Chapter Sixty-Three

Chapter Sixty-Three

"Sister-in-law, what's wrong with you!"

"Third Brother, Third Brother, wake up!"

Lu Yao’s body was burning hot, as if he had just been pulled out of a steamer. His eyes were tightly shut, his teeth grinding together, and he muttered incomprehensible words from time to time.

Lu Miao hurriedly ran to the western room to wake Lu's father.

Upon seeing his son's severe condition, Lu Guangsheng immediately decided, "You two stay here and watch over him. I'll go to the clinic and bring a doctor back!"

Lu Yun wet a cloth and wiped Lu Yao’s face and hands. Xiaonian and Xiaodou held Lu Yao’s hands, tears streaming down their faces. "Sister-in-law, please wake up; this is scaring me..."

Lu Yao seemed to be trapped in a long dream. In the dream, he returned to his previous life, going to work as usual, coming home after work.

After dinner, he lay on the sofa scrolling through his phone, suddenly feeling an emptiness in his heart, as if he had forgotten something very important, yet he couldn’t remember what it was.

Forget it, if he couldn’t remember, he wouldn’t think about it. He cooked himself a meal, ate, took a shower, and went to bed.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Lu Yao picked it up and saw that it was a call from an unknown number. After answering, there was no voice, only heavy breathing.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Lu Yao, wake up..."

"Who are you?" The voice was so familiar that just hearing it made him want to cry.

"Lu Yao, wake up..."

Suddenly, a sharp pain hit his nose, and Lu Yao drew a deep breath, gradually regaining consciousness.

"Wake up, wake up, finally awake!"

The first thing he saw was Lu's mother’s haggard face, along with the anxious Xiaonian and Lu Miao beside him.

"Now that you’re awake, everything will be fine. His constitution has always been weak, so don’t let him get too emotional. I’ll prescribe some medicine for him to take. If it doesn’t work, we’ll adjust the formula." The doctor said a few words, left a prescription, and then left.

It took Lu Yao a while to react. "I... What happened to me?"

"Sister-in-law, you were unconscious for a day and a night. You scared me to death..." Xiaonian started crying again, holding onto Lu Yao’s arm.

Lu's mother’s nose turned sour, her eyes reddening. "Lu Miao, take Xiaonian to the western room to rest." The children have been up all night; they shouldn’t get sick themselves.

After the children left, Lu's mother touched Lu Yao’s face. "Finally not burning anymore. You scared me to death."

"Mama... Why are you here?"

"You suddenly had a fever. The doctor came three times before he could save you. If you hadn’t woken up, you would have been gone..." Lu's father was terrified. As a man, he didn’t know how to take care of someone, and the two children weren’t reliable, so he rushed home to fetch Mama to look after Lu Yao.

"I’m sorry for worrying you."

"What are you talking about? You’re my child; who else would take care of you? I heard everything about Da Chuan from your father. Don’t worry; that silly boy is blessed and will definitely come back safely."

Lu Yao nodded, tears streaming down his face.

Lu's mother wiped away his tears, unable to stop her own tears. "This damned world, why is it so hard for ordinary people to live peacefully?"

Lu Yao felt like there was a lump in his throat, choking him. After a while, he hugged Lu's mother and cried loudly.

"Good child, cry it out. It will make you feel better."

After crying, he felt much better. Lu Yao composed himself and said, "Mama, I’m fine now. If there’s nothing urgent, you should go back. Sister-in-law and Second Brother still need to make tofu, and no one can watch Little Stone."

"Don’t worry about those things. Focus on getting better first. Your sister-in-law has her family. If necessary, send Little Stone to his maternal grandparents’ house for a few days. Chunrong is a reasonable person and won’t mind."

Lu Yao nodded, feeling relieved. This illness had struck suddenly, and he had been burning with fever for a day and a night, making his bones ache even when he tried to walk.

Lu Miao carried him to the outhouse. When they returned, the sunset was beautiful, and Lu Yao sat in the courtyard for a while.

"How is Dahua doing?"

"Much better. This morning, Father washed its mouth again and applied medicine. It can eat grass now."

"That’s good."

After sitting for a while, Lu's mother called him inside. Having just recovered from a fever, he couldn’t catch a cold, or it might recur. The medicine in the pot was almost ready, and she poured a bowl of the dark liquid for Lu Yao.

The smell was unbearable, and Lu Yao pinched his nose to drink it, nearly vomiting.

Lu's mother quickly gave him a peach. "The peaches in our garden are ripe. I picked a basket for you. You used to love them."

Lu Yao bit into the small, greenish-red peach, the sourness lingering in his mouth for a long time before the nausea subsided.

"Why isn’t Xiaodou here? Isn’t it past school hours?"

At his reminder, everyone realized that Xiaodou had insisted on staying home in the morning because Lu Yao was ill. Xiaonian scolded him, saying he couldn’t help at home and should study more to secure a future for his brother and sister-in-law.

Xiaodou left with tears in his eyes, but everyone forgot about him during the chaos of looking after Lu Yao.

Lu Yao stood up anxiously. "I’ll go to the school and check on him. Such a young child, something might have happened."

"Sister-in-law, don’t go. I’ll find him." Xiaonian rushed out, reaching the gate just as Xiaodou arrived with another little boy and a middle-aged man carrying a medicine box standing outside their door.

"Where have you been? Why are you so late? Sister-in-law has been worried sick!"

"Sister-in-law woke up?" Xiaodou quickly led Lin Zijian into the yard, followed by the middle-aged man.

Inside the house, Xiaodou cried out, "Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law!"

"Ah, Sister-in-law is here, don't cry anymore." Lu Yao responded from his place on the kang.

"I've called a doctor for you. This is Lin Zijian's family doctor, who came all the way from Shang Jing and is very skilled."

Lin Zijian nodded. "He is the doctor who specializes in treating my grandfather."

Lu Yao was somewhat surprised. "This, this is too much trouble."

"A small effort, not worth mentioning." Lin Zijian felt he had used an impressive phrase and proudly showed off his missing tooth.

The doctor stepped forward and said, "Let me take your pulse first."

Lu Yao extended his hand, and the doctor felt his pulse through the sleeve. After a moment, he stroked his beard and said, "Your condition is due to excessive heat caused by stress, compounded by a serious illness you had as a child, which left your constitution weak. That's why it's particularly dangerous."

Lu Yao nodded in surprise; this doctor truly had some skill, diagnosing so clearly with just a brief examination.

"I will prescribe a formula to clear heat and nourish qi. The medicine can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. You need to resolve your inner turmoil and stop worrying excessively, or it could harm your foundation."

"Thank you."

The doctor took out pen and paper and wrote a prescription. After a moment's thought, he crossed out a few expensive herbs and replaced them with cheaper alternatives. He knew that the young master's classmate's family wasn't wealthy; one dose of the original prescription would cost two taels of silver, which they couldn't afford. It would be pointless to prescribe it, so he decided to use ordinary medicines to strengthen the foundation.

After writing the prescription, Lin Zijian said, "Beichuan, don't worry. With Doctor Zhou, your sister-in-law will definitely get better. I'll leave now and visit again another day."

"Thank you." Zhao Xiaodou saw him off and then hurried back into the house.

"Sister-in-law..."

Lu Yao waved him over. Xiaodou took off his shoes and crawled into his arms, tears quickly soaking his clothes.

"It's okay, Sister-in-law is fine. You're too old to cry like this. If Lin Zijian saw you, he'd laugh at you."

Xiaodou cried even louder. That morning, seeing Lu Yao lying unconscious, he couldn't focus on his lessons all day and failed to recite his assigned text when the teacher checked.

After school, Lin Zijian asked what was wrong, and Xiaodou told him about Lu Yao's illness.

Lin Zijian said, "Don't worry. My family has a doctor from Shang Jing. Come with me, and we'll bring him to your house to help your sister-in-law."

Xiaodou didn't want to trouble others, but he was genuinely worried about his sister-in-law, so he agreed and went to Lin Zijian's house.

When Lin's father heard their request, he kindly called Doctor Zhou and accompanied the children to their destination.

"Stop crying. Sister-in-law just took her medicine and needs rest." Xiaonian pulled Xiaodou away to the west room.

Lu Yao still lacked strength, so he lay down and slept some more.

During this time, Lu's mother checked his temperature several times, afraid he might develop a fever again. Lu's father bought the new medicine prescribed by the doctor, spending over four hundred coins.

Lu Yao woke up around the hour of You, feeling clearer-headed thanks to the medicine he had taken earlier.

Xiaodou and Xiaonian were asleep, while Lu's mother sat nearby sewing by lamplight.

"Mama..."

Lu's mother quickly put down her needlework. "Awake? Need to use the chamber pot? I'll get it for you."

"No, I can manage myself."

Lu Yao got up and went to the latrine. When he returned, he felt hungry.

Lu's mother lit the fire and cooked him a bowl of millet porridge and two eggs.

Lu Yao ate slowly, feeling much better than before.

He realized that wallowing in sorrow wouldn't solve anything. Whether Zhao Beichuan returned or not, life had to go on. The shop lost rent every day it remained closed, so he needed to recover quickly and earn more money. Eventually, he could buy Zhao Beichuan a title as a local gentleman, freeing him from conscription forever!

Lu's mother noticed his improved mood and said, "It's good that you've come to terms with it. I won't say more. Just take care of yourself. Xiaonian and Xiaodou are good kids, no different from your own."

Lu Yao recalled today's events and chuckled. "I never expected Xiaodou to be so capable, managing to bring a doctor from Shang Jing."

Lu's mother also found it incredible. "It's great that he had the heart to do it. Before, I always urged you to have a child, but now I see it was right not to. Your health isn't strong enough to handle pregnancy."

Thinking of this, Lu Yao remembered Lu Yun and recounted his recent visit to Willow Village. "I thought the Wangs were nice people, but those two sisters-in-law are awful."

Lu's mother spat. "Those ungrateful, ill-mannered women! How dare they make Lu Yun carry heavy things while pregnant? What if something happened? His mother-in-law should have stopped them!"

"When I went there, Lu Yun's in-laws weren't home."

Lu's mother's expression softened. "In a few days, I'll go to Willow Village and bring Lu Yun home for a while. With his husband away, he shouldn't suffer any more."

"Okay."

They chatted for a bit, and seeing her tired, Lu Yao urged her to rest.

After three days, Lu Yao gradually recovered, and the breakfast shop reopened.

Seeing he was fine, Lu's mother returned home, taking Lu Yun with her when she passed through Willow Village. She complained to her daughter-in-law's mother, who scolded her daughters-in-law severely.

Family harmony was crucial; internal strife could ruin everything. They should direct their energy elsewhere instead of bullying Lu Yun for being young. If they continued, she wouldn't show them any respect.

The daughters-in-law were too scared to protest, fearing their husbands would learn of their misdeeds and punish them.

Putting that aside, once Lu Yao recovered, he planned to thank the Lin family. Though it was Lin Zijian's kindness, it was also the Lin family patriarch's approval that brought the doctor. He couldn't simply ignore the gesture, as it would be impolite.

As a commoner, he couldn't afford expensive gifts, and the town offered little of value. So, he prepared some novel snacks and took the opportunity to visit the Lin family with Xiaodou.

Lu Yao carried the food box and walked with Xiaodou along Dong Chang Street, the widest street in town, where three carriages could travel side by side. Servants cleaned the street daily, leaving it spotless.

Those who could live here were either wealthy or of high status, like Xu Bin, the owner of the restaurant. His family was one of the wealthiest in town.

The Lin family also resided here, and their residence covered an even larger area, with at least three courtyards.

"Is this the place?"

"Mm." Xiaodou nodded. He had been here once before with Zijian.

Lu Yao stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Soon, a servant opened a small gate and asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Lu Yao quickly replied, "My younger brother is a classmate of Young Master Lin. A few days ago, I fell ill, and Young Master Lin kindly brought a doctor to help treat me. We've come today to express our gratitude."

"Just wait a moment. I'll go inform them."

Lu Yao and Xiaodou stood at the entrance. Xiaodou looked up at the elegant calligraphy of "Lin Residence" and couldn't help but say, "Sister-in-law, Zijian's home is really nice. When I make it big someday, I'll buy you a house just like this."

Lu Yao smiled and ruffled his hair. The little guy hadn't read much yet, but he sure knew how to paint a rosy picture. This grand promise genuinely made Lu Yao feel happy, easing some of his nervousness.

Shortly after, a series of footsteps approached. Zijian ran over, followed by Lady Lin.

"Slow down, be careful not to trip."

"Beidou, Beidou, you came to play with me?"

Xiaodou ran toward him as well. "My sister-in-law made some food to thank you for bringing the doctor."

"Oh, that was nothing, really."

Lu Yao nodded at Lady Lin behind Zijian, and she said, "Please, come in."

It had to be said that the Lin family was truly well-mannered. Despite their high status, they showed no arrogance and did not look down on Lu Yao and Xiaodou. They led the two directly to the reception hall.

"Please sit down. Xiaohe, bring tea for our guests."

"No need to trouble yourself; we'll leave after delivering the food."

"No trouble at all. It's so hot outside; please sit and have some tea."

Lu Yao hesitantly sat down on a stool beside Xiaodou.

"I heard from Zijian that your family runs a restaurant. Your cooking must be excellent."

"Not at all. We run a breakfast stall, selling simple snacks at low prices, just enough to make ends meet."

Lady Lin nodded warmly, finding Lu Yao increasingly likable. She had been back in her hometown for more than three months and had often gone out into the streets, encountering many coarse villagers. Lu Yao was the first person she had met who was different.

From his speech and demeanor, he didn't seem like a rustic villager but rather a scion of a noble family from Shang Jing.

Respectful but not servile, with his straight posture and handsome appearance, he was endearing.

Soon, a maid brought in two cups of tea. The tea was a fragrant flower tea from the south, expensive at over seventy strings of coins per pound, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Lu Yao picked up the cup and, out of habit, used the lid to skim off the floating leaves and foam, taking a small sip. "The tea is wonderfully fragrant, with jasmine, I presume?"

"That's right. Have you tasted it before?"

Lu Yao was taken aback. In his previous life, jasmine tea was what he drank the most because it was cheap and refreshing, perfect for a hardworking office worker.

"Once."

Lady Lin's gaze changed again. This Lu family gentleman seemed less and less like an ordinary person.

"What kind of food did you bring?"

Lu Yao quickly handed the food box to the nearby maid. This food box was custom-made by a carpenter, modeled after those seen in TV dramas, divided into three layers with partitions for different dishes.

"The first layer has two types of pastries."

Lu Yao had made small bread rolls, using a homemade egg beater that almost broke his wrist. After wasting six eggs, he finally succeeded in making soft, honey-infused cakes similar to the honey cakes of the future.

The other pastry contained a bit of pumpkin, giving it a vibrant color. Each type had four pieces, each about the size of a child's palm, looking delicate and adorable.

The second layer held a selection of eight braised dishes: wing tips, mid-wings, drumsticks, hearts, claws, gizzards, tofu, and radish cubes. Each portion was small, but the freshly braised dishes looked appetizing.

The third layer had two main dishes: candied carrot and four-joy meatballs. These dishes required skill, and Lu Yao excelled at both. Not only were the flavors excellent, but he had also arranged the dishes artistically, carving flowers from other vegetables to decorate them. Limited by ingredients, he could have made them even more impressive.

Lady Lin stared wide-eyed at the contents of the food box. "These... these dishes were all made by you?"

Lu Yao nodded. "The food is simple and humble. Please forgive its crudeness."

Crudely made? If this was crude, there would be no finer dishes!