"What? Miss—" Jiang Yushu stammered in shock and stood up suddenly. "Xiaoyan is here?"
"Yes," the guard whispered, "It was cold and windy, so I didn't have time to ask for permission. I took the initiative and asked the wet nurse and the others to take the child to the back hall. I hope Madam will not blame me."
Jiang Yushu was instantly anxious. "I don't blame you! What's wrong with the child?"
"I don't know. The child is wearing so many clothes that you can't see anything."
Nearby, several minor clerks overheard fragments of the conversation and exchanged glances of surprise. A moment later, Huang Yichun, clutching the official document, stood up, glanced at the sky, and offered, "I and others will carefully review this charter. It's noon now. If the County Magistrate has any family matters, please return and attend to them."
"If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know!" Li Qigong stood up along with the county magistrate, as if he had been pardoned. He was afraid that the female official would continue to hint at the matter of occupying farmland.
The other minor officials also stood up and politely said goodbye.
Jiang Yushu took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. She glanced at the sky and hurriedly instructed, "The autumn harvest is approaching. Regarding the 'new order for subcontracted farming,' please give it your full attention and brainstorm. We need to complete the autumn audit during the harvest and produce the latest population, land, and tax records before the New Year. This matter cannot be delayed; it must be submitted to the government office for review."
"We will follow your orders, sir." The officials bowed one after another.
Jiang Yushu's heart had already flown back to the back hall. She managed to maintain her composure and said softly, "You pack up. I'll go see the child first."
"Hey!" Cuimei quickly picked up the documents that were piled on half the table, folding them and locking them.
She walked out quickly, waving her hand without looking back, "Everyone, go back to your own business. If there is anything important, please report it at any time!"
"Yes." The subordinates watched the leader go up and said, "Go slowly, don't rush."
Soon, Hou Ya
"The young lady is in your room. It's too hasty. The servants are cleaning the wing room."
Led by the maid, Jiang Yushu walked into the bedroom in one breath. Suddenly, she heard a faint cry. Without stopping, she ran into the inner room and took a closer look.
The wet nurse, Zhu, and two maids were kneeling in front of the couch, patting and coaxing the baby.
Guo Xiaoyan was lying flat on the couch, wrapped tightly in a blanket. Her face was red from the fever, her lips were cracked and bleeding, and her crying was low and hoarse, so it was hard to hear from a distance.
In an instant, Jiang Yushu felt extremely distressed and heartbroken, "Xiao Yan?"
"What's going on? What's wrong with the child?" She sat down on the edge of the couch, picked up her daughter, and asked anxiously, "Why did you send her here all the way here?"
The nurse and the maid quickly saluted, "Madam—"
"Oh, what time is it now? No need to be so polite!" Jiang Yushu looked at her sick and crying daughter, feeling distressed and sad, and her nose was also sour.
The nurse urged the maid to take out a letter, presented it with both hands, and said respectfully: "This letter was dictated by the old lady and written by the third master. Please take a look."
Jiang Yushu was too busy to move her hands. "Cui'er, take a look at what the letter says."
"Yes." Cuimei opened the letter. Guo Hongzhe hadn't had time to write neatly, so his handwriting was sloppy. She read silently, word by word, with some difficulty.
Jiang Yushu put her forehead close to her daughter's body and felt her temperature. She was immediately frightened by the burn. Seeing the baby's skin flushed and sweating, she quickly put the child back to bed and bent down to unwrap her.
"Madam..." The nurse and the maid were startled and blurted out to stop her:
"Oh, I can't untie it! It's cold, and the girl is sick. She is afraid of the cold and can't stand the wind."
Jiang Yushu said cautiously, disapprovingly, "It's only early October, and the weather isn't too cold. You're wearing a fur coat, a cotton-padded jacket, and a thick blanket. How hot is that? The child will get sick from the heat."
The nurse came closer and stretched out her hand to stop him, but she hesitated because of her status and retreated anxiously, saying, "It's okay. Children are afraid of cold, not heat."
"Don't worry, I know my limits." Jiang Yushu unwrapped the blanket and then took off the baby's small fur coat. She touched it with her hand and said helplessly, "Look, she's sweating all over! Quick, get her some clean clothes and change her."
The maids knelt down, trotted outward, swiftly dug out a bundle from the pile of luggage, picked out a set of clothes and returned.
After a while, Cuimei folded the letter and said succinctly, "Madam, the letter says: The girl has been repeatedly ill and has a high fever. Doctor Heqin is helpless. The palace is afraid that the roads will be blocked by heavy snow, so there is no time to write to discuss. We have urgently sent someone to escort the girl to Tuning for medical treatment. The old lady has instructed you to find a royal physician to treat the child and take care of her. She will be sent home after she has fully recovered."
Jiang Yushu and the wet nurse worked together to change the baby's clothes. "I understand," she said, looking worriedly down. "Xiaoyan is sick. How are her eldest and second brothers?"
"The two young masters are in good health. The eldest often goes to school with his cousin and can already recite several passages of the Thousand Character Classic. The second young master is turning over more and more flexibly. He is plump and white, and he holds his head high. You don't have to worry about them."
Jiang Yushu was naturally delighted to hear this, but her heart was immediately gripped by her daughter's kitten-like cry. She pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped her sweat, frowning as she asked, "What happened to Yan'er while I was away?"
The nurse and the maids all replied in unison, "The young lady is weak. Ever since you left home to take up your post, she has been ill constantly. Every time she gained a little weight, she would become thinner in the blink of an eye."
"The servants have not dared to neglect her and have always taken good care of her. Normally, we hardly dared to carry the young lady out of the room. But since the beginning of autumn, she, for some reason, has been catching cold so often."
"Once you catch a cold, you will definitely have a fever."
"This is the fourth time the child has fallen ill. The old lady is frightened and panicked. That's why she hurriedly sent the child to Tunin, hoping that the old imperial physician will come and cure the disease."
The baby was taken off his thick clothes and put on a thin jacket. Although he was still sobbing, his crying gradually stopped.
She was born weak and hasn't been able to grow strong yet. Jiang Yushu was filled with worry and sighed, "I understand." She cheered up and ordered, "Cui'er, take my title to Zou Gui and leave the city immediately to the camp. Try to see your second master and tell him about the girl's illness... gently so that he won't worry too much."
"I understand!" Cuimei did it promptly and efficiently.
Jiang Yushu picked up her daughter, who was now much lighter, and asked, "It's a long journey, is there a doctor with you?"
"Yes, it's Doctor Fang." The nurse said, "Before leaving, the old lady ordered Doctor Fang to return as soon as possible. Everyone in the mansion has become accustomed to him and can't do without him. Especially the Third Master, whose illness is only treated by Doctor Fang."
Jiang Yushu nodded. "I'll make the arrangements." She turned and said, "Please ask Doctor Fang to come. I need to ask him something." After that, she handed her daughter to the wet nurse. "The child is sweating all over. Feed her some milk quickly."
"Alas." The nurse took the child, unbuttoned her clothes and fed her, mumbling: "She has caught a cold and a fever. Her lips are cracked and hurt when they get wet. The girl doesn't want to eat or drink anymore."
Jiang Yushu was at a loss, her eyes red, and she could only rack her brains to comfort him.
Two days later
This was the first time Jiang Yushu had taken a day off since she took office because her daughter was sick and she was waiting for her husband to bring the imperial physician to treat her.
The news that the county magistrate's daughter came despite being ill spread quickly, and the clerks in the yamen and some wealthy gentry who didn't know how to please the female official flocked to visit her, carrying all kinds of gifts.
Several people were circling around the child.
"Be good, eat some more." Jiang Yushu hadn't slept well for two consecutive nights. Her eyes were bloodshot, but she was very patient and focused on feeding her daughter porridge.
The baby girl had several cracked lips, and it hurt whenever she touched food. She kept waving her hands to refuse, crying and shaking her head, "Wuwuwu..."
Jiang Yushu sighed, put down her spoon, and was almost worried. "Look at you, your hair is thin and yellow, but it was very black and shiny when you were born. If you are picky about food, your body will not be strong, do you understand?"
"You don't like this, and you don't like that. Tell me, what do you like to eat?"
Guo Xiaoyan had delicate facial features, as delicate as a piece of jade, with long and thick eyelashes with tears hanging on them. She sobbed and struggled, hiding her face in her mother's arms to avoid being fed, looking so pitiful.
Jiang Yushu couldn't help but soften her heart and compromised, "Forget it, just take it easy and continue feeding later. You still have to eat even if your lips hurt."
"Woo woo woo~" The baby closed his eyes, babbled tenderly, and insisted on burying his face in his mother's arms.
The next moment, the old woman came in and reported:
"Madam, County Magistrate Huang and his wife have come to visit you."
Jiang Yushu was startled and handed the child to the wet nurse. "You guys take care of it. I'll be back soon."
After a moment, she walked into the living room with a smile.
Huang Yichun and his wife stood up to greet him, "Sir."
"Is your daughter feeling better?"
Jiang Yushu raised her hand and said, "Please sit down, both of you. Thank you for your concern. My daughter is recovering from illness. When she recovers, I will ask her to thank you two another day."
"Of course, of course." Huang Yichun sat upright. His wife, also not good at speaking, said stiffly, "Since you've heard about it, you should visit."
Jiang Yushu forced herself to entertain him. "It's already a rare occasion for me to visit you, why bring a gift? It's such a waste."
Huang Yichun said hesitantly, "No, it's just some snow lotus, which is grown in abundance in Tuning. If you don't mind, please accept it and use it to nourish your daughter."
Should I accept the gift? Should I refuse it? Should I refuse it politely? Should I return the favor later? Jiang Yushu was too worried about her daughter to think. She said absentmindedly, "Thank you. I'm so sorry for the trouble you've taken."
"I wonder how old the little girl is? What's wrong with her?" Huang's wife mustered up the courage and asked with concern.
Jiang Yushu couldn't help but sigh, "My little girl is just over five months old. She's naturally weak, and no matter how carefully we take care of her, she always catches a cold or has a fever easily."
Huang Yichun said, "There's an old doctor named Zhu in the county who's quite skilled. You might as well ask him to give it a try."
Jiang Yushu politely said, "Doctor Zhu? I know him. I've already asked him to see me."
"It's cold in autumn and winter, so it's inevitable that the child will catch a cold. When the child grows up, he should be strong enough." Huang's wife comforted her, "Don't worry too much."
Jiang Yushu said sincerely, "I hope so."
Right now
The street market is not far from the county government office, and the sounds of hawking are heard one after another, making it noisy and lively.
Guo Honglei rode a horse, led several followers and a small carriage, suppressed his anxiety, and slowly crossed the busy city.
In a moment, the side door of the back yamen
"Whoa!" The driver of another team pulled the reins and turned to greet: "Fifth Master, we're here."
Li Qigong jumped off the carriage and strode towards the side door, followed by a servant holding a gift.
"Hey, wait for me!" Wen Xi was fat and got out of the car clumsily to chase after him, his body trembling as he ran.
Li Qigong glanced at him sideways and said slowly, "My brother-in-law is getting fatter and fatter. He's out of breath after running a few steps. If he gets any fatter, will he be able to go out in the future?"
"Go! Go! Go!"
"I haven't gained weight recently." Wen Xi adjusted the hem of his robe and retorted awkwardly, "It's cold, and it's been blowing a lot, so I look bloated. It's not good for you to be as thin as a bamboo pole. Your parents-in-law are afraid that you will be blown down by the wind."
Li Qigong sneered, "Thin is better than fat. If you are so fat, will it be inconvenient for you to have sex?"
"Shut up! How can you talk to your brother-in-law like that? You have no respect for your elders." Wen Xi was angry.
The uncle and aunt walked a little further when they heard the sound of horse hooves behind them. They instinctively turned their heads to look.
In a moment, Guo Honglei reined in his horse. "Whoa!" He jumped off the horse and strode towards the carriage. He just caught up with the old man who was helping him. "Mr. Guan, slow down."
The old imperial physician, with his superb medical skills, had thrived in the military camp's medical tent. After a few years of recuperation, he was in good health and spirits. He wore a washed-out cotton robe, squinted his eyes, and scanned his surroundings.
"Please come in." Guo Honglei led the way, feeling extremely worried and wishing he could see his daughter right away.
The old imperial physician followed, and after they had walked a few steps, they suddenly saw a man in white clothes emerge from behind the stone lions.
Everyone was stunned and stopped.
"Ah, isn't this Captain Guo?" Li Qigong said enthusiastically, as if he were facing an old friend. "It's been a while. How have you been lately?"
Guo Honglei came back to his senses, but before he could respond, a fat man in a purple robe appeared from behind the stone lion, running and grinning obsequiously:
"You are Captain Guo? I was unable to meet you last time. What a pity." Wen Xi smiled broadly and trotted towards Guo Honglei, introducing himself: "My name is Wen Xi, a small clerk in the county yamen. I have long heard of your great name. Today, I finally—"
"Oh my god!"
He was so busy talking that he didn't pay attention to the road under his feet. Suddenly, he was tripped by a slightly protruding bluestone slab. He waved his arms around a few times, yelled in embarrassment, threw himself into Guo Honglei's arms, and rushed straight to his chest.
The author has something to say: It has been a long time since I updated so early!
========
Guo Honglei: Is this... a new idea of Tu Ning's to get close to the petty official?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
