Chapter 50

By the time she reached the door, Aunt Liu was already panting heavily. She could barely eat anything and could only drink some water. She was exhausted after just a few steps.

Shen Qingnian hid behind a tree, while Aunt Liu opened the door.

With a creak, the wooden door was pulled open by her thin hand. The servant guarding the door saw that Aunt Liu looked sickly and as if she would be blown away by a gust of wind, so he quickly handed her the food box at the door.

The servant felt sorry for Aunt Liu and couldn't help but say, "Oh dear, Aunt, you look so unwell. You should eat more. If Miss finds out you're not eating or drinking, she'll be heartbroken."

The meals were specially prepared for you by the kitchen at the master's behest, and the medicine he brewed was all nourishing and good for your health.

I overheard something earlier, and I heard that the madam misses you and even added several tonics to your medicine.

"If you eat all of these things, you'll gradually get better. Only when you're healthy can Miss feel at ease in the manor."

This servant was born into the Shen family and was considered loyal. His mother passed away last year, and seeing Aunt Liu's sickly appearance now inevitably reminded him of his deceased mother.

It could be considered that the scene evoked certain emotions.

Aunt Liu gave a weak smile upon hearing this: "Thank you."

She took the food box from the servant, lifted it with some effort, and then closed the door.

Shen Qingnian quickly came out from behind the tree, took the food box from Aunt Liu's hand, and helped her back into the house.

Aunt Liu entered the room and tried to sit at the table, but Shen Qingnian helped her directly to the bed.

“Auntie, you’re not feeling well, so don’t bother yourself. I’ll feed you right here,” Shen Qingnian said as she opened the food box and took out the food inside.

After catching her breath on the bed, Aunt Liu said, "Qing Nian, stop working. It's getting late, you should go back. I'll rest for a while and eat by myself."

She was worried that if Qing read it out for too long, the people in the mansion would notice something amiss.

Shen Qingnian frowned. She did not listen to Aunt Liu's words, but took out the food from the food box and put the black medicine inside on the table.

After she finished doing all this, she finally spoke up to explain, "Auntie, you don't need to worry about me. Xiaoju is mine now. With her watching over things in the mansion, there's no need to be so anxious."

Seeing that she insisted, Aunt Liu didn't urge her any further. The mother and daughter had finally met, and she was overjoyed.

She said, "If today's meal is porridge, I'll have a couple of sips. If it's steamed buns or rice, I'll wait. I don't have an appetite right now and don't want to eat anything."

Shen Qingnian nodded. That's how her aunt's illness is; once it flares up, she loses her appetite.

She looked at the three dishes and two steamed buns; the food was quite good, and it was clear that, as the servant at the door had said, Shen Zheng had put his heart into it.

Thinking of this, she took off the silver hairpin from her hair and stuck it into the vegetables and steamed buns to test it. The hairpin did not change color, so there was no poison in the food.

Then she looked at the bowl of dark, murky medicine and put the silver hairpin in; it still didn't change color.

Aunt Liu looked at Shen Qingnian's actions, smiled weakly, and said: