Chapter 21 Recovering from Injuries
The weather had turned cold in November, and along with the cold wind and falling snow came the inevitable chill.
That morning, Chu Wangshu suddenly turned over, her back to Shen Qingmeng.
He covered his mouth with the corner of the blanket, trying to muffle his coughs under the cotton quilt.
Shen Qingmeng wrapped her arms around Chu Wangshu's waist from behind and rested her head on his shoulder and neck: "What's wrong?"
"Maybe I caught a bit of a cold," Chu Wangshu said, still covering her mouth and nose, her voice muffled.
Shen Qingmeng pulled the blanket down a little: "Why are you covering your mouth if you're going to catch a cold? Won't that make it even harder for you to breathe?"
"I'm fine," Chu Wangshu said without turning around. "Go back to sleep, it's not dawn yet."
Wang Wanwan had arranged to accompany Shen Qingmeng to have her wedding dress made today, but Shen Qingmeng was a little worried, even though Physician Li came to take a look and said it was just a common cold and that some medicine would be fine.
Seeing that Shen Qingmeng hadn't moved, Chu Wangshu asked, "Why aren't you going to find Wanwan?"
"Really...you don't need me to come with you?"
Chu Wangshu smiled helplessly, "It's just a cold, not a serious illness, it's nothing to worry about. You should go quickly, otherwise Wang Wanwan will get impatient and start accusing me of bringing disaster to the country again."
Shen Qingmeng took Chu Wangshu's hand and shook it: "We'll be at Fanghua Pavilion or Jinxiu Workshop. If you need me, just send someone to find me. I'll try to come back as soon as possible."
"The wedding dress is a big deal. Let's help Wanwan pick one out. Don't worry about me."
Only after Shen Qingmeng had completely left the room did Chu Wangshu show a hint of unease. His stomach was truly upset after catching a cold; the medicine he had just drunk was churning in his stomach, making him feel very uncomfortable.
However, it's not right to let Shen Qingmeng keep revolving around him. He finally decided to go out with his friends, but he delayed them again. There's no need for that.
But as Shen Qingmeng watched Wang Wanwan try on one wedding dress after another at the fabric shop, he felt like a helpless man.
“They’re all quite pretty…” When Wang Wanwan changed into the fourth outfit, Shen Qingmeng hesitated for a long time before asking, “But isn’t this different from the first one?”
“It’s different!” Wang Wanwan immediately moved closer and showed Shen Qingmeng the collar: “This one has a subtle pattern on the collar, the first one was embroidered!”
Shen Qingmeng tried hard to recall what the first wedding dress looked like, and said hesitantly, "Well, well, it seems the first one was prettier."
“There’s another one, I’ll go try it on!” Wang Wanwan said, lifting the hem of her skirt to change into another outfit.
"Wow! This is so elegant!" Shen Qingmeng exclaimed sincerely as she looked at Wang Wanwan, "I think this is the best one!"
“I feel the same way,” Wang Wanwan said, admiring herself in the mirror with satisfaction. Then, with her head full of jingling jewelry, she leaned close to Shen Qingmeng and asked, “What about you? When do you want to get married? Do you want to give it a try?”
"No, that's too much trouble. I don't want to take off this cotton coat and change into it," Shen Qingmeng shook her head. "He's still not feeling well. Let him rest for a while longer. I'm not in a hurry."
"But your partner has such a great figure, she should look good in anything."
"It's as if Zhang Cheng is in poor health. He looked really handsome when he came back in his official robes that day."
Zhang Cheng is currently working in the Ministry of Rites. Although he is only a sixth-rank official, he has been promoted very quickly. He speaks eloquently and seems to be quite upright. Shen Qingmeng has a fairly good impression of him.
Wang Wanwan leaned close to Shen Qingmeng's ear and whispered, "Zhang Cheng looks handsome even in his undergarments!"
"So many people!" Shen Qingmeng patted Wang Wanwan with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"What are you afraid of? I didn't tell anyone else," Wang Wanwan said, pulling Shen Qingmeng along to try on an outfit as well. "Come on, try it on and see how it feels. Maybe you'll suddenly want to get married soon!"
Shen Qingmeng is a bit taller than Wang Wanwan, so the ready-made clothes fit her better.
It is indeed very beautiful.
"Heavens, Chu Wangshu should really see this."
“He…made preparations,” Shen Qingmeng then mentioned, “I saw him draw some clothing designs a few days ago, probably asking Uncle Li to make them.”
“No wonder I wasn’t interested in these ready-made clothes. Turns out they’re made to order,” Wang Wanwan said, pulling Shen Qingmeng along as they looked in the bronze mirror. “I never thought you’d actually end up with him. This time last year, I was saying you were delusional.”
Shen Qingmeng looked at the fan in her hand and suddenly smiled: "He heard from somewhere that if the newlyweds embroider the veil or fan by hand, they will receive the blessings of heaven and have a happy life."
"With your skills, even the heavens would be blinded by them, right?" Wang Wanwan was quite knowledgeable about Shen Qingmeng's needlework.
“I’m not going to embroider,” Shen Qingmeng said, gently fanning herself with her fan. “Since Chu Wangshu’s fingers have recovered, he has started to play with embroidery threads. And he is really good at it. I saw him embroider a few days ago and it was quite beautiful, but he was not satisfied and said he wanted to practice more.”
"Your wish has been fulfilled," Wang Wanwan said with a smile, shaking hands with Shen Qingmeng.
Shen Qingmeng was also very satisfied: "I've married a virtuous husband!"
But Shen Qingmeng's virtuous husband is indeed in poor health.
She bought some pears and hawthorns, intending to make soup for Chu Wangshu when she got back. She walked excitedly into the room, but as soon as she entered, she heard a sound of retching.
Shen Qingmeng casually tossed the items in her hand onto the table, ran in, and patted Chu Wangshu's back: "What's wrong?"
Chu Wangshu was already quite weak from vomiting. Shen Qingmeng helped her sit with her head on her lap, one hand clutching her stomach as she gasped for breath: "I...I didn't mean to throw up the medicine..."
"I know, I know, it's not your fault," Shen Qingmeng quickly rubbed Chu Wangshu's cheeks to comfort her, "You must be feeling very uncomfortable, how come you've developed a fever after not seeing you for so long?"
Physician Li said, "He just caught a cold and is weak, which is why he can't take the medicine and has a fever."
“Uncle Li, why don’t you stop giving him the medicine for now? Let me hold him and let him rest for a while. Maybe the fever will go down.” Shen Qingmeng used to do this when she had a fever. She disliked the bitterness of the medicine and rarely drank it. In fact, after a few naps and rest, it was not a big deal.
Physician Li could only nod. Chu Wangshu vomited as soon as she drank the medicine, and there was nothing else he could do. He added some more charcoal, then closed the doors and windows and left.
After warming her hands on her neck, Shen Qingmeng slipped them under the covers and placed them on Chu Wangshu's upper abdomen: "Does it still hurt? Will this make you feel better?"
“Hmm,” Chu Wangshu responded listlessly, “Qingmeng, I’m sorry… I, I don’t know why…”
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Shen Qingmeng changed her position so that Chu Wangshu could rest her head on her waist, tucked the blanket in, and coaxed her softly, “Everyone has headaches and fevers sometimes. Let’s rest and take a nap, and maybe you’ll feel better when you wake up. It’s okay, and you don’t necessarily have to take the medicine.”
"Mmm." Chu Wangshu nodded and hugged Shen Qingmeng tightly.
Having been feeling unwell for most of the day, Chu Wangshu quickly fell into a deep sleep, but his hands still trembled and clenched occasionally, indicating some unease. Shen Qingmeng patted and soothed him for a long time before he finally fell into a deep sleep.
Shen Qingmeng breathed a sigh of relief when she saw some sweat on Chu Wangshu's forehead. She touched it with her hand and found that although his fever had not completely subsided, he was much better. Then she leaned against the bed and dozed off.
This warm and cozy atmosphere is perfect for sleeping.
When Shen Qingmeng woke up from a nap, she saw Chu Wangshu staring blankly at his fingertips. She quickly took his hand and asked, "What's wrong? Does your fingertip hurt again?"
“No,” Chu Wangshu shook her head, “It just feels…so ugly.”
The wounds on his fingertips had healed, but each wound left a scab under his nail, making them look somewhat gruesome.
“Where is it ugly? It’s still very beautiful, well-proportioned, slender and fair. I’ve never seen a more beautiful hand,” Shen Qingmeng took his hand and kissed it. “It’s good that it doesn’t hurt. In a few days, the scab will grow out and there will be no scar.”
"But I have so many on my body."
"Why is Young Master Chu still concerned about this?" Shen Qingmeng laughed, stretching lazily. "I have a few marks on my body too, would you like to take a look?"
"No...that's not what I meant..." Chu Wangshu was as easily teased as ever, her ears turning red instantly: "Qingmeng, why...why did you say you admire me?"
"Are you referring to a year ago or now?"
"...All of them."
"To be honest, it was indeed lust at first sight a year ago, and I really wanted to protect you."
Chu Wangshu, how come you never realize how handsome you are? Compared to those officials, you have a gentler and more approachable demeanor, but you also possess a tenacity that is not seen in many weak scholars. Perhaps it is? I am not good at describing it, but I always feel that if your body hadn't been so badly damaged, you would have been a gentleman skilled in both literature and martial arts.
Now, I feel that you're wonderful in every way, and you're so good to me. Just holding your hand makes me so happy.
"This is so kind," Chu Wangshu said with a slightly embarrassed smile. He was truly pleased by Shen Qingmeng's praise. "But... ever since we met, you've always taken care of me. Don't you ever get annoyed?"
"No, don't think about all sorts of nonsense all the time. I just like you, I like you no matter what. Besides, you're great, you're so good at everything you do. If you're not feeling well, just take good care of yourself. Everything will be alright from now on, and you should never touch those fortune-telling things again. Your body will recover gradually." Shen Qingmeng suddenly remembered what happened yesterday: "When I was talking to Wanwan yesterday, did someone say anything to you?"
"……No."
“Sigh, even if you don’t admit it, I can guess. Liu Erniu told my dad years ago that he wanted to marry me, but I refused. Now that he sees that I’ve found such a good husband like you, while he’s still all alone and hasn’t found a wife, I can understand his resentment,” Shen Qingmeng’s hands were still restlessly touching Chu Wangshu’s upper body, and then she rubbed his not-so-slightly fleshy waist with satisfaction, and said with a smile: “Not bad, you’ve made some progress lately.”
Chu Wangshu didn't dodge, but just laughed and said, "It tickles!"
"Okay, then I won't touch it anymore," Shen Qingmeng stopped. "Are you hungry? I'll go make you some pear soup or something to eat?"
"Have you not eaten yet?"
"Of course I had lunch at Wanwan's house. Don't worry, I'm not like you who likes to lie."
"I... I'd like to eat, I'm so hungry." Chu Wangshu refused to answer the question about the liar.
"You haven't gone all day without eating, have you?"
“…I ate it,” Chu Wangshu said helplessly, “but I threw it all up.”
"It's alright, our fever subsided after an afternoon nap, which is a big improvement. I'll make you some light noodles tonight to tide you over," Shen Qingmeng got out of bed and covered Chu Wangshu with the blanket again. "Don't follow me anymore, just lie here for a little while longer, I'll be back soon."
Later, Shen Qingmeng stopped giving Chu Wangshu medicine. She simply made some medicinal soups to dispel cold every day, but to satisfy Chu Wangshu's preferences, she made them all sweet. Doctor Li said that she had ruined the medicinal properties.
So be it. I'll just treat it as a little sweet drink. I wasn't really expecting it to have any real effect anyway.
Shen Qingmeng told Physician Li that raising a child roughly would make him more likely to survive. At least Chu Wangshu looked much healthier now than when he was kept in those exquisite things at the Astrology Pavilion.
Author's Note:
Qingmeng: Children raised a bit rougher are actually easier to raise. [eating melon emoji]
Chu Wangshu: She spoils me like a child, waaaaaah, I love her so much! [heart eyes]
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