Chapter 48: The Onset of Illness

  Li Qianqian's words fell, and the eyes that had been fixed on her were tinged with a few shades of worry.

  Being sick is a terrible thing.

  At the same time, there is also a puzzle: why did Chen Jing suddenly say such words?

  Will he still see patients?

  Chen Jie's elder sister lightly coughed and smiled as she explained to the crowd: "Qing has read some medical books since he was young, now he is somewhat accomplished..."

  Then she told her mother's sister, younger sister and nieces about Chen Jing treating He Zhen.

  There's no denying a hint of boastful complacency in his tone.

  "It's really unbelievable......" Everyone's reaction was quite perfunctory, with a forced smile.

  They thought Chen Jiong's sister-in-law was exaggerating.

  The elder sister also realized this and smiled to stop the topic. Every time she thought of He Zhen's illness, her heart was shocked and she wished she could tell all her relatives and friends.

  But think about it, the women of the Li family are not patients, nor are they Chen Xuan's relatives. They cannot feel that kind of shock and will not look at him with new eyes just because he cured a patient.

  It's better for him to take an imperial examination and become a child prodigy than to be looked up to by others.

  The elder sister-in-law picked up her tea and took a light sip, stopping the conversation.

  "Can Second Uncle really cure illnesses?" Li Xuanxuan was very interested.

  She is three years younger than Chen Jing, saying that she is a junior, but in fact, she is almost like a friend. The former Chen Jing was more shy and taciturn, while Li Xuanxuan, although younger, always seemed like an older sister, taking good care of Chen Jing.

  She is willing to support this event.

  "Hmm." Chen Jing smiled and said, "It will be."

  "Am I sick then?" Li Xuanxuan asked again.

  "It's nothing serious. At this time of year, it's easy to catch a cold and get symptoms like these. Now, if you drink some honeysuckle and forsythia tea, you can prevent it from getting worse and avoid getting a rash. Getting a rash isn't life-threatening, but it's extremely uncomfortable and really suffers."

  "Alright." Li Xuanxuan smiled and said, "How is it used? Can you soak it in water at will, or is the amount of each use calculated?"

  Chen Jiong said so, and others just thought it was a child's trick of showing off knowledge.

  Unexpectedly, Li Juanjuan, this silly girl, actually took it seriously.

  She also wanted Chen Jing to write a prescription.

  Li Juan's mother, Li Dainai, coughed lightly and called out to Li Juan, "Don't mess with your Second Uncle." Then she said to Chen Jing, "Please don't let her fool around, who eats medicine randomly?"

  Although she said this with a smile and in a gentle tone, her words hit the mark.

  She doesn't believe Chen Jing.

  Chen Jiong's elder sister spoke up, smiling at Chen Jiong: "Medicine isn't something to be taken casually, don't mess around with Xuanxuan. Take Wengong out and go find Balang."

  She had instructed Li Balang to bring Chen Jing with him.

  "Last time, Eighth Uncle said he would give me a calligraphy set to practice my handwriting. I forgot about it later. I'll go find him too. Should I bring Second Uncle and Wen Gong along?" Li Xiangxiang had already stood up and didn't wait for her mother's response, she bowed to her grandmother, mother, and several elders before turning around and leaving.

  "Qianqian!" Grandma Li shouted from behind.

  Li Qianqian didn't listen and had already stepped out of the doorway.

  Mrs. Li's eyes sank slightly.

  Chen Jiong's elder sister-in-law again gave Chen Jiong a signal with her eyes, telling him to go out and have some fun, rather than staying in the inner courtyard and socializing with the women.

  Chen Jiong bowed to everyone and then led his nephew out of the main courtyard.

  Under a willow tree not far from the main hall, Li Juan and her maid Bi Tao were there.

  The sun hung on the tip of the willow tree, and the pale golden light filtered through the lush branches of the green trees, casting dappled shadows on Li Juan and her maid.

  Her body also seemed to have wrapped a layer of golden light.

  "Second Uncle, Wen Gong." Seeing Chen Jiong and Chen Wen Gong who came afterwards, Li Xiangxiang raised her face with a smile and welcomed them. She was young, her eyebrows and eyes were not yet fully developed, her white cheeks were slightly chubby, and she looked silly and cute.

  Young girl with exceptionally pure eyes, like a clear blue gemstone, transparent and bright, untainted by worldly dust.

  She is friendly to everyone.

  "Haven't you left yet?" Chen Jiong smiled and said, "You ran so fast, your mother is unhappy."

  "You deceived me, my mother would not let you know even if she was unhappy." Li Xiangxiang smiled. Her mother, in front of outsiders, was dignified and gentle, and would not lose her temper or reveal her emotions easily.

  This is the cultivation of an indoor woman.

  She complained about her mother like this, making Chen Jing smile.

  "Second Uncle, Second Uncle, will I really get sick?" Li Xuanxuan was very interested in the other's topic and kept asking Chen Jing. She had also reached the age where children are extremely curious and like to ask questions to the bottom.

  "It won't work," said Chen Jiong, "What's wrong with you? You've got a minor illness from wind and heat. You haven't even broken out in a sweat yet. Drink some Lonicera japonica and Forsythia suspensa in water for seven or eight days, and you'll be fine."

  Then he talked about the ratio of honeysuckle and weeping forsythia.

  "Forsythia and honeysuckle, four qian and three qian respectively, just like tea leaves, brew a pot, drink whenever thirsty, clear heat and dispel wind, prevent illness before it occurs." Chen Jiong said.

  "Four liang of honeysuckle, three liang of weeping forsythia......" Li Juanjuan silently memorized the prescription and then smiled, "Thank you, Second Uncle. Aunt said that you cured someone's stubborn illness that had lasted for five years, is it true?"

  "Hmm." Chen Jing nodded.

  "I love listening to stories about curing illnesses and saving lives, Second Uncle, please tell me more." Li Xuanxuan couldn't help but shake Chen Jing's arm, begging him to continue the story.

  Chen Jiong smiled and told Li Xuanxuan everything about He Zhenzhi's illness.

  Chen Wengong was also listening on the side, occasionally adding a sentence: "My second uncle is the most powerful..."

  They went all the way from the main house in the inner courtyard to the outer courtyard.

  A few people went to Li Yongrong's courtyard.

  Li Yongrong practices calligraphy before class.

  "Uncle Ba, you're actually practicing calligraphy at home?" Li Xuanxuan's expression was a bit shocked. "Don't you have to go out and play polo today? Is everything okay?"

  The Dragon Boat Festival is a grand occasion for horse racing, which lasts for half a month.

  Yesterday was Dragon Boat Festival, and the horse racing competition had just begun.

  Every year at this time, Li Yongrong is not at home.

  "What's going on?" Li Yongrong smiled, with a hint of doting towards Li Xuanxuan, putting down his pen and asking, "What are you running over here for? Got some new bad idea?"

  "I'm sending Ershu and Wengong over." Li Xuanxuan giggled, "Last time you said you'd send me a letter of introduction, but I haven't seen anyone deliver it to me?"

  "I actually forgot." Li Yongrong lightly patted his forehead.

  He turned around, searched for half a day from the top of the bookshelf, and found a brocade box.

  "...This is Madame Wei's 'Pen Array Diagram', I got it through a friend." Li Yongrong handed the brocade box to Li Xuanxuan.

  Wei Shuo's wife was a calligrapher of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Her handwriting is elegant and peaceful, refined and beautiful, very suitable for girls to practice.

  Li Qianqian happily accepted it and went back with great joy.

  She had long admired the women who made a name for themselves in history books. Wei Zifu, for example, was one of Li Juan's idols. She didn't aspire to be a talented woman just for the sake of it. If she could surpass others in learning and talent, that would be something to be proud of - this was her pursuit.

  She returned to her own courtyard, first putting down the brocade box, but instead grinding ink, writing golden osmanthus and lycoris radiata, letting Bi Tao take it to the outer courtyard, calling for someone to fetch medicine.

  Bi Tao hesitated and said in a low voice: "Miss, you're fine, what medicine do you want to take?"

  "Second Uncle said I had a bit of a minor illness, so I naturally have to take medicine," Li Juanjuan said. "You didn't say this morning that my eyes were swollen and my throat was also a bit sore, he was right about all of it."

  "...The maid listened to Chen Erguan's tone, and the intention of showing off accounted for 80%. The medical skills may not be necessarily good." Bi Tao curled her lips, "Your eyes are swollen, anyone can see; a sore throat after drinking is also common. He also said that your cheeks and arms have red rashes, how come I didn't see them?"

  Li Qianqian hesitated for a moment.

  She picked up the copper mirror and saw that her cheeks indeed had a few dark red pimples, but they were not from last night, but had been there before.

  She arrived in spring and summer, her skin wasn't very good, often with a little rash. That little rash would be fine after a few days, it didn't count as an illness at all.

  As for the arm, there is no rash on it.

  "Taking some medicine won't hurt, right?" Li Xuanxuan muttered, "Second Aunt said his medical skills are very impressive."

  "...Do you believe that?" Bi Tao said disdainfully, "How old is Chen Erguan? As his younger uncle, the second aunt naturally flatters him."

  "Don't you believe me?" Li Xuanxuan asked as she turned her head back.

  Bì Táo nodded definitely: "The servant girl doesn't believe it."

  Li Qianqian hesitated for a moment and then had someone go fetch medicine.

  Bi Tao saw that her words of persuasion were having no effect on her, so she called over her wet nurse.

  The milkmaid also said she didn't understand things.

  "Eating medicine randomly will kill you!" Li Juanjuan was a bit stubborn, and the wet nurse said with a heavy heart, "You've been raised to be so big, is it just to watch you listen to children's nonsense and take medicine to death yourself? If you don't listen to advice, I'll tell your mother about it, and you won't escape a beating."

  Li Qianqian's mother was even more unbelievable.

  Li Qianqian hastily smiled and said, "Nurse, I won't eat it then. Don't be angry, and there's no need to tell Mother."

  The wet nurse is like a teacher to the young lady, and the young lady must listen to her words in order to understand etiquette.

  "This is it!" The wet nurse burst out laughing.

  Li Qianqian couldn't let go in her heart.

  Chen Jing has been coming to the Li's house since he was a child, and Li Xiangxiang would see him several times a year. He is steady in character, dislikes boasting, and if he wasn't confident, he wouldn't bring it up on his own initiative.

  So Li Qianqian trusted him.

  Girls of this age tend to value friendship more and trust their friends more than their family.

  However, both Nai'niang and Bi'tao blocked her way, and Li Xiangxiang couldn't openly go against them. They were all sent by their mother to take care of Li Xiangxiang, going against them was the same as going against their mother.

  By the second day, Li Juan's eyes were no longer swollen.

  My throat still hurts a bit, but it's not too serious.

  Two days later, the sore throat was also cured.

  Li Qianqian smiled secretly, as expected nothing happened.

  It seems that Chen Jiong's skills are not refined.

  However, Chen Jiong was kind-hearted and Li Juan also understood, she didn't blame Chen Jiong.

  Later her mother also reminded her: "Don't be ridiculous. Without taking the pulse, looking at it and prescribing medicine is child's play. Besides, what's wrong with you? Are you eating medicine randomly?"

  "I won't eat it, mom." Li Juanjuan promised again and again before her mother stopped nagging.

  Six or seven days passed again, and nothing happened.

  When visiting her grandmother in the hospital, Li Xuanxuan also met Chen Jing several times.

  Chen Jing glanced at her, his eyes a bit calm, but he didn't ask if she had taken her medicine.

  Li Qianqian was worried that he would ask further, and was anxious about not being able to explain well, making him suspicious. Seeing that he didn't ask, Li Qianqian also breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that he wasn't confident in his own prescription either?

  By May 18th, Second Aunt was preparing to return to Wangxian County.

  These days, everyone is preparing gifts.

  Li Qianqian also took out a few of her own treasured items and gave them to Second Aunt and younger cousin Chen Wenrong.

  That night, she practiced calligraphy until the second half of the night. Later, she took a hot bath and went to sleep.

  In the middle of the night, I always feel a bit itchy on my arms and face, like mosquito bites.

  "Are there mosquitoes at this time?" Li Xuanxuan was half asleep and half awake, scratched her arm a few times, and continued to sleep.

  Later on, she didn't know how it happened, but her skin became itchier and itchier. She scratched hard and woke herself up.

  After waking up, she only felt that her arms and cheeks were itchy to the point of being unbearable. She scratched her arms hard, as if she wanted to peel off a layer of skin.

  ***

  I'm really sorry for today's update being so late~~