"What's going on?" Zhang Qiquan was shocked.
Liu Cui and Zhang Xianglian in the room also hurriedly washed their hands and came over when they heard the commotion. Seeing Fang Heng, they both gasped.
"Uncle, aunt, auntie, third brother is injured. Let him in and lie down first," Jiang Sheng said with red eyes.
Zhang Xianglian was the first to react. She rushed into the backyard and started making the bed, directly stacking three mattresses to ensure Fang Heng wouldn't feel pain when lying down.
Liu Cui and Zhang Qiquan grabbed Zheng Ruqian and had him recount everything. They were both terrified and relieved afterwards.
"Don't go out these days," Zhang Qiquan said solemnly, "I'll take care of the meat business."
As the prefecture city's administrator, this was originally his responsibility.
Zheng Ruqian didn't take on any more work either, just simply explained the general price and let it go.
Although Fang Heng was injured, the 1,000 jin of cured meat was still there. In any case, the meat had to be bought and the work had to be done.
Fortunately, Zhang Qiquan was reliable.
In the next few days, he made arrangements to buy meat and open the workshop. The small Hairpin Flower Courtyard already had the beginnings of a workshop.
Luckily, although the courtyard was divided into front and back sections, there were two walls in between, so the busy noises of the workers were not too loud and would not disturb Fang Heng's rest.
He was unconscious for a full seven days.
During those seven days, Xu Mo, Zheng Ruqian, Wen Zhiyun, Chang Yan, and Jiang Sheng all kept watch over him without leaving for a moment.
Every day they patiently changed Fang Heng's medicine, fed him water, and wiped his face clean.
"This prefecture city really is a place of right and wrong," Zheng Ruqian lamented. "Last time big brother got bedsores on his butt, this time it's third brother. Who knows who it'll be next time."
"Knock on wood, second brother, you jinx," Jiang Sheng said angrily as she stomped on his shoe tip. "Don't say nonsense."
No one else would get injured again. It wouldn't happen.
But why wasn't third brother waking up yet? He couldn't really be dead, could he?
Tears welled up in Jiang Sheng's eyes again as she leaned over the bed and quietly sobbed.
Until someone gently stroked her hair.
Jiang Sheng thought it was Zheng Ruqian and waved her hand angrily. "Second brother, I don't like you. Second brother you jinx. Jiang Sheng doesn't want second brother to touch her."
But that made the person gasp in surprise.
He jokingly admonished in a hoarse voice, "Little Jiang Sheng, I just woke up and you're already trying to knock me out again?"
Jiang Sheng was startled and immediately stood up. Seeing Fang Heng's bright eyes, she cried out loudly, "Third brother is awake!"
Immediately there was a flurry of movement, an inkstone falling over, a stool crashing down, a medicine box spilling, books dropping to the floor.
In a moment, four teenagers rushed over from different directions.
"Third brother, you're awake?" Xu Mo stroked the ink stain on his sleeve, smiling radiantly. "I'm glad you're awake."
Zheng Ruqian rubbed his sore bottom where he had fallen and looked very smug. "I said, evil people live a thousand years."
Wen Zhiyun pursed his lips, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
Chang Yan looked serious. "Third brother, how are you feeling? Any discomfort? If you're uncomfortable, just ask fourth brother. He treated all your wounds.
"That's right, fourth brother is amazing. He saved you all by himself," Jiang Sheng gestured wildly with her hands and feet. "You don't know, Jiang Sheng almost fainted seeing so much blood, but fourth brother could stay calm and apply medicine. He's a natural born doctor."
With such unrestrained praise, Wen Zhiyun became somewhat embarrassed.
So in his siblings' hearts, he wasn't useless after all. He was finally useful.
The repression in his heart was relieved to some extent.
Wen Zhiyun pursed his lips and finally mustered the courage to say softly, "Third brother, don't be afraid. Your wounds are mostly skin injuries. Only your abdomen is more severe, but as long as you recuperate properly, you will definitely recover."
He added at the end, "I will definitely make you recover."
Fang Heng nodded seriously.
Xu Mo and Zheng Ruqian at the side couldn't help laughing.
Chang Yan and Jiang Sheng laughed too.
For a full seven days, the children's faces wore happy smiles again.
Zhang Xianglian watching from outside the door let out a long sigh of relief, and finally dared to go help at the workshop too.
These past few days watching Zhang Qiquan make cured meat, Zhang Xianglian became curious and tried it herself, adding some spices and reducing the salt. She accidentally discovered that the meat cured this way tasted even better.
Not too salty, while retaining the cured meat flavor and longevity.
Zhang Qiquan was very surprised. He pulled Zhang Xianglian to help adjust the proportions to see if there was an even better recipe and taste.
It would be best if they could precisely measure the salt and spices down to the ounce.
Curing meat was simple, but achieving the right standards and balanced flavor was difficult.
It was at this time that Zhang Xianglian realized how keen her sense of taste was. Whether it was a little more or less salt, or one more or less spice, she could detect the difference.
During the time Fang Heng was recuperating after waking up, she was like a happy skylark every day. After cooking for the children, she would go help out at the front workshop.
Until the first batch of cured meat was smoked.
Five hundred jin were delivered to You Ran House in the prefecture city and received unanimous praise, with an order placed for another 1,000 jin.
The other five hundred jin had to be personally hauled back to Xieyang County by Zheng Ruqian.
This meant they had to leave the prefecture city.
Zhang Xianglian looked at the not very big workshop and unfamiliar city, suddenly somewhat reluctant to part with it.
She looked at the front yard, the back yard, and every piece of cured meat drying under the eaves. She heaved a long sigh.
"Auntie," Jiang Sheng appeared behind her at some point, holding a small package. "Auntie, Jiang Sheng is leaving."
Zhang Xianglian was shocked. "Child, where are you going? Aren't we going back to Xieyang County together?"
"That's right," Jiang Sheng nodded. "But auntie is not going back."
Zhang Xianglian was puzzled.
Jiang Sheng went on, "Auntie has been so happy these days. Uncle Zhang even praised your talent and skill. You make cured meat better than others. And this is an unfamiliar place. No one will recognize auntie and hurt auntie."
"Although Jiang Sheng likes the food auntie makes, Jiang Sheng likes auntie's happiness more. If staying in the prefecture city will make auntie happy every day, then stay here."
"Jiang Sheng will miss auntie."
The little girl finished speaking, smiled brightly, and turned around hugging her small bundle.
Zhang Xianglian suddenly felt her nose turn sour. She rushed over and hugged Jiang Sheng tightly. "Little Jiang Sheng, why do you have to be so sensible?"
Why do you have to be so smart?
Outside the prefecture city gates.
The carriage and donkey cart started up at the same time, carrying six children, five hundred jin of cured meat, heading towards Xieyang County.
Zhang Xianglian watched them disappear, feeling both reluctant and sad, her eyes blurred with tears.
Five days later.
Xieyang County Yamen.
A servant quietly reported to the Xieyang County Prefect, "Sir, they've returned from the prefecture city."
"They actually came back. It's been a month already," the new prefect huffed. "I thought they were going to settle down in the prefecture city."
He was grinding an inkstone, preparing to issue new regulations.
The servant hemmed and hawed, sucking his toothflower. "This servant just found out they were delayed coming back because young master Fang Heng was attacked and seriously injured in the prefecture city..."
He didn't get to finish speaking.
The new prefect was shocked, and the brush in his hand fell to the ground.
