Waiting to Die

“Zhao Chuchu, I am your grandmother. How dare you demand money from me? Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning? The heavens will punish you. It’s your duty as a granddaughter to be filial to me.” Fury overcame Madam Yang as she roared in anger.

“That’s right, I am your uncle. Not only must you give us the prescription, but you have to brew the medicine and send it to us.”

“Zhao Chuchu, don’t forget that your surname is Zhao. You are from the Zhao family. The prescription is given to you by the Zhao family as your dowry.”

As soon as Madam Yang spoke, all the villagers with the surname Zhao concurred with her. They wanted to force Zhao Chuchu to give in by using the family name.

Before Zhao Chuxhu could say anything, Xie Heng spoke up. “Chuchu is married to me. She is now part of the Xie family. She had nothing to do with the Zhao family.”

“Although I am blind, I am not deaf. When Zhao Zhizhi slandered Chuchu out of malice, all of you from the Zhao family followed suit and accused Chuchu of being an evil spirit. What right do you have to say that Zhao Chuchu belongs to your family?”

Xie Heng stared straight at the crowd.

His blank gaze terrified the villagers.

Xie Heng walked slowly toward Zhao Chuchu and pulled her behind him. “The medical book belongs to the Xie family. I am the one who taught Chuchu to read and write. None of you in the Zhao family are literate. Chuchu married me with nothing to her name. How is it possible that you gave the prescription to her? Chuchu’s parents are no longer around. But she has her husband and that’s me. Even though I am blind, I am still able to file a letter with the magistrate’s office in the county. I can sue you for plotting to take her prescription and her life!”

The people at Lengshui Village never bothered themselves with Xie Heng. Although he was a scholar, he usually kept to himself.

Now that Xie Heng was in a rage, none of them dared to argue with him.

Zhao Chuchu was surprised that Xie Heng had stood out and spoken out for her.

He even helped to cover up the reason for her medical knowledge.

She wondered if he already knew that she was not the real Zhao Chuchu.

“At the very least, I am her grandmother. How…”

“If Chuchu is willing to save you, it is because of love. However, it’s also her right not to save you. Do you want me to tell you again why she married me?”

Madam Yang immediately kept quiet.

Back then, the family had set a trap for Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng. They made Xie Heng pay 15 pieces of silver and forced Zhao Chuchu to marry him. In order not to be implicated by the Xie family, Madam Yang had specifically announced on the wedding day that Zhao Chuchu now belonged to the Xie family. She would have nothing to do with the Zhao family.

“Did you hear what my husband just said? Don’t bully me just because I am an orphan. My husband is a scholar.” Zhao Chuchu became bolder and used Xie Heng’s title to justify their actions.

She figured that since Xie Heng was willing to help her, she would not reject his good intentions.

Zhao Chuchu had called Xie Heng her husband so naturally not because she really treated him as her husband. She found herself reborn in this life for no rhyme or reason. Hence, she might as well treat this life as though she was in a virtual reality game. Now that she had a husband, she should put him to good use.

However, Zhao Chuchu also knew for a fact that Xie Jun was not sick. He had been poisoned. She decided that she would help him to neutralize the poison in his body after he recovered from the plague. She would get a letter of divorce from Xie Heng in exchange for Xie Jun’s health. She would be free then.

During the olden days, she would not be able to get on in life without a household registration.

Xie Heng gripped her hand tightly but loosened it shortly.

“I don’t have that much money.”

“Then give me some crops in exchange for the medicine.”

“I don’t have any crops.”

“Well then, just sit here and wait for death to come upon you.”

“Why are you so vicious?”

“Weren’t you equally vicious when you insisted on killing me?’

The villagers tried to negotiate with Zhao Chuchu but she refused to budge.

Madam Yang was seething with anger. She stomped her foot. Nevertheless, she was in so much pain from the plague that she paid Zhao Chuchu grudgingly.

There were thirty-eight households in Lengshui Village. Other than the six families which Zhao Chuchu singled out earlier, thirty-two families were remaining.

Although not all of them were infected with this plague, every household had at least one person that was infected. They all paid Zhao Chuchu so they would not die.

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