Chapter 123

Chapter 123: The Itinerant Doctor

Lin Qingxuan and her wet nurse entered, bowing to the Old Madam.

"Greetings, Great-aunt. Are you feeling better?" Before Lin Qingxuan could complete her bow, the Old Madam gestured for Si Min to help her up.

Yuan Xiang discreetly moved the bowl of herbal medicine to a waist-high sandalwood cabinet.

Lin Qingxuan, naturally vivacious, bowed to the Old Madam, then greeted Li Bohan, Li Borui, Concubine Kang, and the others.

Concubine Kang offered a faint, polite smile.

Li Bohan remained distant, his expression less lively than before.

Lin Qingxuan paid him no mind.

Li Borui, however, was delighted to see his friend. He hopped off his chair and approached her, lamenting, "You’ve come at the worst time! The last two pieces of lotus root and osmanthus cake were just eaten by my brother—and he did it on purpose, just so I couldn’t have any…" A hint of a whine colored his tone.

Lin Qingxuan glanced at the serious-faced Li Bohan.

Li Bohan, exposed by his younger brother, was still a child at heart. He couldn’t maintain his composure, and a flush crept up his cheeks.

Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to explain, so he simply looked away, feigning deafness.

Lin Qingxuan’s sincere gaze remained fixed on him, making Li Bohan stiffen awkwardly.

Though Li Borui was a few years younger than Lin Qingxuan, the two got along famously.

"Next time you visit, I’ll take you to try Ruyi rolls! They’re shaped like little pillows, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with honey oozing out!" Li Borui said, nearly drooling at the thought.

Lin Qingxuan, her attention diverted, laughed and said, "I know! They’re sold at Hundred Fragrances Pavilion, right? I’ve had them before. Don’t forget, I’ve been living in Danzhou!"

Li Borui grumbled, "How could you not take me to try such delicious pastries? I had to discover them myself!"

"I’ll take you next time."

The Old Madam beamed at them cheerfully and called Si Min over. "Go to Hundred Fragrances Pavilion and buy some Ruyi rolls."

Unsure of the exact cost, Yuan Xiang gave Si Min a generous amount of silver.

Si Min, clutching a full purse of silver, grinned from ear to ear. This was the second time the Old Madam had entrusted her with an errand, and it involved leaving the mansion. Her friends would be green with envy if they found out.

Li Borui cheered, "Grandmother, you’re the best!"

Lin Qingxuan also smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Great-aunt."

The Old Madam took her hand. "Since you came to visit me, of course I want our Qingxuan to have a good time."

Though Lin Qingxuan was friends with Li Nianwei, she always visited the Old Madam first, a gesture of proper etiquette.

The Old Madam, feeling sympathy for Lin Qingxuan having lost her birth mother at a young age, inquired about her daily life.

Lin Qingxuan answered each question. While Mrs. Wang, her stepmother, didn’t interact much with her, she never stinted on Lin Qingxuan’s food, clothing, or necessities. That much was not a concern. However, when it came to other matters, such as hiring governesses to teach etiquette or needlework, she was less attentive.

When the Old Madam favored someone, her partiality was absolute. Her words were filled with dissatisfaction toward Mrs. Wang and sympathy for Lin Qingxuan’s difficult situation.

The wet nurse, trembling beside them, lowered her head, pretending not to hear.

Fortunately, the Old Madam merely voiced her opinions and did not intervene in another household’s affairs or child-rearing practices.

Lin Qingxuan felt the Old Madam’s boundless affection and snuggled even closer to her side.

The Old Madam gently rubbed her knee.

Concubine Kang rose and brought the herbal medicine for joint pain to the Old Madam, saying softly, "Madam, please take your medicine. It’s getting cold."

Yuan Xiang, her heart pounding, kept her eyes fixed on the bowl.

Should she speak up? After all, it was only a suspicion.

"Concubine, the medicine has been sitting for a while. It might have cooled. Perhaps it should be reheated before drinking," Yuan Xiang suggested.

Concubine Kang replied gently, "Miss Yuan Xiang, the medicine isn’t cold. I touched the bowl when I brought it over—it’s still warm."

Yuan Xiang grew increasingly anxious.

Lin Qingxuan glanced curiously at Concubine Kang. She had seen her a few times during her visits but had never spoken much with her.

The Old Madam suddenly felt a sharp, needle-like pain in her knee. Since the weather turned cold, such pains had occurred sporadically without any pattern. Remembering that Concubine Kang’s herbal medicine had relieved the pain before, she picked up the spoon to drink it.

When the soup was first brought in, it was steaming hot, but now it had cooled, and its aroma had faded.

Lin Qingxuan, sitting close to the Old Madam, caught a faint whiff of the medicine.

The familiar smell reminded her of something that had happened a few days earlier.

She cried out, "Don’t drink it!"

Everyone was stunned. The wet nurse hurried forward with an apologetic smile. "Our young miss misspoke. Please don’t take offense, Madam."

She tugged at Lin Qingxuan’s sleeve, trying to pull her away.

But Lin Qingxuan insisted earnestly, "You really mustn’t drink it. It will make you cough up blood."

The wet nurse wished she could cover Lin Qingxuan’s mouth. What kind of talk was that? Was she cursing the Old Madam?

She glanced nervously at the Old Madam’s expression and stammered, "Our young miss is talking nonsense, Madam. Please pay no mind."

With that, the wet nurse tried to drag Lin Qingxuan away.

Lin Qingxuan struggled to free herself. "I’m not talking nonsense…"

The fact that a wet nurse dared to treat her young mistress this way suggested that Lin Qingxuan had a difficult life in her household.

But no one had time to dwell on that.

Yuan Xiang was intrigued, and she stepped forward. "Miss Lin, why do you say it will make her cough up blood? Have you seen someone drink this medicine and cough up blood before?"

The wet nurse, seeing Yuan Xiang blocking the way, reluctantly released Lin Qingxuan. She then cautiously observed the Old Madam’s expression. Though the Old Madam’s face was impassive, a chill seemed to emanate from her. The wet nurse shivered and quickly looked away.

Li Borui said angrily, "How could you say such a thing? After all the kindness my grandmother has shown you, even sending a maid to buy Ruyi rolls for you!"

Li Bohan also glared at her coldly.

Lin Qingxuan grew frightened.

Yuan Xiang quickly shielded her from their glares and repeated her question.

Li Bohan pulled his brother aside and told him to be quiet; he also wanted to know why Lin Qingxuan would say such a thing.

Although he wasn’t deeply acquainted with Lin Qingxuan, they weren’t strangers either, and he found it hard to believe she would speak recklessly.

Especially such an abrupt and unexplained remark.

Yuan Xiang looked at Lin Qingxuan encouragingly, and the latter, soothed by her look, replied in a tone of grievance: "Yes, Sister Xi’s father also drank medicine with this smell, and then he coughed up blood. I wasn’t talking nonsense."

Yuan Xiang gently prompted: "Who is Sister Xi?"

"She’s a sister from the Zhang family. I went to the Zhang family with Sister Nianwei the day before yesterday," Lin Qingxuan said. "Rui Geer was there too."

Li Borui exclaimed: "I didn’t know about that."

Lin Qingxuan explained: "It happened after all of you left."

The wet nurse breathed a sigh of relief. She had been there that day too but hadn’t realized the two medicines smelled the same—yet Lin Qingxuan had remembered.

The incident had indeed happened, but whether it was the same medicine was uncertain. Still, if the Li family looked into it, they probably wouldn’t blame Lin Qingxuan too harshly, since she was only worried about the Old Madam.

The Old Madam pondered for a moment. "Send for the two madams."

Since they weren’t in the capital, it would be more convenient to have Zhao Fuying’s people investigate whether such an incident had happened at the Zhangs’.

A quick-witted maid hurried off to carry out the order.

Meanwhile, Li Bohan set the bowl of medicine aside and called a maid to stand guard, ensuring no one went near it.

If the medicine really was problematic, then this bowl must be kept safe.

The Old Madam turned her gaze to Concubine Kang, who had remained silent throughout.

Noticing everyone looking at her, Concubine Kang’s eyes reddened. "Madam, this medicine was bought from an itinerant doctor. He said it’s most effective for treating bi syndrome. Didn’t you take a dose earlier, madam? Whether it worked or not, you’d know best."

The Old Madam, recalling Concubine Kang’s actions over the past few days, softened her tone; though under suspicion, she didn’t dare speak boldly. "Once this matter is clarified, you will be given an explanation."