The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 17

Xiao Yu carefully placed the deed to the homestead close to her body, then hurried to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

After they had finished eating, they didn’t dare to waste any time. They said goodbye to Song Luoning, grabbed their hoes, and prepared to head out.

They had turned over almost half an acre of land in the morning. Their speed was clearly much faster than the day before. At this rate, they would be finished with the fields in about another day.

When she came back in the evening, she still needed to cut some bamboo. Chen Ziyi had already agreed to help weave the bamboo baskets for the rice husker.

This meant they were a little short on time.

“Husband, cough, cough…” Song Luoning stood up. She rose too quickly and a wave of dizziness came over her. Her body became unsteady, and she stumbled, grabbing onto the doorframe with one hand.

“…”

Xiao Yu hurriedly put down her hoe and went to support Song Luoning’s arm. Her tone was sharp: “What are you doing now? You’re so troublesome.” But a deep worry was visible in her eyes.

This young lady’s health was truly worrying.

Song Luoning steadied herself and pulled her hand back. “I’m fine. I just stood up a little too fast. Thank you, husband, cough, cough…”

Xiao Yu: “…”

And she said she was fine, but she was coughing again?

There was no more cough syrup now. If it got worse… Xiao Yu was frustrated. How could she have overlooked this?

No, she couldn’t work the fields. She had to take Song Luoning to see a doctor first.

The longer they waited, the more serious the illness would become, and the more money it would cost.

She couldn’t be shortsighted and lose something big for something small.

Xiao Yu helped Song Luoning to a stool and sat her down, threatening, “Sit still and wait for me, or I’ll sell you later.” With that, without waiting for Song Luoning to speak, she hurried to the courtyard to harness the horse to the cart. She then returned and helped Song Luoning into the cart.

“Husband, where are you taking Luoning?” Song Luoning’s heart skipped a beat. She instinctively clutched the cart door.

This scoundrel wasn’t really going to sell her, was she?

Bastard!

If she dared to sell her, she would make sure to take her down with her before she died.

Song Luoning was so furious she wanted to pounce on her and bite her to death.

Xiao Yu was anxious, only wanting to get to the medical hall as soon as possible. She didn’t notice the panic in Song Luoning’s eyes. She jumped onto the cart and forcibly helped Song Luoning inside.

Wait.

There were no soft cushions in the cart. The young lady was already sick; how could she handle the bumps? Xiao Yu’s face darkened, and she jumped off the cart. She took three quick steps back into the house and came out a moment later with a quilt in her arms.

Song Luoning watched her closely, as if ready to fight her to the death if she tried anything.

Xiao Yu spread the quilt inside the cart, pressing it down. It was soft and wouldn’t feel cold to sit on.

If she drove the cart a little slower, the young lady wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

“Sit on this. If you’re tired, you can sleep for a while.” Xiao Yu got out of the cart compartment and drove the cart towards the county town.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the doctors in the town. She understood that doctors in bigger cities were always better.

As the cart traveled on the road, Song Luoning looked at the constantly retreating scenery. She pulled a hairpin from her sleeve. Had she really been unable to keep up the pretense for just two days?

Sure enough, a person’s nature couldn’t be changed. Was this her fate?

It took about an hour to get from Chen Family Village to the county town by cart. After entering the city, Xiao Yu asked around and found out that the best medical hall in the county was Mingshan Hall.

Mingshan Hall was a property of the Ming family, with branches all over the country. Legend had it that the owners of Mingshan Hall were two women, one of whom was an imperial merchant who operated the largest restaurant in Bosheng, Mingpin Tower. She was a remarkable woman. The other was a recluse with superb medical skills.

And the doctors who practiced at Mingshan Hall had all been guided by that recluse. Their medical skills were not inferior to the imperial physicians in the palace.

Xiao Yu took Song Luoning to Mingshan Hall. The plaque had three gleaming gold characters, very ostentatious, but it didn’t look like a medical hall.

In her impression, places like medical halls were always stuffy and solemn. This was the first time she had seen such an unusual one.

Xiao Yu pushed open the cart door. “We’re here.”

Song Luoning’s heart tightened. Her body suddenly tensed. Was she about to take her to see the buyer?

Without even negotiating the price?

Yes, she heard her cough and couldn’t wait. She was probably afraid that if she delayed, she wouldn’t get a good price.

Xiao Yu waited impatiently. Why was she so slow? She still had so much work to do.

If it weren’t for her worry that a long delay would cost more money, would she be taking her to a medical hall at this time?

Why was the young lady being so sluggish?

Thinking this, Xiao Yu was about to pull Song Luoning’s hand, but she dodged it. “I’ll get down myself.”

Her tone was cool and clear, as if without any warmth. The temperature around her seemed to drop a few degrees.

“…”

Why was the young lady giving her attitude again? Xiao Yu frowned. Forget it, she wouldn’t argue with her. She was a patient, after all. She had a broad mind and shouldn’t argue with a sick person.

She awkwardly pulled her hand back, jumped off the cart, and took out the step stool to set it up.

“Hurry up. Don’t make me pull you down.”

Song Luoning hesitated for a moment, then, with a resolute expression, got out of the cart. She froze when she saw the name of the medical hall. Her heart was in turmoil, and her eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at Xiao Yu.

This scoundrel said she was going to sell her, right?

Why did she bring her to a medical hall?

“Hurry up, stop dawdling. We have things to do when we get back.”

What was wrong with the young lady?

She was so frustrating.

She might as well have just let her cough to death.

Song Luoning took a deep breath, got off the cart, pursed her lips, and lowered her eyes. Her slender waist swayed like a willow in the wind. Knowing she had misunderstood her, she no longer resisted, put away her sharp claws, and quietly followed Xiao Yu into the medical hall.

The doctor on duty was a young woman. She had a slender figure, a delicate face, and a cool expression between her brows. What a cold beauty.

The woman glanced at the two of them and spoke to Song Luoning in a light tone: “Sit.”

Xiao Yu helped Song Luoning to the examination stool, secretly glancing at the woman.

The woman first asked about her symptoms, then had Song Luoning stick out her tongue, and finally took her pulse.

After about a quarter of an hour, the woman withdrew her hand, took out paper and a brush, and began to write.

Seeing that she wasn’t speaking, Xiao Yu asked impatiently, “Is it serious?”

The woman’s hand paused as she wrote. She nodded. “It’s congenital poison, something she’s had since the womb. The mother was poisoned, and the toxins were passed to the fetus through her blood. It’s a miracle this young lady has lived this long.”

“What?” Xiao Yu was shocked. How could that be?

Although the young lady was a little weak, she couldn’t be as serious as this doctor said, could she?

“Are you sure?” Xiao Yu’s heart was filled with an indescribable feeling. She asked again with some doubt.

“If you don’t believe me, you can go to another medical hall, or you can ask the young lady right here. She knows her own body better than anyone else.” The woman said plainly.

Xiao Yu turned to look at Song Luoning, her eyes filled with emotion.

Song Luoning’s heart ached slightly. Her brows were tightly furrowed. She didn’t know how to speak. If this scoundrel knew about her illness, what would she do? Would she sell her as she said before, or…

No matter what, she wouldn’t let her succeed. Song Luoning lowered her eyes and nodded. “I’m sorry, husband. Luoning didn’t mean to hide it from you.”

So it was true.

Xiao Yu took a deep breath. The last bit of hope in her heart was shattered.

“Doctor, is there a way?” Xiao Yu asked.

The woman considered for a moment before speaking. “For now, she can only recuperate well.”

How to recuperate? The woman frowned. Her gaze fell on the person in front of her. He had a handsome face and was wearing a gray coarse cloth tunic.

The young lady, however, was dressed in noble attire.

She had just heard the young lady call him husband. For a moment, she didn’t know how to continue.

“How to recuperate?” Xiao Yu asked.

As long as there was a way, they shouldn’t give up. It was a human life, after all. If she could save her, she wouldn’t give up.

The woman was silent for a moment, then sighed softly. She hoped the man in front of her was truly a good husband who loved his wife.

“I’ll write you a prescription, but you’d better be prepared. The medicinal herbs needed for recuperation are not cheap.”

Xiao Yu was stunned.

She thought of how the young lady didn’t even blink when she gave her money. She didn’t have money, but the young lady must, right?

How could she be sick and not get treated?

“Go ahead and write it.” Xiao Yu said.

Seeing her say this, the woman didn’t say anything more. She lowered her head, finished writing the prescription, and handed it to her. “Take this to get the medicine.”

She didn’t expect this man to genuinely love his wife.

But she had already prescribed the cheapest herbs for her.

Xiao Yu took the prescription. Without thinking too much, she went to the counter to get the medicine. After seeing the prescription, the shopkeeper looked her up and down. After a while, he confirmed, “Sir, are you sure you want the medicine on this prescription?”

Judging by her clothes, this person wasn’t rich. Such expensive medicine was not something an ordinary person could afford.

It was better for this young man to consider it carefully.

Xiao Yu nodded without thinking too much.

The shopkeeper pulled over the abacus next to him and made a series of rapid calculations. “Sir, your medicine is a total of 300 taels of silver.”

“What?!” What kind of medicine cost so much money? Xiao Yu was beyond shocked.

An ordinary family’s annual expenses were so little, probably less than five taels of silver. A single dose of Song Luoning’s medicine would cost 300 taels. This wasn’t taking medicine; it was taking her life.

“Sir, the medicine on the prescription is mostly for nourishing qi and blood, such as ginseng and donkey-hide gelatin. The price is relatively high. Do you still want to get it?” the shopkeeper confirmed.

Did she want it?

Xiao Yu was hesitant. She only had 600 taels left. Two doses of Song Luoning’s medicine would make her a pauper.

If she didn’t get it, the young lady might die.

Could she really just watch a life die in front of her?

She couldn’t.

Xiao Yu hardened her heart, gritted her teeth, and said, “Get it.”

At worst, she would go back and make Song Luoning reimburse her.

“Alright, please wait a moment, sir.” The shopkeeper turned around, grabbed the medicine from the cabinet, and handed it to Xiao Yu.

The moment she received the medicine, Xiao Yu’s heart was filled with mixed feelings. 300 taels had just been spent. It wasn’t that she felt so much heartache; it was more about what would happen next. If she could afford the medicine for her this time, what about the next time and the time after that?

How long would Song Luoning’s illness need to be nursed?

Would she really have to watch Song Luoning die?

Thinking of the young lady’s delicate and scheming appearance, a strange sense of melancholy spread in her heart.

She pretended to be calm and waved the medicine in her hand at Song Luoning. “Let’s go. There’s a lot to do.”

Song Luoning stared at her blankly, still not recovering from her shock. That scoundrel was willing to get her medicine. She knew it was 300 taels.

Wasn’t that scoundrel the prodigal son everyone talked about?

Wasn’t she the prodigal son who squandered the family’s money and was kicked out of the house?

Didn’t she love money the most?

Why was she helping her? Was she still trying to get something from her?

“Song Luoning, are you coming or not? Do you know how much time I’ve wasted coming out with you?” Xiao Yu complained while walking back to Song Luoning and gently supporting her.

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