Struggle in Ancient Times

When Liao Tingyu came back, he saw the house was in a mess. His sister-in-law was crying like crazy beside his elder brother. While mother Deng and Liao Ming were silent.
“Ah. My God, what’s going on here?” Liao Tingyu said in a horror.

Mother Deng was frightened when she saw her eldest son falling. Liao Ming was shocked and didn’t move for a while, he just sat there stiffly.
He came back to his sense after he heard his youngest son’s voice.
Liao Ming moved his finger and wanted to stand up, but his body was weak and limp with no strength at all.

Even mother Deng didn’t move for a long time.
Liao Tingyu ran in and pulled Wen Xiuer away. Wen Xiuer held his hand as if a lifesaving straw, “Brother-in-law, you have to save your big brother. Your big brother, please save him.”
Liao Tingyu saw no one made a move and he didn’t where he suddenly got the strength, he picked up Liao Shi using his skinny arms and ran towards the village doctor’s house.

Wen Xiuer followed him with her big belly, leaving the parents behind inside the house.
Mother Deng looked at her youngest son who already ran out, “Let’s go and take a look.”
She struggled to stand up and Liao Ming helped her walked with unsteady steps. Without his support, she might fall to the ground.

“Relax, the eldest would be fine. You sit down first, wait until they come back.” Liao Ming tried to comfort his wife and himself.
Mother Deng sat on the ground weakly, “Old man, do you know that I didn’t mean it. I was so angry; I didn’t know what come over me. Why is he so stupid? Why didn’t he get out of the way, he should’ve dodged the bowl.”
“It’s okay, relax. I’m here.”

.
.
With raw willpower, Liao Tingyu took his brother to the doctor and got him treated. Liao Tingyu took a deep breath and asked the doctor.

“Uncle, is my big brother, okay?”
Liao Chang was Liao Tingyu’s uncle and he was the village doctor. He was surprised when Liao Shi came in with unconscious.
“Don’t worry, it looks serious but it was nothing. The wound isn’t deep, he was knocked unconscious. What happened? How could he be like this?”

Liao Tingyu looked at his sister-in-law who was still crying and shook his head, “Uncle, please take a look at my sister-in-law. She was running after me with a big belly, I’m scared something might be wrong with the baby. After all, this is my big brother’s first child in the seven years.”
Liao Chang shook his head helplessly. It must be family matter; it was hard to talk about it with outsider. He checked Wen Xiuer’s pulse, “There is no problem, she is a little weak and lacking blood. I will prescribe medicine for her later. She needs to recuperated, you go to town and buy some tonics. A woman’s childbirth is a gateway to death, be more careful.”
Liao Tingyu nodded his head, “Please make the medicine first, uncle. I want them to drink it first so I feel at ease.”
Liao Chang nodded and went back inside to look at the medicinal herbs, “I have some the herbs here. But you have to take him to the town and take a look. Your brother has been working hard all these years, we didn’t know what root disease he owns. It’s better to check it with a good doctor. He is still young, don’t let him suffer till old age. He had been taking care of your family lands on his own, you have to be considerate of him. He only has you as the capable younger brother. Take care of him well, uncle didn’t mean to talk much but I hope you still think about him.”

Liao Tingyu looked at his eldest brother laid on the bed with mixed feeling, “I know. I owe my achievement to him, father and mother. I will never forget my roots.”
Wen Xiuer was relieved when she heard Liao Tingyu’s answer, she wiped her tears, “Thank you, brother-in-law. Everything will be fine, it will fine.” All the strain finally being let down.
Liao Chang went out to boil the medicine, only the three of them was left alone. One was lying unconscious, the other was stunned and the remaining one…

Liao Tingyu saw Wen Xiuer was a little better, “Sister-in-law, can you tell me what happened? Why is big brother like this?”
As soon as she heard this, Wen Xiuer cried again, “It’s all my fault. It was me who couldn’t conceive a baby. Your big brother loves this baby so much, we have been waiting for years. I was envious of other women’s power to have children and your big brother also knew about it. He knew what other people said about me but he never says anything. He had been wanting this baby so bad, I just wanted to give birth safely and make sure my baby was fine.”
Liao Tingyu comforted his exhausted sister-in-law in a daze. He watched her crying so bad until she fell asleep. He asked a family nearby to let her rest inside while he watched over his big brother.

He saw the lines on his big brother face, people who didn’t know might think he was thirty years old but he was a young man in his twenties.
Frost and wind were engraved on his rough hands and there was fatigue under his eyes. He looked at the person on the bed, his heart was filled with pain and sadness.