The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 184 Vomiting Blood

Chapter 184: Chapter 184 Vomiting Blood

Jindou could no longer restrain his rage. He couldn’t bear to lash out at Lady Lin, so he pounced on Eldest Uncle Lin and pinned him down, throwing a punch as he shouted, "It’s all because of you! Why did you have to tear our family apart—"

A shrill scream from Auntie on the side: "Someone help, come quick—"

A swarm of young lads and maids rushed into the room from outside. Seeing their father being pummeled, they charged in.

Jindou, despite his ferocity, was no match for their numbers.

In no time, he was left with a bruised nose and swollen face by the group of youths, his face scratched with several deep gashes.

Seeing her eldest brother being beaten, Jinguan rushed to help, only to end up crying from her own beating.

It was Lady Lin, who couldn’t stand it any longer. After all, she had brought them into this world. She wailed and struggled, begging Eldest Uncle Lin and his wife for a long time.

Finally, Eldest Uncle Lin, touching the wound at the corner of his mouth and remembering he still hoped to make money from his sister, said, "Alright, for the sake of your old aunt, let’s spare them!"

Lady Lin hurried over to see; Jindou and Jinguan were covered in bruises, lying there.

With both distress and anger in her heart, Lady Lin exclaimed, "Why did you have to fight with your eldest uncle, child? Let your mother have a look—"

Jindou endured the pain all over his body and shoved Lady Lin’s hand away.

Struggling to stand, he also helped Jinguan to her feet. Though younger and not the main target of the beating, Jinguan’s wounds were lighter, but she still cried out with every move.

The two brothers got up without casting a glance at Lady Lin, supporting each other as they walked outside.

Lady Lin, seeing the sorry state of her two sons, felt a pang of sympathy: "You’re both so badly hurt, why don’t you rest here for the night before leaving?"

Jindou paused, took a look back at Lady Lin, but without a word, he just kept walking.

Watching Jindou leave like that, Eldest Uncle Lin rolled up his sleeves. "Heh, the kid still hasn’t been punished enough, huh?"

Lady Lin felt a void in her heart as tears suddenly fell, covering her face as she sobbed. Her son had completely turned his resentment towards her, his mother.

As Jindou and Jinguan, the two brothers with injuries, walked through Lin Family Village, countless people pointed and whispered behind them, with fragments of their words reaching Jindou’s ears.

"See that? The Lin Family beat up their own nephews like this?"

"Ts ts, are they cutting off relations? Lin Xinghua is so heartless. She can bear to see her son beaten like this?"

"Exactly, she’s charmed by the Lin Family eldest, only thinking about remarriage, totally neglecting her sons. Women just can’t live without a man; once her husband’s useless, she’ll sacrifice even her grown sons for another man’s sake..."

...

Embarassed to the point of blushing and trembling with rage, Jindou felt helpless.

All he could do was grit his teeth, dragging the whimpering Jinguan, slowly making their way home.

Because both were injured, they could not walk fast, and only when the sky had turned completely dark did they finally make it back.

After Jindou had finished recounting everything, the room fell into dead silence.

No one dared to speak, just looking towards Wang Yongfu.

Wang Yongfu’s face turned from pale to red, then from red to blue, and then suddenly, a dark red stream of blood sprayed forth as he collapsed.

"Father—"

"Eldest Brother—"

The Wang Family rushed over to help.

They saw Wang Yongfu lying weakly in bed, spitting blood with a golden pallor to his face, a frightening sight to see.

Jindou, Jinhu, and Jinguan were so frightened they could only circle around Wang Yongfu, crying.

Jinpan and a few others were scared into cowering in the corner, trembling as they were embraced by Lady Jiang.

It was Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu who remained calm. Seeing Wang Laozhu’s clueless, panicking demeanor, devoid of any ideas, Wang Yongzhu sharply commanded, "What’s the panic? Fourth Brother, hurry and go to the next village to fetch Doctor Liu. Jindou, you guys re-brew the medicine the Divine Doctor gave, and administer it to dad first, see if it can keep him alive for now—"

With someone giving orders, Wang Yongping immediately answered and left to fetch Doctor Liu.

Jindou and Jinhu wiped away their tears and went to the kitchen to brew the medicine, while Lady Jiang also hurried to help.

Old Granny Zhang snorted and went to fetch a basin of hot water to wipe off the blood on Wang Yongfu’s face and body and change his upper garment.

Although Wang Yongzhu did not understand medical techniques, seeing Wang Yongfu in such a state, she knew his life was hanging by a thread, and her heart was also lifted in concern.

Especially as medical conditions in this era were limited, whether or not his life could be saved truly depended on the will of heaven.

Even though this eldest brother had all sorts of issues, to actually watch him die was something she couldn’t bear.

Looking at Wang Laozhu, he finally snapped back to reality, his eyes slightly red and his hands trembling, "Eldest Brother—Eldest Brother—" He wanted to reach out and touch his brother but didn’t dare.

Old Granny Zhang could no longer stand to watch. Throwing her handkerchief into the basin, she snapped, "Enough, enough. Don’t get in the way here. Go outside and see if Doctor Liu has arrived—"

She pushed Wang Laozhu out.

Then she softly asked Wang Yongzhu, "Girl, do you think the eldest might really not make it?"

While wiping the blood off his face, if Old Granny Zhang had not felt warmth in his nose, she would have thought Wang Yongfu had already passed away.

Even though she had resolved to be ruthless and stop caring for him, seeing the eldest brother lying there made it hard for her to bear as well.

Wang Yongzhu herself had no certainty, yet she still forced a comforting response, "Don’t worry! Fortunate people have their own heavenly protection. He has pulled through before, so he should be able to this time as well—"

At this thought, she gently kicked Jinguan, who was still wailing, "Cry louder, wail in your dad’s ear, while you cry, keep calling out to him, say more about how pitiful you three brothers would be if he were to pass away—"

Jinguan, confused, glanced at Wang Yongzhu. Was she really encouraging him or despising his crying?

He stood there, stupefied for a moment.

"Cry!" Wang Yongzhu glared at Jinguan.

Jinguan’s body shook, and scared, he immediately began to howl, embracing Wang Yongfu, "Dad, you mustn’t die! What would Jinguan do if you did? Mom doesn’t want us, if you die, Jinguan will have neither a father nor a mother! Grandma doesn’t like me, Auntie is so mean, what will become of us in the future? Dad, please don’t die—"

He indeed started to cry with genuine emotion.

Had the setting and mood been different, Wang Yongzhu might have laughed angrily at his words.

Thankfully, Wang Yongfu had been concerned all day about Lady Lin and Jinguan. Even when taking his medicine in the evening, despite Jinhu urging him several times, he kept saying he’d wait. As a result, the medicine remained warm on the stove, making it quicker to heat up again.

After the hot medicine had cooled slightly, Jindou and Jinhu, the two brothers, attempted to feed Wang Yongfu, but found that he couldn’t even swallow it anymore.

Jindou’s hands trembled while holding the medicine, almost spilling the liquid.

Old Granny Zhang stepped forward, snatched the bowl of medicine, and said fiercely, "You’re all so useless, I have no idea why I bother with any of you—" With that, she sat in front of Wang Yongfu and turned her head.

"Zhuzhu, come, help open your big brother’s mouth."

Wang Yongzhu agreed and stepped forward, gently exerting force until Wang Yongfu couldn’t help but open his mouth.

Old Granny Zhang, proficiently pinching Wang Yongfu’s nose, swiftly poured the medicine down.

Even in a coma, Wang Yongfu started to swallow, though he couldn’t keep up with the pouring, causing much of it to spill down his chin onto his clothes. But at least some was ingested.