Call Me Daddy

“The mountain is dangerous; don’t go any further up.”

Su Aobai didn’t harbor any ill feelings toward the little girl. It was only the adults who had made mistakes. However, he wasn’t particularly close to Su Fubao either. In fact, Su Aobai was inherently a bit selfish; he only acknowledged Er Niang as his own child and thus only wanted to be good to her.

After giving a simple reminder, Su Aobai leaned on his cane, carried the bamboo basket on his back, and slowly made his way down the mountain to the small house where he was temporarily staying.

“Second Uncle, are you collecting herbs?” Fu Bao clutched the hem of her clothes with both hands and, after hesitating for a long time, asked softly.

“Will your foot get better if you take the herbs? I can find many, many herbs. When I find them, I’ll bring them to you, okay?”

Fu Bao thought that once her second uncle’s leg injury healed, he would be able to work again. Her parents said that her second uncle worked very hard, and the yield from their fields was almost entirely due to his efforts.

So, if Second Uncle’s leg injury was healed, would he be able to grow a lot of grain again? Now that we’re living apart, Second Uncle’s crops wouldn’t have to be distributed by Grandma. Would this mean that Second Cousin would be able to eat his fill?

“I’ll bring you many, many herbs. Can you be a little nicer to Er Niang, just like how my father is good to me?”

She asked cautiously, thinking it was like children exchanging candies; give me this flavor, and I’ll give you that flavor.

Even though Su Aobai detested the people in the old house, he couldn’t help but be moved by the little girl’s words.

However, he still wouldn’t return the ginseng at the bottom of the bamboo basket to this little Fu Bao. Opportunities gained by one’s own strength were not to be given away.

“I can collect the herbs myself. Also, your Second Sister is my daughter; my own daughter! Even without you saying, I would treat her very well, better than your father treats you.”

Su Aobai turned around and spoke sternly to the little girl, who was still shorter than his thigh.

Fu Bao pouted; Second Uncle is lying. He clearly didn’t treat Second Cousin well at all.

“Alright then, you have to keep your word.”

Fu Bao could only hope that her second uncle was a trustworthy person now and wouldn’t deceive a child.

***

Su Aobai took the herbs he had just collected to Doctor Li’s house.

“Very good, very good. These are all herbs recorded in the book, and their quality is quite acceptable.”

Doctor Li nodded in satisfaction. Su Aobai’s memory exceeded his expectations. Just by glancing at the pictures in the herbal book and the fresh herbs in his pharmacy, he had managed to find the correct herbs without any mistakes.

Doctor Li took out the herbs from the bamboo basket one by one. Apart from a few stray weeds that had accidentally been included, he had not found a single misidentified herb.

“What’s this?”

When he reached the last item and saw the fresh wild ginseng still covered in soil, Doctor Li’s eyes widened.

This’s ginseng!

“I found it unexpectedly at the foot of the mountain. The leaves looked very much like the ginseng leaves depicted in the book, so I decided to dig down a bit. I didn’t expect it to actually be ginseng.”

Su Aobai looked quite honest and even described in detail the location where he found the ginseng.

Doctor Li had passed that spot countless times while collecting herbs, but this old doctor had never discovered it.

He was deeply envious. There was always someone who was smarter than you and even luckier.

No, that’s not right… Su Aobai’s luck had never been good in the over 20 years of his life. Could it be that the separation this time had turned his fortunes around?

“Here’s the deal. I’ll exchange the other herbs for some more suitable nourishing medicinal materials for your current condition. As for this ginseng, what do you plan to do with it?”

Doctor Li certainly wanted to acquire the ginseng, as wild ginseng with some age was rare and hard to come by. However, the price he offered would definitely differ from the price in the county. Although selling it to him could be a bit troublesome, he wouldn’t exploit Su Aobai.

“I don’t know either, Uncle. If you need it, just give me a price.”

Su Aobai trusted Doctor Li’s character.

“This ginseng isn’t particularly old. If you take it to a large apothecary in the county, it might fetch around 20 taels, but I can’t offer that high a price. How about this; I’ll give you 18 taels, and I’ll also provide you with an extra set of nourishing herbs that you need this time.”

Doctor Li considered his own means and offered a very reasonable price.

In fact, even someone who didn’t know much would likely struggle to sell the ginseng at the price Doctor Li mentioned in a large apothecary, so 18 taels was indeed quite generous.

Su Aobai agreed without hesitation.

“This money… you might consider buying the courtyard you’re currently living in from the village head and then fixing it up a bit. If you’re willing, you could also attend the clan school for a few years.”

Doctor Li hesitated for a moment before giving these two suggestions.

Although Su Aobai wasn’t young, for someone with an amazing memory like him, it was never too late. There were people who passed the imperial examinations even in their seventies or eighties, so who knows, he might become a late bloomer.

If Su Aobai could make achievements in studying, even if the Su family’s fortunes improved later, the people in the old house would still have to show respect to this elder brother.

“Studying? That’s not possible, not at all. At my age, how could I possibly sit with a group of young children to study?”

Su Aobai waved his hands repeatedly, his face turning red. It seemed absurd for a man in his twenties to sit in a room with a bunch of 6 or 7-year-olds for elementary education.

Seeing his resistance, Doctor Li felt genuinely regretful.

This child’s talent had truly been wasted by Su Kuishan and his wife.

However, Su Aobai’s reluctance was due to his decision to pursue a different path. Becoming a high-ranking official didn’t solely depend on taking the imperial examination route.

***

Su Aobai, carrying the herbs Doctor Li had prepared for him, with 18 taels of silver wrapped in cloth at the bottom of the bamboo basket, was stopped by Su Youwen as he neared the small house at the foot of the mountain.

“Second Brother.” Su Youwen deeply bowed, his expression full of remorse.

At this time, many families were busy with their fields at the foot of the mountain. Su Youwen’s stopping of him on the main road naturally attracted a lot of attention. Everyone paused their work, leaning on their hoes and eavesdropping on the conversation between the two brothers.

When they saw Su Youwen bow deeply to his older brother, they felt that Su Youwen was indeed a much better person than Su Kuishan and Li Shi. It was clear that sending children to school made a difference; educated people understood letters and manners, and it showed.

“Children shouldn’t speak ill of their parents, but…”

Su Youwen looked up, his eyes showing a trace of struggle.

“I didn’t persuade Mother properly. Second Brother, don’t worry. This division agreement is unfair to both you and Eldest Brother. I will definitely persuade Father and Mother to cancel this agreement. We are blood brothers; how could I ignore your suffering? Even if I don’t continue my studies or take the imperial exams, I’ll still gather enough money to help treat your injured leg.”

Su Youwen’s heartfelt performance made the nearby villagers, who had been eavesdropping, unable to hold back their applause.

“Su Youwen, you’re right. Look at how much your Second Brother has contributed to the family. How can you expel him from home just because he injured his leg?”

“Youwen, since you’ve been educated and understand the greater principles, you should also persuade your mother. A stepmother should treat all four sons equally.”

Su Youwen’s actions were commendable. His proposal to cancel the unfair division agreement and to ensure that Second Su’s leg would be treated won the favor of many.

“That’s true, but you still need to continue your studies. If you succeed in the future, even if Second Su’s leg cannot be fully healed, with your support, no one will dare to look down on him.”

When Su Youwen proposed to treat his second brother’s leg injury and even suggested foregoing his studies for it, the crowd actually encouraged him not to think that way. Compared to the slim chance of healing a leg injury, Su Youwen’s future was evidently more important.

However, the more they tried to persuade him, the more determined Su Youwen seemed.