Chapter 388 Mother, rest assured, I've got it covered.
Jiang Nuanzhi and Ping'er both paused and looked at Li Rong.
Li Rong, who was holding a tray, snatched the sausage back and gave it to the old man instead, saying, "You've got the wrong one, this is the right one."
The old man looked at the pink sausage he was about to put in his mouth, and without saying a word, he opened his mouth again, wanting to take another bite.
Ping'er was speechless, her lips twitching as she hurriedly reached out to stop the old man before he could take a bite: "Father, everything in this tray is uncooked."
Li Rong's thick eyebrows furrowed slightly as he stared at the tray in his hands, seemingly deep in thought.
"Father, give it to me first." Ping'er took a deep breath, her slightly childish face showing a maturity beyond her years, and her tone was somewhat coaxing as she gently took the thing back from Li Rong's hand.
With his hands empty, Li Rong turned and headed towards the kitchen.
The waiter strode forward and blocked the kitchen doorway, smiling obsequiously, "Um... Father! It's good that your son is here in the kitchen. Why don't you rest for a bit? Didn't Mother say you should get some more sleep?"
Baozhu blinked her bright eyes twice, puzzled: "Father, don't you have anything to do? Why don't you read Brother Xuanting's letter with me?"
Li Rong rubbed his daughter's head and said, "You'll see for yourself. The pharmacy is still busy. Daddy will go to the pharmacy to help your mother grind the medicinal herbs."
As he spoke, he strode toward the pharmacy.
Seeing his father enter, Xiao Er nervously swallowed and looked at Jiang Nuanzhi: "Mother, should I go and keep an eye on things?"
"No need." Jiang Nuanzhi poked Xiao Er's forehead: "You're so young, yet you have so many worries. Go play by yourself. Your father knows what he's doing. Nothing will go wrong."
Upon hearing this, Li Rong's tall figure seemed to stiffen, and he turned around to look at them from inside the pharmacy.
Jiang Nuanzhi tilted her head and smiled, then turned around and saw the old man tiptoeing into the house.
"Grandpa, where are you going?"
The old man froze, his eyes snapping shut. He took a deep breath, and when he turned back, his face was beaming with smiles.
"Ah Nuan, what a question! I was just planning to go to the kitchen to help out, so you wouldn't be too tired preparing the banquet by yourself."
Jiang Nuanzhi raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Is that so?"
"certainly."
"Alright, then drink this bowl of medicine and come help me."
Jiang Nuanzhi pushed the full bowl of medicine on the table forward, propped her head up with her hands, and said with a smile, "The medicine is at the perfect temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, just right to drink."
The old man slapped himself on the forehead, never expecting that she hadn't forgotten about it!
He pounded his chest loudly, exclaiming, "Look how strong the old man is! He's all better now, he doesn't need to take any medicine at all!"
Jiang Nuanzhi's bright eyes were full of smiles, and her voice became even gentler: "I drank it."
The old man's face twitched, and his brows furrowed tightly: "Oh dear, no, I can't take medicine when I feel unwell."
"Since you're feeling unwell, we should give you two more doses."
"No, ancestor, I'll drink it! I'll drink it, okay?"
The old man seemed to have a fierce look on his face, and he picked up the medicine in one swift motion. His lips were already pursed, but he hesitated to bring his hand to his mouth.
"If you dare to accidentally show up again, you won't be allowed to eat a single bite at today's New Year's Eve dinner."
The old man: "."
How does she know what she's thinking?
"Ah Nuan, can we not drink it?"
"No, we can't." Jiang Nuanzhi pleaded earnestly, "Xiao Er and I just perfected this prescription, and Xiao Er spent so much time brewing it, it took him a whole day. Are you really willing to waste our hard work?"
“That’s right, that’s right.” Xiao Er had already been sitting on the ground with Xiao Baozhu looking at Xuan Ting’s letter, but upon hearing this, he immediately looked up and said, “Master, drink it. Only by drinking the medicine can you get better. You’ll definitely be able to eat more at the New Year’s banquet.”
The old man pouted and said, "Your medicine really can't cure my illness."
Jiang Nuanzhi clicked her tongue: "So much nonsense. If I tell you to drink, then drink. If you don't want to drink, then don't eat!"
Finally, under Jiang Nuanzhi's gaze, the old man, like a hero wiping his wrist, raised the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
"How about it?"
Jiang Nuanzhi and the waiter both looked over and said in unison.
The old man grinned, and a bitter taste billowed from his mouth. Just as he was about to vomit, Jiang Nuanzhi stuffed a piece of candy into his mouth. Okay, at least he swallowed the medicine.
He smacked his lips and said, "This candy is weirdly sweet."
"Master, forget about the sugar, how was this recipe?" the waiter asked eagerly.
The old man stared blankly, recalling, "It was very bitter, but it felt warm in my stomach."
"What's wrong with your stomach?" Jiang Nuanzhi asked anxiously.
The old man's face seemed to change from red to green, from green to blue, and then from blue to red again.
"Wait, wait, wait"
Jiang Nuanzhi stared intently at him: "How is it? How do you feel?"
"Ahhh! Move aside! Get out of the way!"
The next second, the old man sprang up, covered his buttocks, and rushed out of the house with lightning speed.
Jiang Nuanzhi and Xiao Er, one big and one small, peered out of the doorway toward the outhouse. Inside, they heard a series of clanging sounds, like firecrackers going off, creating quite a commotion.
The two of them instinctively pinched their noses and tacitly closed the door.
"Mother, it seems the detoxification effect should be working."
Jiang Nuanzhi nodded in deep agreement, took out a small booklet from her bosom and wrote: "Hmm, but the dosage of this croton seed is wrong. It neutralized the medicinal properties, yet it is still so strong. We need to reduce the dosage appropriately later."
"Mother is right." The waiter nodded in deep agreement.
Jiang Nuanzhi then tore a piece of paper from the booklet: "Xiao Er, make sure your master fills out this report on today's situation, including everything from eating and drinking to relieving himself. Mother will go and change these dirty clothes."
The little boy immediately patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Mother, I've got it covered."
Just then, through the door of the pharmacy, I saw Li Rong grinding medicinal herbs with a mortar and pestle. His movements were fluid and efficient, and he seemed to be working very hard.
Jiang Nuanzhi stroked her chin, pondering to herself.
At this moment, Li Rong seemed to notice Jiang Nuanzhi's timing and looked up in confusion.
Jiang Nuanzhi tilted her head and smiled at him. She secretly thought that he should probably have some more of his medicine added.
Ping'er couldn't help but tug at Jiang Nuanzhi's sleeve, looking at Li Rong with some worry, and whispered, "Mother, Father has been like this for several days now, when will he get better?"
Ever since his suicide in Changshan, Father has been so absent-minded. When asked, he says nothing's wrong, and he certainly seems fine, but he's been busy all over the house. He hasn't slept a wink for several nights.
He had been looking for things to do late at night, which worried them, so he said he was going to bed. Only when Ping'er went to deliver something to him in the middle of the night did she realize that he was lying in bed with his eyes wide open until dawn.
My mother said that my father's previous serious illness had damaged his physical foundation. He had finally recovered to about 60-70% health, but then he was overworked and couldn't get any rest. Now he is almost at his limit.
Jiang Nuanzhi patted his shoulder: "It's alright, Mother has a plan, just wait and see." Then, she rubbed Ping'er's little face: "Alright, don't look so gloomy, go and light the incense on the offering table for Mother."
(End of this chapter)
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