I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: For the Sake of a Son

“Deal! We’ll take this job!” The ruffian leader slapped his thigh. “The brothers happen to be short on cash anyway; we’ll use this old swindler to open for business!”

A smile appeared on Wu Canghai’s face, but he quickly urged them: “However, you brothers must keep this a secret. You absolutely cannot reveal that the Master sent you. He is a scholar; he has a reputation to uphold.”

“Don’t worry! We know the rules!” The ruffian leader patted his chest in guarantee. “We’ll do it clean and quickly, no connection to your Master!”

Wu Canghai nodded with satisfaction. Watching the ruffians rubbing their hands in anticipation, he added one last thing: “That swindler and his apprentice will likely be checking out and leaving soon. If you brothers are going to move, you’d better seize the moment.”

“Understood! The brothers are heading over to keep watch right now!”

The ruffians headed excitedly toward the inn’s backyard, preparing to find the best time to strike.

Wu Canghai stood there, watching their departing backs. The smile on his face gradually vanished, leaving behind only calculation.

…

It was late afternoon by the time Wu Tiesheng dragged his heavy steps back to Wanfu Village, his mind weighed down by worries.

He deliberately avoided the crowded village entrance, taking the back paths home. Even the neighbors chatting under the large tree at the entrance didn’t notice his return.

Once inside the courtyard, he didn’t go to the main house to report the sales to his parents as he usually did. Instead, acting like a thief, he slipped back into his own room and bolted the door behind him.

His wife, Mrs. Yuan, was stitching shoe soles inside. Seeing his secretive behavior, she was startled and quickly set down her needlework. “Husband, what’s wrong? Did the goods not sell? Where’s Old Third?”

She noticed her husband had returned alone, and her heart sank.

Wu Tiesheng didn’t answer. He first peered nervously through the door crack to make sure no one in the courtyard was paying attention before turning around.

He pulled the worn money bag from his bosom, then carefully fished out another, smaller cloth bundle.

“They sold…” His voice was dry. He tossed the empty money bag onto the k’ang bed, and then, his hands trembling as if presenting a holy treasure, he unwrapped the small cloth bundle layer by layer.

When that pitch-black “Golden Pill for Delivering Sons” was fully revealed, Mrs. Yuan’s eyes widened, and she held her breath. “This… this is it…”

“Yes! Divine medicine! Personally bestowed by Divine Physician Gong!” Wu Tiesheng lowered his voice, but couldn’t suppress the excitement in his tone. “The Divine Physician said it’s guaranteed to produce a son! The County Magistrate’s relatives and Landlord Li’s family have all verified it! It’s incredibly effective!”

The couple’s eyes were fixed on the pill.

“Quick! Eat it, quick!” Mrs. Yuan’s voice trembled with impatient urgency. “Didn’t the Divine Physician say it’s best to take it immediately for the best effect?”

“Right, right, right! Take it immediately!” Wu Tiesheng finally snapped out of his daze and scrambled to find a bowl to pour water.

But looking at the massive pill, he faced a dilemma. “The Divine Physician said we can share it. The medicine is too potent; half each is just right!”

He brought over a knife. His hands were shaking so violently that it took several attempts before he carefully sliced the pill in two.

The cross-section of the pill was coarse and darker in color, emitting an even more indescribable odor.

They each took a half and looked at each other, seeing a “win-all or lose-all” determination in the other’s eyes.

“For a son!” Wu Tiesheng said hoarsely.

“For a son!” Mrs. Yuan nodded heavily.

They tilted their heads back, stuffed their respective halves into their mouths, and gulped down water from the bowl.

The pill tasted bizarre, bitter, astringent, and carried an unmentionable fishy stench that made their eyes roll back as they gagged.

But at the thought of a “son,” both endured the nausea and forced it down their throats!

As soon as the medicine hit their stomachs, a mysterious warmth seemed to surge through their bodies. The two excitedly grabbed each other’s hands, their eyes turning red.

“Husband… do we really have hope now?” Mrs. Yuan’s voice carried a hint of sobbing.

“There’s hope! Definitely hope!” Wu Tiesheng nodded firmly, as if he could already see a bright future. “Divine Physician Gong said this medicine is potent! Not just one son—we could have several boys in the future! All strong laborers! When that time comes, let’s see who dares look down on us!”

The more he spoke, the more excited he became. “When the sons grow up, marry, and have children, we’ll just wait to enjoy our lives! Maybe this medicine can even strengthen our bodies and help us live to a hundred!”

Mrs. Yuan shook her head and wiped away a tear, her voice exceptionally firm: “I don’t care about living to a hundred. I just want a son! As long as I have a son, I can hold my head up high. I won’t have to hear those gossips anymore, and I won’t be failing your Wu family ancestors. When the time comes, let Cai Xia and Pei Lan take good care of their younger brother…”

The couple was completely immersed in the fantasy of “having a son,” throwing all the years of grievances and cold looks to the back of their minds.

However, before the excitement had fully passed, a cold reality came crashing down like a bucket of freezing water.

The money!

Those thirty tales of silver!

The entire family’s hard work for a year chopping wood, hunting, and gathering mountain goods every bit of accumulated income had been exchanged for this mud ball in their stomachs that might not even work!

“Husband… that money… Mother’s side…” Recalling this, Mrs. Yuan’s face turned pale, and her voice shook uncontrollably.

Wu Tiesheng’s scalp also went numb, and cold sweat broke out instantly.

This money didn’t belong to him alone! It was the family’s livelihood for a year, the money his parents held tightly in their hands for major future expenses!

“I have to go tell Mother…” Wu Tiesheng’s voice was weak. “I can’t hide it; she’ll find out sooner or later…”

“How can you say it? Say we spent thirty taels on a pill and ate it?” Mrs. Yuan was on the verge of tears. “Mother will beat us to death!”

The couple sat in silence.

After a long time, Wu Tiesheng gritted his teeth. “I don’t care anymore! The medicine is already eaten anyway! Maybe we’ll conceive tonight! Once there’s a son, Mother might lose her anger!”

He felt like he was grasping at the last straw and pulled Mrs. Yuan into his arms. “Yes! Conceive a son! We need to do it now!”

The couple didn’t care that it was still daylight and scrambled onto the k’ang bed in a frantic mess.

…

Meanwhile, in the fourth branch’s room, it was a completely different scene.

Zhang Jinhua was grinning from ear to ear. Looking at the refurbished doors and windows, touching the locked chest and the newly made table and benches, and then seeing her fourth son with his clear eyes and sensible speech, she felt more content than ever before.

“Good! Truly good! My Tieniu is capable after all! Now that he’s better, he has strength and can work!” Zhang Jinhua patted Wu Ya’s arm, praising him endlessly. “Qiaoqiao is good too! Quick-witted and knows how to handle things! Look at how this room is tidied up—so much brighter than before!”

Li Qiaoqiao stood by, smiling and flattering: “It’s all because Father has great skill and Mother has great vision to think of repairing it for us. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have this good fortune.”

“That’s right, that’s right!” Wu Duofu squatted at the door smoking his pipe. Hearing his wife praise his son and daughter-in-law, a smile also graced his face.

The family was in harmony.

Mrs. Wei was peeking from outside. Hearing the mutual praise within, she curled her lip, her heart feeling sour and uncomfortable.

Nowadays, the Mother-in-law only had eyes for the fourth couple, giving them every good thing and completely forgetting that the eldest branch’s grandson was still studying hard in town!

Just as she was thinking this, she saw the courtyard gate being pushed open. Wu Tiesheng walked in with his head down and unsteady steps, his complexion looking terrible.