Chapter 19: with translation of chapter title

Lao Langzhong was very cooperative, "Alright, I've noted it down."

"As long as the lass lets me treat that brat, even being a nephew is fine, let alone being an uncle!"

"Pah!" Zhang Shen spat, "At your age, you talk improperly!"

She got up, cleared the bowls and plates, and gave a glance signaling Gu Xixi to follow.

The two washed dishes by the stove, and Zhang Shen said, "In my life I've only seen people desperately clutching money, begging the doctor to save their lives."

"Which doctor rushes to look for patients?"

"I think he's a fraud; maybe he can't treat illness at all."

Gu Xixi couldn't explain further to Zhang Shen, so she coaxed, "He gave Chen Fang some medicine."

"I watched coldly, and Chen Fang's complexion improved a lot; maybe it works."

"Anyway, he doesn't charge medicine or consultation fees; just eating the same food as us each day is enough."

Upon hearing no fee, Zhang Shen relaxed, "That'll do; let him treat for a few days then we'll see."

She again asked concernedly, "Where is Xiao Chen hurt? Is it serious?"

Gu Xixi kept a straight face and gave a vague answer, "Just a dislocated ankle; otherwise… it's still that old ailment."

Zhang Shen nodded solemnly, "Ah, he's not having it easy either."

"A congenital weakness—many babies can't even be raised. He must have suffered a lot since childhood."

At night, when sleeping, Lao Langzhong didn't pick and choose; he had Gu Xixi help lift the patient onto the bed.

He himself just made a pallet on the floor beside the bed.

Gu Xixi placed a small paper packet beside Lao Langzhong's hand.

"When you go back, try adding this to the pure water; washing the wound might work even better."

After Gu Xixi left, Lao Langzhong picked up the paper packet and held it to his nose to sniff.

He suddenly lifted his head, staring straight in the direction Gu Xixi had gone…

Two days passed; Mu Nan Zhao still hadn't awakened, but he could now be fed a little warm water and rice porridge.

During that time, Lao Langzhong asked Zhang Shen for a small mortar, a small wind furnace, and two bowls.

For the rest of the time, aside from eating, he hardly left the room.

Around the west wing, a thick medicinal aroma lingered all day without dispersing.

Zhang Shen several times tried to go in to see what was up, but Lao Langzhong blocked her at the door, swearing he was only preparing medicine and would certainly not burn the house down.

Under the east wall of the small courtyard lay a heap of pots and jars, each with a numbered small wooden stick inserted.

Gu Xixi's first thing each morning upon waking was to inspect these treasures.

Who needs watering, who needs light adjustment, who is in poor condition and needs a change in cultivation plan…

That day was still as usual.

Gu Xixi had just moved a pot of wild tea sapling to a shaded spot not exposed to direct sun, and was bending over to observe.

Suddenly came a clanging clang clang clang, the bronze bell boomed.

She froze a moment, then sprinted toward the gate, "Zhang Shen! Zhang Shen! First put out the stove fire, watch over Lao Langzhong and Chen Fang, I'll go see what's happening!"

At the entrance of Huachi Du Cun hung a bronze bell.

It is said that it was donated by an ancestor of someone who passed the imperial examination.

Because this place is near the border, in earlier years it was often harassed by mountain bandits and foreign cavalry in turns.

The bronze bell thus became the village's life-saving alarm.

Whoever spots danger rings the bell; upon hearing it, all villagers hurry to flee to the rear mountains.

The bronze bell hangs under a locust tree; after who knows how many years, it has corroded two small holes.

According to the village elders, this bell hasn't sounded for at least nearly ten years.

Hearing the bell again must mean a matter of life and death.

Gu Xixi raced over the dirt road in front of the gate and met villagers in twos and threes, carrying buckets and basins.

Fire!

Everyone hurry! The fire can't be put out with water; it's already burning this way!

Oh dear, if I can't save my buckwheat, what am I to do!

Looking far off, the direction of the fields was black smoke rolling, faintly revealing firelight.

Gu Xixi was greatly alarmed; although looking at the direction, the fire hasn't yet reached her fields.

But given this blaze, if the wind shifts, her millet and yams…

No time to lose; she turned and sprinted home, briefly informing Zhang Shen of the situation.

Zhang Shen was anxious to grab a water bucket to fight the fire, but Gu Xixi pressed her down.

The more chaotic the village, the more we fear outsiders will muddy the waters and cause trouble on purpose.

I'll go meet up with Chen Dafu and the others; I'll surely protect our family's land.

After I go out, you just latch the big door and guard our home for me.

Especially Mu Nan Zhao's serious injury must not be seen by anyone.

Zhang Shen panted and nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay!"

She took a firewood chopper, gripped it with both hands before her chest, "I will definitely guard the home, Gu Xixi; you must be extremely careful yourself."

When Gu Xixi arrived, Chen Dafu was leading the hired workers to repeatedly draw water from the canal and pour it onto the narrow path at the edge of his own field.

But such a long line, the water poured on it is instantly sucked into the soil, utterly useless.

The hired workers finally saw their savior: "The master has come!"

Chen Dafu worried, "Master, that side has already burned several dozen mou; we can't not take some precautions."

Now the fire looks far away, but if the wind shifts, it'll reach here in the blink of an eye.

Gu Xixi nodded, "You foresaw it and prepared in advance—that's already good."

Listen to me now.

Chen Dafu brought three hired workers to stay here, dug up all the yams on the ridge at the western end, and cleared the weeds.

Then they dug a transverse ditch along the ridge.

Although everyone felt sorry for those yams, they all did it without complaint.

First priority is to save lives; second, if we can save most of the crops, that's already good.

Anyway, the landlord is capable, so they trust the landlord.

After Gu Xixi made the arrangements, she herself took another four hired workers and hurried off, without saying what they were to do.

To the west of the village, flames shot up into the sky.

The villagers splashed water frantically, but against the spreading fire it was just a drop in the bucket.

"That damned soul is burning a fire in the fields! Is he trying to kill our whole village?"

Gu Daye's vegetable plot had already been smoked by the fire.

The cabbage leaves on the west side have already started to curl and turn black.

Gu Daye stood on the field's edge, trembling all over, shouting, "Quick! Quickly water the vegetables, water them more!"

His eldest son, holding a water bucket, was in a dilemma: "Dad, should we first put out the fire or first water the vegetables?"

Gu Daye stomped his foot and roared, "Of course we water the vegetables!"

"This batch of cabbage is still awaited in the city! If our vegetables burn, everything is ruined!"

"Of course we should put out the fire first!" a woman's voice cut through the noisy scene.

"If this fire keeps burning, not only will the village's fields be destroyed, but even our houses and our lives won't be saved!"

Everyone shuddered, turning toward the source of the voice.

Gu Xixi stood before a rickety cart piled high with fine sand soil.

The four hired workers each took basins and buckets filled with fine sand soil, and from afar scattered it onto the weakest edge of the fire.

Gu Xixi climbed onto the cart and shouted, "Now it's too late to dribble water."

"Those who have a cart, livestock, and great strength can follow me to the mountains to dig this kind of fine sand soil."

"Those with less strength stay here, learn from them, and scatter sand."