Chapter 49: Nightmare

Rui Bao brought the items that Meinang wanted, and Meinang touched Xu Jun Ying’s forehead. She also took the chance to hold his hand, which was still warm in the palm but cold at the fingertips. What a strange person feeling hot and cold at the same time. He refused to cover himself with more blankets, what did he want? Was he trying to act like an ascetic or afraid people would say his health was weak?

The more Xu Jun Ying avoided her, the more Meinang wanted to touch him. What was he afraid of? Was she going to harm him? She wasn’t that fierce just playing with him as an experiment. She remembered a few remedies from her past life and, since the imperial doctor hadn’t arrived yet, she decided to try them out. If they worked, they could be used later, even for herself if she ever suffered from this illness.

After fixing his blanket, Meinang stood up and walked to the charcoal fire, instructing Cui Xi: “Go over there and call Wang Mama to bring one or two pounds of old ginger and make a big pot of water.”

She also told Rui Zhu: “Bring a thick quilt to cover Lord Xu. He won’t object.”

Rui Zhu did as instructed, and Xu Jun Ying didn’t protest, or maybe he didn’t notice. He kept his eyes closed and leaned against the pillow, exhausted from running back and forth to the inner room.

Meinang took a large copper spoon and steadied it on the charcoal fire. She poured some vinegar into a pot, added water, and waited for it to boil. After that, she added a bit of salt and stirred it with a silver spoon. She then had Cui Xi fetch a clean teacup, pouring the boiling vinegar-salt solution into it. After it cooled a little, she called Rui Bao over: “Try it and see if it’s too hot.”

Without hesitation, Rui Bao drank a small sip. Meinang stopped her, saying, “Just a sip, don’t drink it all.”

Rui Bao smiled awkwardly and took a small sip: “It’s not too hot.”

Meinang nodded and carried the cup over to Xu Jun Ying’s bed: “Lord, are you awake? Drink some soup.”

Xu Jun Ying suddenly sat up, wanting to go to the inner room: “I don’t want to drink water move aside.”

Meinang didn’t let him: “Drink this first, then go.”

Xu Jun Ying, impatient, glanced at the cup in her hand, grabbed it, and drank it all. He frowned: “What is this? It’s both salty and sour, and it has a strange taste.”

“It’s boiled water,” Meinang said with a smile, moving aside and calling, “Lord is going to the inner room, let Bai Zhan come in.”

Xu Jun Ying hesitated but didn’t say anything, walking into the inner room and closing the door, preventing Bai Zhan from entering.

After about half an hour, Xu Jun Ying came out of the inner room, and a small elderly man in a brown robe, with a white beard, came in, led by Bao Yu. During that time, Xu Jun Ying hadn’t gone back into the inner room, and seemed to have fallen into a drowsy sleep, still and silent. Meinang called out to him but received no response. When she checked his breath, he was still alive, but maybe he was just muddled from the fever.

Dr. Hu diagnosed that he had caught a chill and had eaten something bad. Meinang was pleased she had guessed right. It was a shame she hadn’t learned medicine in her past life, but she seemed to have some natural talent for it.

After thanking Dr. Hu, Meinang paid him with silver, and Wang Mama handed her a pouch. Meinang passed it to Dr. Hu, who smiled and tucked it into his sleeve, bowing to her, and left with Bao Yu.

Meinang instructed Bai Zhan to quickly take the prescription and get the medicine ready. Bai Zhan was about to leave when Xu Jun Ying called out softly from behind the screen: “Wait.”

Meinang turned to Rui Bao, who walked over and asked: “What does Lord want?”

Xu Jun Ying said: “Don’t bother with the medicine, tell Grandma to come over.”

Meinang went over and sat beside his bed without hesitation: “What do you need to say, Lord?”

Xu Jun Ying asked, “Do you still have the Six Harmonies Pills that Ling Xu Zi gave you?”

Meinang suddenly remembered: “I took them all, except for one green pill and one red one.”

“The Six Harmonies Pills contain ten green pills and one red pill. The red one can cure all kinds of illnesses…”

“Why didn’t you tell me when you gave them to me? Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

Xu Jun Ying closed his eyes, unmoving: “I forgot.”

Meinang raised her eyebrows, looking at him for a while, then softly said, “Xu Jun Ying, I really don’t know what to say to you.”

Was he too proud? Did he think he was invincible, immune to everything? Yet here he was, sick, pretending not to care, and trying to hide it. This illness wasn’t too serious, but it would take three or four days to recover, and the least he could do was ask her for the medicine.

She ordered Cui Xi to bring the pills, and instead of Bai Zhan going out to fetch the medicine, she had Wang Mama make ginger soup, which had been boiling for a while. She directed Bai Zhan to carry the two large wooden tubs of ginger water into the inner room, instructing that someone help Xu Jun Ying bathe in the ginger water, scrubbing his chest, back, and arms, and to wash his hair. Afterward, he should be covered with blankets and kept warm. By morning, his headache should be gone.

Wang Mama nodded and agreed, saying the method was effective for removing bad energy and evil spirits from the body.

Bai Zhan immediately went to fetch the ginger water and brought it to the inner room. Cui Xi returned with the medicine. Meinang took the last green pill from the small porcelain bottle and gave it to Xu Jun Ying to take. Rui Zhu brought tea, and Meinang reminded: “Remember, take pills with plain water, not tea, as tea might interfere with the medicine.”

Rui Zhu quickly brought warm water, and Xu Jun Ying drank a sip. Bai Zhan then came to ask: “Lord, the hot water is ready, would you like to bathe?”

Xu Jun Ying lazily replied: “I’ll wait until tomorrow morning to bathe.”

Meinang said: “You should bathe now, Dr. Hu said it would be best to take a hot bath.”

Without waiting for his response, she lifted the blanket: “Bai Zhan, help Lord out of bed.”

Xu Jun Ying reluctantly got up, putting on his shoes: “I’m fine, it’s just a minor illness, don’t make a fuss about it.”

Meinang watched as Bai Zhan followed Xu Jun Ying into the inner room, giving Rui Zu the task of fetching clean clothes. Meanwhile, she ordered the servants to change the bedding, which was done with ease, and finally stretched, satisfied that the task for the day was done.

Xu Jun Ying returned from the inner room, looking much better. He seemed revitalized, with less pain in his stomach and no more diarrhea, though it still occasionally rumbled.

He wanted to bathe himself, but Bai Zhan stopped him, saying: “Grandma ordered that you soak in the ginger water and that we help scrub your chest and back, wash your hair, and keep you warm afterward. By morning, you’ll be feeling much better.”

Looking around, the room still had the same atmosphere as when Meinang had been there one lamp lit, the fire pit gone, but the warm scent still lingered. He reluctantly crawled into bed, the mattress soft and cozy, a stark contrast to the hard beds he had grown used to.

He didn’t like this feeling. He was used to discomfort, to training, to hardship. His father had trained him to be strong, to have unyielding willpower and unmatched skills, teaching him that a soldier must always be vigilant, never too comfortable.

But now, lying in this soft bed, he just didn’t want to move. Everything had been done already, no need to fuss over it again.

“Qin Meinang… What did she give me?” Xu Jun Ying thought. She had touched him repeatedly, confidently arranging everything in his room, and now he couldn’t shake her from his mind. Her image, her voice, her smile… He sighed deeply.

Was she really the same person as before? The gentle, fragile wife he once knew was now so different, bold and lively, her bright eyes hiding something deeper. Yet, no matter how different she was, she was no longer his wife she belonged to the seventh.

Unknowingly, he drifted into a deep sleep, and in his dream, he saw Meinang, dressed in bright clothes, laughing confidently. She shoved Zhuang Yu Lan aside and took his arm, pulling him forward. He wanted to resist, but she was too strong. He allowed himself to be pulled along, feeling a sense of peace as they walked to a field of blooming flowers. But suddenly, the ground gave way, and Meinang fell. He reached out to grab her, but then Xu Jun Ying saw his brother, Xu Jun Jie, emerging from the ground to catch her, and they both fell together. He was left calling her name in desperation, but then he was woken by a loud bang.