When Shen Yunjiao woke up the next morning, she felt that she was already more than half recovered.
Fu Xia and Granny Lin specially cooked some white porridge and side dishes in the small kitchen.
After Shen Yunjiao finished her meal, the doctor that Lin Mama had gone to fetch early that morning finally arrived and was waiting in the flower hall.
As luck would have it, it was the very person Shen Yunjiao was supposed to visit that day.
The old doctor had a kind face and was initially taken aback when he saw the Crown Princess. "Greetings, Young Madam."
"What a coincidence." Shen Yunjiao smiled and told Fu Xia to quickly lead the old doctor to sit down.
"Young Madam, may I take your pulse first?" The old doctor didn't sit down in a hurry. He took out a clean handkerchief and placed it on Shen Yunjiao's wrist. He noticed small red dots between Shen Yunjiao's fingers and asked in surprise, "Did you have bloodletting yesterday, Young Madam?"
Shen Yunjiao nodded: "I had a really high fever yesterday."
"Is the young mistress also studying medicine?"
"Mm." Shen Yunjiao nodded gently.
The old doctor didn't say much, silently taking her pulse. After a moment, he pondered and asked, "Young mistress's pulse is really not good; it's weaker than that of someone who is about to die."
Is there any way to remedy this?
"The young mistress has blocked meridians in various parts of her body, with the most severe blockage in her heart meridian. She needs to calm her mind and nourish her qi, supplemented with blood-activating and qi-tonifying herbs. Ordinary herbs may not be effective."
"Young mistress, do you know that people with extremely cold constitutions are often unable to tolerate tonics?"
Shen Yunjiao nodded in agreement.
The old doctor's diagnosis was roughly the same as what Shen Yunjiao had come up with on her own. She then asked curiously, "If ordinary medicines don't work, would deer antler and placenta be useful?"
The old doctor stroked his long, gray beard, shook his head, and said, "It's not suitable."
"Then how can I live longer?" Shen Yunjiao felt somewhat frustrated. This place is not like modern times, where people with weak immune systems can receive protein infusions.
"This..." The old doctor hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and said embarrassedly, "As long as the young mistress is happy and can maintain a long and loving relationship with the young master, and consummate their marriage, she can enjoy a long and healthy life."
Shen Yunjiao was immediately stunned by these thunderous words.
Faced with the choice between dying young and sharing a room with the prince, Shen Yunjiao chose the former without hesitation.
Even though it's a rotten cucumber, she'd rather die than let him touch it.
"Thank you, doctor." Shen Yunjiao forced a smile and withdrew her hand.
As she watched the old doctor pack his small box, Shen Yunjiao thought of her plan. "Doctor, I'm not feeling well today. Could we arrange to meet another day to discuss acupuncture techniques?"
"Acupuncture?" The old doctor looked surprised and asked uncertainly, "Does the young mistress know acupuncture?"
Shen Yunjiao laughed and said, "Not only do I know how to do it, but acupuncture is one of my specialties."
The old doctor thought to himself, "The Crown Princess must be joking."
He then cupped his hands in greeting and said, "If the young mistress needs anything from me, just send someone to invite me."
-
After seeing off the doctor from the fourth clinic, Shen Yunjiao heard Fu Xia calling from outside, "Make way, make way!"
Shen Yunjiao thought to herself: Fu Xia must have found something fun again.
She lifted her skirt and walked to the front of the corridor, where she found Fuxia carrying a large basket of bright red fruit, looking very happy.
Upon seeing Shen Yunjiao, he vigorously shook the basket, saying, "Girl, come and see, these are fruits from the South."
When Shen Yunjiao took a closer look, she realized that those plump, thorny fruits were lychees!
"This is what our young master brought back from the south! As expected, he really dotes on his young lady." Fu Xia's eyes lit up when she mentioned Shen Qinghuai, the eldest son of the Shen family.
Shen Yunjiao was a little curious. What kind of person was the brother who Fu Xia loved so much? Would it be awkward for her to be with him?
Or rather, I wonder if I would feel awkward meeting the Shen family.
Shen Yunjiao had only ever lived with her grandmother since she was a child, and she didn't know how people usually interacted with each other.
While she was still deep in thought, her arm was suddenly shaken. "Hmm?"
Fu Xia picked up a reddish-green lychee, feeling a little embarrassed, and said, "Miss, may I have one first?"
Shen Yunjiao affectionately flicked her head: "You can eat as much as you want."
"Thank you, young lady!"
Fu Xia happily wiped the lychee with her sleeve and then put the whole one into her mouth.
"Wait—" Before Shen Yunjiao could stop her, Fu Xia started chewing, but soon her little face scrunched up.
"Why is it so bitter!" Fu Xia spat out the fruit and stuck out her tongue as she said to Shen Yunjiao.
Shen Yunjiao couldn't help but laugh: "Are you silly! You have to peel the lychee before eating it."
Fu Xia stared blankly as Shen Yun's delicate, white fingers picked up a lychee, slowly poking open the fruit's red, scaly shell to reveal its translucent flesh.
Shen Yunjiao handed the peeled fruit to Fuxia: "How about trying it now?"
Fu Xia obediently tasted one, bit down, and juice splashed out, sweet and mellow.
Fu Xia's eyes immediately lit up like stars: "Girl, you're so clever! These lychees are so sweet!"
"I'm glad you like it." Shen Yunjiao squatted down to look at the fresh, large lychees in the basket. "You said you've already sent letters home, when will my brother come to see me?"
"How come I heard someone misses me?"
A gentle male voice, as soft as a spring breeze, sounded from behind.
Shen Yunjiao stood up and saw a handsome man in a white robe standing at the courtyard gate.
At first glance, this person's eyebrows and eyes bore a striking resemblance to mine, about five-tenths.
Shen Yunjiao's heart skipped a beat. Could this be the original owner's brother?
The man smiled faintly and shook the folding fan in his hand: "What? You don't recognize your brother anymore now that you're married?"
"Brother!"
As soon as Shen Yunjiao saw Shen Qinghuai, a familiar yet bittersweet feeling spread through her heart.
For some reason, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
Shen Yunjiao marveled at the power of family ties, and seeing Shen Qinghuai made her unable to hold back her tears.
Shen Qinghuai said with a mix of helplessness and amusement, "How come I didn't know my little sister was such a crybaby these days?"
"Brother, please don't laugh at me!" Shen Yunjiao said in a muffled voice, wiping away the crystal tear that had fallen, and then smiled through her tears, "Where did you get so many lychees, brother?"
"I brought it with me when I went to South Vietnam for research."
Shen Qinghuai walked into the courtyard, which was full of flowers. There was a swing in the corner of the courtyard, and a small table with exquisite pastries and two small chairs under the corridor, creating a quiet and beautiful scene.
Shen Qinghuai also noticed that his younger sister, whom he hadn't seen for several months, now had a rosy complexion and bright eyes and white teeth.
He was relieved that Shen Yunjiao was doing well.
Shen Qinghuai asked with a smile, "Why is the Crown Prince not here?"
"Uh," Shen Yunjiao tried to answer, "Maybe they went out?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qinghuai's brows furrowed noticeably.
"Miss! You still have a fever, why did you come out dressed so lightly!" As soon as Lin Mama stepped into the courtyard, she saw Shen Yunjiao and couldn't help but nag. After she finished speaking, she realized that the eldest young master was beside her. She was overjoyed and even stammered with excitement, "Young master is back! Young master has come to see our young lady!"
"Granny Lin, you said my younger sister's fever hasn't fully subsided, so where is my brother-in-law? Shouldn't he be at home taking care of my sister?"
Shen Qinghuai's heart sank. He had heard many rumors before, saying that his sister was not favored by the prince, that the prince had a new love, and so on.
Could it all be true?
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