“The doctor said you’ve suffered from chronic malnutrition for years, with severe deficiency of both qi and blood.” Grace put on a stern face and looked at him, speaking earnestly: “After the snake venom entered your body, it triggered a serious case of yang deficiency. If you don’t recuperate and treat it in time, the consequences could be unimaginable.”

“It’s not that serious.” Adam Sullivan knew a bit about medicine himself and shook his head slightly: “I’m at the age of growing, full of energy and strong qi and blood. As long as I pay attention to nutrition, exercise more, and avoid cold and chill, I’ll recover soon.”

“Last night, my old master said the same thing, and even told the quack doctor on duty to pack up and leave.” Grace said admiringly, “You really are amazing!”

Adam Sullivan couldn’t help but laugh: “Thanks for the compliment, but why did you try to scare me just now?”

“I was just being too serious earlier.” Grace waved her small hand, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled: “Just wanted to lighten the mood.”

“All right then.” Adam Sullivan was amused by her expression and nodded: “Go on.”

“Mm.” Grace nodded and continued, “After checking your illness, your father wanted to carry you away, but my lady arranged for a carriage to give you a ride and even had someone follow to look after you.”

Adam Sullivan said softly, “Miss Yin is a kind person.” He added in his heart: ‘She’s truly cut out for big business.’

“Of course.” Grace pursed her lips and whispered, “But your father firmly refused and insisted on going back by himself.” Adam Sullivan knew his father was a man who cared deeply about his pride and would never want others to see them living in a thatched hut.

“My lady had no choice but to agree, but she had the coachman take me to secretly follow behind, so we could remember where you lived.” Grace looked a bit uneasy: “In the end, we saw your father wandering back and forth in an alley, but he finally turned around and came back. We quickly hid, and luckily he was in a hurry and didn’t notice us.”

“We saw him return the same way, back to Yongchang Lane, and stop in front of the Shen family’s main gate. He hesitated for a long time before finally stepping forward to knock.”

Although Grace’s account wasn’t very detailed, Adam Sullivan could read between the lines and clearly feel the struggle and pain in his father’s heart at that moment. The doctor had said he absolutely couldn’t get damp, so his father was unwilling to carry him back to the little thatched hut by the river. Yet in this vast world, with houses everywhere, the penniless father and son had nowhere else to go.

With no other choice, Brian Sullivan had to swallow his pride and seek help from his own family. He truly had no other way out. With Brian Sullivan’s scholarly pride, if there had been even a sliver of hope, he would never have uttered the word ‘beg’. Adam Sullivan could well imagine how ashamed the old man must have felt at the moment he knocked on the Shen family’s door. But in the end, to save him, the old man gave up all his dignity.

Enduring humiliation and cold stares, all for his sake!

※※※

Adam Sullivan’s mind was in utter chaos. He couldn’t even remember when the little maid Grace had left, or what she’d said before leaving. The fragrant bowl of chicken soup sat by the bedside, long since gone cold, a thin layer of clear oil congealed on top...

As night slowly fell, the sound of slow footsteps approached. After a while, the door opened, and Brian Sullivan appeared before him, smiling, carrying two palm-sized crucian carp.

Chapter Five: The Scholar’s Livelihood (Part II)

“Chaosheng, you’re in for a treat.” Brian Sullivan chuckled as soon as he entered: “On the way back, I ran into Eldest Son and saw him wandering around with two fish in his hands.” Eldest Son was about the same age as Adam Sullivan, with the surname Yao. Because he was tall, everyone called him ‘Eldest Son’, and over time, the nickname replaced his real name.

Eldest Son Parker was honest and loyal, and got along best with Adam Sullivan. They often played together. The day Adam Sullivan was bitten by a snake, it was thanks to Eldest Son carrying him home; otherwise, he would surely have lost his life to the King of Hell.

“He said he waited for you at home but didn’t see you, so he went out to look for you.” Brian Sullivan put the fish in a basin and, while skillfully descaling, removing the gills, gutting, and cleaning them, smiled and said, “When he saw me, he’d already been wandering around for most of the day. I told him about your situation, and only then did he feel relieved. He even gave me these fish, saying they’re for you to help you recover.” He’d only learned to do these chores in the past year, after his wife fell ill. A year ago, Brian Sullivan couldn’t even light a fire, let alone prepare fish.

“Why didn’t he come?” After a day’s rest, Adam Sullivan could already sit up, leaning against the window as he asked.

“This is the Shen family compound, with all sorts of rules. It’s not like our thatched hut where you can come and go as you please.” Brian Sullivan lowered his voice: “There are lots of people in the clan, and you never know what they might say.”

Adam Sullivan was silent for a moment, then said softly, “How about... we move back tomorrow?”

“Go back?” Brian Sullivan shook his head like a rattle-drum, pretending to be relaxed: “I’ve had enough of that hut. I don’t want to go back for even a day.” He spoke with his back to Adam Sullivan, so no one saw his reddened eyes.

But he didn’t know that Adam Sullivan, sitting on the bed, also had red eyes, his nose stinging, a lump in his throat...

Father and son sat in silence. In the small attic, only the crackling of the firewood could be heard as Brian Sullivan put the cleaned crucian carp into the clay pot.

With the fish in the pot, the chores were done for now. Brian Sullivan sat wearily on a stool, popped a luohan bean into his mouth, chewed and swallowed, then took a sip of water before noticing the heavy atmosphere. He knew his suddenly sensitive son must have sensed something, so he forced a laugh and joked, “When your old man has money, I’ll eat ten fennel beans in one go.”