Yi Ning was awakened by the sound of rain. She was tired today, so she went to bed early. The thunder and lightning outside were terrifying. She parted the curtains and saw the little girl who had been on night watch sleeping by the footstool, wrapped in a blanket and soundly asleep, having not been disturbed.
The sound of rain was mixed with faint coughs. Yining listened carefully and it seemed that it was her grandmother in the next room who was coughing.
Mrs. Luo had a cough, but her attacks were unpredictable and came at random. When she had a cough, she couldn't sleep well at night and felt completely exhausted during the day. Both Luo Chengzhang and Mr. Luo had tried many folk remedies, but nothing worked.
Yi Ning lay back down in her quilt, only to hear the coughing continue, becoming increasingly intense. Even the maids on night watch outside were woken up by the noise. A ray of candlelight filtered in, and the sound of the maids' chattering could be heard.
Mother Xu also whispered, "Be quiet, my sister is sleeping. Don't wake her up..."
Yi Ning sighed and turned over. Grandma's health was indeed getting worse. She had seen her eldest sister-in-law use Chuanbei loquat soup to treat a cough, but she wasn't sure if it worked. She'd ask the kitchen to make a bowl for Grandma tomorrow to try.
The next day, Yining called the kitchen manager over.
Seeing Miss Seven half-kneeling on the bed, drawing patterns, the housekeeper smiled and leaned forward, "I'm here. Miss Seven, what can I do for you?"
"I need some loquat leaves," Yi Ning said as she sketched the pattern. "I also want some Sichuan Fritillaria, but the smaller the better, I want the ones that look like 'Moon in Arms.' Can Mammy find some?"
Seeing her childish appearance, the housekeeper thought she was just out for fun. She said gently, "That's not a problem, but I don't know what 'embracing the moon' means. What does Miss Seven want with these?"
Yi Ning put the tip of her pen to her lips, wondering how to explain to the housekeeper what 'Moon in Arms' meant when she heard a faint voice from outside the door: "Moon in Arms is the best Sichuan Fritillaria, and it can only be produced in Shu."
Yi Ning was very surprised to hear this voice and hurried to get off the bed. Xue Zhi helped her up and Yi Ning jumped down. She ran towards him and called out to him with a smile: "Third brother, why are you back!"
Luo Shenyuan supported the little girl's body, helping her to steady herself. A faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Why, you seem to be much more lively."
Yi Ning was pleasantly surprised to see him. He had a faintly familiar scent. It was the same warm, safe scent she'd felt when he'd saved her. She pulled his arm away and saw he was holding a small bag, which she immediately took.
When she opened it, she found it was a bag of rice dumpling candy.
Each one has a small pointed corner, is bright brown, and is embedded with pine nuts, exuding the sweet aroma of sugar.
Luo Shenyuan whispered, "I brought it back for you."
Yi Ning had been making hairpins for over twenty years and had nothing to eat or drink. Plus, little Yi Ning loved to eat, and was always happy to see something delicious. It had been a long time since she'd had zongzi candy. Yi Ning ate one and asked Xuezhi to put the rest away in her savings box. She smiled and thanked Luo Shenyuan.
When Yining's savings box was opened, it had five or six layers, and each layer contained a variety of food, including dried fruits and candied fruits, cakes and even jerky.
Luo Shenyuan saw her little face puffed up as she held the candy in her mouth. Her face remained expressionless, but he felt a little amused.
He sat down and asked her, "What are you doing with those?"
Yi Ning made up a random story: "I read a recipe in a book that said it can stop coughs. I stewed it for my grandmother to drink."
"Seventh Miss is so filial, the old lady will be very happy to know about this." The housekeeper said with a smile, "I will have someone prepare it right away, and will do everything according to Seventh Miss's instructions."
Mrs. Luo had just returned from the small Buddhist temple, and Luo Shenyuan stood up to greet her. He had been the first to arrive home that morning, so he was the first to greet Mrs. Luo. Later, Luo Huaiyuan and Luo Shanyuan followed. Mrs. Luo carefully inquired about their studies and how Mr. Song was teaching.
"In two months, the Autumn Examination will be here. Our Luo family has a long tradition of scholarship, and our children have always been good at studying. The three of you are taking the exam together this time, so don't slack off," Old Lady Luo instructed. "From today on, study for at least seven hours every day. Huaiyuan, you took the exam three years ago, so your chances of passing this time are very high. You must set an example for your brothers."
Luo Huaiyuan stood up and responded respectfully.
Mrs. Luo covered her mouth and coughed a few times, then asked Luo Huaiyuan and Luo Shanyuan to go back first. They needed to rest after the long journey.
She left Luo Shenyuan alone to talk.
Yi Ning was sitting in the west side room, sketching patterns. She could hear everything they said clearly. She heard Mrs. Luo whisper to him, "Are you sure this time?"
Luo Shenyuan was silent for a moment before he said, "Grandma, I don't understand what you are saying."
"Three years ago, Lord Cao saw your essay and said you would definitely pass the imperial examination," said Old Lady Luo in a cold voice. "I'm asking you now, can you pass this time? You know things are different now, and you're older now. I won't treat you like that anymore."
Luo Shenyuan said, "Grandmother has always been indifferent to me. I didn't expect that she was secretly watching me." He seemed to laugh at himself, "But I also know that you are not sincere, but..."
The noises from the back gradually faded, and Yi Ning wanted to push herself against the screen to hear what they were saying. But Xuezhi was watching over her, and she couldn't pretend to be eavesdropping. Yi Ning could only concentrate and continue drawing patterns. Gradually, the noises from the other side died down, and then Mrs. Luo was helped in by Mrs. Xu, who told her to draw the patterns carefully so she could use them for needlework tomorrow.
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