Rebirth: Splendid Marriage in the 80s

Chapter 664: Chapter 665: How to Repay a Favor

Hearing his apology, Chiang Xiao couldn’t help but laugh, ”Uncle Canyuan, you really don’t need to apologize to us. Bai Gu Mountain is not our private property; it isn’t our private domain. We can go there, so can Sun Jinhe and his group, and so can you.”

”That’s exactly right,” Chiang Songhai quickly added.

”But wasn’t everyone scared by what happened to Wan Niu and Old Li before? Didn’t they say that there were giant snakes on Bai Gu Mountain, and ghosts too?” Chiang Xiao was curious about this point, ”Aren’t they scared anymore?”

At the time, those stories had spread all over the village and everyone had been terrified, hadn’t they?

Xu Canyuan smiled.

”There is still fear, but haven’t you always been going up the mountain?”

Of course, there were many who were still scared, those who were afraid dared not venture up the mountain, but seeing that Ge Dejun and his group kept going up the mountain and their lives were getting better — it was clear they were earning more. Could fear really outweigh the desire for money?

”It’s just that my family is really struggling, and I came to see if there was anything I could do. Also, my wife’s health is getting worse and worse, so I thought I would look around the mountain to see if I could dig up some medicinal herbs,” Xu Canyuan said frankly. ”But we only dare to move around the base of the mountain; we really don’t dare to go deep into the mountains.”

Chiang Songhai thought of Xu Canyuan’s wife’s health and felt a poignant sadness. He originally wanted to suggest that Lingzhi might help her improve, but as the words reached his lips, he remembered the trouble that Madam Xue had caused, as well as the scene where Old Wang had detained Chiang Xiao, and a shudder of fear went through his heart. He swallowed back the words with a sense of caution.

Although Xu Canyuan was a villager and a good person, and even though their relationship was fine — Canyuan had even once carried Chiang Xiao from Nameless Creek — he really didn’t dare talk carelessly about the Lingzhi anymore. Otherwise, if he caused any more trouble for Chiang Xiao, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

Moreover, Little had said there were no more Lingzhi.

However, Chiang Xiao took the initiative to ask about Xu Canyuan’s wife’s health.

”It’s all endured, and it’s not that good,” Xu Canyuan sighed.

Chiang Xiao glanced at the bundle of Tianlvxiang and some other heat-clearing herbs in his basket, took out five large Unity bills from her bag, and handed them over, ”Uncle Canyuan, please take Auntie to the hospital for a check-up. Always enduring like this is not the way to go. Consider this money a loan from me; don’t rush to repay it. You can return it when it’s convenient for you in the future, and if it’s not enough, you can come find me in town. We live near the market in Osmanthus Alley; it’s easy to find.”

For Xu Canyuan, Chiang Xiao felt that she owed him a favor no matter what. She could have saved his wife but chose to protect her own secret instead, and that was already a kind of guilt toward Xu Canyuan. She could give him the money, but to avoid any misunderstanding of ingratitude for kindness, she phrased it as a loan.

Even so, Xu Canyuan was already surprised and touched, his eyes brimming with gratitude, and he was at a loss for words for quite some time.

His hands trembling as he took the money, he nodded heavily, ”Thank you so much, Chiang Xiao, I really can’t thank you enough! I’ll accept this money with a thick face; I really need it! When my wife recovers, I will have her come and thank you personally! And Lin Zi, I’ll have Lin Zi come too!”

”No need for that, Uncle Canyuan. Don’t feel burdened. Also, if there’s any medicine Auntie needs and you don’t dare to go deep into the mountains, just tell me. If we see it in the mountains, we can dig it up and bring it to you,” Chiang Xiao offered.