LHBP | Chapter 2

Gu Yun had absorbed the memories of the original owner. Looking at Cui Guizhi, who walked ahead with a face full of unwillingness, he thought to himself, since he had occupied the original owner’s body, he would definitely repay the torment the other party had suffered over the past ten-odd years.

Cui Guizhi looked at Gu Yun, who had already woken up on the bed, and could not help cursing inwardly. This wretched money-losing thing really did have a tough life. How could he not have been burned to death?

With outsiders present, she naturally did not dare show it, and could only put on a delighted expression as she said, “Yun ge’er, you’re finally awake. Mother has invited a doctor to take a good look at you.”

Gu Yun looked at this stepmother putting on an act and thought, since you want to act, I’ll play along with you.

Gu Yun weakly said, “Mother, I’m sorry. Younger brother wanted to eat fish, but I didn’t catch any for younger brother. When I’m better, I’ll go catch fish for younger brother again.” As he spoke, he coughed twice.

Doctor Wang sat on the stool by the bed. After taking Gu Yun’s pulse and checking his temperature, he scolded, “Still catching fish? Your body can’t be exposed to the wind for the next half month.”

He picked up the medicine chest he carried and wrote out a prescription, then said to Cui Guizhi, “I have all the medicine needed here. You don’t need to go to the town pharmacy to get it. Find someone to go back with me to fetch the medicine, then hurry up and decoct it and feed this little ge’er the medicine.”

When Cui Guizhi heard that they still had to get medicine, her face immediately fell. “Doctor Wang, isn’t this person already awake? I don’t think there’s anything serious, so there’s no need to get medicine, right? Us country folk, who doesn’t get through minor sicknesses and little calamities by gritting our teeth? If we all went to get medicine, would we still be able to live? I’ll just boil some hot water for Yun ge’er to sweat it out and he’ll be fine.”

Doctor Wang was also angered by her words. Hearing this, he said bluntly, “You must know this child’s condition better than I do. It’s still early spring now, and the river water is the coldest. If he doesn’t take medicine, this illness absolutely won’t get better.”

Whether a child was biological or not, one could not treat him like this. After all, this was a human life, not to mention that Gu Yun had fallen into the water because he was trying to catch fish for Gu Zhenxing.

When Gu Yun heard Cui Guizhi’s words, he secretly sneered, but on the surface he spoke pitifully, “Mother, I don’t need to take medicine. Don’t be angry. Keep the money to buy fish for younger brother, cough, cough, cough…” His coughing was so loud that the few people sitting in the main room could all hear it clearly.

Seeing how sensible the child was, Doctor Wang became even more dissatisfied with Cui Guizhi. He no longer wished to say anything to this woman and directly left the inner room.

When Cui Guizhi saw that Doctor Wang had left too, she was unwilling to stay in the room any longer either. She directly put the hot water on the table and left. This wretched money-losing thing, usually not saying a single word, how had his mouth become so sharp today?

In the main room, only the village head and Gu Yuanshan were left. The people outside had already left. It was the time for spring plowing, and no one wanted to delay their work just to watch the excitement.

He Jing had also been acting out of kindness. Seeing that this was a matter of life and death, he drove the carriage to Mingde Village to invite a physician over. Since the physician had already arrived, he was unwilling to stay any longer at the Gu family. After Doctor Wang entered the inner room, he left as well.

He briefly explained Gu Yun’s condition to Gu Yuanshan and Xu Linxiang, then had Gu Yuanshan go back with him to fetch the medicine.

Seeing that the village head was still there, Gu Yuanshan could not bring himself to say such miserly words as not wanting to spend money on medicine. He could only sigh in frustration, put the money into his pocket, and leave with Doctor Wang.

Gu Yun saw that everyone had left and only felt exhausted to the core. His weakness just now had really not been an act. The original owner’s body had not been very good to begin with, and after drowning, it could take even less.

Gu Yun sighed, closed his eyes, and went back to sleep.

When he woke again, it was already evening.

After sleeping, Gu Yun finally had a little strength back in his body, but he still felt somewhat dizzy, and his stomach kept growling nonstop.

Gu Yun was about to go out and find something to eat. Just as he sat up, the door was opened, and in came Gu An, who had reluctantly come to deliver food. He carried two bowls, put them on the table, glanced at Gu Yun with disgust, and said, “After you take the medicine, hurry up and get back to your broken woodshed tomorrow.”

The Gu family’s circumstances were average. Back when Guan Yuping was still around, she knew to take on some embroidery work to supplement the family income. Now Gu Yuanshan and his wife were not diligent people. Besides tending the few mu of land at home, the rest of the time they spent resting. So the Gu family was a standard rural adobe house, with one main hall connected to the east and west rooms, and a kitchen and woodshed made of thatch on either side of the courtyard.

The houses built by families in the countryside were all large. The east room was where Gu Yuanshan and his wife lived. After Gu Zhenxing was born, Gu Yuanshan partitioned off the west room and let Gu Zhenxing and Gu An live there, while Gu Yun lived in the woodshed.

Today, since he had been brought back after falling into the water and so many villagers were present, Gu Yuanshan did not want others to see that he had made the child live in the woodshed, so he arranged for him to stay in Gu An’s room in the west room.

Gu Yun looked coldly at Gu An’s bossy manner, and his heart grew even colder. Making a half-grown child sleep in the woodshed, this family was truly black-hearted to the core.

“I’m still running a fever. The doctor said I can’t be exposed to the wind for the next half month, so I’ll have to trouble An ge’er to switch with me and stay in the woodshed for now.”

As soon as Gu An heard that Gu Yun actually wanted him to sleep in the woodshed, he instantly exploded. “What, you actually want me to live in that woodshed of yours that isn’t even as good as a doghouse? Gu Yun, do you believe I…”

Gu An had just started to throw out harsh words to scare Gu Yun, when Gu Yun directly cut him off impatiently. “Doghouse? Gu An, have you forgotten? Because of a single sentence from you, saying you weren’t used to sleeping in the same bed with someone else, I lived in the doghouse you mentioned for a full ten years. How come I can live in it, but you can’t? Do you really think you’re some young master?”

Gu An was stunned by Gu Yun’s words. He knew very well that in the past, no matter how he beat and scolded the other person, Gu Yun did not even dare raise his head, let alone talk back to him like this.

Gu An was furious, but thinking of Cui Guizhi’s words, he forced himself to endure it and said nothing more. After cursing a couple of times, he directly left.

Let him be smug for two days first, he’d have his time later.

Gu Yun watched him leave and sat up directly.

What Gu An brought over was a bowl of thin porridge and a bowl of freshly decocted medicine. Probably afraid that he would starve to death before he died of illness, this time Cui Guizhi finally was willing to put in a little more rice.

Gu Yun was starving, so he first drank the rice porridge in small mouthfuls.

Probably because he had been hungry since childhood, Gu Yun’s appetite was not large. After a bowl of thin porridge went into his stomach, he was full. He then picked up the medicine bowl, closed his eyes, and drank it all in one go.

His first priority now was to get his body back in good shape. After all, ancient medical technology was not very advanced, and a bout of high fever could kill someone.

Having finally gotten another chance at rebirth, Gu Yun only wanted to live well.

After drinking the medicine, he looked with dislike at the quilt covering him. It was only a thin layer, and it was only February now, with the weather still a little cold at night.

Gu Yun got out of bed and directly opened the wardrobe against the wall. Inside, besides Gu An’s few pieces of clothing, there was also a thick cotton quilt. Gu Yun took it out without hesitation and covered himself with it. After all, this was what the Gu family owed him.

After taking the medicine, eating his fill, and covering himself with the warm thick quilt, Gu Yun slept well on his first night in this other world.