Free Web NovelChapter 68: Chapter 32: Getting Sick (Part 2)
’Fine. I’ll just have to verify it tomorrow.’
Yes, it had to be tomorrow. Fang Rui couldn’t even wait for his next trip in three days to sell the medicine packets. He decided he would make a special trip to the Black Market tomorrow, just to eliminate Gao Yao!
’A venomous snake like Gao Yao... every day I let him run free is another day of danger. For caution’s sake, it’s best to eliminate him as soon as possible.’
’Of course, that’s a matter for tomorrow... For now, I’d better hurry back. Mother and Ling’Er are probably getting anxious.’
Since he had already missed Gao Yao, Fang Rui didn’t linger. He left the Black Market, and after checking that no one was following him, he sped all the way home.
...
Back at Willow Alley, Jiang Ping’an and another governmental officer were still standing guard.
"Brother Jiang, my apologies. Something came up, so I’m a bit late. Sorry to have troubled you both," Fang Rui apologized profusely.
"It’s nothing. How are you? You’re not hurt, are you?" Jiang Ping’an knew that the Black Market wasn’t a peaceful place.
"I’m fine."
Fang Rui chatted with Jiang Ping’an for a moment, then, as was customary, gave the other governmental officer some large coins. He bid them farewell and hurried back.
Upon returning home, Fang Rui let Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling out of the cellar. As expected, they had started to worry. They came over and gave Fang Rui a thorough inspection, only relaxing after confirming he wasn’t injured.
Back in the house, Fang Rui took out the eggs, soybeans, and honey. Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling were delighted, which dispelled the somewhat gloomy atmosphere from before.
That aside, after washing up, they each went to sleep.
The night passed just like that.
...
「The next morning.」
Fang Rui woke up early. Without waking Fang Ling, he tiptoed out of the room and discovered that Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, who was usually up long before this time, was still not awake today.
’Right. We were delayed late last night, and she was so tense. Now that she can finally relax, it’s no wonder she’s sleeping in a little.’
Fang Rui, on the other hand, had been able to easily enter a deep sleep whenever he wanted ever since reaching Entry Grade. Though it seemed he didn’t sleep long each day and had even given up his afternoon naps, he was still full of energy.
Fang Rui didn’t wake Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, deciding it was good to let her sleep in while he went to make breakfast.
’Mom and Ling’Er went from worried to happy last night, a real emotional rollercoaster... This morning is the perfect time to replenish their energy with a good, nutritious meal...’
Fang Rui took out the jar of honey he had bought last night. He made honey water, poached two eggs for each person, and warmed up some cornmeal buns.
By the time he was almost finished, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling had gotten up one after the other.
At that moment, it was just before dawn, and a thin, smoke-like mist shrouded the world outside the door. The morning air was cool. A red sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, its first rays spilling like ink across the clear dome of the sky. Traveling over countless rivers and mountains, the light passed through the hazy, dew-kissed window, casting a beautiful play of light and shadow.
On the table, in three earthenware bowls, were poached eggs floating in pale orange honey water, a mix of white and orange. In a small basin in the center, the cornmeal buns steamed.
"WOW! WOW! Poached eggs!" Fang Ling, who had been sleepy-eyed just a moment ago, was instantly wide awake when she saw the table, her little face filled with delighted surprise.
In her memory, she had eaten poached eggs only a few times in her entire life. It seemed... even less often than she had meat.
"This is too..."
She had been about to scold Fang Rui for being "too extravagant," but then she remembered her promise from a few days ago "not to be too frugal about food" and swallowed her words. Instead, she put her hands on her hips, looked at Fang Ling beside her, and said irritably, "Aren’t you going to go wash your face?"
"Oh! Oh!" Fang Ling shrank back in fear. Not daring to test her mother’s temper, she scurried away like a frightened quail.
A short while later, the three of them sat around the table, enjoying the sumptuous breakfast.
"Mmm..."
Fang Ling sipped at the honey water, occasionally taking tiny bites of her poached egg, eating it as if it were a precious treasure.
Perhaps because the sweet food perfectly suited the little girl’s tastes, her big, watery eyes narrowed into crescent moons. With her improved nutrition recently, her slightly chubby cheeks now sported two shallow dimples.
"This is better than meat! No, it’s as good as meat..." Fang Ling mumbled, her face a picture of bliss.
"This is nothing!"
Fang Rui chuckled and patted the little girl’s head. "Stick with your big brother, and you’ll be eating delicacies from the mountains and seas in the future..."
"Nonsense. What delicacies could our family possibly eat? That’s food for high officials and nobles!" Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family said with a disbelieving laugh from the side.
Fang Rui just smiled without a word, offering no explanation.
’Living forever... that goal... even for a Transmigrator, it would be almost impossible to achieve without a protagonist’s plot armor and a series of heaven-defying cheats.’
’But... just letting his family live a slightly better life? That shouldn’t be difficult.’
Fang Rui wasn’t arrogant, but if he didn’t even have this much confidence, he’d just be putting on an act.
They chatted as they ate, making small talk about everyday matters.
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family suddenly brought something up. "Xiaochu is dead... After leaving Willow Alley, Xiaochu became a beggar. The other day, he was beaten to death fighting with other beggars over slop from a wealthy household... It was only because your Uncle Changlin was out shopping and thought he looked familiar. He went over to take a look and recognized him..."
"That’s really..."
Fang Rui was stunned, speechless for a long time.
’He had thought that someone with a life as ill-fated as Xiaochu might flee the city, join the Rebel Army, make a name for himself someday, and come back to settle his debt with Lord Hu... But he never expected this would be the end.’
’Right. A family destroyed, then taken as a disciple by a master to seek revenge; a disfavored son whose engagement is broken, who then stuns everyone and rises to slap their faces; a beautiful maiden suffering injustice, who then meets a just official like Qing Tian and has her name cleared... These kinds of plots could only exist in storybooks.’
How could that possibly happen in reality?!
’In reality, with that kind of beginning, ninety-nine percent of the endings are: after your family is destroyed, you become a destitute beggar and freeze or starve to death on the streets; after the engagement is broken, the disfavored son remains mediocre and lives a life of depression; the wronged maiden has no one to hear her plea, and is instead crushed and tormented while the villain gets away scot-free...’
’It’s precisely because these things are unattainable that people place their hopes in fantasies, compiling them into storybooks that the world adores and yearns for!’
Fang Rui sighed internally.
This was also the last time he would hear news of Xiaochu.
Seeing Fang Rui fall silent, seemingly saddened, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family changed the subject. "Oh, right. Yesterday, it seems Third Sister fell ill..."
"Sick?!"
Hearing this, Fang Rui put down his chopsticks, his eyes narrowing.
Besides worrying about Third Lady, there was also...
The drought had been continuing recently, and the signs of chaos were growing. He was especially wary of the word "sick," because in the history of his previous life, great disasters were often accompanied by great plagues!
"It’s not serious, is it? What are the symptoms? Has anyone else in our alley had something similar?" Fang Rui pressed.
"Well, I’m not too sure. I heard from Nannan that it seems to be a stomachache... In our alley, I don’t think I’ve heard of anything similar..."
Seeing Fang Rui’s grave expression, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, afraid her answer might mislead him, replied cautiously.
"Alright, I’ll go take a look after we eat!"
Fang Rui thought for a moment, then instructed, "Mother, Ling’Er, don’t go out these next few days unless you absolutely have to... Even with the other neighbors, try to keep contact to a minimum..."
"We know."
Seeing how seriously Fang Rui was speaking, both Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling nodded earnestly and agreed.
...
「After the meal.」
Fang Rui went to Third Sister’s house and found only Nannan sitting at the table eating. The little girl was still a bit too short for the chair, and her legs dangled and swung as she ate.
He glanced over; breakfast was sorghum flour paste and sorghum flour buns.
Not great, but compared to the other families in Willow Alley, it definitely wasn’t bad.
"Nannan, where’s your mother?" Fang Rui came to the table, crouched down, and gently pinched Nannan’s little cheek as he asked.
"Brother Ah Rui?!"
Nannan swallowed a mouthful of the throat-scratching sorghum paste, hopped down from her chair, and said like a little adult, "Brother Ah Rui, have you eaten? Should I get you a bowl?"
As she spoke, she turned her head to look at the inner room, then lowered her voice. "Mommy said she wasn’t feeling well. She made me food but didn’t eat any herself before going back to her room! Brother Ah Rui, you know how to treat illnesses. After you eat, can you take a look at my mommy?"
’Heh, and here I was getting all emotional for nothing!’
Fang Rui chuckled and patted Nannan’s head, joking, "Even if I don’t eat, I’ll still check on your mom. I came over this time precisely because I heard she was sick!"
"Okay then, Brother Ah Rui, hurry and come with me!"
Nannan grabbed Fang Rui’s hand and ran toward the inner room.
CREAK!
Entering the room, Fang Rui saw Third Lady lying on the bed inside the parted Ge Cloth mosquito net. Her brow was slightly furrowed, a picture of frail beauty. Her thin clothes outlined her delicate figure, and a lily-white wrist rested exposed on top of the covers.
...
