The Su Family compound.
Mother Su sat on the edge of the bed inside the room, cocking her ear and listening for a while. Only after confirming there was no sign of Su Guang in the courtyard did she slowly rise.
Supporting herself against the wall, she shuffled step by step to the doorway and glanced into the courtyard.
Su Guang had already gone out. The enormous courtyard stood empty and desolate, with only San Gouzi crouching in the corner, honestly holding a horse stance and practicing his punches.
His dark, bright eyes stared blankly ahead as he counted under his breath.
"San Gouzi, come here."
San Gouzi heard someone calling him and turned his head.
Seeing Mother Su beckoning from the doorway, he withdrew from his stance and jogged over to her. "Old Madam?"
Mother Su took a small piece of silver from her sleeve, weighing roughly three or four qian, and pressed it into San Gouzi's hand. Bending down, she said in a low voice, "Child, go to the medicine shop at the end of the street for me and bring back a medicine."
San Gouzi blinked and asked blankly, "What medicine?"
Mother Su lowered her voice. "Just say that an old person in the family has developed a terrible sore and needs some arsenic to compound the medicine."
"All right."
San Gouzi did not understand what this meant. He merely nodded and agreed.
"Remember it?"
"I remember."
Mother Su urged him again, "Don't let anyone know. Buy the medicine and come straight back. Don't say anything else. If you run into your Uncle Su Guang, don't tell him either."
Although San Gouzi's mind was somewhat rigid, he made up for it by being obedient. He never asked why.
He nodded, gripped the silver tightly, and turned to