Madam Xue thought that her voice was so low that it would not alarm others, but in fact, both people in the room were skilled in martial arts and could hear everything clearly. Lin Dan pretended not to know, but Xue Boyong showed a guilty expression. After Mrs. Xue left, he put down the spoon and lost his appetite.
"Drink a little more," Lin Dan tapped his bowl with chopsticks, "There's only a thin layer of porridge left. Two or three mouthfuls will do. Don't waste it."
Xue Boyong remained unmoved.
Just at this moment, a servant came in with a pot of ginseng soup, placed it on the stove, and simmered it over low heat.
Lin Dan turned to look at him and suddenly asked, "What's your name?"
"Miss Lin, my name is Li Zhong." The servant bent over and answered with a frightened look on his face. Ever since he saw with his own eyes how Lin Dan tamed Xue Boyong into obedience, he no longer dared to show a disrespectful expression. If this master can control the most promising eldest son of the Xue family, why can't he control others?
"What are the names of those two girls outside?" Lin Dan continued to ask.
"The one wearing red clothes outside is called Fangfei, and the one wearing green clothes is called Biyu. They were both transferred here recently. We in Xiaofeng Pavilion have never had maids to serve us before." The servant answered every question with an attentive attitude.
Lin Dan nodded and continued, "So, before I came, your young master didn't want to eat. How did you keep him alive?"
The servant said with a bitter face, "The lady comes to ask the eldest master for food every day. If the eldest master is in a good mood, he will drink a mouthful or two of ginseng soup. If he is in a bad mood, he will not eat or drink, but just sit facing the wall in silence. Miss Lin, this is the ginseng soup that the eldest master drinks every day. I will put it on the stove to heat it up. Remember to let the eldest master drink some later, so that he can replenish his depleted body as soon as possible."
Lin Dan turned to look at Xue Boyong and said word by word, "You still have to beg your own mother to cry for food. Big brother, you are really promising!"
Xue Boyong's face turned red and he immediately picked up the spoon and drank up the remaining porridge.
Lin Dan struck while the iron was hot and made him drink a bowl of ginseng soup and take a few pills to strengthen his body before he stopped.
"Do you want to pee?" She took the handkerchief handed to her by the servant and asked naturally while wiping Xue Boyong's face.
Xue Boyong started coughing violently and tried to push her several times, but failed. She is now like a piece of dog-skin plaster, which sticks firmly once it sticks and cannot be torn off.
"Don't you want to pee? Then do you want to have a full bowel movement?" Lin Dan continued to ask.
Xue Boyong gritted his teeth and said, "Lin Dan, get out!"
"Okay then, if you need anything, just give me a shout and I'll ask Li Zhong to help you. My bedroom is in the room on your left, and my study is in the room on your right. They're only separated by two walls, so they're very close. If there's any movement here, I'll be able to hear it immediately." After Lin Dan gave these instructions, he went out.
Xue Boyong's originally pale cheeks were now completely red, and it was unclear whether it was because of embarrassment or anger.
Li Zhong buried his head and huddled in a corner, pretending that he didn't exist. Although he had been with the eldest master since he was a child, he had never served him much. The eldest master would never ask others to do things that he could do himself. That was why he slept so soundly last night. He did not think of putting a glass of water beside the young master's bed, or carrying him to the toilet or something like that.
If it weren't for Lin Dan's alertness, with Xue Boyong's stubborn personality, he would have lay on the ground all night if he couldn't crawl back, and would never have taken the initiative to ask for help. The next morning, Mrs. Xue saw it and everyone in the yard was beaten with a stick. Thinking of this, Li Zhong couldn't help but feel more grateful to Lin Dan.
After breakfast, Lin Dan went to the study next door to read. He started with the simplest soup recipe song, and then learned how to diagnose pulses and identify Chinese herbal medicines. At the same time, she did not neglect her internal energy skills and would spend two hours every day meditating.
Mrs. Xue quickly sent people to build a small kitchen for Xiaofeng Pavilion, and delivered the freshest ingredients every day. At first, Lin Dan pretended to learn cooking from the cook, but later he completely replaced her. She also gradually took over the embroiderer's needlework. She sewed all of Xue Boyong's clothes herself, and very carefully.
That day, the cook was completely defeated by Lin Dan's cooking skills and took the initiative to step aside to help. At the beginning, she thought Lin Dan was learning cooking from her just to show off to the old lady and the lady, but she didn't expect that after only seven days of learning, she had already mastered her own special skills.
The cook was filled with regret, but it was too late. She was only secretly amazed at Lin Dan's intelligence. I heard that Lin Danlian had just learned needlework, but she was better than the experienced embroiderers who had been doing it for decades. Those who said she was a useless person should really come and see it with their own eyes. If she were a useless woman, there would be no smart and clever girls in the whole capital.
Lin Dan prepared a dish of chicken slices in lotus sauce, a dish of stuffed tofu, a dish of stir-fried choy sum with mushrooms, and a dish of winter melon and pork ribs soup. She packed them in an exquisite food box and sent them to Xue Boyong's room.
Xue Boyong was stunned after taking the first bite, and then he quickened his eating pace. After the injury, his appetite became much smaller. He was full after drinking a bowl of porridge and refused to pick up the bowl and chopsticks again. Today, he ate two bowls of rice and drank a bowl of soup, leaving only some vegetable juice for Lin Dan.
Lin Dan didn't dislike it at all. She poured the soup into the bowl, mixed it, and ate it with relish.
Xue Boyong's hands had regained some strength, and his face had grown a little flesh. He was wiping his mouth while instructing Li Zhong, "Did we change the cook today? This guy's cooking skills are excellent. Give him a reward of one or two taels of silver."
Li Zhong agreed and then secretly went to see Lin Dan.
Lin Dan directly opened Xue Boyong's money box, took out one or two taels of silver, and put it in his pocket.
Xue Boyong looked at her coldly and asked, "What are you doing with my money?"
"Thank you for the reward, big brother. I'm the new cook today. From now on, I'll cook your meals and sew your clothes. Is that okay?" Lin Dan pinched Xue Boyong's cheek and said with satisfaction, "Big brother, you've gained weight!"
Xue Boyong quickly grabbed her wrist and scolded her with a red face: "How can a girl pinch a man's face casually? Do you have any shame?"
Lin Dan broke free from his grip, feeling even more relieved: "Brother, you have gained strength too."
Xue Boyong felt that he was talking at cross purposes, and his expression was embarrassed and helpless.
Mrs. Xue and the old lady, who came to visit him, stood at the door, watching the scene with smiles on their faces. As expected, my grandson (son) has gained some weight, his complexion has become rosy, his eyes are brighter, and even his physical strength is slowly recovering. One day, he will be completely well again.
Thinking of this, the old lady showed a friendly expression to Lin Dan. Although Madam Xue still had a cold look on her face, her tone of voice was much softer, and she no longer called her a bitch.
Seeing the two elders, Xue Boyong wiped his face and wanted to sigh. In recent days, he was indeed so angry with Lin Dan that he forgot to think about it, and gradually realized how much harm his depression brought to his family. His throat choked, and he said sincerely: "Grandma, mother, I am sorry for being unfilial and making you worry!"
"It's not your fault, stop saying that." The old lady walked in quickly and comforted him, "You look much better now, and you have more strength. You are getting stronger day by day. Your father went to Jiangzhou to find a famous doctor for you. He will bring back good news soon. You will definitely recover."
Mrs. Xue echoed repeatedly, smiling through her tears.
Seeing this, Lin Dan quietly walked out and quietly closed the door, leaving the space for them.
…………
Three days later, General Xue did not bring back any good news, but Xue Jiming came back and said confidently, "Grandmother, do you know? A few days ago, a farmer's stomach was pierced by a cow's horn, and his intestines were leaking out. Everyone said he was dead, but he was sent to Xuancao's medicine hall, but she saved him!"
"What? He can be saved even though his intestines are leaking?" The old lady was shocked.
"Yes, she cleaned out the man's intestines and stuffed them back in, then sewed up his stomach with needle and thread. After more than a month, the man was alive and kicking. I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be fake? If you don't believe it, you can send someone to ask around on the street. Now the whole capital has spread the word that Xuancao is a miracle doctor, and there is no disease she can't cure!"
The old lady's eyes lit up and she immediately sent someone to inquire. Mrs. Xue was also waiting anxiously, hoping to find out whether the news was true or not. If the news was true, she would not object even if her youngest son wanted to marry Wu Xuancao as his wife.
The maid came back soon and told all the rumors going around the streets, saying that Wu Xuancao was a miracle doctor, had a good relationship with the King of Hell, and could snatch people from the underworld. She also said that she had extraordinary medical skills and could revive the dead and so on.
The old lady and Madam Xue immediately sent someone to invite her, but because Lin Dan had once smashed her shop and ruined her reputation, she refused to come. After asking three times in a row, she finally said that she would only come after Lin Dan knelt three times and kowtowed nine times at the door of her pharmacy and loudly admitted his mistakes.
"Go find Lin Dan. If she doesn't want to go, you have to take her to Xuancao Hall to kowtow to Wu Xuancao!" Mrs. Xue said loudly, slamming the table.
The old lady closed her eyes and didn't show any intention of asking any questions. These things were caused by Lin Dan, so it’s nothing to ask her to apologize.
Xue Jiming gritted his teeth and said, "Grandmother, mother, why don't you drive Lin Dan away?" Now that his eldest brother had fallen ill, he had to support the Xue family, so he usually stayed in the military camp for training and seldom came back. He didn't know that the culprit was still at home.
"Oh, forget it. Grandma is always soft-hearted and won't listen to anyone! I will go find that damn girl myself. If she doesn't invite Hemerocallis to our house this time, I will throw her out and let her starve to death on the street!" Xue Jiming left angrily, and the old lady and Mrs. Xue did not stop him.
As long as Wu Xuancao can be invited to heal Xue Boyong's legs, who would care whether Lin Dan leaves or stays? Even though the old lady truly loved her, she did not regard her as more important than her own grandson.
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