Chapter 47: Illness

The bamboo lanterns were almost sold out, and Pei Luoshu slowly approached Chen Shiyi.

He lifted up the bamboo lantern, and a picture appeared on the lantern. It was a watercolor water lily with round green leaves. A cute little girl was lying on a bamboo chair, fanning herself with her eyes half asleep. Beside her, a weeping willow was brushing her hair.

Chen Shiyi was stunned. Isn’t this too beautiful?

Pei Luo sent it to Chen Shiyi.

"This is for you."

Chen Shiyi looked at Pei Luoshu in a trance.

"Girls your age are all happily visiting lantern festivals, but you are the only one who is still thinking about making money during the festival. It's really hard work. I give you this lantern as a token of my gratitude, and I hope you will be happy every day and worry-free every year in the future."

Chen Shiyi felt very warm in his heart after hearing this, so much so that his eyes were misty. The bright lights blurred the scenery, and he could only see the handsome and thin young man in front of him, with a smile on his face, giving himself the best wishes.

She couldn't describe the feeling now, it was full and hot, and it was about to burst out from her heart.

"I…"

"Don't say thank you, this is just my heartfelt token."

Pei Luoshu picked up his packed things and prepared to go home.

"Eleven, I..."

Pei Luoshu was very reluctant.

"I'm going back. You wait until you reach your master's house and go back to rest as soon as possible."

After saying this, his figure was lost in the myriad of lights.

Chen Shiyi held the round bamboo lamp and watched his receding figure quietly.

She placed her face against the bamboo lamp, feeling every drawn line and every applied color on the painting.

It feels so good to have someone care about you.

All of Chen Shiyi’s lamps had been sold out long ago, leaving only the one in her hand.

When the Hou family returned, the night market was almost over.

"Let's go back."

Wen Zhiheng looked at the lantern in Chen Shiyi's hand. The painting on it was not something that an ordinary person could draw.

"Eleven, you lamp..."

"Oh, it was originally going to be sold at a high price, but I liked it so much that I kept it. Are you trying to snatch it from me, Master?"

Wen Zhiheng smiled.

"It's rare that you spend money on something you like."

Chen Shiyi was lying on the bed with a bamboo lamp on the bedside table. The fire inside was still burning, and the light was soft.

Her heart is warm now.

The croaking of frogs and the chirping of insects in the fields became especially pleasant to hear.

This Mid-Autumn Festival is truly unforgettable.

It's late autumn, and the weather is getting cooler.

The fallen leaves from the camphor trees always form a thick layer in the morning.

Pei Luoshu would always collect the fallen leaves and sweep them into a pile, which would help Chen Shiyi to light a fire faster.

He noticed that Chen Shiyi was always frowning recently, and he didn't know what had happened to him.

“There’s not enough money.”

This is how Chen Shiyi answered.

"Your business has been good, why do you still have no money?"

Chen Shiyi was very distressed.

"I don't know what the eldest master has been doing recently. He has spent money on many things. Almost all the money I saved has been spent by him."

Pei Luoshu also felt unhappy after hearing this.

She works so hard, going out early and coming back late, but her family doesn't show any sympathy for her.

"If you need it urgently, I still have some left."

Chen Shiyi looked at Pei Luoshu and smiled.

"Where can I use your money? If you really don't have it, then it's gone. He can find a way to go back to the days of exile."

"Scholar, scholar..."

A very loud voice called out urgently.

Pei Luoshu stood up hurriedly.

"Auntie, what happened to my mother?"

"Hurry up, the bells in your yard are ringing loudly, I guess something happened."

Pei Luoshu didn't even pack his things and rushed home like a flash.

Chen Shiyi also hurriedly ran after him.

When he returned home, Pei Luoshu saw his mother sitting quietly on the bed, her eyes dull and her face gloomy.

"Mom, are you okay?"

It was also the first time that Chen Shiyi saw Pei's mother show this expression.

"Go, fetch the cane."

Pei Luoshu's face turned pale.

"mother…"

“Go quickly!”

Pei's mother took the cane that Pei Luoshou handed over to her.

"Kneel down."

Pei Luoshu knelt down without hesitation.

Pei's mother kept whipping Pei Luoshu with the cane.

Chen Shiyi was stunned for a moment.

What's going on?

"You unfilial thing, look at yourself, what good have you done? You actually sold the books you need to study for the imperial examination."

Pei Luoshu straightened his back and let Pei's mother whip him with the cane.

"Mom, those books are useless. I don't want to take the imperial examination anymore. I might as well use them to buy you some medicine."

"Is this how I usually teach you?"

"Mom, I just want to stay by your side."

"You fool, you should have lofty ambitions. What's the point of guarding a dying man like me?"

Seeing the bloodstains on Pei Luoshu's thin clothes, Chen Shiyi couldn't bear it. She knelt in front of Pei Luoshu in a hurry and blocked several whips from Pei's mother.

Pei Luoshu looked up in shock, and Pei's mother could no longer hit him with the cane when she saw this.

"Aunt, calm down and stop hitting him."

Mother Pei seemed to be stimulated and her body suddenly fell back and twitched.

Pei Luoshu stood up upon seeing this, skillfully pinched Pei's mother's jaw to prevent her from biting her tongue, held down her hands, and hurriedly shouted to Chen Shiyi.

"Hold my mother down and don't let her move."

Chen Shiyi was frightened and rushed forward to hold him down.

After a long while, Pei's mother's body stopped twitching.

Tears as big as beans fell from Pei Luoshu's eyes.

"Mom, mom, are you okay?"

Mother Pei was covered in sweat, and her beautiful face looked pale as if she were sick.

"Luo'er..."

"mother…"

"Don't forget, the scientific examination is your path. You have to understand your mother's painstaking efforts. From now on, you have to walk your path alone..."

Pei Luoshu nodded vigorously.

"Okay, Mom, you have to be fine. I will agree to anything you ask for."

After settling Pei's mother, Chen Shiyi followed Pei Luoshu out of the room.

"Aunt has been ill for a long time, why don't you see a doctor?"

Pei Luoshu shook his head.

"It's no use. She was poisoned by someone else."

"Poison?"

Pei Luoshu looked at Chen Shiyi, who was shocked, and said gently.

"Are you scared?"

"No, I'm not afraid. I've dug up corpses from mass graves and sewed up other people's bodies. I'm not afraid of these things."

Pei Luoshu was amused by Chen Shiyi.

"You really dare to do anything."

Chen Shiyi smiled awkwardly.

"It's not that I'm not afraid, actually. Those corpses are all my friends. They are such good people, how could I be afraid?"

Pei Luoshu suddenly felt the sadness of the woman next to him.

"I see you're bleeding from the beating. Do you want me to apply some medicine on you?"

When Pei Luoshu heard this, he looked at Chen Shiyi with burning eyes. Then he thought of something and smiled bitterly.

"I'll let my mother do it for me later. After all, there are differences between men and women. It's not good for you. How about you? Are you hurt?"

"No, my aunt stopped when she saw it."

Chen Shiyi heard their argument and asked in confusion.

"Since you can take part in the scientific expedition, why don't you go?"

Pei Luoshu's face turned very bad.

"My face is ruined, how can I participate in the scientific expedition?"