Chapter 1 Family in the Predicament

"What happened to me? Didn't Sun Ergou hit my head with the pestle? Where's this place? Am I dead?"

In the infinite darkness, Li Tianchen floated in the air, as if he was a wandering lonely soul.

"After so many years, I finally see the daylight again. It's a shame..."

At this time, an old and robust voice suddenly came into Li Tianchen's ears. He couldn't help but be shocked.

"Who is it?"

"My descendant, don't fear me." The old voice sounded exceptionally amiable as if it was speaking to its own child. "I'm your ancestor."

"An... ancestor?" Li Tianchen thought.

Li Tianchen froze for a second, and immediately growled, "Who the hell are you? Don't talk nonsense."

"Normally, if someone claims to be my ancestor, I would scold him. But now I'm in a bizarre situation. I have to be more careful." Li Tianchen thought.

"Haha, this is only a damaged soul of mine. It's not far-fetched to call me a wandering ghost."

The old voice laughed loudly, with a sense of desolation. Then, it continued to say, "Child, I've been waiting in the Black Fire Pestle for over a thousand years. Perhaps, it's the god's will that allows you to discover the existence of the damaged soul which is on the verge of disappearing. Then, I'll give you everything I have!"

Li Tianchen was listening to the voice, feeling extremely shocked. "Am I talking to a ghost? That's so unbelievable. It couldn't be true." He thought.

"Boom!"

All of a sudden, Li Tianchen felt that his head was bombed and opened. Instantly, it seemed that innumerable sharp thorns stroke into his head.

These thorns were countless segments of memories, which were too many and too complicated as if they were an infinite sea. Because Li Tianchen was shocked by such a strong wave of memory segments, his consciousness was like a lonely boat in the storm suddenly, drifting away. Soon, he once again went into a coma.

Having lost track of time, Li Tianchen slowly came back to his senses. He opened his eyes slowly and saw the ceiling of his own bedroom.

"I'm still alive."

Li Tianchen froze and suddenly realized something. He sat up abruptly.

While rubbing his eyes, Li Tianchen looked at the familiar bedroom carefully and touched his forehead. His head was bandaged up, but he didn't feel any pain at the time.

"Ah, Brother Tianchen, you're awake."

At this time, a delightful sound of happiness came.

Li Tianchen raised his head, seeing a pretty girl standing next to him. She was slim and tall. Her skin was porcelain white, and her face was heart-shaped. With a pink apron around her slender waist, she looked like a homey girl who was very beautiful.

"Xiaoqing, why are you here?"

Li Tianchen looked at the pretty girl, seeming to be a little surprised.

Zhou Xiaoqing's beautiful face beamed with delight. She used the apron to wipe the water on her hand, saying with excitement, "Brother Tianchen, finally you're awake. In these days, uncle and aunt are worried about you. They have no mood to eat or drink. So, I come over to make some food for them." While speaking, she reached out her beautiful hand to touch Li Tianchen's forehead, saying, "Brother Tianchen, how do you feel? You were hit on the head by the pestle and was unconscious for three days."

When Li Tianchen heard the last sentence of the girl, he was stunned, asking, "I was unconscious for three days?"

"I thought that I only took a nap, but I didn't expect that I was in a coma for three days." Li Tianchen thought.

At this time, a middle-aged woman ran into the room in a hurry. She hugged Li Tianchen emotionally, saying, "Tianchen, you're awake." While speaking, her bloodshot eyes shed tears, which made Li Tianchen's clothes wet.

Li Tianchen felt sour and guilty, and consoled the woman, "Mom, I'm fine now."

"The reason why I was hit on the head by Sun Ergou using a pestle is that my family runs a clinic at the gate of the community." Li Tianchen thought. A while ago, Sun Ergou's father suffered from rheumatism. So, he came to Li Yong, Li Tianchen's father for help. Li Yong, who was a home-schooled traditional Chinese medicine doctor, prescribed some medicine for Elder Sun. Yet, after Elder Sun went home, his illness suddenly acted up at midnight. It was said that he couldn't feel his legs.

Sun Ergou gathered a group of people to make trouble, accusing Li Yong of being a quack and hurting people. Sun Ergou demanded Li Yong's family to compensate for his father's suffering. Li Tianchen, who was young and impulsive, argued with Sun Ergou. Sun Ergou hit Li Tianchen's head with a pestle, which caused Li Tianchen unconscious immediately.

"Um, it's great that you're fine."

Feng Guifang let go of Li Tianchen, and wiped her tears happily, asking with concern, "Tianchen, do you have a headache?"

Li Tianchen felt his head, and shook his head, saying, "No, I'm not in pain," He looked around, asking, "Where's my father?"

"Sun Ergou ran away after hitting you and didn't show up in these days. Your father said that your pulse was normal and you should be fine. So, he didn't call the police. In these days, he visits Elder Sun in the hospital every day."

Feng Guifang was both angry and sad, with her eyes red.

Li Tianchen understood his mother's sadness. After all, her child was hit, yet she couldn't reason with the man who hit her son. He also understood his father's thought. Once they called the police, this matter would go through the legal procedures, which could affect the name of Li Family's ancestral knowledge of medicine. "My father views the ancestral knowledge of medicine as his life. It will be best if this matter is settled privately." Li Tianchen thought.

"Mom, I'm fine. How is Elder Sun doing?"

"The origin of this matter is Elder Sun's legs. If his legs are fine, our family could survive this crisis." Li Tianchen thought.

But Feng Guifang sighed, mumbling, "I heard that he's not well. He can't feel his legs at all. The doctor suggests amputation." While she was speaking, her eyes turned red, and she cried again, saying, "If Elder Sun loses his legs for no reason after our treatment, a hooligan like Sun Ergou will definitely make trouble again. We'll have to compensate him. How could our family afford compensation?"

Feng Guifang was an ordinary housewife who had heard some medical disputes. Her family earned a small profit through the clinic and could not compensate. Therefore, she felt as if the sky was falling.

Zhou Xiaoqing consoled Feng Guifang in a low voice, "Aunt, don't worry. The doctor in the hospital is excellent. Elder Sun will be fine."

Being so emotional in front of two children, Feng Guifang felt that her behavior was inappropriate. She wiped her tears, sighing, "I hope so. Thanks to you, Xiaoqing. Otherwise, we couldn't have gone through all this." She pulled Zhou Xiaoqing's hand, expressing her gratitude sincerely.

Zhou Xiaoqing said in a shy manner, "It's my pleasure. You watch me grow up and always take care of me. I didn't do enough for you." While speaking, she secretly glanced at Li Tianchen.

Li Tianchen rubbed his stomach, saying, "I'm hungry."

"I just cooked a pot of chicken soup. I'll get some for you." Zhou Xiaoqing said in a hurry, running out rapidly.

Be it an accident or an arrangement, Feng Guifang glanced at her son, saying in a low voice, "Xiaoqing is a nice girl. If only she could be my daughter-in-law..."

Li Tianchen touched his nose embarrassingly. Feng Guifang had said these words before, but Li Tianchen never responded.

At this time, after a bang, the door outside was pushed open. Next, the delightful sound of Zhou Xiaoqing came. "Uncle is back."

Li Tianchen heard that his father answered depressingly and then saw a tall man walking into the room.