Just then, a boy next to them reached out his hand and said, "I'll hold the plate for you."

Xiao Youran glanced at her older brother, "Didn't someone just say... you shouldn't eat food from strangers?"

Jiang Youchen remained expressionless. "This young lady is not a stranger. Didn't we meet this morning?"

Xiao You Ran: ……

That makes so much sense that I'm speechless.

The young lady nodded repeatedly, "This young master is right, please eat as much as you like. I'll come back for the plates tomorrow."

Jiang Youchen steadily carried the two plates, one in each hand, upstairs.

Xiao Youran grabbed a handful of chopsticks from the table and followed him eagerly.

Madam Su had just taken her medicine and was resting against the headboard when her son pushed open the door and entered, carrying two plates in his hands. She couldn't help but ask, "Chen'er, what did you take?"

Little Youran said happily, "Mommy, it's afternoon tea time! There's something delicious. Come and have a taste."

Upon hearing the words "afternoon tea," Jiang Youchen glanced at his younger sister again, but this time he refrained from asking.

What else can I say after asking? It's all just hearsay, after all.

I heard that the word "I heard" is important.

After thinking for a moment, Su got out of bed, stretched her limbs, and sat down at the table. "What is this?"

Xiao You Ran said proudly, "This is called pan-fried bun."

Zhao's mother came over curiously to take a look, "What are pan-fried buns?"

"It's just frying raw buns until cooked, that's why it's called pan-fried buns." That explanation makes sense.

Xiao Youran blinked her eyes and looked at the group with a smile, handing each of them a pair of chopsticks. "Come and have a taste."

Su picked one up, took a small bite, and her eyes lit up instantly. "It's really delicious!"

Xiao Youran then began to eat slowly and deliberately.

Seeing the look in Su's eyes, Zhao Mama curiously picked one up and put it in her mouth. Then her expression brightened. "Miss, where did you buy this? Madam has been saying that her mouth is bland these past few days. If Madam likes it, this old servant will often go and buy some to try these days."

Xiao Youran slurped the soup from the pan-fried buns and then said, "It's in the alley to the right of the street outside."

Zhao's mother nodded and pushed the pan-fried buns towards Madam Su again, "If Madam thinks they're delicious, then please have some more."

Su readily agreed and ate a full four.

There were six on a plate. Xiao Youran ate one before, and now she ate three more. Zhao's mother ate one, and Jiang Youchen ate three.

"Alright, afternoon tea is perfectly over." Little Youran patted her tummy contentedly and reminded Zhao's mother, "Did you take your medicine for the third time, Mother?"

Zhao Mama glanced at the time. "It's almost time. This old servant will go check right away."

A short while later, after taking the medicine, Su fell asleep again, too tired to even eat dinner.

Xiao Youran always thought that her mother's illness was getting better soon, and that she could probably go see her great-aunts and the others tomorrow. She happily went to bed and fell asleep happily in her mother's arms.

However, in the middle of the night, Xiao Youran woke up again because of the heat.

She cried out in horror, "Aunt Zhao! Suyue!"

And touching her body, it seemed even hotter than yesterday.

Without waiting for her instructions, Su Yue put on her clothes and went downstairs to find the strong liquor.

Zhao's mother hurriedly went out to fetch a doctor.

When the doctor arrived, he took her pulse and was shocked. His brows furrowed deeply. "Madam's condition has worsened. Did she eat something she shouldn't have today?"

Xiao Youran was so anxious that tears were almost in her eyes. "She only ate a few pan-fried buns this afternoon."

"What are pan-fried buns?" the doctor asked, puzzled.

"It's just steamed buns that have been pan-fried," Xiao Youran said, sniffling. "It's a new kind of food."

"Fried? Didn't I say yesterday that she could only eat light, easily digestible foods?" the doctor said with exasperation. "The lady is already feeling depressed, and her stomach is burning with heat. Her spleen is weak and unable to digest the food. How can she eat these hot and fried foods?"

Xiao Youran was very annoyed.

This time, Jiang Youchen didn't need her sister to shift the blame; she took the initiative to shoulder the responsibility herself, saying, "It was my fault. I thought the food looked delicious, so I wanted to ask Mother to try it."

The doctor said resentfully, "A weak spleen is already difficult to treat, and this time we'll have to put in a lot of effort."

Zhao's mother was also very anxious. At this moment, Su Shi on the bed suddenly groaned in pain.

Xiao Youran was terrified and rushed forward to check on her. She saw beads of sweat on her mother's forehead, a look of pain on her face, and her body slowly curling up into a shrimp-like shape.

The doctor was also startled and quickly came over to take her pulse.

Su Shi slowly opened his eyes, "Little Ranran..."

The doctor was overjoyed. "Madam, are you experiencing severe abdominal pain? Where is the pain located?"

Su pressed her hand against the lower right part of her abdomen.

The doctor's expression changed immediately, and he asked a few more questions, "Feel it, is it painful to the touch? Is it sweating?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao's mother pressed on Su's lower right abdomen, which indeed caused Su to experience even greater pain.

Zhao's mother touched Su's neck again. "There's sweat."

The doctor took the pulse again carefully, examined the tongue coating, and looked grave.

Zhao's mother quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

The doctor's face was solemn. "I'll prescribe some medicine first. I'm afraid the lady will suffer for a few days. If her high fever can subside, she'll be able to eat again. She may feel nauseous and vomit for the next few days, so I'll decoct a larger batch of medicine and let her drink it after she vomits. She'll recover eventually."

Xiao Youran felt a chill run down her spine, realizing that the doctor was holding back some of his words.

But she didn't dare to ask too many questions. After watching the doctor write out the prescription, she still let Lao Feng go back with the doctor to get the medicine.

She saw the doctor downstairs, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her brother following him down as well.

She grabbed the doctor's sleeve and asked in a clear voice, "Doctor, what exactly is wrong with my mother?"

The doctor looked at the two young children and shook his head helplessly, saying, "I'm afraid you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Fortunately, the onset was rapid and it's just begun, so perhaps it can still be controlled."

Xiao Youran's heart jumped, and she blurted out, "Could it be appendicitis? Uh... that is, intestinal abscess?"

She had a vague idea when she saw her mother's hand pressed on her lower right abdomen.

The doctor's eyes widened in astonishment. "This young lady knows quite a lot?"

Xiao Youran felt her palms were sweating. "Doctor, are you sure it's not a case of enteritis?"

The doctor nodded firmly, “The lady has a persistent high fever, a dry, bright red tongue with a thick, dry yellow coating, a rapid and forceful pulse, and abdominal pain upon palpation. I have seen countless patients with appendicitis in my life, how could I have made a wrong diagnosis?”

Xiao Youran staggered slightly.

Jiang Youchen quickly helped her up.

The doctor shook his head and said, "It's still a recent attack, so it might be manageable. During this time, make sure she doesn't eat any spicy or irritating foods. Her diet should consist of light, soft, and easily digestible foods. If the fever subsides in three days, you can come back to me for a further prescription."

Jiang Youchen thanked the doctor repeatedly and saw him out.