, it's good that you were chased out!" His mother said, "Mother can't bear for my son to stay in such a cruel family. Although our family is poor, we will be able to provide for you if we work hard. We won't let my Dalang suffer."
This bias was really boundless. From what his mother meant, Shen Lang still didn't need to do any work at home. He only needed to eat plain rice every day.
"You married into the Xu family because you wanted a wife, right? When your father and brother are well, go earn money and marry a wife for my Dalang." His mother said, "What about widow Liu from the village? Although she's older than you by three years, she's beautiful and dotes on you."
It wasn't that his parents were looking down on Shen Lang, but their family's conditions were poor. Shen Lang had a bad reputation and low intelligence. Other than being beautiful, he didn't even have the skills to make a living. It was already good enough that he could marry a widow.
Shen Lang smiled and came to his brother's bed. He lifted his trousers and saw that his calf was bruised and swollen. The right calf bone was broken.
"Brother, I'm fine. I'll be fine after lying down for ten days to half a month. At most, I'll just be crippled. Anyway, I have Big Brother to carry on the family line." Shen Jian said, "And it's good that you're crippled. I'll go to Xuanwu City to make money every day. When I see a carriage, I'll rush under it to extort money."
This was his brother. He treated Shen Lang very well, but he was definitely not reliable.
With his broken leg, if it wasn't treated, he would die even faster.
"When did it happen?" Shen Lang asked.
"The day before yesterday." His brother said, "Because I didn't hear any news about you for almost a month, I went to the Xu family to inquire. In the end, I didn't even get in. When I returned home, I was ambushed and my right leg was broken."
The news of Shen Lang's serious illness had been blocked by the Xu family, so his family didn't know. However, mother and son were connected. His parents didn't hear any news about Shen Lang for a long time, so they were naturally worried. So, they sent their youngest son to inquire.
After leaving the Xu family, his leg was broken. This matter definitely had something to do with the Xu family.
What a vicious family. Shen Lang's handsome face seemed to be covered in frost. The corner of his eyes twitched.
Shen Lang said, "I'll help you treat your broken leg. It'll be very painful. You have to bear with it."
His brother said, "Brother, when did you learn to treat injuries?"
Before, Shen Lang even needed his mother's help to put on clothes. How could he treat a broken leg?
In modern Earth, Shen Lang was treating people every day. Although he couldn't be considered a top doctor, he had a lot of clinical experience.
The illness of his father and brother was nothing in his eyes. Moreover, he had X-ray vision. Even in this alternate world with undeveloped medical conditions, treating the two was a piece of cake.
…