CHAPTER 70: CHAPTER 67: STONE DISSOLVES WITHOUT A TRACE

One hundred bucks, huh, Jiang Mingyue didn’t have any hope, she just took it out for the teen to practice.

But when she went inside, she was stunned by the pile of antiques placed in the center.

No way? Ten pieces of Tang Sancai, two millennium-old small pottery figurines, a copper mirror, two nose snuff bottles; the others may not be as valuable, but they are also centuries-old artifacts, each highly sought after by future generations.

Getting all these for a hundred bucks? That’s an average of less than two bucks per piece.

It’s downright meat pricing!

Jiang Mingyue happily swept the pile of antiques into the warehouse, humming a tune as she turned and left.

But she had to go to Aunt Jiao’s house first because last night Xiao Ran went to play at Xiao Meng’s house, got tired, and fell asleep on Jiao Can’s bed. Jiang Mingyue wanted to carry him home, but Aunt Jiao persuaded her not to wake the child.

Today, not seeing him around at this hour was quite worrisome.

When Jiang Mingyue arrived at Aunt Jiao’s house, she learned that Granny Jiao was sick. Aunt Jiao’s family didn’t feel at ease with her being alone at home, so they asked Xiao Meng to stay home to keep her company, and since Xiao Meng stayed, Xiao Ran didn’t leave either.

The two little ones kept each other company.

They had just woken up not long ago:

Xiao Meng: "Xiao Ran, you don’t need to keep me company, you should tell your sister so she won’t worry."

Xiao Ran: "I’ve already asked Xiao Cheng next door to tell my sister. I’ve been keeping you company since this morning."

Around ten in the morning:

Xiao Ran: "Ah! I’m so hungry! If only my sister was here."

Xiao Meng ran to the kitchen to find something to eat and came back with a raw egg in hand.

"Here."

Xiao Ran was startled: "I don’t know how to cook."

Xiao Meng looked at him for three seconds, then turned to look for a stone. Finding a sharp one, she forcefully cracked the egg on it, creating a hole on the small end. Xiao Meng handed the egg to Xiao Ran.

"Eat it raw like this. Hold it up a bit and pour it into your mouth slowly."

Xiao Ran had never eaten a raw egg, but since Xiao Meng said it was okay to eat, he decided to give it a try.

With unrefined technique, Xiao Ran managed to eat a mouthful of egg white, leaving his face covered in egg liquid as the price.

Mumbling with indignation: "It tastes awful!" But he was starving, so he had to eat it despite the taste, knowing eggs were expensive.

When Jiang Mingyue came, she saw this comical egg-eating scene.

Yet, she couldn’t laugh, freezing for several seconds before snapping back to reality.

"Hungry?" Jiang Mingyue picked him up without another word. Xiao Meng seemed to know what she was going to do and quickly brought a basin of water over.

After washing Xiao Jiang Ran’s face clean and borrowing Xiao Meng’s towel to dry him off, the little guy was back to being a white, tender little bun.

Jiang Mingyue was glad that she brought some food with her, handing out a few biscuits and candies to the two little ones.

"Eat up."

Without her needing to ask, the little guy spilled everything that had happened.

"Granny Jiao is sick? Where? I’ll take a look."

Xiao Meng, without any hesitation, pulled Jiang Mingyue towards her grandma’s room.

Glancing casually, she assessed the Jiao Family’s condition: earth-walled grass houses, and inside was as dark as entering Granny Shi’s bedroom.

Who knows how they live usually.

Xiao Meng lit a candle.

The bed was piled messily with things, and on one side lay a thin, bony old woman covered with patched quilts.

Similar to the situation with Granny Shi, though at least Granny Shi felt like a living person, whereas the old woman in front of Jiang Mingyue almost seemed gone.

With a skin-wrapped, pale face, lying there silently.

Jiang Mingyue frowned; knowing Aunt Jiao’s character, she could never let her mother-in-law be so sick without taking her to a doctor?

"Xiao Meng, how long has your grandma been like this?"

Xiao Meng: "Sister, grandma only got unwell this morning."

Jiang Mingyue froze for a moment and used her spiritual power to check.

Well! She was just being anxious; compared with Granny Shi’s feverish aura, Granny Jiao was indeed abnormal.

It was an overreaction; this was a normal person’s aura but overly weak.

The pale complexion resulted from the old lady’s serious physical discomfort, where several organs were burdened by stones, collectively induced this time, exhausting the body.

Jiang Mingyue excused herself saying she had medicine at home, left, and later returned with a bottle of dissolving stone tablets in her hand.

Name: Stone Dissolving Without Shadow

Effect: Can dissolve stubborn stones formed in various organs, expelled along with sweat, urine, and feces.

Approval Number: W2422K—712C

"Xiao Meng, bring me a bowl of water."

Once the water came, Jiang Mingyue half-supported Granny Jiao to feed her medicine, two tablets at a time.

After feeding her, Jiang Mingyue didn’t leave the medicine there, she packed it away; she would closely monitor the old lady’s condition and only administer more if necessary to avoid waste. This medicine was scarce, unlike fever medicine that lined shelves.

"Alright, let your grandma rest. She will wake up after the medicine takes effect. Don’t worry."

Jiang Mingyue didn’t bother Xiao Meng further, leaving her the "Three-Character Classic," a notebook, and a pen.

I’ll come after dinner.

This time, she didn’t let Xiao Jiang Ran stay either.

"Xiao Meng, my sister said grandma will wake up, so she will. She wouldn’t lie; your grandma will definitely be okay."

"Mm."

"Then I’m leaving. Not keeping you company anymore."

"Mm"

On the way back, the little guy still remembered to talk about the message Xiao Cheng was supposed to deliver. Jiang Mingyue didn’t reply, so Xiao Jiang Ran talked about other things on his own. After they got back, Xiao Jiang Ran put thoughts of Xiao Meng behind him, drank a bowl of malted milk, and started helping Jiang Mingyue with the fire and mumbling the "Thousand Character Classic."

Today’s meal was braised rice with ham, stir-fried meat slices with spring bamboo shoots, mushroom soup, with rice as the staple.

After cooking, she sent two portions over to Master Wu and the others. Yun Di, for some unknown reason, left as soon as he finished cooking. Xiao Jiang Ran said he was lingering outside.

Jiang Mingyue felt a bit sorry, knowing it wasn’t easy for someone accustomed to solitude to suddenly fit into a group.

Jiang Mingyue filled a bowl with ample servings and took it over to him.

The young man was evidently surprised; Jiang Mingyue stuffed it into his hand and walked away.

Youth, I’ll wait for you to get used to it.

After returning and waiting a while, Mrs. Jiang and the others also came back. After washing hands, the family started eating.

"Little sister, what is that you’re making in the yard?"

The others were also looking at her.

Jiang Mingyue looked at Mrs. Jiang: "Mom, didn’t I say last night I’d make a bread kiln for you?"

See, I keep my word.

Mrs. Jiang didn’t know how to describe her feelings. Although upon arriving home, she saw the small kiln that appeared in the yard and guessed its purpose, seeing it confirmed made her heart melt. Depending solely on herself for years had made her forget how it felt when someone helped fulfill her wishes.

It wasn’t that the other children were bad, but none had thought from her perspective; no one had helped her like this.

"Yue, Yueyue! Thank you, Mom!" She tried hard not to shed tears in front of her children, yet her voice betrayed her emotion at this moment.

"Mom, what are you saying? We’re a family, not to mention I’m still waiting for Mom to make me something delicious!"

The latter half-joking words eased Mrs. Jiang’s mood quite a bit, and the older siblings also shifted from confusion and curiosity to anticipation after her words.

Jiang Jianjun: "Mom, I want to eat, too. This morning’s pancake was better than any I’ve had."

Jiang Jian Country: "Old second, you’re at an age where you should be looking for a wife, not focused on food all day. If you fancy someone, let Mom know, and she’ll ask the matchmaker for you."

This conversation naturally lightened the previously somber mood, redirecting the topic to discussions of marriage.

Jiang Jianjun glared resentfully at Jiang Jian Country: "Brother, before you talk about others, talk about yourself first. Aren’t you thinking about food all day? Who grabbed the chocolate Yueyue gave me this morning? Who threw themselves into work without rest just to come back early for Yueyue’s cooking?"