Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

Erdan's father couldn't resist any longer. He stuffed the corncob back into his back, rubbed it vigorously a couple of times, and then said, "Alright, alright, Dad will do as you say. As the saying goes, 'Parents love their children, never abandoning them, devoting themselves to their children until their dying breath.' Sigh, I'll do as you say—"

Ji Yongling had been observing the skin lesions between Erdan's father's fingers, on his wrists, and in the creases of his elbows. Although there were many ulcers, the pale red papules indicated that it was scabies.

Ji Yongling took a stalk of Stemona japonica from the cage, showed it to Erdan's father, and said, "Uncle, there are some of these on the riverbank down there. You can dig them up, boil them in water, and use the water to wash your body. You'll see results in a few days. However, this herb is poisonous and cannot be eaten. The water you boil it in cannot be drunk, and it must be boiled separately in an abandoned jar or broken pot, not in a cooking pot."

Erdan's father straightened his back and nodded seriously: "I'm not one of those stupid people. I'll remember what you said and go boil water to wash myself today."

Ji Yongling put the herb back into the cage and said, "Uncle, don't dig up all the seeds of that plant. I want to save some to plant."

Erdan's father put his hands behind his back and said with some disdain, "Don't worry, your uncle isn't short-sighted. I wouldn't do something like draining the pond to catch all the fish!"

Behind Ji Yongling, Ji Yongning peeked out slightly, stuck out his tongue at Erdan's father, and made a face.

Erdan's father grunted, opened his mouth, and then said, "You little kids shouldn't listen to the nonsense of some gossipy old women in the village. Some of them never do anything worthwhile but are always busy meddling. I, Liu Lü, have always been upright and honest, and have never done anything despicable! I never expected that this little illness would prevent my son Erdan from playing in the village. I am heartbroken—"

Ji Yongning poked his head out and said with a grin, "Uncle, what exactly are you trying to say? I'm not well-educated, so these words sound to me like a blind man looking through a skylight, completely incomprehensible."

Erdan's father raised his chin high: "Originally, there was no need to explain too much to you kids, but I, Liu Lu, have been wronged and implicated my son Erdan. I feel very guilty, so I still have to clarify the facts."

"The truth is, I went to visit my sister a few days ago, who is Erdan's aunt. My sister's in-laws were too much. They pushed me into the doghouse, and I came back in a terrible rage. But I didn't let them get away with it. I tore down their doghouse and beat up the dog too."

Ji Yongning and Tie Dan burst out laughing.

Ji Yongling also found Liu Lü quite interesting.

...........

At the Ji family home, Hu Jipo's sister-in-law peeked out from outside the courtyard gate. Seeing Yang alone in the yard, she called out, "Aunt Ji, are you busy?"

Yang looked up and saw that it was the woman who had made a fuss when she delivered the medicine that day. She then said with a long face, "Aren't you Hu Jipo's sister-in-law? You've come to the wrong house."

Hu Jipo's sister-in-law awkwardly smiled and said, "Hehe, Aunt Ji, I didn't come to the wrong place. I came to your house to ask for medicine."

Upon hearing that she was asking for medicine, Madam Yang raised her chin and continued with a long face, saying, "What, you don't think it's expensive?"

Hu Jipo's sister-in-law pulled her grandson over and said with a fawning look, "Hehe, Aunt Ji, I was so confused the other day. Look at the child, his stomach has been hurting and he has diarrhea every day. He's gotten so thin. You're a big shot, so don't hold it against an old woman like me. Please give the child some medicine for the sake of him."

Seeing that the child indeed looked frail and thin, as if he hadn't drunk water for days, with sunken eyes like a cave, Yang immediately softened and said, "It's not that I don't want to give it to you, it's just that my granddaughter is out of town, and only she has the medicine. Besides, does your grandson have some other illness? If my granddaughter's medicine doesn't cure him, don't blame my family!"

"Not bad, not bad, we're not that kind of person." Hu Jipo's sister-in-law didn't dare say that she had already seen a doctor and that she only came because the medicine wasn't working.

Seeing the child's pitiful state, Yang brought a bowl of water and had the grandmother and grandson sit under the tree to wait.

Ji Yongling and Ji Yongning strolled home. As soon as they entered, Hu Jipo's sister-in-law immediately stood up and said with a fawning smile, "Oh my, the little miracle doctor is back!"

"Hmm?" Ji Yongling looked at Hu Jipo's sister-in-law's eager expression and was a little puzzled. Because her first impression of her was not good, she did not intend to say anything more and prepared to go to the cave next door to put the cage.

Hu Jipo's sister-in-law quickly stepped forward and stopped Ji Yongling, saying, "Hey, little miracle doctor, could you please take a look at my grandson first?"

Ji Yongling looked the old woman up and down suspiciously, then looked at the boy sitting under the tree. Seeing that the child was indeed listless and unwell, she asked Ji Yongning to put the cage away while she went to check on the child.

At this moment, Yang and Hu Xirong also came out of the cave, their hands still covered in cotton.

As she carefully dusted the cotton off the clothes, Madam Yang said, "Ling'er, take a look at this child. Is it some kind of disease you mentioned, like the pork disease? Don't make a mistake. Otherwise, the medicine won't work, and it'll ruin our reputation!"

Ji Yongling nodded, carefully observing the child's entire body, and then asked about his symptoms and bowel movements.

Hu Jipo's sister-in-law looked at Ji Yongling with some nervousness, thinking to herself, "Judging from his posture, he really does look a bit like a doctor."

Ji Yongling roughly determined that the child was infected with pork tapeworms and had recently been having diarrhea and was somewhat dehydrated. He then said to Hu Jipo's sister-in-law, "My medicine costs two coins a dose. It only treats the tapeworms and cannot cure other diseases. Are you sure you want it?"

Hu Jipo's sister-in-law maintained her ingratiating smile: "Yes, yes, yes. I've brought all the money. It's just for treating the insects. I know that. I promise I won't try to cheat you. If I do, may this old woman die a horrible death."

Ji Yongling took the two coins that Hu Jipo's sister-in-law took out of her pocket, turned around and went to her cave dwelling. When she came out, she brought out a bowl of medicine and handed it to the child, saying, "Drink it, it's a bit bitter."

The child obediently took it, carefully drank it all, leaving not a drop.

Hu Jipo's sister-in-law had been watching her grandson with longing eyes. Seeing that he had finished drinking, she continued to smile at Ji Yongling: "Thank you so much, little miracle doctor. Let's go to Huyang Village for a visit another day."

Ji Yongling took the empty bowl and said, "The child is a little dehydrated. I'll give you another bowl of other medicine, it's not bitter." She turned around, took a bag of rehydration salts from the storage room, poured it into the bowl, and brought it out to the child.

After two bowls of medicine, the child's spirits visibly improved, much to the delight of Hu Jipo's sister-in-law, who clasped her hands together and kept chanting something.

Finally, he bowed and thanked Yang and Ji Yongling again and again before leaving with the child.

Ji Yongling didn't care at all about Hu Jipo's sister-in-law coming to her door asking for medicine. She was now focused on making Baibu Tincture so that she could get rid of lice for everyone.