Chapter 27: Injury
Chapter 27: Injury
"Your mother has been overworking herself, using her spiritual energy to continuously stoke the kitchen fires. Over time, the fire qi has damaged her heart and lungs, resulting in a persistent cough, weakness, and breathing difficulties."
Mr. Feng explained the diagnosis to Mo Hua, continuing, "When she was first brought here, she was barely breathing. I've refined some medicinal pills to temporarily ease her symptoms, so there's no need to worry for now. However, from now on, she must rest and refrain from using her spiritual energy for kitchen work. She can no longer continue her job as an assistant cook in the canteen; otherwise, her heart and lungs will deteriorate beyond repair."
Mo Hua listened with a lingering fear, and couldn't help but bow deeply once more. "Young Master Feng's kindness will be forever etched in my heart."
Mr. Feng helped Mo Hua to his feet and smiled gently. "Healing the sick and rescuing the wounded is a duty of every alchemist. There's no need to mention gratitude. You may be young, but you speak with maturity beyond your years. By the time you want to repay me, I might already be long gone from this world."
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "With your kindness and skill, Young Master Feng, you're sure to live for another few hundred years!"
Mr. Feng laughed heartily. "You've always had a way with words, even when you were little."
"Mother works in the canteen every day, but only for four hours at a time. She's been fine until now. Why has her condition suddenly worsened so severely?" Mo Hua asked.
Mr. Feng replied, "I inquired with the head chef at the canteen, and they told me that starting this year, your mother has been working six hours a day instead of four. The longer exposure to fire qi, coupled with overwork, has naturally made her condition more severe."
"Was the fire-repelling hairpin ineffective, then?"
"You mean the hairpin your mother wears?" Mr. Feng stroked his beard and nodded in explanation. "That hairpin is indeed useful, but it's only an ordinary spiritual artifact without a grade. Its effectiveness is limited. However, it's fortunate that she had that hairpin, or her condition would have been even worse. Even with treatment, there would still be lingering issues with her heart and lungs."
Mo Hua felt both relieved and shaken by how close it had been. He then asked about the cost of the diagnosis. Mr. Feng waved his hand and said, "The manager from the canteen came by earlier, and they feel terrible about your mother's situation. They will cover all the costs of the medicinal pills, so you don't need to worry about that."
Mr. Feng winked at Mo Hua and whispered, "Since they're so considerate, I won't hold back either. I'll use the best ingredients to refine the pills and make sure your mother fully recovers."
Mo Hua's worries eased, and he once again expressed his sincere gratitude to Mr. Feng. Then, he asked in a low voice, "Can I see Mother now?"
Mr. Feng nodded. "Go ahead, but remember to keep your voice down. Your mother just took the medicinal pill and needs her rest."
The side rooms of Xinglintang were spacious, with several sickbeds placed inside for patients to rest. Although the setting was simple, it was clean and tidy, filled with the faint aroma of incense.
When Mo Hua entered, he saw Liu Ruhua lying on a bed in the inner room, sleeping peacefully. Her breathing was shallow, her face pale, and there were signs of fatigue.
Mo Hua brought a small stool and sat quietly by her side, gazing at her face.
He remembered when he was born; his mother had been young, gentle, and beautiful. Her smile had been captivating.
Now, ten years had passed without him realizing it.
For cultivators with long lifespans, ten years was not a significant amount of time. Some cultivators' appearances didn't change at all over such a period.
But Mo Hua's mother looked worn out, and there were even a few strands of white hair at her temples.
As he thought about how he had slowly grown up while his parents had quietly aged without him knowing, he felt a pang of sadness, and his eyes became a little blurry.
Liu Ruhua didn't know how long she had slept, but when she woke up, she found Mo Hua by her side, his eyes red. She felt both comforted and heartbroken at the same time.
Liu Ruhua caressed Mo Hua's head. "How did you get here? Shouldn't you be cultivating at the sect?"
Mo Hua looked at her silently, and Liu Ruhua felt a bit embarrassed. "I'm fine, so you don't need to worry."
"Mr. Feng said you've been working six hours a day in the canteen."
"Six hours is nothing. Look at the uncles and aunties in the neighborhood; their work is sometimes even more strenuous. Your father goes on demon hunts and sometimes doesn't sleep for days. That's just how it is..."
Mo Hua shook his head. "How can you compare yourself to them? Mother, are we lacking in spirit stones at home?"
Liu Ruhua sighed softly. "We're not lacking in spirit stones, but you're about to start learning a cultivation technique soon, right? A mid-grade lower-tier technique should cost around two hundred spirit stones. I wanted to save up so you could choose a better one."
Mo Hua was a little stunned. "But I never mentioned anything about cultivation techniques. How did you know?"
Liu Ruhua stroked his head again. "Silly child, how could I not know? You didn't say anything because you're thoughtful, but your parents will always plan for your future. We're only at the Qi Refining stage ourselves, so we can't give you the best, but within our means, we want to provide you with something decent."
Mo Hua felt a tingling in his nose and then took out a storage bag. "Mother, I can earn spirit stones myself. I've already saved up one hundred and eighty!"
This time, it was Liu Ruhua's turn to be shocked. She opened her mouth slightly, at a loss for words for a while before she finally spoke. "How did you earn so many..."
Mo Hua's mood improved. "I helped people draw formation arrays."
"At Youyuan Pavilion on North Street?"
"Yes."
Mo Hua replied, then paused as he realized something. "How do you know about that too?"
Liu Ruhua smiled gently. "Your father told me. He followed you to that shop one day when he saw you take out so many spirit stones. He was worried someone was deceiving you or had ill intentions, so he asked the manager a few questions. He found out that you hadn't been cheated; instead, it was the manager who had been outsmarted by you. I didn't even know my child had an older brother figure looking out for him..."
Mo Hua's mouth hung open in surprise. He thought he had kept everything hidden, but it turned out his father had followed him to the formation shop without him realizing it.
Liu Ruhua caressed Mo Hua's face affectionately. "When you were little, you were so small and skinny that I worried you'd be bullied. I also worried about how you'd make a living in the future. But now, at such a young age, you're already earning so many spirit stones. It puts my heart at ease."
"However, you should keep these spirit stones for yourself. Don't be fooled by the amount you have now. When your cultivation level increases or when you find a cultivation partner and start a family, you'll need a lot of spirit stones. It's best to save them now so you won't be caught off guard later."
Mo Hua shook his head. "Mother, I'll definitely earn even more spirit stones in the future, so you don't need to worry about that. Your health is the most important thing right now. Everything else is secondary."
Liu Ruhua looked at Mo Hua with a gentle gaze, wanting to say something more, but a bout of coughing interrupted her. Mo Hua shushed her and reminded her to rest.
(End of Chapter)
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