Chapter 290: A Budding Hope

Chapter 290: Chapter 290: A Budding Hope

Seeing the hesitation and struggle on Ji Mingfang’s face, Ji Huan knew his question wouldn’t be about the spices.

Sure enough—

"I wanted to ask... about that homeless man. His leg..."

Ji Mingfang trailed off, but Ji Huan already knew what he meant.

"You’re asking if the homeless man’s leg injuries were truly healed, aren’t you?"

Ji Mingfang looked a little hesitant, but he nodded nonetheless.

Come to think of it, he had only seen the homeless man once, and only vaguely at that.

It was back when Dabao was abducted. Everyone went up the mountain to search for him, while he stayed behind to guard the homes. He only saw the man when the search party returned. In the crowd, besides the recovered Dabao, he spotted the homeless man being supported by Shi Yong and Hu Dacheng.

The homeless man’s leg injuries were clearly even more severe than his own.

Moreover, Ji Mingfang clearly remembered that when the homeless man first appeared in Dafeng Village, he couldn’t move any of his limbs.

After that day, he paid the homeless man no more mind. He’d occasionally heard a mention or two of him—people said the man had disappeared and guessed he must have left Dafeng Village for some other place.

As for where he went, or whether he was dead or alive, no one cared.

He was just a beggar, forgotten by the villagers in the blink of an eye.

While working at Ji Huan’s home these past few days, Ji Mingfang noticed that she would leave with a food basket around every mealtime. He saw this and found it very odd, but he didn’t pry.

It wasn’t until Ji Xuelan casually asked about it and Ji Huan answered frankly that Ji Mingfang finally learned the homeless man was still in the village.

Ji Mingfang could guess at the reason—the homeless man had saved Dabao, so Ji Huan couldn’t bear to see him remain a wanderer and had arranged a place for him to shelter from the elements.

Not only that, but she had also gone out of her way to bring a doctor from town to treat his injuries.

And the crucial part was, the injuries had been healed!

He had asked Hu Dacheng for the details of the homeless man’s condition.

He didn’t ask Ji Huan directly because he was afraid she would see right through him, and even more afraid of the potential humiliation.

A child has no filter and will say whatever comes to mind, but children also have a habit of exaggeration.

According to Hu Dacheng’s description, the homeless man’s injuries were terrifying.

When Doctor Xin first came, he took one look, turned around, and left. He declared the man was a lost cause, that all four of his limbs were completely ruined.

But Ji Huan refused to give up. She went to town time and time again to beg and plead, and only then did Doctor Xin reluctantly agree to try and save him.

Then, after performing some kind of surgery on the man, the doctor wrapped him up like a mummy. He was kept in a room for one or two months, forbidden from seeing sunlight, and when he was finally let out, his limbs were completely healed.

Ji Huan was left speechless for a long moment after hearing this. ℯ

"Is that what Dacheng told you?"

’So many twists and turns, building up the drama... That boy has listened to too many storytellers.’

’And what was that about "begging and pleading"? Or being forbidden from seeing sunlight for two months? What nonsense.’

Ji Mingfang thought Ji Huan was upset that Dacheng had told him all this.

He was just about to apologize when Ji Huan waved her hand dismissively.

"It has nothing to do with you. That little brat Dacheng is the one who deserves a spanking. But while his story was full of fabrications, at least one part was true: the homeless man’s injuries are indeed healed."

"Really?!"

Ji Mingfang was in disbelief, his heart pounding with excitement.

"Are they really all better? He can use his hands? He can walk again? And he walks without... without a limp?"

Ji Huan nodded, then shook her head.

"His normal life isn’t affected at all, though he still can’t do delicate work. Walking isn’t much of a problem either, but you can still see something a little unusual in his gait. With a little more time, he should be pretty much fully recovered."

Ji Mingfang’s hands clenched and unclenched the fabric over his knees, his breathing growing ragged.

Finally, he mustered up his courage and looked up at Ji Huan.

"W-Wan... you said... if he could be healed, do you think... could I...?"

Ji Huan had guessed what was on his mind from his very first question, so she wasn’t surprised.

But Ji Mingfang’s question was one she found difficult to answer.

’Based on her observations and judgment, Ji Mingfang’s leg was most likely beyond healing.’

’Too much time had passed. The bone was already deformed, its shape long since set. Even with modern medical technology, it would likely be a lost cause, let alone in this ancient era.’

Ji Huan was always straightforward with Ji Mingfang, and she could have just told him the blunt truth.

But the light in Ji Mingfang’s eyes, and the brilliant, unconcealable hope within them, made her unable to deliver the verdict.

’Saying "it can’t be healed"—those three simple words were easy to utter, but it would be tantamount to passing a death sentence on a man full of hope.’

’Then again,’ she thought, ’I’m not an orthopedic specialist. My judgment isn’t necessarily one hundred percent accurate.’

’What if there’s still that one percent chance...?’

"Why don’t you come to town with me tomorrow? We can have Doctor Xin take a look at you himself. What do you think?"

Ji Mingfang’s excitement was tempered by a sudden, hesitant thought.

"But don’t we have to process the spices tomorrow? I can’t delay the work."

’I could wait until I’m done with work in the evening,’ he thought, ’but by the time I get to town, the clinic will already be closed.’

"I’ll give you the day off," Ji Huan said. "Worst case, I’ll just deduct a day’s wages. How does that sound?"

That was a solution that worked for both of them.

Ji Mingfang nodded without hesitation.

"I... I’m causing you trouble."

"It’s no trouble at all. I was already planning to go to town to return a book and check if the new shipment of spices has arrived. It’s perfect timing."

When Yang learned that Ji Mingfang was going to town with Ji Huan, she was very uneasy.

"Why are you going to town all of a sudden? You’re a grown man and you’ve hardly ever left the village..."

"Mom, Ming Fang may not have gone out much, but Ji Huan goes all the time. She knows the town like the back of her hand. What’s there to worry about with him going with her?"

"Then you at least have to tell me what you’re going to town for."

Well... Ji Xuelan actually didn’t know.

Ji Mingfang saw them both looking at him and knew he couldn’t get away without giving them a reason.

’But I haven’t even seen Doctor Xin yet. It’s still a complete unknown whether my leg can be treated.’

’If I tell the family now, only for it to turn out to be impossible, wouldn’t that just get their hopes up for nothing?’

"It’s nothing important. I’m just going with her to Yide Hall to ask about the spices we ordered..."

As soon as she heard it was for the workshop, Yang felt she couldn’t object.

Originally, she had been very unsure about both of her children running off to help Ji Huan.

That was, until the beginning of the ninth month. During the work stoppage for the sweet potato harvest, Ji Xuelan and Ji Mingfang brought home their first month’s wages.

It was called their "first month," but they had only signed the contract two days after the Mid-Autumn Festival. All told, they had only worked a little over ten days in the eighth month.

And yet, they each came home with over a hundred wen.

That worked out to ten wen for a single day’s work!

The weight in Yang’s heart was finally lifted.

From that day forward, she never again complained about Ji Xuelan quitting her laundry job without a peep, nor about the decision to have Ji Liansong quit his job at the brick kiln as well.