Chapter 28: Sweating

  The banquet in Nanzhuang started half an hour ahead of schedule.

  During the banquet, Chen Er's heart was heavy with worries.

  The guests who came today are about the same age as Chen Er, and they can be considered friends of the same age. They all understand each other. Seeing Chen Er like this, they roughly guessed that something had happened, so Chen Er's two cousins left without saying goodbye, and Chen Er's younger brother and cousin also left.

  The banquet was also dull and uninteresting.

  After the meal, Chen Er apologized to everyone: "...... Originally, I had arranged for a hunt. However, my second cousin suddenly fell ill. My heart is really uneasy, thinking of going back to the city to take a look. Today's hospitality was not good, and I'll invite you all to drink again another day to make up for it."

  Everyone knew what was going on then.

  We are all friends of the same age, there is no need for excessive politeness, and besides, my younger brother is sick and I'm going to visit him, which is more important.

  Everyone comforted Chen Er and told him not to worry, then bid farewell with a bow and returned home.

  Chen Erliu stayed behind to take care of things and then returned to the city by horse-drawn carriage.

  All the way, Chen Er's mind was not on He Zhen, but on Chen Jing.

  Medical skills, martial arts?

  Chen Er is the future master of the Chen family. The brothers and cousins in the family, who has what kind of personality, what kind of ability, can or cannot support, will or will not help the Chen family in the future, Chen Er is very clear about it.

  This is one of his required courses.

  But Chen Jiong...

  "Scholarship is superficial, intelligence is mediocre." Chen Jiong was still studying in the clan school when his teacher evaluated him like this, "Not as good as Chen Jiayong. One kind of rice feeds a hundred kinds of people, Chen Zhongji is an ordinary person."

  Last Mid-Autumn Festival, Chen Jing was knocked unconscious by Chen Qi. After waking up, he refused to go to the clan school again. Because of Master Fu's evaluation, Chen Er felt that Chen Jing was also wasting a seat in school and agreed to let him return home to study behind closed doors.

  Chen Jiong's older brother, who also didn't like studying in the clan school before, said that it was better to study at home. As a result, he passed the imperial examination. Therefore, when Chen Jiong wanted to drop out of school, his sister-in-law Li agreed first.

  Li agreed, and Chen Er managed to persuade his father as well, so he also agreed.

  A sixteen-year-old child, with studies that are satisfactory but not outstanding, was allowed by his family to drop out of clan school, which is equivalent to giving up on him.

  From then on, Chen Er never paid attention to Chen Jing again, although he didn't pay much attention before either.

  It's only been half a year.

  In half a year of not paying attention, this kid has suddenly come up with some minor skills and incredibly good medical techniques that are hard to understand.

  What happened after all?

  Chen Er must know.

  "Could I have seen it wrong?" Chen Er muttered to himself.

  Back in the city, Chen Er hesitated for a moment and decided to go home first and tell his grandfather about He Zhen's situation, so that his grandfather would have a bottom line. After clearing things up with his grandfather, Chen Er dared to take bold action.

  His carriage went straight back to Jingzhong Alley.

  Today is his second son's first birthday, and all the female relatives in the family have to offer their congratulations before the banquet can begin.

  Seeing him return, his wives were quite surprised and asked: "Has the banquet on the south side of the village already ended? Why did you come back faster than us?"

  Chen Er didn't explain much, just saying: "Something's up."

  He returned, changed into clean clothes and went to his grandfather's Songhe Hall.

  Grandfather is practicing calligraphy.

  "Back?" Grandfather saw Chen Er entering, looked up at him and continued writing. He was writing the words "The terrain is Kun, the gentleman carries things with great virtue".

  Grandpa has been coming and going back and forth, repeatedly writing these few words for more than half a month now.

  Chen Er doesn't quite understand what it means.

  It was just a word, Chen Er didn't think much of it. After paying respects to his grandfather, he told him what had happened in Nanzhuang: "...... He thought that since he had cured Third Uncle last time at our house, he must have gained confidence and thought his medical skills were superior. But he was too young, and a little success made him arrogant. As a result, they pressed the water curve into the lake water, and it really froze."

  The lake water at this time is very cold at the bottom, but it's hard to freeze people.

  Unless the other person is someone like He Zhen who has a cold and weak constitution.

  "Good-for-nothing!" Grandfather threw down his wolf-hair brush, splashing ink all over half the page. "It must be that scoundrel's idea! I told you last time not to vouch for him, to let him study at Songhe Hall. You didn't listen, and said he knew his mistake. Where does he know his mistake? If we don't discipline him, he'll grow up to be a criminal and bring shame to our ancestors."

  Seeing his grandfather get angry, Chen Er hurriedly tried to comfort him.

  "This time, it's not my idea, it's Zhong's." Chen Er said, "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't know how. It was Zhong who said that we should treat He Zhen's illness and earn some medical expenses from the He family."

  The old man was shocked.

  Looking back, the old master was furious, thinking that Chen Jiong was too humiliating: "Full of copper smell, not even half a bit of scholarly spirit! If that little boy is not managed by anyone, he will eventually become worse than the worst person, it's really sinful!"

  The old man believed that Chen Xuan had some medical skills, although he didn't know where his medical skills came from, and he didn't care. However, relying on medical skills to make money, like a copper merchant, was too humiliating, losing face.

  Making money through commerce is a shameful thing in a family of scholars like the Chens.

  Chen Jiong is not even a businessman, he uses medical skills as a humane technique to make money, that's even more despicable.

  The old man quite likes Chen Yangji.

  Chen Yang is a man of few words, but he is very polite and much taller than Chen Mo. It's because I like him that I don't want to see Chen Yang going downhill. As the saying goes, "Love is deep, responsibility is strict."

  "I've said it before, a boy can't be raised by a woman's hand." The old man got angrier as he thought about it, "It wasn't like this in the past. He used to be so honest and well-behaved. These two years, with his brother away from home, that ignorant sister-in-law of his has spoiled him! Once this matter is over, you go to Qiwan Alley and bring Cangji back to our house to raise him, lest he becomes even more depraved in the future."

  "Yes." Chen Erxian replied.

  It's also good to raise in Jingzhong Lane, and Chen Erdui is quite curious about Chen Xing.

  The old man vented his spleen and calmed down a bit, then said to Chen Er: "You go to the He family and see how things are. If Water Qu really was killed by Cang Ji, you first settle the He family and let them be at ease."

  "If something really happens, I'll go and take a look myself. As for how to deal with Cang Ji, it's up to the He family to decide. However, no matter what, after all, they are relatives by marriage, so if we can avoid involving the authorities, then let's not involve them, or else both families will be affected."

  It's more embarrassing for two ordinary families to go to court than for relatives by marriage to go to court.

  "Grandson was also thinking about this and hurried back," said Chen Er. "The grandson has left."

  The old man nodded.

  Watching Chen Erlie's back as he walked away with a stern expression, the old man remained silent for a long time.

  The words "thick virtue carries things" on the paper always feel like something is missing. The old man saw these words and thought of Chen Er, his heart couldn't help but feel a little regretful and worried.

  Chen Er is undoubtedly a talented person, and in the future when he becomes the head of the Chen family, the Chen family will surely prosper.

  But that child's heart has hardened a bit...

  A man with no venom is not a real man. A man with a ruthless heart may not be suitable as a friend or family member, but he is suitable for great things and suitable to be the master of a household.

  The old man was also decisive and ruthless when he was young. However, at the age of eighty, his heart had become much more tolerant.

  "Regretful and worried. At this age, I'm still so regretful and worried...". The old man sighed, feeling that he had lost the vigor of his youth, now thinking about being virtuous and carrying the weight of things.

  He threw away the paper that had been ruined by the thick ink. Later, when he wrote again, he didn't write " Thick De Zu Wu".

  ***

  When Chen Er arrived at He's house, the atmosphere in the He family was tense and oppressive.

  Xiao Shuai led Chen Er into the Weeping Flower Gate and directly to the inner courtyard.

  He Zhen moved back to the inner courtyard due to illness.

  Chen Er knew He Zhen's courtyard, thinking that San Gu Mu and San Gu Fu were so fond of He Zhen, they must be in He Zhen's courtyard, no need to go ask for peace separately, directly went to He Zhen's courtyard.

  As expected, He Zhen's courtyard was packed with people. The He family was also a big household, with hundreds of mouths to feed upstairs and downstairs.

  They probably all know what's going on by now.

  When Chen Er saw him, the eyes of the people in the house all had a hint of hostility.

  "Is Young Master Bai here?" someone asked with a forced greeting.

  Chen Er simply nodded and ignored the hostility of the crowd, walking directly inside.

  He Zhen's house, He Ti, San Gu Mu and San Gu Fu were all there.

  Third Aunt was pale and plump, wearing a lotus-colored ten-piece embroidered silk jacket with floral patterns, her eyes still red from crying.

  Look at Chen Er, San Gu Mu immediately became unceremonious and scolded: "Why did you come? Didn't you bring that little rascal who deserves to be hacked to death a thousand times? If not to take responsibility for someone else's mistake, what are you doing here?"

  Chen Er is here to socialize.

  If He Zhen is dead, stop the He family from reporting to the authorities and minimize the impact of the matter to avoid a falling out between the two families. If He Zhen is alive, seek justice for Chen Yang and Chen Qi.

  "Third Aunt and Third Uncle." Chen Er ignored Third Aunt's questioning and went forward to pay respects to his elders.

  San Gu Zhang is actually a man.

  Men don't go all the way to the end, so they need to leave some room for maneuver. Therefore, San Gu Zhang didn't scold Chen Er like San Gu Mu did, but instead responded lightly and turned his face away, avoiding eye contact with Chen Er.

  He also hated Chen Zhong and vented his anger on Chen's family.

  "Mother, this has nothing to do with Second Brother." He Tie saw that his mother was being so rude and feared that Chen Er would be embarrassed, so he mediated by saying, "At the time, I was talking to Second Brother, but he didn't know anything about it either."

  Heaven's net is wide-meshed but nothing escapes it.

  This matter is Chen Yang and Chen Qi's fault, it has nothing to do with Chen Er.

  A man's hatred is straightforward and won't drag others into it like a woman would.

  "Look at you!" San Gu Mu's interrogation turned to He Ti, "You took your brother out and didn't take good care of him, letting him get into such a big mess. It's all your fault..."

  "That's enough!" Third Uncle couldn't bear it anymore and scolded his wife, "You scold your nephew, you scold your son, what is right? Shui Qu is still not awake, can't you calm down?"

  Third Aunt's courage was insufficient, she immediately hung her head and wept, no longer daring to scold.

  Third Aunt's husband turned his face away again and continued to ignore Chen Er. He didn't like his wife scolding him, but that didn't mean he wasn't angry with the Chen family.

  "What's wrong with Shui Qu?" Chen Er asked, seeing that only He Ti Ken was willing to reason with him. "Grandfather told me to come and take a look. He wanted to come himself, but I'm afraid he'll worry too much if he follows, so I didn't dare let him."

  San Gu Zhang heard this and finally turned his face around.

  Chen Er's grandfather was the father-in-law of San Gu Zhang, who was a senior. Chen Er came on behalf of his seniors, not giving face to Chen Er is equivalent to not giving face to his seniors, which is unfilial.

  "...the doctor prescribed medicine and administered it. However, he still didn't wake up. He was frightened and kept breaking out in cold sweats, unable to control it, and had to change his clothes every now and then." San Gu Zhang said simply.

  "Out... out of sweat?" Chen Er felt it was not simple.

  People with hypothyroidism don't sweat, right?

  Is sweating a good thing?

  "It's cold sweat." He Ti explained, "The doctor said that having cold sweats is because of being frightened too much, it's not a good thing. If it can't be stopped, then..." The rest of the words were inauspicious to continue speaking.

  Chen Er didn't understand medicine either, he only knew that sweating was a way of detoxifying, but he didn't know the difference between cold sweat and regular sweat.

  He Ti then told him.

  But with this said, Chen Er's heart which had risen with a glimmer of hope slowly sank again.

  It looks like I'm done for.

  The aftermath will be troublesome.

  Now that Father doesn't manage things, Chen Er takes over as the head of the household. He acts with Grandfather and Father watching; if there's even a slight mistake, Grandfather and Father may doubt his ability.

  The bigger the thing, the harder it is to handle, and the more it tests one's ability.

  Chen Er is not afraid of trouble, but he fears unexpected events.

  Sometimes unexpected things happen and can't be avoided.