Chapter 24
Yueming developed a fever soon after he came back. The third lady was so anxious that she wiped Yueming's sweat while asking the maid to ask if the doctor had arrived.
Hearing Ai Yu say that Yueming was not a good person, Xiaosai's heart began to beat fast. He had just gotten a lot of information from Ye Nan about Yueming's recent experiences. He felt that this matter could not be delayed any longer and he had to call the third young master back immediately.
Although he knew that his father would probably call a doctor, if the Third Wife got stubborn and insisted on calling back the soul, who would dare to let the doctor come?
He thought for a moment, called Ai Yu out and warned her, "It's a mess here, and it won't do without a man to take charge. I'll go call the Second Young Master back. I'll leave this place to you and Ye Nan. Please take good care of Miss Lan."
Ai Yu knew he was afraid that the Third Madam would interfere and make Miss Lan suffer. Thinking of what the Third Madam had done, Ai Yu wanted to sigh. She didn't act like a lady from a wealthy family at all. She only knew how to throw tantrums and didn't give Miss Lan any face at all. What a perfect match the Lan family would make! Mr. Lan was capable, and Miss Lan was easygoing. If Miss Lan, a widow, could marry into the Lan family, with a capable husband and the support of her family, the Tusi Mansion, her life would be so much easier.
But the Third Wife, proud of her status, insisted on finding a leader in Mengquan for her Third Young Lady. What good were those men with numerous wives and concubines who spent their days drinking and cockfighting? Besides their status, how were they any better than Mr. Lan? She didn't see why.
After sighing twice in her heart for her poor young lady, she said to Feng Xiaochong: "Go ahead, and come back soon."
Feng Xiaosai hurried to the stables, grabbed his horse, and headed for Serin. He told Yunkai everything in detail. Yunkai's forehead bulged with veins after hearing this. This woman had been trapped in the house for so long that her mind had become so limited to the world around her. Her methods of tormenting people were mediocre.
He was in a hurry to return home, and discussed with his second uncle, Han Tinglai, to leave the carriage to his second uncle. He rode his second uncle's horse back home with Feng Xiaosai.
Yueming had been in a coma, and her dreams were all about the man on the fire stand trying to tear off the white cloth and sit up. She screamed at the top of her lungs in her dream, but to others it was just a few mutterings.
She felt someone tie a coil around her wrist, mumble something in a language she couldn't understand, and then recite it in Chinese.
"Come back, come back. The mountains are high, so take a detour. There's water, so cross the bridge. Don't avoid the houses. Come back, come back."
She didn't know what these people were going to do, but she realized she had a fever again. She pointed to the carved cabinet opposite the bed, wanting to tell them there was medicine inside. But she just moved her fingers and she didn't even have the strength to raise her hand.
In a trance, she heard Yun Kai's voice and Ye Nan's crying. She wanted to ask what was wrong? What happened, but she couldn't say a word and fell into a coma again.
Yunkai rushed into the house, followed by Feng Xiaosai and the doctor. Seeing Yueming lying unconscious in bed, and the Third Madam's request to call back his soul, Yunkai glared at the Third Madam and the Lahu Village wizard who had been sent to call back his soul, and said coldly, "Get out."
Seeing the Second Young Master's gloomy expression, the wizard dared not stay any longer, not even mentioning the reward. He bowed and left. On his way out, he ran into the Second Steward. Thinking about how he had been busy for so long without even a sip of water, he felt a little unwilling to give up. With a forced smile, he said to the Second Steward, "Second Steward, we're done inside. I've spoken in both Lahu and Chinese. I'm sure the young lady's soul won't stray from the path. Look at this mountain god's incense..."
Normally, one would pay a sorcerer rice, brown sugar, and soul-calling money. Feng Er was anxious to find out what was going on inside and didn't bother dealing with him. He simply took out two silver dollars and gave them to him.
The wizard took the money with a beaming smile, then remembered that he had only done half of the job. He said to Feng Er, "Remember to give the young lady the egg with the soul-calling string tied to it!"
The second young master was about to eat a human, so why would he eat an egg? He waved his hands impatiently at the wizard, signaling him to leave quickly.
After the wizard left, Feng Er saw that there was no one around, so he put his ear close to the door and listened to the footsteps on the wall.
After the wizard left, the Third Madam was not so afraid of Yunkai. She frowned and asked Yunkai, "Second Young Master, what do you mean by this? You've driven him away at such a critical moment. What will happen if you delay Miss Lan?"
Yunkai looked at Mingyue lying in bed. She was dazed from the fever, her eyes blurry, her face red enough to look like blood. He asked the doctor to examine Yueming first, then turned to the Third Madam and said, "Third Madam, you're asking me? I was wondering what you mean by that. You didn't send a doctor for a sick guest, but instead allowed this unknown man into the young lady's boudoir to act mysteriously. Third Madam, you're truly a master of the household."
The Third Madam would never accept Yun Kai's accusation. She glared at him and said, "She was just frightened, not injured. What's wrong with asking someone to call her soul?"
It was never a wise choice to reason with the Third Madam, so Yun Kai ignored her and asked the doctor who was taking Yue Ming's pulse, "How is the young lady doing now?"
The doctor tucked Yueming's hand back into the quilt and said to Yunkai, "The young lady does have a high fever caused by convulsions, but her pulse is weak and deep, which is a sign of deficiency. I'm afraid she hasn't been eating enough recently."
Insufficient diet? Yun Kai glanced at the Third Madam. The Third Madam turned away guiltily. He turned back to the doctor and said, "Please give me a prescription. I'll ask someone to get the medicine right away."
The doctor wrote a prescription and handed it to Yun Kai, saying, "Miss, your fever is very serious and must be brought down immediately. It would be best if you rub your body with strong liquor."
Yunkai asked Feng Xiaosai to call a servant and a doctor to get medicine, and asked Ai Yu to go to the kitchen to get some strong liquor to wipe Yueming's body.
As soon as Feng Xiaosai lifted the curtain, he saw his father standing at the door with his neck stretched out, eavesdropping. Both of them were startled. Feng Er was about to curse "little bastard" when he heard the second young master calling him from inside the room. He glared at Feng Xiaosai, lifted the curtain, and went in.
Entering the room, he bowed respectfully to Yun Kai and asked, "Second Young Master, what are your instructions?"
Yun Kai looked around the room, his hands behind his back, and said calmly, "It's been sunset for quite some time, and there's still no light in Miss Lan's room. It's obvious the servants aren't doing their best to serve. Go get all the servants, except those in the other courtyards, to come to Miss Lan's courtyard."
Feng Er nodded in agreement, knowing that the Second Young Master was trying to take advantage of the situation.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the Third Wife stood up, straightened her clothes and said nonchalantly, "I've been busy all afternoon and didn't even have time to eat dinner. Since the Second Young Master is looking after us here, I'll go back." After saying that, she took Man'e and pretended to leave.
Yun Kai stopped her, "Didn't you hear me, Madam San? I ordered all the servants to come to this courtyard, including the kitchen servants. How can you eat? We have to discipline these unruly servants. You are always so kind and soft-hearted that I'm afraid you won't be able to punish them. I'm not afraid of them, but I'm young and inexperienced. I need you to hold me up."
After saying this, without caring whether Third Madam agreed or not, he asked Feng Er to move two chairs to the corridor.
It is useless to just yell at and scold someone like the Third Madam. She must be made to learn the consequences of disregarding the reputation of the mansion.
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