Chapter 41 forty one

Juexin followed Mrs. Zhou and the others to Zhou's house.Zhou Botao was standing at the door of the main room waiting for them. Seeing Mrs. Zhou, he wrung his hands and asked anxiously, "Mom, you're back. My child is so sick, what do you think should I do?" "Let's go in and have a look," Mrs. Zhou replied in panic, and then walked to Master Mei's room. Everyone naturally followed behind her.Zhou Botao said to Juexin again: "Mingxuan, you came just in time. What do you think we should do?" Did uncle order a doctor? "Jue Xin asked. "Not yet, I want to wait until grandma comes back to see it. This disease is very serious, so you should be careful," Zhou Botao replied seriously.

They entered the room.Young Mistress Mei was sitting on the edge of the bed, talking to Young Master Mei with her head buried.Seeing them come in, she rose to greet them.Her face was stained with tears, her eyebrows were tightly drawn, and her lips were closed.Her usual indifferent expression was washed away by tears. When Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Chen saw Mei's teary face, they completely forgot their usual dislike for her.They gestured kindly to her to sit down.They hurried to the bed. There was a spittoon on the step stool in front of the bed.Young master Mei lay weakly on the bed, a thin embroidered satin quilt covered his body, only his thin face as white as paper lay quietly on the pillow.His lips also turned pale, and the corners of his mouth were stained with a little blood.

"My son," Mrs. Zhou called out in pity and grief.She bowed her head slightly. "Grandmother, you are back. Mom is back too," Mei said with difficulty, opening her mouth and eyes wide.Seeing Juexin's face, he said again, "Big cousin, you're here too." He wanted to laugh, but he couldn't.He said again in his hoarse voice: "I don't know why... I vomited all of a sudden... I couldn't stop... I vomited so much... Thanks to Mrs. Sun... You came back so early It's..." "How do you feel now?" Mrs. Zhou held back her grief and asked reluctantly.Chen Shi also shed tears beside her.

"I don't want to vomit now... I'm so flustered... Mom, are you going to sit down?..." Young Master Mei said with difficulty, and he had to take a little breath when he said a word. "Grandmother, please hurry up and call the doctor. Dad said just now that he will discuss it with her when she comes back," Young Maid Mei interrupted anxiously and said to Mrs. Zhou. "Yes, call for a doctor quickly," Mrs. Zhou said with a nod of understanding.She turned around and asked Juexin again, "Mingxuan, which doctor would you like to call?" "Grandma, I suggest asking the medical officer to wish," Juexin replied without thinking.

"Congratulations to the medical officer?" Mrs. Zhou said thoughtfully. "I don't think the medical officer is doing well, and Western medicine is even more unreliable," Zhou Botao stood in front of the window, indulging in some vague thoughts, and when he heard Juexin's words, he disapproved, and turned around to express his objection.This unexpected objection woke up Juexin from his dream.He took a closer look.He knew that sympathy, pity and concern alone were useless here, so he kept quiet.He still looked at Mei's withered and thin face with sympathy, pity and concern, and thought painfully: See how they deal with you!

"What does the mother-in-law mean? Please hurry up to ask the doctor. He feels very sad, and he can feel at ease if he takes the medicine earlier," young lady Mei urged pleadingly. Juexin gave Mei Shaonai a sympathetic look.He thought, she really cared about him!But he still didn't speak, he felt that his dislike for Zhou Botao was about to reach its peak. "Then let's invite Luo Jingting. Let him have a look first. In fact, we should have invited him a long time ago," Mrs. Chen couldn't bear it, and interrupted anxiously and angrily.After hearing this, Young Mistress Mei immediately stood up and told the maid in the room: "Sister-in-law Feng, hurry up and call Lord Zhou to invite Luo Jingting immediately. Tell him to run faster."

Mrs. Feng ran out in a hurry.Only then did Mrs. Zhou say: "Please ask Luo Jingting, he will be more stable when he sees a doctor." Juexin held back his displeasure, and replied perfunctorily, "Yes." "My son, don't be so anxious, the doctor is coming. You can rest at ease for a while. When the doctor comes, there will be a solution," Mrs. Zhou gently comforted Young Master Mei. "Thank you, mother," Mei said in a low voice, moving her head.He tried to smile at his grandmother, but instead he made an expression that bordered on crying.He added in despair: "I don't think my disease will be cured."

"Your illness doesn't matter. Don't think too much about it. You take a good breath for a while. You can close your eyes and sleep for a while," Chen comforted softly. "Mom, please sit down," Mei replied emotionally.His eyeballs were slowly turning. He looked at Mrs. Chen's face, Mrs. Zhou's face, Jue Xin's face, and Mei Shaonai's face. Suddenly, two tears rolled from the corners of his eyes. come out.He complained, "I feel very sad. As soon as I close my eyes, I can see the past." "Don't think about it, you will calm down slowly," Mei Shaonai interrupted to comfort, but her tears fell one after another.She turned away. "Cousin Mei, my cousin's words are good. Don't worry, don't worry. Your illness is not serious. When the doctor checks your pulse, you will be fine after taking two medicines." Juexin knew that he could not do anything for them However, he should at least not begrudge his sympathy, so he sincerely comforted Young Master Mei in the tone of Young Mistress Mei.

Mei shook her head, and said as if giving up: "It's useless for a doctor to come, I know my illness won't get better...I've been sick for a long time...I dare not tell anyone...There is nothing else...I just worry Mrs. Sun...I'm sorry for her...she's so young...let her..." Young Nai Mei covered her face and hid aside, crying softly.Mrs. Zhou interrupted Mei's words with tears in her eyes.She said: "My son, talking hurts your nerves, shut up and rest for a while, you see you made Sun Shaoyou cry." "Mother, I won't say anything, don't be sad.... In case I have any faults, mother-in-law, mother, please treat young lady Sun well," Mei begged stubbornly.His face was like a withered petal.He himself said that bad luck was inevitable.As soon as he fell, he completely lost the will to live.

"My baby, you won't, you won't! Don't say any more!" Chen sobbed hysterically.She was about to fall on the edge of the bed, but luckily Mrs. Xu was beside her to hold her.She suddenly turned her head and said anxiously: "Why hasn't Luo Jingting come? Why hasn't he come for so long?" "Zhou Gui must be avoiding laziness, that bastard must have been delayed!" Zhou Botao cursed irritably as he walked around the room a few steps in panic, wringing his fingers.His eyes suddenly fell on Cuifeng who was standing in the corner of the room, and he ordered: "Cuifeng, go out and see why the doctor hasn't come yet?"

"Mom, sister-in-law, Mingxuan, you all sit down. Mom is tired from standing, so you'd better sit down," Xu said to them gently.She persuaded Mrs. Zhou to sit on a chair in front of the bed.Chen Shi and Juexin also sat down on the chairs beside the square table.Mrs. Xu sat on the movable chair in front of the desk.Young Mistress Mei covered her face and sat on a stool in front of the second cabinet, sobbing.Young Master Mei was lying on the bed alone, sometimes coughing two or three times, and sometimes his throat was ringing again.Everyone was silent, and sometimes they exchanged terrified glances with each other. Not long after Cuifeng left, Zhou Botao suddenly said to himself impatiently: "Once Cuifeng is gone, he won't come. Everyone is slacking off tonight. The doctor hasn't come yet, so I'll go out and see myself." He opened the curtain and went out. up. "What do you think he is good for? He is only anxious and loses his temper. Since he is in the house, why didn't he call for a doctor earlier? Otherwise, the doctor would have come long ago," Mrs. Zhou saw Zhou Botao's back disappearing behind the curtain Outside, pointing at the door angrily and complaining. Juexin recalled what happened more than half a month ago, and continued regretfully and at the same time with a bit of resentment: "Actually, if cousin Mei had been treated earlier, it wouldn't be like this. I told my uncle about it half a month ago. After that, he doesn't believe it. If we invite a doctor that day and prevent cousin Mei from going out to drink, at least it won't happen." "That's right, it's all caused by him alone. If something happens to the baby, I will fight him hard!" Chen said loudly with tears. The old lady Zhou began to sigh.She shook her head and said one after another: "It's all life, it's all life." Aunt Yang came in with a cup of spring tea that Mrs. Zhou often drank, and brought it to Mrs. Zhou. "Mom, you are tired today too. Please go back to the house and rest for a while. We are here to take care of the baby. Please rest assured," Mrs. Xu saw Mrs. Zhou taking the steaming teacup and drinking it slowly. , then persuaded softly.Mrs. Zhou hesitated for a moment, and then replied: "That's fine." She sighed helplessly, stood up, and was about to go out when she heard hurried footsteps.She thought the doctor was coming, so she stopped and waited for him to come in.It was Zhou Gui who came in (Sister-in-Law Feng and Cuifeng were also following him), his face was flushed from running, and as soon as he entered the house, he reported angrily: "Reporting to the old lady, Master Luo is not at home, He said he went out for a drink. When he asked when he would be back, he said he didn't know." Everyone looked at Zhou Gui in a daze, speechless for a while.Instead, Juexin asked Zhou Gui, "Why don't you ask which mansion Master Luo eats wine in? You can go to that mansion to invite him." It’s said that master Luo’s pulse won’t look good after drinking too much wine,” Zhou Gui replied meekly.He reached out and wiped the sweat on his forehead. Zhou Botao came in from the outside, he asked the old lady Zhou without any idea: "Mom, what should we do now?" "I think it's better to ask medical officer Zhu to take a look," Juexin couldn't help saying these words again.He knew that his proposal might not be adopted by them, but he believed that inviting any doctor to check his pulse and take a couple of medicines would only kill Mei's life. "No, I'm against asking for a western doctor. Hui'er died because of a western doctor," Zhou Botao protested bluntly. Juexin's face immediately turned red, he was embarrassed to talk back to his uncle, so he could only swallow his anger and lower his head.He thought aggrievedly: "Since you don't want to listen to me, why did you bring me here?" But he didn't have the guts to say it out loud. "You have to hire a doctor. The patient can't delay," said young mistress Mei with slightly raised eyebrows, without regard for politeness. "Then invite Uncle Wang Yun," Mrs. Xu said gently.She turned around and asked Mrs. Zhou again, "What does Mom think?" "Well, I don't have anything to say, as long as I can cure my child's illness, I will be thankful," Mrs. Zhou replied in a panic. Zhou Gui was about to go out, but Young Mistress Mei went over and told her, "Zhou Gui, hurry up, and you can sit in a sedan chair. If Master Wang can't invite you, you can invite another better doctor. You can go to see Master Luo again." After Zhou Gui went out, Mrs. Zhou took Mrs. Yang back to her room after sitting for a while.Juexin stayed here with Chen and Xu.Mei Shaonai sat quietly on the edge of the bed with her head down.She suddenly whispered to Chen Shi: "He seems to be asleep," and a smile appeared on her tired and anxious face. Chen nodded.Then Zhou Botao (who had gone out with Mrs. Zhou earlier) strode in, and the sound of his footsteps broke the silence in the room. "You walk softly, Mei Wazi is asleep," Chen warned in a low voice. Zhou Botao went to the desk and sat down unhappy.He turned the movable chair inadvertently, without paying attention, his right elbow touched a teacup on the table, and with a quick sweep, the teacup fell to the ground.The teacup shattered on the floor with a startling sound. Everyone looked at the desk in surprise.All eyes of accusation.Master Mei woke up in bed.He suddenly grabbed the piece of paper and was asked in horror: "What's the matter? What's the matter?" Mei Shaoyou hurriedly bent down to comfort him gently.Mrs. Chen went to the bed again.Juexin and Xu's eyes also fell to the bed. Zhou Botao turned around without any shame, and told Cuifeng: "Sweep the floor." Master Mei's face suddenly became uglier.They saw him suffering, but could not help him a little.He suddenly opened his eyes wide, let out a throat cry, and was about to stand up.Young Mistress Mei hurriedly supported him.Knowing that he was looking for a spittoon, she held his head in that direction.But he didn't wait for her to let his head bow, and suddenly he bent down, and when she let go of her hand, his face was pressed against her thigh.His head stretched long out of the bed.He spit out a mouthful of bright red blood with a wow, and it fell on the clean floor.Young Nai Mei shrank her feet back, letting him lie on her lap to breathe.She patted his back lightly.Mrs. Chen was standing in front of the bed, but now she took two or three steps back (her body was almost spattered with blood), and called the maid in panic: "Sister Feng, come quickly, and bring the spittoon to Master Sun." Mrs. Feng hurried over, took the spittoon off the step stool, and put it under Mei's mouth.But Mei couldn't wait any longer, he spit a few mouthfuls of blood on the ground one after another.When Mrs. Feng put down the spittoon, some red spots were also stained on her hands.No one in the room spoke, only Mei's throat was heard.Zhou Botao wrung his hands again and anxiously walked around the room.He whispered frantically: "Why hasn't the doctor come yet? Why hasn't the doctor come yet?" Eldest young master, you see he vomits so fiercely, is there anything we can do?I have no idea at all," Chen cried out anxiously, asking Juexin for help like a little girl. "Let's burn some ashes of the god's veil for him to eat," Xu interrupted calmly.Seeing that Mrs. Chen did not object, she asked Mrs. Feng to go out with her, cut off a piece of the veil and burned the ashes, preparing it for the sick to eat. Juexin was standing in front of the bed (though he was not as close as Chen was) looking at Mei.He saw the painful struggle, he heard the terrible throat cry, and he saw the scarlet blood glowing in the light.He felt it was his blood.His heart fluttered.His blood was also welling up.He has no sympathy, no mercy.He felt nothing but terror.He seemed to see death.Death stood before him.The young man lying on the edge of the bed was his own shadow.This is his past, his ruined youth.What a horrible, miserable sight it was now in his eyes.He felt a little cold all over, and a shudder ran down his spine.And those sullen faces.In an instant, the room turned into a cold cellar-like place.But Chen's voice woke him up.What answer could he give to such a question?He was staring at Chen Shi in a daze when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a black and thin figure.Zhou Botao was still pacing in the room.He remembered that Zhou Botao had caused all of this, that Zhou Botao should be the one to answer the question, and that person should be the one to think of a way, so he didn't think about it anymore, and simply replied: "Uncle always has some ideas, I'd better ask uncle to think of a way." "Has he thought of a way? It wasn't him who smashed the teacup just now, and Meiwazi was still sleeping soundly. He can only lose his temper and swear. If it weren't for him, how could Meiwazi be here today?" ?" Chen was disappointed to hear that Juexin only mentioned Zhou Botao and didn't say anything else.She looked at Zhou Botao's black face, which seemed to be covered with a layer of dark mist, and unconsciously vomited all the resentment and depression in her stomach to the face of her headstrong and incompetent husband. "It's our Zhou family's bad luck. You only complain about what I do? It's not my fault. You women are ignorant and don't speak up!" Zhou Botao retorted angrily. Mrs. Chen was feeling helpless, and when she heard Zhou Botao's words, she became even more angry, so she put down her face and said angrily: "Okay, I'm not sensible! I'll let you, a sensible person, take care of it. I'll take care of this baby. I'll leave it to you. If something happens to him, I'll ask you for someone!" After she finished speaking, she rushed out angrily. When Zhou Botao saw Chen rushing out in anger, he was so annoyed and ashamed that he couldn't help it. He muttered alone, "I don't own my son alone. You don't care, and I don't care!" He didn't go to look Young Master Mei was a little better now, so he opened the door curtain angrily and strode out. Apart from Cuifeng and the patient, only Juexin and Mei Shaonai were left in the room.Young Master Mei had stopped vomiting blood, he lay down on his wife's lap for a while, and then let her support his head and lay back on the pillow.Young Nai Mei withdrew her hand and saw him closing his eyes drowsily, as if he had fallen asleep.At this time Zhou Botao had just walked out.She was angry and sad, and felt sad for a while, so she held back her tears, raised her head and complained to Juexin: "Big cousin, you saw this with your own eyes, and this kind of thing will happen! They don't care, you call me alone." What about young women?" After she finished speaking, she bowed her head again, covering her face with her hands and sobbing softly. Juexin didn't like Mei Shaonai at all before.This night he saw everything that happened in this room with his own eyes.His eyes never deceived him into seeing the other side of a young heart.The suffering of this woman, so helpless under the blows of bad luck, aroused his sympathy.And after Zhou Botao did that, after Zhou Botao and his wife had quarreled and rushed out in anger, Mei's cry cut his heart like a knife.He took a step closer and comforted her gently: "Cousin, don't be sad. Uncle and aunt will come after a while. How can they ignore it? Besides, it's not an incurable disease. Wait for the doctor to see you." Take a pulse, take two sets of medicine, and breathe again, and you will be fine. Cousins ​​don’t have to worry, if you also get sick in a hurry, you will make my cousin sicker.” When he was talking, he was still Hoping to give his all, to give a little help to this lonely woman who was suffering.But after he finished speaking, he realized that he was powerless. He was unable to do anything in this place except to say a few empty words.He could only stand by and watch a young life being destroyed, and another's youth being pushed into a bottomless sea of ​​suffering.All unnecessary.All are salvageable.However, he does not have this power.He hates himself, he despises himself.He felt his eyes were dazzled.The woman who was sitting on the edge of the bed covering her face and shoulders, seemed to be another person now.At the same time, a small voice came to his ears: "Big cousin, take care of Meidi." He was startled, as if a sharp needle had pierced his heart.He opened his eyes wide to see that she was still the slender young girl in youthful clothes.Loh's bones rotted long ago, but her words stayed in his ears for a long time.Now he is really "doing nothing".He betrayed the trust of a young girl.He despises himself even more, hates himself. Juexin still wanted to talk, but Mrs. Feng came in and brought a bowl of boiling water washed with the ashes of the mantle for Master Mei to eat.Young Mistress Mei raised her face and looked at Juexin with tears in her eyes. Seeing Mrs. Feng carrying a bowl and walking to the bed, she asked in a low voice, "Master Sun is asleep? Do you want to eat?" She shook her hand and answered softly. : "He just fell asleep. Just put the bowl on the square table." Mrs. Feng agreed, and put the bowl on the square table.She noticed the blood on the ground, so she said to Cuifeng who stayed in the room: "Sister Cui, please go pick up some ashes to sweep the floor." Cuifeng walked out obediently. "Big cousin, you are also very tired today, thank you for your kindness. People say that I have a bad temper, and I know it too. I have been pampered at home," Mei Shaonai said gratefully to Juexin with tears in her eyes. "I came here to see all the strange things again, and my temper got worse. I'm not ashamed to say it now. Your cousin treated me very well. But today, my eldest cousin saw all these things with his own eyes. I saw it. How do you think I can rest assured? This is also my fate," she said, her voice a little hoarse, tears streaming down her cheeks like threads. "Miss, you don't have to be sad. The young master's illness will be cured. You are not in good health these two days. If you are happy, you should take good care of it." Sister-in-law Feng is the daughter-in-law who came here with Mei's wife as a dowry. The maid naturally cared about her young lady.Seeing young mistress Mei crying while talking, she went to persuade her.Hearing what she said, Young Mistress Mei simply wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.Juexin gave Zimei a sympathetic look.Cuifeng came in with a dustpan and a broom.She (Sister-in-Law Feng) continued what Young Mistress Mei had said before, and said to Juexin: "Young Master, our lady is good at everything, but she is quick-tempered and has a bad temper. Our wife passed away early, and he only likes our lady among his children." Everything will be fine. When she loses her temper, the whole family is afraid of her. The young master is not an outsider, so he understands it very well. He likes to gossip about the young lady behind his back when he meets people who don't understand. I often persuade us Miss, you have a bad temper, it’s not good, only you suffer. However, she can’t change it..." When Mrs. Feng said this, Young Mistress Mei took off her handkerchief, looked at the bed, and interrupted carefully in a low voice: Mrs. Feng, please keep your voice down, you will wake up the young master again. " Mrs. Feng turned her face to look at the bed, then fell silent.Juexin replied casually with sympathy: "You are right, not bad." Master Mei woke up in bed.He called out in a hoarse voice: "Young lady Sun, young lady Sun." Young lady Mei quickly turned her head, bent down and replied softly, "I'm here." "Are you still asleep?" Master Mei asked kindly.Seeing her put a hand on the quilt, he stretched out his hand to pinch it, and said, "You are also tired today. I just made you anxious." Young Mistress Mei looked at him with a smile, and said in a low voice, "It's still early, and the eldest cousin is still here. Do you still feel sad?" "I just slept for a while, and I'm much better now," Master Mei replied gently.He said again, "Big cousin hasn't left yet? It's hard for him." He looked for Juexin with his eyes. Young Mistress Mei turned around to greet Juexin and said, "Big Cousin, he invited you over." Juexin walked to the step stool, cast his eyes on the pillow, and called softly, "Cousin Mei." "I feel much better now. Big cousin, thank you, you haven't gone back yet," Young Master Mei tilted his head slightly, looked up at Juexin gratefully with absent eyes, and said forcefully, his voice was not loud. "Big cousin, you're tired too, please go back. I'm cured, and I'll come over to thank you." He suddenly closed his mouth, looked away from Juexin's face, and said wearily: "But I I'm afraid it won't get better." "Cousin Mei, don't think so. You are young." Juexin held back his grief and said encouragingly.But when he saw Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Chen walk into the room, he swallowed the following words. "Why hasn't the doctor come yet?" Mrs. Zhou said anxiously to herself, and walked to the bed.Chen also followed her to the bed.Mrs. Xu also lifted the curtain and came in. They saw that young master Mei was lying quietly on the bed, with a better look than before, and they were a little relieved.Mrs. Zhou kindly comforted the patient a few words. Suddenly the middle door opened outside, and Zhou Gui shouted happily: "Master Wang is here." This unexpected voice was particularly loud in the quiet night.This is the sound of joy, which brings infinite comfort and hope to those in the room.