Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 628 Not a single penny to spare
"Oh, she's awake!" said the young woman who was keeping watch by the kang (a heated brick bed).

"You're finally awake." The elderly woman came to Zhou Erya and reached out to stroke her hair. "Where do you feel unwell? Your husband has gone to fetch a doctor for you and will be back soon."

Seeing that Zhou Erya didn't speak, the woman asked again, "Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?"

Zhou Erya shook her head.

The elderly woman sighed, "Look how thin you've become. We've had better lives these past two years, child, why have you let yourself starve like this?"

Hearing her words, Zhou Erya couldn't help but shed tears.

Seeing her in such a pitiful state, a woman who couldn't bear to watch said, "This can't be left like this, report it to the authorities and have him arrested!"

Of course, some people also said: "After all, they are brothers. If they really get arrested, her husband might blame her. Sigh, being a wife is hard."

"If you ask me, this can't be calculated like that!" A burly woman felt very sorry for Zhou Erya.

"What else can we do if we don't report it to the authorities? What will happen to that family?"

The people who said these things were all worried about Zhou Erya, but they had different personalities, different concerns, and naturally gave different advice.

“Not reporting to the authorities doesn’t necessarily mean there are no other options,” the burly woman said. “Since Xidong is now working at the county government, we can call Xidong and Xichun back and let Zheng Jiasheng make a decision.”

"What definite idea?"

"Let's see if he wants that bastard brother or his wife and kids."

When they mentioned the children again, Zhou Erya looked nervous and said, "No! Don't tell the children."

"Are you stupid?!" The big woman stood in front of the kang (a heated brick bed). "You think nothing will happen if you don't say anything? Today's incident has caused such a big commotion, everyone in the village knows about it. Even if we don't say anything, those two kids will find out from someone else sooner or later."

"Then people will say the two kids are stupid, that their own mother got beaten up, and they'll be acting like idiots who don't know anything!"

Zhou Erya hesitated. Seeing that her words had an effect, the burly woman understood how to persuade her, "Even if it's for the sake of the two children, there has to be a result for what happened today."

The older woman sighed and said to Zhou Erya, "In the end, this is all your own family matter. As for what other people say, listen if you want to, and just pretend they didn't say it. Everyone is just trying to be helpful, so don't overthink it."

“Auntie…” The big woman disagreed with the old woman’s words and wanted to refute them, but was stopped by the old woman’s gaze.

Meanwhile, in the county town, Zheng Jiasheng followed his fellow villagers to Wen Dong's pharmacy.

The young people in the village were quick-witted and had clear logic. They quickly explained the situation and asked Wen Dong to come to Anxi Village for a house call.

Without a word, Wen Dong prepared his usual medicines and acupuncture needles and was about to set off. However, before leaving, he said as usual, "Whether I can cure the patient or not, I charge thirty copper coins for each house call. You'd better think it over."

In general, in extremely urgent situations, no one will admit beforehand that they have no money, since payment is only made after the medical examination.

But Zheng Jiasheng was different from the others. He said blankly, "I don't have a single penny to my name."

Wen Dong glanced at him, then tossed the things he had prepared onto the counter. "What's the point of getting medical treatment if you don't have money? This isn't a charity."

"Doctor, please have some compassion!" A young man from the village immediately pleaded with Wen Dong. "This family has also suffered a misfortune and is currently short of money. You just need to go see a doctor, and they will definitely be able to pay back the consultation fee."

Fearing the doctor wouldn't believe him, the young man added, "His daughter works at the county government office. You'll know her name is Zheng Xidong if you ask around. They won't renege on this money."

Wen Dong reluctantly went with them after hearing this.

The three of them hurried home, but when they arrived at their doorstep, they hesitated to go inside.

Three horses were tied up outside the courtyard, and two constables stood in front of his house.

Zheng Jiasheng was so frightened that he didn't dare to say a word.

It was a neighbor in the courtyard who said, "Your Xidong has invited the county magistrate, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and go inside!"