Chapter 45. The Miserable Brother And Sister
The sun gradually inclined to the west, however, East Street was still lively.
Hexi bought many different types of food and ingredients, and even after squeezing all the stuff into fatty Zhu’s storage ring, it was still only half full.
Think of Wet Nurse Chen’s old injury, Hexi went to the most famous medicine branch in Yan Jing city, Sheng De hall. Wet Nurse Chen’s injury had already stagnated for many years, so although she had a medical method to heal her, she still needed supplementary medicine.
Just after turning the corner, Hexi could see the towering righteousness of Sheng De hall’s board. However now, apparently something had happened as in front of Sheng De hall there was a crowd of people creating a racket.
Just when Hexi had approached a few steps, she heard a little girl’s mournful, hoarse weeping, “Doctor, I beg you to do a good deed, please save my older brother, if you can’t save him, my brother will die, wu wu wu…”
The little girl’s crying was too sad and desperate, making Hexi’s heart ineffably moved. Her footsteps that originally wanted to turn and enter Sheng De hall suddenly stopped, dodging slightly, she easily squeezed into the disorderly crowd.
She saw a youth lying down on the cold road with bloodstains on his face, his lips a deathly purple. His entire body was covered with bruises, and at this moment his breathing was severely laboured.
The little girl that was kneeling at the youth’s side was shabbily dressed, her thin body was all skin and bones. Her hands that supported her on the ground showed cracked fingernails filled with blood and pus, just one look at her gave people a feeling of unbearable pain.
However, the little girl seemed unaware of her own pain, only crying while kneeling on the ground, desperately kowtowing to the black dressed shopkeeper before her eyes.
That shopkeeper had a pair of mung bean eyes, and both his cheeks were hollow with prominent cheekbones, while his stature was that of a thin bamboo pole. At this moment, he looked down at the kowtowing little girl, not a trace of pity visible in his eyes, instead, they were full of disgust and loathing.
“Get lost! Far away! How come the poor damnable block here, just affecting our Ji Sheng hall’s ability to do business? Why do you think it’s suitable to do so in front of our place?”
The little girl threw herself towards the man to grab his leg while crying and begging, “Shopkeeper Qin, a few days ago when my brother came to visit a doctor he could still open his eyes, you all said that as long as he consumed the medicine for several days, that he will get better. I spent all the money we have, but my brother’s illness keeps getting worse, and now he won’t wake up…I beg you, please save my brother…if you save my brother, I’m willing to work very hard to repay you!”
“You! Stop speaking lies, slandering our Ji Sheng hall’s reputation!” Shopkeeper Qin’s face suddenly changed colour, and showing his displeasure, he fiercely kicked the little girl, strictly saying, “If you don’t get lost, believe me or not I will have people break your legs!”
The little girl that was kicked stumbled, falling heavily on the youth’s body, the pressure causing the youth’s face to turn a deadly shade of purple.
Some of the surrounding people couldn’t stand watching anymore, their tongues started wagging, accusing this shopkeeper Qin for being greedy.
“If I were to say, this Ji Sheng hall, although it opened in front of Sheng De hall, the doctors and shopkeepers inside simply can’t be mentioned on equal terms with Sheng De hall. Little girl, if you have to beg him, it would be better for you go to Sheng De hall and beg shopkeeper Zhou instead, he’s a good man!”
Someone shouted and pointed towards Sheng De hall, getting the approval of the surrounding crowd. There was even a few kind people who ran to Sheng De hall to ask for their help.
Shopkeeper Qin of Ji Sheng hall immediately flew into a rage out of humiliation, he glared at everyone as he fiercely shouted, “Do you think this medical shop is a charity hall? If everyone that comes here gets free medical treatment and medicine, then when we go to eat, what do we use to pay for the food? Could it be that Sheng De hall never charges a fee…humph! Our kindness, it’s kindness for those who pay for their treatment with gold, for those people our Ji Sheng hall will naturally help treat…otherwise, just get lost far away from me, don’t disturb our Ji Sheng hall’s ability to do business!”