The wound ached fiercely as night fell. Enduring the pain, Zhan Lao Er mentally reviewed the events. In the dim light, a terrifying, sinister face appeared.
How did that wretched girl know he had put sleeping medicine in the wontons and secretly swapped them? Zhan Lao Er clearly remembered administering the drug only after Zhan Feiyu had left, yet he was the one who ended up drugged.
"Master, let Father and Mother stay at the inn. That dead girl should stay here to take care of you," Xiao Yao Shi said, reluctant to spend money and displeased that she was enduring hardship at the Rejuvenation Hall while the eldest branch of the family slept soundly at the inn.
"With me injured like this, the family will have to rely on Eldest Brother from now on," Zhan Lao Er said, his tone sinister and eerie. He continued with feigned worry, "Da Lang is still studying, and next year San Lang will also go to private school. The tuition alone is twenty taels a year, not to mention the cost of ink, brushes, and paper. If he participates in the imperial examinations, the expenses will be even greater."
Seeing Xiao Yao Shi's pale face, Zhan Lao Er sighed. "My body still requires medicine. Once the work at the dock stops, I'll only be able to do odd jobs. Da Lang will be thirteen next year, and in a couple of years, he'll need to get married. All of this costs money."
Before, when only Zhan Da Lang was studying, the Zhan family's life was considered good in the village. But this September, when Zhan Feiyu went to private school, Xiao Yao Shi clearly felt that the family's meals had deteriorated significantly. They only had something solid to eat at lunch.
Fearing that Xiao Yao Shi's blow was not enough, Zhan Lao Er sternly instructed, "From now on, you must not cause trouble at home, nor should you compete with Eldest Sister-in-law. You must endure any grievances."
"Why?" Xiao Yao Shi exploded, her face contorted with rage. She retorted sharply, "You were harmed by that dead girl, so why should I bow down to the eldest branch?"
Xiao Yao Shi had always resented Li Shi's good reputation in the village and always wanted to surpass her. Now, she was being asked to humble herself and her two sons to support the eldest branch, which was more unbearable to her than death.
"When you live under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. Even if I was harmed by Xiao Yu, Eldest Brother feels guilty towards us. But after a while, in three to five years, Eldest Brother will only see us, the second branch, as a burden. By then, Father and Mother's hearts will also lean towards them."
Zhan Lao Er's spirit seemed to have been drained. He squeezed Xiao Yao Shi's hand with a bit more force. "For Da Lang and San Lang, you will have to endure this."
Xiao Yao Shi felt as if she had been struck by lightning, unable to imagine life in the future.
But she also knew Zhan Lao Er was not trying to scare her. The second branch could no longer earn money and still needed medicine, which cost money. With their mother-in-law's stingy nature, would the second branch have a good life in the future?
"This cannot happen, this cannot happen," Xiao Yao Shi shook her head in terror, looking at Zhan Lao Er for help, like a drowning person clinging to the last piece of driftwood. "Master, you are quick-witted. Think of a way."
After a moment of deliberation, Zhan Lao Er saw that the time was almost right. He slowly opened his mouth, "We can only take advantage of the fact that Father and Mother still favor us, and Eldest Brother is still feeling guilty and remorseful, to resolve all the subsequent problems at once."
Early the next morning, except for the simple-minded Zhan Feiyu, no one else in the Zhan family slept well. After having a bowl of porridge at the inn to fill their stomachs, they hurried to the Rejuvenation Hall.
In the courtyard, Zhan Feiyu stared blankly at the IOU in her hand. She could recognize the characters, but when they were put together, Zhan Feiyu felt her vision blur.
"No matter how much the medical fees are, our eldest branch will acknowledge it," Zhan Lao Da said firmly. He had thought all night. Although it was an accident, it was ultimately because Xiao Yu had saved that blind old woman that Lao Er was harmed. It was only right to pay the expenses.
Looking at the "innocent and pure" Zhan Lao Da with her dark, fathomless eyes, Zhan Feiyu said word by word, "Father, this is an IOU for five hundred taels."
"What?" Zhan Lao Da suddenly turned to look at Zhan Feiyu, almost thinking he had misheard.
Li Shi was also stunned. A mocking cold smile gradually appeared on her face. The second branch was truly shameless. Five hundred taels! Even if she were divorced, she would not let Xiao Yu bear such a debt.
Zhan Lao Tou and Zhan Lao Tai were also dumbfounded. The elderly couple had talked for half the night. Besides cursing Zhan Feiyu, the troublemaker, they had also discussed money. No matter what, they definitely couldn't let Lao Er suffer for nothing.
But five hundred taels? Even with Zhan Lao Tai's greed and selfishness, she was shocked at this moment.
"What about five hundred taels? My Lao Er almost lost his life. Is a life not worth five hundred taels?" Xiao Yao Shi shouted shrilly, glaring at Zhan Feiyu and the others aggressively. "The senior doctor said that the master will need to take medicine from now on, and this is all for the medical expenses!"
Zhan Lao Da looked at his silent father and mother, and at the unreasonable Xiao Yao Shi. He wiped his face and said, "Sister-in-law, five hundred taels is really too much."
Zhan Lao Er was considered capable in the village, earning only ten taels of silver a year. Even fifty taels of silver would have been acceptable to Zhan Lao Da, and that would have required him to earn it without eating or drinking for seven to eight years.
But five hundred taels! Even if Zhan Lao Da were sold, he could not earn that much money in his lifetime.
Although Zhan Lao Er had been stabbed, he was still alive. In the past, when someone in the village died accidentally while working as a temporary laborer, the employer only compensated a hundred taels of silver.
"Father, besides the five hundred taels, it also states that after Uncle reaches fifty years old, in addition to medical expenses, we will need to provide one tael of silver per month for his old age. The tuition fees for Da Lang and Er Lang, and the money for their future marriages and children, will all be borne half by the eldest branch," Zhan Feiyu finally understood why Uncle had asked them all to sleep at the inn last night. It turned out it was to "teach" Aunt how to demand compensation.
Looking at the disheartened Zhan Lao Da, Zhan Feiyu felt little sympathy. Father treated Uncle as a brother, but Uncle wanted to kill her and drain the eldest branch dry.
With sharp eyes, she spotted the senior doctor and quickly walked over, grabbing his arm. "Senior doctor, tell me, does my master need to be well taken care of?"
The senior doctor nodded. "He lost a lot of blood and needs to be replenished. He cannot do strenuous work for a short period."
As for how serious the lung condition was, the senior doctor could not say for sure yet, but chronic coughing would definitely require medication and care. Fortunately, he could still do lighter work.
Xiao Yao Shi proudly raised her chin and spat at Zhan Lao Da, "Eldest Brother, if you don't believe what I say, you should at least believe the doctor. My master has become a sickly person, and it's all because of this wretched girl. Five hundred taels is not too much!"
"Five hundred taels?" The senior doctor was startled and looked at the indignant Xiao Yao Shi in confusion. Why was this family extorting money?