Seeing Li Yong emerge, Li Hong went forward to pull him over and wiped the dirt from his face. Their relationship seemed to be quite good, as Li Wei did not show any signs of resistance to his approach.
"Brother Yong, why are you digging for bran and husks to eat again? Did you finish the congee I brought you for lunch?" Li Hong felt a pang of discomfort seeing the small scratches on his hands and face.
Li Yong touched his stomach with a hint of grievance and then spoke intermittently, "I'm hungry… Father and Mother ate and went to sleep…"
"Alright! Stop eating this stuff. I'll get you some more from home later. For now, we need to go in and see Uncle and Auntie." Li Hong said, taking his hand and pushing open the door to the main hall.
The sky had not completely darkened, yet the light inside the main hall was still dim. As Su Muqing stepped inside, she clearly felt that she was stepping on a dirt floor, and it was an uneven one at that.
Huo Qiyuan followed them, carrying their things, and Shopkeeper Tu and the Little Tyrant also entered. The smell in the room was extremely unpleasant, with a mixture of mold, fishy odor, urine, and animal waste.
The villagers followed behind them at a leisurely pace, and soon Li Laotou's small courtyard was packed. Some of the braver ones followed into Li Laotou's main hall, while others crowded at the entrance.
People even clung to the low mud walls to watch the spectacle. This small courtyard, since its construction, had never been so lively, except for when their family hosted banquets!
Su Muqing took out a spotlight and turned it on, instantly illuminating the main hall as bright as day. The sudden appearance of light startled everyone except Huo Qiyuan.
What kind of oil lamp was this? How could it be so bright?
The people in the courtyard, seeing the sudden illumination, first erupted in a burst of astonishment, followed by murmurs of discussion.
Many were saying that these people did not seem like ordinary folks, possessing an extraordinary demeanor, and that Old Li Tou might truly be in for great luck this time.
When the spotlight was brought out, Young Master Qi's gaze towards the two became more inquisitive. He had been so preoccupied with delicious food all day that he hadn't had a chance to inquire about these people's identities and backgrounds.
He had grown up in the capital of the Great Yu Dynasty and had traveled to many large prefectural cities, considering himself well-versed in many good things.
However, in the course of this single day, the items these people had produced had surprised him more than once! The Young Tyrant was certain that he had never seen these things before, not even in the capital.
After Old Li Tou's affairs were settled, he was determined to ask them properly about their origins!
Su Muqing shone the light around. The main hall was quite spacious, containing only an old eight-immortals table, a few stools with missing legs, some common farming tools, and several baskets woven from bamboo strips.
The unsmoothed dirt floor was very dirty, with some white and yellow dried substances adhering to it, appearing to have been weathered and dried.
At this moment, from a room beside the main hall, came several dry, hoarse coughs, which sounded quite loud and strained.
"Cough, cough, cough… Cough, cough, cough… Yong Waizi, cough, cough, cough… did Hong Waizi come to get a bowl? Cough, cough, cough, cough…" Old Li Tou asked with difficulty, followed by a series of coughs.
Li Laotou had indeed heard the commotion outside, especially the exclamation from the villagers earlier, which was too loud to ignore. However, he was too weak to get up and see who had come.
Who would visit them at a time like this? Ever since their family had fallen into trouble, aside from Li Hong from the village chief's family and his own brothers who had visited a few times, everyone else had kept their distance, as if fearing to be tainted by their family's misfortune.
Li Hong spoke towards the door, "Uncle Li, it's me. Some people said they wanted to see you, so I brought them over."
"Cough, cough, cough, cough… Yes, who is it? Cough, cough, cough…" Hearing Hong Waizi's voice, Old Li Tou felt some relief. Upon hearing that someone had come to see him, he became confused again.
Shopkeeper Tu, hearing Old Li Tou's question, greeted him through the door, "Brother Li, it's me! Shopkeeper Tu from Tianxi Restaurant in town. Your family sent our restaurant some local goods for a few months, do you remember me?"
It was Shopkeeper Tu? How could Old Li Tou not remember! He labored to support himself with his arm on the bed board, trying to get up. "Cough, cough, cough… Remember, remember… Cough, cough, you, wait… cough, cough…"
There was a moment of silence in the room, followed by even more intense coughing, accompanied by rustling sounds, as if Old Li Tou was preparing to get up.
Shopkeeper Tu felt uncomfortable hearing his coughing. If he got out of bed and stumbled, wouldn't that be even more suffering? So he quickly stopped him from trying to get up.
"Brother Li, if it's inconvenient, don't get up. We can just come in. May we come in?"
"Cough, cough, cough, cough… Shopkeeper, cough, cough, if you don't mind… cough, cough, come in! Cough, cough, cough…" Old Li Tou was indeed out of strength. There was a phlegm stuck in his throat that he couldn't cough out.
Furthermore, due to his weakness, his coughs were uncontrollable. His chest cavity ached fiercely from the violent coughing, making it very difficult to speak.
Having received Old Li Tou's permission, Shopkeeper Tu gently pushed the door open. Li Hong used a stool behind the door to prop it open, allowing it to swing fully open.
The light in this room was even dimmer, and the smell was also very complex. The smell of medicine, urine, and sweat mixed together, making one feel quite invigorated.
Young Master Qi was unaccustomed to the smell and covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve. Shopkeeper Tu was also unaccustomed, but he managed to endure it.
Su Muqing stuffed two fragrant pills into her nostrils, then handed the bottle to Huo Qiyuan, signaling him with her eyes to distribute them to the others. She then lifted her clothes to cover the spotlight, lest the sudden strong light be too blinding for Old Li Tou and his wife.
Huo Qiyuan poured out a few fragrant pills, put two in his own nose, then handed some to Young Master Qi and Shopkeeper Tu. He pointed to his nose, then, in front of the two, placed the pills into his nostrils.
Li Hong looked at the two bean-sized objects handed to him, unsure of their purpose. He sniffed them and found them to be quite fragrant.
However, as someone who had grown up in the countryside, he could tolerate this kind of peculiar odor and soon got used to it. Therefore, Li Hong did not put the fragrant pills into his nostrils but carefully tucked them into his waistband.
Shopkeeper Tu took them and followed suit, stuffing them into his nose. Indeed, the effect of these things was quick; he immediately couldn't smell the unpleasant odors in the air.