I was reborn after my cousin stole my life.

Chapter 69: I wish you a son

The next day, as soon as Jiang Zhou went to work, Yuan Xiu went to report to work next door.

To be an apprentice, one must be diligent—observant, handy, talkative, and even more so, quick-witted.

As soon as Yuan Xiu arrived, she picked up a rag she had brought from home and cleaned her master's room inside and out.

Sister-in-law Guiying saw this and tried to stop her several times. Doctor Liu, sitting in his recliner, said to his daughter-in-law, "Don't disturb her work. Go and do your own thing. Little Yuan, after you finish cleaning the medicine cabinet, take all the herbs out to air them. The weather is really nice today. This medicine cabinet is yours from now on."

Yuan Xiu smiled and agreed.

While Yuan Xiu was drying the medicinal herbs, Doctor Liu said to her, "Later, bring out that box under the table and air it out too. It contains my notes and insights from over the years. Take it with you and take a good look at it."

Yuan Xiu quickly went inside and brought out a small box, about ten inches in size, from under the table.

"You don't need to come so early anymore. Two hours of study here every day is enough. It doesn't matter when you come, since I don't go out anyway. Staying too long is pointless. If I say too much, you won't be able to digest it, so it's a waste of time. It mainly depends on your comprehension ability."

He sighed at this point, "Our traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes 'observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation,' and all you can do now is memorize the knowledge in medical books... By the way, take back that book 'The Formulas of Decoctions' and 'The Three-Character Classic of Medicine,' and memorize the whole thing first."

"The Golden Chamber Kidney Qi formula treats kidney deficiency with Rehmannia glutinosa, Chinese herb, and Cornus officinalis, along with Paeonia suffruticosa, Poria cocos, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Aconitum carmichaelii, and Cinnamomum cassia. It guides fire back to its source and directs heat downwards. The Jisheng formula adds Plantago asiatica and Achyranthes bidentata to regulate bowel movements and relieve swelling. Qian's Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Formula removes Aconitum carmichaelii and Cinnamomum cassia, specifically treating yin deficiency with excess fire..."

"What are you reciting?" Jiang Zhou asked, stepping onto the bed with a chill in his air.

Yuan Xiu quickly pulled the blanket over him, "The single-ingredient formula for Jin Kui Shen Qi Wan... what's the next line again?"

She picked up the "Formulas of Decoctions" from the bedside table, glanced at it, and then recited it from memory: "...Six flavors plus five flavors and wheat, the eight immortals all treat qi differently, there are also anemarrhena, cypress and chrysanthemum, angelica, peony, ginseng and wheat each have their own path."

Jiang Zhou casually asked, "What does the Jin Kui Shen Qi Wan (Kidney Qi Pill) treat?"

"...warms and tonifies kidney yang, promotes qi circulation and water metabolism."

Jiang Zhou said "oh," half-reclined on the bed, and picked up a book that Yuan Xiu had bought from the city to read.

Seeing that Yuan Xiu hadn't made a sound, Jiang Zhou said, "You carry yours, don't worry about me."

Yuan Xiu cleared her throat and began to memorize the next prescription.

……

Yuan Xiu was busier than before. She spent most of her day studying diligently. Apart from occasionally going to the market, she was either reading at home or learning a craft next door.

She was also the last to collect the gifts that the family committee gave to the military families who participated in the program.

This was because a military wife who lived nearby came back from picking up a gift from the parents' committee and reminded her on the way.

"...Last year we only got two towels, but this year they're quite generous, giving out a pair of thermos flasks. Those who didn't go dancing are probably regretting it to death. Xiao Yuan, you'd better hurry up and go before they all get them."

There's definitely not enough to go around; the parents' committee buys according to the number of people, so there's neither too much nor too little.

When Wu Yufen saw her arrive, she reached out and greeted her, "Little Yuan, why are you only coming now? You're the only one left. I've been so busy these past two days that I haven't had time to go door-to-door to inform everyone. I was thinking of telling you if I bumped into you on the way, but I haven't seen you for several days in a row."

"We have vegetables at home, so we haven't gone to the market these past two days."

The thermos flasks were placed on the long table under the window, in pairs, with small red flowers tied to them.

"This was personally requested by our Chairman Gu! The leaders above praised our Parents' Committee for its well-organized program this year, and Chairman Gu immediately applied for thermos flasks for us. We never received this kind of treatment before."

Yuan Xiu took the thermos from Wu Yufen and looked at the two remaining thermos bottles on the long table.

Everyone says she's the last one, so who were the other two supposed to be?

Yuan Xiu soon found out.

"Sister Wu, I heard that everyone participating in the show received a thermos, but I didn't receive any notification about that."

Yuan Juan entered the office supporting her lower back. If she hadn't been supporting herself like that, no one would have noticed that she was pregnant.

Upon seeing Yuan Xiu, she raised her chin and ran her right hand over her flat stomach.

"Cousin, have you heard anything yet? We got married around the same time, it doesn't make sense that I'm pregnant and you haven't shown any signs yet!"

Yuan Xiu carried a thermos in each hand and said calmly, "I'm not in a hurry. I don't need to rely on my child to please my husband and mother-in-law."

Yuan Juan felt a lump in her throat, but she quickly calmed down; Yuan Xiu was just jealous of her.

Since she got pregnant, her husband and that old hag have been treating her incredibly well. They don't even let her cook anymore, and they give her money to buy snacks. Her husband even said that once their son is born, they will buy her a "three turns and one sound" (a brand of cigarettes, watches, and radios).

Even her little burden at home now avoids her, afraid of accidentally bumping into her stomach.

"So what? Once a woman enters someone's family, isn't she supposed to have children? What's the point of marrying her if she doesn't have children? I'd love to have several, preferably all sons! So they can join the army like their fathers!"

"Oh." Yuan Xiu said expressionlessly, "Then I wish you ten sons."

Yuan Juan's eyes lit up, thinking that Yuan Xiu was really blessing her. "Thank you! I love hearing that."

Seeing that the two of them were having a good chat, Wu Yufen was quite pleased, which meant that she had done a good job!

"Xiao Yuan is very magnanimous; that's good enough..."

"I'm not very generous. But my wish for her to have ten sons is sincere."

By the time her ten sons reached adulthood, it would already be after the millennium...

Yuan Xiu smiled at Wu Yufen, "If there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

"..."

Wu Yufen's mind was a bit confused. These words sounded nice, so why did they sound so ungenerous?

"Sister Wu, what about my thermos?" Yuan Juan wasn't in the mood to care about Yuan Xiu's fluctuating words; she just wanted her thermos.

"Yuan Juan, didn't you ask your husband before you came? He said yesterday that because of your mistake, you damaged the reputation of the Parents' Committee, so you should just give up the thermos flasks and donate them to the Parents' Committee for free..."

Yuan Juan: "..."

Wu Yufen had a loud voice, and Yuan Xiu turned around to look when she heard this.

Yuan Juan's face looked ashen, as if she had eaten excrement.

These two thermos flasks should cost at least sixteen yuan.

He must be heartbroken for her.

Yuan Xiu picked up the thermos and looked at it. It was perfect. She was worried that the weather was getting cold, and the water that was warmed in the stove at night would be cold by morning. The water in the thermos was also not enough. Now that she had two more, she wouldn't have to worry about not having enough hot water to wash up in the morning.