Chapter 53: A Trip to the Provincial Capital. These past two days, Song Qingshu looked…

These past two days, Song Qingshu had looked as limp as a frost-bitten eggplant, completely lacking energy. He had fallen asleep

immediately after breakfast. He Feng had learned the decoction method from Ah Cheng. The herbs needed to be soaked for half an hour, then boiled for the first half hour, poured out, and then added with water for a second boil. The two decoctions were combined and taken in divided doses.

This meant that Song Qingshu had to drink the medicine twice for each decoction.

This time, the decoction was a murky brown, with an extremely unpleasant odor.

During the decoction, a strong, bitter medicinal aroma with a distinct fishy odor could be detected, mixed with notes of wood, spices, and a hint of burnt gum.

Even Ah Cheng, who was decocting the medicine, smiled awkwardly at He Feng. "This is truly the first time I've ever had to decoct something this pungent."

He Feng stared at the broth and said gravely, "Our little one's going to suffer again."

"Fortunately, this medicine only needs to be taken once every seven days initially, and later on, depending on the condition, the dosage can be extended. The master said that if the baby is well cared for, a dose a month, or even longer, is possible."

Ah Cheng fanned the stove with a cattail leaf fan. The stove fire flickered, lingering but not too bright. He Feng offered to take it over, squatting on a wooden stake and slowly fanning the flames.

"Master Jinglin," Ah Cheng looked up and called, "Master Jingan."

"Hey, don't call me Master! What era is this? We don't practice that." Sun Jingan waved his hand. As Sun Jinglin approached, he could smell the medicine.

He frowned, almost retching.

He held his breath and complained, "Grandpa's prescription is too strong! Who can possibly drink it?"

"Good medicine tastes bitter," Ah Cheng smiled. "How about I go to the front yard and get some preserved fruit?"

"Okay," Sun Jinglin nodded. "Dates are fine too. They're sweet and replenishing."

Ah Cheng agreed and headed towards the front yard.

Sun Jinglin squatted down to peer into the pot. He Feng was already boiling the medicine for the second time. The broth was less viscous and a bit lighter in color, almost indistinguishable.

"Song Qingshu will feel better after taking the medicine today. The day after tomorrow the dendrobium arrives, and we should leave. Should we take him for a walk tomorrow?"

Sun Jing'an suggested. Sun Jinglin glanced at He Feng's expression, as if afraid he'd refuse.

"I'll ask my son later and get back to you tonight."

He Feng quietly watched the bubbles rising from the pot, preparing to wait a little longer until Ah Cheng brought the preserved fruit and fruit before feeding it to Song Qingshu.

The first broth should be almost cool by now, so mixing the two together would be just right for warm consumption.

"Okay, then we'll go." Sun Jing'an grabbed Sun Jinglin by the collar and dragged him away.

The two of them left, jokingly. He Feng mixed the medicine soup, wondering how to get Song Qingshu to drink it warm that night. Just then, Ah Cheng came over with a bowl of peach preserves, covered in a layer of snow-white icing.

"Hey, you've mixed it all. Here, put one bowl in the room with a large bowl on top. Then, heat it up with boiling water through the bowl tonight before drinking."

"This bowl will wait a little longer. It should be warm to the touch, but not too hot to drink."

He Feng nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Here's the preserves. I'm too busy getting the medicine up front, so I'll go help."

He Feng nodded. The preserves should have a sweet peach scent, but now, surrounded by the medicine, he couldn't smell it at all.

He didn't find the medicine so pungent anymore, perhaps because he had become accustomed to the indescribable smell. But how would Song Qingshu drink it later?

After waiting for a while, he touched the bowl again. It was still hot, but almost enough to carry. He walked into the house with the medicine in one hand and the dried fruit in the other.

The medicine was placed on the bedside. After calling Song Qingshu a few times, he finally opened his eyes. When he smelled the medicine, he knew it was time to drink it. He wrinkled his nose, but didn't say it was bad.

He Feng placed the medicine in front of him, "Son, the bowl is still a little hot. Just drink it. After that, eat some dried peach meat and it won't be bitter."

The smell went straight into Song Qingshu's nose. He lowered his head, biting the edge of the bowl and gulping down the drink. The more he drank, the more his brows frowned, and his eyes closed tightly.

At the end of the drink, the aftertaste of the fishy smell mixed with the taste of soil came up. He gritted his teeth and swallowed it hard to avoid spitting it out.

He Feng quickly asked him to open his mouth. Before he opened his eyes, three pieces of dried peach meat were stuffed into his mouth. It tasted sweet.

But his nose, throat, and mouth were filled with that disgusting smell. When he opened his eyes, tears glistened in them, and the corners of his eyes were red as if he had suffered a great injustice.

He Feng touched his face with heartache, leaned over and kissed his lips, and then went straight in, sucking away the bitter and fishy taste in his mouth, until the peach flavor lingered between his lips and teeth, and then he passed the crushed fruit flesh to him.

He pulled out, letting Song Qingshu chew the dried fruit before swallowing it, and then took another one and fed it to him.

This time, there was only the sweet and greasy taste of peach flesh.

After kissing Song Qingshu, he was breathing rapidly. He Feng poured him another glass of water and asked him to sip it, fearing that he would choke if he drank too fast and spit out the medicine he had finally swallowed.

"Son, Sun Jinglin wants to go out for a walk tomorrow. We don't know when he will come to the provincial capital next time. Do you want to go and see him?"

Song Qingshu's swollen lips felt a little painful against the hot water, and the mist made his lips, which were already bright red from kissing and biting, even more seductive.

"I do." His voice was a little hoarse, like the words he uttered when he was being bullied in bed and couldn't speak clearly.

He Feng kissed his cheek and the corner of his eye again. "Then if you feel tired tomorrow, tell me and we'll be back."

Song Qingshu nodded, staring at the clothes that didn't fit him well and said, "Brother, I want to go home."

"Son, if they still say you..." He Feng didn't finish his words before Song Qingshu covered his mouth with his hand.

The soft fingertips were slightly cool to the touch, and they also carried Song Qingshu's unique fragrance, which made people feel refreshed.

"It's okay, brother. It's okay not to be a teacher. Hejia Village is still pretty good. Xiaohua and Xiaohei are here, as are Mrs. Liu, Erqing, Lao Jin, and Teacher Jin and Teacher Zhao..."

"They're all very nice to me."

As he spoke, his eyes began to well up again. He Feng quickly agreed, "Okay, let's go back and get the medicine and leave. Don't cry, baby. Swollen eyes won't look good."

"You're wrong. Our baby looks good no matter what. Very beautiful."

...

The next morning, the four of them walked out of the clinic together.

Sun Jinglin had been praised so much in the clinic for the past two days that he almost flew off the ground. Fortunately, Sun Jing'an was holding the kite string, pulling it back when he flew away, and he landed again.

"Let's go! Let's go to the busiest street. There's a popsicle vendor over there!" Sun Jinglin swaggered forward.

He Feng still held Song Qingshu's hand, and they both put on the same clothes they had when they first arrived.

Because the prescription and payment for the medicine hadn't been paid yet, He Feng still had over 3,300 yuan in his pocket, which he stuffed into Song Qingshu's cotton-padded jacket.

He'd heard that pickpockets were more likely to appear when there were a lot of people on the street, but since Zizi was wearing thick clothes and a military coat, he wouldn't be easily robbed.

The downside to this was that if he came across something he wanted to buy, He Feng would have to reach into Song Qingshu's pocket for money.

Sun Jing'an must have taken Sun Jinglin out for a stroll yesterday. His small canvas bag was bulging again, stuffed with food and toys.

They lined up to buy tickets for the movie "The Newsboy."

Back then, a ticket was only ten cents. Inside, there were rows of wooden seats with numbers marked at the back. Song Qingshu was thrilled when he entered.

He had thought the 1980s were backward, with nothing to offer, but he hadn't expected movies to exist then, and not in black and white, but in color.

He sat in his chair, his eyes fixed on the large screen in front of him. The room was pitch black, and then the screen suddenly lit up, and the movie began.

The voices played a little slower than the images, with occasional crackling sounds or short black lines, much like the movies on TV as a child.

The wooden chairs were a bit stiff, though. He sat there for a while, then leaned against He Feng. There were quite a few people watching the movie, and thankfully, they were near the front, so they could watch even with their heads tilted.

He Feng thought he was asleep, and since his shoulders didn't move, he let him lie there.

Song Qingshu held He Feng's arm, looking more intimate than the couple watching the movie next to him.

After leaving the cinema, He Feng took the initiative to treat Sun Jingan and Sun Jinglin to a meal, and the two did not refuse. Deep down, they knew that He Feng would not feel comfortable unless he returned the favor.

The restaurant in the provincial capital looked more luxurious, with red cloths covering the tables and tableware laid out. As soon as they sat down, someone came over and put down the menu to take their order.

He Feng handed it to Sun Jingan and Sun Jinglin first, but they waved their hands and only mentioned some of the dishes Song Qingshu should avoid, and asked He Feng to order.

Dry-fried pork tenderloin, sweet and sour fish fillets, half a roast duck sliced, stir-fried shrimp slices, mushrooms and bamboo shoots slices, dried shrimp and rapeseed, hot and sour soup, and one or two steamed buns. He

Feng originally ordered a whole roast duck, but Sun Jingan asked someone to change it to half a duck. This meal alone would cost about fifteen or sixteen yuan, and he felt a little painful just thinking about it.

The last time he ate at that restaurant in Xiguan, it cost about ten yuan.

Prices in the provincial capital are still a bit higher, and with the increase in meat

, fish, and shrimp prices around New Year's Eve, it's definitely not cheap. Song Qingshu's favorite dishes for this meal were roast duck, shrimp, and sliced bamboo shoots with mushrooms. He Feng, while helping him with the dishes, silently noted that he could take Song Qingshu to dig

bamboo shoots in spring. Mushrooms aren't hard to find, but shrimp... we only have river shrimp at home. There's no roast duck to dip in this

sauce, so we could buy one and wrap it in oil paper before leaving. Song Qingshu took off his military coat as soon as he entered the house. While he still didn't look healthy, he looked much better than he had been after taking that medicine.

Although it didn't snow today, the temperature wasn't high, probably around -6 or -7 degrees Celsius. Song Qingshu and He Feng's hand, held together, didn't feel cold.

The restaurant was quite crowded, some with relatives, others visiting the provincial capital, some saying they were going hiking, some going to the zoo, and some taking photos.

He Feng listened, looking at Song Qingshu. They could take photos, too; it would be a commemoration of their trip to the provincial capital.

Sun Jinglin dragged Sun Jingan to the zoo, saying they would meet at the clinic that evening. Song Qingshu didn't have the energy to go to the zoo again, so he followed He Feng to a photo studio.

The studio was full of wedding photos or family portraits. Someone came up and asked how many photos they wanted. He Feng said he wanted three, one for each of them and one for the group.

Black and white photos were only fifty yuan a piece, while color ones were more expensive. Song Qingshu said they wanted black and white for the individual photos and color for the group.

He Feng disagreed and ordered all the color photos for three yuan and fifty cents. He gave him an extra twenty yuan and asked the studio to develop the photos and send them home, leaving his address in advance.

The two stood side by side, He Feng put his arm around Song Qingshu's shoulders. After the photographer said something funny, they both smiled, and only relaxed when the spotlight flickered.

The individual photos only had a slight smile on their lips, and they didn't look happy about not having a couple's photo. After the photographer helped take the photos, Song Qingshu rubbed his eyes.

"Are you tired, babe?" He Feng ruffled his hair and took him out.

Song Qingshu shook his head. A few cars passed by on the road, and the afternoon sun was not glaring. Instead, it made the street more lively.

"Let's take a walk."

When Song Qingshu was tired, he would sit on a bench. Behind him was a newsstand. Not far away was a pastry shop, and the aroma wafted out.

There was a primary school across the street, which looked bigger than the high school on Hejia Village Street, and there were several three-story buildings.

Song Qingshu was sure to like it, so He Feng took him there and bought some egg cakes, glutinous rice sticks, and peach cakes.

The egg cakes were fresh out of the pan, with a little honey and white sesame seeds on them. They smelled sweet, had a soft texture, and were fragrant.

When Song Qingshu ate something he liked, his eyes would light up a little, and he would chew it slowly.

He Feng saw that he liked it, so he bought some more.

On the way back, Song Qingshu saw a brown plush bear with eyes sewn with buttons on the toy counter of the department store.

In fact, it looked much rougher than the plush toys of the 21st century, but Song Qingshu still wanted it a little.

He Feng noticed his gaze, and it happened that he had taken out some money in advance when he bought the egg cake, so he went straight to buy the 30cm tall plush bear with a bit of rough workmanship.

In fact, this little thing, five yuan, He Feng would not want it at all, at most he would just take a look at it.

But Song Qingshu's gaze stayed for a moment, and his eyes showed that he wanted it, but he didn't say anything. He Feng just wanted to buy it.

The boss who sells dolls said that children like these, and sleeping with plush toys will prevent nightmares, and it can also comfort children.

He also said that many people bought them before the New Year and gave them to their children as gifts when they got home.

It seems that He Feng really didn't give Song Qingshu anything during the Chinese New Year, if what he did doesn't count...

After paying, he stuffed the doll into Song Qingshu's arms, "I hope what the boss said is true, and the baby won't have nightmares anymore in the future."

Song Qingshu's face was flushed, and he smiled lightly with his lips pursed. The dimples on his cheeks were cutely revealed, and he nodded obediently while holding the little bear.

In fact, since he was with He Feng, he has been having sweet dreams every day.