Chapter 90: Matters Have Grown Complicated

Another half month passed.

After breakfast, Tang Banxia called the two men of the house over.

“Now then, the organization has a serious mission it wishes to entrust to the two comrades. Do the two comrades have confidence?”

Tang Banxia sat upright in the main room, imposing and dignified, every inch the commanding figure.

The two comrades exchanged a glance. “Please give the order, organization.”

“This.” Tang Banxia pointed to a large wooden box on the table, locked fast. “Help me deliver it to Director Yu in the county seat.”

Comrade Wen agreed at once. “Please rest assured, organization. I guarantee the mission will be completed.”

Comrade Tang, however, was puzzled. “Little girl, what is it? Why so mysterious, and even locked?”

“Medicine,” Tang Banxia said succinctly.

Comrade Tang immediately displayed his admirable spirit of getting to the bottom of things. “What medicine?”

“A medicine I compounded myself, Tendon-Numbing Powder.” Tang Banxia explained it all to him. “...These are the medicines Director Yu ordered.”

She had rushed and hurried and finally finished everything within the one-month deadline.

Ordinarily, she would not have needed to wear herself out so badly, but her second brother had arrived, and happened to be a patient besides; added to the other patient in the house, more than half her time had been taken up.

That was why she had only just finished by the last possible day.

Director Yu had been lavish in his dealings, and Tang Banxia was no less generous. Aside from the herbs she needed for treating illness, she had taken half of what remained and made it all into Tendon-Numbing Powder to give to Director Yu.

“Besides, there’s also this bottle.” Tang Banxia brought out a slender-necked white porcelain vial. “This is the second generation of Tendon-Numbing Powder that I formulated. Take it to Director Yu and have him test it.”

“Then have him send the test results back to me.” After saying that, she added another warning: “Remember to tell Director Yu that this one is more potent than the original Tendon-Numbing Powder. He must be careful.”

Wen Mubai nodded. “I’ve remembered. Don’t worry.”

Tang Banxia then looked at her second brother, only to find him frowning in thought. “Second Brother?” She waved a hand before him.

Tang Qiming came back to himself. “Little sister, does this Tendon-Numbing Powder really have all the effects you described?”

Tang Banxia had not yet spoken when Wen Mubai grew displeased. “Of course it does. Otherwise why would Director Yu want so much of it?”

Rarely, Tang Qiming did not snap back at him. Instead, he fixed Tang Banxia with a serious gaze. “Do you know the value of this medicine?”

Tang Banxia lifted her chin. “Of course.”

“Then your intention is...?” Tang Qiming asked, watching her.

Instead of answering, Tang Banxia asked in return, “Second Brother, what do you think of Tendon-Numbing Powder? Is it worthy?”

Tang Qiming’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. “If its effects are truly as you say, then it is absolutely worthy.”

With quiet pride, Tang Banxia said, “It can only be better, not worse.”

What was more, she was still improving it little by little.

Tang Qiming asked another crucial question. “The formula?”

“I developed it myself,” Tang Banxia said at once. “I’m the only one who knows it.”

A sharp gleam appeared in Tang Qiming’s eyes. During these past few days, though he had acted on the surface like a big, openhearted boy with no scheming in him, every child of the Tang family had grown up under the old master’s watchful eye. How could any of them lack a certain keenness?

“All right, little girl.” After turning the matter over in his head for a while, Tang Qiming finally said, “Don’t send these medicines out just yet.”

Tang Banxia looked at him.

Tang Qiming explained, “I know what you want, but things on Father and Mother’s side are very complicated. Nothing can be moved for the time being. And as matters stand now, they are safest in Stone Tablet Village. Do you understand?”

Tang Banxia’s face grew solemn as well.

Without a sound, Wen Mubai fastened the wooden gate and closed the room door.

“What exactly is going on?” Tang Banxia asked in a low voice. “You tell me nothing. How am I supposed to know where to apply my strength?”

Tang Qiming sat down on the other side and bent his knuckles, tapping them against the table one after another. Steam billowed from the medicine simmering in the clay pot. The room was silent and heavy.

It was not that Tang Qiming did not want to speak. It was only that he did not know very much himself. He merely remembered his grandfather’s warning with absolute clarity: do not try to pry into Father and Mother’s affairs, and do not try to change anything.

“It’s not that we won’t tell you. It’s that I’m not very clear on it either. The only person in the family who truly understands Father and Mother’s situation is Grandfather. Even Eldest Brother knows only the barest surface of it,” Tang Qiming explained.

“This Tendon-Numbing Powder of yours probably won’t be enough to bring Father and Mother back.” Tang Qiming’s tapping never ceased.

Tang Banxia frowned. “Then what should we do?”

“Like this: don’t send these herbs out for now.” Tang Qiming suddenly stood up. “I’ll return to the capital today. This has to be discussed with Grandfather.”

Though his little sister’s Tendon-Numbing Powder might not be enough to exchange for their parents, its importance was plain to see.

“Little girl, give me a bottle of Tendon-Numbing Powder. Grandfather has to see it.”

Old Master Tang was the pillar that steadied their whole family, the support in every Tang heart.

For something this important, concerning the fate of the family, it truly ought to be Grandfather who decided the course.

Yet ever since Tang Banxia had come into this world, she had never once met the old master in person. They had exchanged letters, but that was not the same as something vivid and real. Hearing Tang Qiming speak so, she understood that she had thought too simply of it. “Should I go with you?”

“No need.” Tang Qiming pulled up his zipper. “If you go too, it’ll draw too much attention.”

He picked up his handbag. “This matter is too important. I’m leaving at once.”

“Wait.” Tang Banxia stopped him. “Give me a moment.”

She went back to the bedroom and, moving swiftly, measured out seven doses of medicine for him. “Second Brother, take these as well. Your wound is almost healed, but such a great gash has drained a good deal of your body’s vital essence. These are all for replenishing it.”

“When you get home, have Grandmother decoct them for you,” she instructed quickly.

At the same time, she opened the wooden box again and took out two bamboo tubes of the first-generation Tendon-Numbing Powder. She also slipped in the second-generation powder. “Take all of these to Grandfather and tell him this: the second generation is not the end. The third generation is already under study.”

“In the final form, one breath will be enough to knock a person unconscious, just like the sleeping powder in martial-arts novels.”

Tang Qiming engraved every word firmly in his mind.

Then Tang Banxia said, “Walking is too slow. Xiaobai, go borrow a bicycle from the brigade leader’s house and take Second Brother to the county seat.”

“And the train ticket—we’ll have to trouble Brother Gang again. Second Brother is injured; it would be best if he could get a sleeper berth.”

Wen Mubai wasted no words. “I’ll go find the brigade leader.”

While he was away, Tang Banxia boiled several eggs, pan-fried some egg pancakes, and took out a jar of fragrant spicy meat sauce in a glass preserve bottle. Then, after a moment’s thought, she put it back.

Tang Qiming said, “Little sister?”

“Your injury isn’t healed yet. You can’t eat spicy food.” Tang Banxia was unmoved.

Tang Qiming made a last, feeble struggle. “I’ll give it to Grandfather and Grandmother.”

“Oh, I can send some back by post myself. No need to trouble Second Brother.” Tang Banxia knew him too well.

Tang Qiming muttered under his breath.

Without even turning her head, Tang Banxia said, “I can hear you.”

Then she fetched some frozen dumplings from outside, cooked them, and packed them into a lunch tin. “Warm them up before you eat them.”

“I know, I know,” Tang Qiming said impatiently. “Am I the older brother or are you?”

“You are, you are.” Tang Banxia humored him casually.

The journey from the county seat to the capital took a full day and night. This food would be enough. Tang Banxia then boiled a pot of red dates and angelica soup to nourish the blood and replenish his energy, and poured it into his canteen. “Remember to drink it. I’ll ask Grandmother.”

“What a little housekeeper,” Tang Qiming muttered softly.

Tang Banxia ignored him, packed everything into his army-green bag, and found him a scarf as well. “The capital is colder than here.”

Tang Qiming said, “Will you settle down, my dear little ancestress? Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were my mother.”

Tang Banxia smiled faintly. “I’ll tell Mother that.”

“Can’t you use a different trick?” Tang Qiming cried, exasperated.

“A trick doesn’t have to be new. It only has to work.” Tang Banxia rolled her eyes at him.

Just then, Wen Mubai came back. Tang Qiming darted out of the room as if fleeing for his life, urging, “Come on, come on, let’s go.”

Wen Mubai deliberately took his time in opposition. “Wife, I’m off. I may not be back for lunch, so don’t wait for me.”

Tang Qiming shoved at him. “Stop fussing like an old woman and hurry up.”

Wen Mubai stepped on his foot. “Wife, I’m going.”

Tang Banxia waved a hand and watched the two of them leave.