The Farmer's Daughter is the Favorite of the Family

Persuasion

"Alas! What a pity, such a good seedling is ruined!" Xu Laosan sighed.

"Who says it isn't! But his disease is indeed not suitable for being a teacher, and there is a chance that it will be transmitted to others." Shopkeeper Hong said. 

Qibao asked: "Grandpa Hong, can you take me to meet this person?"

Shopkeeper Hong said in surprise: "But his illness..."

Qibao said: "It doesn't matter. If this person is really good, I may have a way to cure his disease."

"Girl, are you serious? He has been drinking medicine for a long time, but he has not shown any improvement. Are you sure?" Shopkeeper Hong asked.

Qibao said: "We will wait until we meet to discuss the details. Even if there is a way to cure him, it still depends on whether he is worth my treatment."

"Okay, he often comes to me to buy medicine. I know where his home is. Now that I have time, I will take you there myself!" Shopkeeper Hong said.

"Okay, then I'll trouble Grandpa Hong."

The three of them got on the carriage. Shopkeeper Hong and Kui Wu agreed on a location, and the carriage started to set off.

Qibao said: "Grandpa Hong, you haven't told me what this person's name is yet!"

Shopkeeper Hong said: "His name is He Jie, and he lives in a slum on the outskirts of the town."

The carriage quickly arrived at the destination. Kui Wu said: "Miss, the carriage ahead can't pass. The road is too narrow! You need to walk the rest of the way."

Everyone got off the carriage, leaving Kui Wu to keep watch. Shopkeeper Tong led the father and daughter into the narrow alley and said as they walked: "This is a well-known slum in Huamen Town. The environment is not good. Most of the people living here are people with similar conditions to their families."

When Qibao walked into this alley, the tip of her nose was filled with a smell like that emanating from a sewer, and the houses next to her either had a big hole in them or a corner of the roof had collapsed, and people could only live on the side that hadn't collapsed, but this kind of house was quite dangerous to live in.

When Qibao walked into this alley, the tip of her nose was filled with a smell like that emanating from a sewer, and the houses next to her either had a big hole in them or a corner of the roof had collapsed, and people could only live on the side that hadn't collapsed, but this kind of house was quite dangerous to live in.

After all, the clothes Qibao and the three of them wore were symbols of wealth to them, so how could they come to a place like theirs.

The three of them came to the door of an adobe house and knocked on the old and colorful wooden door. A woman's voice came from inside.

"Coming, who is it?" Immediately afterward, footsteps were heard coming closer as well.

With a creak, the wooden door opened from the inside. The woman looked at the three people in front of the door and was stunned. She knew Shopkeeper Hong, so she immediately asked: "Shopkeeper Hong, you...why are you here?"

Qibao carefully observed the woman in front of her. In fact, she looked like she was in her forties. However, her hair was already a lot whiter, which made her actually much older. She was also very thin and looked slutty, at first glance, it is caused by poor living conditions.

Shopkeeper Hong said politely: "Sister, if it's more convenient, can we go into the house to talk?"

The woman was a little embarrassed and said: "The house is simple. If shopkeeper Hong and the two distinguished guests don't mind, please come in and talk." Then she stepped aside and let the three people enter the house.

As soon as Qibao entered the house, she could smell a damp and musty smell, but the house was quite clean.

The woman said sheepishly: "I only have two stools at home, so please forgive me."

"It's okay. We can talk while standing. I wonder if He Jie's cough is better?" Shopkeeper Hong said.

"Thank you, shopkeeper Hong, for thinking about him. Jie'er is still like that. He shuts himself in the room all day long in order to copy books to support the family. I advised him to take a break, but the kid just didn't listen." The woman's eyes turned red when she talked about her son.

"Cough, mother, it's... Cough...who's here? Cough." A man's voice came from inside, mixed with the sound of coughing.

"Oh, Jie'er, it's shopkeeper Hong who's here, and he's bringing two distinguished guests." the woman responded.

The shabby curtain door was opened from the inside, and a man wearing brown linen clothes walked out. This man was thin, pale, and had quite regular features.

"Cough, it turns out that shopkeeper Hong... cough... Shopkeeper Hong is here. I wonder what business Mr. Hong has come to Humble House for? Cough..."

"Indeed there is something, this father and daughter beside me entrusted me to find a suitable teacher for their village's schola, so I thought of you, and came here specifically to ask Mr. He if you are willing to do so?" Shopkeeper Hong said.

"Cough...Shopkeeper Hong, please stop joking, how can I be a teacher with this appearance! Cough." He Jie said with a somewhat bitter smile.

"Grandpa Hong has already told us about your situation. If you are the person we are looking for, maybe we can really cure your cough." Qibao spoke.

"What? Girl, are you telling the truth? Can you really cure my son's disease?" The woman said with some excitement, although she also think it is unlikely, this is just a child words, it shouldn't be taken seriously, but as long as there is a tiny bit of possibility, she doesn't want to give up this opportunity. She also doesn't want to see her son being sick every day, every time she hears her son coughing rapidly in the middle of the night, her heart is as painful as a needle poking.

"Well, otherwise we wouldn't have asked Grandpa Hong to come find you." Qibao said.

The woman became even more excited. She believed that shopkeeper Hong's character would never bring anyone to play tricks on them, so she quickly begged: "Please help me save my son! I will agree to whatever you say, even if it kills me. I'll definitely never say anything!"

"Mom! What are you talking about! Cough... I don't allow you to say that! Cough... I only have you as my only relative... Cough..." He Jie said with some excitement, but didn't dare to get too close to his mother, just for fear of transferring his own sick Qi (energy) to her, so he always just stood at the entrance of the door curtain, keeping a certain distance from the crowd.

Qibao also had a good first impression of this man and secretly tugged on her father's clothes.

Xu Laosan immediately said: "As long as Mr. He is willing to come to our village to be a teacher, we will also find a way to cure your cough without you needing to pay a penny."

"This... even Leshan Pharmacy can't cure it. It is estimated that the possibility of curing my son's disease is very slim. It's all my fault. It was me who harmed Jie'er and ruined his future... Wuwu." The woman was already sobbing a little when she thought of the sadness.

"Mom... Cough...don't cry, it's not mom's fault, ahem, it's because I'm weak... Cough...how can I blame mom... Cough" He Jie was a little anxious when he saw his mother crying, and hurriedly comforted her.

"Why don't Mr. He choose to believe us for once? I hope that our method can really cure you?" Xu Laosan asked.

"That's right, He Jie, I wouldn't have brought them to see you if I wasn't sure." Shopkeeper Hong also spoke.

"Shopkeeper Hong, don't get me wrong. Cough, it's not that I don't trust you guys, Cough...it's just that I've never been a teacher before... Cough, I'm afraid that I'm not the right person for the job... Cough."

"No matter, the children in our village are all unenlightened, we just want them to learn to read and write, and learn some knowledge. I believe that with a diploma as good as yours, you will definitely be able to do it, and this is also an opportunity for your honor, could it be that the two of you, mother and son, really want to live in a place like this?" Xu Laosan asked.