Chapter 4: South of the City (4)

“What!”
Li Kuo was shocked upon hearing this and exclaimed urgently, “Didn’t Mother improve after taking Dr. Chen’s medicine the day before yesterday? Why is she coughing again?” Head Constable Sun sighed deeply and said, “Your sister-in-law thought Dr. Chen’s medicine was too expensive, so she stopped taking it after just three days. I’ve tried persuading her several times, but she keeps saying she wants to save money for you once you grow up and need it.”
Hearing this, Li Kuo’s eyes reddened as he choked up, “How could Mother be so foolish? I’ve grown up now and can earn money to support her. Why does she harm her own health like this? Won’t this make the neighbors mock me for being unfilial?”
Although Head Constable Sun had previously thought Li Kuo was quick-witted and had leadership skills, upon further reflection, he was still just a child. His grandfather had been framed and killed by villains, leaving him to support the entire family at a young age—a truly difficult task.
Patting Li Kuo’s arm gently, Head Constable Sun said soothingly, “It must be hard for you, child. But don’t press yourself too hard. Listen to Uncle Sun: if you want to revive the Li family’s reputation, you must pursue the imperial examinations and become an official. Otherwise, you’ll end up like your uncle, with no real achievements in life. Here, take two taels of silver. Use it to get medicine for your mother, and with the rest, buy some paper and ink. With your talent, passing the exams will be a matter of time!”
Normally calm and composed, Li Kuo became panicked at these words and quickly waved his hands, “No, no! How can I accept your money, Uncle Sun? It must be hard for you too—this is your entire monthly salary. Besides, I’ll get my pay at the end of the month. I have money.”
He then quickly winked at Du Jingtian as a signal.
But Du Jingtian seemed not to understand Li Kuo’s intentions and pouted, complaining, “Dad is really stingy. Five hundred coins a month—what’s that even for? He makes Little Seven work as both a server and a laborer, taking advantage of him greatly!”
“I… I… The shop owner treats me well and gives me enough money. I…”
In his panic, Li Kuo couldn’t speak clearly, with large beads of sweat rolling down his temples.
Head Constable Sun waved his hand to calm Li Kuo down and smiled, “Kuo, your mother owes me a great debt. Now that your family’s in decline, if I don’t help, how can I live as a human being? We’re not animals—we must not be ungrateful! Take this money for now. Consider it a loan from me. You can repay me when you achieve something in life.”
At this point, Li Kuo couldn’t refuse any longer. He bowed to Head Constable Sun and said, “Uncle Sun, I’ll remember your kindness. I will surely live up to my worth and repay your and Mother’s grace.”

He patted Li Kuo on the back of the head and smiled, saying, “Silly child, go now. Spend more time talking privately with your mother—when she’s in a good mood, her health will improve too.”
“Mm, thank you, Uncle Sun.”
Li Kuo smiled brightly and bowed to Uncle Sun. Turning to Du Jingtian, he said shyly, “A-Tian, my mother isn’t feeling well. I need to go take care of her. I can’t accompany you to the garden today. I’ll make it up to you another day.”
Du Jingtian punched Li Kuo lightly and laughed, “Hurry back. When have I ever been unreasonable? But Little Seven, next time you have to go shopping with me at Leyouyuan!”
“Sure, I will.”
With the promise from this little troublemaker, Li Kuo sighed in relief and said loudly, “Uncle Sun, I’m off then, A-Tian.”
“Go ahead, go.”
Uncle Sun and Du Jingtian said together, their gazes toward the boy filled with warmth.
After bidding farewell to Uncle Sun and Du Jingtian, Li Kuo left Qujiangfang and headed straight home.
His home was in Ande Fang, right next to Tongji Fang, not far from Qujiang Pond. After crossing Qixia Street, Duizhen Hutong, and walking along Juxian Street for about half a column of incense time, Li Kuo arrived at Linhu No. 23 Alley, where his house was located. Though it was called Linhu, the alley was actually separated from Qujiangfang by two entire market districts. It was simply the estate owner adding a fancy name to sell the houses there at a better price.
But Li Kuo had no mood to think about such things. Worried about his mother’s illness, he quickened his pace, almost bumping into Uncle He, who was selling sheep jelly in the alley.
After apologizing repeatedly, the boy hurried toward his own house.
When he reached the front door, looking at the faded couplet on the mottled wooden door, Li Kuo felt a sense of loneliness. The world was so cold—if his grandfather were still alive, his house would surely be bustling with visitors.
Sighing secretly, the boy gently pushed open the wooden door. The old door creaked noisily, sounding particularly harsh.
The entire courtyard was eerily quiet; Li Kuo could even hear his own steady breathing. After carefully checking around to ensure no one was there, he quickly entered the outer room, divided half of the silver borrowed from Uncle Sun and placed it under his usual wooden bed, covering it with several old clothes he rarely wore. Then, he slipped away with the remaining silver toward the kitchen.

Looking at the bottom-of-the-bin old rice, the young man sighed. Not long ago, he had asked Master Xu to sell him some millet at a low price, but with his mother’s illness, if she couldn’t eat white rice, even the best medicine might not be able to cure her. If Master Du could pay him his monthly salary in advance, he could buy five dou of high-quality rice and then prepare three doses of tonic medicine according to Doctor Chen’s prescription. Maybe after taking those doses, his mother’s illness could be cured!

As he was thinking this, his mother suddenly stood behind him, smiling at him. “Xiao Qi is back. Why didn’t you go work at the teahouse today?”

“Mom, look, I’ve brought back an ounce of silver. I’ll go get medicine for you right away and buy you some high-quality rice too!”

Li Kuo excitedly placed the silver on the table and stepped forward to support his weak mother.

“Xiao Qi, where did you get this money?” Li Lüshi asked, puzzled, looking at the silver coins on the table.

“Mom, Master Du praised me for my good work and raised my monthly salary. After learning you were sick, he even… he advanced two months’ salary for your treatment,” Li Kuo said in a low voice, his hands clasped behind his back.

She knew her own child best. Li Lüshi was both shocked and afraid. Her son had never lied and would never lie. His evasive gaze and flushed cheeks clearly showed her that what he said wasn’t true. If he had gone astray to steal or rob for her sake, how could she face her late husband?

Forcing herself to stay calm, Li Lüshi managed to force a smile. “Kuo, tell your mother the truth. Where did you get this money?”

This money shouldn’t be from a teahouse’s salary, and she didn’t believe Master Du would kindly offer to raise his son’s salary.

Feeling pressured by his mother’s gaze, Li Kuo murmured, “Mom, actually, it was Uncle Sun who gave it to me. He asked me to bring it to help you get treated. But I’ll pay it back. As soon as I get my salary, I’ll return it to Uncle Sun.”

Afraid of making his mother angry, Li Kuo emphasized his words to show his determination.

Seeing his son’s darkened eyes, Li Lüshi’s tears welled up.

Now Li Kuo became anxious, his voice tinged with tears. “Maybe… maybe I can return the money to Uncle Sun and find another way. Mom, please don’t cry. It’s all my fault—I’m useless and have caused you so much suffering.”

Li Lüshi could no longer hold back her emotions. She pulled Li Kuo into her arms and patted his not-so-broad shoulders gently. He was still just a sixteen-year-old boy. If it hadn’t been for his grandfather being framed by villains, he would be living a wealthy life like other noble youths in Chang’an, without having to struggle to make ends meet. Her husband’s former colleagues and students, upon learning of his misfortune, not only failed to help but also turned against him, reporting to the court that his family’s fields by the Wei River had been taken away, forcing her to seek refuge with her cousin. Although her cousin, out of courtesy, rented her a small courtyard in the south of the city, he refused to provide any support for food, clothing, or other necessities. To support themselves, Kuo had to drop out of school and work at his childhood friend’s shop. Thinking of this, Li Lüshi felt even more guilty toward the boy. If only she were healthier, she could do some sewing for wealthy families to earn some money. Without financial worries, Kuo could continue his studies, and once he passed the imperial exams, he could clear his grandfather’s name. But all of this seemed increasingly out of reach…

“Kuo, it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t believed those scammers and tried to use my connections to clear your grandfather’s name, we wouldn’t have spent our last savings. Now I can only rely on you, a half-grown boy, to support me. How can I face your grandfather?”
But Li Kuo was no longer crying. He reached out to wipe the tears from his mother’s cheeks and said firmly, “Mother, don’t worry. I will surely succeed. I can work while studying. I’ve met an elder brother whose father is a county magistrate who once ranked third in the imperial exams. Next year, I’ll take the spring exams and ask him for his recommendation. I’m sure I’ll pass. By then, everything will be better. You’ll see me wearing bright red clothes as I parade through the streets under imperial decree, surrounded by congratulating relatives and friends. Even my cousin won’t dare ask you for rent again!”
Hearing her son make fun of her cousin, Li Lüshi laughed and tapped his forehead lightly. “You always have such clever ideas. My cousin isn’t doing well either. Two of his daughters have gotten married, almost draining half of his family’s wealth. His wife isn’t good at managing finances, so we have to do our best to help where we can.”
But Li Kuo snorted and turned his head away. “Even before being framed by villains, Grandfather never complained about being poor. Why does he suddenly become penniless the moment we face financial difficulties?”

That being said, he didn’t want to argue with his mother any longer. He silently vowed to support her and his family on his own, like a true man!