48th Birthday Gift (Upper)

  "What's shining in the sky?" Yunzhu was shocked and stood up.

  "Yes, I just heard from the steward of the Zhuangzi that there was a child with smallpox in the Zhuangzi. I didn't expect Liang Ge to...” said Cai Ya, who was sent by Guwalgiya Shi, reminding Yunzhu not to return to the mansion for the time being.

  Originally, after stepping on the October cloud pearl, she should have returned to the mansion to prepare for her grand wedding.

  "Suwen, go back and pack your things, Guo Aiyi. We'll follow Cai Aiyi back now." Yunzhu's tone was still gentle, but her attitude was very firm.

  Cai's aunt looked at Guo's aunt with difficulty. This task cannot be completed, and on the contrary, the girl was called back. When she returns, how can she explain to her mother?

  Madam Guo was also in a dilemma. The eldest girl's current status is not the same as before. If she goes back like this, what if something unexpected happens? What about the upcoming wedding?! "Miss..."

  "No need to persuade me, I'm very healthy and won't go back without seeing Mingliang safe." Although historically, Mingliang lived a long life and died of natural causes, now the butterfly's wings have flapped who-knows-how-many times, who knows if there will be another unexpected turn of events. "Don't worry, it's still a month before the big wedding."

  The two ayis had no choice but to agree with her.

  Yunzhu looks easy-going, but once she makes up her mind, no one can change it. Although the decision was a bit hasty, under the command of Suwen and Ling Shu, everyone packed up their belongings in an orderly manner, and by evening everything was ready, and they set off early the next morning to return to the capital's mansion.

  "Didn't I tell you not to come back yet!" Guo Jia's mother was so annoyed that she didn't know what to say. Yunzhu pulled her hand, "Mother, don't worry, I'm in good health, how many times have I been sick since childhood?"

  "That's also thanks to Guo and Su Wen's careful efforts. You think you're invincible just because of your delicate appearance, but in the future, you must be more cautious...” Gua Erjia couldn't help but glare at her again. Cloud Pearl had almost lost her life to a severe cold when she was two years old, and every time she thought about it, she felt guilty. So, she chose Guo as Cloud Pearl's nanny, who was known for being meticulous. Although Cloud Pearl's complexion wasn't as good as before, later on, she asked Gua Erjia to secretly arrange for someone to teach her and Su Wen some medical skills, which she agreed to. Now that she thinks about it, those efforts were indeed worthwhile; in the future, when her daughter enters the palace, having Su Wen and the others by her side will make things easier for her.

  "Alright." Yunzhu waved her hand again, "Mother, how's Mingliang?"

  "Moved into Yinsong Institute, your sister-in-law is taking care of you personally."

  "What about Minghui?" Minghui was Fu Guangcheng's second son, born just this April, and was especially adorable and playful.

  "Liu Jia is taking care of it." Guo Jia said calmly.

  Yunzhu slightly furrowed her brow, "How can she take care of it?"

  Guarjia glanced at her and smiled: "You still want your mother to take care of you, but your mother is busy now. Your sisters-in-law are in charge of household chores, they don't have time either." Yunzhu's big wedding is approaching, how can she not pay attention? Moreover, although Li Rongbao has negotiated with the officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Board of Rites about some etiquette, he is still her father after all. Some things are not suitable for him to discuss with his daughter, so it's more appropriate for her mother to handle them.

  "I'll go to the Yang Song Institute to substitute for my sister-in-law."

  "What nonsense are you talking about? Not allowed to go?" Guwalgiya immediately opposed, "In another month, you'll be getting married, what if something happens then? Who will take responsibility? This isn't just your own business..." The plague is too terrifying, it doesn't care about old or young, strong or weak, and can spread as soon as someone gets close.

  "Listen to your mother." Li Rongbao said in a low voice, having walked over at some unknown time.

  I knew you wouldn't agree, Yunzhu pursed her lips. "Then can I make some soup for Eldest Sister and Mingliang to drink?" Patients with diphtheria should avoid eating dry and hot or nourishing foods. She could use Zi Cao, Xun Er Gen, and Bai Mao Gen to make a cooling, heat-clearing and detoxifying soup for them to drink.

  "The imperial physician said it's possible, so it's possible." Li Rongbao sat down and said, with a worried look on his face. Mingliang was his eldest grandson, intelligent and lovely, at a young age he had already learned to be cautious and reserved, if he was well-cultivated, he would definitely bring glory to the Fu Cha family in the future...

  "Ah-ma, don't worry, Ming-liang is stronger than ordinary children, he will definitely get through this," Yunzhu comforted, but in her heart, she was not so sure. Because if the virus inside the body of a smallpox patient did not erupt as blisters on the skin, it would instead cause inflammation and infection in the mouth, nose, throat, etc., developing into severe symptoms, which would almost certainly lead to complications such as septicemia, osteomyelitis, encephalitis, pneumonia, blindness, and death.

  She had some regrets, should have brought out the matter of cowpox being able to prevent smallpox earlier... Who knows if Mingliang in history had contracted smallpox or not. However, even if she wanted to bring it out earlier, there was no way, as the eldest daughter of the Richen family, although she could mobilize many connections and manpower, but unlike now, because with her upcoming wedding, she gradually grasped the power handed over to her, dowry industry and loyal servants, nor did she have a good excuse or channel to explain why she would pay attention to such matters.

  In the following days, Yunzhu had Suwen personally cook and deliver soup to Yingsongyuan for Shu Mulu and Mingliang every day. Knowing that their condition was improving, she gradually put her mind at ease.

  Shi Mo and Si Qu, who were newly promoted to the second-tier Yunü, took over Wen Mocheng's literary work and Jin Xiu's embroidery business respectively. At just thirteen years old, they showed remarkable talent. Shi Duan remained in the second-tier Yunü team, fortunately, she had a doll-like face, blending in with the other twelve or thirteen-year-old second-tier Yunü didn't make her stand out.

  Yiyao and Linglong visited Yunzhu for the first time after becoming the housekeepers of the Zhuangzi, knowing that they were living a happy life after marriage and gradually understanding the affairs of the Zhuangzi. Yunzhu was very delighted and asked them about the things she had asked them to find out.

  After they were married, Yunzhu arranged for them to work on the farm and instructed them to ask around in the village and nearby villages whether people who had been vaccinated against smallpox or had frequent contact with cows were less likely to get smallpox, or if they did get it, whether they would recover quickly.

  "The master's orders, how dare the slaves not to be diligent." Linglong and the others had started calling her "master" since they became close, they were now completely Cloud Pearl's slaves, second only to the Richen family. "The slave arrived at Jing Mountain's villa and inquired carefully, families who raised cattle in the village also inquired, cattle can indeed get cowpox, but like monkeys, it is not as easy to infect humans, even if accidentally infected, it will recover quickly. In a nearby village of Xiaoyang, there was a family with a young girl who contracted cowpox while herding cattle and developed pus-filled boils, which also infected her younger brother, however, the siblings only had a low-grade fever for two days and then recovered..."

  "He's the same." Yi Ya also reported back what she had found out. On the side of Fangshan, there were more wealthy families' estates, most of whom were nobles or officials in Beijing, and they were generally more generous to tenant farmers than those in other places. Many estates had their own oxen for plowing, otherwise it was the tenant farmers who raised them, and some households in nearby villages could also afford to raise cattle. Yi Ya only sent her servants to ask around among the tenant farmers and villagers, and soon found out a few things, although only one or two, but they also proved that what Master wanted to know was leaning towards being true.

  Yunzhu had known the situation all along, but at this moment she couldn't help but put on a thoughtful and slightly pleased expression. "Right, I have some methods for planting vegetables in winter here, you take them, and in the future when winter comes, plant more melons, fruits and vegetables, whether they can be sold at a good price is one thing, and being able to eat several more green vegetables on cold days is also good."

  The attendant beside her quickly and cleverly handed over several sheets of paper filled with words to the two, Linglong Yiyu took a look, their faces showed surprise, looking at Yunzhu's eyes were full of admiration, unexpectedly able to think of a way to build a greenhouse for vegetables to keep warm. The master is indeed wise beyond ordinary people. "Master, we will go back and tell the steward of our estate immediately." The steward of their estate was actually their father-in-law, who had also become Yunzhu's accompanying slave with the estate.

  "Come slowly, don't take big strides." Yunzhu thought for a moment about what she still needed and said: "In the future, it won't be easy for me to leave the palace to see you all. There are also geese and ducks in the villa, so when you return, have the servants collect the fluffy feathers that grow on the bellies of the geese and ducks, wash them clean, dry them in the sun, and send them to me in the palace every autumn. Do you understand?"

  Down is an animal protein fiber, which has better thermal insulation than plant fibers such as cotton. Down can contract and expand with temperature changes, producing a temperature regulation function, absorbing the heat emitted by the human body, and isolating the invasion of cold air from the outside world. Li Shizhen mentioned in "Ben Cao Gang Mu": "Choose goose down feathers for clothing, soft and warm, suitable for relieving infantile convulsions."

  After Li Rongbao fell ill, he started to make down quilts on his own. Guwalgiya couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she arranged for all the down and feathers from the Fuca family's estate to be prepared and sent to him. Over two or three years, he only managed to make a few quilts - one large one for Li Rongbao and Guwalgiya to use, and several smaller ones for their newborn nephew.

  "I've remembered." Linglong Yiyu said respectfully, as before when Jinxiu was making a down quilt under the master's guidance, they had also lent a hand, so naturally they knew what the main purpose of collecting down feathers was. With the down quilt and down-filled clothes, if the master were to give birth to a little prince or princess in the future, they would not be afraid of catching cold in the cold winter.

  The master is noble and the servant is honored. Only when Yunzhu's position is stable can these slaves following her have a better future and a safe and wealthy life.

  At this time, Guo's aunt walked in with a happy face: "Miss, Liang Ge is fine! Dr. Wang said it's nothing serious!" The entire Yinsong Courtyard didn't have a single person infected or dead, which was truly a miracle, and even Dr. Wang couldn't help but ask them how they had protected themselves.

  Madam Guo thought with a smile, it was all the young lady's good idea. Everyday utensils were all scalded and boiled in boiling water before use, clothes were also washed after being boiled in boiling water, then sun-dried... And the soup that the young lady had someone cook for Lian Ge every day must be good too...

  "That's great, I'll go take a look." Yunzhu stood up and said to Yiyu and Linglong, "Alright, you two can head back first. Lingshuo, go to the warehouse and get two pieces of silk fabric and a few pieces of fur (貉皮, sheepskin) for them."

  "Thank you, Master." The Qing dynasty had certain restrictions on the clothing of slaves, entertainers, and other servants. The clothing of the Eight Banners' bao yi was slightly better, but that only applied to those in the Imperial Household Department and those who served as officials. For other bao yi, control was generally very strict. Yunzhu's gifts to them were something they could use, and the quality was much better than usual.