Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 12106

“Go on,” she continued.

Luo Fengtang said, "When I went to his room earlier, I saw him lying in a rocking chair. To be honest, his spirit was like that of someone who had been sick for a long time."

“He hasn’t eaten properly for seven or eight days. In the last two days, his condition has become even worse. The old lady said that he can only drink one bowl of porridge for each of his three meals a day!”
Moreover, it seems that although he has taken the medicine prescribed by Brother Wangsheng, his appetite has not recovered, and he is becoming increasingly lethargic and weak.

After listening to Luo Fengtang's account, Yang Ruoqing recalled Luo the blacksmith's behavior during this period and sighed, "In the first few days after he came back, he could still bask in the sun in the front yard and chat with my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather to distract himself."

"Although he doesn't eat much, he uses chopsticks for all three meals a day. Sometimes, he will take a walk around the backyard with his aunt."

“These past two days, I’ve noticed that his condition has been deteriorating. He doesn’t even want to leave his room. Do you think my uncle might be depressed or withdrawn?”

If that's the case, then it's really troublesome. This is a physiological disorder caused by prolonged and persistent low mood and sadness, which is quite difficult to deal with!
"What do depression and autism mean?" Luo Fengtang was somewhat confused by these two new terms.

Yang Ruoqing explained it to him in detail and even gave examples.

Luo Fengtang gasped.

“If that’s really the case, then Uncle is suffering from a mental illness, and mental illnesses are the hardest to cure,” he said.

Yang Ruoqing also fell silent. In both her past and present lives, she had never dealt with that kind of disease.

Moreover, if word of that disease were to get out now, many people in the surrounding villages would probably be indignant and bewildered.

Many people went hungry, and some were even overwhelmed by the burden of corvée labor. In other places, natural disasters and man-made calamities separated families, forcing people to sell their children...

As for Luo the blacksmith, despite having plenty of food and clothing, he couldn't bear the thought of his sister's death and tormented himself into depression.

That younger sister isn't a little girl; she's already a grandmother! In ancient times, when the average lifespan was only 40 years, Luo Da'e was already considered lucky!
And their own son and daughter-in-law have already regrouped and are ready to start a new life. And you, their brother-in-law, are still…

Sigh, there are some things Yang Ruoqing really doesn't want to say out loud because of Luo Fengtang's sake.

This Uncle Luo the blacksmith is really spoiled, so spoiled that he can't face the storms of life.

Back then, Luo Fengtang's adoptive father, the second son of the Luo family, returned from outside with the infant Luo Fengtang. Not long after, the second son died. He was still a young man at the time!

Even though Luo the blacksmith lost his younger brother at such a young age, he still gritted his teeth and managed to raise his nephew.
Now, he and his sister are both halfway to the grave, yet they've become so grief-stricken because of illness and death, their sorrow has gone too far and has begun to affect the feelings of the rest of the Luo family!
“Then let’s cancel our trip to Jiuhua County tomorrow. It’s a long and bumpy journey, and I’m afraid my uncle’s current health condition won’t be able to handle it. In that case, our filial piety and good intentions will backfire and we’ll be criticized behind our backs!” Yang Ruoqing said in a deep voice, her tone no longer showing any fatigue or annoyance.

Luo Fengtang looked at her with guilt and reached out to gently squeeze her hand.

“That’s exactly what I think too. There’s no other way to help my uncle in this situation except to rest at home,” he said.

"Tang Ya Zi, Qing Er."

Wang Cuilian's voice suddenly rang out at the door, and she followed, carrying two empty rice bowls into the dining hall.

"Auntie!" Yang Ruoqing quickly pulled her hand back from Luo Fengtang's palm and stood up.

Luo Fengtang did not get up, but instead looked up at Wang Cuilian.

Wang Cuilian forced a smile and nodded at Yang Ruoqing, "I heard you talking about the matter in Jiuhua County earlier, and I was just about to come and talk to you about it. This is also your uncle's idea."

Jiuhua County?
Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang exchanged a glance. Wouldn't the auntie overthink things and think they were looking down on their uncle?

Although there was some annoyance, there was no dislike. The elders in the family, Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang, were just anxious and hoped that Luo the blacksmith could cheer up...

“Auntie, please sit down and talk,” Yang Ruoqing said.

Observing the two bowls brought back, Wang Cuilian's bowl was completely eaten, but the other bowl was clearly barely touched. The untouched bowl must have been Luo the blacksmith's.

It's the same thing again, sigh! There's nothing I can do!
Wang Cuilian sat down, her gaze sweeping between Luo Fengtang and Yang Ruoqing before finally settling on Yang Ruoqing.

“Your uncle said that he knows you are all filial and good children. During this time, in order to help him get through this, you put aside your own affairs and devoted all your attention to him.”

“He asked me to tell you that he said he couldn’t control himself and would try his best to control himself. As for Jiuhua County, he didn’t really want to go, but he couldn’t bear to say it. After all, you’ve been making arrangements for this trip, and your two grandsons are looking forward to it. If he said it, it would spoil everyone’s fun.”

Yang Ruoqing smiled bitterly to herself.

"Auntie, if Uncle really didn't want to go, he could have said so earlier! We understand."

Everything was packed, and we were supposed to leave first thing tomorrow morning, but we've dragged it out until now... It's really...

Wang Cuilian was also full of embarrassment and shame. "This old man has been confused lately. He doesn't even know what he wants to do. He asked me to come and talk to you about this before, but he was too embarrassed to ask."

"How could I possibly ask? The carriage is all harnessed, but look at him... Children, your auntie is telling you something unpleasant behind your uncle's back,"

"Although it's a bit of a downer, you'd better cancel your trip. Given your uncle's condition, he might go out for a stroll and end up dying on the road. You've meant well but ended up doing something wrong, and people will criticize you and you won't be able to clear your name no matter what!"

Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang looked at each other, both of them truly shocked by Wang Cuilian's heartfelt words.

This unpleasant thought only crossed their minds, but they dared not voice it aloud.

Now that Wang Cuilian had exposed it, the dinner table fell silent once again.

After a while, Yang Ruoqing looked up at Luo Fengtang and said, "I think what the old lady said wasn't heartless, it was a matter of conscience. We have to consider that."

Luo Fengtang's furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and his gaze swept over the two women in front of him, one old and one young, who were waiting for him to make a decision.

"The trip is cancelled, but to avoid disappointing the children, Qing'er and I will take them to the county town for a two-day stay tomorrow," he said.

"Firstly, to comfort the children, and secondly, I want to invite the old doctor from Yihechun Medical Clinic in the county town, who specializes in heart diseases, to come to our home to treat my uncle."

Yang Ruoqing nodded in agreement, "I agree. So many days have passed, and Uncle's condition is getting worse every day. It seems that just the company and comfort of family members are no longer enough. We need to invite a professional doctor to come and treat the symptoms!"

Mental illness is hard to cure, but you can't just give up. You have to struggle a bit, at least to give your conscience some peace of mind!
So that you won't feel guilty when you look back in the future.

Wang Cuilian breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly: "That's good. It's fine to let the two little ones play in the county town for a couple more days. Your uncle won't get into any trouble at home for the time being!"

It's nothing more than hanging there, half-dead!

Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang pretended not to hear Wang Cuilian's words, only offering a helpless, bitter smile to themselves. Let's hope so!
"Auntie, I noticed that Uncle didn't seem to eat much last night?" Yang Ruoqing asked.

Wang Cuilian lowered her eyelids, glanced at the bowl, sighed and shook her head: "I advised him to treat it as bitter medicine and take a bite, but he just couldn't open his mouth. He barely managed to eat a piece of rabbit meat, half a roast duck, and a mouthful of rice. He's such a big man, I don't know how many hours that little bit of food can last him."

Yang Ruoqing thought for a moment and said, "How about we bring Uncle a bowl of rice porridge with crispy rice crust? I remember he used to love rice porridge with crispy rice crust the most."

"Oh, I asked him at noon, and he shook his head and said he didn't like to eat anymore."

"Never mind, I'll bring him another bowl. He can eat as much as he can."

Wang Cuilian carried a bowl of rice porridge with crispy rice crust back to her room. Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang strolled hand in hand by the rockery in the backyard to digest their food, discussing their trip to the county town the next day.

Originally, we were going to Jiuhua County, and the travel guide was very extensive and complicated. Now that the plan has changed and we only need to go to the county town, the travel guide is much simpler.

There's no need to think about where to stay; we can just stay at our own Tianxiang Tower.

There's a small courtyard in the back of Tianxiang Tower, which is her private little courtyard, where she and her children will rest.

"Qing'er, it's windy at night, let's go back inside!" Luo Fengtang held Yang Ruoqing's hand, feeling that it was a little cold, and took off his coat and put it on Yang Ruoqing.

"No, you mustn't. I'm not that cold, but you'll catch a cold if you do this." Yang Ruoqing wanted to return the coat to Luo Fengtang, but he stopped her.

"I'm fine. Let's go back inside."

The two quickly returned to their dormitory. At this time, in another room, Rong Gu and Shao Yao also returned with Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, and were washing their feet, preparing to lull them to sleep and put them to bed.

Therefore, Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang did not go there.

Yang Ruoqing went to the bathhouse to wash up, while Luo Fengtang summoned his bodyguard and gave him some instructions through the window. The bodyguard then left and went to the county town ahead of time to make preparations.

On the other side, after washing up, Yang Ruoqing changed into a home bathrobe.

"Tang Yazi, I've prepared your hot water and clean clothes. Go wash up. I'll just go check on the children's room and be right back."

"it is good."

……

Meanwhile, in Luo the blacksmith's room, Wang Cuilian told Luo the blacksmith about what had happened.

Luo the blacksmith sighed with emotion and shame, his voice weak: "Alas, it's all my fault for holding the kids back and disappointing them."

Wang Cuilian pursed her lips, "If you really don't want to continue to be a burden to the children, then hold your nose and eat this bowl of food. If you keep not eating or drinking like this, you'll get sick and become an even bigger burden to the children."

Luo the blacksmith looked embarrassed by Wang Cuilian's words. He glanced at the rice porridge with crispy rice crust that Wang Cuilian had brought, and seemed to struggle with himself for a long, long time before finally frowning, very resistant, yet having no choice but to sit up from the rocking chair and slowly pick up the rice bowl...

Wang Cuilian pretended to fold clothes, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Luo the blacksmith had finally agreed to eat, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

These past few days, she has watched helplessly as Luo the blacksmith's condition deteriorates day by day. In front of him, she has to force herself to comfort him, enlighten him, and encourage him. Sometimes, when she gets impatient, she has to deliberately say something to provoke him so that he can cheer up again.

But in private, she had already secretly wiped away tears several times.

If something were to happen to the old man, she would never doubt her children's filial piety and their determination to care for her in her old age and see her off in death.

However, without the blacksmith Luo, it seemed that the bond between her and the Luo family had been lost.

She didn't leave any children with Luo the blacksmith. When she married Luo the blacksmith, Qing'er had already entered the family long before her; she essentially entered the family after Qing'er.

Although she watched her grandchildren being born and helped raise them, she ultimately wasn't their rightful grandmother, and she always felt something was missing.

As long as the blacksmith lives, she has a legitimate place in this family. If the blacksmith were to die one day, she would be like... like a widow who has not borne a child for her husband's family. In the surrounding villages, eight out of ten widows would not be able to stay in their husband's family.

If that time really comes, and the blacksmith really does pass away before me, I...I...I'll just pack up a bundle and take it with me, so as not to make things difficult for Tang Ya Zi and Qing Er...

Achoo!

In the bedroom in the backyard, Yang Ruoqing was leaning against the headboard, reading a book with Luo Fengtang.

Luo Fengtang was reading military books, while she was reading storybooks.

Suddenly my nose started to itch, so I sneezed.

Sneezing is a very ordinary thing, but someone behind her had already put down the military book and pulled her into his arms from behind.

"You wouldn't listen, and you said you weren't cold, but now you've caught a cold!"

He pulled the blanket over her and wrapped her tightly in it. He didn't loosen his grip, but instead held her even tighter in his arms.

"Is it any warmer?" he asked.

Yang Ruoqing nestled in his arms and chuckled softly.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Whether it's warm or not is secondary. The main thing is, if you keep holding me like this, I'm going to suffocate."

Luo Fengtang quickly released Yang Ruoqing.

"I'll go make you some Banlangen (Isatis root) as a precaution."

Yang Ruoqing wanted to say that it was unnecessary, but she couldn't stop him. After saying those words, Luo Fengtang immediately got out of bed.

Yang Ruoqing lay by the bed, pulling back the curtains to watch the man bustling about.

He was wearing the same style of white bathrobe as her tonight, with a white belt loosely tied around his waist.

Because he had been reading in bed, his robe was a little loose. When he turned around and walked over with the bowl in his hand, the robe was open, and the muscle lines honed by years of swordplay were faintly visible.

You have a great figure!