CHAPTER 73: CHAPTER 73: FULFILLING A PROMISE FAITHFULLY

The old man suddenly understood, so that’s how it is.

"He..."

The old man hesitated to speak. The team leader, who was waiting for him to express his opinion, sighed and sincerely said, "Old Zhang told me to ’appropriately’ take care of you all."

He emphasized the word "appropriately," and the old man and the others immediately understood that this meant they should reflect when necessary and work when required.

However, compared to before, their days would be much better.

Thinking of this, the five of them let out a long sigh of relief. For them now, being able to live like this was happiness!

At least they didn’t have to be subjected to beatings or insults at every turn.

"Thank you so much!"

"Oh, why say that?"

The team leader waved his hand, "Hurry up and get in the car, let’s go back. It’s too cold outside; even if you don’t think about yourself, think about the children."

He pointed to a child whose face was blue with cold, "The child is pitiful, stop dawdling."

Indeed.

People who aren’t utterly devoid of conscience have a sense of compassion for young ones.

Moreover, since little Qin Jiu was also good-looking, and with him as an example, the old man and the others got in the car without further delay.

Yi Chichi and the others quickly wrapped the sheepskin blankets around them, chanting to cover up and keep warm.

At this moment, they finally understood why there were sheepskin blankets in the car; they weren’t worried they’d be cold, but for the old man and his group.

"Thank you, really, thank you so much!"

Wrapped in the sheepskin blankets, they busily expressed their gratitude, while Yi Chichi and the others just smiled, "Don’t thank us, thank the team leader and them."

If the team leader and they didn’t express goodwill, they wouldn’t dare step forward.

The team leader smiled, "No need to thank me, it’s just fulfilling an entrusted task or whatever."

"Entrusted with a task, be loyal to it?"

Yi Chichi found it awkward and completed the sentence for him.

"I told you, when it comes to knowledge, you young intellectuals are the ones to look at."

He gave her a thumbs-up and turned to ask the others, "Is there any discomfort in your bodies?"

"No."

They shook their heads in unison.

Yi Chichi hesitated; this wasn’t true, she could tell from their eyes that all five adults showed symptoms of heart and gallbladder weakness.

The child wasn’t much better, easily startled and restless.

These were also symptoms of heart and gallbladder weakness.

They needed calming treatment.

But she hadn’t made calming pills, the herbs weren’t complete, and the team clinic didn’t have any calming Western medicine.

"Let’s go back first."

She whispered, planning to prepare some medicine for them to calm their nerves once they returned.

Cold medicine was also necessary.

Nerves that are stretched too tight can cause pent-up frustration, cold, and other issues to burst out once they relax.

They needed to prepare in advance.

"Okay!"

The team leader flicked the horsewhip, and Old Ma slowly pulled the cart away.

Yi Chichi and the others walked beside the cart.

The snow and wind grew stronger, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.

An hour and a half later, they returned to Kao Shan Village.

The party secretary, fully equipped as a farmer, was waiting at the door. Upon seeing Yi Chichi and the others, he hurried over, "How many people?"

"Five adults and one child."

The team leader pulled the reins to a stop and jumped down from the cart to greet the old man and his group into the house.

The old man and the others got off the cart and looked at the lowly two-room earthen house in front of them, their expressions grew somber.

As expected, this would be their home in the future.

"Come inside, the kang has already been heated, warm up first."

The party secretary sized them up, noticing the old and young, each as thin as a rake, even skinnier than the people of the village. A flash of compassion flickered in his eyes.

"Yes, come inside first."

The team leader led them into the house, while Yi Chichi and the others exchanged looks, wondering if they should go in or not.

Just as they pondered whether to say goodbye and leave, the party secretary came out from inside the house, "Miss Yi, can you go and check their health, Xiao Bai, come with me."

Bai Chen and Qi Yang exchanged glances and silently followed the party secretary away.

Meanwhile, Yi Chichi went inside to check on the others’ health.

As the door curtain lifted, the warm air hit her and made her nose itch, resulting in a sneeze.

"Caught a cold?"

The team leader heard the noise and looked over, his brows knitted with concern.

"I’m fine."

Yi Chichi waved her hand and, carrying the medicine box, approached the kang to examine the five adults and one child under the team leader’s attentive gaze.

As she had suspected, they were malnourished and had heart and gallbladder weakness.

On top of that, except for the middle-aged man, the old lady, and the somewhat sturdier older man, the old man’s and the old lady’s companion’s chronic ailments had resurfaced.

Her expression grew solemn. She pointed to the old man’s knee, "Can I take a look at your leg?"

"There’s nothing worth looking at, it’s an old issue."

This was a refusal.

Yi Chichi hadn’t planned on recognizing the old man now, so it wasn’t appropriate to say much.

So, she looked at the team leader, giving him a look as if to say, these are your old comrades entrusted to your care, you should speak up.

The team leader understood her signal and took the lead, beginning to reason with and emotionally sway him.

Eventually, the old man agreed to let her examine his knee.

"Whoa!"

The team leader gasped, "Oh my, what’s happened here?"

In all his years, he had never seen a knee like this.

The entire knee area was red and swollen, the skin shiny and transparent, painful to look at.

"An old chronic illness."

The old man was brief, but seeing Yi Chichi staring at his knee made him a bit embarrassed, "Child, did this frighten you?"

"No."

Yi Chichi began her examination, asking questions now and then, and finally made a diagnosis, "Rheumatoid arthritis, with effusion."

It needed urgent treatment.

She withdrew her hand and examined the other old man’s knee.

This one had infectious arthritis, also with effusion.

Symptoms no less severe than the old man’s.

She stood up, "Uncle, I’ll go get the medicine. Please prepare a washbasin, hot water, scissors... a small ladle and such items for me, I’ll need them later."

"Alright."

So, Yi Chichi went to gather the medicine.

Half an hour later, she returned with the medicine and a pot for brewing it.

She noticed that the team leader had already prepared what she needed, and Bai Chen and the others were hefting items like quilts, straw, washbasins, and buckets into the house.

"You brought the medicine?"

"Yes, I did."

Yi Chichi handed over the medicine packet, "Uncle, three bowls boiled down, you know how?!"

"I do!"

He reached for the medicine packet, "All boiled together?"

"Together."

This was a strong remedy for severe conditions, employing a kind of fight poison with poison approach, but the dosage had to be carefully managed, even a little too much or too little could be dangerous.

It was a prescription passed down in the Yi Family, further refined by the old man and the others, with remarkable effects on stubborn ailments.

Though the old man and the others’ condition didn’t quite warrant such drastic measures, it wasn’t far off.

Thus, this remedy suited them.

"I’ll go do it now."

The team leader took the medicine packet to the small kitchen next door, while Yi Chichi fetched a basin, poured in hot water, and brought it to the old man, saying, "Please take off your shoes and soak your feet in the water. I’ll go sterilize the needle and come back to address the joint effusion later."