Chapter 31: Taking the Medicine~
The journey had been tumultuous, and now they had arrived at such a warm and hospitable village, where everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Yang Yunzhao took the herbs she had gathered to the kitchen to brew the medicine for the patients.
Yin Zhen and her son sat near Jiang Lili. Jiang Lili checked on the child’s condition, and the fever had almost subsided.
“Miss Jiang, I don’t know how to thank you!” Yin Zhen said, looking at her eldest son, who had improved significantly compared to when they were on the mountain. She had been feeling emotional, as she had initially thought that with the harsh conditions of exile and being all alone, her eldest son would not survive.
“Don’t rush, don’t rush. Let the child fully recover first,” Jiang Lili advised. “Remember to stay away from Yang Yunzhao and those sick officers; the cold might be contagious.”
Yin Zhen quickly made a note of her words.
One by one, the villagers came to greet the exiled group, all of them very friendly. Some even brought sweet potatoes and cool yams as gifts.
After greeting everyone, the villagers went to the side hall. The village chief and Wang Zifu were also there, likely preparing to discuss the allocation of housing with the villagers.
“This ancestral hall is quite well built. The villagers here must be living quite prosperously,” someone remarked.
“We can finally rest a bit,” another person sighed.
“I think Village Chief Yan, looks very kind. We’re really lucky!” someone else added.
About a quarter of an hour later, Yan Zhong and a few young men carried a large pot from outside. The pot contained tea that gave off a faint scent of perilla.
“This is a local specialty of our village—perilla tea. It helps with dampness and is good for quenching thirst and relieving bodily humidity.”
After running and walking through the mountains, everyone was already terribly thirsty, so many of them moved forward to take a drink.
Jiang Lili and Xin Che, along with the others, still chose to sit in a spot away from the crowd.
When Sister-in-law Chen smelled the scent of perilla, she had an idea. “Should I go serve some perilla tea to everyone?”
Just as Xin Cheng was about to stand up and go with Chen Fulan to serve the tea, his elder brother, Xin Che, pulled him back.
Xin Che furrowed his brows slightly. “Don’t drink anything here for now.”
Jiang Lili nodded in agreement. “Some of the villagers here are a bit too eager with their hospitality.”
She needed to ask Guan Yue about the situation in the village at the foot of the mountain later.
Little Xin Yan also tugged at his parents and, with a serious face, said, “Father, Mother, Aunt told me that we shouldn’t eat anything from strangers when we’re out.”
Jiang Lili couldn’t help but smile at Xin Yan’s little adult-like manner and pinched his cheek.
These past few days, Xin Yan had been eating well, sleeping well, and looking even better. The child was so sensible and caring, a stark contrast to the mischievous children she had dealt with in the past.
Chen Fulan, slightly embarrassed from being taught by her son, sat back down. “Alright, Mother remembers.”
“Always be cautious of others,” Xin Cheng remarked, a hint of fear in his voice. “It’s been a long time since we left the border, and our guard had dropped.”
“Fortunately, Big Brother stopped me in time.”
“Let’s wait and see what the situation is.”
Jiang Lili narrowed her eyes and decided that she would send a message to Guan Yue the moment anything suspicious happened.
She sent a message to Guan Yue in their group chat: We’ve descended the mountain and found a village to rest in.
Though Guan Yue felt reluctant to let Jiang Lili go, she knew that they would meet again someday.
[Guan Yue: Which village are you resting in?]
[Jiang Lili: Langyan Village. The villagers here are very hospitable, perhaps a bit too much so. How is the village on the other side of the mountain?]
[Guan Yue: As far as I remember, there’s nothing unusual. I’ll ask the second-in-command. You rest well! By the way, are those officers begging you for medicine yet?]
Jiang Lili looked up at Yang Yunzhao, who was serving medicine to the officers, and replied in the chat: [Not yet, I got cut in line. I’ll wait and see how things go.]
…
In the main hall of the ancestral hall, the officers gratefully received the medicine from Yang Yunzhao. “Miss Yang, thank you so much!” one of them exclaimed.
“As soon as this warm medicine goes down, it feels like all the cold in my body is instantly gone!” another officer said, feeling the immediate relief.
“This is a formula I learned from the Imperial Hospital, a prescription often used by court doctors,” Yang Yunzhao explained.
She handed the medicine to each officer with a calm and gracious smile. “Brother Wang and the village chief are discussing matters, and your medicine is warming in the pot. Could you kindly inform Brother Wang when you have a moment?”
The officers nodded in unison. “Miss Yang, you’ve gone through so much trouble for us. We’ll definitely remember your kindness. From now on, we’ll look out for you on the road, no money required!”
Yang Yunzhao was very pleased to hear this.
The officers, eager to recover, didn’t mind the bitterness of the medicine and quickly drank it down in one gulp.
About a quarter of an hour later, Wang Zifu finished his discussion with the village chief and the villagers and entered the main hall.
The officers, feeling warmer after drinking the medicine, quickly offered him some as well.
“Big Brother, here, drink your medicine.”
Wang Zifu took the steaming bowl of medicine from his younger brother and blew on it before speaking, “Miss Yang is truly impressive. Having worked in the palace as a court lady, she’s thoughtful in every way.”
Yang Yunzhao responded with a polite smile, though there was a slight edge to her tone. “No need to mention it. You all have already helped my Yang family plenty on the road.”
“Then my aunt…”
Wang Zifu quickly understood. “Feel free to use the cart, it’s no problem. Our luggage was robbed by mountain bandits, and we have nothing left to transport. We’ll also make sure to take care of your aunt’s family on the road.”
…
Jiang Lili, who had been crouching in the corner, saw Yang Yunzhao listen to Wang Zifu’s words and, with a look of joy and concern, rush toward her.
Jiang Lili instantly felt on edge, but fortunately, she had chosen a spot in the corner, surrounded by two or three groups of people, so Yang Yunzhao couldn’t reach her.
Yang Yunzhao called out from a distance, expressing her concern. “Uncle, Eldest Cousin, Second Cousin, they’ve agreed to lend us the cart. From now on, you won’t have to take turns carrying Aunt on the road.”
“I’ll stay by Aunt’s side and take care of her, so our family will safely and smoothly reach Haizhou.”
Over the past half-month, Yang Yunzhao hadn’t spoken a word to the Marquis family. Today, her sudden change of attitude was obvious, and the Marquis family, not being foolish, could easily guess her intentions.
However, since she had done them a favor and they were relatives, the Marquis responded, “Yunzhao, you’re very considerate.”
Looking at her suddenly kind-hearted niece, Madam Yang sighed softly and replied gently, “Yes, we’ll safely arrive in Haizhou.”
Yang Yunzhao, relieved that Madam Yang didn’t hold any resentment for her silence over the past half-month, smiled sweetly. “Aunt, are you feeling better? If not, I can prepare some medicine for you—”
Before Yang Yunzhao could finish her sentence, a loud “crack” echoed from the hall as an officer dropped his bowl, which shattered into two pieces on the floor!
The noise immediately caught everyone’s attention.
The officer, clutching his stomach in pain, trembled as he urgently grabbed the village chief’s son, Yan Zhong, by the arm. “Little Brother, where’s the nearest toilet?”
Yan Zhong, startled by the officer’s pale face, quickly led him toward it.
“Wait! I need to go too!” another officer raised his hand weakly, his voice strained.