Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 296 After the Tribulations End, the Sun Shines Bright

Daoxiangcun.

Jia Lan had a wet cloth on his head, and his upper clothes had been taken off. Li Wan was using a cloth dipped in strong liquor to wipe his armpits, palms, and soles.

Su Yun said from the side, "Grandma, we might have to wipe the groin area as well."

Li Wan agreed and was about to lift the covers when Jia Lan hurriedly pulled them back, saying, "No need, no need... cough cough, I'll do it myself!"

Li Wan was taken aback, and Bi Yue, who was standing to the side, covered her mouth and laughed, "Young master, you know how to be shy now."

Jia Lan is eight years old now. There is an old saying that boys and girls should not sit together after the age of seven. This is the age when they should be able to recognize the difference between boys and girls.

Li Wan then said, "Alright, then you can wipe it yourself."

Jia Lan hurriedly grabbed the handkerchief and reached under the covers to wipe himself haphazardly. Li Wan then reached out and touched Jia Lan's cheek, finding it wasn't as burning hot as it had been at night, and breathed a sigh of relief.

After a short while, Jia Lan dozed off, so Li Wan left Bi Yue to take care of him while she went to the main room to talk with Su Yun, feeling melancholy.

After they were seated, Suyun noticed that Li Wan looked haggard, so she quickly served her some fragrant tea and comforted her, saying, "Madam, please try to be more understanding. I imagine that after this ordeal, Madam will no longer be able to ask the young master to go to her room."

Li Wan said, "I would rather Lan'er be safe and sound... She was delirious with fever last night, it was really frightening."

Su Yun recalled Chen Siyuan's situation just now and was about to speak when a maidservant outside reported, "Madam, Baochan, who is by Miss Xia's side, has arrived."

The two were taken aback. Su Yun hurriedly came to greet them and soon led Bao Chan inside. Bao Chan entered, curtsied, and presented a brocade box, saying, "Our young lady heard that Lan-ge'er was coughing incessantly, and since there was some watermelon frost in the room, she sent me to bring a box to Lan-ge'er."

Li Wan said gratefully, "Oh, thank you for your trouble, young lady."

Baochan smiled and shook her head, then left after putting down her belongings.

After she left, Li Wan and her maid Su Yun looked at each other in bewilderment, neither of them knowing what Xia Jingui was up to.

Li Wan said, "It's strange. We have no dealings with Yi Hong Courtyard. Why would Miss Xia send something over out of the blue?"

Su Yun, having run around the mansion and learned all the details, smiled and said, "I heard that Madam Xia will be returning soon, and Miss Xia will probably be leaving in a few more days. Perhaps she's trying to curry favor before leaving?" She paused, then added, "But we should accept the favor, as for the gifts... it's best if Madam doesn't use them."

Li Wan was puzzled, but seeing Su Yun's hesitant expression, she was immediately alarmed. Yes, Xia Jingui was determined to become Bao Er's wife, and she was very close to the Madam. Who knew if she harbored any intention to harm Lan'er?
She reached for the brocade box, then stopped mid-air, as if it contained some deadly poison. Gritting her teeth, Li Wan said, "Quietly throw it away, don't let anyone see it."

Su Yun agreed and quickly put the small brocade box into her sleeve. After she went out to deal with it, Li Wan frowned and felt very sad. She couldn't help but think of Chen Siyuan... But what good would it do for Chen Siyuan, no matter how capable he was, to treat this kind of illness?

Leaving aside Li Wan's random thoughts, let's talk about Baochan's journey back to Yihong Courtyard. At this moment, Xia Jingui was talking with Granny Hu.

Seeing that Baochan had returned, the two of them didn't try to hide anything, and Granny Hu said, "...Everything was fine until someone suddenly appeared out of nowhere. That person carried a knife and was a skilled fighter. Niu Er and his companion were taken down in a single encounter."

Thanks to the man protecting the fake nun, Niu Er and his companion were able to escape.

Xia Jingui frowned and said angrily, "They can't even handle this small matter, and these two still want money for medicine?"

Granny Hu said with a smile, "Miss, even if you didn't do anything special, you still put in a lot of effort. Niu Er broke his arm, and he looked quite pitiful..." She paused, then continued, "...but that fake nun looked lost and dejected. She locked herself in her meditation room as soon as she entered the Muni Temple. I don't know what happened to her."

Xia Jingui waved her hand, not wanting to listen anymore. She glanced at Baochan and asked, "Have the items been delivered?"

Baochan replied, "Yes, Madam also said that you've troubled me with all this."

Xia Jingui gave a cold laugh and remained silent, then asked the maid outside, "What time is it?"

"Reporting to Miss, it is already past noon."

Xia Jingui then stood up and said, "We should go and see Madam." She then led her maids and servants to Madam Wang's courtyard in the front.

Now that she was close to Lady Wang, she naturally understood Lady Wang's thoughts quite well. Since Li Wan and her son had received the promise from Prince Yanping, if something happened to Jia Lan, that promise might fall on Bao Yu. Xia Jingui naturally wished for Li Wan and her son to die quickly, but such a thing was difficult for her to do. Not only was it difficult, but she also had to act tactfully to appease Lady Wang.

They traveled in silence and soon arrived at Madam Wang's courtyard. The head maid, Yu Chuan'er, led Xia Jingui and her party inside. Xia Jingui went straight into a side room and saw Madam Wang, who was also wearing a headband, reclining on a couch.

Xia Jingui asked with concern, "Is Madam feeling any better?"

Madam Wang said, "She still seems a little unwell, perhaps due to her age."

Jia Lan had been up all night and caught a cold. As for Lady Wang, who was of advanced age, how could she be any better? Although she didn't have a high fever, she was coughing and had a stuffy nose, feeling extremely uncomfortable, so much so that she hadn't been to Rongqing Hall for the past two days.

“My son,” Madam Wang reached out and took Xia Jingui’s hand, “How has Baoyu been these past two days?”

Lady Wang dared not go to Rongqing Hall, and naturally she could not pass on her illness to Baoyu, since Baoyu had only inquired about her health from the outside room these past two days and had not entered the hall.

Xia Jingui sat on the bed and said with a smile, "Brother Bao is the same as always, but he wrote a poem yesterday, which was praised by the Third and Fourth Misses."

Madam Wang frowned and said, "Poetry is but a minor art; we must put our effort into serious writing."

Xia Jingui then scolded, "Madam said that I only gave him a couple of pieces of advice last time, and he didn't come looking for me for two days. From now on, I won't dare to give advice recklessly."

Lady Wang knew Baoyu's character all too well. With Jia Zheng away from the mansion these days, Baoyu had become increasingly unruly. She sighed and said, "Never mind, once I recover, I will definitely find him and teach him a good lesson."

After the two had a private chat, Yu Chuan'er from outside reported, "Madam, Sister-in-law Zhou has arrived."

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Rui's wife entered to offer her greetings. Seeing that Zhou Rui's wife seemed hesitant to speak, Xia Jingui knew that there were some things she shouldn't hear, so she immediately got up to take her leave.

Unexpectedly, Madam Wang grabbed her and said, "Jin Gui is not an outsider. Just say what you have to say."

Zhou Rui's wife agreed and replied, "Madam, there are a few things... First, Zheng Haoshi's wife asked me to pass on a message to you, saying that Second Mistress, for some reason, has started digging up old accounts again, focusing on the accounts from the Dragon Boat Festival. Her husband couldn't explain it, and ended up being punished with a beating."

Zheng Haoshi's wife was also a maidservant of Madam Wang. Now, the two, aunt and niece, were almost at each other's throats, so Feng Jie naturally set her sights on Madam Wang's maidservants.

Madam Wang frowned and asked, "Anything else?"

Zhou Rui's wife glanced around, then lowered her head and said, "Also, yesterday afternoon, Lai Wang's wife went out of the manor. I heard from the gatekeeper that she seemed to have gone to the back to look for that Ni Er; I wonder what kind of business she's up to now."

As Madam Wang was frowning in thought, Xia Jingui said from the side, "Could it be that Second Sister-in-law is planning to give up that lending business?"

Madam Wang was startled, but found it quite reasonable. Zhou Rui's wife added, "Madam, we can't let Second Mistress run wild. If this continues, the mansion will probably fall into chaos sooner or later."

Madam Wang then asked, "Did you listen carefully?"

Zhou Rui's wife said, "The master has asked someone outside, and they said there will be a reply in the next couple of days."

If she wanted to regain control of the household, she would have to embarrass Feng Jie. The old lady prided herself on being a philanthropist; if Feng Jie were to push debts out and cause someone's death, then we'd see how the old lady would handle it... She couldn't very well contradict herself, could she?
Madam Wang secretly gathered her strength. After a short while, Zhou Rui's wife said, "There's something else. Miaoyu didn't return yesterday, and early this morning, the maids and old women of Longcui Nunnery hurriedly took a carriage out of the city. I overheard that Miaoyu stayed at the Muni Temple yesterday to copy the palm-leaf scriptures."

Lady Wang frowned even more. She had initially agreed to let Miaoyu enter the household, considering her merely a potential daughter-in-law. But after carefully observing Miaoyu's character, she realized she was hardly a suitable match for a primary wife. Lady Wang coveted Miaoyu's wealth and secretly planned to coax her into becoming Baoyu's concubine someday; she certainly wouldn't let this sure thing slip away.

She then instructed, "It's not very safe in the wilderness. Send a few capable people to go there later to make sure Miaoyu is safe."

Zhou Rui's wife agreed, and seeing that there was nothing else to do, she took her leave.

Seeing Xia Jingui frowning and pondering, Madam Wang immediately smiled and patted her hand, saying, "My child, don't worry, Miaoyu has nothing to do with you."

Xia Jingui immediately smiled and nodded in agreement, but inwardly she rolled her eyes, thinking that Madam Wang was looking for a better option while keeping her options open, and was being indecisive.

............................................................

A simple thatched cottage.

That day, because Li Wan was watching over Jia Lan, the three springs were free to do as they pleased. Little Xi Chun had played around to her heart's content in the morning, but by the afternoon, seeing that Chen Siyuan was nowhere to be seen, she went to the thatched cottage in the Qingtang to look for him.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I was overwhelmed by the smell of garlic and fish.

Xichun pulled out a handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose. Upon entering, she saw a large pot set up near the left side of the east wing, with a steamer on top. A stream of yellowish oil was dripping from a metal pipe.

Everyone inside, except Chen Siyuan, was wearing a mask. Xichun stepped forward and greeted him, "Brother Yuan, are you fiddling with that damn mold again?"

Chen Siyuan said, "This time it's not penicillin, it's allicin."

"Garlic...vegetarian?"

Chen Siyuan opened his mouth to reply, but just then a gust of wind blew by, and the steam, carrying a pungent smell, rushed into his mouth and nose, making him cough repeatedly.

Hongyu, who was tending the glass bottles, said in a muffled voice, "Our master heard that Lan-ge'er had a persistent high fever, and somehow got another concubine. Not only did she move a basket of green garlic from the small kitchen, but she also snatched a basket of houttuynia cordata, which Second Mistress likes, saying she was going to make a secret medicine." (Note 1)

Xiangling teased from the side, "They say medicine is three parts poison, but these two things that the old man is handling smell so awful, they might actually be very useful!"

Upon hearing this, Wu'er and the others burst into laughter, and even Xiao Xichun laughed non-stop.

Chen Siyuan stepped aside to avoid the limelight, his gaze fixed intently on the steamer basket on the stove. He chuckled and said, "I didn't expect to find houttuynia cordata so close to the capital."

Hongyu smiled and said, "I suppose you haven't paid much attention to the fields and roadsides in your daily life. This houttuynia cordata is everywhere, but the taste is not very good. Only the Second Mistress in the mansion eats it. Others really can't stand that fishy smell."

Xichun quickly nodded and said, "That's right. The year before last, I saw Sister Feng eating it and couldn't help but try a bite. It was absolutely awful!"

Xiangling said, "Sir, you probably don't know, but this kind of houttuynia cordata can also be found in Liaodong."

Chen Siyuan nodded and smiled, his heart filled with excitement. Garlic can be used to make allicin, and so can houttuynia cordata! The former is more complicated to grow and its yield is far less than the latter. If this plant is managed well, it could be a great source of income.

Yes, and more importantly, at least it can be used by Jia Lan, so that Li Wan won't have to worry about it.

Xiao Xichun lingered for a while, initially quite interested, but eventually, unable to bear the smell any longer, she had no choice but to retreat.

By dinner time, the houttuynia cordata had not shown any signs of life, and Chen Siyuan was unsure what had gone wrong. However, he had extracted a clump of yellowish, paste-like substance from the garlic.

Chen Siyuan dipped some garlic in his chopsticks and tasted it, immediately wincing in disgust. He figured the alcohol probably wouldn't react with the garlic. He then poured the paste into a small porcelain bottle and sent Hongyu to deliver it to Daoxiang Village.

At this moment, Jia Lan woke up from his drowsy state, but after eating only a little rice porridge, he became drowsy again. Seeing that he had a persistent high fever, Li Wan was extremely anxious.

Just then, Hongyu brought over some garlic extract, and Li Wan was overjoyed. She quickly fed Jia Lan a spoonful. That night, she fed him two more times. Strangely enough, perhaps the garlic extract worked, because the next day, Jia Lan's fever had indeed subsided, and his cough had also lessened considerably.

Su Yun and Bi Yue both breathed a sigh of relief, praising Master Yuan for his resourcefulness. Li Wan smiled and nodded, her heart filled with warmth.

He knew he couldn't come to Daoxiang Village, but he still missed her and Lan'er. Although their relationship was clandestine, what more could one ask for than such lovers?
Seeing Jia Lan running and jumping around so well these days, Li Wan felt relieved, but she couldn't help but miss Chen Siyuan even more. Taking advantage of Jia Lan's safety, Li Wan felt moved and composed a poem: "The madman and the handsome man have gone to the ends of the earth, gazing at the distant shadows of wild geese over Hengyang; the lonely jade-like beauty can remain like this, only the moon's reflection shimmers before the window."

After writing it, he felt it was not right, so he crumpled the poem into a ball and threw it into the fire pit to burn it completely.

By the afternoon, unable to contain her emotions any longer, she instructed Suyun, "You look after Lan'er. I swore an oath before the Jade Emperor, and now that Lan'er is feeling better, she must go before the Jade Emperor to recite the scriptures a few times." Suyun, without suspicion, readily agreed. Li Wan then led Biyue to the Jade Emperor Temple.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the alchemy room of the Jade Emperor Temple. Li Wan pursed her lips and hesitated slightly before gently tapping the jade chime with the jade hammer.

A moment later, she heard the door open behind her. Li Wan's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but turn around. Seeing that it was indeed Chen Siyuan, Li Wan was immediately moved and exclaimed, "Brother Yuan..."

As she spoke, she threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face. Chen Siyuan was startled and quickly asked, "Where did you suffer? Is Lan-ge'er feeling better?"

Li Wan just kept shaking her head and crying. Her tears were partly because she was grateful that someone cared for her now, and partly because she was thinking about the loneliness of the past few years.

After probing for a few moments, Chen Siyuan roughly grasped Li Wan's thoughts. He didn't rush to seduce her, but instead gently comforted her. Unexpectedly, just as his mouth was parched, Li Wan offered her her lips.

Li Wan's passion burned like fire, and Chen Siyuan naturally wouldn't thwart her enthusiasm. One glared fiercely, her voice like a bull's roar echoing through the willow's shadow; the other spoke sweetly and shyly, like a nightingale flitting among flowers. One whispered sweet nothings in the ear, the other swore eternal vows on the pillow. The Jade Emperor Temple transformed into a scene of joyous celebration; the alchemy room became a world of pleasure... but I won't go into details.

............................................................

Several days passed in a flash, and Jia Lan indeed recovered greatly, returning to the private school to study with his teacher.

Since that day, Li Wan's passion has only intensified, and she would go to the Jade Emperor Temple to strike the jade chime every other day. At first, Chen Siyuan was happy about it, but after a few days he felt it was inappropriate, so he privately spoke to Li Wan about it.

Li Wan was deeply ashamed, and thus suppressed her emotions and did not come to see Chen Siyuan for several days.

For the rest of the time, Chen Siyuan would chat with Sister Xunbao and Sister Lin, then bury himself in his books, occasionally trying to extract houttuynia cordata extract.

It is now early August, and since the Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner and the journey is imminent, Jia Zheng has moved back to the Rongguo Mansion these past few days. However, he only stayed in Aunt Zhao's room for one night before moving to Mengpo Studio in the front.

Aunt Zhao learned her lesson this time and dared not cry or make a fuss. She just diligently went to Mengpo Studio every day, which I won't go into detail about.

After an autumn rain, Chen Siyuan was reading in his study when his maid, Yunxiang, came running up excitedly and said, "Master, Master, Miaoyu has been helped back to Longcui Nunnery."

"Oh," Chen Siyuan replied indifferently, only then remembering that Miaoyu had stayed at the Muni Temple outside the city and had not returned to the Rongguo Mansion for more than ten days.

Seeing that Chen Siyuan didn't care at all, Yunxiang could only leave awkwardly.

Unexpectedly, around noon, Yunxiang led Qingfan to Mengpo Studio again.

Once inside, Qingfan kowtowed and said, "Please, Master Yuan, bestow some medicine and save our young lady!"

Chen Siyuan was puzzled and quickly said, "Please get up and talk to me. What exactly happened?"

Qingfan, sobbing, said that Miaoyu had caught a cold and had a persistent high fever. They had already consulted a famous doctor at the Muni Temple, but the prescriptions had been changed twice without any effect. After arguing with the two old women, Qingfan realized that they could not stay any longer, so despite Miaoyu's objections, he carried her back to the Longcui Nunnery.

Now that he had a better understanding of houttuynia cordata extract, and allicin was difficult to preserve, Chen Siyuan was naturally willing to part with it. Thinking that if he didn't agree now, his cousin might come begging for his permission later, he simply said, "I didn't keep the medicine either, but you can take the recipe later and try to make it yourself."

Qingfan wiped away tears and thanked him profusely. Only after receiving the prescription did he leave, expressing his deepest gratitude.

As soon as Qingfan left, Yunxiang said excitedly, "Master, I heard that Miaoyu is entangled with a man outside, and they even drew swords a few days ago!"

"Huh?" Chen Siyuan was taken aback and asked, "Who told you that?"

"Who else could it be? Last time, Madam sent a few old women and servants to the Muni Temple, and I just overheard some of the old women talking about it when they came back."

Chen Siyuan became interested and hurriedly asked for details, and Yunxiang then began to tell him in vivid detail.

Meanwhile, Miaoyu, distraught, arrived at the Muni Temple. On the way, she was nearly harmed by villains, leaving her utterly disheartened and filled with grief and indignation.

The next day, he ignored Qingfan and the others, and even the people sent by Lady Wang, and stayed in the main hall copying the palm-leaf scriptures.

This person, having cultivated a pure and desireless heart, would eventually forget about Liu Xianglian's deception. However, the more pure and desireless he became, the more resentful Miaoyu became!

This was because Miaoyu was always proud and aloof, and she would get very angry whenever she thought about how she had been tricked by Liu Xianglian.

On the fourth day of the eighth month, Liu Xianglian, whom they hadn't seen for many days, indeed came to the Muni Temple. The two met in the hall, and no one knows what they said beforehand, but then they started arguing, which attracted the attention of the nanny sent by Madam Wang.

Then they heard Liu Xianglian swear an oath: "...If I have deceived you, may I be struck by lightning the moment I step out the door. If you don't believe me—" With that, he drew his sword with a clang, turned it upside down, and handed it to Miaoyu, saying, "—then cut open my heart and see if it's black or red!"

If an ordinary young woman were to receive a precious sword, she might immediately discard it and wail inconsolably, or simply believe Liu Xianglian's accusations. But Miaoyu was no ordinary young woman; upon receiving the sword, she gritted her teeth, drew her sword, and thrust it forward!
Even with Liu Xianglian's exceptional skills, he was caught off guard and stabbed in the arm by a sword. In excruciating pain, Liu Xianglian immediately turned hostile, kicking Miaoyu to the ground, snatching the sword, and preparing to strike. Several old women shouted for help, but Liu Xianglian's expression shifted several times before he uttered harsh words: "So what if I'm deceiving you? You'll still be a concubine in the Jia family, won't you? Bah! Now you're playing the noblewoman, but what's the difference between you and those courtesans in the brothel? Just playthings!"

After saying this, Liu Xianglian clutched his shoulder and strode away. Miaoyu was furious and chased after him like a madwoman, picking up whatever she could and smashing it.

It was only after a group of old women intervened that Miaoyu was persuaded to stop. However, Miaoyu couldn't sleep that night and wandered around the Muni Temple in the rain. The next day, she developed a high fever and couldn't get out of bed. Her condition persisted until today, with no sign of improvement, when Qingfan and others finally carried her back to the Rongguo Mansion.

After finishing her rambling, Yunxiang added with lingering interest, "It's strange, since she's sick, why doesn't she ask Madam to send the imperial physician, but instead comes to ask Master?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "Do you think Madam will kindly treat her now?"

Miaoyu and Liu Xianglian have an ambiguous relationship, and Madam Wang isn't running a charity, so she might actually be hoping Miaoyu dies soon!

Yunxiang was quite surprised and was about to ask further when Wu'er outside said, "Master, Miss Cousin has arrived."

Chen Siyuan waved to Yunxiang, and the little maid hurriedly slipped out. When Chen Siyuan arrived at the door, he saw Xing Xiuyan approaching hurriedly with a frown.

Upon entering the room, before even taking a seat, Xing Xiuyan said, "She... seems to be very ill. Yuan-ge'er, could you possibly share some of your prescription?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Even if you save her, I'm afraid she won't remember your kindness."

Xing Xiuyan shook her head and said, "What happens to her is her business, but I can't just stand by and watch her die."

Chen Siyuan then reached out and took her soft hand, saying, "Cousin, you are so kind-hearted... I knew you had this in mind, so when Qingfan came to ask for the prescription, I gave it to her."

Xing Xiuyan murmured "May the Bodhisattva protect you," then squeezed Chen Siyuan's hand twice and said, "Then I'll go to Longcui Nunnery first and come back to find you when everything is alright."

Chen Siyuan hummed in reluctance, and Xing Xiuyan blushed slightly. She glanced around and, seeing that no one was watching, quickly leaned over and kissed Chen Siyuan on the cheek. She said, "Stop fooling around, I'm going now."

Chen Siyuan could only nod and watch Xing Xiuyan walk away quickly.

............................................................

Cuicui Temple.

The Longcui Nunnery is divided into inner and outer sections. Upon entering the mountain gate, there are red plum trees planted on both sides, and a small pavilion on the east side. Passing through the main gate, the east wing is used as a meditation hall, the west wing is used as a nunnery, the three main rooms are Longcui Nunnery, the two west side rooms are used as Bodhidharma Nunnery, and only the two east side rooms are where Miaoyu resides.

In addition, the East Zen Hall has a winding corridor connecting to the three rooms of Longcui Nunnery, which separates the two side rooms into a small courtyard.

The sound of coughing could be heard all over the place. The nanny beside Miaoyu led Zhou Rui's wife and Physician Hu around. The nanny said, "Miss, Sister-in-law Zhou is here. Madam heard that you were sick, so she specially invited Physician Hu to treat you."

Upon hearing this, Miaoyu coughed even more violently.

After a short while, Qingfan opened the door and ushered Zhou Rui's wife and Physician Hu inside.

When Zhou Rui's wife entered the room, she saw that Miaoyu's forehead was covered with a handkerchief, and her originally fair face was now even whiter than paper. She immediately put on a stern face and said, "Since you are so ill, why didn't you return to the manor earlier? Madam was startled just now and hurriedly invited Physician Hu to treat you."

Miaoyu, who was always obsequious to superiors and arrogant to inferiors, never used that aloofness with Lady Wang or Grandmother Jia. At this moment, she only said in a low voice, "I originally thought that I would just ask a doctor to take a look myself, but who knew that it would not get better."

Zhou Rui's wife then laughed and said, "How can a country doctor outside compare to the imperial physician in the manor?" She then turned to Physician Hu and said, "Physician Hu, thank you for your trouble."

"It's easy to talk about."

Physician Hu stepped forward, and Qingfan covered Miaoyu's fair wrist with a handkerchief. Physician Hu stroked his beard and sat down, saying "Excuse me," before taking her pulse. After examining both hands, Physician Hu stroked his beard and explained some medical principles, then wrote down a prescription.

Miaoyu coughed repeatedly, so Qingfan quickly took out some money to thank Physician Hu before politely seeing Zhou Rui's wife and Physician Hu off.

Back in the side room, Miaoyu's pretty face flushed with anger. She exclaimed, "Do you think I don't know what she's thinking? She's trying to kill me!"

Miaoyu had been in the Rongguo Mansion for a long time, and although she was aloof and didn't associate with others, her maids and servants were not aloof and were well aware of the situation in the Rongguo Mansion. As for Physician Hu, he was known for his incompetence; not only did he not seek out the masters, but even the stewards below him wouldn't dare to consult him for a minor ailment. The fact that Lady Wang sent Physician Hu this time spoke volumes!

An old woman then advised, "Young lady, please stop talking. When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head... Besides, young lady, you've really done something wrong—"

It's no wonder the old woman was secretly grumbling. Since she was under the protection of the Rongguo Mansion, she should have just been content to be a potential candidate for Bao Er's wife. This time, her entanglement with Liu Xianglian had become common knowledge. Even if Madam Wang still coveted the Chang family's wealth, how could she possibly allow Miaoyu to marry into the family?
Miaoyu retorted angrily, "Isn't there a girl from the Xia family? What am I supposed to do? Do I need her to agree?"

Knowing Miaoyu's temperament, Qingfan immediately said, "Miss, please stop talking. I just got Master Yuan's prescription, and I'll find someone to treat it right away. Last time, Lan Ge'er from Daoxiang Village only took half a bottle and recovered completely. I expect that you will recover soon too."

Miaoyu just coughed and shook her head repeatedly. At this moment, she felt utterly hopeless and wished she could just fall ill and die.

Qingfan ignored what Miaoyu said and went out to find an old woman to deal with the garlic paste. Unexpectedly, Xing Xiuyan brought Zhuan'er to visit.

Miaoyu was aloof and proud, but Qingfan was understanding and reasonable. Upon seeing Xing Xiuyan, he seemed to have found his pillar of support. He wiped away his tears and spoke for a while, and Xing Xiuyan said, "Don't panic, I'm here now. Zhuan'er, take some money and go to the kitchen to get a basket of garlic."

Zhuan'er pouted, mumbled an agreement, and turned to leave.

Xing Xiuyan then said, "You all keep making preparations, I'll go in and check on her."

Qingfan was extremely grateful and quickly called two old women out to help. Xing Xiuyan looked at the side room, sighed, and finally lifted the curtain to go inside.

Miaoyu continued coughing, and when she looked up and saw that it was Xing Xiuyan who had come, she immediately said coldly, "What? You've come to see me make a fool of myself too?"

Xing Xiuyan didn't reply, but sat down by the bed and reached out to touch his forehead. She then quickly found a handkerchief, wet it, and wiped his palms.

Miaoyu flung her arm away and said coldly, "We loathe each other, so why bother with this pretense?"

Xing Xiuyan looked up at her and said, "I don't know how I upset you. You are so cold-hearted, but I can't be heartless. Even setting aside the years of guidance you've given me, I can't just ignore you because of our sisterly bond." She paused, then added, "I asked him, and allicin is very effective. I think you'll recover after taking it for a few days."

Miaoyu was speechless for a moment, and simply turned her head away, letting Xing Xiuyan wipe her clean.

Seeing that Miaoyu couldn't eat, Xing Xiuyan personally went to the small kitchen again and cooked a pot of vegetable porridge for her. Then she invited Hongyu over to instruct Qingfan and the others on how to separate allicin from garlic.

By late afternoon, after wasting most of the garlic, they had finally produced a small bottle of allicin. Xing Xiuyan, having worked hard all day, took her leave as evening approached. Her maid, Qingfan, then helped Miaoyu take the allicin.

Qingfan hesitated several times before speaking, knowing that his young lady was stubborn, so he could only keep his words of comfort to himself.

In reality, Miaoyu was not cold-hearted at all. She had no home to return to, was living under someone else's roof, and was almost deceived by a prodigal son. In her despair, she was helped by her former close friends.

As the saying goes, true friendship is revealed in times of adversity, and Miaoyu was deeply moved. However, out of pride, she remained silent. That night, Miaoyu wrapped herself in her blanket and wept bitterly, feeling that in this vast world, there was nowhere left for her to belong…

(End of this chapter)